For streamer Ludwig, saying goodbye to Twitch was not easy, and arriving at YouTube was certainly no easier: Nevertheless, he now explains that he enjoys YouTube more than Twitch despite the rough start.
Reasons why YouTube is better: Since late November, former Twitch star Ludwig has been part of Team Red, also known as YouTube Gaming. He has survived the ban wave consisting of three short bans and found his own fix for it. Now he is doing better on YouTube than on Twitch, says Ludwig.
More viewers
Many new subscribers
Better video statistics
YouTube is better in almost every way, but the better chat is annoying
On December 11, Ludwig uploaded a video on his second channel, Mogul Mail. In it, he talks about his early days on YouTube. The first two weeks were primarily marked by the temporary bans, which he was able to successfully bypass.
Aside from that, he and his channel are doing better than ever. He shows this using his Social Blade statistics, which may not be entirely accurate, but come close to reality (via socialblade.com). Additionally, the streamer shares with his fans how he felt after switching from Twitch to YouTube:
After the Subathon, I think everyone knew my numbers were declining on Twitch. They hovered around 18 to 20,000 viewers. (…) The first week on YouTube, however, was crazy! All my streams got around 30,000 viewers.
Ludwig in his video about the switch
Ludwig proudly shows that his views and subscriptions on YouTube have exploded since he switched platforms. One feature he particularly enjoys is the video suggestion at the end of each stream. According to him, his latest videos now get around 30,000 more views in the first few minutes after uploading.
Statistics before and after the switch
Growth before: 10,000 new subscribers per week
Growth after: 140,000 subscribers per week
Views before: 6,500,000 per week
Views after: 14,100,000 per week
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What annoys Ludwig about YouTube? Even though Ludwig considers YouTube better in almost every aspect, two features annoy him greatly. First, it is difficult to create react content because YouTube’s Content ID system keeps shutting down his stream immediately. The Content ID algorithm looks for videos that other users have uploaded and blocks copies. However, Ludwig has taken this problem into his own hands.
The other frustrating feature is YouTube’s chat. It annoys Ludwig because it simply works too well. In his video, he explains that the chat flows smoothly like a waterfall, while the Twitch chat is like a clogged faucet.
When many users write simultaneously on Twitch, the chat starts to lag. Ludwig claims this has the advantage that streamers can pick out messages even in a crowded chat. On YouTube, this is not possible due to the good optimization; the messages fly too quickly through the stream chat.
Ludwig concludes by wishing that YouTube would implement a slow chat feature. But perhaps the streamer will take care of this himself in the future. He has already achieved this with some other Twitch features (via youtube.com).
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
2021 was the year of new MMORPGs, as 7 new games were released here in the West. However, by the end of the year, they are not doing well. This is partly due to issues within the games themselves, but also because of us players. Many of us are too demanding and hope for a second first love, which remains denied.
Actually, MMORPG fans should be leaving the year in good spirits. But that is not the case.
Many of the new games have been heavily criticized and have lost player counts. Especially New World has been targeted by players and the press as if it were the worst game ever released.
And of course, there are valid reasons for the criticism. All MMORPGs released this year had technical or content issues. However, I personally feel that these problems are being blown out of proportion. I have the impression that many players go into new games with unrealistic expectations and write them off too quickly.
Who is speaking here? Alexander Leitsch has been writing about MMORPGs on MeinMMO since 2018. He has spent thousands of hours in games like GW2, ESO, and Black Desert. In 2021, he tried every new MMORPG and sunk over 400 hours into New World alone. He has also played SOLO, Bless Unleashed, and Elyon to the endgame.
MMORPGs are in demand, but no one wants to play the new games
With the exception of Crowfall, all new MMORPGs have been released on Steam. This allows us to track player counts quite precisely.
The interest in new games is relatively high at first, but none of the 6 games were able to maintain their numbers for long, as these examples show:
Swords of Legends started on Steam with a peak of 18,806 players. In the last 24 hours, there were only 787 peak online. This left a good 4% of the players. However, there is still a Gameforge client, so the real player numbers will be higher.
Bless Unleashed peaked at 76,377 players at release, but reached just under 7,000 in the last 24 hours. This left a good 9% of the players from the peak.
New World launched with 913,634 players at its peak and has recently dropped to 122,808 players. This left around 13.5% of the players.
Elyon, PSO2, and Wild Terra 2 have also lost a lot of players after release.
The rejection of the new games has various reasons.
SOLO was immediately labeled as a grindy Asian MMO due to its graphics and therefore did not get a fair chance at release. Despite eliminating mechanics like destroyed equipment when upgrading or Pay2Win, which are usually the biggest problems with Asian games. Upon a closer look at the game a month after release, it was also noticed that there were too few endgame contents. While players had fun, there was not enough to do.
And New World is being torn apart everywhere, whether on Reddit, in forums, or on other gaming sites. Especially the rapidly declining player counts and the many bugs are repeatedly a topic.
Criticism is justified, but it often reminds me of ESO and GW2 – and those are now popular
Basically, there is nothing wrong with the criticism mentioned above. Every player is free to criticize the games and many points are absolutely justified. SOLO has an incredibly dull start and lacks endgame. New World heavily focuses on grinding in endgame and launched with an extreme number of bugs.
However, the criticism of New World and SOLO always reminds me of the release period of ESO. Because that MMORPG was also heavily criticized at the beginning. An unfamiliar combat system, a semi-open world with phasing, and somehow too few endgame contents. Even I laughed at ESO back then.
But today ESO gets a lot of praise and ranks among the most popular MMORPGs ever. I enjoy playing it because it has undergone an extremely good development. And that is also my core criticism:
No MMORPG is perfect at release
None had a good endgame right away
No game after WoW has withstood the huge hype at release
But besides the problems of the MMORPGs themselves, players have also become too demanding.
Start video
Watch the video to see which 5 MMORPGs are considered the largest in Germany 2021 according to Google
MMORPGs are the ultimate class of games, but players are ruining them
MMORPGs are the most elaborate games that can be developed. They require several years of development, localization into multiple languages, and a suitable server structure. During the development period, no income is generated for several years, and even criticism follows if the chosen monetization system is not correct.
MMORPGs are a big risk, which is why many large developers are rather cautious. A huge part of this can be attributed to us as players.
MMORPG players are the biggest divas in the gaming world. No player group is harder to please, which is also due to the fact that there are simply dozens of player types, including:
Solo players who like to experience everything alone but still want to encounter other players
Casual players who cannot handle content that is too hard
Hardcore raiders who cannot have content that is hard enough
PvP fans who want an arena with a leaderboard
Hardcore PvP players who would prefer full-loot in the open world
Sandbox fans who would like to build a business empire
In between, there are still numerous nuances and other types that would break this list. It is absolutely impossible to get them all under one roof.
Moreover, every player has certain criteria through which a game is immediately excluded without giving it a chance. Some, for instance, do not play Asian games at all, simply due to the graphics. Others do not touch sandbox games at all, as they often do not have proper quests. Sometimes these prejudices are even based on bad experiences with a game.
This is exactly what makes it so difficult for new MMORPGs to even get a foot in the door, as players are the core of this genre. Without players, no MMORPG can survive for long.
What also bothers me are the often exaggerated expectations of a new MMORPG. Because players compare the feeling of gaming with the good memories they have of their first game.
Back then, everything was perfect, the problems in the game were not serious enough, and the content was still so new and undiscovered. However, the memories of the good moments of the “first love” often overshadow the problems that this game had.
I started with Guild Wars 1 in 2006 and spent over 10,000 hours playing it. My best gaming memories are connected with this game. Again and again, I wish I could experience the time of back then once more.
Guild Wars 1 was my first big MMORPG, but the memory is better than the game really was.
In doing so, I completely overlook the problems of the game, such as lacking PvE content, the sometimes really dull story, the many invisible barriers in the game world, or the fact that the balance was total nonsense. And I had already started when Guild Wars 1 released its first addon and was shortly before the release of the second expansion.
It became really clear to me in 2014 when I played the predecessor again with friends from Guild Wars 2. They didn’t know Guild Wars 1 and basically tore everything apart about the game. And rightly so.
I, on the other hand, only had the nice moments in my head, which were also often connected with the people and simply my life situation back then. As a teenager, I could game much more during school, it was much easier to make online friendships, and it didn’t matter if I stayed up all night.
A similar phenomenon was also described by the YouTuber Josh Strife Hayes in a video where he explains why players nowadays no longer have fun with MMOs:
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What personally frustrated me in 2021 were players who returned New World after 200, 400, and sometimes over 500 play hours. Amazon was accommodating due to the many bugs, and the 40 Euros were refunded.
However, I simply cannot understand such behavior. If I have spent over 500 hours in a game, I must have at least had some fun. How can I not be willing to give the developers 40 Euros?
Especially Buy2-Play and Free2Play MMORPGs have the best cost-benefit ratio for players of all games and probably the worst ratio for developers. Nevertheless, the demands are currently the highest here.
Lower expectations and also look right and left, then you will have fun with MMORPGs again
I generally recommend not rejecting new games simply because someone else has said something bad about the MMORPG. It is important not to let oneself be guided by prejudices and also to reconsider one’s exclusion criteria, especially when the games are free.
The most fun I had besides New World this year was with Bless Unleashed, even though I dropped out after about 60 hours of gameplay. But for a Free2Play game and a transitional solution over the summer, it was completely sufficient.
In New World, one has to make one’s own experiences because it is not a classic theme park MMORPG, but mixes in a lot of survival and some sandbox elements. It is not a copy of WoW or ESO, but it also does not want to be. Many had hoped for exactly such a thing.
In the end, one must always make compromises for MMORPGs, because the perfect game does not exist and will never exist in the future. This is also due to the fact that the development of new games is a significant risk. We as players should not rush to condemn every new game and scare off the developers. Because the last few years have shown that even bad games like ESO and FFXIV at the beginning can make a turnaround.
By the way, it can also be worthwhile to give established MMORPGs another chance. For me, there are actually too many good games right now, and I find it really hard to choose:
Even the horror game Dead by Daylight has a festive vibe. We reveal which cool bonuses you can grab.
Currently, a special winter event is taking place in Dead by Daylight. This even brings new gameplay and plenty of rewards. One part of it comes from daily logins – the rest through small challenges where you even have to interact with snowmen. We have all the info for you.
What kind of event is this? When you log into Dead by Daylight, you’ll be greeted by a snowy screen. The “Bone Chill” event is live from December 9 to December 23 and brings numerous unlockable cosmetics and even new gameplay.
On every map, you can now find a number of snowmen with which special interactions are possible. Survivors can climb into the snowmen and hide inside – similar to a closet. At the same time, they can also slowly control the snowman and move around.
Killers, on the other hand, can simply smash the snowmen, thus destroying the survivor’s hiding spot.
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What do you have to do for rewards? If you perform actions with a snowman, there is a special reward at the end of the match, namely one of the event cosmetics. You can only earn one cosmetic per match.
Valid actions for the cosmetics are:
As a survivor, slip into a snowman to avoid a killer’s strike.
As a killer, smash a snowman while a survivor is inside.
As a survivor, escape with a snowman through the exit gate.
If you meet at least one of these criteria by the end of the round, one of the cosmetics shown in the video above will await you at the end of the match.
Here’s what you get for logging in: Throughout December – and extending into January – there is a reward just for daily login in Dead by Daylight. This can be a nice amount of bloodpoints, iridescent shards, or even progress for the current rift, which then unlocks further cosmetics.
Even if you don’t have much time to play right now, daily logging in is worth it to grab the rewards.
More news about Dead by Daylight can be found here:
Despite the event, there are problems: In the community of Dead by Daylight, there is currently a rather frosty atmosphere. Long waiting times for survivors are increasingly becoming a problem, as killer players are losing interest. The new perks have particularly contributed to many killers feeling frustrated, putting the game aside, or even switching to the survivor side. Almost every day there are new threads discussing how stressful being a killer has become and how one often feels bad afterwards – also because some survivors behave toxically. This is criticism that resurfaces in Dead by Daylight every few months.
Have you already claimed the rewards of the Christmas event in Dead by Daylight? Or can the horror game not excite you in its current state?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The dream of many players of Pokémon GO is to encounter one of the monsters in the real world. Now, Pokémon fans can rejoice, as one city has made Chansey its mascot and is building 4 parks dedicated to it. We at MeinMMO will show you what these parks are and why they are being built.
Which monster was chosen as the mascot? The Japanese city of Fukushima has made the Pokémon Chansey its mascot. The monster was sent as a Pokémon ambassador from The Pokémon Company to the region, to be active there as part of the “Pokémon Local Acts” campaign.
Why was Chansey chosen? Many Pokémon fans will know this Normal-type monster from the original series, where it helps Nurse Joy at the PokéCenter to heal injured or sick monsters. Chansey has similar goals in the Fukushima region.
The pink monster Chansey is said to bring good luck. This also aligns with the meaning of the name Fukushima, as “Fuku” also means luck (via local.pokemon.jp)
To properly honor the new mascot, 4 new parks will be built in the region around Fukushima, all associated with Chansey. As the reddit user Hantel explains, the region aims to become more attractive after the nuclear meltdown in 2011 through this initiative (via reddit.com).
What is the Pokémon Local Acts campaign? The “Pokémon Local Acts” campaign was launched by The Pokémon Company after the earthquake in 2011. It aims to help regions in Japan boost their tourism. For this purpose, so-called Pokémon ambassadors are dispatched, who become the mascots of their respective cities.
The first Chansey park is already open
As the site NintendoSoup reports, there are currently four parks planned in the Fukushima region centered around Chansey (via nintendosoup.com). The first of these parks was opened last weekend in the small Japanese town of Namie. It is primarily intended as a destination for families with children.
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The Twitter user BoonSlevin now shows the first pictures of the new Chansey park. The post reveals numerous playground equipment. Chansey is not alone, as it has brought reinforcement from Slurpuff, Pii, and Fluffeluff. Additionally, the first PokéStops and Gyms for “Pokémon GO” players have already been created at this location.
According to NintendoSoup, the other three themed parks are expected to follow in the spring of 2022 in the towns of Kōriyama, Yanaizu, and Shōwa (via nintendosoup.com).
What is the reason for building the Chansey parks? Due to the reactor catastrophe in 2011, the region around Fukushima has faced issues with its image and tourism. The parks are meant to help Fukushima become attractive and worth visiting again, so that more visitors travel to this region.
Due to current COVID-19 regulations, traveling from Germany to Japan is generally possible, but travelers must quarantine for up to 14 days and undergo necessary tests during that time. (via auswaertiges-amt.de)
What the Pokémon community says about the new park
The new park is celebrated in the reddit community. Some trainers living in Japan announce that they plan to visit the park with their children soon (via reddit.com).
Other users, like aceallaround, hope that the Chansey parks will also remain permanently and not disappear quickly. Trainers from other areas also wish for similar parks:
1337pikachu: “I hope this will also be possible in other places”
The playground equipment: But especially the playground equipment is causing much amusement among trainers on reddit. Some trainers find it crazy that children have to climb up the rear of the Slurpuff slide to then slide out over the long tongue. Some would have wished for a different design:
KawaiiSlave: “I find it strange that they don’t let you climb on the back of the Slurpuff. Instead, they decide that you should take the ‘back door.'”
Special Chansey event: Along with the joy over the new park, disappointed trainers have also expressed their concerns. The background is the Chansey event that took place locally in Pokémon GO for the opening. Some trainers wished for this event to be global.
LuluHottum: “So the speculations about a Chansey Community Day were indeed referring to this regional event?”
1337pikachu: “I would like a Chansey Community Day.”
Whether similar Pokémon parks will emerge in other parts of the world soon, and whether Pokémon GO will hold a worldwide Community Day with Chansey remains unknown at this time. If there is further information, you will find it here at MeinMMO.
What do you think of the first opened Chansey park? Would you like something like this in Germany as well? And which Pokémon should grace this park? Please share your thoughts here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange ideas with other trainers.
Next Wednesday, the new TOTW 13 (Team of the Week) will be released in FIFA 22 We will already tell you which players might be included in the new Team of the Week.
What is the Team of the Week? Every week, EA presents a new TOTW. This team consists of 23 players who delivered strong performances on the pitch during the past football weekend.
For this, they receive a spot in the Team of the Week as well as improved Inform cards, which are available in packs for one week.
What are TOTW Predictions? In the TOTW Predictions, we present forecasts for the new TOTW from the FUT community. The performances of the players are closely examined and predictions are made.
However, it is important to note that the predictions are not a guarantee for the final Team of the Week 13.
These players from the Bundesliga could be included:
Angelino from RB Leipzig had a strong game in the 4:1 win against Borussia Mönchengladbach. The attacking defender provided 2 assists, which could earn him a spot in the new Team of the Week.
Evan Ndicka was the backbone of Eintracht Frankfurt in the match against Bayer Leverkusen. He defended extremely well and even managed to score a goal. A spot in the new TOTW seems plausible.
Jamal Musiala delivered a solid performance in Bayern’s midfield and even scored the winning goal to make it 2:1. It’s quite possible that this German talent will receive his first Inform card on Wednesday.
Other Bundesliga candidates are:
Raum (VfL Bochum)
Mavropanos (VfB Stuttgart)
What do you think of the predictions for TOTW 13? Which player should definitely be in the new Team of the Week? Let us know in the comments!
If you are still looking for strong and, above all, affordable strikers for your team, then take a look here:
The Mage Tower in World of Warcraft leads to frustration. Blizzard gives you more time to complete the particularly tough challenges.
Currently, there is very little to do in World of Warcraft. New content from Patch 9.2 is still to come. The only silver lining is the Mage Tower, which is currently active during the Timewalking: Legion event. Here, heroes of Azeroth can currently earn special skins and even a cool mount. However, the pressure is on many players. Now there has been some relief from Blizzard.
What is being changed? Actually, the Mage Tower was supposed to disappear on December 22, as the Timewalking: Legion would end then. However, Blizzard has now announced in the official forum that the tower will remain open for much longer than planned. The tower will remain open until January 4, 2022.
This should take some pressure off the players and encourage some people to attempt the tower with a different class.
What is the Mage Tower? In the Mage Tower, you must complete a challenge tailored to your class. This is a quite tough boss fight that originates from the times of Legion. Since your character stats are fixed here, the fight is quite challenging. You are rewarded with a great armor set (Transmog) or even a mount.
Why did Blizzard do this? There hasn’t been a specific explanation from Blizzard. However, it seems likely that the developers are extending the event because numerous problems arose in the first 5 days. For many classes, the Mage Tower seems nearly impossible to complete. Many hotfixes have already reduced some hurdles and adjusted the balancing. However, more adjustments are still appearing daily, as the tuning is simply not optimal yet.
A second reason might be that Blizzard wants to create another incentive to check out World of Warcraft during the holidays with the Mage Tower.
More news about World of Warcraft can be found here:
What about the other events? Although the Mage Tower will be active longer than planned, the other weekly events are not affected by this adjustment. They will now simply overlap with the Mage Tower, meaning that essentially two events will be active simultaneously.
Have you already mastered the Mage Tower and earned the skins? Or are you struggling with the high difficulty and finding it tough to get through?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny 2 there is a major insider report. A writer from the game reveals how poorly the staff of the story team were treated. She was denied a promotion because she was not good enough at the game. However, her job did not require any special skills in Destiny 2.
Which employee is involved? The US site IGN spoke to current or former employees at Bungie. One woman is named there, Cookie Hiponia. She worked for Bungie since September 2016, first as a freelancer, later joining Bungie full-time and joining the Narrative Team. She remained as Managing Editor until August 2019.
In her position, she was responsible for the in-game text and fulfilled an editorial oversight role. She states that prior to her time, there was little focus on ensuring that the story was coherent and that continuity was maintained.
This led to a lack of professional standards within the team: “There were only a few people writing things and leading the effort,” she told IGN.
No Promotion Because She Was “Not Good Enough at the Game”
The Problem with Promotions was: Hiponia says that the chronically understaffed writing team would have constantly faced criticism. They were told they were “difficult to deal with,” didn’t support their “bosses well enough,” were aggressive, rude, and could not handle criticism.
These arguments would also come up every time promotion discussions took place. Promotion requests were continually denied.
Hiponia said she was specifically told she could not be promoted because she was “not good enough at the game.” However, her job had nothing to do with gameplay design. When she then asked for more time to play to improve, that was also denied.
This is the Discussion: On reddit they are discussing the entire insider report. This point, that a writer was not promoted because she supposedly plays too poorly, causes some bewilderment among the players. Because in their view, almost all Bungie employees seen playing were quite bad at Destiny 2:
“I’ve seen these guys play during presentations and raid-alongs. They play as if it’s the first time they’ve ever touched any game. So to hell with that!”
“If you don’t want to promote someone, you come up with some excuse so that it doesn’t look like you have them in your sights.”
There were also disputes about figures like Hawthorne.
Apparently, Some Female Writers Did Not “Fit” into Bungie’s Culture
What’s Behind It: The continuity problems at Bungie that Hiponia mentions were evident when Luke Smith, the head of Destiny 2, once admitted he had no idea what the “Darkness” actually was, a major concept from Destiny 1.
It was apparently desperately needed for someone to address the very issues for which Hiponia was responsible. But the report makes it clear that the writer and her team had many conflicts with the “elders”. There were said to be cultural conflicts because writers like Hiponia, a writer with roots in the Philippines, struggled with how the Bungie bosses represented women in the game.
The statement: “We can’t promote you because you are too bad at Destiny 2” seems to be a kind of code for saying: “You don’t fit in here – you’re not a gamer.”
This also explains why Bungie’s CEO, Pete Parsons, emphasized in his response to the insider report that the company has significantly focused on women and members of underrepresented groups and that much progress has been made at Bungie in recent years. Because with someone like Cookie Hiponia, the integration into Bungie from 2016 to 2019 apparently did not work at all.
We covered the insider report comprehensively on MeinMMO:
The Twitch streamer Kristina “K1KA” Dukic passed away on Wednesday, December 8. The Serbian was previously a semi-professional player in CS:GO and primarily streamed League of Legends on Twitch. The streamer was only 21 years old.
K1KA as a Twitch streamer:
The Serbian referred to herself as “a semi-professional CS:GO player who is now learning League of Legends.” She participated in 2 matches at the “Copenhagen Games Female” in 2018 and 2019.
On Twitch, she had 44,687 followers, often streaming League of Legends there. On YouTube, she had 745,000 subscribers, and on Instagram, she was followed by 444,000 accounts.
Just on December 1, she completed a nearly four-hour stream of LoL, during which she said goodbye to her viewers. She would be back tomorrow. K1KA said goodbye with air kisses and said she loved her viewers. It was her last stream.
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This is how people learned of her death: A message on Instagram announced that “the dear friend and angel” had passed away on the evening of December 8, 2021. Condolences were offered to the family, friends, and fans.
It is said that this is a tough time now, and they want to keep the memory of K1KA alive.
Andrijana, who manages K1KA’s Instagram account, wrote: If you have thoughts of suicide or suffer from depression, you should find someone to talk to. You are not alone.
If dark thoughts trouble you, you can reach out to the helpline at 0800/111 0 111 and 0800/11 0 22 – it’s nationwide and free of charge.
Like many Twitch streamers, K1KA also regularly posted on Instagram. In one of her last posts, she wrote: She said: ‘Where are we going? – I said ‘To the moon.’ The post received ‘131,000 likes.’
Reactions: The death of the young streamer has shocked many users on Twitter: Under her last post on Twitter, announcing a live stream on Twitch, numerous tweets with “Rest in Peace” can be found, and a virtual candle is lit.
On Twitch, people are clipping previous streams of K1KA and posting them under the title “Miss u” – “I miss you.”
The CS:GO analyst Janko Paunovic expressed his deep sorrow over the death of K1KA and called for more mindfulness: One must remember that the words typed on the keyboard reach a person who reads it all (via twitter). No one knows what is going on in the lives of others and the problems they struggle with every day.
Mental health, depression, and coping are important, indeed vital topics – especially among content creators.
With the Pacific update, Call of Duty: Warzone has been thoroughly revised. In addition to a new map, the weapons from CoD: Vanguard have made their way into the game. However, they come with what is known as Bloom. This causes bullets to land in a different place than the one you are actually aiming at. Although Bloom has been reduced with the latest update, it is still active in a weaker form in Warzone.
What is the problem with Bloom? The bullets from the CoD: Vanguard weapons have a large spread. This means they do not necessarily hit the place you are currently aiming at, but deviate from it with a certain spread. The so-called Bloom has now found its way into Warzone through the Pacific update.
There, the weapons are usually quite accurate. Only at longer distances or with certain weapons does a larger spread become noticeable.
The problems with the new weapons in CoD Warzone were so significant that a hotfix was introduced immediately with the first patch. This not only increased the damage for all Vanguard weapons but also reduced the spread. However, the developers did not completely eliminate it.
But that is expected to come in the future.
Bullet spread of over 172 pixels
How bad was Bloom before the patch? The spread of the weapons was analyzed in detail on the YouTube channel TrueGameData. For this, a distance of 57 meters was chosen and shots were fired consistently at the same position with 10, sometimes 11, shots:
Some weapons reached a spread of over 100 pixels
The largest Bloom effect was with the PPSH-41 at 172 pixels
For comparison: Characters in Warzone are about 150 pixels tall at this distance
The sniper rifles from Vanguard, however, were said to have hit quite precisely
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The Bloom was not well received by the players. They felt cheated out of their skill, as it was purely a matter of chance whether they hit an enemy or not.
How is it after the patch? The patch notes state that “Bloom has been drastically reduced for all Vanguard weapons”. Note that these changes only apply to Warzone, not to Vanguard itself.
However, many players are still complaining on reddit that the spread is still too large.
On Saturday evening, for example, user Sorby420 complained on reddit and asked: “Is this the new Bloom mechanic or are these just bad servers? It feels like this happens in every Gulag.”
In a related context, he showed a video where he was unable to hit his opponent in the Gulag, even though he was shooting directly at the head.
Bloom will be completely removed from Warzone, but that takes time
What do the developers say about removing Bloom? In the patch notes, they stated that they are currently working on an adjustment. However, this takes time and must be tested, as the balance of the weapons is linked to the respective Bloom:
In the future, we will completely remove Bloom from Vanguard weapons. This process will take some time, as we need to identify appropriate disadvantages to compensate for the removal of Bloom, which depend on each individual weapon and the type of attachments.
When exactly the change will be made is still unknown.
For those who want to be very active in Warzone right now, you can check out the best weapons with setups here:
Michael “shroud” Grzesiek is one of the most successful streamers on Twitch. In one of his streams, he revealed that he has no desire to work. He does not consider streaming itself to be work.
What did shroud say? Shroud was watching a Valorant tournament live on stream and commenting on it when he was asked a question in the chat. A viewer wanted to know if shroud could imagine playing as an e-sports player again.
Shroud declined and explained: “You must understand, I don’t like to work. That’s why I stream. I don’t like work, work is crap. So if there’s something that requires work and effort, I probably won’t do it.”
The chat kept asking and wondered if streaming wasn’t work. He replied: “Is streaming work? No, it’s not work, it’s a damn joke. Look, I’m sitting here doing nothing, I’m literally doing nothing.”
In fact, shroud mostly sat in this livestream and commented on the work of others – the players in the Valorant tournament.
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Almost anyone can earn money on Twitch, but very few can live off it
Is streaming really not work? Later in the stream, shroud explains that he previously worked in construction. That was real work for him and he could only stand it for about two weeks. From this perspective, streaming shouldn’t be physically demanding work at all.
However, streaming comes with some aspects that can definitely cause stress and work:
There is a constant pressure to be relevant, which is why many streamers hardly take breaks or longer vacations. If you are not there, you lose viewers, subscribers, and thus money. Ninja, who was once number 1 on Twitch, said that he lived like a “slave to the stream” for a while.
75% of all streamers earned less than 120 dollars by November 2021. Twitch also only pays out money starting at 100 dollars.
Only 0.06% of Twitch streamers reach an income of more than 67,521 dollars, which corresponds to the average household income in America (via WSJ).
The top 1% of streamers earned 529 million dollars. The remaining 99% of streamers received a total of 360 million.
Who is shroud? Shroud started his career as a professional CS:GO player. In 2018, he left the Cloud9 team and dedicated himself full-time to his streaming career. In October 2019, he switched to the streaming service Mixer and is said to have earned really well there. After the end of Mixer, he returned to Twitch.
On Twitch, he is one of the most successful streamers ever. With over 6.7 million watched hours, he ranks 8th in the last 30 days (via Sullygnome). He has over 10 million followers on Twitch.
What applies to shroud does not have to apply to everyone
What else should be considered? One must be aware that shroud is in a completely different situation than most streamers who started on Twitch after him.
Shroud began his career on Twitch in November 2012, when there was little competition and he had a significant head start due to his CS:GO background. Furthermore, he is a gifted shooter player and made a name for himself early on.
It seemed relatively easy for him to be successful on Twitch “without putting in much work”.
If shroud were to start streaming on Twitch today, he might perceive the “hard climb up” to make a living from Twitch as more of a job than he does today, where he has had a loyal fan base for ages and resides on the Twitch throne.
What do you think about shroud’s statement that streaming is not work at all? Would you agree or disagree? Feel free to write it in the comments.
A beautiful story around Twitch occurred recently with streamer ThirdArtifact. After 2 years of absence, a viewer returned to her and brought her to tears:
Those who play the “Eternity’s Trials” in Destiny 2 are likely farming the strangest and most unusual ship in the game called “Xuriversal Passenger.” The flying space rock looks like a paracausal nut, and the players’ desire to own it is skyrocketing.
Through the “Eternity’s Trials” activity from the “30 Years of Bungie” package, Destiny 2 players currently have access to various cosmetic treasures. Xur’s treasure chamber in Eternity is full of them.
You can earn equipment and gear for all three classes there.
There is a Sparrow treasure chest for reputation rank 16 and 5 treasure keys.
Additionally, there is a Ghost shell treasure chest for reputation rank 16 and 3 treasure keys.
Inside the hardest chest lies the strange and unusual exotic jump ship “Xuriversal Passenger” with the flair of an asteroid.
This is what Xuriversal Passenger, the flying asteroid, looks like in Destiny 2.
Players must continually increase their “Strange Favor” rank with the mysterious merchant Xur and farm more treasure keys if they want all the treasures from the chests or want to focus specifically on a reward.
How do you get “Xuriversal Passenger”?: The “Eternity’s Trials” are freely accessible to all players during the “30 Years of Bungie” anniversary. To specifically open the chest containing the ship, you need a “Strange Favor” rank of 16 with Xur, plus 7 treasure keys.
This means that many runs of the 6-player activity “Eternity’s Trials” need to be completed. You get +75 points progression on both Normal and Legend. Consecutive completions also give you a streak bonus.
You need “Strange Favor” rank 16 and 7 treasure keys for the ship.
Xur’s reputation system works just like Lord Shaxx’s in the Crucible or Commander Zavala’s in the Strike playlist. You earn points by completing activities. For “Strange Favor” rank 16, you need 9,000 points. Once you reach 10,000 points, or reputation rank 17, you can reset.
These items can currently also be earned for free in Destiny 2:
The propulsion effect makes the space look perfect: The ship has a matching effect in hyperspace. It leaves a colorful comet tail behind during flight and landing. This uniqueness is also what fascinates players about this unusual flying object and makes them forget the grind.
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Could this be Xur’s jump ship? In the same thread on reddit players wondered if this could be Xur’s jump ship. Does he travel to the Destiny universe every Friday with it? It would at least be a possibility that cannot be ruled out.
Do you also think it is Xur’s jump ship? What do you think of the quirky and unusual ship? Will you take on the grind and earn it? Or do you perhaps have entirely different treasures in focus during the 30th anniversary that interest you more? Like the exotic rocket launcher Gjallarhorn?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Women at Activision Blizzard are complaining that their concerns have gone unheard at the executive level. An example of discrimination is the treatment of breastfeeding mothers at Blizzard (WoW, Overwatch, Diablo). The issue has long been neglected. The conditions were reportedly so poor that even breast milk was stolen from the refrigerator.
The lawsuit has continued to expand over the last 5 months: the President of Blizzard had to resign, and even the resignation of CEO Bobby Kotick was demanded by employees. NPCs disappeared from World of Warcraft, a character in Overwatch received a new name, and the company issued new policies.
What was the problem for breastfeeding Jessica Gonzalez worked at Blizzard in Irvine as a test analyst from 2019 to 2021. Gonzalez is the founder of the “ABetterABK” group, which advocates for improvements at Activision Blizzard.
She shares on Twitter that breastfeeding mothers at Blizzard faced a variety of issues (via twitter):
The chairs were wobbly and could not be adjusted to a suitable breastfeeding position. Many women reportedly sat on the floor to pump milk.
The tables were made of wood and so porous that breast milk pooled and clumped in the cracks of the tables.
The technical facilities of the rooms were too poor. There was no way to set up laptops so mothers could work or watch shows while pumping milk. There were too few outlets in the room, which were then occupied by lamps and pumps. The situation was also dangerous for fire safety reasons.
Insufficient storage space was provided, with no lockable containers available to securely store the pumps. Women had to carry the pumps across campus multiple times a day.
The refrigerators for breast milk had curtain locks that were accessible to other staff. Some used the refrigerators to keep their beers cold. The curtain locks were only installed because breast milk had reportedly been stolen.
The rooms were not maintained in good sanitary condition. It did not appear that the rooms for breastfeeding mothers were maintained by the cleaning staff in the same way as other areas.
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A former producer shares her experience as a breastfeeding mother.
Breast milk suddenly went missing – devastating experience
Another former employee of Blizzard, Stephnaie Krutsick, also recounts that her breast milk suddenly went missing. There were no other mothers present at the time, and only a few women worked in the departments then. Only her milk was stolen; other items in the refrigerator were still there.
She says someone must have either thrown the milk away or stolen it for “creepy reasons.” For her, it was a devastating experience.
She felt discriminated against because the male supervisors did not understand that she could not always be physically present. As a result, she lost some tasks.
We have examined the escalating situation surrounding Activision Blizzard and CEO Bobby Kotick with MeinMMO:
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What follows from this? For the women at Blizzard, the situation of breastfeeding mothers is an example of the culture at Blizzard, which is so male-dominated that the concerns of women are disregarded. Change is necessary.
As an example of a step that Activision Blizzard has already taken, the games from Blizzard have been examined for content that is no longer deemed appropriate:
Depths of Erendorn is a new MMORPG for PC that has been in development since 2016. It recently transitioned to Unreal Engine 5 and has some interesting approaches. There are turn-based battles and a Free2Play model that does not resort to Pay2Win or even “Pay to Convenience”.
What kind of game is this? Depths of Erendorn is inspired by classic role-playing games and is set to take place in a huge, open fantasy world. You will face dangers and, above all, randomly generated dungeons.
One notable feature is the various races you can choose from. They include:
Humans
Wood Folk
Elves
Dwarves
Water Creatures
Two-Legged Eagles
Spider Folk
Overall, 15 character classes are planned. Each class is automatically bound to a race. The Wood Folk are Druids, the Eagles are Astromancers, and the Spider Folk are Illusionists. There are said to be “thousands of skills” in total.
Also noteworthy is the combat system. The MMORPG features turn-based battles, similar to Atlantica Online. Players in a group can plan and execute their turn simultaneously. The developers promise fast rounds and a lot of strategy.
What is known about the release? Depths of Erendorn has been developed by a European indie studio since August 2016 and was initially developed in Unity. The game has since moved to Unreal Engine 5.
A Kickstarter campaign and a first playable alpha are planned for 2022. A beta is scheduled for 2023 and the release is planned for 2024.
You can watch a first pre-alpha trailer here. The developers say it contains only real gameplay:
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Focus on Groups and Dungeons in Endgame, Free2Play without Pay2Win
What are the developers planning for the endgame? Depths of Erendorn is set to focus on competition and group play. The emphasis is clearly on PvE.
The developers talk about thousands of events and countless randomly generated dungeons where you should face the “greatest challenges”.
There is talk of seasons and leaderboards where players and groups can place themselves. However, it has not been revealed what exactly this will look like.
How is the MMORPG financed? The developers emphasize repeatedly in the FAQ and on the website that they are focusing on “Free2Play without the Trash”. For them this means:
No Pay2Win
No boosters
No convenience items – this includes additional bank or inventory slots
Instead, the shop is supposed to offer cosmetic skins and “options”. However, these “options” are not meant to influence gameplay.
This is what the interface and combat phase in Depths of Erendorn looks like.
Praise for “fresh wind” in the genre
How is the game being received? Under the trailer and under the video by YouTuber KiraTV, especially the diverse races and combat system are praised. The turn-based battles are described as “a fresh wind for the genre” and some are looking forward to it because they are simply overwhelmed by action battles.
However, some argue that a co-op mode would have sufficed for a turn-based RPG and that they do not need a full MMORPG for that. The graphics also receive criticism and are referred to as “generic Unreal Engine game”.
In response to the criticism about the graphics, however, some users point out that there are still 3 years until the release and much can change by then.
What do you think of the current concepts of Depths of Erendorn? Do the various races and combat systems appeal to you? Or are you waiting for a classic MMORPG with active combat?
One of these MMORPGs in development is Ashes of Creation. However, that is also still a few years away from release:
Matt Firor, Director at ZeniMax Online, looks back in a letter to the community on The Elder Scrolls Online in 2021 and gives a brief outlook on 2022. Political intrigues and one of the playable races are set to be the focus. Additionally, there will be an update of the data center.
How was 2021 for ESO? 2021 was a difficult year for the MMORPG, as Firor admits. One reason for this is the Corona pandemic, which is said to have taken its toll on the employees.
The Director also explained that the upgrading of ESO’s hardware has been delayed due to a lack of computer hardware. This was actually a fixed plan for 2021. Nevertheless, the launch of Blackwood went better than it did in 2020 with Greymoor. Back then, there were many technical problems and server crashes.
Firor is also satisfied with the general output of content. He emphasizes in the letter that “millions of new players” found their way to ESO in 2021. As a highlight, the Director pointed out the new companions, which are particularly useful for newcomers.
What exactly changed for ESO in 2021 and how players perceive the year has been summarized here:
2022 is not supposed to focus on “the end of the world”, but on a playable race
What does Firor reveal about 2022? In the new year, the developers want to move away from stories like “The End of the World”. This has revolved around the base game with the Daedra Molag Bal and most recently Blackwood with the fight against Mehrunes Dagon.
Instead, they want to focus on a traditional “Elder Scrolls” intrigue. Fans point out the story of Wrothgar, which has managed without such a large scenario.
2022 should be about politics and rivalry between the factions. The focus should be on one of the playable races of ESO, which have not yet been adequately highlighted culturally and historically. Players suspect that this is about the Rothwardons, who have not received enough attention and at the same time offer room for new areas in their region.
Updates will continue to be released quarterly as usual. Fans can therefore expect 3 DLCs and a major expansion in the summer.
Additionally, work will continue on the hardware and performance of the MMORPG in 2022. However, Firor points out that the team is dependent on the current hardware market.
When will we learn more about the content of 2022? In January, there will be a traditional reveal event. There, the overarching story for the entire year and the rough outline of the expansion in the summer will be presented.
Until then, feel free to speculate: What can we expect in ESO in 2022? Which areas would you like to visit, and what should be the big feature of the expansion? Please share it in the comments.
ESO is a Buy2Play game. You only need to buy it once and can theoretically play endlessly. Which other MMORPGs are in this category and which are particularly worthwhile, we will reveal here:
Star Wars: The Old Republic and Corepunk were supposed to round off the year for MMORPGs in December. However, the new expansion and the start of the beta were unexpectedly postponed this week. What else has happened is revealed by MeinMMO in our weekly review.
The discussion of the week: Scot Lane, the head of New World, commented on the declining player numbers on Steam. You discussed reasons, rescue measures, and similar matters hotly:
Gamigo has a new MMORPG in the pipeline, but no one knows exactly what it is. A timer is running on the website, which ends on December 15 (via uncertainfolder).
This was the news of the week from the world of MMORPGs at a glance. What was your personal highlight? Did you experience anything 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.
Final Fantasy XIV released its new expansion Endwalker on December 7th. In this episode of the MeinMMO-Podcast, we discuss the beginnings of the MMORPG, the expansion, and the possible causes for the sudden influx of new players in 2021.
This is the topic: The now 11-year-old Final Fantasy XIV seems to be thriving at the moment. Just recently, it released its latest expansion Endwalker and the servers were overwhelmed by players. Long queues quickly formed and developers had to apologize for the server issues because they could not handle the massive influx.
In this episode of the MeinMMO-Podcast, we look at the MMORPG from the perspectives of a long-time veteran player and a newcomer. We examine the beginnings of the game, the current state, and what makes it attractive to so many gamers. However, we also address the problems and weaknesses.
For whom is it worth taking a look at FFXIV? Why are so many gamers currently trying out the game? Find out in our podcast.
This time, joining us are editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski and the dynamic community manager duo Irina Moritz (MeinMMO) and Marylin Marx (GameStar).
Here you can listen:
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Here’s how you can contribute: You can actively participate in improving the podcast. If you have feedback such as suggestions or criticisms or just want to submit a cool topic suggestion that should be discussed urgently, then check out our Discord server.
Alternatively, you can also directly email us at [email protected] and share your thoughts with us. Share your opinion and discuss with us!
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Genre: Asymmetric Multiplayer, Survival-Coop | Developer: DIMPS | Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S are compatible | Release: 2022
MeinMMO author Lena had the opportunity to fight for survival in the closed beta of the survival multiplayer Dragon Ball: The Breakers for several hours. What started as frustration and boredom eventually turned into fun. In this article, you’ll find out if Dragon Ball: The Breakers is worth your time.
Filled with a heavy dose of nostalgia and bouncing in my chair, I eagerly awaited my closed beta key and the corresponding 4-hour time window during which I could finally test Dragon Ball: The Breakers.
What kind of game is this? Dragon Ball: The Breakers is an asymmetric survival multiplayer that strongly resembles games like Dead by Daylight or Friday the 13th: The Game.
One player takes on the role of the Raider, while 7 others fight for survival.
Both parties have different goals during a match:
The Survivors: Escape from and/or defeat the Raider.
The Raider: Kill all Survivors and prevent their escape.
Other features of the game:
Simple character creation for male and female survivors.
In-game shop with cosmetics, accessories, emoticons… (available for purchase via premium currency or regular currency).
“Spirit Extractors” as Gacha mechanics.
Gacha means that you need to invest in-game currency or often real money to receive random heroes. It’s still unknown if you can spend money in Dragon Ball: The Breakers.
Possible strengthening of Survivor skills through training.
Survivors can disguise themselves as objects and use other gadgets to escape from the Raider.
Dragon Ball: The Breakers functions completely differently from its predecessors Budokai Tenkaichi 3 or Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, which are more considered fighting games.
Nonetheless, The Breakers is set in the Xenoverse universe, and you can transfer your save from Xenoverse 2 to the cooperative survival game.
What exactly will be transferred, I cannot tell you yet, but I suspect that your character from Xenoverse 2 will act as a Survivor in The Breakers – so you might not have to create a new character.
About the author Lena: Since Dragon Ball aired on RTL 2, I have been a fan of the series. I am now 28 years old and practically grew up with it. The Cell saga with Kid Gohan is simply the highlight of Dragon Ball (Z) for me. So I was even more pleased to see Cell as the Raider in the closed beta.
I have hardly any experience with asymmetric survival games that put a player instead of an NPC against you. Therefore, Dragon Ball: The Breakers was a real new experience for me.
My entrance into the game – Preparing for the massacre
When I started the beta of Dragon Ball: The Breakers, all settings related to graphics, controls, and sound overwhelmed me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t select a German voiceover – I secretly hoped for the classic RTL-2 voice: Tommy Morgenstern as Son Goku. Well, had to settle for the original broadcast, that is, Japanese with German subtitles.
Then came the character creation menu, which was kept very simple. However, there was still plenty of choice among the characteristically Dragon Ball hairstyles and eyes. Unfortunately, I was only allowed to choose between two outfits: half-naked or sporty dressed.
Although I usually spend what feels like hours on character creation, this time I finished in about 4 minutes. This was mainly because I set a limit for myself; you couldn’t stay in the beta forever, only 4 hours per time slot.
You can choose from 5 different voices for your character.
Then the game threw me into a tutorial window that I had at least partially… skimmed through. That would come back to haunt me later. After that, I found my character on a small map with various people and buildings:
Familiar faces like Trunks, Bulma, and the pig Oolong.
The Room of Spirit and Time (training for my characters’ skills).
The in-game shop.
A hairdresser (allows you to completely rework your character).
A mailbox.
The Spirit Extractor to obtain new characters via Gacha mechanics.
What do you need new and other characters for, besides your Survivor? Just to give you a rough idea: You can increase your Dragon Transformation level using a so-called transformation power and borrow the appearance and skills of a well-known character from Dragon Ball. This allows you to fight more effectively and move better because you can fly.
After carefully inspecting the manageable map and perhaps spending a minute or two in the Gacha system, I plunged into battle.
Overview of the small map before a match.
Catastrophic start – “What am I even doing here?”
In my first game, I played a Survivor. Then, for about three games, I didn’t realize that I could set my preference to Raider. Nonetheless, I happily waved to my teammates in the lobby, which was possible through the available gestures. I didn’t know what horror awaited me in “Highland River” (the map name).
I started with two other players in a deserted environment. Desperately, I followed one of them because I had no idea what exactly to do. He had probably played several games and quickly took off. “Co-op probably isn’t encouraged after all,” I thought to myself and tried to manage alone.
Relatively quickly, I discovered that I could shoot with a weapon to destroy certain objects. A few crates were opened before I encountered a civilian in need of help. You just had to hold down a button to rescue the arms. As a thank you, she dropped transformation power.
Then I found a radar with which I could have located a valuable key, but the unheeded tutorial came back to bite me: I had no idea how to use the radar. In general, I still did not really know what my task as a Survivor was, other than fleeing.
Shortly thereafter, I was found by Cell, the Raider, and defeated with just a few blows. I survived for less than 2 minutes. That was really bitter.
Do you think my teammates came to my rescue? Oh, please. The other players actually have 60 seconds to revive their buddies and bring them back into the game.
A kind soul did want to help me single-handedly, but unfortunately Cell was still nearby and easily took him down.
Looking back, I realized that this is a really unfair advantage for the Raider: He waits near a corpse, hoping that a Survivor comes to revive the corpse. In the subsequent rounds, there were also some Raiders who shamelessly exploited this disadvantage, almost exterminating the entire group of Survivors.
Cell indulging in my corpse.
The Aha moment: “Oh, so that’s how you play!”
After my head was properly washed in the first round, I decided to read the tutorial and play more rounds until I slowly figured out how the game actually works and what the purpose of the Survivors is.
There are a total of 3 phases:
Phase one, which I affectionately call, “Please Cell, don’t discover and kill me while I collect important power keys”
The defense phase
The escape phase, if the defense phase fails.
In phase one, I frantically wandered around with strangers to collect helpful items, the 7 Dragon Balls, the so-called “Super Time Machine power keys” and place them in their rightful locations.
Because the entire map has areas labeled A to E in the alphabet. Thus, a total of 5 areas each need a power key to charge up a “Start System device” that could defeat Cell.
If you run quickly from A to E and place all the keys, phase two begins. This was by far the most stressful part for me. All players usually gather in the special area “Z” to speed up the charging of the Start System device.
Of course, Cell didn’t take this lightly, as it was his job in this phase to destroy the device and the Survivors.Usually, a chaotic fight broke out in this phase among all who had survived so far.
The more games I played, the better I got at it and could even come up with a plan for phase two.
Living as a vase is nice.
The crates in the game.
Radars are very useful items.
My first placed power key!
The chaos in the special area “Z”.
Various impressions from the closed beta of Dragon Ball: The Breakers.
This is how I prepared for the battle against Cell in the special area: Initially, I gathered a lot of transformation power to raise my “Dragon transformation level” and thus be allowed to borrow the powers of super warriors.
The type of Dragon transformation depends on the level you first achieved through transformation power. The higher the level, the stronger you become.
The appearance and skill of the transformation depend on the characters you have equipped before. Each hero is ranked 1, 2, or 3. Thus, if you reach level 2, you borrow the skills and appearance of the character ranked 2.
If you actually play cooperatively with others, you can also try to find the 7 Dragon Balls together and place them in their intended device. After that, you can summon the dragon Shenron, who either allows you to reach Dragon transformation level 4 or increases the level of all team members.
Dragon transformation level 4 is power-wise equivalent to the Raider’s maximum form.
Unfortunately, I personally never got to experience placing 7 Dragon Balls on the altar because everyone in the beta was doing their own thing. It’s probably much easier to achieve in a fixed group with agreements – especially if someone has a Dragon Ball radar that shows a survivor where the valuable orbs are hiding.
If you were strong enough, you could defeat Cell just through pure fighting and emerge victorious: No keys or time machines needed.
What then is the 3rd phase for? The escape phase begins when Cell has destroyed the Start System device. In each area, there are then signal lights that allow survivors to summon a single escape time machine. This enables all survivors to escape at the last moment, as long as Cell does not kill them first.
What is it like to play as the Raider?
While I know Cell’s sequence and skills, unfortunately, I never had the chance to play as the Raider. After about 3 matches, I did change my wish in the group search to “Raider”, but I still always ended up as a Survivor. Maybe I was just unlucky – I don’t know.
There is an indicator at the bottom left of the screen showing “Priority” and a number before it. The more often I became a Survivor when I wanted to play as a Raider, the higher the number went. When the beta time ended, I had played about 11 games and the priority was at 8. Unfortunately, I don’t know when one is guaranteed to play as a Raider.
What else does the Raider do and what can he do? As Cell, you must find and eliminate as many Survivors as possible. This makes you stronger and allows you to achieve new forms (a maximum of 4). Once the Raider reaches a new form, he gets an attack that destroys an entire area. Additionally, Cell has the ability to detect nearby Survivors.
This is what the waiting room with “Priority” looks like.
Dragon Ball: The Breakers is completely Dragon Ball
Whether it’s the small sound effects when you teleport or the characters in the typical Dragon Ball style, everything gave me a tiny nostalgia hiccup.
Even the circular houses in the city area or the spaceship that resembled the Namek saga with Freeza made my fan heart race. I was constantly exclaiming: “Aww, this is just like in the anime back then!”
The forms that the Raider Cell could achieve were also perfectly modeled based on the anime. He started as a disgusting little larva and could grow into a perfect form by consuming humans. I think this is precisely why Cell is perfect as a villain.
From images, we have already seen Boo and Freeza as additional Raiders. They also fit perfectly into the survival game. Both villains also had several forms in the anime until they reached their full power.
As Survivors, we only had the choice between our character and the pig Oolong in the beta. However, I’m almost certain that iconic figures like Bulma, Chichi, or the Ox King could follow as playable heroes.
More opinion articles from other authors on MeinMMO
Maybe my fear is unfounded, but the mere inclusion of Gacha in Dragon Ball: The Breakers surprised and somewhat unsettled me… Now the question arises: Is the game coming out for free and is financed through (unfair) Gacha, or will it be paid and feature fair, affordable Gacha?
It would be a shame to destroy a game with such great potential through such a system. I sincerely hope that the Gacha aspect offers only minimal bonuses and does not become decisive for gameplay. In the closed beta, I pulled 6 times for heroes from the Dragon Ball universe: this resulted in 2x 4-star heroes and 4x 3-star heroes.
These characters have not only different rarities but also possess varying attack strengths and outfits that you can use during Dragon transformation. The rarer a hero is, the more useful their attack seems to be.
You need 15,000 Zeni or 150 TP tokens to pull once from the banner. Depending on how well you play in a match, you earn a corresponding amount of Zeni. For instance, you can earn about 4,500 Zeni if you complete a game perfectly. TP tokens are exclusively obtained through level-ups of your character, and you only get 3 at a time.
Standard interface of the Gacha system.
The chances of pulling different heroes.
I had luck and pulled Son Goku – the main character of the anime.
Overview of the Gacha system.
What I noticed negatively:
The controls are somewhat cumbersome and take some getting used to.
Frequent disconnects to the host (the Raider). The game then ends immediately, and the Survivors win.
The camera is too close to your character. This restricts your field of view somewhat.
Survivors take too long to revive companions (about 20 seconds).
The Start System device takes too long to charge (about 2 minutes but can take longer, depending on how many keys have been placed beforehand and how many Survivors are helping).
Some negative points might stem from the fact that I didn’t have fixed teammates and was with strangers in the lobby. We couldn’t properly coordinate and strategize against the Raider.
Conclusion after the closed beta: Is it worth your time?
Definitely! Once you get the hang of different approaches, Dragon Ball: The Breakers is incredibly fun despite its flaws. Initially, I was really frustrated about dying so quickly and just not getting into the game. I almost wanted to quit and sighed that I had no more motivation, but I wanted to persevere to give you an impression, and because I simply love Dragon Ball.
Then suddenly it went click and I somehow got the hang of it. Each round flew by quickly. Every time we won, my smile grew wider. You could sometimes sense how some of the other beta testers were also slowly understanding how the game works.
I believe that with a cool team or people who know how survival co-op works, it can be even more fun.
You should definitely give it a try if you like survival games and/or Dragon Ball and have the opportunity.
Lena
Freelance author at MeinMMO
Pro
Runs without bugs and lags
“Dragon Ball” fans get their money’s worth
Strengthening of one’s character is possible
Strategic thinking and close collaboration with team members
Great music, voice acting, and sound effects
Contra
No spectacular graphics
The entry could be difficult, especially against seasoned opponents
Monotonous combat system
Possibly costly Pay2Win (must wait for release or further information)
What do you think? Will you take a peek into Dragon Ball: The Breakers, or is that not your cup of tea? Feel free to share in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The new MMO New World is facing criticism from players. It is said that New World was released unfinished and needed more time for development. The head of the game, Scot Lane, comments on this in an interview.
What does he say about the launch delay? Lane is confronted with fans’ criticism that New World should have been delayed once more to address the many issues that arose after the launch, especially regarding the bugs and the dupe exploits.
Lane says:
“It’s difficult, we have been discussing this a lot internally lately. The thing is: We didn’t know about the exploit and the issues with dupes until after the launch. A delay wouldn’t have helped here.”
Scot Lane
New World promises more content in 2022 – focus on mid and endgame
Isn’t there a lack of content as well? Regarding the criticism of insufficient content, Lane says that progress was made in 2021.
In 2022, they aim to improve storytelling and bring more content for mid and endgame.
Players will soon see new types of quests; there are plans to invest more resources here. Lane also mentions that they have a lot in store for PvP players and is looking forward to showing more of that.
Team works so hard on problems that burnout is looming
What was the big problem? Lane states that the biggest issue was the scale of the launch. The surge of players in New World was so immense that they were overwhelmed. Testing at this level of players was not feasible prior.
This raised issues that the team wanted to address as quickly as possible. And in the rush to tackle the new problems, mistakes occurred.
The team was so excited to see so many players that they felt driven to respond quickly, enabling players to refocus on having fun.
A significant challenge was to find the right pace and to be more methodical in testing and reviewing updates. The team is working hard: they are currently looking to distribute the workload so that no one gets overworked.
The team is so committed that everyone wanted to work around the clock to solve problems, but that’s not sustainable. They want to prevent the team from burning out.
“A major lesson for us is: Even though we had an alpha for a year and a preview event and a public test – once you go live and have so many players for a long time, new issues will arise.”
Scot Lane
The problems Lane describes are reminiscent of statements made by the former face of WildStar, Stephan Frost, who once explained why every MMO launches with too little endgame content and too many bugs. And that the team is particularly in acute danger of burning out at release:
The absolute top cards in FIFA 22 cost a lot of coins. However, you can also grab a few great players for smaller amounts. Here are 5 examples of affordable strikers and wingers that can improve your attack.
Do you know that feeling? You just invested a lot of coins in a striker and hope for a lot of goals – but somehow he just doesn’t perform? Then you regret putting so many coins into a player, especially when the price has also dropped in no time due to the crazy market.
Fortunately, there is also exactly the opposite case: you invest a few coins and suddenly have a player who performs significantly better than you would expect for the price. Here are 5 examples of such strikers whose price for their abilities is actually far too low.
We start with the particularly cheap ones and then work our way up the coin ladder.
Ousmane Dembélé – Gold
Market crashes also hit the Dembélé card
Price: approx. 3,300 coins
This is what makes Dembélé special: Yes, Dembélé is not a direct central striker as a RF, but he definitely belongs in this list of dangerous scorers who are currently available for a great price. The Frenchman costs just over 3,000 coins and can shine with 5-star skills and a weak foot.
He has great dribbling skills and extremely dangerous speed. Even in teams with higher-rated players, the 83-rated card does not stand out negatively. Dembélé is and will likely remain a very useful card for your offense – only now he is significantly cheaper than just a few weeks ago.
Timo Werner – Gold
Price: approx. 4,100 coins
Timo Werner is currently at a price level of around 3,000 to 4,000 coins and yes, he has now been overtaken by some other striker cards. But this has also significantly reduced his price, and you can still get a lot of goals from the Chelsea striker. No wonder he is still feared in the FIFA community despite his comparatively low overall rating.
Werner has the necessary speed to compete against fast defenders. His shooting and dribbling stats are also decent, and somehow the striker always seems to be in the right place to score a cold finish. Only in terms of skill moves does he have weaknesses (only 3 stars). Werner is thus primarily suitable for direct attacks without much trickery. But if that is your playing style, you can make a real bargain with him.
Marko Arnautovic – Rulebreaker
Arnautovic is a strong card but difficult to link
Price: approx. 12,000 coins
This is what makes Arnautovic special: In the FIFA community, the Rulebreakers card of Arnautovic is often mentioned when the question arises about the best striker in terms of price/performance ratio.
Arnautovic is an absolute machine in front of goal, capable of converting chances from various positions. The fact that Arnautovic is so cheap is likely mainly due to his hard-to-link nationality and the Serie A factor. One thing is for sure: it’s not due to his stats.
Paulo Dybala – Gold
The striker is also suitable for an Arnautovic link
Price: approx. 18,500 coins
This is what makes Dybala special: If you decide to add Arnautovic to your team, you can theoretically also equip yourself with another Serie A player who comes at a comparatively affordable price: Paulo Dybala.
Dybala currently costs about 18,500 coins and is thus cheaper than strikers like Haaland, Kane, or Lukaku, but distinguishes himself from these attackers through his agility.
The Argentinian is tricky and strong in finishing; his left foot is a real weapon. Both from distance and in crowded penalty areas, Dybala can pose a threat to the opposing goal. Additionally, he is also useful as a passer and preparer – if you’re looking for a controller for your midfield, he can fulfill that role as well. With Dybala, you get a comparatively cost-effective all-purpose weapon in attack.
Mario Gomez – Hero
Gomez is one of the Bundesliga heroes
Price: approx. 26,500
Now let’s take a look at the Bundesliga. And here you quickly end up with a striker who actually isn’t there anymore: Mario Gomez, in the Hero variant.
The price of the striker has been dropping for weeks, currently he has reached just over 20,000. For the price, Gomez offers an extremely useful package: especially, Gomez shines with his finishing ability, although his speed can be criticized. However, with an Engine or Hunter style, this can be quickly remedied. However, the same applies as with Werner: you don’t need to unpack skill moves with Gomez.
A bonus is his Hero status, which allows you to build strong chemistry links in your Bundesliga teams. For the current price, Gomez is definitely worth acquiring!
Shadowlands will go down in the history of World of Warcraft as a “filler”. MeinMMO demon Cortyn believes: This is the best solution.
By now, the last person should have noticed that WoW: Shadowlands wasn’t received as well by players as originally thought. While the expansion was initially considered “good” by many, that opinion dropped rapidly. By the time of Patch 9.1, only a few players were still interested. Even improvements from Patch 9.1.5 provided little relief.
So the developers are pulling the emergency brake and preparing to give Shadowlands a rather swift, but also shameful, end.
Spoiler warning: This article also discusses datamining and purported content from Patch 9.2. You have been warned.
Sylvanas’ development will be one of the few points remembered from Shadowlands.
What is a filler-addon? Similar to “filler episodes” in TV series, filler addons also serve a simple purpose in World of Warcraft: Something is supposed to happen just for the sake of it. A filler addon has a coherent storyline, but once the filler content is completed, the situation is basically the same as before. Only a few details have changed.
And honestly, Shadowlands has also offered itself for this from the very beginning. The whole concept of the “afterlife” with its various realms, where different versions of the afterlife exist, is so unreal and detached from the rest of the Warcraft cosmos that one can just easily put a lid on it. Just like back in the day with “Warlords of Draenor,” you can simply say: The connection to the Shadowlands has now been cut off again; story-wise, you are no longer in connection with these creatures.
However, I find the decision good.
Sure, I enjoyed the new areas. Because everything was so new and unfamiliar, the developers could really let their creativity run free. I still find Ardenweald breathtaking, and I also remember Revendreth fondly.
Blizzard could have also tried to steer the story of Shadowlands in a different direction to capture the players they lost. A Patch 9.3 and a Jailer that persists through other expansions – that could have been an option.
The Jailer will likely be forgotten. But that’s for the best.
From the first information about Patch 9.2, it is now revealed that the Jailer is ultimately defeated and destroyed. Completely, nothing remains of him. Pelagos will be appointed as the new Arbiter and will take on the role of sending all souls to their corresponding afterlives. He presumably gains this power through the First Forge.
That the Jailer is defeated in the end and presumably destroyed for good is a good thing. He was a “filler-boss” introduced in Patch 9.0 and will already disappear from the scene with Patch 9.2. Sure, they somehow “burned” him – but at the same time, it allows for a clean break to try something new or to pick up the old, tried-and-true story again.
Shadowlands thus becomes a small – more or less – self-contained story.
A restart after Shadowlands – the best thing one could do in the current situation.
Of course, it’s also worth mentioning: So far, most of the information about Patch 9.2 is only datamined. It is quite possible that Blizzard might reveal a major twist in the final cinematic and the Jailer is not quite as dead as one might have thought.
The only slight downside is that Blizzard tried to give Shadowlands significantly more importance than was actually necessary. That the Jailer was essentially behind all the major events of the past 20 years of Warcraft could have been a cool plot point, but was unfortunately not well implemented.
This reason will surely cause the story team to chew on it for several years. Because if the “big boss” who has been pulling the strings of fate for millennia turns out to be a boring character that nobody can relate to, then that is a damage from which Warcraft will only slowly recover.
More news about World of Warcraft can be found here:
However, I want to be optimistic. World of Warcraft has delivered exciting and interesting stories over many years – and that was often the case in Shadowlands as well, albeit often hidden in the side quests. If Blizzard can build on that with 10.0, give its adversaries more profile, and create a Warcraft that doesn’t get tangled up in more and more parallel dimensions … then I hope that the next addon will excite us again.
Because if that’s not the case, it’s looking really bleak for World of Warcraft. And that would be a shame.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
