A few game data points in the live version of World of Warcraft hint at the next expansion. It might be about dragons.
The leak season for World of Warcraft has begun, and Blizzard itself is giving rise to new speculations about the future of World of Warcraft. A new package of encrypted game files has been discovered, which provides some clues about upcoming game content. A “Dragon Expansion” has suddenly become much more likely.
What has been discovered? The colleagues from wowhead have found some encrypted file packages while datamining the current game data. These packages resemble those that have been included in previous expansions as bonus content for buyers of the Deluxe Edition. Although the exact contents are still unknown, there are some connections to the packages, such as the file “9fx_drakemountemerald_buff_4219045” – The name “Drake Mount Emerald” is basically an “Emerald Dragon Mount”.
In addition to the mount, there seems to be a pet included in the package as well. Both files are relatively large (mount 8.9 MB, pet 5.5 MB), significantly larger than previous mounts and pets. This suggests higher quality or many additional effects of these creatures.
Also interesting: The still encrypted files are associated with some textures that are not encrypted. These include green fog and star effects.
Three textures related to the new mount. Image source: wowhead
Is this definitely the new expansion? No. At least theoretically, it is possible that Blizzard might also introduce another bundle that doesn’t necessarily have to do with the new expansion. However, the clues have been accumulating over the past days and weeks, so one might cautiously consider a Dragon Expansion. Whether the content will align with the leak or turn out to be something entirely different remains to be seen.
More news about World of Warcraft can be found at MeinMMO:
Several clues are coming together: Various hints have emerged that the next expansion will again focus on dragons and therefore Azeroth. The first clue was noted by many players in the “Dragon Bundle” that Blizzard promoted in the shop a few months ago. There were many dragon mounts available at a reduced price. Now, shortly after a supposed leak regarding the “The Dragon Isles” expansion, game data about an encrypted dragon mount is also surfacing, which is making even the skeptical fans take notice.
However, please keep in mind that nothing has been confirmed by Blizzard so far. What the next expansion is truly about will likely only be revealed in a few months.
What do you think of this information? Are you sure that it will be a Dragon addon? Or is this all still too vague?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Wagadu Chronicles (PC) is a new MMORPG developed by an indie studio from Berlin. It is supported by the LoL developer Riot Games and has a very unique setting. The first alpha is set to start in February.
What kind of game is this? The Wagadu Chronicles is an MMO that places great emphasis on role-playing. In line with this, there are hundreds of pages of lore, and the setting should also be usable in Pen&Paper Dungeons and Dragons 5e. The strong focus on role-playing is highlighted by these unique features of the game:
The focus is not on grinding or increasing stats, but on story
During character creation, you choose different ancestral lines with unique histories
There is supposed to be a dialogue mode in groups, which works with multiple players and is reminiscent of conversations with NPCs
To avoid jeopardizing role-playing, there are special “Off-World-Lobbies” where players can exchange ideas and ask questions
The setting of the game is special as well. The developers themselves describe it as an Afrofantasy MMORPG. You have no classes, but use skill presets. There should be dozens of abilities, but not all are geared towards fighting; some are intended for exploration or side activities.
Additionally, temporary skills are planned that you can find while exploring and that will help you in specific situations.
The economy, on the other hand, will be in the hands of the players, as is common with most sandbox MMORPGs. All equipment is supposed to be editable by players using an editor if they have the right skill. This is to prevent every piece of armor from looking the same.
You can get your first impressions of the new MMORPG in this introduction video:
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Alpha of the MMORPG starts in February, supported by Riot Games
What is new? As the developers recently announced on Twitter, the first alpha of The Wagadu Chronicles will start in the second half of February.
However, to gain access to the alpha, you had to donate at least 140 euros via Kickstarter in advance. Currently, it is no longer possible to purchase such a package.
Unlike many other MMORPGs, there is also no function to register on the website and be randomly invited to an alpha or beta.
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How does the MMORPG finance itself? The Wagadu Chronicles started with a Kickstarter campaign, through which they were able to raise 163,910 euros.
Additionally, they are supported by the LoL developer Riot Games. The company invests in various start-ups and aims to strengthen underrepresented founders. This includes Twin Drums, the studio from Berlin.
What model the MMORPG itself will follow, i.e., Free2Play, Buy2Play, or subscription, has not yet been revealed.
What do you think about The Wagadu Chronicles? Does the game and the setting appeal to you?
Many positive reactions were received at the announcement because the project stands out from other MMORPGs in development. We have summarized these reactions for you here:
And it is assumed that with the third tier, you could access the mentioned PS3 games. You would then be able to use the games in the subscription like with the Game Pass for free, without having to buy them.
With the PS Plus Collection with 20 free games, Sony had already expanded PS Plus at least for PS5 owners. Because here, PS5 owners and PS Plus subscribers can play a range of well-known titles without additional cost on their PS5. However, many long-time PlayStation fans likely already own or have played them.
Is the Game Pass coming to PS4 and PS5? A leak regarding old games continues to raise user hopes.Surprisingly, games for the PS3 were shown in the PS Store on the PS5. What is behind it?
With Microsoft’s Game Pass, you can play current games for 13 euros a month without any additional cost. Many gamers are hoping for the same for their PS4 and PS5.
What happened? If you searched for PS3 games on the PS5 in the PS Store, you would have been redirected to the “PS Now” version. Because with a PS Now subscription, you can play the games.
However, a hint has shown that games like Dead Or Alive 5 or Prince of Persia have their own prices in the PS Store. Allegedly, you will soon be able to buy old PS3 games on the PS5 and play them there. However, the user did not test this but only shared a screenshot on Twitter.
Surprisingly, there are also some games in the shop on the PS5 that you cannot play with PS Now in certain regions at all.
How surprising is that? As early as 2021, there were first hints that Sony might bring PS3 games back to the PS5 and that you would be able to buy the games directly in the PS Store again. In March 2021, a user had already shown a screenshot with alleged offers from the PS Store. However, this “feature” has not yet been usable:
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Speculation about the Game Pass for PS4 and PS5 has been going on for a while
What does this have to do with the Game Pass? Rumors have been circulating for some time that Sony is reportedly planning to launch its own Game Pass for PS4 and PS5. Behind the codename “Spartacus” is supposedly a completely new subscription model that Sony wants to use to offer new competition for Microsoft’s Game Pass. A multi-tier subscription model is planned:
The first tier would include the known benefits of PS Plus such as multiplayer and some free games
The second tier would, similar to Game Pass, provide some PS4 games for free.
The third tier would offer extended demos, game streaming, and a library of classic PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP games.
And it is assumed that with the third tier, you could access the mentioned PS3 games. You would then be able to use the games in the subscription like with the Game Pass for free, without having to buy them.
With the PS Plus Collection with 20 free games, Sony had already expanded PS Plus at least for PS5 owners. Because here, PS5 owners and PS Plus subscribers can play a range of well-known titles without additional cost on their PS5. However, many long-time PlayStation fans likely already own or have played them.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On next Wednesday, the TOTW 18 (Team of the Week) for FIFA 22 is on the agenda. At MeinMMO, you will find out which players could appear in the new Team of the Week.Lewandowski and Bruno Fernandes have good chances.
This is the Team of the Week: Every Wednesday it’s time for a new TOTW in FIFA Ultimate Team. This team consists of players who have impressed with strong performances in the past football week. These players then receive improved Inform special cards, which are available in packs for a week in Packs .
These are TOTW Predictions: The TOTW Predictions are community guesses trying to figure out which players could land in the Team of the Week.
They provide a good overview of who could be in the TOTW. Potential Inform players can then be used to earn coins on the transfer market. You can find out how that works in the Trading Tips.
However, it is important to note that these are theoretical predictions and not guarantees. The TOTW 18 next Wednesday may look different overall than the predictions suggest.
The Prediction for Team of the Week 18 in Ultimate Team
The predictions for the next Team of the Week come from the FUT site fifaultimateteam.
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Robert Lewandowski did once again what he does best: scoring goals. In the match against 1. FC Köln, the Bayern striker even scored 3 goals, which seems to secure him a place in the new TOTW.
Thomas Meunier, the right-back from Borussia Dortmund, opened the game against SC Freiburg with 2 goals.
Peter Gulacsi from RB Leipzig saved everything that came at his goal and finished the game with a clean sheet. Leipzig won 2:0 against Stuttgart and Gulacsi might deserve an Inform card in the new Team of the Week.
In the 1:0 victory of Mainz against Bochum, Jeremiah St. Juste delivered a strong performance and even capped it with the winning goal. Whether he makes it into the TOTW, we will find out on Wednesday.
Mahmoud Dahoud from BVB had an outstanding game in the 5:1 win against Freiburg, with numerous successful passes, a goal, and an assist. This could very well earn him a spot in the new TOTW.
What do you think of the predictions for TOTW 18? Do you think other players deserve it more? Feel free to let us know in the comments!
If you want to get cheap yet strong Icon cards for your team, we have some tips for you!
Are you still looking for a new PlayStation 5 and haven’t received one yet? Then you currently have the chance, if you reside in Switzerland. A PS5 sales promotion is currently running at Media Markt CH!
Update January 14, 12:35 PM: The midday update: Unexpected but pleasant to see that yesterday’s offer from Media Markt CH for the PS5 Digital Bundle remains available!
Update January 13, 11:30 AM: The console without bundle is already sold out, but the second offer with storage kit is still available.
At Media Markt CH, you now have the opportunity to order one of the coveted NextGen consoles. The offer includes the Digital Edition with and without a bundle with a storage expansion kit consisting of a Samsung 980 PRO NVMe M.2 SSD 1TB including heatsink.
The chances of successfully ordering a PS5 during a drop in Austria and Switzerland are significantly higher compared to Germany, but this offer will also be sold out by the end of the day at the latest.
Once again a note: You must have a residence in Switzerland. Otherwise, it will not be possible for you to complete the order.
Didn’t get a PS5? If you haven’t received a PS5, then check out our ticker. Here we keep you up to date daily and explain how you can best get a PS5 and show you drops around the coveted console.
Michael simply does not understand Ubisoft’s multiplayer strategy. For him, all current games either miss the trend by years, feel forced, or are just not fun. It’s a shame, he thinks, as one of Ubisoft’s best multiplayer experiences is slipping further into obscurity. Yet it holds so much potential and could be even more successful today.
I have a love-hate relationship with Ubisoft games. Actually interesting ideas and concepts too often fall victim to their mainstream formula. It’s even worse in their multiplayer games. Let’s stick to a few examples:
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint alienated players with boredom and loot boxes.
Hyper Scape was the interchangeable “battle royale” clone that, it feels, went under even before its announcement.
And the recently released Riders Republic is nice but lacks any unique selling point or special gameplay in which I want to immerse myself for hours.
Somehow, I doubt that Ubisoft will ever achieve a huge success on this path. The fascinating thing is that my absolute favorite multiplayer comes from them: the one from Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.
I have been playing it for almost twelve years and keep it alive as part of a small community, hoping that Ubisoft will firstly never shut it down and secondly might even remaster it someday. It would be a promising opportunity, as the concept remains brilliant and especially unmatched to this day.
Who is writing here? Michael follows games that continue to captivate for years and tell exciting community stories. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood is one of his gems that he can recommend to anyone looking for chaos and cleverness.
Make the sacrifice. Make a good kill. Run away. Or not.
So good that you will never want to play singleplayer again
In 2010, it was the best idea ever to put the entire hide-and-seek and murder game into multiplayer. Historical settings, parkour, various assassin tactics. In the multiplayer mode of AC: Brotherhood, up to 8 players face off and are each assigned the task of eliminating one of them.
The exciting part: the victims do not know who is hunting them. The problem: the locations are populated with dozens of NPC copies of the game characters, making it difficult to find the right person. And after completion or failure, new contracts are immediately assigned. So lingering and enjoying Venice is not an option!
Unlike other multiplayer games, success here does not solely depend on your speed. Kills are rated based on stealth, and those who charge in recklessly receive just as few points for this clumsy performance. The tutorial teaches you barely one percent; the rest of the know-how is based on years of observation and experience.
To master the game, you need to adopt a specific “assassin-esque” mindset, in which you must constantly ask yourself the following questions in a matter of seconds: Where are my victim and my pursuer hiding? Who behaves suspiciously and is thus not an NPC? How do I make the best kill now, without getting killed myself? And how do I escape best afterward?
But the mind games and tactical depth go much further. All players have a set of two abilities that they can individually equip with items like smoke bombs, pistols, and throwing knives. Since I don’t know what my opponent has, I have to reassess him or her in every situation.
Is my opponent playing defensively or offensively? How should I react? And do I have the right counter ability with me? Hundreds of situations, hundreds of combinations, hundreds of outcomes, where multiple people can also get involved: Despite all the features that have been added over the years, the singleplayer has never been able to reach this stealth complexity even remotely.
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New installments appeared, Ubisoft gifted us three more multiplayer games with the same basic principle but different directions, until Assassin’s Creed: Unity came and introduced the co-op missions. To this day, I ask myself: Why? Why this regression? The typical semi-stealthy slaughtering from the singleplayer logically turned into a brutal butcher party. This was not well received, and the entire game and its technology even less – and that was the end of the multiplayer games.
More installments came, new consoles came, but for Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood and for the best assassin experience, I stayed on my dusty PlayStation 3 – until I switched to PC last year for my streams, as here the best chances still exist to get enough players for a match.
Even after thousands of matches, I am still captivated. The never-ending rush between stealth and pursuit is unique, especially due to the short match duration of ten minutes. Timer and point ranking stress you as much as they motivate you.
Additionally, there is the dynamic between the players themselves. It’s great to still encounter an arch-nemesis from old matches and treat him just as respectfully as mercilessly. There are simply too many great moments in this game:
When I fail due to a new trick from my opponent, only to receive it as a lesson instead.
When I catch one of the old masters and he congratulates me after the match.
When I hide from three pursuers in a crowd and they all eliminate the wrong people, allowing me to take a triple bonus.
When I jump from fourth place to first place with a poison kill in the last seconds, leaving open mouths behind.
Just talking about it makes me want to play again.
To this day a gem – Those who copied it have failed
No, not everything is perfect in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. The matchmaking is clunky, there are still annoying bugs, and the small community sometimes tends to show a certain toxic side. But to this day, Ubisoft can claim this stealth masterpiece for itself.
There are many games, like Splinter Cell or Metal Gear Solid, where I have to outsmart an NPC AI. But it is a completely different thing to set up a cat-and-mouse game between real players without gameplay gaps or balance issues.
Every studio that has tried something similar has failed miserably.
The multiplayer mode of Hitman 2, called Ghost Mode, turned it into a weird match between two parallel universes with little influence on each other – the servers were shut down two years later.
Hood: Outlaws & Legends, in which two Robin Hood gangs are supposed to pull off a stealth heist, turned into a camping battle at the exit – also virtually dead by now.
And the multiplayer of Deathloop unfortunately only degenerates into a small optional feature that fails at general balancing between the hunters, matchmaking, and the general concept – which is not the main reason for the game’s failure.
From Hitman to Deathloop: No game could really match AC: Brotherhood.
When it comes to Assassin’s Creed, I always hear how many players wish for the classic assassin action back. When it comes to Ubisoft multiplayer games, I always hear how many players criticize the missing ideas and lack of fun.
Then hit two birds with one stone and remaster the multiplayer mode of AC: Brotherhood! In my eyes, it is still the best assassin and multiplayer experience that Ubisoft has ever produced.
Maybe I will not be able to conjure up huge waves of protest that result in hundreds of thousands of signatures on a petition, but maybe I was able to convince you why this game still has so many fans and actually needs many more fans.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Warlocks in World of Warcraft can be very lazy. One traveled across all of Kalimdor – but only using his own portals. It took a long time. A very long time.
In World of Warcraft, various players have achieved quite strange achievements or posed (and answered) questions that are not easy to come by. Can you level a Pandaren to level 60 while remaining neutral? Can you cover the entire continent with festival meals? Now a warlock wanted to answer another question:
How many warlock portals does it take to traverse the entire continent of Kalimdor?
What happened? The void elf warlock “Cisbian,” known on the WoW subreddit as “circesalami,” apparently had a question that urgently needed an answer. How often would one need to use “Demonic Gateway” from the warlock to get from the northernmost tip of Kalimdor to the southernmost edge of the continent?
What is Demonic Gateway? In many raid encounters in World of Warcraft, “Demonic Gateway” is a very important spell. It creates two demonic portals through which players can bridge a distance of up to 40 meters in a single second. This is faster than most movement abilities and helps with many boss mechanics to avoid deadly areas. As a pure method of travel, the Demonic Gateway is actually not suitable, as its usage has a cooldown of 90 seconds.
What was the result? In the end, circesalami had a journey of over 7 hours behind him. This is primarily because using the portal is subject to a cooldown. Although he took all the bonuses, such as a PvP talent for increased portal range and a legendary item from Legion to use two portals back-to-back – the journey still took a long time. It took a whopping 570 portals from the Bloodmyst Isles to the south of Uldum.
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Did everything go smoothly? No, from time to time circesalami had to “cheat” a little and reposition himself at least on the Z-axis – that is, the height. This is because the portal reacts strangely in some places and you often get stuck in objects. Especially in Thousand Needles, circesalami apparently had issues, as the portals interact oddly with water and the exact positioning is not so easy.
Have you completed a similar absurd challenge in World of Warcraft? What do you think? An interesting accomplishment or just a huge waste of time?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Pokémon GO all events in January 2022 are known, including raid hours, spotlight hours, and legendary raid bosses like Kyurem, Heatran, Genesect, and Regice. In our overview, we show you everything that awaits you in January.
What does the overview show? In January 2022, weekly events like spotlight hours and raid hours will start. In addition, themed events like the New Year’s event with stylish outfits, the “Mountains of Power” event where you will work together with Spark to open a mysterious door, and the “Power Plant in Kanto” event featuring Steel and Electric Pokémon will take place.
We show you here on MeinMMO all the dates of the events in the overview. This way, you will be well prepared for the upcoming weeks in January. We will keep this list up to date as new dates are announced. Use it as a reference for the events in the coming weeks.
January Events 2022 Overview
All events in January: In the following table, we show you all the dates for the known events as well as the names of the events and the bonuses planned for January 2022. Below the table, we will present events that will be worthwhile for you.
“Mountains of Power” Event: This starts on January 7 and is active until January 13. During the event, you will work together with Spark to activate the second mechanism of the mysterious door. Niantic states that this journey should lead you through landscapes reminiscent of mountains from the Johto and Sinnoh regions.
The “Event for the Power Plant in Kanto” starts on January 19 and is active until February 1. Again, you will work with Spark. To open the last mechanism of the mysterious door, you should catch Steel and Electric Pokémon. Which of those will spawn more frequently is still unclear. Additionally, there is the teaser: “By the way, it seems that our villains have also learned about the door and the power it may hide…”. Team GO Rocket may also play a role in this event.
Unfortunately, the raid hours and spotlight hours in January are not so special that we would have to recommend them here. You can keep an eye out for Genesect as a Bug Attacker for your collection. Anyone who enjoys playing PvP might find an exciting attacker in Regice.
How do you like the outlook for the events in January 2022 in Pokémon GO? Is there one you are particularly looking forward to? Then let us know your opinion on it here on MeinMMO in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Icons are among the most popular cards in FIFA 22. However, many strong legends are quite expensive. We have looked at 5 cards that are a bit cheaper but still useful.
What kind of list is this? The legends of world football in your own team – that can be a lot of fun. Especially when you want to build a team with different leagues, icons are very useful – as they create chemistry links to any player.
Of course, you can try with icon packs, for example from the Icon Swaps – but here you need a lot of luck to get a strong one, and you can lose many coins.
That’s why it might be worth taking a look at the “cheaper” icons. There are some cards that are worth it and can help your team both with chemistry and skills.
If you look at the lower price range of the current icons – between 70,000 and 150,000 coins – you will find numerous cards. Here are 5 that could be worth it.
Fundamentally, this list is based on the current prices on PlayStation (via futbin / as of January 15, 2022). Prices may vary slightly from platform to platform.
Roy Keane
Price: about 133,000 coins
What makes Keane special: With Keane, you get a pretty versatile player in central midfield, which can be used wonderfully for defensive purposes. Therefore, the Shadow style is quite popular here to enhance Keane’s defensive qualities.
Keane has already been available in the form of an Icon SBC, which is why his price has noticeably fallen since then. If you missed or ignored the SBC back then, this could be the right opportunity to get Keane.
Ashley Cole
Price: about 139,000 coins
What makes Cole special: Especially on the flanks, icons can be very useful to connect the central defense with alternative offensive options. Ashley Cole is a really good choice here.
If you equip him with a Shadow style, you’ll get a left-back with very high pace and defensive stats. His overall value might not suggest it, but the Englishman can provide a lot of security in defense against fast opponents. Only offensively, there are certainly better options available.
Davor Šuker
Price: about 127,000 coins
What makes Šuker special: Don’t be fooled by the 85 overall rating of the card! This card has basically everything you need in a strong offense. Especially pace and shot are really strong when optimized with a Hunter style.
The finishing in the box is what makes Šuker particularly dangerous. He has extremely strong values here. A small downside might be his physicality – with stamina 84, you might have to sub him out during the second half.
What makes Schweinsteiger special: When you see a winger with less than 90 pace, many FIFA players go into a panic. However, you can use a trick with Schweinsteiger: If you position him on the left wing for good chemistry, you can instruct him to move into the center during the game. And here the Bayern legend shines.
Schweinsteiger can dangerously set up balls and can also strike well on goal. His passing and dribbling stats are also completely sufficient for a role as a central midfielder. You can also slightly boost his defensive value – best use a Shadow style.
Hernán Crespo
Price: about 97,500 coins
What makes Crespo special: The Argentine is a good choice if you want to change things up a bit in attack. He is the cheapest card on this list but still has some qualities to offer.
Crespo is one of those strikers who can shine as a cold-blooded scorer, especially in the box. Best equip him with an Engine or Hunter style to make his shot even more dangerous.
An advantage of the base Crespo card over his other versions: The body type “Lean.” The base variant of Crespo is extremely agile and can maneuver itself into promising situations a bit faster than the “stronger” Crespo versions.
Do you have more icons for little coins that you find particularly strong? Let us know in the comments!
Hiring a robber for another player in GTA Online is easy and costs you little money. We will show you how it works and what advantages it has.
What is this function? Through your contacts in GTA Online, you can organize robbers. These are NPCs that you can specifically target at certain players in your session. Many people use this to take revenge on annoying griefers, as the robbers appear rather unexpectedly.
Moreover, hiring a robber is also a daily objective in GTA Online that you can easily complete. In this short guide, we will show you:
How to hire robbers
What you gain from it
How to complete the daily objective “Hunt 1 player with 1 robber”
Hiring Robbers in GTA Online – Guide
What does hiring cost? For this, you only need to spend $1,000 in GTA Online. If you then rob a few stores, you will quickly make a profit again. You must have reached at least level 50 to unlock the option.
How do you hire robbers?
Open your smartphone in the game
Select Lamar from your contacts and call him
With him, you only have one option: hire robbers
Select the option and confirm in the following list which player you want to send the robber after
After that, Lamar confirms your request and sends a robber after the respective player. It depends on where the player is located. If they are high in the sky or in a secure house, the villain cannot do anything against the player. They will then try again at a later time. If the selected player is simply unreachable, Lamar will give you back the $1,000.
If the player that the robber was sent after leaves the game, you get your money back
However, if the target is on the map near streets, the robber will strike. He surprises the player and tries to mug him.
What does the robber do? A hired robber looks like any other NPC in the game. If he is near the player, he suddenly rushes out of the crowd towards the player. He attacks the selected player and steals a random sum of money. The higher the victim’s level, the greater the potential loot. However, the robber can steal a maximum of $10,000. The carrier must, however, have cash on them. Nothing can be stolen from the account.
If the victim is sitting in a car, the robber arrives, throws the player out of the car, and drives away with the vehicle.
As the robbed player, you have the chance to take out the robber afterwards. If he flees on foot, it’s significantly easier. If you shoot him, you can get your money back. However, if he steals one of your supercars, the pursuit becomes difficult.
To complete the daily objective, you only need to send the robber after one player. The robbery doesn’t even have to succeed. Just the assignment is enough to complete the daily objective.
Since the end of the Stormblood expansion almost 3 years ago, many fans of Final Fantasy XIV have been waiting for the popular quest line featuring a crazy master detective to continue. However, there is no sign of it in Endwalker either. MeinMMO author Irina Moritz finds this very unfortunate.
Like almost all Japanese RPGs, Final Fantasy XIV has its silly moments. They serve to lighten the often overly serious atmosphere and give players a moment to breathe. Whether it involves helping drunken, swearing dwarves build tanks or smelling stinky Chocobos.
But none of them can match the delightful absurdity and delicious silliness of the Hildibrand quests. The quest line revolves around the infamous master detective Hildibrand Helidor Maximilian Manderville, who (sometimes more, sometimes less voluntarily) travels the land and (sometimes more, sometimes less independently) solves difficult cases.
He is accompanied by his loyal assistant Nashu Mhakaracca and plenty of bombs. Time and again, he crosses paths with our player characters and draws us into his adventures, which span the base game “A Realm Reborn” and the two expansions Heavensward and Stormblood.
Throughout the episodic stories, you also get to know the entire Manderville family, all of whom collectively have a screw loose:
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Uh, spoiler alert? The first encounter with Hildibrand’s father is… quite something.
As can easily be seen in the video, the quests are characterized by their quirky humor, slapstick, and exaggerated facial animations. They are essentially the comedy corner of FFXIV, where developers let loose and were able to write lots of nonsense from their souls.
The Hildibrand quests have been expanded with each addition, with new ridiculous adventures and rewards added. Sometimes the detective traveled to Ishgard, sometimes he ended up in Kugane.
But since the Shadowbringers expansion, which was released in July 2019, there has been no trace of new Hildibrand quests. Fans only received a small cameo appearance in the dungeon “Battle for Norvrand.”
Only when you’ve lost something do you realize it was important
You would think that a side quest line has little relevance for the game and no one would miss it, but that’s not the case. Hildibrand is deeply rooted in the DNA of FFXIV and was already a highlight for many players in the failed 1.0 version.
Especially back then, during the rather dark times when it was not quite clear whether FFXIV would even continue, the quests were a breath of fresh air and a source of amusement. The devs could let loose in the quests and try out ideas that didn’t fit into the rest of the game.
But the most important thing is that despite the silliness and ridiculous facial expressions, the Hildibrand quests have a lot of heart. I still remember having a brief “Oh” moment while playing the ARR quests that convinced me right away.
The developers really had fun with the facial expressions in the Hildi quests…
In one of the first stories, there is a little girl who has lost (and broken) her strict mother’s valuable vase. She is scolded by her mother and sent to search for it, even though it could be dangerous for her.
Hildibrand offers to help the girl. It was a small gesture, but it immediately revealed a lot about his character and the core of the quest line. The endeavor ended up going rather poorly and was filled with lots of nonsense, but hey, it was genuinely kind of him, and in the end, everything turned out well.
That was the moment when the quest line won me over. It wasn’t just about making the silliest face and ridiculing the characters, but it contained beautiful, albeit simple messages wrapped in a lot of humor. And I appreciate that not only in games but in all media (a shoutout to the Discworld books).
These little messages run throughout the entire quest line and made it more than just a brief diversion for me. But above all, they fit perfectly into the overall concept of FFXIV, whose main story repeatedly poses difficult moral questions and conveys messages to the players.
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Originally, Hildibrand wasn’t really that important to me. I did enjoy playing the quests and used them as filler content during longer update breaks, but it wasn’t something I looked forward to eagerly with each patch. That changed dramatically in Shadowbringers.
While other quests, such as the wild tribe of dwarves, lightened the serious and dark story of Shadowbringers, I repeatedly found myself searching for the Hildibrand quests in the content previews.
It honestly distressed me at times that they were stopped. They were always a staple of FFXIV, and now they were gone.
Currently, there are few signs that the quests featuring the crazy detective will return in the near future. Typically, the FFXIV team announces new content well in advance. This way, players always know what to expect in the coming months.
The Hildibrand quests were also previously noted on the special pages for the respective patches, so players knew right away: “Ah, a few weeks after the patch release, there will be something new about Hildi.”
The preview for the Hildibrand quests was on official special pages and even in trailers of the respective patches.
In fact, the devs have hardly said a word about the master detective since the release of Shadowbringers. Only here and there have there been hints and comments that he isn’t gone forever but is “taking a break.”
And I find that very sad. With the Hildibrand quests, FFXIV lost a piece of its soul that brought joy to many fans even before the reboot of 1.0.
But who knows, maybe there will be good news for Hildibrand fans in February. Director Yoshida announced that a major producer stream is expected next month, in which the future of FFXIV will be presented.
They will talk about update 6.1 and further patches leading up to the next expansion 7.0:
With Swords of Legends Online, a new MMORPG from China, was released in July 2021, which looked promising. It had an action-packed combat system, focused on dungeons and raids, and completely refrained from Pay2Convenience in the shop. However, the player numbers keep declining. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch spoke with a player who has spent over 3,000 hours in SOLO.
What kind of game is this? Swords of Legends is a classic theme park MMORPG. You have the choice of 6 different classes, through which you experience a very linear story. Once you reach max level, you can choose from content such as:
Therefore, I talked to the player AdventureApe. He has already spent 3,000 hours in SOLO and has completed all the dungeons and raids. I wanted to know from him what fascinates him about the game, what the MMORPG has failed at, and what could save it.
In SOLO all classes can be played and there is much to grind
MeinMMO: What was the reason you started with SOLO and what do you find so good about the game?
AdventureApe: What fascinated me about SOLO was, on the one hand, the class selection. You don’t have the “one fixed group” to run dungeons and raids, as you do in Final Fantasy XIV or WoW. There is indeed a Holy Trinity, but in most cases, you can run with one tank and one healer. Many other games often require more healers or additional tanks.
This way, you can also gather a group more quickly in SOLO and play for the leaderboard with much faster records if you have many more DDs. The most popular DD classes include spear master, summoner, and bard, but all classes are playable. This is also part of what makes the class selection special for me.
Additionally, I like the Asian flair. I enjoy grinding MMOs, I love to grind, and that makes the game perfect for me. Especially in the endgame, there is a lot of grind, with the dailies and the weekly dungeons.
Start video
Swords of Legends has received its first major update – See here a summary of the story
MeinMMO: Can you describe to us what a typical day or week in SOLO looks like for you?
AdventureApe: Sure. You start the day with a normal dungeon. You do that for the dungeon daily, as you can obtain text fragments and other items through it. After that, you should ideally do the weekly quests right at the reset.
On normal days, I then complete my other daily quests for bounties, the underworld, and PvP.
Once a week, you also complete your weekly raids. Currently, these are only Sparkwood Garden and Forbidden Court, the newest raid from November, in hard mode. Because everything else currently does not yield the equipment you want.
Most of the time I then use to farm gold because gold is super important in endgame to upgrade your equipment. You can then complete all the other dungeons, as each of them yields about 5 gold per boss.
Especially for the people who want to do housing, gold is particularly important. I have surely put 200,000 gold into my house. And there is a separate community that pretty much only plays housing and does little else in the MMORPG.
The remaining players are too hardcore, but new players are hardly coming
MeinMMO: How is the mood in the community and how is it with new players?
AdventureApe: Currently, the mood is rather bad. The endgame alone is simply not enough. Not because there is too little, there is enough to do for casual players, but the remaining players in SOLO are a hardcore community that grinds and farms way too much.
There are indeed always new players starting with SOLO, and there are also some casual players, but the majority of the community is primarily waiting for new content and new classes. Many have therefore quit in recent weeks and months but want to come back. We, on the other hand, grind to have more reserves than everyone else.
One of the bosses from the latest raid Forbidden Court.
MeinMMO: What do you think SOLO has failed at and why are hardly any new players coming in now?
AdventureApe: One major problem, in my opinion, is advertising. When you look at other MMORPGs, even many smaller titles, they have more advertising than SOLO. In all my time since the preliminary reporting, I’ve maybe seen advertising once, and the biggest content creator who has tackled the game had an average of about 120 viewers on Twitch.
This may be due to them [Gameforge] having learned from the mistake with Kingdom Under Fire 2, where they paid huge streamers who then rage-quit the game mid-stream.
At launch, there was also criticism for the performance in PvP or translation issues, which were also addressed. Although new problems keep emerging, particularly a bug that makes PvP almost unplayable, work is always being done on that, and we expect a quick fix.
I found it funny that you regularly and also positively reported about SOLO, and were criticized for it. But the game is not bad, and aside from you, nobody had SOLO on their radar, which is really a shame.
MeinMMO: One major problem we identified was the very sluggish and boring leveling phase. Has anything changed in that regard?
AdventureApe: Sort of, with the first character you still have to struggle a bit. However, they want to introduce something with Update 2.0 that allows you to level up twinks much faster. However, this is not supposed to apply to the completely new classes.
However, there is already a mentor system through which you get bonus XP when playing with an experienced player. This way, you can already reach max level faster than at launch. And the mentor also receives useful rewards.
By the way, I don’t find the start that bad because the story is actually quite good if you invest yourself in it. It doesn’t reach the level of Final Fantasy XIV or SWTOR, but it can definitely keep up with Guild Wars.
MeinMMO: What do you think needs to change for SOLO to get back on track? Can the game recover and attract new players again?
AdventureApe: The game will definitely recover and the player numbers will increase a bit. Alone in the German community, I know about 1,000 players who say they will return to SOLO once the Warrior and the Foxmage are introduced as new classes. And that’s just the German community.
I also think that the English-speaking community in Europe will also see some returnees. However, the NA servers are already a lot emptier, so I don’t know what the chances are of SOLO experiencing another hype. In EU, I expect at least a doubling of the current player numbers to Patch 2.0.
What Gameforge simply has to do is release the new content and new classes. The content is already available in China, and that is also one of the reasons why many remain loyal to the game, because they know what is still to come.
MeinMMO: Does anyone already know when Patch 2.0 will be released and what it will contain?
AdventureApe: It is currently said that the patch is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2022. It will then introduce the Warrior as a class and 7 new dungeons and raids. Additionally, the gear score will gradually be increased to 205. I’m not quite sure if the new max level will come with the update. However, there have already been two increases in China.
After Patch 2.0, it will depend on how quickly Gameforge brings new content. Initially, they did really well; there was an update every month, and the community was satisfied. However, the last content patch was from November, which the hardcore community cannot be kept busy enough with.
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The toughest raids take a week or more to complete
MeinMMO: How exactly does the hardcore community play the content and how quickly do they get through it? Are there also world-first races like in WoW?
AdventureApe: New dungeons and raids initially come with a normal mode. This is usually completed on the first evening; for some bosses, you need a few attempts, but that’s generally not a problem.
In hard mode, most teams do not complete it on day 1. You need to have a very good raid group. The newest hard mode of Forbidden Court, which was released on Thursday, was completed by the first group of 10 players in about 7 hours.
The extreme modes can sometimes take a week or two to complete.
In the German community, there is also a desire to be the first to complete such dungeons or raids. However, there is no direct race for world-firsts internationally.
MeinMMO: And what about other endgame content, such as PvP?
AdventureApe: The PvP community is currently more active than the raiders but is overall even smaller. PvP is very skill-based, and the gear doesn’t matter much, which is why not all PvE players dare to venture there.
However, the animations of the abilities often lead to severe lags, especially in the large 300v300 contents in PvP. It can even happen that you suddenly take damage and die without seeing the opponent because the game has not loaded the model yet.
Mass PvP is currently hardly playable or if so, only in zergs, which greatly improves survival. However, that is usually only done for the dailies. Arena PvP works much better.
SOLO is actually a casual game that Europeans play completely differently
MeinMMO: You already mentioned that there is a lot of content available in China. How far along is the version there?
AdventureApe: SOLO is a casual MMORPG in China, designed so that you can always make progress, even if you play little. There, you pay for SOLO a subscription per hour of play, so the game is designed so that no matter how much time you invest, you can always get to the endgame somehow.
But we German players, and also the rest of the EU servers, play much more competitively. You can see this well in the damage numbers. The Chinese dealt about 17,000 to 20,000 damage with a gear score of 280. We achieved that with a gear score of 90.
Overall, the Chinese are currently at a gear score of over 500, making them still far ahead of us. While we wait for Patch 2.0, they already have Update 4.0, several increases in the max level, new areas, and 25 dungeons and raids that we will still receive. All dungeons and raids have three difficulties: normal, hard, and extreme.
There are now some EU players who have already installed the Chinese version and are “playing ahead” there to get a feel for future content.
Especially with its graphics, Swords of Legends made an impression at the beginning of 2021.
MeinMMO: What do you think about the future of SOLO?
AdventureApe: It is important to know that there is a lot of content in China that can be brought to us. Gameforge just must not mess it up with long waiting times or false promises. In Kingdom Under Fire 2, for example, an update was promised that never came out, and the community has held this against them very badly. If something like this happens with SOLO, then all players will probably be gone.
Otherwise, Swords of Legends Online actually has all the chances and many good approaches. It will never be as big as Final Fantasy XIV, but it could easily reach a player base that makes the MMORPG financially viable for Gameforge and worth continuing development.
Anyone who is considering starting now should keep in mind that the game is currently at a low point. With Patch 2.0, a new class will come, and many players will return. That might be a good time to start with SOLO. It particularly appeals to players who enjoy Asia MMORPGs, have no problem with grinding, and like to run the same endgame dungeons and raids. And you have to cope with the dailies, as they really are the same every day.
A highlight that many are also waiting for is the update to Unreal Engine 4, which the Chinese version is expected to receive in the first half of 2022.
MeinMMO: Thank you AdventureApe for your time!
What do you think about Swords of Legends? What experiences have you made, and are you considering returning? Feel free to write it in the comments.
In 2022, several new MMORPGs will also be released. We have presented the most promising ones here:
The Witch Queen is the next major expansion of Destiny 2. In a blog post, the developers discussed some of the upcoming changes and promised that you will soon have more space.
What is this change? With the new expansion “The Witch Queen”, Bungie aims to enable players to change the energy type of masterwork armor at a lower cost.
A fully masterworked legendary armor piece can be converted to a different energy type for 10,000 Glimmer and one upgrade module, while an exotic masterworked armor piece will cost 20,000 Glimmer and one upgrade module.
This way, you should avoid collecting armor pieces for every energy type in your vault. If you want to change an armor piece that is not yet a masterwork, the costs will remain unchanged.
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New trailer of Destiny 2 shows how good the new Throne World of the Witch Queen looks
The Witch Queen brings numerous improvements to Destiny 2
What else does the new expansion include? The expansion revolves around the famous titular Hive witch Savathûn, who has been pulling various strings for a long time and is known for her lies and intrigues.
Along with the expansion, you will receive new features in Destiny 2 that could fundamentally change the game. Some of the particularly interesting changes include:
In addition, there will naturally be new content and activities, including a new raid and enemies that can use the Light against you.
If you don’t know what exactly the Witch Queen is about or want to jump into the new expansion, we have explained the entire story since Destiny 1 for you here:
When does Witch Queen release? After the addon was originally scheduled for late 2021, the release is now set for February 22, 2022. So it won’t be long before you can see the new features for yourself and enjoy your “larger” vault.
In our hub, you can find all the important information about the expansion:
A glitch in Fortnite displayed a player’s skins in a cel-shading look. The player filmed his skin collection with the new look and players are excited. This graphic style is very well received.
What kind of error is this? The reddit user coldasaghost experienced a graphic error while viewing his skin library on his Xbox. The cosmetics that were supposed to be shown in the “cel shading look” (i.e., in the Borderlands style) suddenly looked more normal. The community is so pleased with this that they are asking Epic to set up an option for it.
We are showing you the “broken” cosmetics and the community’s reactions to them.
“Seriously, this looks amazing”
This is how it looks in the game: In a 30-second clip, user coldasaghost shows some content that should have a cel-shading look. This includes:
Naruto Uzumaki
Sasuke Uchiha
Rick Sanchez
Reina
We are embedding the reddit thread with the video here:
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It is unclear what exactly triggered the glitch and how to reproduce it. Nevertheless, this “error” is well received by other players. The difference from the original appearance of the skins is mainly the brightness. In the glitch video, the skins appear darker and without reflections.
The Naruto skin in its “normal” look
This is what players say: There is a lot of support for the cosmetics in the comments on reddit.
Critical_Buddy_2779 writes: “Seriously, this looks amazing. I wish this were an adjustable option, because it looks good.” To this, coldasaghost replies, “Same! I was so excited; I thought they had really added this to the game. But then I was immediately disappointed when I joined a match.”
“It looks better than running across the map as a light beam”
“This looks better and is still cel-shaded. It’s the light and the textures that look better”
“God, I would love this. Especially because it would make it easier to combine skins with cosmetics that have no outlines”
“Uh, I don’t know. It looks good on Naruto and Rick, but absolutely terrible on Toonafish. If they add it, I’d definitely be more willing to play Naruto and Sasuke, as the cel-shading kind of puts me off”
What do you think of this “new” style of cel-shading cosmetics? Do you think it’s a good improvement and wish for an option to toggle it on and off, or do you prefer the skins in their original form? Let us know your thoughts here on MeinMMO in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Dying Light 2 can only be purchased in Germany as a cut version and digitally from retailers. MeinMMO explains the differences and what to look out for when buying.
What content was cut? Dying Light 2 contains a lot of brutality that shows in many places. It is not only about bloody scenes but also inhumane behavior. However, this has been cut in Germany:
Human enemies cannot be decapitated or dismembered
Neutral NPCs cannot be killed
When we played Dying Light 2, these aspects were not necessarily needed for the game. They merely served to highlight the inhumanity of the world. Dying Light 2 is set in a post-apocalypse, and to survive, many people are left with only cruelty.
The story of the game itself and the gameplay is intended to be as close to the original version as possible. The developers are trying to provide German fans with the full experience – at least within the limits of the restrictions.
Start video
New cinematic trailer shows how hard it is to remain human in Dying Light 2
Playing Dying Light 2 uncut in Germany – Is that possible?
This is what happens when you buy the uncut version: In principle, you can play Dying Light 2 uncut in Germany. You just cannot buy the game in the respective version here. However, shops in Austria and Switzerland offer corresponding uncut editions.
According to developers, there is no “region lock”, meaning there is no automatic switch to cut content when you play in Germany. So if you buy Dying Light 2 uncut in another country, it will not suddenly switch to the German version when you activate the game on Steam.
Updates will also be available for the respective version you own, regardless of what country you are in.
What you need to watch out for: If you decide to purchase an uncut version, you will not be able to play co-op with friends who purchased the German version. The two versions exclude each other.
Dying Light 2 offers a co-op mode for up to 4 players. The progress of the story only counts for the host of the game; the save data of the other players remains unaffected. Still, as the owner of an uncut version, you cannot play with players of the cut version.
If the relevant authorities decide that the following additional content needs to be cut again or even end up on the index, they will not be fully available in Germany again.
The regulations around the cutting of games have changed in Germany over the past years. For example, the latest installment of the Wolfenstein series, Youngblood, is no longer subject to strict regulations and can be played uncut here.
However, Dying Light 2 seems to show too much brutality. The predecessor is still unplayable in Germany as it was indexed. When a game lands “on the index”, its promotion is prohibited and sale is only possible under restrictions.
However, new assessments are already being reviewed, and the developers are working to achieve a different evaluation for Dying Light 2 as well. Whether this will succeed before the release remains to be seen.
Start video
Everything you need to know about the new survival game Dying Light 2 – with gameplay
When is Dying Light 2 coming out? The release of the new horror survival shooter is now set for February 4 after several delays. Dying Light 2 will be available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
The game offers a unique combination of survival, story, and parkour, which makes it unique in the survival genre. It is quite possible that Dying Light 2 will make it onto our best list:
In League of Legends the Season 12 has just started. However, it is facing a lot of criticism. Many players are not only bothered by the Chemtech Dragon, but also by the high damage that bruisers are currently causing. One of these critics is Tim “Nemesis” Lipovšek, the former mid laner of Fnatic.
What is the player criticizing? Nemesis, whose contract was not extended by Fnatic in 2020, is now a full-time streamer. In one of his livestreams, he commented on the current meta. A clip about it went viral and stayed in the top 5 on the LoL subreddit for a long time.
There, the mid laner shows a video in which the champion Veigar fights against an Olaf. Nemesis explains: “If I were to play Veigar right now, in Season 12, and this Olaf crosses my path, I would be dead. I would literally be damn dead.”
However, even though Olaf has Black Cleaver and Hexdrinker, two items that deal damage, Veigar narrowly wins the duel. The streamer comments on this: “Look at that, he is not dealing any damage. What I mean is, it’s crazy how much damage there is in the game now, compared to the old seasons.”
The clip that Nemesis shows was recorded either in 2019 or 2020 – during Seasons 9 or 10.
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Streamer receives a lot of support for his statement
What do other players think? In the comments on reddit, most players agree with Nemesis’s statement. Especially the bruisers – tanks that also deal damage, like Olaf or Renekton – are said to be causing too much damage right now.
One user claims: “Bruisers are now like assassins. They die in 1-2 seconds under focus and only take 1-2 seconds to kill an AD carry.”
The top comment in the thread summarizes the situation: “In League it’s all about who can take out the enemy faster. League of Oneshoots.”
But it’s not just the bruisers that are causing concern. Some users also criticize the numerous procs and “damage over time” effects. One player explains:
You get hit by a spell from Brand. You are now burning for about 10 seconds, and due to his passive, Liandries triggers repeatedly. You easily lose 600 health just from one ability.
Xerath support with Ludens Echo. Every Q now does 500-600 damage. Spell Shoes almost break your entire resistance to magic. You have to dodge a Q every 6 seconds or you lose a third of your health points.
Since when is there too much damage? The criticism regarding damage has existed for several years. Many players point to the release of Runes Reforged in Pre-Season 8 as the time when it started. Back then, the runes system was overhauled, and effects were introduced that are believed to be responsible for the excessive damage (via reddit).
However, in the current Season 12, the problem seems to be the biggest.
What does Riot say? In the thread, the Riot developer Axes has commented on the damage problem. He states that they are currently working on reducing the damage in the game overall. Such a change could come during the season.
At the same time, there is a big discussion about the new Chemtech Dragon. It has already been nerfed and is still too strong:
This week, the first MMORPG died in 2022. Additionally, the death of the next game has already been announced. We at MeinMMO have collected all the important MMORPG news of the week for you once again.
The discussion of the week: Last week, we wanted to know from you which MMORPGs and expansions you are particularly looking forward to. Here are the results:
In Guild Wars 2, everyone is eagerly awaiting the release date for the expansion. We have written a beginner’s guide for newcomers in line with the launch of End of Dragons.
These were the news of the week from the world of MMORPGs at a glance. What was your personal highlight? Did you experience something exciting this week? Or did we forget something important? Let us know in the comments here at MeinMMO and discuss with us.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With NFTs, digital objects can be transformed into unique items. The trend is reaching gaming and encountering a lot of resistance. MeinMMO author Maik Schneider, however, views the development positively and sees great potential in the technology behind NFTs: blockchain.
NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) have stirred up quite a bit of dust in the gaming community. With this technology, unique items can be created from digital objects such as images, lines of code, or goods in a game. This prospect does not appeal to many players.
There is criticism regarding the environmental aspect because the creation of NFTs consumes a lot of power. The close link to cryptocurrencies also leads to NFTs being seen as purely investment assets for the rich and speculative gamblers.
Many players fear that their beloved hobby may mutate into a kind of side job due to the increasing monetization, focused entirely on profits and the most valuable NFTs.
Overall, I consider the current harsh criticism of the new technology to be exaggerated. Because NFTs are much more than just speculative objects with the prospect of quick profit. They represent gaming’s entry into blockchain technology.
Now I openly admit that I am a fan of NFTs and blockchain solutions in gaming. NFTs and blockchain have the potential to make games and the internet as a whole safer for all of us.
More about the author Maik Schneider: If there is a subject that fascinates our freelance author as much as gaming, it is economics.
Before his career as an author, Maik completed commercial training and studied economics. He has been following blockchain technology with great interest from the beginning.
Value of Blockchain: It’s About Security
Let’s start with some background information on the technology behind NFTs.
It’s about giving digital objects a verifiable signature that makes the object unique. This can be images or videos, but also purchasable cosmetics in video games.
It’s not just about making a specific object completely unique. There can also be many copies of one object, all of which are NFTs. Or only the original is an NFT, and copies of it can be created.
The important thing is the verifiable signature. This allows the digital object to be attributed to a clearly identifiable owner. Blockchain technology is used for this purpose.
This particular type of data storage allows for an unprecedented level of protection against tampering on the internet.
Roughly speaking, the blocks of a blockchain check each other for errors, creating a large chain of data that builds upon one another.
If a link in the chain is faulty, the technology recognizes the error and does not accept the new link. All data must correlate with one another.
Parts of the blockchain check each other and are stored on multiple computers or networks.
Furthermore, blockchains are generally organized in a decentralized manner. The data is not only stored on one server, but any authorized participant can download and view the blockchain or parts of it.
If someone wants to manipulate the system, multiple blocks must be changed. However, since the blocks are stored on countless computers and networks, those blocks would also need to be altered.
These simple principles – mutual checking of the chain and decentralized storage – make blockchain so innovative. The high resistance to tampering is the most advanced aspect of the technology.
In times when hackers can even gain access to our toaster, blockchains have the potential to prevent such digital intrusions. The old systems have reached their limits here.
The blockchain technology became widely known through cryptocurrencies. The system is so secure that entire currencies are based on it. The two largest are “Bitcoin” and “Ether.” The blockchain serves as a sort of central bank for these currencies.
And it is exactly this high level of security that makes blockchain technologies like NFTs so valuable for gaming.
Double speculation leads to understandable distrust
NFTs are criticized due to their proximity to highly speculative cryptocurrencies. Currently, many NFT transactions are conducted via the Ethereum blockchain, which simultaneously supports the cryptocurrency “Ether.”
This has a double speculative nature:
The NFT itself can gain or lose value
The Ether tokens received from a sale can also increase or decrease in value
Criticism of this structure is certainly justified. Who would want to have a highly speculative element in their game? This attracts investors who invest resources to extract profit from the system.
I have read many comments on NFT articles on MeinMMO, and particularly this close connection to cryptocurrencies concerns readers. It’s about how personal gaming consumption could change – negatively.
BavEagle writes on MeinMMO: “Soon gaming won’t be a leisure hobby anymore, but a side job including market analysis and hourly checks of NFT item prices.”
QWLU is also concerned about what might happen when more monetary value is present in a game: “Today you already see AFK bots that just join and level up to farm skins and similar items. What will it look like when those items even have a bit of value…?”
And I agree with our readers. Currently, games and systems are being developed with a close interrelation of NFTs and cryptocurrencies. In such games, exactly that would happen: Risk-taking speculators would influence the economy of a game.
But NFTs are so much more than speculative microtransactions and the financial basis for large bot farms.
However, if one separates the thoughts behind NFTs and blockchain from the volatile cryptocurrencies, then one has an innovative storage technique that could bring more security and individuality to gaming.
Blockchains and NFTs can do so much more
Blockchain technology has been around for a few years now, and more and more companies are relying on this storage format – completely without cryptocurrencies in tow.
For instance, the technology company IBM offers its own blockchain solutions, which enable businesses to make their accounting safer and more efficient (via IBM.com). This isn’t about mining the next token and making quick money.
It’s about security, transparency, and efficiency. Of course, IBM wants to profit from it. But this is not speculation; it’s a modern offer for secure and tamper-free data organization.
Companies build and organize their own blockchain that can store and clearly display supply chains. Depending on needs, users can view a certain part of the blockchain.
As consumers, we can get information about production sites and the path a good has taken. The key for access is an NFT we receive along with the product.
An example of a blockchain-based supply chain – NFT as QR code. Source Oliver Wyman
Such blockchains are also not created based on the “Proof of Work” principle, which drives up the power consumption of the currently largest blockchains (token mining).
These secure systems can be transferred to many applications on the internet. The more blockchain technology becomes standardized over time, the more “cross-chain” applications will emerge, where data from one blockchain interacts with another.
The real breakthrough of the technology has yet to be achieved. NFTs are the vehicle by which this breakthrough could occur in gaming and beyond.
History repeats itself – comparison to the internet
Payment flows typically seek the path of greatest profit, and if blockchains can also bring financial advantages apart from cryptocurrencies, it’s worth investing in the technology.
The current speculative excesses lead to more attention – across nearly all industries. Entrepreneurs are dealing with blockchain technology and discovering, beyond quick NFT money, the security advantages.
It was quite similar at the start of the internet hype. Companies pumped massive investments into the new market, built server capacities that no one needed, and created the so-called “Dotcom Bubble.”
The price bubble burst, many values were lost. In Germany, the significant loss of many private investors through purchases of the “T-Share” is particularly remembered. This “people’s share” reached a peak of just over €100 before collapsing to nearly €8.
However, the server capacities created during the “Dotcom Bubble” were still there and made free services on the internet like MeinMMO possible. Before, one had to actually pay for the traffic generated by visitors to a website.
Blockchain with NFTs stands at a similar point now. The boundaries of the markets are being tested, and the possibilities of the technology are being explored. New blockchains are emerging and disappearing, while others are establishing themselves and even collaborating.
Whether a crypto bubble will burst or not, the knowledge about blockchain technology has spread, and the advantages over old systems in terms of security, efficiency, and adaptability are convincing.
Conclusion: Profit is important for new technologies – but reassessment is as well
I think the harsh criticism of NFTs is unfair. The technology is not responsible for exaggerated speculation, it’s the people behind it.
There are already countless games that finance themselves through pay-to-win mechanics – keyword “freemium.” A few affluent customers pump a lot of money into a game that many others enjoy for free – but with less success or at least less sparkle.
That is why I consider criticism to be important. Your opinions have led to pay-to-win mechanics having a bad reputation. Your opinions guide developers on the path to the future.
However, it is also important to be open to new technologies.
The Java vulnerability “Log4j” has shown us once again how vulnerable our current systems are and that it is time to find new security solutions.
This vulnerability allows hackers to execute malicious code – sometimes quite easily. In some applications, it’s sufficient to send a message in a chat to execute the code.
A spread of blockchain technology would be a significant step in the right direction, and NFTs help bring the technology closer to the public and finance the implementation.
Although blockchains were also affected by the vulnerability, the chain cannot simply be fully manipulated through one access point.
Therefore: Stay opinionated, but also fair. With NFTs and blockchain, it’s about more than just profit greed and microtransactions. It’s also about a secure and protected internet.
We at MeinMMO know how controversial the topic is currently being discussed. Please feel free to share your opinion in the comments. However, please observe our commenting rules.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the shop of Pokémon GO you can currently find a ticket for €1 for the Community Day with Seemops. We will show you all tasks and rewards of the special research.
What kind of research is this? For each Community Day, you can buy a ticket for about one euro in the in-game shop (the price varies by a few cents depending on the shop). This grants you access to special research tailored specifically for the corresponding Community Day.
We will provide you here with an overview of all quests and rewards that you unlock with “Applause for Seemops”. This way, you can easily decide whether the purchase is worth it for you.
Where can you buy the ticket? In the in-game shop of Pokémon GO, scroll down until you are underneath the boxes. In the “Worldwide Events” category, you will find the Seemops ticket.
Ticket for Community Day with Seemops – The Research
Where does the information come from? Due to the time zone difference, some trainers around the world have already participated in the Community Day with Seemops. Trainers published the tasks and rewards of the €1 ticket on platforms including reddit. In the following overview, we compile them for you in German (via Leekduck.com).
Seemops Research for C-Day 1/4
Task
Reward
Use 10 Power-Ups on Pokémon
15 Poké Balls
Catch 15 Seemops
Encounter with Seemops
Land 5 great throws
20 Seemops- candies
Stage reward: For completing these three tasks, you will also receive 2,000 Stardust, 1 Lucky Egg, and an encounter with Seemops.
Seemops Research for C-Day 2/4
Task
Reward
Catch 15 Seemops
30 Seemops- candies
Send 10 Pokémon
Encounter with Seejong
Evolve 3 Seemops
10 Nanab Berries
Stage reward: For completing these three tasks, you will also receive 1,500 experience points, 1 Incense, and an encounter with Seemops.
Seemops Research for C-Day 3/4
Task
Reward
Land 3 excellent Curveball throws
50 Seemops- candies
Evolve a Seejong
1 Star Piece
Send 10 Pokémon
15 Ultra Balls
Stage reward: For completing these three tasks, you will also receive 2,500 experience points, 1 Rocket Radar, and 15 Hyper Balls.
You should consider: The value of the items alone already makes it worth it. What you receive as rewards is worth more than the purchase price of the ticket of €1:
A Rocket Radar normally costs 200 coins, so about €2
A single Star Piece costs 100 coins, so about €1
Plus Stardust (minus the dust you need for Power-Ups), Balls, and XP
If you are planning to buy these items anyway, you can get them cheaper through the ticket now. If you have no interest in the items and want to pass on the extra candies for Seemops, then you don’t need the ticket.
What do you think of this ticket this time? Do you think it’s good that Niantic included contents like a Rocket Radar, the silver Nanab Berries, and the Star Piece that come with every ticket, or should there be more variety offered?
What happens after the Community Day? The developers plan many more events in the coming weeks, including another Community Day. In our overview of all events in January 2022 for Pokémon GO, you can see what else is on the agenda.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
2022 has begun and this year various MMOs will again vanish into oblivion. In the latest episode of the MeinMMO podcast, we discuss which ones it will be and which ones it were in 2021.
In the latest episode of the podcast, we reveal to you which MMOs you will soon no longer be able to play. Because as sorry as we are every time for multiplayer games and their fans – they sometimes go under.
The failure of an MMO can have various reasons. Sometimes there are problems with publishers and funding, sometimes the development team falls apart, sometimes there simply aren’t enough players. In this podcast, Leya, Alex, and Schuhmann discuss them for each individual game.
The podcast is based on two articles written by MeinMMO’s MMORPG editor Alexander Leitsch:
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 needs to be discussed urgently, then check out our Discord server.
Alternatively, you can also write an email directly to [email protected] and share your thoughts with us. Share your opinion with us in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
