In school, we learn for life, as they say. MeinMMO author Irina Moritz definitely did not expect that her German advanced course would become useful in the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV.
Let’s briefly recall: How often did you, back in school, feel bored in class and think “I will never need this later”? Yet throughout your life, there suddenly were situations where the old, dusty knowledge from school turned out to be surprisingly useful.
I had such a moment in the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV. In the middle of a raid boss fight, I was hit with a wave of memories from my German advanced course.
This is about Hesperos, the 4th boss in the new Endwalker raid Pandaemonium. Or more precisely, his epic form.
Warning: The article contains mild spoilers for the story of the Pandaemonium raid.
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Everything you need to know about Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker in 3 minutes
Raid progress through a Greek tragedy
Even back when the normal version of Pandaemonium was released, I had the uneasy feeling that everything there seemed somehow familiar. Somehow, I was familiar with the boss fight against Hesperos.
The names, the structure, everything evoked memories, but I couldn’t pin down exactly why. Until a lightbulb went off.
The entire fight is built on the principles of Greek tragedy. And I had thoroughly studied that a long time ago in my German advanced course, and it still resonates today.
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The entire epic fight of P4S is structured in 2 phases, both containing elements of Greek tragedy.
The piece in the raid is called “Akanthai”, which translates from Greek to about “thorn flower” or “thorn bush”. The mechanics of Hesperos are divided into 5 acts and one invocation, as befits a proper tragedy.
The funny thing was that even the mechanics adhered to the strict structure. A tragedy always takes place in the same setting and has a unified plot. In the fight, these rules were upheld by the developers executing many different versions of a mechanic.
The boss placed thorns on the battlefield that always looked the same, but had different functions and mechanics in each act. And they need to be executed as perfectly as possible, because otherwise, the group faces a wipe or enrage.
Additionally, Hesperos also threw around a whole range of terms from Greek tragedy. Often quite literally in the form of mechanics:
Pinax refers to a wall made of wood or bronze, on which the background image of a tragedy is painted. Essentially a type of backdrop.
In the raid fight, Pinax was a mechanic that changed the floor of the arena, that is, the backdrop.
Kothornos is a special type of shoes with a high sole that were worn by actors in Athens to appear taller.
Kothornos Kick is an attack where Hesperos deals strong physical damage to a player with a kick.
Periaktoi were also responsible for the backdrop in Greek theater. These devices could be rotated, presenting the audience with different sides featuring painted images.
In the raid fight, this is a heavy AoE attack. The battlefield is divided into 4 areas by Pinax and Periaktoi kills all players who are not standing in the one correct area that was previously signaled.
And time and again, the boss Hesperos tosses his “Chlamys” on the ground or uses it to shove players around. This special cloak wasn’t specifically used in the theater, but it originally came from Greece.
Greek antiquity and its myths are a popular element often used in games. Developers like to draw from events or personalities that emerged from it. God of War and Assassin’s Creed are probably the best-known examples.
There is also a ton of such references and elements in FFXIV. The new expansion Endwalker is packed with names from Greek legends such as Elpis, the hope from the box of Pandora.
Some are obvious. Others are well hidden, like the tragedy in the fight against Hesperos in the epic Pandaemonium raid, which I only noticed because I paid attention in school a long time ago.
So, Ms. Körner, if you are reading this (which is very unlikely), I thank you for your German lessons. Rest assured, I will remember Antigone for the rest of my life.
A player has soloed one of the bosses in Pandaemonium by the way:
As soon as the glaive arrived in Destiny 2, it quickly became one of the most talked-about weapons. Its sharp blade divided the community, as some love it while others dislike it. Nevertheless, it is the ultimate 4-in-1 weapon. MeinMMO has looked into why you should still give this new weapon class a chance even after the nerf.
What is the glaive? The glaive is a new weapon class in Destiny 2 that was integrated into the game with the current expansion “The Witch Queen.” It is the only weapon that combines 4 combat options: projectile weapon, sword, shield, and spear. Additionally, the glaive has changed the way players can engage in Destiny 2 due to its blend of offense and defense.
You can fire a projectile directly at your enemies from a distance.
Fast melee attacks can chop small and powerful enemies to pieces in seconds.
The shield can block almost anything, even annoying shots from snipers.
The combination of blocking and melee attack feels particularly strong.
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Swords now have strong competition: Before the glaive, there was only the sword class in Destiny 2, which is played in third-person perspective. Until now, the only option if you wanted to deal deadly fast strikes.
When it comes to “Take a sword,” the Guardians usually reach for their favorite sword, which has the perks “Unrelenting Hits” and “Whirlwind Blade.” This allows them to generate sword ammunition out of thin air by landing three light hits in quick succession and increase damage by up to 30% after light hits.
The combat style is cool but also familiar. Only the three class-specific swords add a bit of flair to the combat style with their small elite quirks.
In contrast, the glaive is new and unique: The combat style with the glaive is something completely new and until Witch Queen, something unknown in Destiny 2, which its fans have yet to discover. Including myself.
The melee strikes with the glaive, if given a chance, quickly make it clear: “Nothing can stop you anymore!” No matter if melee and ranged attacks from long, medium, or short range, the glaive can counter everything.
You also get this wicked, wide grin on your face as you slice through adds one after the other with ease.
I personally enjoy playing Gambit in Destiny 2 immensely and correspondingly often. However, the gameplay with the glaive actually surprised me quite a bit. The weapon is incredibly strong in every situation there.
In the three areas, you clear out well with the weapon, even without ammunition.
The witches are almost hopeless, despite their reasonably resistant Arc, Solar, and Void shields.
The ancient, when shot briefly, takes massive damage from the glaive quickly.
Even intruders cannot break the glaive’s shield. Draw it, and you can easily survive many frontal rocket launcher attacks before striking back.
With the ranged attack, you keep everything at bay.
Even after the nerf, equipping the glaive is a good idea
When the glaive was nerfed after the last Update 4.0.0.5 by Bungie, it really put a damper on the fun of the weapon for many in the Destiny 2 community. Some even dismantled their glaive or banished it to the vault, and I was also skeptical about whether it would “survive”.
Before the nerf, a melee attack that required no ammunition was enough to impair enemies using the seasonal mod “Suppressing Glaive.” Enemies were stunned indefinitely and thus defenseless.
After the nerf, you must first shoot enemies with the glaive to trigger the suppression effect of the seasonal mod “Suppressing Glaive.”
The armor mod “Suppressing Glaive” consumes 10% weapon energy per melee attack.
A shot from the glaive should now, therefore, suffice for two suppressing glaive melee attacks, with 25% charge per ranged attack.
A second look is worth it nonetheless: Even the readers of MeinMMO initially saw this as the death blow for this weapon class. In fact, the glaive has indeed become somewhat weaker, but it is still not completely useless.
Those who always shot their enemies before noticed the nerf hardly at all. Destiny 2 players on MeinMMO, like Frau Holle2, have already recognized this:
The change has been in the game since Tuesday, right? I noticed in the raid that my Hunter was no longer always invisible, but I attributed it to doing something wrong. Basically, I could still slice through adds and was very often invisible.
Why was the weapon actually nerfed? Players were surprised that Bungie was targeting this weapon class so specifically right now. It is quite possible that this is related to the start of the returning Nightfall activity “Grandmaster” that starts again on April 5th.
Especially the Hunter class used the glaive often in their Void 3.0 builds to continuously suppress enemies with melee attacks that cost no ammunition. Players may have used this strong glaive tactic in Grandmaster and simply eliminated the champions to secure the prestigious title “Conqueror” without much challenge.
This wouldn’t be the first time that an activity is trivialized in under 4 minutes.
Nevertheless, the weapon is a strong option for endgame: I personally believe the glaive will still play a strong role in Grandmaster. Its shield is still incredibly strong and simply blocks everything.
Common ground-smashers with mega range? Glaive players are not concerned.
Continuous thunder of champions bounces off the glaive like warm summer rain.
And thanks to its protective shield, you can resurrect your allies without risking another of your valuable lives if necessary.
Behind the glaive’s shield, nothing can kill you anymore.
How to play the glaive correctly
Functionally, the adjustment of the glaive and its nerf have only changed how you need to play the weapon. The weapon’s suppression now requires energy for melee attacks, but it still functions, albeit in a somewhat more complicated way.
Above all, the combination of projectile weapon, melee, and shield requires a bit more finger coordination and knowledge of what is now necessary.
A shot from the glaive now gives you 25% charge of energy.
Always get in some successful ranged hits with your ammunition first so you can use the effect of the suppressing glaive.
You can achieve full energy with 4 hits, and you need sufficient ammunition.
If the enemy is already suppressed, whether by a shot, melee, grenade, or by an ally, all glaive melee attacks afterwards consume no energy.
You can further tune the glaive through weapon crafting.
Use weapon crafting to make your glaive more efficient
You can craft “The Enigma” in the enclave on Mars and create a more effective version of this ultimate 4-in-1 weapon.
The improved perk “Impulse Amplifier” significantly increases your shot speed, and the glaive reloads faster, which is helpful.
With the improved perk “Unstoppable Force,” you achieve more projectile damage with the glaive when blocking an attack.
Alternatively, you can use the improved perk “Fury,” as the damage for both melee and projectile attacks is also increased after some time in combat.
These weapons are currently just as popular in Destiny 2:
Will you give the glaive, as the deadliest and most useful energy weapon in Destiny 2, another chance, or have you already given up on it? Do you think the weapon class will still exist without the seasonal artifact in Season 17?
Or have you already written off your glaive builds after the nerf? Feel free to leave us a comment about that.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The next WoW expansion is likely called “Dragonflight”. One person knew that months ago – and leaked a lot of information. Is it true?
The next expansion for World of Warcraft was accidentally leaked by Blizzard on the official site: Dragonflight. However, since the title of the expansion is considered almost confirmed, other information is suddenly back in focus. Someone had predicted back in February that the new expansion would be called “Dragonflight” – and even leaked possible content. This leak is gaining relevance again.
What kind of leak is this? Like many other leaks, this one was posted in the MMO-Champion forum. It’s not unusual for leaks to appear there – there were also accurate leaks about Shadowlands and Legion that were published here first. However, due to the abundance of fake leaks, it often gets drowned out – it has simply become a kind of “permanent April Fool’s Day,” where fans come up with possible expansions with interesting concepts and then sell them as “real leaks” to troll other players.
What is different about this leak? Unlike the dozens of other leaks, the one from “Chromatus” is special – because he correctly predicted the name of the upcoming expansion (likely) back in February: Dragonflight. Now that this name has also appeared on the official WoW site, it puts the description in a new, much more credible light.
Dragonflight: What’s in the new WoW expansion (according to the leak)
The leaker claims that World of Warcraft with Dragonflight will do a lot differently and bring much of what fans desire. The key features of the expansion are as follows:
“Chromatus” is the main enemy of the expansion, although this is expressed mainly in many small stories.
There are 6 areas, which are not connected as a continent. 4 areas are completely new, 2 areas are reworks of old zones.
There are 4 new “micro-classes”. These are classes with only one specialization, meaning a fixed framework they must fill.
Some classes will get something like “skins” that change the appearance of abilities and themes.
Player housing is coming.
There are 2 new professions: Carpenter and Woodworker.
Dalaran will once again be the capital of the expansion.
There is no increase in the level cap.
The leaker then goes into a bit more detail on the individual points. The most important information is:
The rewards from the Shadowlands will be scaled down. This is necessary because there won’t be a level squish with 10.0 – and also no new maximum level. Players will remain at level 60. This automatically means that all content from Dragonflight is directly “max-level content”.
The 6 new areas are:
Dragon Isles: Technically a continent of its own, but it’s just a large zone divided into several small maps. It is said to be a floating island located between the Broken Isles and Northrend.
Lordaeron: Tirisfal and the Plaguelands have been reworked. The theme here is the Scarlet Crusade and the Holy Light.
Quel’thalas: A rework of the Ghostlands and the Immersang Forest. Silvermoon is a hostile city, like Suramar.
Undermine: A large zone in the shape of a city, deep under Kezan. Everything revolves around criminals and the Uncrowned (the former rogue order hall). The entire area is underground.
Balor: A people of “Halflings” fighting against ancient Fel enemies, so something like “Proto-Demons”.
Uldaz: Another underground zone. A lot revolves around the Titans and Elune.
4 Micro-Classes – Each have only one spec
Additionally, there are the 4 new “micro-classes,” each having only one specialization. These are:
Dragon Knight: Only tank specialization. Uses two-handed weapons, fire, plate armor, and battle cries.
Tinker: Only damage dealer. Uses firearms, chain armor, mechanical toys, and mech armor.
Minstrel: Only healing specialization. Uses leather, flutes, violins, and pan flutes.
Chronomancer: Only healing specialization. Uses cloth, time magic, and sand magic.
Additionally, some new “skins” for existing classes will be introduced. These differ only visually and thematically but are mechanically identical.
Hunters can become Dark Rangers. Dark spell effects, primarily taming undead animals.
Warlocks can become Necromancers. Use plagues instead of curses and summon undead instead of demons.
Nightmare skin for Druids. The spells have the corrupted red-black effects of the emerald nightmare. Can unlock many different forms like snake or spider but play identically to the forms of normal Druids.
Warden skin for Demon Hunters. Uses arcane and holy magic instead of fel.
What else is included? Aside from these highlights, there will also be several stories that players can choose from. These are continuations of the Order Hall campaigns, but there are only a handful of them. Players will choose one, similar to the Covenants. Unlike Shadowlands, however, there is no different gameplay – that is, no special abilities. The decision is purely story-driven and cosmetic. The factions available for selection are:
The Silver Hand
The Uncrowned
Kirin Tor
Valarjar
Black Harvest
And particularly important: You will not be considered a leader of the respective faction.
How likely is it? Even if a lot sounds plausible, this leak should still be taken with caution. It is entirely possible that the leaker simply guessed the name of the expansion correctly by chance. After all, “Dragonflight” is a term that appears occasionally in the English version of World of Warcraft – and it could be inferred from many small hints that dragons are the theme of the next expansion.
Still, there is a good chance that this leak is “legit” and that an insider has revealed some information.
A stray bullet ends up in a gamer’s apartment. But he’s very lucky, as he explains. Because his headset allegedly saved his life.
Imagine sitting at home at your computer when suddenly a projectile crashes through your window into your room. In Europe, this happens rarely, but in the USA, a gamer recently experienced this. And he was very lucky, as he explains.
Because a stray bullet had found its way into his apartment. But his headset protected him from something worse.
Headset allegedly saves gamer from stray bullet
What exactly happened? A user on reddit explained that a projectile had entered his apartment.
But he was very lucky, because the bullet, according to his own statements, hit the headband of his headset and was then deflected against the wall. The bullet eventually landed on the user’s bed. By the way, the bullet was said to be a stray bullet from the neighborhood.
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In the reddit post, you can see several images related to the story: Here you can see the damage to the headset, the hole in the window, and also the spot on the wall where the bullet is said to have ricocheted. Our title image comes from the reddit thread.
The entire story is told by the user rather fragmentarily: He explains in several comments that he is 18 years old and that the incident supposedly took place in California. The evidence, the bullet, is said to have been picked up by the local police by now.
The lifesaver, by the way, is the Razer Kraken, a wired gaming headset from Razer, which you can currently get for around 50 euros on Amazon. The metal reinforcement in the headband is what likely saved the user’s life. The Razer Kraken is among the best gaming headsets you can currently buy according to MeinMMO.
Users have long been calling for stricter gun laws in the USA
How are the reactions? Many users are glad that the person had such incredible luck and that the bullet did not hit him fatally. Numerous users also write that the story is a “typical American problem.” Because theoretically, any person here can carry a weapon. For example, a user writes in a comment (via reddit.com):
This is crazy! I’m glad you’re okay. In the USA, people constantly talk about stray bullets, while in my small European town only 0.5% of people own a weapon.
A large supermarket chain now at least doesn’t want to advertise games that rely heavily on violence. However, this does not change the fact that you can still buy weapons there. A decision that is hotly debated:
The new update “Heart of Madness” for New World was recently released and brought a lot of new content. Creative Director David Verfaillie answered our questions and also revealed that complaining won’t do much good.
What does the update bring? With Heart of Madness, New World receives its biggest update yet. Many general improvements await you, but the update also includes a new weapon, the “Thunder Rifle”.
However, the highlight is the new dungeon “Heart of the Storm Winds”. The expedition is aimed at endgame players and also concludes the story surrounding the antagonist Isabella, whom you must defeat in the final fight of the dungeon. For some players, it is even the best update New World has ever received.
The highlights of the new update are, besides the dungeon:
The new weapon “Thunder Rifle”, which targets mid-range to close range and scales with Intelligence.
Some quality-of-life improvements and adjustments.
What kind of interview is this? In the lead-up to this major update, we had the chance to ask David Verfaillie, Creative Director at Amazon Games Studio, some questions about “Heart of Madness”.
It also turns out that some criticism of the studio is apparently completely unfounded and that your personal opinion about the balancing usually doesn’t make a difference at all.
Start video
New World presents the largest update since release in the trailer – with new dungeon
“We really tried to focus on the story”
MeinMMO: The new patch brings a new expedition with “Heart of the Storm Winds”. What do you think are the strengths of this dungeon and what are the differences to those you brought to the game before?
David Verfaillie: With “Heart of the Storm Winds,” we really tried to focus on the story. The expedition conveys its narrative primarily through the environment itself. This allows us to dive deep into Isabella’s thoughts. Additionally, you will meet more NPCs in the expedition and encounter more dialogues than in the previous dungeons.
At the end of the expedition, there is a really cool, illustrated cutscene that summarizes Isabella’s entire story and gives a glimpse of what may come next.
MeinMMO: Which mechanics or fights in the new expedition do you find particularly successful?
David Verfaillie: My favorite fight is the last one, against Isabella herself. Players will see and fight her several times during the expedition, but it is only in the final battle that she takes on her ultimate form. She looks simply amazing with her wings and has some spectacular attacks. This also underscores the true power of corruption.
As for the mechanics, I love that we incorporated the towers into the defense against the Void Destroyers. This is a really fun part of the dungeon that loosens up the otherwise monotonous gameplay.
Isabella in the new dungeon
“The real challenge comes when we mutate the dungeon”
MeinMMO: How difficult is the new dungeon in direct comparison to the previous expeditions?
David Verfaillie: Our goal was to keep the difficulty of the expedition roughly the same level as that of the other endgame dungeons. We want as many players as possible to be able to actually play the new expedition.
The real challenge comes when we mutate the expedition. In the testing phase, the base expedition was a bit harder than we actually wanted. In the final release, we adjusted that in some areas.
MeinMMO: In your roadmap, you have already provided a glimpse into the future of New World. Can you tell me when the “Heart of the Storm Winds” dungeon, or one of the older ones, will get the mutations you announced in January?
David Verfaillie: In general, we wait about one to two weeks before we mutate a brand new expedition. We want to give players the chance to enjoy and better familiarize themselves with the normal dungeon.
Yes, we still plan to mutate lower-level expeditions and bring them into the endgame, just as we did with the “Dynasty’s Shipworth”. Next, we will mutate “The Depths”. We have just begun working on it, so it will take a few months before it is released.
The dungeon bosses will become even harder due to mutations
“It was unfair that they had to build or buy ammunition”
MeinMMO: You decided to make ammunition for ranged weapons optional. What was the reason for this change? Are you afraid that this might cause some engineers to lose a source of income?
David Verfaillie: There are essentially two main reasons for this change:
A) The requirement for ranged players to have to use ammunition led to dissatisfaction among them. This was primarily due to the fact that they needed to buy or craft ammunition and constantly manage their inventory.
B) It was unfair that they had to build or buy ammunition while other weapons did not have this issue. While we understand that it might slightly affect engineers’ income, many engineers use ranged weapons themselves. They will also benefit from the changes and can still craft better ammunition to utilize its bonuses.
MeinMMO: Currently, there is a discussion about whether wars for territories should be fought in 40v40 or 50v50. What led to the idea of reducing the number of participants?
David Verfaillie: The goal of this change was primarily the gameplay of the wars themselves. We felt it could lead to less “Zerg” tactics and provide better opportunities for strategies and smaller skirmishes. We ourselves had more fun with the smaller number of players.
However, we have received feedback from hardcore players who likely represent a large portion of the war participants. They said they would rather not lose 20 participants in the war than potentially improve the overall gameplay for the remaining 80.
So we have paused this change for now, until we find further ways to allow more people to participate in wars if they wish.
The wars are a main aspect of New World
“Personal opinions normally do not influence our balancing decisions”
MeinMMO: There is always criticism from the forum or reddit that you focus too much on personal opinions when it comes to balancing decisions. For example, there were some changes to the axe. How exactly does the balancing process work in New World? Can you give us some insights?
David Verfaillie: Balancing in New World is driven by the meta. When we see that large groups of players are using specific builds, we take a closer look. We calculate the build and check the details in the backend to ensure that nothing is overpowering.
If we find something we don’t like, we make some adjustments, as we did with the “Cursed Gloves”.
Personal opinions normally do not influence our balancing decisions. Unless they show us a bug or something we hadn’t considered.
What do you think about the new update? Are you as excited about the Heart of Madness as a large part of the fans, or do you see it differently? What do you think about David Verfaillie’s statements? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments here on MeinMMO.
On the evening of April 2, 2022, some of the biggest German Twitch streamers fought against each other in the boxing ring. The event was broadcasted live. The highlight was the fight between Trymacs and MckyTV, which resembled a biblical battle.
In 3 fights, 6 German streamers and influencers faced off against each other. Each fight goes a maximum of 6 or 8 rounds of 2 minutes each.
The viewing took place via the livestream from joyn and in person at the LANXESS Arena in Cologne.
This is how the main fight went: At 9:25 PM, the main fight between Trymacs and MckyTV started. Micky started more on the defensive from the beginning and had to defend hard against Trymacs.
This is probably due to the fact that Trymacs weighs almost 20 kg more and is about half a head taller. And although Trymacs was visibly at an advantage most of the time, Micky proved to be a strong opponent. Both competitors were able to land hits repeatedly.
By the 5th round, you could clearly see the exhaustion of Trymacs and Micky. The punches were coming slowly, both were shining with sweat. However, in the same round, Micky received a hit that made his nose bleed.
Neither of the two fighters went down. The fight went the full 8 rounds and ended with a decision victory. You can watch the recording here on joyn.
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See the announcement of the event here. The competitors trained for many weeks.
Narrow highlight with a clear winner
Who won the fight? The three judges scored the fight after the last round independently with 79 to 73 points for Trymacs. The streamer won 7 out of 8 rounds clearly.
For Micky, however, there was a cotton swab in his nose, as he received a bloody nose in the fight – literally. This had to be tended to between rounds repeatedly.
In the end, however, the two influencers, who share a deep friendship, embraced each other. A rematch has also been announced; this time, they want to fight the full 3 minutes per round against each other.
This is how the other fights went: Starting at 6:05 PM, there were two more fights leading up to the main event. Both went only a maximum of 6 rounds:
Rumathra vs. Vlesk – victory by points for Rumathra
Hanky vs. Chefstrobel – TKO victory for Hanky
Rewi vs. Amar – did not take place for health reasons
Like Micky after him, Vlesk had blood running from his nose during his fight. However, the encounter between Hanky and Chefstrobel was particularly quick. Already after 2 minutes in the 2nd round, Chefstrobel threw in the towel.
The streamer was still too weakened from a previous COVID-19 illness and had no chance. Therefore, the fight was decided by submission.
What did you think of the fights? Did you watch and would you like to see more events of this kind?
Meanwhile, another well-known figure from German Twitch and YouTube speaks about the difficulties of the profession. Kalle warns how exhausting the constant “being live” can become:
Nowadays you can buy fitness trackers from Samsung, Amazfit or even Aldi. But how good are the devices and which ones are worth it? Mein-MMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann has tested half a dozen fitness trackersand explains which one he liked best.
How did the list come about? Fitness trackers promise to improve your day since I can capture many aspects of my daily life in various data and then evaluate them.
I bought my first fitness tracker because I wanted to know if I was moving enough in my daily life despite working from home. Now I’ve picked up half a dozen. I wanted to know which device I like best and which one meets my needs most closely.
I wore the fitness trackers continuously: I went for walks with them and wore them at night.
What criteria did I use to evaluate? I evaluated all fitness trackers using the same criteria so that they are comparable with each other.
Wearing comfort: How well does the device fit and does it bother me in the long term on my arm? How securely does it fit on my wrist?
Fitness functions: Which functions are available and do the data I want to track match?
Operation and display: How bright is the display when I am outside? How readable are things on it?
Battery life: When does the tracker need to be recharged?
By the way, none of the fitness trackers bypass a manufacturer account. I used all devices in combination with an Android smartphone. For a time I wore two devices simultaneously to compare the trackers with each other. While heart rate and sleep data were close together on all devices, there were sometimes differences of several hundred steps in movement.
This article does not replace a personal conversation with a doctor and you cannot use the data to assess your health. If you have health problems from sitting or working, please consult your trusted doctor.
The fitness tracker from Xiaomi relies on strange app politics
The Mi Smart Band 6 from Xiaomi is in last place for me. The price is 49.99 euros, and it is often already on sale for 30 euros. The wearing comfort is fine, and Xiaomi relies on a snap closure with a metal pin for the strap. This pin surprisingly holds very well, although I would have preferred a buckle.
What annoys me: Xiaomi switched from its official Mi-Fit app to the “Zepp Life” app a few weeks ago. This app comes from the company Huami, which also provides the app for its Amazfit devices. In the future, Xiaomi will likely develop a completely new app called Xiaomi Sports Health. I’ll definitely keep an eye on that. For me, it’s a negative point because I don’t know if all my data will continue to be transferred in the future.
What I don’t like: The provider uses collected health data, for example, menstrual data, for marketing goods and services. This is not allowed in Europe, but seems not to concern the provider. In principle, all trackers and apps may process data, but this peculiarity was too much for me, and the sudden change of the app leaves me a bit puzzled.
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Basically a good device, if it weren’t for the lack of data protection.
The tracker from the supermarket lacks important comfort functions
In fourth place on my list is the Activity Tracker from SilverCrest. You can regularly get it at Lidl for around 25 euros. The tracker fits me very securely on my wrist. The app is also well-structured, and you can quickly find your way around. A manufacturer account is mandatory; there is no guest login.
The tracker comes with a color LCD and is not equipped with an OLED display. Inside the home or in rooms, it is sufficient, but outdoors and in sunlight, the display is hardly readable.
Annoying are also the following features: There is no real night mode, so the tracker lights up at night with a wrong movement. This is very annoying. However, much more disturbing is that the tracker only saves the data until the end of the day. So if I don’t back up the day’s data via Bluetooth by midnight, it’s gone. All other trackers at least save the data for several days in system memory.
The processing is also no highlight. After a while, the display mount broke. By the way, the in-ear headphones from Silvercrest were an absolute failure in my short test. You can find the test and also my absolute favorite that I use every day in the following article:
The tracker from Silvercrest does not save my data for a long time, and the processing is mediocre.
The second tracker from the discounter feels better
In third place is the Medion Life fitness tracker, which you can get at Aldi for just under 30 euros. In structure, the fitness tracker looks almost identical to the model from Silvercrest. The battery life is around 10 days, which is similar.
Medion uses a color LCD for its tracker, just like Silvercrest. In rooms, it’s completely sufficient, but it’s too dark in the sun, and the colors are less vibrant than with an OLED screen.
A special feature compared to other models is the ribbing of the strap. This gives the tracker more grip when I want to take it off after swimming. All other manufacturers rely on smooth, soft rubber for their strap. By the way, with the buckle closure, the Medion Life holds securely on the wrist.
In direct comparison to the Silvercrest product, I also like the “Medion Fitness” app in structure and design much better. The synchronization is also faster. Additionally, the Medion Life also comes with a spare strap in a second color.
The Medion tracker provides good haptics.
The fitness tracker from Amazfit surprised me
In second place is the Amazfit Band 5. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is 44.99 euros, and you can now also get the tracker on sale for around 20 euros. The tracker uses the Zepp app, which initially sounds similar to Xiaomi’s. No wonder, because both apps come from the same manufacturer but for different devices.
The Amazfit tracker uses a snap closure secured with a metal pin. The closure is fussy, but it holds the watch securely on the wrist.
Huami, the manufacturer behind Amazfit, uses an AMOLED display for the Band 5. This offers vibrant colors and good brightness. Only in direct sunlight is everything not always readable, even when you set the brightness to maximum.
The Amazfit tracker impresses with a long battery life. On average, I manage 10 to 15 days with it. The app is nicely designed and very well structured. However, you can’t operate it without an account with the manufacturer.
All important data such as heart rate or my sleep can be viewed directly. Integrated is a voice assistant with Alexa. This feature is not offered by the other tested trackers. However, I never used Alexa. Since April 2021, Alexa has been available in German on the Band 5.
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Although Huami belongs to the Xiaomi ecosystem, it does not use my data for marketing goods and services, which I find better. However, data protection remains unclear, and the functionality is still better than with the Mi Band 6. Because here you pay 10 euros more for the same functionality, or even 15 euros more if you are interested in NFC and Alexa.
The Amazfit Band 5 offers a long lifespan and a comprehensive app.
The fitness tracker from Samsung can convince me the most
In first place, I put the Galaxy Fit 2 from Samsung. Nowadays, you can get the smart tracker from Samsung for about 30 euros from various retailers.
I really like the AMOLED display of the Fit 2. The colors are rich and vibrant, and the display is easy and intuitive to operate. In bright sunlight, I can still read the display well – for this, I have to set the brightness to maximum. In my opinion, the AMOLED display is better than that of the Amazfit Band 5.
According to Samsung, the tracker should last up to 21 days on a single charge; on average, I only get 14 days, but that is still a good value.
It is also helpful that I can receive all notifications on the tracker. The tracker from Silvercrest only offered a very limited selection of supported apps, and well-known apps like the Telegram messenger were not included at all.
However, I am not entirely satisfied with the counted steps. According to Samsung, steps can be counted by both the phone and the tracker. At the end of the day, however, there’s often a difference of several hundred steps between the Samsung phone and my tracker: The watch complains that I have not yet reached my step count, while the phone is already well above the recommended step count. Here, the only solution is to turn off tracking on the phone and let the watch do all the work. This tip actually comes from Samsung itself.
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Similar to Xiaomi, Samsung also relies on a snap closure for the strap. Here, you fit a small piece of plastic into the band. I am skeptical about how long this closure really lasts with continuous use. I prefer the metallic closure of the Amazfit Band 5 here.
The Galaxy Fit 2 from Samsung offers a great display and long battery life.
If you are interested in more hardware, you might also be interested in this:
Who is my winner? The Samsung Galaxy Fit 2. Good, intuitive software and a great AMOLED display, combined with good battery life. The strange step counting can be solved easily.
Who is the loser? The Mi Smart Band 5 from Xiaomi. The features are better than those of Silvercrest and Medion, but I really don’t like the selling of health data for products. Here, the data protection regulations are better regulated at Samsung, Silvercrest and Co.
Is there a surprise? The Band 5 from Amazfit for around 20 euros is a real surprise for me. The device combines a good battery life with good software and integration of Alexa. The Amoled display is not as good as Samsung’s but still convinces me in everyday use.
Winner (left) and surprise (right): Samsung Galaxy Fit 2 and Amazfit Band 5.
More exciting gadgets in a quick test: Are you looking for more gadgets that help you in everyday life? Then check out my quick test of a seat cushion. The cushion has made my daily life immensely easier and is definitely among my best investments last year:
In Pokémon GO new Crypto teams are active with Arlo, Sierra, Cliff, and Giovanni since April 3rd. We show you the teams and counter guides.
Why are there new teams? On April 3rd, a new Rocket event started in Pokémon GO. The “Team Trip” changed the attackers among the Rocket grunts, bosses, and leaders.
Here we provide an overview of which Cryptos they now attack with and which ones you can catch. We have also updated our counter guides to help you in battle.
New Crypto Teams from April 3rd
Rocket Grunts teams: In the various grunts, you will now find
Crypto Alolan Rattata
Crypto Alolan Sandshrew
Crypto Alolan Exeggutor
Crypto Snubbull
Crypto Girafarig
Crypto Camaub
Rocket Bosses teams: Each of the Rocket bosses has only slight changes in their team setup. In total, they each received three new Pokémon. Keep in mind that the first Pokémon of each Rocket boss is guaranteed. The second and third Pokémon come from a selection of three monsters assigned to you randomly per battle.
Cliff now uses Crypto Gulpin as the first Pokémon. After the battle, you can catch it. His setup looks like this:
How do you like the new Crypto lineup with the grunts, bosses, and the great leader Giovanni? Do you think it’s good that Niantic regularly changes the teams, and are you satisfied with the current selection, or would you prefer other Pokémon to catch?
Let us know your opinion here in the comments on MeinMMO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The German streamer Pascal “Kalle Koschinsky” Becker (31) addresses his fans and announces a break. He will not be on Twitch in April. The streamer says he needs a break. For years, everyone has told him he needs to do more, to go full throttle. Now he says: The work on Twitch, the pursuit of follower numbers, and the endless scrolling exhaust him. It is breaking him. This shows a problem in the structure of Twitch, says MeinMMO author Schuhmann.
Who is Kalle Koschinsky on Twitch?
The streamer and musician has been on Twitch since 2016. He has 186,000 followers on the platform – when he streams, an average of 980 people watch him. In recent months, he has primarily been active in the hardcore shooter Escape from Tarkov.
Kalle Koschinsky clocks in about 120 working hours a month, just on Twitch: He treats streaming on many days like a regular workday, additionally running YouTube channels and other projects.
Now he says: It can’t go on like this. His job makes him unhappy. The lack of understanding he receives for supposedly “not working” also bothers him. He needs a break.
Colleagues drilled into him ‘He needs to do more’, ‘Go full throttle’
This is what the streamer says: In a post on Twitter the streamer says:
I need a break from negative energy and Twitter and YouTube comments. I need a break from witnessing how a person’s worth is calculated based on their followers. It is breaking me.
Kalle Koschinsky
The streamer says: Some still do not recognize his work as work today. He struggles with the fact that colleagues have drilled into him for 5 years that he must “do more”, go full throttle.
Moreover, there are toxic contacts; long-term friendships and established trust are fading – people talk badly about each other.
This all makes him unhappy. Therefore, he is taking a break in April and will actually take a proper vacation.
Professor Broman, who warned about excesses on Twitch back in 2017.
What is interesting? The interesting thing about this post is that a person is taking a month off – just like many employees do. However, he seems to feel the need to justify this break to the fans, providing reasons for it.
He is also reassured by other streamers that they know how hard it is to take this break at all.
Kalle Koschinsky’s post highlights a specific problem on Twitch: The illusion that one must always be present, or else they’ll “sink”.
The streamer ProfessorBroman already explained in 2017 why Twitch invites self-exploitation. Because no one tells a streamer when they must take a break or vacation. The illusion arises that the faster one grows, the more successful one is, the longer they stay on air. Breaks hinder this success.
As Kalle Koschinsky said, every successful streamer told him when he started streaming: “Always be on!”
Broman’s reflection on the problem of “Twitch” ended in the sentence:
The only one who can ultimately turn off the camera is the one who benefits the most when it is on.
Professor Broman
The subscription culture on Twitch drives streamers into burnout
What is the reason for this? It is due to how Twitch is structured:
Many streamers on Twitch rely on “subscribers” who sign up for a monthly subscription. This creates the illusion of a “fixed, predictable salary”, which either rises or falls depending on how successful one is on Twitch.
This subscription expires after a month – streamers fear they will lose subscribers forever and that they won’t renew their subscriptions if the streamer is not on air daily.
Since follower and viewer numbers are publicly accessible, a statistical pressure arises to compare one’s growth and oneself with others.
Additionally, there is a culture online that often manifests in toxic conflicts. Particularly successful streamers in exposed positions have to “take a lot” and can expect little understanding. It is often said, “that’s just part of it” or “they should develop thicker skin”.
Start video
Prime Gaming, the secret behind Twitch’s success
Drugs, breaks, depressive phases, and stoic calm
How have others dealt with it? The phenomenon Kalle Koschinsky describes, this “It is breaking me”, has been observed among big US streamers for some time:
It often happens that streamers on Twitch deliberately take “Mental Health” breaks. For example, Pokimane, who as the only woman at the top of Twitch, particularly feels the toxicity.
She regularly takes heavy hits: Pokimane.
The streamer Forsen says he has completely detached himself from that “pressure”, as it is only in his head. Forsen says: On Twitch, no one is your boss – neither the sponsors, nor the numbers, nor the damn viewers. Especially not them.
He stands at the very top of Twitch: Source: Dexerto
The LoL streamer Tyler1 seems to be completely consumed by life on Twitch. He lives in isolation with his girlfriend. It is known that he takes Adderall and is starting to develop compulsive disorders.
Sodapoppin had taken Adderall for years and hardly ate anything. He only stopped when he spent hours in a stream just organizing his desktop icons.
The biggest streamer in the world, “Ninja”, says he was a “slave to the stream” in his prime and no longer lived at all. In 2018, Ninja wanted to capitalize on the hype around the shooter “Fortnite” after years of relative failure. He wore himself out but also earned quite a bit from it.
Particularly successful US streamers are therefore, at least in the wide majority, often not a good example of how to achieve a reasonable “work-life” balance as a Twitch streamer. People like Forsen or Shroud are exceptions but started with Twitch so early that it seems other rules apply to them than to streamers who are only now trying to build their careers.
But even in Germany, many streamers are now describing the problems associated with the supposed “dream job streamer”:
This week saw a lot happening in the big MMORPGs as well as in the smaller ones. Lost Ark finally addressed the missing roadmap and promised new classes, while a professional guild in WoW lost the World-First race, equating to about €85,000. Here are the key MMORPG news of the week summarized for you.
In Swords of Legends Online, you no longer have to feed your pet. The system has been removed as it was unnecessarily burdensome to many players (via massivelyop).
Elyon presents a major roadmap for 2022, despite the game having under 500 concurrent players on Steam. New classes, dungeons, and a new PvP system are set to come (via massivelyop).
Update 33 for The Elder Scrolls Online can now also be played on consoles. The patch went live last month for PC (via massivelyop).
Broken Ranks is getting its first major update focused on guilds and new quests (via mmorpg.com).
The MMORPG Palia is preparing for another alpha test, but you are not allowed to participate. However, more tests are expected to start soon (via massivelyop).
That was the news of the week from the world of MMORPGs at a glance. Tell us, what was your personal highlight? Or did we perhaps forget something important? Have you experienced something exciting that you would like to share with us? Feel free to write it in the comments here on MeinMMO.
Fortnite is one of the biggest gaming phenomena of recent years. For a while, it was among the most popular games on the market and had a significant impact on other games and the streaming platform Twitch. You can learn about the rise and fall of Fortnite in the new MeinMMO Podcast.
Few games have received as much hype in recent years as Fortnite. The fans of the colorful battle royale shooter turned it into one of the most played games, and its Twitch streamers became huge stars.
The older generation of gamers often could not understand the massive hype and reacted with disdain towards the game. Fortnite is too childish, too colorful, and too superficial for them to be considered a good game.
By 2017, Fortnite had become a worldwide hit and remained at the top for a long time. It exerted such a significant influence not only on the rest of the gaming industry but also on the streaming platform Twitch.
Leya, Schuhmann, and Marko look back on the history of Fortnite in this episode of the podcast and explain the genius of the game.
In addition to the regular podcast episodes, we also bring special episodes that cover urgent and hot news from gaming. This week, everything was about the new PS Plus model from Sony.
Suggestions or Criticism?
Here’s how you can contribute: You can actively participate in improving the podcast. If you have feedback, such as suggestions or criticism, or simply want to submit a cool topic proposal that should be discussed, then feel free to visit our Discord server.
Alternatively, you can also send an email directly to [email protected] and share your thoughts with us. Share your opinions in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO the Rocket Team outing started on April 3rd. The event brings the two new Pokémon Molunk and its evolution Amfira. Additionally, there is Crypto Latias at Giovanni. We show you all the bonuses.
What is this event about? Team GO Rocket will be found significantly more often in the game in the coming days. There are new Pokémon, Crypto Latias, a special event box, and the opportunity to forget Frustration from Pokémon.
We provide you with an overview of everything you need to know about the event.
Rocket Event starting April 3rd – All content
When does it start? The “Rocket Team outing” event started on April 3rd right at midnight (00:00 hours). It will be active until Thursday, April 7th, at 23:59 hours. The times refer to local time.
New Pokémon: You will encounter Molunk and Amfira in Pokémon GO for the first time. Both are of the Poison and Fire type and originate from the 7th generation of games. If you collect 50 Molunk candies, you can evolve female Molunk into Amfira.
How can you capture Molunk? From the beginning of the event, they can be found in the 12 km eggs. Please note that only the 12 km eggs received after the event starts count.
New Crypto at Giovanni: There will be a change in Giovanni’s lineup. The Rocket Boss will use Crypto Latias starting from the event’s start, which you can catch after a successful battle against him.
In line with the event, there will be a special research task that rewards you with a Super Rocket Radar. This will allow you to meet and battle Giovanni. We will show you all the tasks and rewards of the special research here:
New Cryptos: The other members of Team GO Rocket will also use different Cryptos. Cliff, Sierra, and Arlo change their lineup, and the Grunts will also use different Pokémon. Take a look at the new Crypto finds from PokeMiners for this.
For completing field research tasks, you can expect rewards including Sniebel or Zurrokex.
Additionally, there will be an event box for 1,275 coins, which brings you 10 Ultra Potions, 10 Ultra Revives, and 5 Rocket Radars.
What do you think of the Rocket event in April at Pokémon GO? Do you find the content good and are you looking forward to Crypto Latias or would you have preferred different content? Please let us know your opinion here on MeinMMO in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
World of Warcraft has likely leaked the name of the new expansion. An error on the official website reveals what it’s about.
Update 3:01 AM: A (supposed) image of the next expansion has surfaced (further down in the post).
Actually, fans of World of Warcraft were supposed to keep quiet for about 2 more weeks, as Blizzard officially presents the next expansion of the MMORPG then. However, it seems the developers have made a big mistake and the name of the upcoming expansion was leaked: it will likely be called “Dragonflight”.
What happened? Players and fans are now well-trained to find even the smallest hints about the next expansion – and Blizzard made a mistake. As wowhead has revealed, you can view the source code of the official World of Warcraft website and already read the name of the next expansion: Dragonflight.
In the source code, there are indeed several lines of code related to the pre-sale of the next expansion. These lines contain information such as:
Further down in the code, there are also indications that you can purchase an upgrade to be able to upgrade from the base version to the heroic or epic version.
This means Blizzard will likely stick with the model where there will be 3 different versions with different pre-order bonuses and additions with the next add-on – presumably including mounts, pets, and transmog sets or toys, just like it was with Shadowlands. By the way, the leak matches another leak from a few months ago, even though the add-on was supposed to be called “Dragon Isles”.
Dragons are back in focus of WoW – It is very likely.
How likely is that? Extremely. The leak – now from a completely official source – fits perfectly with the previous leaks, predictions, and encoded game files. It now seems extremely likely that the upcoming WoW add-on will have a strong focus on dragons.
Please keep in mind that this is still a leak. Although one that Blizzard “screwed up” themselves, it has not yet been confirmed. However, all indications point to a clear message.
In the meantime, an image of the upcoming expansion has even surfaced, which is circulating on various forums and the WoW subreddit via Imgur. It also shows the first artwork and the lettering for “Dragonflight”:
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What will the new add-on be about? The name leaves little room for interpretation. The “Dragonflights” are the dragon flights that inhabit Azeroth in World of Warcraft. These dragons have lost some of their titanic power at the end of Cataclysm but are still powerful beings with great responsibilities. Some of the most well-known Warcraft characters of all time, like Alexstrasza, Deathwing, Ysera, and Nozdormu belong to these dragon flights.
There are already hints in Patch 9.2.5 that there are problems in the north of Lordaeron – that is also the location where the legendary “Dragon Islands” appear on old maps, a possible and highly likely location for the next add-on.
A 100% certainty will not come until April 19 during the official announcement. But anyone looking forward to a reunion with the dragons and a long-awaited return to Azeroth can already let their excitement run free.
Are you excited about a dragon add-on? Or is that nothing for you?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
At a fan art contest, nothing can go wrong, right? Overwatch shows that it can also cause an uproar.
Blizzard unites some of the most well-known and beloved franchises in the world, and numerous fan art has emerged over the years. Occasionally, there are small events where talented community members can submit their art.
That’s now also happened with the Overwatch League, which is slowly but surely preparing for Overwatch 2. But many community members warned: Anyone who participates as an artist will be coldly ripped off by Blizzard.
What was the problem? In an art contest from the Overwatch League, fans were encouraged to submit their fan art. The 5 best artworks would be rewarded with a prize of $500 and the respective motifs would even be featured on some products in the Overwatch League shop. For some, a great honor – for others, however, a nuisance.
The terms of the contest indicated that the Overwatch League could use all submitted artworks basically indefinitely for any purpose. Additionally, the 5 winners would not receive any share of the revenue from the products that feature their motifs.
This is how the community reacted: As expected, the reaction was quite angry and there were many complaints. The accusation was clear: Blizzard simply wanted to grab dozens of good fan arts that could then be used as promotional material at a very low cost of a total of $2,500, where only 5 winners would get paid.
This is how Blizzard changed it: Comparatively quickly – less than a day later – the Overwatch League responded to the criticism and adjusted the contest. It was stated on Twitter:
We want to thank the OWL community for expressing their concerns about the 5th fan art contest.
In response to these concerns, we will not use the submitted artworks for sale items and will work to better represent artists in the future.
The contest will continue with the five winning entries, each of whom will receive the cash prize, and we look forward to celebrating these artists alongside the community.
Accordingly, the submitted artworks will no longer be used for sale and the terms of participation have been adjusted.
In the end, it was relatively quickly resolved, and many thanked Blizzard for their swift concession. However, some are still left with a bitter aftertaste – and a lot of distrust.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In a new Developer’s Update, the creators of Ashes of Creation introduced their character editor. It comes with some features that you haven’t seen before in MMOs or games in general. The possibilities seem more like what designers themselves get to work with.
What kind of MMORPG is this? Ashes of Creation has been in development for some time. The focus is on a developing world that sounds similar to that of New World. However, the game is still in an early phase. Initial testers say, that the MMORPG still needs a lot of polishing.
At the end of 2021, the developers announced that they would switch to Unreal Engine 5 and showed 18 minutes of gameplay. Now there are new insights into the upcoming Alpha 2. In a new video, developers and designers focused mainly on the new character editor.
What is so special about the editor? Unlike most other games, Ashes of Creation does not use presets that can only be combined. Instead, players get almost complete control over their appearance.
The biggest feature is the “Blending” feature. Here you can combine different presets and then use a slider menu to set which body part is more oriented towards which preset. Since the transition is smooth, the body still looks natural.
The exciting thing is that ‘families’ can also be created. By mixing two presets, the result is more or less related to both templates. The system is also supposed to be used for creating NPCs or animal companions, although it is not entirely clear whether these will be available to players to that extent.
The full video featuring the presented customization options and features can be found on YouTube. If you don’t want to watch the full 41 minutes, you can find a summary in 2 minutes by YouTuber Ritchie SH:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcjfG2ixMME
Designer says: “You’re actually doing my job”
This is all possible: Blending is an easy option to create your own mix from several presets. However, if you want more influence, you can also completely shape your character with the “Sculpt” feature.
In this feature, almost all body parts and areas are selectable. Through 3D modeling, you can then decide how the size, shape, or curvature of the areas should change. There are also dozens of options and sliders for:
Shape, position, and size of tattoos and scars
Height, weight, and circumference of certain areas like the buttocks
Wrinkles, pigmentation, and skin tone
Length of hair and beard
Color transitions in body hair, such as roots for gray hair or more
“Imperfect” and more realistic looks are also possible, such as with scars. Depending on the played race, there are limits and different scaling to keep the overall picture harmonious.
Options such as different eye coloring (heterochromia or a blind eye) are also under discussion, but are not yet possible. The developers say that all this still needs a lot of work. So there will be even more possible.
When can I see more? The editor and other new features are expected to be available in Alpha 2. However, when exactly this will take place has not yet been announced. Some fans are currently speculating a start in the summer of 2022.
Pre-order customers of certain packs will then be able to participate themselves. Since the confidentiality agreement for Alpha 1 has been lifted, we assume that you will also be able to see images of Alpha 2 without access.
Ashes of Creation has been in development for over 5 years and many fans are eagerly waiting to see how good the game will actually be. We at MeinMMO also have high hopes for the MMORPG:
In Elden Ring are not only weapons a major topic, but also the question of protection. We show you in the following guide what makes a good shield and which ones are the best.
What types of shields are there? In Elden Ring as well as in other Souls games, there are many shields. Some are used passively, while others are used actively in combat for protection or for parrying. However, they are divided into three classes:
Small shields
Medium shields
Large shields
In total, the Fextralife Wiki page lists 69 known shields. Many of them are useful, but with such a large selection, it’s easy to lose track of what makes a good shield.
We show you in the following guide what matters in a shield, which are the best ones, and where you can find them.
What should you pay attention to when using shields? A good shield is usually characterized by excellent damage resistances combined with low attribute requirements and adaptability with their ashes of war. This refers to the abilities of the shields.
The damage resistances tell you how much damage of a certain type the shield can actually block. If a shield can block 100% of physical damage, you don’t lose any health points when a normal weapon’s hit is deflected. At 89%, however, only that portion of the damage is blocked, the remaining 11% will hurt you.
The defense damage resistance is very important
However, one status is often neglected and that is the “defense bonus”. The higher the value, the less stamina will be deducted from you when successfully blocking.
This is important in fights where you need to take many hits. If your coverage breaks too quickly, your opponent could overwhelm and kill you. To prevent that, a high defense bonus value is essential.
The three best shields with location
How do we come to our choice? Just like in our weapons tier list, we roamed around the Elden Ring Wiki page. We compared values, considered player opinions, but also took our own experience into account. This is how our choice was made:
1. Fingerprint Stone Shield
The best protection in Elden Ring
Where can you find it? The shield is located near the “Cathedral of the Lost” at the eponymous Site of Grace. To do this, you must roam through the dirty sewers beneath the capital Leyndell. After defeating the boss in the cathedral, you must open the secret passage behind the chest in front of you.
This is the location on the map – This is located underground The entrance to the new dungeon behind the chestFootage from the location of the Fingerprint Stone Shield
A single hit against the wall is enough to grant you access to another dungeon. Follow the path deeper into the crypt until you reach a room filled with wooden beams that provide crossing paths. Balance on the first one and jump to the last beam below you.
On the last beam, you then jump onto the coffin that we marked in yellowDeeper down, you will then find yourself on the coffin with the corpse Footage from the location of the Fingerprint Stone Shield
Now you must jump on the protruding coffins and climb deeper until you reach a coffin that has a corpse on it. Once you reach this coffin, you will gain access to a hidden area. This area contains a small corridor with a corpse, at the end of which lies the shield.
At the green spot is the shield, and the red marks the coffin with the corpse you landed on
What is special about the shield? The Fingerprint Stone Shield has the best defense against every element, combined with the best defense bonus of all shields. This means you can take many hits without your defense breaking. Elemental damage is also absorbed by this shield, allowing you to block like a tank.
Are there any negatives to consider? The weight and requirements are enormous compared to other shields.
Weight: 29.0
Requirement: 48 strength
It is advisable to use the shield in a strength or quality build to benefit from its full protection.
2. Beast Triangle Shield
A good shield with light weight
Where can you find it? Head to the Site of Grace at the Sacred Bridge in Limgrave. Do not cross the bridge, but turn in the opposite direction and follow the path up. You will soon be greeted by a watchdog defending a camp.
The green marking with the sword marks the campThe yellow rainbow stone on the right marks the chest containing the shieldFootage from the location of the Beast Triangle Shield
Eliminate all foes in the camp and look for a crate. In this crate, the shield can be found.
What is special about the shield? The shield can score with solid values and is a good option for medium shields with a weight of 3.5 and strength requirement of 10. It does not need to be farmed and can be easily and quickly reached and acquired with the horse.
Especially the low weight and requirements are perfect for the beginning as they allow you to equip more armor and take more damage.
To shop with him, head to the Site of Grace “Stormveil Main Gate”. There, you ascend the stairs and enter through the left entrance into the anteroom. Gostoc is then in the room standing against a wall. However, to shop with him, you only need to open the main gate.
You travel to the Site of Grace “Stormveil Main Gate”Once arrived, go through the door marked with a blue rainbow stoneIn the room, Gostoc is next to the purple rainbow stone – Mine is dead since I had my revengeFootage from the location of the Fist Shield
Speak with him until he allows you the option to open the main gate. After that, you can obtain your Fist Shield from him for 1,500 runes.
What is special about the shield? If you are looking for a parrying shield, this small piece of iron is just right for you. With the available ashes of war “Fist Shield Parade,” you can parry better. With regular parrying shields, you have a small window of time to parry and must anticipate your opponent’s attack before it strikes.
With the Fist Shield, you can take your time as your counter animation lasts longer, giving you a greater chance of a successful parry.
Are there any negatives to consider? The Fist Shield is excellent for parrying but very poor for blocking. You should only use it to counter attacks, otherwise, you are at your opponent’s mercy.
The top shields we mentioned do not necessarily have to be your best. Each player defines their own top equipment through their playstyle. We advise and show you in this sense the options available to you. Therefore, we have three more shields that you might want to try separately.
Icon Shield – Regenerates your health over time
The shield can be found in the area of Leyndell in the ruins of the forest folk. You start from the Site of Grace “Great Forest Bridge” and then ride down into the valley until you reach the lower Elden tree. From there, head east until you reach the ruins. Surrounded by tentacle faces, the shield lies on the ground next to a corpse.
Giant Turtle Shell – Increases your stamina regeneration
To do this, head to the peninsula of tears, south of Limgrave. At the Site of Grace “Wall of Castle Morne,” turn toward the rock wall where a ghostly spring source is located. Align yourself south with your horse and jump onto the abandoned tower of the wall. There, the shield can be found next to a corpse. Many a desperate player has already given up their life as a befouled soul, to live as a turtle in Elden Ring.
Twinbird Shield Dragon – Increases your defense and attack at low HP
You can get it in Leyndell at the Site of Grace “Hut of the Hermit Merchant.” Set the time of day to nightfall and ride east. You will come to a cemetery with large tombstones. There, a death bird will spawn that you must kill. This will drop the shield.
The green mark next to the lower Elden tree marks the location of the Icon ShieldThe green mark where the cursor is marks the location of the Twinbird Shield DragonThe green mark next to the Site of Grace marks the tower where the Giant Turtle Shell is locatedThese are the locations of the special shields
These were our recommendations for you. Many of them can only be obtained later in the game, but they are definitely worth it.
What do you think about the shields? Do you also find them good, or do you have your own favorites? Let us know in the comments what you think!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO there has been the option to participate in remote raids for some time now, but one thing particularly annoys our MeinMMO author Franzi Korittke about it. She explains what it’s about and what she wishes from other trainers.
What are remote raids? In Pokémon GO you can catch Pokémon in the wild, but also fight them in raids. You can participate in a local raid using a raid or premium raid pass, among other things.
Due to the contact restrictions of the Corona pandemic, Niantic introduced remote raid passes some time ago. These allow you to participate in raids that are not immediately in your vicinity.
You can either select a raid that you see in your area or be invited by friends. This also allows participation in raids in other parts of the world. Meanwhile, this form of raids has become established among many trainers, and remote raids are actively used.
I also use this feature often and gladly, but there is one thing that really annoys me about it. I will tell you what that is.
What annoys me about remote raids
Who is writing? I am Franzi Korittke and work as an author at MeinMMO. I have been playing Pokémon GO daily for over 3 years now, and of course, participating in raids is a must. I find it great to sometimes arrange local raid battles with other trainers.
However, I have always gratefully accepted the introduction of remote raid passes in connection with the Corona pandemic and used them actively. However, I am mostly invited by other trainers from abroad.
This gives me the opportunity, due to the time difference, to face interesting raid bosses late at night or early in the morning and catch them. Especially when the lake trio was available in their various regions, that was my chance to get a strong specimen each time.
But despite all the joy of this feature, there is one thing that really annoys me about remote raids: the behavior of some trainers.
“Stop leaving the raid lobby just before the start!”
This is the problem: I am often invited to interesting raids in foreign countries or other parts of Germany by other trainers. Since I am interested in the Pokémon, I gladly take a remote raid pass in hand to participate.
But I often experience situations where trainers leave the raids just a few seconds before the actual start. This is, of course, really annoying for all other participants in the lobby. Often, the game registers the exit of these players so late that invited persons suddenly find themselves alone or only two in a battle.
Why is this so bad? Especially level 5 raids and mega raids cannot be completed alone. Therefore, in this situation, you cannot win such a raid and the remote raid pass is lost.
Even more annoying is when you are not invited again to this raid to use the remote raid pass you used in a second round.
But apparently, I am not alone with this experience. If you scour social networks, you will find posts from other trainers who have had the same experience and are very annoyed by these players.
So my appeal to all trainers: “Stop leaving the raid lobby just before the start!”.
Why do trainers leave raids so shortly before the start?
I can generally understand the reasons of the trainers. To succeed in a level 5 raid, there should be at least four of them. If you don’t know the other trainers very well or they might not be very far along in level, then perhaps it should be one or two more.
I also set a benchmark for myself regarding how many people I think should participate in such a raid to succeed. After all, you want to win it and have the chance to encounter the raid boss.
For this reason, I find it completely legitimate if players decide, “We won’t make it like this!” and therefore leave the lobby again. I do this too and invite again when I know that we might gain one more participant.
However, I don’t make this decision just in the last 10 seconds, but much earlier. So I’m not fundamentally annoyed by the thought that one leaves the raid due to a lack of participants, but I am annoyed by the timing of this behavior.
It should be noted that there is always a delay in the game until the change in the number of participants is displayed. For players, this is not an issue because they can briefly communicate. However, for participants in remote raids, this is a real problem, as this communication is missing.
How can this issue be resolved?
The question arises as to how to counteract this problem. I have thought about it and listed below 3 things that I would like from other players, but also from the Pokémon GO developers, so that this problem does not occur as frequently in the future:
1. More consideration
First and foremost, I would like more consideration among the trainers. Especially when you don’t know each other well and only rarely play raids together, you should not put other players in a bind with this behavior.
I am convinced that even with about 25 seconds left, you can assess whether such a battle will succeed or not. Other trainers still have enough time to notice the exit of the respective player and can leave the lobby in time.
In the last 10 seconds, this is, in my opinion, only difficult. Ultimately, for them, it is not only a missed raid boss but also a lost valuable remote raid pass.
For my part, I also remove such players from my friends list if such thoughtless behavior occurs multiple times, as I just do not have fun playing raids with such people.
2. Give it another try
If you do leave a raid at the last minute, then at least invite the trainers who were already in the raid lobby one more time. This gives them the opportunity to use their invested remote raid pass before the raid ends.
Maybe more friends are online in the meantime and the raid will work out in another attempt. I would wish the same if a raid couldn’t be won. So, give yourselves a second chance as a group.
3. Better communication
A wish that is less aimed at trainers and more at the developers of Pokémon GO is the introduction of a communication option in the game. Especially with the possibility of remote raids, it becomes even clearer how much an in-game chat is missing.
This could give friendly trainers the opportunity to communicate about the raids. This way, you could already ask before a raid who would like to participate. And even in such a case where players suddenly find themselves alone in the raid lobby, they could communicate whether and when there will be a second attempt.
From my perspective, it would even suffice if they only made this feature available within the friends list and you can activate/deactivate the chat. An in-game chat would certainly simplify communication considerably.
My conclusion on remote raids
I find the option of remote raids as a supplement to the regular on-site raids a great alternative. It gives me the opportunity to additionally participate in battles abroad and thus gives me some interesting Pokémon.
Even though the behavior of some players in remote raids really annoys me, I will continue to enjoy using this feature. Furthermore, there are also plenty of trainers who are already very considerate and leave raids on time when there are too few participants. This makes fighting together really fun for me.
Nevertheless, I hope that some trainers reconsider their behavior and no longer leave raids so shortly before the start. Additionally, I wish Niantic would create the possibility to communicate better in the future.
Do you regularly participate in remote raids? And have you had similar experiences where you suddenly stood alone in the raid lobby? What would you wish for remote raids? Feel free to share your opinion here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange views with other trainers.
The Allays have arrived in Minecraft . They are not only cute but also really good helpers. We reveal what they can do.
The next big patch of Minecraft will bring the really dark Warden as enemies, but there is also an increase in allied creatures. The latest snapshot of the upcoming patch brings the Allays: blue, musical flying creatures that like to help players.
What are the Allays? Even though there is some disagreement about the pronunciation of the name, the name “Allay” comes from the English word “Ally”, meaning “partner”. And that’s exactly what the little flying angel creatures are.
They produce quite pleasant, soft tinkling sounds while floating through the air at a low altitude. Players can use them to expand their inventory or to search for specific items.
The little cute Allays help you.
What do Allays do? Basically, you can view Allays as little servants or “harvest helpers”. The winged beings can collect resources for you. They have a relatively small inventory of a single slot, but they can accumulate an entire stack of an item in it – for example, 64 wool, 64 stone, or 16 snowballs.
Essentially, these beings are not tamed like animals in Minecraft. Instead, you simply give them a specific item, such as a piece of coal. Afterwards, the Allay will fly around within a 60-block radius of the player, looking for mined coal and collecting it.
You don’t need to worry about the Allays getting lost. They search for resources within a radius of 60 blocks but can locate “their” player from a distance of up to 1024 blocks and approach them – as long as that area of the world is currently “loaded”.
Allays “like” the last player who gave them an item and will bring the collected items to them. They approach and then throw the items to the player – just as other players in Minecraft would do.
Allays react to music: It is particularly interesting that the Allays react to note blocks (the blocks that produce sound). When a note block is played nearby, the Allay will try to find items near the note block and deliver them there for 30 seconds.
Can Allays fight? No. Allays avoid combat and do not have the ability to defend themselves or support the player. Once they are hit, they enter a kind of “panic mode”, speed up, and fly back and forth in a zigzag – until the danger is gone or they are dead.
Allays only have 10 health points (5 hearts) and are therefore extremely fragile. A few attacks are enough to kill them. However, you don’t need to worry about accidentally killing one of your Allays with a sword strike – Allays cannot take damage when bound to you (meaning you last gave them an item). Other players, however, can certainly kill them.
How can you use Allays? The simplest form of application is probably on the farm as additional “workforce”. For example, if you have a large pen full of sheep and you shear them from the outside, you can give an Allay a piece of wool afterwards. The Allay will then simply fly into the pen, collect the wool for you, and then return – without you ever having to enter the pen yourself.
Where can you find Allays? Allays are relatively rare in the game world, appearing by default only near Illager Outposts or the large mansions in the woods. There, the Allays are kept in prison cells, waiting for their rescuers. There are between 1 and 3 Allays per cell.
When are the Allays coming? So far, the Allays are only playable in the current snapshot. This is basically a small preview of the next patch – a mini-beta, so to speak. You can already try out the snapshot via the Minecraft launcher. By the way, there is still no exact release date for the live version with the Allays.
What do you think of the Allays? Are they a cool addition to Minecraft and do you already have potential uses for them?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
After a short break, the German streamer Marcel “MontanaBlack” Eris is back on Twitch. He now spoke with his viewers about what the future holds and explains what consequences excessive streaming can have.
What’s going on with MontanaBlack?
In February, the largest German streamer MontanaBlack announced a break from Twitch. However, this lasted only about two weeks.
After his return, MontanaBlack talked in one of his streams about his dark past, breaking down in tears.
The news that he had broken up with his girlfriend was officially announced shortly after. Now, the streamer discussed the pressures that can come with the job.
This is what MontanaBlack says now: During a “Real Talk”, MontanaBlack chatted with his audience and addressed questions. He also talked about his break that he took.
He explains that he has been streaming continuously for 9 years and needed physical and mental time off. He keeps mentioning friends and family: “You can’t stream every day for your whole life. Your social contacts will suffer.”
According to MontanaBlack, working on Twitch can even lead to a kind of neglect, even if one is extremely successful.
Start video
Career and Life of MontanaBlack in 2 Minutes: What Makes Him Unique?
“‘A lot of money in the bank, but no one is there anymore, dude”
What is the problem? MontanaBlack explains that an overly large focus and especially success on Twitch can lead to a “tunnel vision”. One only concentrates on the stream:
You lose sight of many important things that don’t seem so important to you at the moment. Family, friends, girlfriend, future. […] Because in the end, what you don’t want happens to you quite often: You have a lot of money in the bank, but no one is there anymore, dude. Because you weren’t there for anyone either.
The streamer then gives insight into a darker chapter of his past. He used to stream three days a week and didn’t look at anything else anymore. His girlfriend once called him in tears after a family incident.
However, MontanaBlack tried to “cut her off”, as he himself says. At that moment, the stream seemed more important to him, and he wanted to continue.
What’s next? Despite the hard words, MontanaBlack does not want to stop with Twitch. Maybe it could become less: “I don’t plan on stopping at any point. But at some point, you have to set certain priorities in your life.”
He explains that he now wants to take more time to do spontaneous activities with friends. If someone contacts him, it could happen that he simply stops the stream and goes out with acquaintances instead.
He now also understands that there are many other streamers to watch. He no longer has the self-imposed obligation to be there for everyone. Twitch offers enough variety and choice.
In the German-speaking area, some of the bigger names even keep starting events. On the evening of April 2nd, for example, there will be a real boxing match between two well-known streamers:
Connecting and using mouse and keyboard is easy with PS5 and PS4. But does it actually work properly? Is it supported by all games? MeinMMO has the answers.
Even if consoles are primarily known for their controller support, mouse and keyboard can be connected without problems and can even be used in some games.
However, the little word “some” does limit it: Because the support for the input devices depends on the game you want to start.
So do not generally assume that a game supports control through mouse and keyboard. Not even if the game is available on PC.
We will show you with some examples that mouse and keyboard support is not that rare and many games can be played just like on PC.
PS5 / PS4 – Which games support mouse and keyboard?
To provide you with an overview of which major games work with mouse and keyboard on PlayStation, we will refer to a large MeinMMO list: The 15 currently best MMOs and MMORPGs 2022.
We list the games that are also available on PS5/PS4 and show whether they fully support mouse and keyboard:
Call of Duty: Warzone – Yes
Final Fantasy 14 – Yes
Fortnite – Yes
Destiny 2 – No
Conan Exiles – No
GTA Online – No
Elder Scrolls Online – No
Fallout 76 – No
Path of Exile – No
Black Desert Online – No
Unfortunately, there are no general indicators as to whether a game supports mouse and keyboard on PlayStation.
If you base your purchasing decision on the support of mouse and keyboard, you should definitely look for information on the internet.
For example, search for the game on Google and enter “mouse keyboard console”. In many cases, you will find relevant information.
However, what always works: You can use a keyboard for writing and chatting. If a window with a digital keyboard opens, the PlayStation recognizes your keystrokes.
This makes text chat in MMORPGs like Elder Scrolls Online much more convenient – if you have space for the keyboard on the couch.
Community tests mouse and keyboard on PS4 and PS5 – These games work
On a fan site for PlayStation, there are more titles that supposedly provide full support for mouse & keyboard. Fans have tested the games and created a respectable list (via playstation.fandom.com):
Another solution – Hardware: If you really want to approach a console game with mouse and keyboard, there are also adapters that “simulate” a controller.
Corresponding devices are available from €20, but they can also become quite expensive if you want direct input without noticeable delay.
However, it is not recommended to use such devices in a PvP game if the game does not actually support mouse and keyboard. This can quickly be seen as cheating and lead to a ban.
If you know of any other games on PS4 and PS5 that support mouse and keyboard, please share the games with us in the comments.
