The popular and much-loved JRPG Ni No Kuni makes the leap from single-player adventure into the MMO cosmos. After the mobile MMORPG has already been released in Asia, a global PC version is now also expected.
In the latest financial report from the publisher Netmarble, the release date of Ni No Kuni: Cross World for the rest of the world was announced for 2022. The MMORPG has already been released as a mobile title in Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea since June 2021.
What we know about Ni No Kuni: Cross World
When can you play it? Since June 10, 2021, Ni No Kuni: Cross World has been playable in Japan and East Asia. There, fans can only play the MMORPG on their smartphones for now. As the website TwistedVoxel reports, a Taiwanese rating board already hinted at a PC version weeks ago (via TwistedVoxel.com).
A current financial report from Netmarble shows: The team is indeed working on a PC version of Ni No Kuni: Cross World. Right at launch, PC and mobile users can even play together thanks to crossplay. A rough timeframe for this release is already set. It is expected to be released worldwide in the first quarter of 2022.
So far, the reception has been good: Despite the fact that Ni No Kuni: Cross World was only released a few months ago in Japan and South Korea, it is already one of the most profitable MMORPGs for Netmarble. Cross World generated around €101 million for Netmarble just 11 days after its release. This amounts to 12 percent of the total revenue of the development studio. Even the world’s most successful mobile game, Pokémon Go cannot compete with this amount.
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This is what you can expect: Fundamentally, you need to differentiate between the first two Ni No Kuni games and the upcoming MMORPG. While Ni No Kuni: Dominion of the White Queen and Destiny of an Kingdom are single-player role-playing games, Cross World plans to bring the successful formula of Studio Ghibli’s animation style (via pinterest), engaging story, and combat into the multiplayer realm.
The gameplay consists of both familiar and new elements:
You explore an open and atmospheric anime world
fight nasty monsters in action-packed “hack and slay” fashion
encounter unique characters and companions
raid dungeons with friends that promise special loot
manage your own kingdom and engage in PvP battles
where you can choose from the classes Swordsman, Engineer, Destroyer, Rogue, and Witch.
This is the story: In the world of Ni No Kuni: Cross World, a new VR game emerges that you as a player will want to test. Here, you encounter a mysterious woman named Rania, who asks you for help. In truth, this VR world is real and is facing destruction by dark forces.
How this story unfolds, you will find out in the first quarter of 2022, as soon as Ni No Kuni: Cross World is also released for smartphones and PC in Europe and North America.
Fortnite introduces new skins after each update. Some have been designed by Epic Games themselves, while others belong to crossovers. These skins bring variety to the game, as you don’t always want to play with the same character.We at MeinMMO show what you can expect soon.
Now that Rick has arrived in Fortnite through the battle pass of chapter 2 season 7, Rick and Morty fans are likely wondering if there’s more to come.
Mecha-Morty will soon appear in the item shop – This suggests what’s to come
Hypex, a well-known leaker in the Fortnite scene, discovered after the latest patch 17.40 that a new Rick and Morty skin will be available soon. The Morty skin, as assumed, will cost 1,200 – 1,500 V-bucks in the item shop and includes a red backpack.
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Could there be more to come? Further skins might be possible in the future, as this fits very well with Rick and Morty. Fortnite has also shown in the past that they do not limit themselves to just one skin in crossovers. This can be seen with the entire Marvel skins.
Due to the various parallel universes that appear in the series, additional styles of Rick and Morty are possible. But whether more will follow and which ones they will be, remains to be seen. At least we can look forward to another Rick and Morty skin.
What do you think of the new skin for Rick and Morty? Are you a fan of the series or can you do without it? Let us at MeinMMO know how you feel about the crossovers.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Aim-bots are no longer just found in games. A technically skilled guy has built a real-life aim-bot after many hours of work. You can wear it, and it makes sure that you barely miss with a bow and arrow. How it was done, you can find out here at MeinMMO.
Who is it about? Wighton from the YouTube channel “Stuff Made Here” is a tinkerer who likes to build crazy things, including a machine that automatically cuts hair or a basketball hoop that “catches” balls.
His latest project was a kind of aim-bot for real life, with which he shoots arrows with a bow so precisely that he never misses his target.
Why did he do it? The idea for the bow aim-bot came to him after watching old videos of his wife. She is a decent archer, and in the videos, she seems to hit every target. But “being good at something is so 20th century!” Wighton said, and immediately set out to compensate for his lack of skill with the bow through technology and engineering.
Bugs, wrong bow and a punch to the nose
How did the development go at first? Wighton first constructed two robots. One was a sort of glove to which the bow was attached, executing movements towards the target on the X and Y axes. The other bot was supposed to release the string at the right time.
However, this did not really work, and according to his own statement, Wighton ended up with “a heavy, crappy bow”.
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To ensure that both robots had an accurate position of the target and the necessary shooting angles, he installed eight OptiCam cameras in the room. They covered every necessary angle and tracked the position of the target in real-time. With the camera data, the bots’ software could theoretically calculate the target’s position and its trajectory and thus make the perfect shot.
What were the problems? One major problem at the beginning was that Wighton regularly punched himself in the face. As soon as the bot released the string, the hand with the bot shot back due to the released energy and reliably hit Wighton’s nose. It took some practice to slow down the hand.
But even then, automatic hitting did not work. The aimbot shot miles off target, and the shooting test in a competition with his wife, who shot with a completely normal bow, was a landslide victory for his spouse.
Aimbot even hits tiny Lego figures
What did the final solution look like? After a long analysis, Wighton finally figured out the problem. It was likely due to the bow itself, as the recurve bow he was using was responsible for the arrow wobbling after being shot.
This could have been solved with decent software programming, but Wighton found that too tedious and preferred to invest some money in a modern compound bow. These are the bizarre devices that athletes compete with in high-level competitions.
Such bows shoot very precisely, and the arrows wobble less.
However, since the whole construction became very heavy, Wighton built a suspension that was attached to a type of body armor harness.
With this “full-body aimbot”, Wighton was finally ready and could beat his wife in every conceivable situation. His arrows hit the target with mechanical precision, and even tiny Lego figures could not escape.
In the end, technology triumphed over skill. However, Wighton might have become a good shooter in the end if he had spent the many weeks of work better on practicing archery.
With My Friendly Neighborhood, a new game is appearing on Steam that is inspired by classic horror survival titles like Resident Evil. However, the unique aspect is its setting, which is heavily inspired by Sesame Street. A strange mix? Definitely!
What kind of game is this? An essentially defunct TV studio is broadcasting episodes of the beloved children’s show “The Friendly Neighborhood” again. But instead of friendly alphabet songs and counting vampires, the puppets of the series are attacking each other. Something is not right.
In My Friendly Neighborhood, you play as the technician Gordon, who is supposed to investigate the strange signals. Once you arrive at the studio, you quickly notice that these are not old broadcasts, but completely crazy puppets.
You must fight your way through non-linear levels filled with various puzzles. While trying to figure out what’s happening, you will be attacked by Ernie’s puppets and their friends.
The style of the puppets strongly resembles Sesame Street, and even when they are attacking you, they still manage to appear disturbingly… friendly.
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Who is developing the game? My Friendly Neighborhood is being developed by indie developers John and Evan Szymanski. John Szymanski has previously released popular indie titles like “Kyle is Famous” and “Rubber Ducky” on Steam.
John, also known as Ducky Dev, is also a streamer on Twitch (via Twitch.com). He showcases all kinds of games on his channel and also provides insights into game technology.
However, he has been inactive for the last few years – presumably because he has been busy developing his game. On Twitch, he has 344 followers and an average of 2 viewers over the last 90 days (via sullygnome.com).
Puzzles and Shooting: Resident Evil Meets Sesame Street
Here are the features: My Friendly Neighborhood is fundamentally a horror-survival game. You are supposed to uncover a creepy secret while surviving, similar to the classic Resident Evil. The features include:
various puzzles to solve
different, “colorful” enemies
non-linear levels you must navigate through
creative, unique weapons like the “Rolodexer”, which shoots alphabet cards
Based on what has been shown so far about the game, My Friendly Neighborhood resembles classic horror survival games strongly. It aims to work less with blood and gore and more with “real horror”.
So far, My Friendly Neighborhood has been announced as a pure single-player title. We do not yet know if there will be a multiplayer or co-op feature.
When will My Friendly Neighborhood be released? There is still no release date for My Friendly Neighborhood. On Steam, it is merely marked as “Coming Soon”. A console version also seems to not be in the works. However, the game offers full controller support.
If you are still waiting for good survival and horror titles, you can find upcoming games in the genre on our list on MeinMMO:
The new fantasy MMORPG Kingfall (Android/iOS/PC) promises its supporters that they can make money with the game.
What is Kingfall? Answering that is currently quite difficult, as the information about the game is thin. Kingfall is said to be a fantasy MMORPG that you can play on mobile as well as in any browser. There will be no download for PC.
The game is set to launch globally and, according to the developer, will attract over 10 million players worldwide. Kingfall is not the first game from the developer True Valhalla. According to their own statements, they have already attracted 75 million players to their games. (via truevalhalla.com)
In terms of gameplay, this is a “casual” game, meaning it’s a game where you can progress without investing many hours.
Update 22.08: In an earlier version of the article, there were factual errors for which we sincerely apologize. Below is the correction of the misinformation in the first version of the article:
In the tweet from the developer studio, it states that Kingfall will have NFT integration that will utilize the Flow blockchain. That’s what we know.
In the original version of the article, it stated that Kingfall would additionally use crypto mining, accessing the computational power of the players. That is false. Kingfall does not use crypto mining, nor does it access the computational power of players. Players cannot earn money with Kingfall through crypto mining.
From here, the article continues with the corrected version:
How can you make money with it? On Twitter, the developer promises early investors a share of the profits for life, but how much exactly is unclear.
However, Kingfall offers another option to generate money. The game relies on blockchain technology. How exactly this will be implemented in the game is unknown.
What is Blockchain? Essentially, it is an expandable list of records. What is special about it is that later additions always build on earlier entries and confirm them as correct.
In this way, entries are considered particularly secure because you cannot manipulate or delete content without destroying further changes (transactions).
Through blockchain, once acquired skills and possessions of a game character can be stored. This goes so far that your skills or items remain even if a developer shuts down their game.
The Pokémon Company presents 4 new, cute Pokémon in its latest product presentation. We looked at what monsters these are and whether they will soon be found in Pokémon GO.
What happened? On August 18, 2021, The Pokémon Company released a new video on its homepage (via pokemon.com). In this, they introduce the current games around Pokémon. One is the new game Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which is set to be released on January 28, 2022.
This game revolves around the past of the Sinnoh region. It’s referred to as the Hisui region in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Additionally, there will be 4 new forms of Pokémon in this game. We will show you what they are.
These are the 4 new Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Arceus
In the following video, the Chief Operating Officer Takato Utsunomiya of The Pokémon Company shows the first clips from the new game Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
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This clip also shows the first images of the new Pokémon. These are the regional variants and evolutions from the Hisui region of the following 4 monsters:
Fukano
Washakwil
‘Wyrdeer’, the evolution of Damhirplex
‘Basculegion’, the evolution of Barschuft
These Pokémon can be distinguished from their other forms by their appearance. Especially the color is different. But their fur also appears fluffier. This is clearly seen in Fukano, which has a significantly larger mane in the Hisui region.
Fukano, Washakwil, Wyrdeer & Basculegion from the Hisui region (via pokemon.com)
Will the new monsters also come to Pokémon GO?
So far, the new Pokémon are only announced for Pokémon Legends: Arceus. However, fans of Pokémon GO are excited and are enjoying the images on social media.
Especially with the evolution of Barschuft, some players hope for an additional distinction between the blue and red variant (via reddit.com). In Pokémon GO, this has already been distinguished by its region. So only a red stripe is visible in the evolution images.
But many are also excited about the new regional form of Fukano. Some players have already created their own fan arts of it and share them on Twitter:
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The opinion of our author Franzi Korittke: I would definitely wish for a release of these monsters in Pokémon GO. Especially the evolutions of Damhirplex and Barschuft are particularly exciting to me. As they currently cannot evolve, an evolution could make capturing them more attractive. Additionally, Fukano can certainly score with its cute appearance.
Is there hope for Pokémon GO?
Since these monsters are regional Pokémon, it is conceivable that Niantic will introduce them into the game sooner or later as well. However, it is still unknown if and when they will be found in Pokémon GO. If there are new updates on this, you will find out here on MeinMMO.
What do you think of the new Pokémon from the Hisui region? Which one do you like the most? And are you hoping for a release in Pokémon GO? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments.
With the start of the 3rd Hyperbonus event, 7 cool new Galar Pokémon will also come to the game. We have looked into which monsters these are and will show them to you.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
New systems are a selling point in World of Warcraft. But does the MMORPG really need them?
World of Warcraft is constantly evolving. For many years, it has been quite normal that with each new addon or patch, fresh systems come into play, making the game larger and more complex. Whether it’s unique items with skill systems like the Artifact weapons or the Heart of Azeroth, or larger decisions like choosing a covenant in Shadowlands.
What are the advantages of new systems?
New systems offer a whole range of advantages, both for the developers and the players. These include:
Players look forward to innovations: New systems almost automatically create hype and anticipation. Whether it’s the eager excitement of wielding the powerful blade Ashbringer in Legion, deciding on one of the four covenants in Shadowlands, or building your own garrison in Draenor – all of this often creates anticipation. It can also feel great to simply do something “completely new” in a game that you’ve been playing for years.
Room for experimentation: New, temporary systems also give developers the opportunity to try something fresh without it necessarily becoming a permanent part of the main game. Good examples here are the Island Expeditions or Warfronts. These were largely unpopular features that looked good on paper. Many players agree that it was good to try them out – even if the features ultimately were not well received and were quickly abandoned.
Warfronts were not well received – but many like that Blizzard at least tried.
Long-term improvements: Some new systems start out differently than they end. An example here is “scenarios.” In Mists of Pandaria, they were still “mini-dungeons for 3 players” with rather mixed success. However, the scenario system was later slightly modified and also implemented for solo content, for example, to showcase the finale of a quest line particularly well while excluding other “disturbing” players. This turned a small side feature into something that later became an integral part of the quest structure of the entire game.
What are the disadvantages of new systems?
However, just as systems bring advantages, there are also a number of disadvantages. Opinions vary here as well, but often cited criticisms include:
Borrowed power becomes useless: Many systems are only active for one expansion. Azerite armor from BfA, the garrison in Draenor, the Artifact weapons in Legion, or now the covenants in Shadowlands. All these systems make the character stronger and improve them – but only in the respective expansion or even the respective patch. Afterwards, these features are left behind and become unimportant, which is why the power is only “borrowed” and is left behind or even made inaccessible at the end of the expansion.
High complexity deters players: More and more systems also lead to World of Warcraft becoming increasingly complex. Understanding all the systems from Shadowlands as a newcomer, without consulting guides or looking for information outside the game, is nearly impossible. Anyone who can comprehend covenants, Mythic+, domination sockets, Torghast (and its point system), soul bonds, and conduits at first glance must be a rare exception.
With high complexity and many systems, newcomers hardly make sense of it anymore.
Pressure to participate: New systems often gain relevance in WoW by being linked to other systems. For instance, you have to visit Torghast to craft legendary items. Additionally, there’s the requirement to collect renown levels every week so that your character becomes stronger through soul bonds and conduits. All these systems are essentially mandatory, and it’s not possible to simply omit individual systems that you don’t like, as this leads to disadvantages in other gameplay content.
Players have been discussing this for a long time
This is how players discuss: In the Subreddit for World of Warcraft, the topic is still being talked about from time to time. Currently, a post by ZombieTheRogue is quite high up, which also addresses this topic and wonders whether a WoW expansion actually needs new systems. He says:
All it needs are fun raids with good loot. Tier sets. Real tier sets. Just make a fun raid with good loot that is good on its own, without systems that modify it.
PvP just needs a vendor with gear that can be bought and is good for the current season. Instead of this upgrade system, where you are forced to grind renown and honor.
Doesn’t anyone think that there should be LESS systems in the game?
However, there are also players there who generally like systems. Ojomon_ writes:
I think fewer systems in expansions are a necessity, but I don’t want them to disappear entirely. I really enjoyed the class orders and the Artifact weapons. I enjoy most of my covenant sanctum. But covenant upgrades with soul bonds with conduits with renown create such a huge task for every new character, which only gets bigger as the expansion progresses. […]
I like that every expansion has its “own thing.” But an expansion can’t just consist of “things” that are not carried over to the next one.
More news around WoW on MeinMMO can be found here:
What do you think: Does WoW always need new systems?
But now let’s get to you, our readers on MeinMMO. What is your opinion on new systems in World of Warcraft? Does the game need new systems in every expansion to attract new and old players? Do these systems make the game fundamentally better or worse?
If you want to elaborate your answer a bit more, please leave a comment and explain what you like or dislike about new systems in World of Warcraft. As always: Please keep the discussion polite and factual.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On Steam, the portal shooter Splitgate has become a big hit in recent weeks. The title is currently in a beta phase and is postponing its release indefinitely. Apparently, the developers are trying to get everything right.
What’s going on? The new free-to-play shooter Splitgate has unexpectedly achieved great success on Steam in its beta phase over the past few weeks. The mix of Halo and Portal is very well received by testers and has led to a tremendous influx on the servers. The surge was so great that a large part of the development work after the beta launch went into expanding server capacities.
Studio CEO Ian Proulx even stated that “110%” of their focus is on improving server capacity (via play3.de). This has already led to the postponement of the next-gen version, and now it has also affected the full release on PC – the release date for Splitgate has been completely canceled for now.
Splitgate without a release date – But you can keep playing
Why is there no release date anymore? Like with the first postponement of the release, this time it’s also about server capacities. In a press release provided to the American site Screenrant, CEO Proulx says:
We are focusing on keeping the game stable for the fans and gradually adjusting capacities for simultaneous players to the demand in order to minimize player wait times. We want to do this the right way, and we want to be prepared for massive influxes at the official launch, while continuing to enhance the quality of the beta with frequent updates, additional features, and improvements to server capacities.
Proulx further explains that the beta phase of Splitgate has been extended indefinitely due to the new developments. So you can continue to unleash yourself on the battlefields, but the 10 million downloads in the first 30 days after the launch of the open beta were simply too much for the small studio.
The current hype and the expectations for a full release are likely another reason. If Splitgate scales down the servers now and comes out with the “finished” game in a few weeks, many players would probably expect that the beta issues have been resolved. However, that currently seems unfeasible.
If you haven’t seen the crazy portal shooter yet, we’re embedding a gameplay trailer here:
How successful is Splitgate? The beta started back on May 27, and by early August, the developers had to process around 4,000 simultaneous players on the servers. After the hype launched, there were up to 175,000 simultaneous players on the servers or trying to get into matches, according to a statement from the developer studio 1047 Games.
The all-time peak on Steam is 67,724 simultaneous players, and on top of that, there are also the console soldiers. They still can’t compete with the big players on Steam. Games like Valheim, CS:GO, or PUBG have already accommodated several hundreds of thousands of simultaneous players. Nevertheless, with this all-time peak, they surpass prominent competitors like Destiny 2 (67,461 players), Final Fantasy 14 (65,329), and even almost reach the dino hit ARK (73,618) (via steamcharts – as of August 19).
What happens next? Splitgate is continuing to develop the beta and wants to leverage the current influx to grow the game. The full release is currently not a priority, and the developers of the next-gen versions for consoles are also not focusing on that right now. Enjoy the current version of the game, apart from the queues, and you can continue to unleash yourself in the portal battles.
By the way, for the full release, not only enough server capacities are to be available, but also new arenas will be added. A major announcement is planned during Gamescom next week.
What happens if you install the wrong SSD in your PS5? A YouTuber conducted the test and was surprised by the result.MeinMMO explains what happens if you install the wrong SSD and whether you might even save money with a worse SSD.
Storage space is a rare commodity on the PlayStation 5, as gamers only have about 600 GB of free space for games and updates.
Meanwhile, Sony has introduced how to install an additional SSD in your PS5. However, Sony mainly presented technical details, and many interested parties wish for a list of devices that actually work.
But what actually happens if you install a wrong or incompatible M.2 SSD in your PS5? The tech YouTuber Linus from Linus Tech Tips tried it out and installed various storage media in a PlayStation 5.
MeinMMO explains to you what happens if you install the wrong SSD and whether you might even be able to save money.
Recommended and compatible SSDs for your PS5 can be found in this article:
PCIe-3.0 SSDs do not work with the PS5, drives below minimum requirements are not compatible
What happens if you install the wrong SSD? The PlayStation 5 boots normally, but then you will receive an error message indicating that the hard drive is not compatible. Your console cannot be damaged this way; you just cannot use the installed device properly.
Which M.2 SSD does not work? Linus first installs an M.2 SSD with PCIe 3.0 in the PlayStation 5. And the result is probably not surprising, as the PS5 immediately indicates that it is an incompatible device.
You will need at least an M.2 SSD with PCIe 4.0 for your PlayStation 5; the previous generation does not work.
What was surprising? Linus installs an M.2 SSD in the PlayStation 5 that does not meet the required speed. Still, the PlayStation formats the SSD without any issues, and afterward, you can even play games from it.
The YouTuber does not register performance losses or longer loading times in his video. You can watch the entire video here:
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The price, at 240 euros, is not really higher than that of various M.2 SSDs that you can buy for your PlayStation 5.
However, Linus criticizes that you have no choice with the Xbox; you must and can only buy the specific expansion card designed for the Xbox Series X. This restricts user freedom of choice.
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Is it worth installing a slow M.2 SSD in the PS5?
So far, you can also play games on an SSD that does not meet the minimum requirements without any issues. The YouTuber Linus demonstrates this in his video using Spider Man as an example.
What is recommended? It is advisable to invest the additional 20 to 50 euros in a faster drive. It is likely that Sony and manufacturers will further optimize loading times for newer games in the future. Thus, investing in a fast drive will probably pay off in the long run. However, the current speed is still sufficient for current titles.
What could happen? In the worst-case scenario, Sony might block M.2 SSDs that do not meet the minimum requirements with a future update, and you will no longer be able to use your slow SSD.
The chief architect of the PlayStation 5 has also revealed which M.2 SSD he prefers for the PlayStation 5:
However, Linus criticizes that you have no choice with the Xbox; you must and can only buy the specific expansion card designed for the Xbox Series X. This restricts user freedom of choice.
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Is it worth installing a slow M.2 SSD in the PS5?
So far, you can also play games on an SSD that does not meet the minimum requirements without any issues. The YouTuber Linus demonstrates this in his video using Spider Man as an example.
What is recommended? It is advisable to invest the additional 20 to 50 euros in a faster drive. It is likely that Sony and manufacturers will further optimize loading times for newer games in the future. Thus, investing in a fast drive will probably pay off in the long run. However, the current speed is still sufficient for current titles.
What could happen? In the worst-case scenario, Sony might block M.2 SSDs that do not meet the minimum requirements with a future update, and you will no longer be able to use your slow SSD.
The chief architect of the PlayStation 5 has also revealed which M.2 SSD he prefers for the PlayStation 5:
The new MMORPG Reign of Guilds (PC) is set to launch in the first quarter of 2022. It takes place in a dark medieval world and allows you to fight against monsters and other players in first-person, completely avoiding Pay2Win content and even allowing you to become a saint. We at MeinMMO will show you what else lies within Reign of Guilds.
What is Reign of Guilds? The MMORPG aims to bring back the “classic” MMORPG experience, returning to the roots of the genre. What theme could be more fitting than the dark medieval period combined with fantasy elements?
In first-person, you are to fight your way through the world of Reign of Guilds. But it’s not just monsters and NPCs that present a constant threat; other players on the server can also become dangerous at any time.
The conflict between guilds and alliances is supposed to be at the center of the MMORPG: therefore, politics is expected to play a significant role. As a champion for either side of the conflict, your opponents can ambush you anywhere.
What are the gameplay features? Little is known about the story of Reign of Guilds so far, but we already know a variety of gameplay content that the MMORPG will include. Here is a summary:
Wars between alliances and guilds with up to 150 players
Crafting and player housing
Dungeons, raids, and world bosses
Open-world PvP with a rewarding karma system
14 different classes, including some that specialize solely in crafting
Open world with mounts
Optimized for first-person, with third-person possible
The ultimate goal is always the hunt for loot. You can acquire rewards from both NPC enemies and other players, but you can also lose them if you are defeated.
In this video, you can see gameplay from the alpha in 2019:
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Reign of Guilds lets you become a saint or a psycho
How does the karma system work? In Reign of Guilds, there is open-world PvP, anytime and anywhere. There are no safe zones, and even in your capital city, you can be killed by other players (even if you lose nothing).
To keep it fair, the game implements a karma system that gives you bonuses and penalties depending on how you behave towards others. If you attack a player and they defend themselves, you automatically have a duel. Then you can kill your opponent without affecting your karma and claim the loot.
However, if you kill a player who does not defend themselves, you receive negative karma, which incurs various penalties. Among other things, you’ll have higher costs with merchants, or guards may not let you into the city. You can reduce negative karma or build positive karma by defeating enemies with negative karma. This is also possible even if they do not defend themselves.
With a negative karma value, you are, in a way, fair game. If you kill too many defenseless victims, you receive the title “Psycho,” and some merchants will no longer want to speak with you. In return, you will receive generous discounts from them if you kill enough troublemakers and hold the title “Saint.” Additionally, your karma value affects how much you lose upon dying.
As for the game world, Reign of Guilds sets its sights on a medieval Europe with fantasy elements
How do battles work? In Reign of Guilds, as the name suggests, you will sooner or later need to organize into guilds and alliances and fight for the control of various castles and fortresses.
In these large-scale, intense battles, up to 150 players are expected to clash and create a tremendous battle atmosphere. While you can switch to the third-person view at any time in normal gameplay, battles and PvP matches are limited to first-person view to ensure no one has an advantage.
How can you play it? Currently, there are ongoing alpha tests for pre-order customers and members of the RoG Club, which you can join on the website. Participation is free, but only 2 fans are accepted weekly.
In the first quarter of 2022, Reign of Guilds will then enter the early access phase on Steam. Pre-order customers will receive free access; all others will need to purchase Reign of Guilds to participate.
Upon release, Reign of Guilds is expected to have a Pay2Play system, meaning a monthly subscription to play. If you purchase the early access version, you will be compensated in playtime according to the purchase price.
“If you continue to play our game after the release, the early access is essentially free for you,” promises the Russian development studio on their website (via reignofguilds.com). They also emphasize that there will be no Pay2Win elements, and Pay2Progress is not being considered either.
The developers also keep you updated with various blog entries and a public roadmap regarding the development of Reign of Guilds.
The developers are transparent and keep you updated with these roadmaps
When and where can you play? When the game is finished, you will be able to play it via Steam, on the own launcher, on Epic, and even through Discord. However, early access will initially only be available through Steam and the official website.
The full release of Reign of Guilds is planned for 12 months after the start of early access, which means in the first quarter of 2023.
Are you excited about Reign of Guilds? Are you drawn to the karma system and open-world PvP, or does it put you off? What do you think about the classes that specialize in crafting? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.
A player has shown what impressive achievements can be achieved when a lot of time and energy is put into gaming. He managed to earn 10,000 trophies on the PlayStation 4 over 12 years.
Who played? The reddit user EwokSlayer has played games on the PlayStation 3 and 4 for 12 years and during this time collected a massive amount of trophies.
What did he achieve? Overall, through his dedication to gaming, he accumulated 10,000 trophies, including:
114 Platinum trophies
674 Gold trophies
1,915 Silver trophies
7,297 Bronze trophies
This is an impressive accomplishment, as many players have none or only a handful of Platinum trophies. Such trophies are often only available for a series of particularly tricky tasks that most players cannot handle.
How did he achieve all of this? EwokSlayer is congratulated in his reddit thread (via reddit) by other players who can hardly believe that someone has invested so much time and energy in achieving trophies.
When asked how he found the time for all of this, EwokSlayer states, ‘I was unemployed for too long over the years. But it would have probably been better if I hadn’t had 10k [trophies] [and had a job].’
He was able to get his games cheaply through deals and sales, and thanks to a 2 terabyte SSD for the PS4, there was also enough storage space to avoid constantly having to delete and reinstall games.
What was his most remarkable Platinum trophy? Many readers in the thread wanted to know which Platinum trophy he is particularly proud of.
Definitely Alien Isolation. You have to complete the entire game without dying. Not at all. And the Alien can just appear wherever it wants. My nerves were completely frayed after this game. [But] I loved it.
Additionally, he achieved three particularly tricky trophies in Resident Evil 7 at once. To do this, he had to complete the game in less than 4 hours, use less than three med-kits, and also open the item box a maximum of 3 times. In a ‘nerve-wracking’ session, he managed to do all three at once!
A player of League of Legends has had his high rank become his downfall. He was arrested in an internet cafe in China. After his presence was announced, he caught the eye of an undercover police officer. Apparently, you just cannot hide as a Challenger in China.
Why do strong LoL players stand out in China? In the Chinese megacity of Chongqing, a high-ranking LoL player visited an internet cafe. He is referred to as the “strongest King” in the Chinese press, which is comparable to a “Challenger player” in our terms.
Only a very few people per server achieve the Challenger rank in LoL, around the top 0.011% of the player base.
The player who has now been arrested apparently plays on the Chinese server Iona, the first and oldest server in China: This server is known for having one of the toughest solo queues in the world. Anyone who becomes a Challenger there truly has what it takes.
Presence of a Challenger player announced loudly
In China, internet cafes are akin to “public arcades” for gamers, where they spend their time, and it is common for high-ranking LoL players to be treated like celebrities. When the “strongest King” entered the cafe, his presence was announced loudly.
This is how it led to the player’s downfall: When the player went to machine 19 to play and his presence was announced, it caught the attention of Yihao Zhang, an undercover police officer who was in the cafe to surf the net. Zhang himself plays LoL and took a closer look at the strong LoL player.
As the officer approached him, he noticed that the robust LoL player with a ponytail looked very similar to a wanted suspect. The suspect was wanted for bodily harm.
So the officer took a picture of the suspect, confirmed it was really the wanted individual, and reported it to the on-duty police officers. They arrested the player after he finished his game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so9a-MrzhEM
The officer says:
“I had an appointment to play a game. When I went to the restroom at noon, I heard it. The Challenger came online and I saw a man with a messy ponytail who looked like our suspect before.”
These are the aftermaths: The arrest of the LoL player has caused quite a stir. On Chinese message boards, people are making jokes about it. Chinese LoL players say, “And that’s exactly why I’m not a Challenger!”
In English-speaking forums, they find it utterly insane that one gets called out in “real life” for being so good at LoL. They say it’s like a top athlete entering the hall in China.
Internet cafes in China are an important part of the gaming culture. But gaming in public is not always chic:
Pinhead does not simply kill his victims – he erases them completely from the game. His Mori animation in Dead by Daylight leaves absolutely nothing behind.
Although the mood in Dead by Daylight is a bit gloomy at the moment, as the game has to say goodbye to the “Stranger Things” characters, there is also reason to celebrate. A new killer has been announced and that is Pinhead from the Hellraiser franchise. Like all killers, Pinhead has his own Mori animation, and it is even special in one way: The survivor is transported to another dimension.
What is a Mori animation? Normally, survivors in Dead by Daylight are killed by the mysterious Entity when they die on the hook. However, due to certain perks or offerings, killers can sometimes “take matters into their own hands” and personally kill a survivor. Since this originally comes from the offering “Memento Mori”, players simply call this kill animation “Mori”. Each killer has their own, which is usually very cool but also very brutal.
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What does Pinhead do? Pinhead stays true to his cinematic counterpart and uses chains and hooks. The survivor is lifted and then captured by numerous summoned chains. The chains pierce the skin at several points and even stretch the face a little.
Then a portal opens with a stake equipped with nails and blades, to which the survivor is bound and subsequently screams as he disappears into the portal – thus being erased from the game.
More news about Dead by Daylight can be found here:
Thus, Pinhead is the first killer who leaves nothing behind from his victim and simply transports the corresponding character from the map to another dimension.
Especially cool: Unlike most other killers, Pinhead even speaks and says: “I shall tear your soul apart” – in German roughly: “Ich werde deine Seele zerreißen.”
What do you think of this Mori animation? Pretty cool and fitting for Pinhead? Or rather harmless and boring compared to other Moris?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMORPG New World has the chance to bring new life to the genre and reignite the old love for it. The factions could give you back the sense of belonging that is perhaps missing in modern MMORPGs.
For many people, it’s a nice feeling to belong to a group. And there is a sense of belonging in New World as well, because at the beginning of the game, you must join a faction. You have the choice between the Marauders, the Syndicate, and the Covenant.
These three factions are battling for control over Aeternum. This is directly and obviously shown in the game, as the map is divided into several regions that can be directly controlled and are colored according to the factions:
Expanding one’s influence and coloring the map accordingly was a big goal for the faction.
Control over the regions has positive effects on the players who are there and belong to the ruling faction. For one, it gives a kind of exalted feeling to be in “your” territory. “My” faction is the ruler here, make way for me!
Who writes here? Matthis has been playing MMORPGs for almost 15 years and has accumulated several thousand hours in various titles. It all started with Guild Wars. Currently, he enjoys spending his time with Final Fantasy XIV. He tested New World in beta and was positively surprised by the game.
Besides the “good feeling of belonging”, there are real bonuses in the game when you are in an area that has been conquered by your faction:
More resources when gathering
Discount on fast travel
Access to the storage
Higher chance of HQ items when crafting
It’s worth your while to be in the areas owned by your faction.
The factions communicate with each other via faction chat, and there was quite a bit of activity in that chat during the betas. The nice thing about it is that players shared information about what was happening in the game.
It often revolved around how the factions’ control over the regions shifted overnight and what could be done about it. Overall, players felt a sense of belonging to their faction.
Of course, it could also get a bit rough, but the chat was lively. If other players wanted to use the channel for a private conversation, they were politely but firmly asked to continue that elsewhere, following the motto: Please only write here if it concerns the faction, thank you.
Amazon Games teases New World with a suitable trailer.
In particular, the preservation of the “own” settlements was important to “our” faction, and I can imagine that the same was true for other factions. When a faction controls an area, then a company belonging to that faction can claim a settlement for itself. A settlement is an important meeting point for players because they can:
Buy and furnish houses
Craft items
Access the trading post
Accept quests and contracts
If you’ve ever traded in a settlement, you would have noticed that a small fee is deducted each time. Even if you own a house, you have to pay a small property tax once a week, which goes to the company currently controlling the settlement. And the topic of taxes was also not neglected in the faction chat.
The amount of taxes and fees is set by the ruling companies. The governor of the settlement can use the revenue to finance the expansion of a settlement and, for example, improve crafting stations or unlock certain lifestyle upgrades for the residents. This has a positive impact on the player base – and indirectly on the faction as well.
Taxes and fees in New World will impact the popularity of a settlement.
However, excessive taxes can lead to people not wanting to stay in the settlement and new players not wanting to buy a house there. Because just like in real life, in New World: Almost nobody likes to pay taxes. And almost nobody likes high taxes. Here, a simple conflict of interest arose between the company and the player base.
During the beta, this led to some companies wanting to skim off a nice side income from taxes in a settlement, as Twitter user @official_Ragnar points out nicely:
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At times, the ruling company was disliked by the players of their own faction. And players who dislike the rulers of a settlement will not rush to defend them and provide resources for expansion. For example, Fwankie writes about this experience on Twitter:
The poor Yellow (Covenant) had to live with 25% taxes. Even they hated their leader. Meanwhile, Purple (Syndicate) came together as a community. […] We were motivated and organized.
The factions in New World could foster a strong sense of belonging that extends beyond that of a single guild. And from this sense of belonging could arise the willingness to commit oneself to the entire faction, to collectively achieve their goals, and ultimately lead to a naturally growing community.
What are your experiences with the factions in New World and what was the atmosphere like in them? Is a sense of belonging important to you in an MMORPG, or do you prefer to play for yourself or in a small group? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Call of Duty: Warzone has begun Season 5 rather quietly. But today, Thursday, August 19th, a live event is supposed to create excitement for the new CoD: Vanguard. There will be a special game mode with specific rules, and rewards are also on the agenda. MeinMMO has the details.
What’s happening in Warzone? The new Season 5 has been running in Call of Duty: Warzone for a few days and is heading towards a big highlight. This evening, August 19th, a large live event starts to reveal the latest CoD title: Call of Duty: Vanguard.
As at the reveal event of Black Ops Cold War last year, you can expect a special game mode that will run for a limited time and will likely showcase the first proper trailer for the latest CoD at the end. We will show you how to participate, what could happen, and how to secure free event rewards on MeinMMO.
Update August 19th, 08:40 AM: The train in Verdansk currently does not seem to be making its usual rounds, but had a small accident. We have included a clip under the section “Event schedule – armored train?”
Warzone: Live Event for the Vanguard Reveal in Season 5
How can I participate? The event starts today, Thursday, at 7:30 PM in Warzone. Generally, the event is open and free for everyone. During the last time-limited events, the server queue was long, and players sometimes missed the event because they couldn’t get onto the server.
However, that shouldn’t happen this time. The event mode is apparently also available over the weekend, and if you’re not there at the start, you’ll still have the chance to participate and earn the rewards.
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Queues may be possible at the start of the event. If you want to experience the premiere, log into the game early, perhaps around 7 PM. If you’re in the lobby by 7:30 PM, everything should go smoothly.
At 7:30 PM, there will probably be a small playlist update that brings the event mode into the game. Don’t just start a match at 7:30 PM; wait for the game mode to be available. On MeinMMO, we will set up a ticker with the most important information for you to follow the events.
Armored train could be chugging through Verdansk
What’s going on? It’s still uncertain. But it is considered certain that an event mode will start, requiring specific tasks from you and likely showcasing the new CoD: Vanguard trailer at the end. Last year’s mode during Cold War was largely scripted, allowing for storytelling with a finale in the stadium. The match ended with the first trailer.
Call of Duty, however, gives a little preview of the event mode. In a blog post, it states: “Information from the front has revealed that a new type of weapon is coming to this location [Verdansk]. We haven’t seen it yet, but we know it’s bigger than anything we’ve seen so far. Be ready to assemble your squad and intercept and neutralize the target. It’s likely to be a coordinated fight where all squads work together to get the job done.” (via callofduty.com)
Here’s a photo:
Data miners already found hints for an armored train in the data before the start of the previous Season 4, related to a possible reveal event for CoD: Vanguard. Since the dotted line follows the tracks in Verdansk, this seems like a plausible option.
Update: Another teaser for the train has emerged. The train can currently get stuck in the tunnel by the hospital and is smoldering on the tracks. It’s likely making room for something new and bigger… we will embed the reddit clip here:
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How do I get the rewards? The rewards are intended for all participants in the event. Play the event on Thursday or over the weekend to grab the following cosmetics:
Skin for the motorcycle
A watch
Blueprint for a knife
Weapon blueprint
You can already inspect the items on Twitter. Take a close look at the images, and you will find all 4 cosmetics:
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To make it worthwhile for you to jump into Warzone earlier, a bonus event with double XP starts at 6:30 PM. Apparently, double weapon, account, and battle pass XP are activated for an hour.
The event last year for the reveal of Cold War was certainly one of the highlights in Year 1 of Warzone. If an ill-tempered armored train really speeds through the city for the Vanguard event, the new live event promises to be an interesting experience.
Will you be checking it out in-game and will you be on time on Thursday?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Here, however, you are expected to specifically test on weekends, regularly, and in voice chat with the developers, and are not allowed to talk about it since you must sign an NDA.
New Theme Park MMORPG That Has Yet to Take Off
What is SOLO anyway? Swords of Legends Online is a Chinese theme park MMORPG that emphasizes a story told through many English-voiced cutscenes and quests. It offers 6 different classes, all without gender lock.
In PvE, you can expect world bosses, dungeons in multiple difficulty levels, and already the first raids
For PvP fans, there are faction battles, a 3v3 arena with leaderboard, and several modes that take place in arenas.
Other highlights are the fair equipment system, housing, and a shop that operates completely without Pay2Win and also without Pay2Convenience in the form of additional inventory or bank spaces.
Moreover, even during release, no outstanding figures were achieved. At peak times on Steam, only 18,700 players simultaneously viewed the MMORPG. These numbers can even surpass MMORPGs that were only released years after their Steam launch – like ESO, FFXIV, or Black Desert.
In July, Swords of Legends Online (SOLO) was released in the West. The German publisher Gameforge is now looking for testers to thoroughly evaluate the MMORPG to fix bugs and gather feedback. However, the testers are not going to be paid as usual, but will do everything voluntarily.
What kind of offer is this? Gameforge has called for applications for testers for the new MMORPG in the Swords of Legends forum. To be eligible for the tester role, you need to meet the following requirements:
Be at least 18 years old
Have completed the current raid content
Be able to communicate in English and participate in voice chats
Be available to regularly test new content on weekends
You should send a meaningful application via email (via SOLO). If selected, you can test new content together with the developers, which certainly sounds appealing to some fans.
Why is the offer audacious? The offer from Gameforge sounds like the role of a classic Quality Assurance Tester (QA Tester). As such a tester, you are expected to scour the software for bugs and ensure it is released in good condition. The call for applications even took place from Gameforge’s QA team.
However, classic QA testers are paid for their work. Often, this job is seen as an entry point into the developer industry in gaming.
While QA testers often have experience in programming and frequently use tools or automated processes to find bugs, smaller companies and game developers are always looking for paid testers who are primarily supposed to try out and apply the software.
However, in Swords of Legends Online, active players are sought who are expected to take on at least part of the job of a QA tester entirely free of charge. This offer cannot be compared to a classic alpha or a test server, as you play and report at your own discretion there.
Here, however, you are expected to specifically test on weekends, regularly, and in voice chat with the developers, and are not allowed to talk about it since you must sign an NDA.
New Theme Park MMORPG That Has Yet to Take Off
What is SOLO anyway? Swords of Legends Online is a Chinese theme park MMORPG that emphasizes a story told through many English-voiced cutscenes and quests. It offers 6 different classes, all without gender lock.
In PvE, you can expect world bosses, dungeons in multiple difficulty levels, and already the first raids
For PvP fans, there are faction battles, a 3v3 arena with leaderboard, and several modes that take place in arenas.
Other highlights are the fair equipment system, housing, and a shop that operates completely without Pay2Win and also without Pay2Convenience in the form of additional inventory or bank spaces.
Moreover, even during release, no outstanding figures were achieved. At peak times on Steam, only 18,700 players simultaneously viewed the MMORPG. These numbers can even surpass MMORPGs that were only released years after their Steam launch – like ESO, FFXIV, or Black Desert.
A discussion about a profanity filter escalated in Star Citizen . Critics complained that such a filter would limit the right to free speech and be censorship. However, the tone within an organization was so marked by racist terms that the developers ended up banning some players and backers.
Thus began the discussion: A user reached out to the developers in the Star Citizen forum asking them to install a profanity filter to exclude at least the worst terms that one would never use in real life because they are sexist or racist.
A game must provide a safe environment for all players to feel comfortable.
What is standard in other games sparked a larger discussion within the Star Citizen community. In response, it was stated among other things (via reddit):
This filter would take away people’s ability to speak freely. It only treats the symptom, not the cause.
Such a system would only aim to silence those with differing opinions. This is also called censorship.
The development of Star Citizen is progressing:
“I’m not a racist, but …”
Who got in trouble? In the discussion, a group of players known as the Mandalorian Armed Forces (MAF) came under fire. Screenshots from Star Citizen and a Discord server circulated, showing group members making racist remarks. Derogatory and offensive terms for Black people were used (via reddit).
It was also said repeatedly that this was not meant seriously. It was just a misunderstanding, just joking around: “I’m not a racist, but …”
People were unjustly targeting the group. They were said to be typical “Social Justice Warriors on Twitter” or people seeking drama instead of resolving things calmly.
Ultimately, members of this group, “MAF” from Star Citizen, were banned. Four banned accounts were named on reddit (via reddit). They apparently are veterans of Star Citizen who poured a lot of money into the game.
On reddit, there is debate as to whether the players will get their money back or if they forfeited it due to their misconduct.
What stands out: In discussions about the bans, it is striking that in the Star Citizen forums there are some who argue that the demand to ban someone for racism from Star Citizen is not legitimate.
In the forum, one reads for example: “Political activism” has no place in the forum (via rsi)
Racism has nothing to do with Star Citizen, as people are racists regardless of whether they play or not.
Another user says: Just because someone plays a bloodthirsty pirate in Star Citizen who wants to sell others into slavery, that does not make them a racist. People need to distinguish between the game and reality.
This is much more of a Discord problem than that of the developers of Star Citizen.
However, other users of Star Citizen strongly disagree. They approve of the ban and consider it essential to confront racism clearly.
This is what CIG says: They are far less tolerant than parts of their community. In a statement (via rsi), an employee stated: “Racism has no place in the Star Citizen community. We pursue a policy of zero tolerance and take every report very seriously.”
The problem of racism in MMO guilds is by no means one that only Star Citizen suffers from:
The death of World of Warcraft has been predicted for years. What hardly anyone sees so far: the game is already dying, but the process is dragging on. Too long, says MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus. And that is a problem – for players and for the game itself.
I don’t want WoW to die. It has accompanied me for too long, after all, I have been playing for 16 years now. Nevertheless, the current state is intolerable.
The game is slowly withering away, and if there are any improvements, they are only minor ones on the horizon.
The problem: Although WoW is not as good as it could be from the perspective of many players and myself, it is still ‘good enough.’ It still retains enough players that the community sees no reason to completely write it off.
The (former) WoW streamer Asmongold says: WoW needs to start winning back its players and fighting for them (via Twitch.com). And for that, drastic changes are needed. And yes, WoW needs changes, no matter what. But unfortunately, it doesn’t have to fight for its players yet.
Whether this number is correct is hard to prove. However, it is clear that the dwindling player count is noticeable. At least on smaller realms like mine.
Moreover, more and more content creators are leaving the MMORPG. Asmongold has been playing Final Fantasy instead of WoW for a while now, large YouTubers and streamers have also stopped, and even Vanion has announced: “The passion for WoW is at an all-time low.”
Asmongold and many others have already moved on from WoW.
How does this affect us? At the moment, the only content that I am really actively pursuing is the mythic raid Sanctum of Domination. I play on one of the smallest servers in Europe, which was already expanded to include several other realms with the merge in BfA.
Nevertheless, my guild repeatedly faces the problem of lacking players. On some evenings, we barely manage to gather the required 20 players, often only after raid start because someone arrives late. Skipping because the weather is nice and being able to replace players? Not an option.
Because players are missing. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find motivated and, above all, good members who want to take on the challenges in mythic mode. We have been facing this difficulty for a while, but it is becoming more and more frequent.
The problems of WoW are not severe enough
A look into the community brings little clarity to this question. Opinions vary widely – even here in the MeinMMO editorial team. What bothers me, Cortyn loves, and what Cortyn doesn’t like, I find okay.
It is nearly impossible to say what exactly WoW would need to change to keep ‘the players’ engaged. And that is probably the biggest problem:
all areas are somehow just okay – but not outstanding
many players only log in for fixed appointments with their guild or to complete ‘chores’
the community demands changes in many areas – criticism and praise are nearly equally present everywhere
WoW is only average in many areas now and is unwilling to make some sacrifices to shine in others. Games like FFXIV with its dozens of smaller stories or New World with its refreshingly new gameplay provide alternatives for corresponding target groups.
This is why small groups continue to leave WoW. Never enough to make a noticeable difference, but always enough that the next group can’t find enough players for its plans. This is how WoW is slowly dying. Too slowly.
It would be better if more players left – and faster.
Sure, I could be criticized for just whining. In a way, I am doing that, but I am not alone in my opinion that WoW could be better.
There are several ways WoW could improve – although it isn’t really important what is done. The main thing is that something is done. Once a major change is noticeable, only two paths are possible:
WoW gets drastically better and slowly regains its players. That it can do this is shown by the strong numbers during the heyday of the MMORPG.
WoW gets drastically worse and goes down the drain.
However, the latter would not necessarily mean the death of WoW. The developers are not stupid and understand their craft, as they have proven for years. But if they clearly see that the current path is not working, the likelihood is high that the direction will change. And that is exactly what I hope for.
What needs to change now? As mentioned above, it is difficult to pinpoint what exactly WoW’s problems are at the moment. Yes, it is stale, and no content remains fresh for long. Maybe it is simply due to the fatigue from 16 years of the same game.
Nevertheless, there are a few ideas that could improve WoW and have partially proven themselves before:
A new class: Every generally regarded ‘good’ expansion has had a new class. Sure, this mixes up the balance and offers more options.
Alternatively: Revamped classes. Make the Rogue a ‘Gunslinger’ or ‘Tinker,’ give the Mage a melee spec as a ‘Battlemage’ or provide the Demon Hunter with a third specialization as a ‘Fel-Mage’ for ranged combat.
Revamping dungeons and raids: The new Mythic+ Score makes it rather undesirable for casuals to face the pressure. It can be done better.
Sylvanas and the Jailer are incredibly annoying. They are far too strong.
However, the most important thing would be to finally have a tangible opponent. It is incredibly frustrating when the adversary is so much smarter and more powerful than oneself. Why should we fight Sylvanas when that is exactly her plan? What is the point of fighting the Jailer if he can chain three of the most powerful beings with a snap of his fingers?
Give me an opponent I can fight. Then I might not feel so damned useless or like a pawn in someone else’s chess game, forced to do daily chores. And if that isn’t possible: make me strong enough to fight again – keyword artifact weapons.
However, it is clear that small changes and improvements like the adjusted specs for specializations are at best only small band-aids for a gaping wound. They slow down the process, but that only makes things worse.
WoW needs to die faster to live
At the moment, WoW is in neither a good nor a bad state. It hangs in the balance and subsists while players slowly flow away and the remaining ones seek something to do.
In any case, I hope that WoW takes the curve – one way or another. It would certainly be nicer if it didn’t have to be created anew only when it is on the brink. But even that would be better than watching servers become emptier in the coming months.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
For children, the gaming platform Roblox in 2021 is somewhat like the new Minecraft. Investors and shareholders have pushed the company’s value behind Roblox to over 44 billion US dollars. However, the creativity allowed by the game is taking on disturbing forms as people suddenly recreate massacres in Roblox, like the one in Christchurch.
What is Roblox? Roblox is less of a game and more of an online gaming platform where users can create and play their own video games.
The stock market listing on March 10, 2021, provided an additional boost. The company has achieved an extremely high market valuation of over 44 billion US dollars: Investors believe in the future of the company.
This is now a problem: A researcher from the Anti-Defamation League has approached the US magazine The Verge and revealed that in Roblox, scenes of terrible massacres are recreated. Every time he searches for them in Roblox, he finds them:
In January 2020
In May 2021
and most recently on August 13, 2021, he found such scenes in Roblox:
“I just want to search for Christchurch in Roblox and not see a new recreation of the 2019 Christchurch mosque massacre on a gaming platform for very young children.”
Roblox makes an unbelievable amount of money – but still allows things like this to slip through.
The US site The Verge confirms the researcher’s findings. It states: A simple text search led to the discovery of two of these recreations in the game, both rooms had been visited by more than two hundred people.
During the Christchurch massacre in 2019, more than 50 people died. It is seen as one of the most horrific acts of religiously motivated hatred in recent years.
This is how Roblox responds: When asked, they said they immediately removed the rooms and expelled the creators. They do not tolerate racism, discrimination, or references to tragic events. They have a rigorous system in place to monitor this.
But apparently, Roblox still allows this to slip through. They cannot simply ban “Christchurch,” after all, it is a real city in New Zealand. Therefore, it is important that not everything is automated, but that people are also involved in the moderation process.
What is the problem? Roblox seems to have grown so large and so fast that moderation cannot keep up with the speed at which users bring new content into the game.
For Roblox, whether they can grow their infrastructure with the influx of players will be a crucial factor in the coming years. Specifically, the ability to provide a safe platform for all was identified as a risk factor even at the time of the IPO.
The Elder Scrolls Online is a Buy2Play MMORPG. In order to gain access and try the game, you usually have to pay money upfront. However, it is currently free to play. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch reveals how long you can test ESO and for which player types it is particularly suitable.
How long is ESO free to play? The so-called QuakeCon 2021 event for ESO is currently running. During this event, you can play the MMORPG for free. The event runs until Monday, August 30 at 4:00 PM German time.
During this event, you can create a free account on PC, Mac, Xbox, PlayStation, or Google Stadia and spend as many hours in ESO as you want.
What content is available for free? The event gives you access to the base game of ESO as well as the Vvardenfell area from the first expansion Morrowind. In general, you can:
Try out the four base classes
Explore 23 unique areas
Experience the entire story of the base game
Play with friends who already own ESO and have been trying to convince you to give it a try
However, access to the content of other expansions or DLCs is denied to you.
ESO is an MMORPG for solo players and fans of good stories
What makes ESO special? The Elder Scrolls Online is not a classic MMORPG, as it places a heavy emphasis on many single-player content and easy access to the game world.
For example, you can explore any area in ESO at any level, as your character dynamically adapts to the respective content. You can go straight into one of the endgame areas and the latest expansion without ever having explored the “old game world”.
In addition to scaling, ESO excels at allowing you to essentially avoid contact with other players. All stories can be experienced alone. In addition, there is the new companion system introduced with Blackwood, which allows you to experience all content with an NPC by your side.
What does ESO offer in total?
A huge game world in the universe of The Elder Scrolls
An action-packed combat system with active dodging and blocking
Exciting story content that has been fully voiced in German
Over 40 different dungeons, which also come with a more challenging veteran mode
Raids in the form of so-called Trials for 12 players
Various PvP content, including the massive area of Cyrodiil where the 3 factions battle
A new update every quarter and a new expansion each year
What type of players is ESO particularly suitable for? ESO is primarily aimed at fans of good stories and action-packed combat systems. Because in both areas, the game excels and is among the best that the genre has to offer.
Most content can be completed solo, making it one of the MMORPGs that you can best play alone. With the new companions, this aspect has also improved again.
Although dungeons and raids in the endgame are challenging, they are by no means as demanding as those in genre competitors WoW and FFXIV. Additionally, ESO struggles somewhat with technical issues, especially when it comes to the large PvP area of Cyrodiil. Here, the MMORPG unfortunately does not shine. Criticism is also directed at the update culture, which runs the same way every year and essentially offers no surprises.
By the way, ESO will receive the latest DLC Waking Flame next week. We have summarized everything important about it here:
