Player with 3,000 hours explains what one of the most promising MMORPGs of 2021 failed at and what can save it

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:

  • Dungeons and raids in three difficulty levels
  • Housing
  • Various life skills
  • PvP in arenas or large battles on a special map

I myself played Swords of Legends for 80 hours in the beta and was very satisfied with the game. But the big breakthrough did not happen. Already one month after release, the player numbers on Steam dropped rapidly. Meanwhile, only 360 players log in daily on Steam, although there is also a separate client from Gameforge. The big success did not materialize.

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.

Swords of Legends Dungeon Boss
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.

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A doubling of player numbers with Patch 2.0?

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 5 most promising new MMOs and MMORPGs for 2022

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

In Destiny 2, with Witch Queen, there’s finally more space in vaults, thanks to a small change

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.

This should help you save space in your vault. Full vaults are already causing problems for players, which is why this news will likely please many. Specifically, it says in the latest blog post:

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.

Start video
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:

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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:

The 11 most important things you need to know about the “Witch Queen” expansion

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Bungie

Error shows Fortnite skins in a different style, fans find: “This looks great”

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.

naruto-uzumaki
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.”

Others write:

  • “They look like clay animation”
  • “I don’t know if I should hate it or love it”
  • “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: Cut vs. Uncut – These are the differences in Germany

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.

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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?

Update February 4: Actually, players who have purchased a digital version from Steam, Epic, or the Techland store will receive the uncut version of Dying Light 2. More about this here: Dying Light 2 is available uncut in Germany, at least for one platform.

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.

Additionally, you could have issues in the future. Dying Light 2 is supposed to be supported for 5 years and will certainly receive various DLCs during that time. These are usually rated separately.

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.

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Developers are in talks with the USK

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.

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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:

The best survival games 2021/2022 for PlayStation, PC, and Xbox

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Former LoL pro complains about current meta: “It’s crazy how much damage there is”

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.

via LoL-reddit

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:

LoL nerfs the new dragon twice within 4 weeks – Why is it so strong?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The first MMORPG 2022 has already died

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 highlights of the week:

The topic of the week: There was an alleged leak about the next addon “The Dragon Isles” for World of Warcraft. Cortyn reveals what the leak is about.

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:

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New World announces new patch, in LOTRO they discuss Pay2Win

This is what happened with the major MMORPGs:

This is what happened with the minor MMORPGs:

This is what happened with MMORPGs in development:

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.

The harsh criticism of NFTs in gaming is unfair – They are more than micro-transactions

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. 

blockchain checks itself
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.

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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.

blockchain supply chain example
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.

There are already games where play-to-earn plays a significant role, meaning earning money through grinding. In poorer countries, entire families rely on such systems.

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.

Pokémon GO: “Applause for Seemops” for 1 € – This is included in the ticket

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

TaskReward
Use 10 Power-Ups
on Pokémon
15 Poké Balls
Catch 15 SeemopsEncounter with
Seemops
Land 5 great throws20 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

TaskReward
Catch 15 Seemops30 Seemops-
candies
Send 10 PokémonEncounter with
Seejong
Evolve 3 Seemops10 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

TaskReward
Land 3 excellent
Curveball throws
50 Seemops-
candies
Evolve a Seejong1 Star Piece
Send 10 Pokémon15 Ultra Balls

Stage reward: For completing these three tasks, you will also receive 2,500 experience points, 1 Rocket Radar, and 15 Hyper Balls.

Seemops Research for C-Day 4/4

TaskReward
Already completed2 Silver
Nanab Berries
Already completed Encounter with
Seemops
Already completed 3,500 XP

Stage reward: For completing these three tasks, you will also receive 3,000 Stardust, 2 Rare Candies, and an encounter with Walraisa.

Is buying the ticket worth it?

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.

5 MMOs that will die in 2022 and 5 that died in 2021

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 you get an overview of which games are specifically discussed in the podcast.

These 5 MMOs died in 2021:

  • Kingdom under Fire 2 – an MMORPG that wanted to stand out within the genre with Real Time Strategy
  • Magic Legends – an action role-playing game based on the famous trading card game Magic: The Gathering
  • Astellia – a classic theme park MMORPG from Asia
  • Defiance 2050 – an open-world MMO that was also a science fiction shooter. It was actually revolutionary for its time
  • Battleborn – a colorful MOBA shooter

These 5 MMOs will die in 2022

  • Harry Potter: Wizards Unite – an AR game for smartphones, which is the spiritual successor to the extremely successful Pokémon GO
  • Crowfall – a hardcore PvP MMORPG set in a crumbling world
  • Heroes of Newerth – a MOBA that originally competed with League of Legends
  • Elyon – a PvP MMORPG from Asia that resembles TERA
  • Riders Republic – a sports MMO from Ubisoft

Here you can listen:

You can also listen to the podcast here:

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 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.

Pokémon GO: Guide for the Community Day with Seemops

The Community Day with Seemops takes place on January 16th in Pokémon GO. We will show you the bonuses and shinies and how to make the most of the event.

What kind of event is this? In Pokémon GO, a Community Day takes place every month. Since January 2022, there is also a Community Day Classic in the rotation, which is supposed to take place every month. This month, the regular Community Day starts first and brings Seemops into focus.

Look forward to increased shiny chances, special bonuses, a €1 research task, and rare moves during the event. In our overview, we will show you everything you need to know about the C-Day in January 2022 with Seemops.

Community Day in January 2022 – Start time, bonuses, shiny

What? The Community Day with Seemops
When?
On January 16, 2022, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM local time
Pokémon of the day:
Seemops spawns more frequently in the wild during the event
Exclusive move:
Walraisa can learn the charge move Ice Spear and
the fast move Powder Snow
Bonuses:
– Triple catch XP,
– Lure modules and incense last for 3 hours
– Free box with 30 Ultra Balls in the shop
– Event box for 1280 coins in the shop
– Special Seemops stickers from gifts and stops

There is also a special research for €1 that you can purchase. It rewards you with items like a Lucky Egg, a Star Piece, as well as Stardust, balls, and XP.

All tasks and rewards of the €1 research with Seemops.

What does shiny Seemops look like?

Pokémon-GO-Seemops-Shiny
The shiny family of Seemops – you can find shinies on the right side.

How to make the most of Community Day

What you should know: If you use incense or lure modules during the event time from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, they will last for three hours and attract many Seemops during the event.

How to prepare: The event lasts for 6 hours and brings you a lot of Pokémon encounters. To avoid having to clear your collection every few minutes, we recommend creating enough space in your Pokémon inventory beforehand. The tag function in Pokémon GO is very helpful for sorting your collection.

If you have enough space, you will need many balls. Poké Balls, Great Balls, Ultra Balls – the full program. Ideally, you should have about 300 or 400 balls that you want to use for catching Seemops. If you want to take the event seriously, you should collect even more balls.

Which items are worth it?

If you want to get even more out of the event, consider using Star Pieces during the many Pokémon encounters, as they increase the Stardust you receive.

Is the Community Day with Seemops worth it?

How strong are Seemops and its evolutions: Seemops can evolve into Seel and then into Walraisa. To assess how worthwhile the Community Day is, we looked at the strength of all three Pokémon:

  • Seemops is not particularly interesting in PvP for Trainer Battles or in PvE for Raids.
  • Seel is only somewhat competitive in the Super League in PvP, but has no role in the other leagues. In Raids, Seel is not interesting.
  • Walraisa, on the other hand, is exciting in PvP, as it can learn new moves.
  • Update from January 15: It is now known how strong Walraisa becomes with the new move Ice Spear. Especially in PvP, Walraisa will be quite powerful.

Secure the moves: To secure the special moves for Walraisa, you must evolve Walraisa during the event or up to two hours afterward.

Who is the event worth it for? For pure raid players, the event is not really interesting, as there are far stronger attackers for raid battles. We show an overview of the strongest attackers in Pokémon GO here.

PvP players will benefit better, as Walraisa with the new moves could succeed in PvP. Make sure to secure some specimens with strong stats during the event.

Shiny collectors will likely be able to secure a few specimens at this event.

Participation is also worthwhile for all trainers who are still in the leveling phase and need to collect a lot of XP.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Dr Disrespect warns: Controversial TTK change in Warzone is a huge mistake

A small change to Call of Duty: Warzone is heating up the community. Now, well-known streamer Dr Disrespect has weighed in and explained what he thinks about the upcoming changes to the “Time to Kill” (TTK).

The developers of Call of Duty: Warzone had promised some balance changes for the future. For some time now, there have been rumors that they want to increase the Time-to-Kill in Warzone.

What change is it about? The developers want to achieve the increase in Time-to-Kill (TTK) through a reduction in aiming speed (ADS). Here, MeinMMO author Maik Schneider had already stated that this is the worst way to increase TTK in Warzone.

Now, Dr Disrespect, one of the most famous streamers, has voiced his opinion on the upcoming changes. And he believes it’s a huge mistake that the developers could be making.

With the change, CoD: Warzone could lose its dynamism

This is what Dr Disrespect says: He explains in his YouTube video that he thinks little of the change. Because the change would worsen the “iconic” feel of the game. Warzone is a fast-paced, dynamic game, and with the new Pacific map “Caldera,” they have already degraded the well-known feel of the shooter.

For the latest changes that the developers have planned, Dr Disrespect has little positive to say. He explains in the video that he believes slowing down aim speed is a big mistake:

“Do you want the game to be less fun? Less dynamic? You want to give the player less immediate control? In response to that? That is absolutely not the right way. That is a big mistake. You want to make the game, especially Call of Duty, and particularly here in Warzone, as dynamic as possible.”

Dr Disrespect (via YouTube.com)

If you want to see and hear his reaction in the video, you can find the relevant part at 1:24:49. The video is otherwise over 4 hours long.

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Link to the YouTube content

Not only streamers criticize Call of Duty: Warzone

There is also criticism from the community regarding Cod: Warzone and Vanguard. Around Christmas, there were many problems in the popular shooter and its free version, and the latest update for Warzone addressed very few bugs.

Currently, there is also criticism of bugs and issues. Other ideas, such as a strange anime crossover in Vanguard, have also not been well received by shooter fans.

However, the developers have now stated that they are listening to the community and want to bring fixes and new updates. You can read more about the developers’ statement in the following article:

“We hear you” – CoD Warzone & Vanguard address the massive problems

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

GTA Online: Secure 203,000 $ now in 3 minutes

In GTA Online, you can now easily earn over $200,000 by participating in two time trials. We show you the races and some tips on how to win them in this guide.

How do you get the money? Since Thursday, January 13, two new time trials are active in GTA Online. One can be completed with regular vehicles, the other with the remote-controlled RC Bandito. The races are quick to finish and earn you over 100,000 GTA dollars each.

These races are now active:

  • Time Trial El Burro Heights – Earns 102,000 GTA dollars
  • RC Bandito Race Construction Site II – Earns 101,000 GTA dollars

Win El Burro Heights Time Trial

This is the race: You start the race at the oil fields and have to make your way up to the mountains to the observatory.

Head to the starting line, start the race, and set your GPS point to the finish. Then hold down the back button to finish the race. You can then head straight to the start with the GPS marker.

GTA-Online-El-Burro-Heights-Ziel

The track is quite simple and can be completed even without shortcuts and after an accident. So you have enough time.

If you make it to the finish in less than 2 minutes and 10 seconds, you will receive immediately 102,000 GTA dollars.

Which vehicles should you use? Since you can occasionally cut across the terrain, it is advisable to ride a motorcycle. In our test, we used the Shotaro. However, the new (expensive) Shinobi also has enough power to get you to the finish in time.

A list of the fastest motorcycles in GTA Online can be found here:

More on the topic
GTA Online: The 25 Fastest Motorcycles – As of 2024
von Patrick Freese

Win Construction Site II Time Trial

This is the race: You can find the RC Bandito race on the map at the purple remote control. You have 1:12 minutes for the race. There are many tight corners – you drive on the roof of a construction site.

Be careful, as you can easily fall off the roof at many spots and will have to start the race over again. However, time is tight, so you need to find a good balance between “Fast” and “Careful”.

You will encounter checkpoints that are marked with arrows. The number of arrows indicates how sharply you need to take the turn.

If you make it to the finish on time, you will earn 101,000 GTA dollars.

GTA-Online-Baustelle-2-Gewonnen

If you complete both time trials within the allotted time, you only need about 3 minutes of effort to earn 203,000 GTA dollars.

If you are already in GTA Online, you might as well pay a visit to the casino. There, you can spin the lucky wheel daily and win a car.

Players claim to have found a trick on how to win the car.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

With just 25 € I have greatly improved my Xbox Elite Controller

The Xbox Elite Controller is one of the best controllers on the market. MeinMMO author Marko Jevtic found, however, that it had significant weaknesses in an important area. Now he swears by a small purchase that cost him only €25. For him, this upgrade makes the already great controller unparalleled.

When gaming, I want to be completely in control. Whether it’s choosing the right mouse and keyboard, the right aim settings in shooters or configuring my Steam Controller – I have high demands and a lot of need for customization. 

Every detail should be just right and adjustable to my needs. Since this applies to the Xbox Elite Controller, it is clearly the best controller for Xbox and PC for me and our editorial team

About the author: Marko Jevtic has been working as a shooter expert at MeinMMO since October 2021. Since early childhood, he has played everything from every genre that seems remotely interesting – and has played many games casually and competitively on all platforms.

Additionally, he is co-leader of several gaming Discords that focus on optimizing controls in shooters. This helps players, streamers, and esports professionals alike find the right settings and equipment for their games.

This results in an expertise for all details that are important for precise control. He is also in frequent contact with legends of the shooter community like KovaaK (known for his popular aim trainer).

In particular, I like the paddles, at least in theory. These small metal attachments go to the back of the controller. There, they become up to 4 additional buttons that can be pressed with the middle and ring fingers. 

This is actually incredibly practical: I can keep my thumb on the right stick for aiming and continue to jump, crouch, or reload with fingers that were previously unused. However, I did not use it as hoped. Because the paddles that Microsoft includes with the Elite controllers are not good.

A purchase has significantly improved this fantastic controller again – and only cost me €25: SCUF offers replacement paddles for the Xbox Elite Controllers. These work with every version of the Elite Controller – both Series 1 and Series 2. 

Oops, unfortunately this affiliate widget is no longer available.

These paddles are a huge improvement over those that Microsoft includes with the Elite controllers. They enhance one of the most important features of the controller in terms of ergonomics, performance, reliability, and stability. Compared to the original paddles, they have only a few disadvantages – which do not matter while gaming.

I will explain to you why these SCUF paddles are such a massive improvement. And that, even though they only cost €25.

The paddles of the Elite Controller have significant weaknesses

What bothered me about the Elite Controller? Both versions of the Elite Controller suffer from the same, major problem: the paddles.

The standard paddles on the back of the controller are a brilliant idea with significant flaws

These buttons on the back were the main reason I bought my two Elite Controllers. With these removable metal attachments, there are additional buttons that can be pressed with the ring and middle fingers. They should make many inputs easier without compromise. However, with both versions of the Elite Controller, they disappointed me:

  • The paddles were both too big and too easy to press. 
  • If I held my controller a bit tighter in intense moments, I often accidentally pressed these buttons on the back of the controller. 
  • Especially in ranked matches, I absolutely do not want to accidentally jump while shooting at an enemy.

Even though the paddles were so important to me, I often refrained from using them for this reason. When I did use them, it was only the two top ones – they were the most ergonomic and therefore an acceptable compromise. I never wanted to use all 4 paddles. My error rate was just too high, leading to many frustrating deaths.

Replacement paddles from SCUF are an immediately noticeable, massive upgrade

I didn’t find a DIY solution, but I did find a highly professional one:

SCUF, the famous manufacturer of controllers beloved by professionals, has produced their own replacement for the paddles.

These are called “SCUF Elite Series 2 Paddles for Xbox Elite Series 1 & 2“ and cost a comparatively cheap €25. The upgrade could hardly be more direct and problem-free. They simply replace the paddles from Microsoft: you remove the old ones and insert the new SCUF paddles. The massive difference is immediately noticeable.

The shape of the SCUF paddles is noticeably different and much more ergonomic

Why are the SCUF paddles so good? The main differences from the original paddles are immediately noticeable:

  • Compared to the original paddles, the SCUF alternative is significantly squarer and less elongated. 
  • They land a bit more centrally on the back of the controller. 
  • The SCUF paddles stick out more from the controller – there is a noticeable gap between the controller and the paddles.
  • Thus, they sit noticeably higher in the controller, even if it doesn’t look that way.
  • The shape of the SCUF paddles is very ergonomic for many grip types.
  • Compared to the standard paddles, significantly more force is required to press them.
  • The SCUF paddles feel similar when pressed, like a mouse button.

In gaming, all these changes represent a massive improvement. The SCUF paddles are positioned in such a way that your fingers are significantly more separated from the controller than with the originals. In combination with the greater resistance they provide when pressing, I have absolutely no false inputs anymore.

Additionally, they sound and click like a mouse button. This makes the inputs not only very satisfying in terms of feel and sound – it’s very easy to know when you have successfully pressed the button. Additionally, repeated inputs are much more pleasant this way. 

With the SCUF paddles, I can easily use all 4 paddles and assign them important functions. It also doesn’t bother me to leave them on the controller for games where I don’t need or use the paddles directly. None of this was true in my experience with the original paddles.

All in all, the SCUF paddles are a clear upgrade to the standard solution in every functional respect. Plus, they don’t cost much and are a simple and seamless replacement.

What are the disadvantages of the SCUF paddles? In my experience with the SCUF paddles, there are absolutely no disadvantages while gaming. However, there are 3 things to consider, especially regarding the Series 2:

  • Due to the shape of the SCUF paddles, the ‘Series 2’ Elite Controller no longer fits on the charging station while the paddles are in the controller.
  • The SCUF paddles do not have their own place in the carrying case of the Elite Controller.
  • If the charging station of Series 2 is still in the carrying case, you cannot leave the paddles in the controller either.

These disadvantages are annoying, but only matter after gaming. My solution is to remove the paddles before placing the controller on the charging station or in the carrying case. The net in the carrying case is not an elegant storage place for them, but it serves its purpose.

Conclusion: Anyone who owns an Elite Controller should try the SCUF paddles

The SCUF paddles have been a stroke of luck for me. I have never seen discussions about them online, nor have I read any reports about them. Even on the SCUF website, they are very well hidden.

That’s a shame, because this accessory is an absolute win for me. My shooters are now significantly more enjoyable with the controller. And the Elite Controller Series 2 is undoubtedly the best controller I have ever used with this upgrade.

Yes, the SCUF paddles are an additional investment for an already very expensive controller. But if your performance in the game is so important to you that you bought an Elite Controller, you should also get the absolute best out of it. 

Therefore, I recommend to anyone who already owns an Elite Controller to try these paddles from SCUF. No matter if you own the Elite Controller as Series 1 or Series 2.

Which shooters I will be playing a lot in 2022 are shown in my overview:

The 15 best multiplayer shooters in 2022 for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, and Xbox

How did I improve the paddles? After a particularly frustrating round of Halo Infinite, with many accidental paddle inputs, I tore them off the controller very annoyed.

More on the topic
Halo Infinite: The Best Controller Settings – Improve Your Gameplay
von Marko Jevtic

I thought: The paddles are ultimately just small metal attachments that you plug into the controller. Surely there’s a replacement from a clever tinkerer with a 3D printer?

I didn’t find a DIY solution, but I did find a highly professional one:

SCUF, the famous manufacturer of controllers beloved by professionals, has produced their own replacement for the paddles.

These are called “SCUF Elite Series 2 Paddles for Xbox Elite Series 1 & 2“ and cost a comparatively cheap €25. The upgrade could hardly be more direct and problem-free. They simply replace the paddles from Microsoft: you remove the old ones and insert the new SCUF paddles. The massive difference is immediately noticeable.

The shape of the SCUF paddles is noticeably different and much more ergonomic

Why are the SCUF paddles so good? The main differences from the original paddles are immediately noticeable:

  • Compared to the original paddles, the SCUF alternative is significantly squarer and less elongated. 
  • They land a bit more centrally on the back of the controller. 
  • The SCUF paddles stick out more from the controller – there is a noticeable gap between the controller and the paddles.
  • Thus, they sit noticeably higher in the controller, even if it doesn’t look that way.
  • The shape of the SCUF paddles is very ergonomic for many grip types.
  • Compared to the standard paddles, significantly more force is required to press them.
  • The SCUF paddles feel similar when pressed, like a mouse button.

In gaming, all these changes represent a massive improvement. The SCUF paddles are positioned in such a way that your fingers are significantly more separated from the controller than with the originals. In combination with the greater resistance they provide when pressing, I have absolutely no false inputs anymore.

Additionally, they sound and click like a mouse button. This makes the inputs not only very satisfying in terms of feel and sound – it’s very easy to know when you have successfully pressed the button. Additionally, repeated inputs are much more pleasant this way. 

With the SCUF paddles, I can easily use all 4 paddles and assign them important functions. It also doesn’t bother me to leave them on the controller for games where I don’t need or use the paddles directly. None of this was true in my experience with the original paddles.

All in all, the SCUF paddles are a clear upgrade to the standard solution in every functional respect. Plus, they don’t cost much and are a simple and seamless replacement.

What are the disadvantages of the SCUF paddles? In my experience with the SCUF paddles, there are absolutely no disadvantages while gaming. However, there are 3 things to consider, especially regarding the Series 2:

  • Due to the shape of the SCUF paddles, the ‘Series 2’ Elite Controller no longer fits on the charging station while the paddles are in the controller.
  • The SCUF paddles do not have their own place in the carrying case of the Elite Controller.
  • If the charging station of Series 2 is still in the carrying case, you cannot leave the paddles in the controller either.

These disadvantages are annoying, but only matter after gaming. My solution is to remove the paddles before placing the controller on the charging station or in the carrying case. The net in the carrying case is not an elegant storage place for them, but it serves its purpose.

Conclusion: Anyone who owns an Elite Controller should try the SCUF paddles

The SCUF paddles have been a stroke of luck for me. I have never seen discussions about them online, nor have I read any reports about them. Even on the SCUF website, they are very well hidden.

That’s a shame, because this accessory is an absolute win for me. My shooters are now significantly more enjoyable with the controller. And the Elite Controller Series 2 is undoubtedly the best controller I have ever used with this upgrade.

Yes, the SCUF paddles are an additional investment for an already very expensive controller. But if your performance in the game is so important to you that you bought an Elite Controller, you should also get the absolute best out of it. 

Therefore, I recommend to anyone who already owns an Elite Controller to try these paddles from SCUF. No matter if you own the Elite Controller as Series 1 or Series 2.

Which shooters I will be playing a lot in 2022 are shown in my overview:

The 15 best multiplayer shooters in 2022 for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, and Xbox

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The best thing about Guild Wars 2 is simultaneously responsible for its lack of super success

Guild Wars 2 is one of the most popular MMORPGs on the market, but it has never been a real competitor for the market leaders WoW and FFXIV. MeinMMO author Alexander Leitsch knows the reason. Because what makes Guild Wars 2 so good also prevents it from achieving true massive success.

If someone asks me which MMORPG is the best to get to know the genre in 2021, I would immediately recommend Guild Wars 2 to that person. I have already caused a stir with the tier list, because I placed Guild Wars 2 in the S-tier. Not everyone could understand that.

However, the MMORPG simply does a lot of things right and better than its competitors in the genre. Furthermore, I have not yet encountered a player who really disliked Guild Wars 2. That should actually lead to Guild Wars 2 generating the best player numbers and receiving the most attention in the genre.

But that is not the case. And the reason is exactly the things that make Guild Wars 2 so good.

Who is speaking here? Alexander Leitsch has been playing Guild Wars 2 intensively for years and has more than 8,000 hours of playtime since the release. He has played every story, seen every raid, collected over 35,000 achievement points, and was briefly a shoutcaster in PvP. He has also invested over 10,000 hours in the predecessor, Guild Wars 1.

No item spiral and therefore no motivation

What is the special feature? One of the biggest features of Guild Wars 2 is that the highest equipment level has not changed since November 2012. If you own Ascended gear, you automatically have the maximum stats you can have in the game.

To ensure that there is still something to do, new stat combinations are occasionally introduced into the game. However, you can either farm these or simply transmute the old gear. Both are usually quick and inexpensive. Additionally, the Berserker armor, which has been available since the launch of the game, is still one of the best combos for damage dealers.

Guild Wars 2 also focuses on the fashion aspect. There are hundreds of skins, and through a simple wardrobe system, you can apply any skin to your existing gear. For this reason, many also like to call the game “Fashion Wars 2”.

By the way, above the Ascended gear is the Legendary gear, but it does not provide additional stats; instead, it only allows you to switch stats at any time, making your gear more flexible. Additionally, the Legendary weapons also have unique skins and animations. Here, comfort and fashion are the main focus.

Guild Wars 2 Legendary 2
Guild Wars 2 offers Legendary weapons, which are mainly built due to their skins and special animations, like the Raven staff Nevermore shown here.

What is the problem? Once you have acquired the best gear for your respective build, you basically never have to farm again. Therefore, typical grind tasks that are the main content in other MMORPGs simply disappear.

New fractals (5-player instances) and raids (for 10 players) are certainly interesting as challenges, but no one has to visit them to improve their equipment.

Less grind, however, also means fewer incentives to log back in. Even twinks level up very quickly and equip themselves almost automatically. I have 12 characters with suitable Ascended gear and several sets for my 3 main characters.

This low grind overall reduces the required playtime and thus also the player count.

No fixed quest corset, but players get lost

What is the special feature? In quests, Guild Wars 2 does not rely on classic quest hubs and NPCs that provide you with a task and that you must visit again to hand in that task.

Instead, there are so-called heart quests. These are located at fixed places and usually have several options for completion. You then receive the reward automatically. Such tasks include supporting an apple orchard, which can be done in various ways:

  • You can collect apples and bring them to the heart NPC
  • You can fight spiders
  • You can stomp on spider egg sacs
  • At night, bats appear that you can also kill

The best experience points overall are not necessarily obtained through hearts, but through a mix of hearts, dynamic events in the open world, and story missions.

Guild Wars 2 Herzchen Quest
There are heart tasks that run similarly to quests. However, there is no classic quest log.

What is the problem? During the leveling process in Guild Wars 2, it happens that some players simply lose sight of the carrot before their noses. Without a fixed quest that leads from place to place, they feel somewhat lost.

The missing quests, however, become much more noticeable in the endgame. While other MMORPGs rely on daily or weekly quests that provide equipment and good rewards, Guild Wars 2 only offers daily achievements, which rotate and only yield a little gold.

If you want to equip yourself for the endgame, the game does not guide you. You have to find your own way, for example, through crafting, specific achievements, or certain currencies. However, that is unfamiliar and almost irritating for the classic theme park player.

Ideal for solo players, but few reasons to join a guild

What is the special feature? No MMORPG works as well for solo players as Guild Wars 2. Exploring the open world, completing instanced story missions, and achieving many achievements can easily be done without interacting with another player.

Larger challenges such as world bosses or huge meta events also have timers, so players automatically gather there, and you don’t have to coordinate much. The only thing missing is a classic dungeon finder; here, you actually have to communicate with other players using the LFG tool.

Moreover, each episode of the living world brings new story content that is primarily aimed at solo players. Occasionally, there may be new fractals or PvP content, but solo players can be assured that there are new tasks just for them.

World boss Tequatl GW2
Tequatl is a massive world boss that can only be defeated with many players. However, they come together automatically thanks to the timer.

What is the problem? Since you can do almost everything alone, you don’t have to join a guild in Guild Wars 2. However, this ultimately leads to players feeling less connected to the game.

My best memories in Guild Wars 1 are associated with other players, such as my first victory in the Hall of Heroes, a chaotic run in Urgoz’s Warren, or playing hide-and-seek in the guild hall.

However, those without a guild miss exactly such experiences. Although Guild Wars 2 is particularly fair and solo-friendly, that means that many players do not engage deeply and for a long time with the MMORPG.

Much to discover, but only once

What is the special feature? Guild Wars 2 offers an immense number of secrets in the open world, including hidden treasure chests, many achievements, and of course the jumping puzzles, which are a unique feature in itself.

Moreover, it is worth uncovering the entire map, with all waypoints, hearts, vistas, points of interest, and hero points. No other MMORPG rewards players who simply go out and explore the map so extensively.

What is the problem? The appeal lies mainly in making these discoveries for the first time. After that, you can revisit the chests, but the rewards are very meager.

There is actually a real incentive to repeat the content only for the overall world exploration. Because you can also do this with twinks and indeed must if you want to have multiple legendary weapons.

Regular updates, but time-limited and lacking in content

What is the special feature? No other MMORPG brings such consistent updates after an expansion as Guild Wars 2.

After the release of Path of Fire, it took only 2 months for a complete new area, new story content, new achievements, and rewards to be added to the game. A raid was even included back then. The living world season 4 brought such an update every 2-3 months.

With the Icebrood Saga, the developers also achieved an even more impressive rhythm: a new episode came out every 2 months, and between them, there was always a special event like Halloween, Christmas, the New Year’s event, Dragon’s Bash, or the Festival of Four Winds. For active players, there was always something to do.

What is the problem? The updates of Guild Wars 2 are relatively small and uninspired. The structure is always identical, and the story content is usually completed within two to three hours. There are also two problems:

  • On the one hand, the updates are generally aimed only at PvE players. Those who enjoy PvP or WvW have been left out in recent years.
  • On the other hand, the content is only available for free for two months. If you log in after that, you have to pay for the old episode, either with gold or €2.50.

Completely crazy is also the fact that all updates published between January 2013 and May 2014 are no longer playable. For nobody. Because back then the developers wanted to be innovative and created a “real living world”. Old areas were suddenly changed and overrun by enemies. Then again, we pushed the enemies back and they disappeared from the area.

In the process, the capital Lion’s Arch was completely destroyed and later rebuilt. However, new players cannot enter old Lion’s Arch at all.

GW2 Lion's Arch
The old Lion’s Arch was a pirate stronghold made of boards and shipwrecks. The new Lion’s Arch, however, resembles more of a vacation paradise.

No scandals, but also no headlines

What is the special feature? Guild Wars 2 has no server downtimes. Every update is released, and a second later, you can download it and log in directly. Even with major updates, you are usually back in the game within 10 to 15 minutes. I can count real server outages, where you couldn’t log into the game for several hours, on one hand after almost 10 years.

This aspect is one of many reasons why the development of Guild Wars 2 runs incredibly smoothly.

What is the problem? You hear little about Guild Wars 2 in general. The updates mentioned above are rarely large enough to report to potential new players. At the same time, there are no negative headlines that could put the MMORPG in focus, as was the case recently with New World.

Basically, everyone in gaming knew about the problems of New World, but who knows that Guild Wars 2 has never had maintenance work as the only MMORPG?

I often sit here wanting to write more about Guild Wars 2, but there is simply very little to report because the new content is not spectacular but also not a disaster.

Start video
Guild Wars 2: Everything you need to know about the new expansion End of Dragons in under 3 minutes

Guild Wars 2 remains the uncrowned king

Guild Wars 2 has had a strong influence on the MMORPG genre:

  • It was the first game with dynamic scaling, even before ESO. The developers managed to ensure that players are always found in every area.
  • The resources were shared from the beginning, which was later adopted by games like WoW.
  • With dynamic events and heart quests, they also influenced the quest system in WoW.
  • The PvP has always been fair, relying only on skill rather than equipment and was closest to becoming a real e-sport title (which ultimately failed due to wrong prioritization).
  • The mounts of Guild Wars 2 are so good and so unique that they also take on a pioneering role, against which other games must measure themselves.
  • The mentioned patch system without downtime is also completely unique

In my years as an MMORPG player and author, I have never met a player who said: “Guild Wars 2 is really bad.” However, I have met many who have said that about WoW, ESO, or FFXIV.

But I have met many who say: “I think it’s good, but there was too little of XY” or “I log in regularly, but mainly play MMORPG XY.”

In fact, Guild Wars 2 could have had the potential to become the best MMORPG on the market. But precisely because of many of these special features, the game has shot itself in the foot. Because they are different, because they need less grind, because everything is easier.

It is the best casual MMORPG on the market, it is the best “second MMORPG”, it is the fairest regarding your playtime. That’s not just what I think, but also my colleague Sascha Penzhorn at GameStar thinks. He says:

Guild Wars 2 is too good in 2022 to ignore it any longer.

What do you think about Guild Wars 2? What makes you come back again and again or what caused you to stop? Feel free to write it in the comments!

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The most beautiful RTX 3080 is now being given away, but unfortunately not by us

Nvidia is giving away an RTX 3080 Ti to gamers. The graphics card features a Matrix design and looks really good overall.

Graphics cards are currently either hard to get or very expensive. As a result, many gamers seize every opportunity to acquire a powerful graphics card. Nvidia has now started a very special raffle featuring a graphics card.

The graphics card looks really good and is likely to appeal to many users, but for German users, there is a big catch regarding this promotion.

Graphics card in Matrix design is a special promotion for the movie premiere

What kind of promotion is this? Officially, the latest Matrix movie will be released in theaters in China on January 14. For this reason, Nvidia has devised a special promotion and presented a unique graphics card. According to the official blog post, the raffle will run until January 21, after which the winner will be determined.

What is the catch? The promotion with the special Nvidia graphics card is only running in China. This means that German users with a German address cannot participate in the raffle. If you haven’t received a graphics card yet, this contest does not provide you with an opportunity to acquire a graphics card for little money.

This GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Gaming graphics card with green code rain theme is a tribute to the classic sci-fi film. Equipped with NVIDIA’s second-generation RTX architecture, it delivers a truly “immersive” realistic experience in the virtual 3D world. Thousands of fans and gamers, please make your “choice”! We celebrate the @Warner Bros. film #The Matrix: The Matrix Reboot#, which is being released nationwide today! This is the only limited edition in China. If you forward this Weibo and prove your dual status as a Matrix fan and GeForce hardcore gamer in one sentence, you have a chance to win this graphics card! Raffle on January 21

Nvidia, machine translated (via weibu.com)

What kind of graphics card is this? The graphics card in question is the RTX 3080 Ti. The official MSRP from Nvidia is 1,199 euros, but you can get the card for 2000 euros or more in retail. This is the official Founder’s Edition of the RTX 3080 Ti featuring a special Matrix design.

The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is among the fastest graphics cards that Nvidia has to offer. In independent tests, the RTX 3080 Ti is only 2 percent behind the RTX 3090, but significantly ahead of the RTX 3080 without Ti by 11 percent. Especially the high MSRP of 1,199 euros has been criticized by testers, regardless of the fact that you get a really fast graphics card for the money. For whom the graphics card is worth it and who should really spend that much money, you can read in the following article:

More on the topic
Buy RTX 3080 Ti – who is the new Nvidia graphics card worth it for?
von Benedikt Schlotmann

This is not the first graphics card that Nvidia has exclusively given away in China

Has there been such a promotion before? In 2020, Nvidia held such a giveaway. Here, CD Projekt Red presented an RTX 3080 in Cyberpunk style together with Nvidia. Nvidia also opted for a unique design with the Matrix card, which was very well received by many users.

Title image RTX 3080 in Cyberpunk 2077 design

However, this promotion was also only for Chinese users. With a German address, you could not participate in the raffle. The promotion was definitely well received in China. In the end, over 1 million participants registered for at least a small chance to win the unique Nvidia graphics card.

The RTX 3080 in Cyberpunk style looks really good and that’s bad for you

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. videocardz.com

Pokémon GO: A new piece of information makes the Community Day with Seemops really great

In Pokémon GO the Community Day with Seemops is approaching. Until now, it was unclear how strong Walraisa would be with the new C-Day attack. Now the values are known and the joy among the trainers is enormous.

What is new? It was known that Walraisa can learn the new charged attack Icicle Spear for the Community Day with Seemops. However, it was unclear how strong the attack would ultimately be in the game. Just before the start of the Community Day, the developers incorporated Icicle Spear into the game code, and the trainers are really happy with the results.

Thanks to the power of Icicle Spear, Walraisa will be a really strong attacker.

How strong is Walraisa with Icicle Spear?

This has been found: On the evening of January 14, the dataminers of PokeMiners found the values of Icicle Spear in the code (via reddit.com). The following power emerges from it:

  • PvP
    • Damage: 60
    • Energy: -35
    • Buffs: None
  • PvE
    • Damage: 60
    • Energy: -33
    • Duration: 2.2 seconds
    • Damage start: 1.2 seconds
    • Damage end: 1.8 seconds

Experts say: On reddit, user JRE47 published a comprehensive analysis several days ago on how strong Walraisa could become with the new attack (via reddit.com). At that time, the battle values were still unknown. The PvP variant with 60 damage and 35 energy costs was considered the ideal assessment during the analysis and already announced Walraisa as a strong fighter.

On the website PvPoke.com, one can now calculate how well Walraisa will ultimately perform in the ranks of PvP leagues. The moveset consists of Powder Snow, Icicle Spear, and Earthquake.

  • In the Super League, Crypto Walraisa is ranked 4th and the normal Walraisa is ranked 5th
  • In the Hyper League, Crypto Walraisa is ranked 4th and the normal Walraisa is ranked 5th
  • In the Master League, Crypto Walraisa is ranked 26th and the normal Walraisa is ranked 15th

And how good is it in raids? With the new moveset, Walraisa unfortunately does not become significantly more relevant in raids. Rather, continue to rely on strong attackers like Mamutel, Snibunna, and also Mewtwo.

Conclusion: Now that it has been revealed how strong the new attack Icicle Spear is, Walraisa suddenly becomes a strong attacker in all three leagues of PvP battles. This makes the Community Day much better for all those who enjoy Trainer battles.

Do you enjoy PvP and are you happy with the values of Icicle Spear or do Trainer battles leave you cold? Let us know your thoughts in the comments here on MeinMMO.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

6 Important Things That Elden Ring Does Differently Than Dark Souls and Bloodborne

The release of Elden Ring is just around the corner. We at MeinMMO have looked at how the game differs from its spiritual predecessors like Bloodborne and Dark Souls. We have identified 6 points for you.

What is Elden Ring? This is the next major project from FromSoftware, who created an entire genre with Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls. The developers are known for brutally difficult, dark, and complex action role-playing games.

With Elden Ring, the creators under the direction of legendary developer and game director Hidetaka Miyazaki aim to take the next step. 

The gameplay also strongly resembles the aforementioned titles from FromSoftware, but there are some differences. We want to present these to you here.

Start video
New trailer provides insight into the story of Elden Ring, the most anticipated RPG at present

[toc]

Elden Ring has a “real” open world

What’s new: While games like the Dark Souls series or Bloodborne also had a relatively explorable game world, whose various sections are interconnected. 

However, these game worlds were rather linear, tight, and nested.

Elden Ring now features a “real” open world with the Lands Between, which you might know from Assassin’s Creed or Horizon Zero Dawn. It will be significantly more spacious and larger.

What we know about the Lands Between: 

  • There are 6 different regions 
  • Which order you visit these regions is up to you
  • However, some areas cannot be fully explored right away
  • The game world features a day-night cycle, dynamic weather, and various events that happen randomly
  • You can discover hidden secrets in the open world or start quests
  • Hostile creatures roam randomly and traverse the various regions
  • Despite everything, there should be a common thread in the story, so you never lose sight of your goal.

Are there no locations like those found in SoulsBorne? While Elden Ring relies on an open world, fans of traditional level design should still be satisfied. 

On the one hand, there is much to discover in the open world; on the other hand, the Legacy Dungeons provide places where veterans from Bloodborne, Sekiro, or Dark Souls can feel at home. 

These dungeons are particularly important locations found in the various regions of the Lands Between. These can be castles or other particularly tight and convoluted labyrinths. The “popular” traps return as well.

In the dungeons, there should even be puzzle sections. 

You now have a mount by your side

What’s new: While exploring the world, you now receive a useful means of transport. With a kind of “spirit horse,” you can quickly travel from one place to another.

  • This horse can be summoned at any time, or disappears as soon as you dismount. 
  • You can also fight from your horse and jump over steep slopes in gigantic leaps.
  • However, there is no requirement to fight on horseback. 
  • Some battles may be easier from your horse’s back. 
  • One downside exists in coop and PvP: Your horse is not available when you summon other players or are attacked by others. Thus, you are only on foot online. 

If you find this too slow: There will be a kind of fast travel system.

You can now jump properly in Elden Ring

What’s new: This may sound unremarkable at first, but Elden Ring gets a jumping mechanic. This was only present in Bloodborne and Dark Souls in a stripped-down form as “roll jump” and was first introduced in Sekiro. 

This seemingly “small” change could have a big impact on movement and exploration in the game world, as well as on combat. 

You can perform aerial attacks and easily climb to elevated places. In Dark Souls and Bloodborne, you could only dodge and hardly overcome low obstacles. 

Although there will likely be no grappling hook like in Sekiro, exploring the game world should be significantly more enjoyable and offer even more to discover than before. 

Moreover, you can plan your approach and scout enemies. The jumping mechanic is not the only thing developer FromSoftware is adopting from Sekiro.

Elden Ring adopts the stealth system from Sekiro

What’s new: In Elden Ring, you can crouch and stealthily move through the game world. This also gives you the option to sneak up on enemies and perform a stealth attack. 

Weaker enemies can be easily eliminated from behind. Especially when you find enemy camps in the game world filled with foes, the stealth function can be helpful to minimize their numbers. Bloodborne and Dark Souls did not have a proper stealth mechanic; stealthy movement was rarely necessary. 

Elden Ring will not become a stealth game, but it offers new approaches. 

You can ambush enemy troops roaming the world.

Elden Ring now has skills that you can combine nearly freely with weapons

What’s new: Dark Souls and Bloodborne offered certain weapons some special moves, attacks, or even changeable weapons. 

Elden Ring does not completely abandon this, but separates these features partly from their weapons and now refers to them as “Ash of War.” These can be found in the game world.

Here’s how it works: Ashes of War come in specific categories. Some can be attached to all types of weapons, while others only to greatswords or spears.

There should be over 100 ashes of war, significantly increasing player freedoms. So you don’t necessarily have to find a specific weapon to use a particular skill.

You can find the ashes of war everywhere in the game world and also from NPC merchants.

NPC Summons through new item

What’s new: In Bloodborne or Dark Souls, you could summon phantoms of NPC characters at specific places in the game who would then assist you in combat. These were usually found right before boss fights or at tricky points and could serve as a kind of coop replacement.

In Elden Ring, this principle is now expanded with a kind of summoning, as you can also summon the spirits of certain defeated enemies, who then assist you against other foes. This includes not only bosses but also normal monsters in the open world.

There are specific areas where particularly strong or numerous enemies are present. You will see a symbol lighting up that indicates: “Here you can summon helpers.”

This could be, for example, a pack of wolves or a single, but very tough soldier. The variety of options is huge, but the stronger the summoned spirit, the more FP (mana) you will need to summon them.

The most diverse creatures can be summoned in battle.

There are also some adjustments in coop, but they are not significant enough to list as a separate point. Overall, coop in Elden Ring works very similarly to how it did in Dark Souls or Bloodborne. You can summon players to your world who then assist you in combat. Or you can be summoned by others and in turn help them with their goals. 

Unlike in older titles, you are not limited to an area in the open world. The Lands Between can be explored together in a group. 

Unfortunately, there is no seamless transition into the Legacy Dungeons, where you have to summon players inside. Nevertheless, this is a step forward from earlier, where comrades could only assist you in a certain area. 

Unlike before, the whole process should be easier and no longer require resource consumption to the same extent for playing coop. 

When will Elden Ring be released? The action RPG is set to come out on February 25 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and PC. On PC, the game will be available via Steam.

Then you will be able to find out for yourself how much the differences ultimately turn out to be. 

What do you think of the innovations? Do you find them meaningful, or do you see some of the differences negatively? 

If you want to know more, you can find everything important in our overview of Elden Ring: All info on the action RPG with coop and PvP – Release, gameplay, system requirements

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

GTA 5 RP Server – Watching the Roleplay is already Fun

Roleplay Server (RP Server) in GTA 5 Online attract a large part of the community to play interesting roles there. Work as a police officer or be on the run as a criminal. Maybe such an RP server is something for you.

You have completed the story of GTA 5 and are now looking for an alternative to the “normal” multiplayer? On roleplay servers of Grand Theft Auto Online, many players are willing to share and experience adventurous stories with you. For example, this can be done as a member of the San Andreas State Police.

Stop at red lights – GTA roleplay with real-life factor?

If any of you have played a part of the “Grand Theft Auto” series, you have probably reached the point where you wanted to obey the traffic rules. Then you stop at red lights and pay attention to traffic and pedestrians. The game world shines in a completely different light.

Players on roleplay servers also adhere to such rules and play GTA 5 Online less destructively than one might be used to from the “normal” multiplayer servers. The player group around Sheriff Eli Thompson, the head of “Sheriff Eli’s Digital Law & Order”, became particularly well-known. The role of the badass cop is played by him like no one else, he has over 200,000 followers on his livestream channel.

They regularly watch him solve crimes or arrest criminals in his role as an online cop.

Anyone watching the experienced RP players of GTA 5 will be entertained. In the following clip, the sheriff wants to convince a prostitute to leave the location, and suddenly there is a fight with a passerby. Shortly thereafter, the scene escalates.

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Not just watching is fun. Why not try your luck on the RP servers of GTA 5 yourself? If you are not acting as a cop, you can take on the role of a passerby, for example. On the various roleplay servers for GTA 5, you can expect funny stories because everyone plays their fictional character differently. In character creation, there are many freedoms that leave room for creativity.

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How does GTA 5 roleplay work? – Mods

Roleplay servers in GTA 5 use modifications that can vary depending on the server. With various add-ons, you have the options to play out your roleplay on the servers.

To earn money, you need to work with your created online character – some do this as truck drivers, transporting various goods from A to B. Of course, you can also earn money through criminal means on the RP servers, but then police officers like Sheriff Eli lurk for you.

GTA 5 RP servers in German

Many of the German streamers play at GTAlife.net and take on the role of their RP characters there. Another German GTA 5 RP server is GVMPYou can usually see which server best fits your preferences in the server description.

GVMP advertises, for example, with entertaining jobs where you can earn money. You can engage in criminal activities there and build respect with street gangs or represent the law of Los Santos as a police officer.

Applying to GTA RP servers to play

As you may know from other RP games or servers, players who do not follow the rules can quickly spoil the fun. Therefore, many server admins expect a meaningful application from you. These are sometimes accepted in writing, but often also on Teamspeak servers.

The application includes an interesting story about your character that you must convincingly convey to those responsible. This often excludes trolls who want to ruin others’ roleplay from registering there. If you still do not adhere to the rules after passing the interview, you will simply be removed from the whitelist and no longer have access.

System not yet matured – Lags on RP servers

Because the servers are not sponsored by Rockstar themselves, there are often smaller issues and server downtimes. Synchronization problems and crashes can occur.

If you want to get a clearer picture of the RP servers before playing, you can do so on various German and English livestreams. On Twitch.TV, you will find many RP streamers who usually indicate on which server they are playing.

A completely different GTA mod allows you to take on the role of an astronaut and sends you to the stars

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Survival Game Dying Light 2 makes a big content promise, community is excited

The shooter Dying Light 2 will be released in February on Steam. The developers have now explained how the game will continue after the release.

What is Dying Light 2? Dying Light 2 is the direct sequel to its predecessor. In the game, you rely on melee combat and firearms to defend against zombies. However, the focus of this survival shooter is strongly on the story. The system requirements for Dying Light 2 should be manageable for most users.

The shooter is set to be released in just a few weeks, on February 4, 2022, and many users are wondering how things will continue after the release and whether there will be additional content. The developers have now responded.

Developers want to support Dying Light with content for years

What do the developers say? The developers from Techland posted their response on Twitter (via twitter.com). Here they explained that they want to continue supporting the game with content for at least 5 years:

We guarantee that we will expand the world of Dying Light 2: Stay Human for at least five years after the release with new stories, locations, in-game events, and all the things you love!

How are the reactions? On Twitter, the developers’ post received over 5,000 upvotes (as of January 15, 2022). Many are excited and pleased about the announcement, especially because it reminds many users of Dying Light 1. On Twitter, many are thrilled and hope that popular content from the predecessor will also come to Dying Light 2 in the future:

  • “So this will get the ‘Dying Light 1’ treatment, nice”
  • “Good to know. I hope somehow that many of the very popular Dying Light 1 DLCs will return. Like Bozak and Hellraid. They were a lot of fun with friends in Dying Light 1.”

How likely is that? Anyone who has played the predecessor Dying Light knows that developer Techland has consistently provided the game with updates over the years since its release. Some even believe that the game’s success is primarily due to the developers’ long-term support. It is quite likely that Techland will keep its promise here and also provide the latest installment with regular updates.

In Germany, Dying Light 2 will only be released cut.

Start video
Everything you need to know about the new survival game Dying Light 2 – with gameplay

Dying Light 2 is one of the most anticipated games on Steam

Dying Light 2 is currently not only the multiplayer game with the most wishlist entries but is also globally ranked number 1 of the most anticipated games of 2022 on Steam. How Dying Light 2 plays, MeinMMO has already had a chance to try out and it is primarily the tough decisions that will captivate you.

Besides Dying Light 2, there are also other games that many users are eagerly awaiting: MeinMMO presents the games and explains what they want to offer you:

The 10 most anticipated multiplayer and co-op games on Steam for 2022

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

LoL: YouTuber wants to win the championship with their own esports team, loses directly the first matches

YouTuber Maximilian Knabe, better known as HandOfBlood, founded the esports team Eintracht Spandau in League of Legends. This marked his entry directly into the highest German league and he aims to win the EU Masters, the highest title just behind the LEC, within the next two years. However, the opening match of the league did not go well at all.

Update January 15: The second match against the second team from SK Gaming was also lost. Both in the laning phase and in later team fights, weaknesses were apparent, which are not uncommon in newly assembled teams.

What kind of team is this?

  • Eintracht Spandau is said to shake up the esports scene according to HandOfBlood, as they want to foster more identification and storytelling. Therefore, virtual and staged press conferences are recorded where the YouTuber responds to questions from “journalists.” However, these questions come from his staff.
  • There was a grand staging around the announcement of their roster. Jokingly, they pretended to negotiate with bigger names like PowerOfEvil, one of the most successful German players. Also, Rekkles, one of the strongest players worldwide on the AD Carry position, was spread as a “rumor” by the team itself. Both have participated multiple times in the World Championships in LoL.
  • In the end, the team consists of rather “normal players”, some of whom have already played in the Prime League, comparable leagues, or with academy teams from Schalke and Fnatic. Nevertheless, they hope to win the EU Masters within the next two years. In this tournament, the best teams from Europe that are not competing in the LEC compete against each other.
  • On Tuesday, January 11, Eintracht Spandau opened the Prime League with a match against Gamer Legion. However, while HandOfBlood referred to the duel in the “press conference” as “an easy bye,” the game did not go well for Eintracht Spandau at all.

Errors in the Bot Lane and Problems in Team Play

How did the match against Gamer Legion go? Rather poorly. Especially in the first minutes, the bot lane featuring AD Carry Leander “Kynetic” Sydekum and Olivier “Prime” Payet played very aggressively and repeatedly forced fights. They relied on the combination of Jhin and Leona.

However, at a crucial moment and with a bit of luck, Gamer Legion was able to counter and secure first blood on their AD Carry. After that, Gamer Legion dominated with Caitlyn on the bot lane, which was due to her great range and the slight gold lead that continued to expand. The first dragon also went to Gamer Legion.

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Eintracht Spandau then focused on the bot lane and was even able to take the lead in kills 5:4 after 16 minutes, but still trailed by over 1,000 gold and two dragons.

Then there was a crucial team fight over dragon number 3, which HandOfBlood’s team clearly lost. The ultimates from Leona and Ornn were wasted, while Jhin and LeBlanc could barely deal damage.

In return, Caitlyn secured 2 kills and they turned the score to 5:8. They also secured the third dragon.

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From then on, Gamer Legion dominated every team fight and after a desperate battle for the Baron, in which Eintracht Spandau lost 3 players, they finished the match after almost 30 minutes.

Overall, HandOfBlood’s team appeared very uncoordinated and hopeless in the fights. However, Eintracht Spandau was only founded at the end of 2021 and revealed the roster of players very late. It can be assumed that the team is simply not well coordinated yet.

“We know what we have to work on, but it will take some time”

How are the players and the YouTuber reacting? So far, there is no video from Eintracht Spandau regarding the opening. However, fans can expect another “press conference” soon.

In the Prime League livestream, however, supporter Olivier “Prime” Payet spoke in an interview. He said: “It was nice. Of course, we lost, which is frustrating, but I felt the support from the fans before and after the match. We are aware of the mistakes we made and what we need to work on, but that will take some time.”

Team impresses with viewer numbers and fan support: Even though the opening in the Prime League did not go well, the team from Eintracht Spandau has something to celebrate. They broadcasted the match live on their own Twitch channel, which at times had nearly as many viewers as the official stream.

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On the Twitter channel, the support from the fans is praised, who have enthusiastically cheered on the team from Berlin. Although the defeat is said to have been a setback, they now want to “clean up from the back.”

What do you think about Eintracht Spandau? Are you a fan of them or could you at least imagine being a fan of this team? And what do you think about their long-term chances? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

On Friday, the highest European league, the LEC, will also start. We can expect a nearly completely renewed G2 Esports:

LoL: The top team in Europe makes severe mistakes on the transfer market – selling the stars

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.