The new MMORPG Swords of Legends Online will be released in Summer 2021 in the West. It is planned as a Buy2Play game with an in-game shop. But what does this shop contain and will it be Pay2Win? The publisher Gameforge has now commented on this in a livestream.
What is in the SOLO shop? The MMORPG is supposed to have a shop that only offers cosmetic content. This includes:
Outfits
Hairstyles
Weapon skins
Accessories
Character appearance customization
Mounts
Housing content
All skins that you unlock will automatically be activated for the entire account. However, there are certain outfits that only male or only female characters can wear. For weapons, on the other hand, the skins are unlocked for all types of weapons.
Will there be an optional subscription? No, there is only the shop and the cosmetic items.
What about convenience items? Most MMORPGs offer convenience items like XP buffs, level boosts, and additional inventory or character slots. All of this is not available in the Swords of Legends shop.
However, there are items that allow you to change your name or gender.
Interestingly, we will have 6 classes at launch but only 5 character slots. So you cannot play all classes at once, even if you wanted to spend money for it.
This is what the shop for Crimson Coins looks like.
Can I sell items for in-game currency? No. Selling shop items is used in some MMORPGs to enable “indirect Pay2Win” and thus to acquire in-game currency for real money.
In Swords of Legends Online, the purchased shop items are directly bound to you. However, there is a gifting feature that allows you to buy skins directly for your friends or guild members.
How much does the shop cost? It was revealed in the stream that for 25 Euros you get a total of 4,250 Crimson Coins. This is the currency in the shop:
Costumes cost between 2,250 and 3,850 Coins
Mounts cost between 1,950 and 3,850 Coins depending on the skin
Weapon skins cost between 1,950 and 2,250 Coins
Smaller accessories for the character cost between 350 and 1,250 Coins
A name change costs 1,350 Coins
How much does the MMORPG itself cost? Those who want to play Swords of Legends must purchase access to the game. This costs between 40 and 100 Euros depending on the package. Details about the pre-order packages and the release of Swords of Legends can be found here: The beautiful MMORPG Swords of Legends will be released on Steam in 2021.
Anyone who wants to know how Swords of Legends plays in Taiwan can find a preview report here:
What is special about the shop? For every Crimson Coin spent, you earn a “Loyalti” point. It doesn’t matter whether you purchase something for yourself or for others.
Loyalti points can be used in another shop to unlock more skins, although this shop seems to have a smaller selection than the one for Crimson Coins. Items there cost between 2,950 and 20,000 Loyalti points. So you can essentially shop twice with your Crimson Coins.
This is the Loyalti Shop in Swords of Legends.
What is the Crystal Shop? This third shop allows you to buy cosmetic content as well. However, you can earn the currency for it in the game through daily quests, events, and other activities.
However, the selection in the Crystal Shop seems to be smaller than in the Crimson Shop.
Is there a Battle Pass in Swords of Legends? Yes, in both a free and a paid version:
In the free version, you can earn items with progress. However, these are the same for all players
In the paid version, there are only cosmetic items
However, the Battle Pass is not supposed to be available at the game’s launch. Accordingly, only the Chinese version was shown in the stream:
The Battle Pass of Swords of Legends.
Why is the shop such an important topic? MMORPGs are developed as a game that is to be supported and updated over the years.
However, these costs need to be covered, which is why games rely on either a subscription model like WoW, a shop like in Guild Wars 2, or an optional subscription model like ESO+.
Especially the German publisher Gameforge has not had the best reputation in terms of shops so far. However, the contents listed here are more than fair. If they are maintained, the shop of Swords of Legends Online will be one of the fairest in the genre, also because it does not rely on convenience items like inventory expansions or XP boosts.
What do you think about the shop of Swords of Legends? Are you now a bit more reassured and interested? Or are you ignoring this MMORPG?
The Twitch streamer, Marcel “MontanaBlack” Eris, is considering leaving Germany and relocating to Malta. He believes he pays too much tax in Germany, and “Father State” is now bothering him with new streaming regulations.
That’s why MontanaBlack is thinking about escaping from Germany: The biggest Twitch streamer in Germany is currently considering leaving Germany and emigrating to Malta. There seem to be mainly 3 reasons that he is contemplating emigration:
The state bothers him in Germany with the “broadcast license” and instructs him on how he should stream
These are the financial reasons: In a Twitch stream, the 33-year-old explains that he received an offer from a casino years ago to emigrate to Malta. Back then, he decided against it because he did not feel ready to go abroad.
MontanaBlack said:
I received offers to go abroad 2 years ago. Pay less tax, do casino streams, and so on. […] I would have even become a partner in a casino. It would have been only 2 or 3 percent, but had I accepted those percentages back then, it would now be about 20 or 30 million euros, as far as I know; I would have to check again. And that’s not a lie, that’s absolute real talk.
MontanaBlack
The financial benefits of moving to Malta are clear for MontanaBlack. He explains this in a calculation example:
If he earned a million euros per year, he would have to give the state in Germany 50%, or 500,000 €.
In Malta, he pays a little more than 10%.
“I earn a million euros a year, and in the end, I give away 100 and have 400,000 € more in my account.”
That’s just “crazy, my great-grandfather, dude.”
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What makes the decision even more attractive now? The financial aspect that MontanaBlack extensively illuminates is not decisive for him, says the Twitch streamer later. Because money does not make you happy in the long run.
But now he is quite annoyed by the new rules for streamers. It seems that MontanaBlack is bothered by the fact that he can no longer do casino streams.
In Malta, he could bring casino content. There is always something there, it’s varied, explains MontanaBlack, whereas in the gaming market, he is too dependent on the release situation. And in gaming, there hasn’t been anything to play on his console for a year and a half.
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Above all, the rules about the broadcasting license seem to preoccupy MontanaBlack now. He says:
the “pigs” are making his life hell with the broadcast license
“Father State” suddenly tells him how he should stream. “Father State” demands that he only plays games rated 18 and above after 11 PM, and he won’t put up with that
That is now the biggest reason why he is once again considering the idea of emigrating. Previously, the idea had actually gone away; he built a house, settled down, and felt comfortable, but now “Father State” leaves him no choice.
Further articles about MontanaBlack’s adventures on MeinMMO:
MontanaBlack now feels that he has built something big over 8 years, but now “Father State” is putting such huge obstacles in his way with the broadcasting license that it is making him depressed. He now has problems getting out of bed in the morning because the topic burdens him so much.
MontanaBlack says: He won’t put up with all this anymore. He has to escape; he has no other choice.
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What’s up with the broadcasting license? A new law stipulates that livestreamers on Twitch and YouTube are subject to the same rules as for television. However, channels that reach an average of fewer than 20,000 simultaneous viewers are exempt from these rules.
MontanaBlack is one of the few German streamers who reaches more than 20,000 viewers and falls under this new rule.
MontanaBlack has apparently tried to dilute his program on Twitch through repeated streams and bring his average viewer count below the 20,000 mark in order to avoid the need for a broadcasting license.
But that didn’t work: His popularity becomes his downfall, as he puts it.
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The compilation of a Twitch stream shows MontanaBlack’s thought process about having to leave Germany.
Whether MontanaBlack will actually emigrate to Malta is still unclear at the moment. However, the topic is clearly on his mind.
He recently pointed out another advantage: In his hometown Buxtehude, it was 5 degrees on Wednesday night, while Malta lured with lovely 21 degrees. He’d rather be there, he says.
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MontanaBlack raves in his Twitch stream about Malta, praises the weather and the good internet there. He says that from there he would produce less gaming content and more “IRL” content, meaning streaming from real life.
The last time he streamed “IRL” content from Malta, it didn’t go so well. He faced a 30-day ban on Twitch:
In Destiny 2, you can find the “Daily Focus” in 2 ways. There is a good reason why players are confused about this in the Guardian Games and cannot upgrade their event-exotic.
In Destiny 2, the Guardian Games 2021 are taking place for the next few weeks, and you should prove yourself in the event, among other things, in the “Daily Focus Playlist” and the “Daily Focus”. Both refer to the same thing, but it is not as easy to find as it initially seems.
Some players are really upset because they spent a lot of time in the wrong modes. We will show you the benefits you have with the Daily Focus Playlist in the Guardian Games and why this is so confusing. Of course, after this article, you will also know how to find the Daily Focus in seconds.
This is what the Daily Focus brings:
You will receive more Glory here. The special items are your currency in the event. You use them to buy from Eva, need them to complete Triumphs, and for Bounties.
Players are excited about the event-exclusive exotic “Inheritance Appearance“. It will get stronger with the new catalyst; however, it requires kills in the Daily Focus Playlist.
We read in the comments at MeinMMO that many of you are getting massive kills with Inheritance Appearance, but they do not count towards your quest progression. This is because Destiny 2 confuses you with the playlist.
This is why it is confusing: In the Guardian Games, you also have access to a special playlist: “Guardian Game Strikes”, which you start in the Tower. Many assume that this is also the Daily Focus Playlist. After all, this mode was created specifically for the ongoing event. However, here you are “only” matched with guardians of your class – theoretically, the Daily Focus could take place here.
Additionally, it adds to the confusion that in Destiny, Focus usually refers to the subclass element. Each week, for example, there is top loot if you equip an Arc, Solar, or Void class according to the strike modifier (appropriate focus). It is understandable to wonder what the “Daily Focus” and “Daily Focus Playlist” in the Guardian Games refers to suddenly.
You have 2 options in the game to find out which playlist is active today.
Search in Orbit: When choosing planets in orbit, you will find the Guardian Games symbol – a flower with 3 circles. Select it from the left corner, and under “Daily Focus,” you will see which mode brings extra glory today and where you can level up the new catalyst. You will also find the symbol in orbit next to the milestone indicator.
Finding the Daily Focus in Orbit
This is what the Medal Box says: In the quest menu, you will find the new item “Medal Box”. All your medals and glory go into the box – it also shows the “Daily Focus”.
By the way, you should regularly check the Medal Box in the Guardian Games, because if you collect more glory or medals than you have free spaces, your efforts are almost in vain. So if the box is full, hurry to the Tower and turn in your achievements. This will help your class win in the competition.
The Medal Box reveals the Daily Focus
When does the playlist change? Every day at the Daily Reset, the Daily Focus changes. Throughout the Guardian Games, this is at 7:00 PM. If there was a playlist that was not beneficial for you throughout the day, you can then check in the orbit or Medal Box after the reset to see if you are lucky this time.
Quickly get machine gun kills in the Daily Focus Playlist
This playlist is the best: If you want to level up your catalyst quickly to the max, you should venture into Strikes.
Today, on April 22, the Crucible is the Daily Focus. This is rather unfortunate, as there is very little Power Ammo here and Guardians are not as easy to kill as PvE enemies. Gambit is not really recommended either, as the enemies here can take a lot of damage and you harm your team significantly if you take the Power Ammo before the invader.
In Strikes, you can complete all necessary kills in one go with the right modifier and suitable mods, like Machine Gun Scavenger and Reserves. So if you want to keep your nerves, check at every reset which mode is up and hope for Strikes.
Have you also wondered what exactly the Daily Focus or Daily Focus Playlist is? We hope we could help you in this case. If you have any other questions, let us know in the comments – also tell us what you think of the Guardian Games 2021 in general.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Call of Duty: Cold War and CoD Warzone Season 3 with the new Battle Pass has launched. We show you the most exciting tiers and rewards.
This is happening now in Call of Duty: On April 22nd, Season 3 started in Cold War and Warzone. Accordingly, there is also a new Battle Pass, which is partly even free.
You can find the most important information about Season 3 here:
What do you get with the Battle Pass? There are a total of 100 tiers in the Season 3 Battle Pass. You can unlock various cosmetic items, such as new skins or blueprints.
There are also new weapons and gameplay-relevant content available for every player, regardless of whether they purchased the Battle Pass or not.
How much does the Battle Pass cost? You pay 1100 CoD Points (approximately 10 Euros). Otherwise, you can also buy the Battle Pass plus 20 tier-ups for 2400 CoD Points.
What exactly is included in the Battle Pass can be seen in the YouTube video from Whoisimmortal:
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What’s available right at the start: Those who purchase the Battle Pass will receive some nice cosmetics right from the start. These include:
Disruptor skin for the new operator Wraith
Stinger, a skin for the operator Woods
Wellington Ash, a watch as an epic accessory
A seasonal XP boost of 10 % throughout the entire season
These weapons are available: In total, you will unlock 2 new weapons through the Battle Pass. They are free for everyone – no purchase of the Battle Pass is necessary.
At tier 15, you will receive the first weapon: PPSH-41. This is an SMG with relatively low damage per shot. However, it excels with its rapid-fire and high capacity. This allows it to fire many shots quickly, making it particularly useful in close combat situations.
The second new weapon is the Swiss K31. You unlock it at tier 31 in the Battle Pass. This is a sniper that has very high accuracy and can reload very quickly. Additionally, it has a high ammunition capacity.
Official screenshot of the Swiss K31.
These are more highlights: To keep you informed about the content of the Battle Pass, here are some highlights:
Tier 5 – Blueprint Anodized Carbon
Tier 8 – Derby Racer skin for your vehicles
Tier 10 – Breakpoint skin for Beck
Tier 18 – Blueprint Field Infantry
Tier 20 – Battle Tested skin for Park
Tier 21 – Blueprint Vex Lord
Tier 24 – Blueprint Damascus Elite (free for all)
Tier 27 – Blueprint Gilded Rose
Tier 30 – Security Details skin for Sims
Tier 35 – Blueprint Rat Tail
Tier 38 – Blueprint Factory Stainless
Tier 40 – Encroachment skin for Song
Tier 45 – Blueprint Go Getter
Tier 42 – Blueprint Forsaken Trinity
Tier 50 – Stronghold skin for Vargas
Tier 51 – Blueprint Rattler
Tier 55 – Blueprint Slow Death (free for all)
Tier 59 – Blueprint Elegant Alloy
Tier 60 – Black Slate skin for Powers
Tier 65 – Blueprint Glow Catalyst
Tier 70 – Pathfinder skin for Hunter
Tier 71 – Blueprint Space Probe
Tier 76 – Blueprint Roman Opulence
Tier 80 – Rally Cry skin for Zeyna
Tier 81 – Blueprint Big Game Hunter (free for all)
Tier 85 – Blueprint Fast Leak
Tier 89 – Blueprint Drab Deputy
Tier 90 – Violent Nature skin for Garcia
Tier 95 – Blueprint Loud Pipe
What’s available at tier 100: For the final tier, there is the White Queen skin for the new operator Wraith. Additionally, there is the Roman Standard skin for the sniper and the “Fortress” skin for vehicles. There is also an emblem for Season 3.
Is the Battle Pass worth it? If you are already playing a lot of Cold War or Warzone, then you can’t go wrong with the Battle Pass. If you reach tier 100, you get enough CoD Points to buy the next pass. You won’t have to spend any more money.
Otherwise, keep in mind that you don’t gain any gameplay advantages from the paid Battle Pass. The new weapons are also available without purchasing the paid Battle Pass. So be aware that you are only spending money on cosmetic items.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Blizzard has launched a new alpha test of the mobile game Diablo Immortal. The focus is on PvP and endgame content.
Who is the alpha for? The freshly launched alpha is aimed at players living in Australia. Additionally, selected members of the Diablo community, some influencers, and representatives of the press have been invited.
What is the alpha about? There are some innovations compared to the test that took place last December. These include:
The new class of the Crusader as a hybrid between the wizard and melee fighter
New zones and dungeons, including Mount Zavian, the home of the monks, and the Frozen Tundra, as well as the dungeon Cave of Echoes
PvP
Endgame content
Diablo Immortal’s Game Designer Wyatt Cheng talks in the video about the new alpha of Diablo Immortal:
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This is the focus of the alpha: The test centers around the endgame, which is also closely linked to the PvP of Diablo Immortal. We will introduce you to the endgame content in more detail.
Here is what the endgame looks like: The endgame content revolves around earning the Crown of Eternity to become an Immortal. Those who can claim this coveted crown in the PvP war can make the other members of their faction complete tasks as their leader. We will reveal how you can obtain the Crown of Eternity soon in a separate article on MeinMMO. First, we will present the tasks that you may assign as soon as you possess the crown.
To start one of the endgame missions, it is necessary for the members of your faction to complete daily quests. This allows them to collect the resource Essentia. If you have enough Essentia, these tasks become available to you:
Kion’s Trial – Up to 48 players from your faction can attempt this raid. Within 30 minutes, you must defeat four boss opponents. As a reward, you receive loot along with Daedass’s Blessing. The buff grants you a strengthening effect and a bonus for Elder Portals. Additionally, it fills the treasure chamber of the Immortals.
Defense of the Treasure Chamber – Your enemies attempt to attack the treasure chamber of the Immortals. Then your faction must push back the thieves.
What else is there to do in the endgame? Another endgame content is the Hell’s Reliquary. After the main quest, you can use this machine to seek out particularly powerful demons. If you defeat the monsters, you feed the machine with the remains so that you can absorb a part of the demons’ power and thus become even stronger.
This is what the Hell’s Reliquary machine looks like.
It is possible to upgrade the Hell’s Reliquary, for which you need to collect the material Scoria, which you can find at the Honor Vendor and in Bounty Chests. NPC Charsi then crafts Hellfire Scoria from it, which you use to upgrade the machine. This grants your character more power from the collected remains of the demons.
What do you think of the endgame in the mobile game Diablo Immortal? Do you find it interesting?
Genre: MMORPG | Developer: Pearl Abyss | Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Release: March 3, 2016
On March 3, 2016, Black Desert was released in the West and recently celebrated its 5th birthday. We from MeinMMO conducted an interview with the developers in this context. We look back at the past, present, and future of the MMORPG.
What’s going on with Black Desert? The Korean MMORPG Black Desert is one of the most well-known games in the genre and is particularly popular in the West.
As part of our initiative Find Your Next Game and the 5th birthday of the game, we interviewed the developer Pearl Abyss. Our questions were answered by Executive Producer Kim Jae Hee.
The conversation focused on the development of Black Desert, the current state, and where the game sees itself in the coming 5 years. The region of Europe is to play a particularly important role in that future.
What exactly is Black Desert? Black Desert is a sandbox MMORPG that offers you a lot of freedom. In return, quests and story play a subordinate role. You can level up endlessly, improve life skills, build a network of workers, and even craft a ship to sail the world.
In this context, the MMORPG offers a completely open world, where there is also open PvP. Additionally, there are the so-called Node Wars, where you can fight against other players and guilds for control of certain zones.
A highlight is the action-packed battles and the 22 different classes you can choose from.
“A continuous stream of updates is key to success”
MeinMMO: Black Desert celebrated its 5th anniversary in March 2021. What have you learned in the last 5 years?
Kim Jae Hee: MMORPGs are a genre that is typically operated over the long term. It is accessible at all times and is always there for us. Therefore, the biggest lesson we have learned in the last 5 years is “Never stop.” In terms of consistency, we want to emphasize that some of our loyal adventurers have played the game every day for several years.
If the game had not undergone changes or adjustments over the years, it would certainly have become boring for the players. That is why we have offered a new update almost every week for the last 5 years. We are well aware that providing new thrills – from major updates to small adjustments in detail – plays the most important role in entertaining the players.
We would like to cautiously assume that most of our adventurers are in tune with our constant stream of updates, so they may be disappointed sometimes, but never lose complete faith. Therefore, we will not shy away from anything but continue to work on improving Black Desert.
Nonetheless, there is a “teacher” from whom we have learned on our journey over the last 5 years: the love of the adventurers for our game. With the increasing number of years, we see more and more adventurers who genuinely love and enjoy our game. To give back the incredible love and heartfelt laughter we have received from our adventurers, we can’t help but do our best.
We would like to thank our players once again for their valuable feedback and support, and we will work hard to develop a better and more exciting game in return.
Executive Producer Kim Jae Hee at an appearance related to Black Desert (Source: PR)
MeinMMO: MMORPGs have been constantly changing in recent years. What do you think is the future of the MMORPG genre in the next 5 years?
Kim Jae Hee: Every genre – not just MMORPGs – has its downtime. It’s about trends, and we can’t predict the future trend precisely. Many players have favorites in one genre and enjoy various genres simultaneously instead of playing just one genre.
In 7 years of live service, we feel that we have to maintain the genre’s core rule, but at the same time, we can also go beyond the genre. We focus on the question ‘what we can do for Black Desert’ instead of ‘what we should do for an MMORPG’, and we have learned how to take some aspects of different genres and apply them to the Black Desert franchise.
We will continue to develop solely for the enjoyment of Black Desert, and one can see the answer to this question when playing Black Desert in 5 years. We do not predict anything, but we experiment. We are confident that we can adapt to the rapidly changing situation as we have done in the last 5 years.
MeinMMO: What role will Black Desert Online play in the MMORPG market in 5 years?
Kim Jae Hee: Of course, we hope that Black Desert becomes an MMO with its own, unique identity, and we give our best for that. We envision Black Desert becoming a game that is so special and stands out from others that people will continue playing it or keep returning after a break.
The advantages of Black Desert lie especially in the vast open world, the highly perfected, action-based narrative, and the endless offerings of content. These advantages are constantly evolving, and the degree of perfection increases over time, contributing to the unique value of Black Desert. We reaffirm that our continuous stream of updates is key to enable this.
The world is changing faster than we expected. The era of electric and autonomous cars is approaching, and cloud gaming is no longer a dream but a reality. We will strengthen the foundations of the game and never stop experimenting.
We do not want to spend time on predictions, but rather spend more time reflecting on the feedback from adventurers through constant updates. If we do that, Black Desert will essentially be the same game, but with brand new features.
For Black Desert, it’s not just about developing the game and bringing it to market. The live service of the game is about constant updates and growth with the adventurers.
We want Black Desert to be a lifelong partner for them.
Black Desert is often praised for its beautiful graphics.
Europe is so important to Pearl Abyss that a local branch has been opened
MeinMMO: How important is Europe for Black Desert? How many players come from here compared to Korea?
Kim Jae Hee: Europe is one of the most important service regions for Black Desert. We recently established a branch in Europe and opened our own server there. Furthermore, the game is offered in French, German, and Spanish for European adventurers, and we actively support communities in these languages.
We see that our adventurers in the EU region really enjoy our game, and we are looking for different ways to give back to this positivity. I would avoid comparing the EU service to the KR service, as all statistics need to be viewed in their own context. However, I can confidently say that the numbers we receive from the EU service are among the most successful in all the regions we manage.
Nonetheless, we try to look beyond the numbers and connect with the actual experiences or true feelings of the adventurers, which we value more than just a few proud data entries.
Black Desert should become even more professional and the story more captivating
MeinMMO: Can you name one thing you are really proud of in Black Desert Online and one thing you want to improve in the future?
Kim Jae Hee: We have countless things we can be proud of. We can start with our top-notch graphics, breathtaking and exciting action with simple controls, and smooth animations. Then we also have visual effects of great quality, obsessively perfected and renewed sound effects, and our unique content like the knowledge system and the Node Wars. We could literally go on for days just talking about the things we are proud of.
Regardless of all these features, I want to express my gratitude to all the members of our Black Desert studio who have made all these developments and achievements possible.
It’s not easy to bring massive content updates every week (such a case is almost unprecedented and has no parallels around the world), to solve emerging problems in real-time, and to prepare the update for the next week. Additionally, various operational issues may arise during live operations, which we solve promptly and accurately while also addressing long-term issues like game balance and the remastering of graphics and sound effects.
We started with 8 classes 5 years ago and now have 22. Moreover, we have added a number of new regions: Mediah, Valencia, Kamasylvia, Drieghan, the Great Ocean, Port Ratt, and O’dyllita. Nevertheless, we still see room for improvement.
At the moment we are working on improving the direction/production of scenes and making the story more captivating.
The story of Black Desert is partially told through the Black Spirit.
Kim Jae Hee: We view Black Desert as a living world. We ask ourselves these questions as we continue our journey: How would we adapt well in this world? What would make this world more viable and lively? What would make the adventure here even more exciting? These are our fundamental considerations in developing the world of Black Desert.
We tried the generally known “instance” type of dungeon before our closed beta test, but we would like to emphasize once again that the Black Desert we envision is a world where adventurers live together, interact with one another, and build relationships in a single, unified dimension.
Having different experiences with other adventurers in a single world will be an exclusive fun that no other open-world RPG can offer.
Instead, we offer many options to compensate the “convenience” a bit.
Although they are not instances, the battle arenas, the Arena of Arsha, and the Crimson Battlefield provide adventurers with instant access. Since we recognize the advantage and practicality of the system, we also offer Blood Altar as an instance, which serves a completely different purpose than the rest of the content in Black Desert.
Overall, we do our best in the development of the game to expand the world of Black Desert and increase its proximity to reality while simultaneously opening the doors to many new possibilities.
New classes will not hinder other content and are expected to arrive regularly in the future
MeinMMO: You bring about three to four new classes to the game each year. Most recently, the Sage as the 22nd class was introduced. How will you ensure that the many classes are distinct enough from one another?
Kim Jae Hee: A central point when designing a new character is what concept, fun, or fantasy it will offer to the players. We would call this the “unique identity” of each character; while there may be some similar traits, each class has its own concept and playstyle, aside from its level of competitiveness.
As evidence that this variety does indeed attract all players, our player population is quite evenly distributed across the classes.
To go into a bit more detail, we have extensively studied what type of action style would best suit each new character, especially since one of the biggest advantages of Black Desert is its action (combat) system. Meanwhile, we also refer to various data and consider the interaction or chemistry of the new character with the previous characters.
For the Sage, we had these concepts or keywords in mind:
Ancient
Magic
Creation
and good aesthetics.
From this foundation, we extended the concept of time and space manipulation in relation to the actual functionality of the character and composed the skills accordingly. In hopes of realizing the concept of a “time and space” manipulator, we gave them a unique cubical weapon and unprecedented animation effects for skills.
Every component is designed to build the “unique identity” of the Sage, just as we have done for all other heroes up to this day. We focus on the unique identity of each character and hope we can diversify not only their outward concept but also their actual performance or style in combat.
The new class, Sage, is inspired by the ancient.
MeinMMO: Are you planning to slow down the release of classes at some point?
Kim Jae Hee: We introduced about 2 classes per year until 2020 and do not intend to slow down the development of new classes as it does not hinder the development of other content.
We always want to have classes or content that offer adventurers new experiences, and we have tried many things based on user feedback or staff ideas.
We can’t say how many more classes will be released, but we do our best. People from so many different cultures enjoy Black Desert and also have many diverse needs regarding the classes. We will create fun and unique classes based on that feedback.
Self-publishing is intended primarily to strengthen direct communication and support
MeinMMO: In February 2021, you started self-publishing Black Desert in the West. What has changed as a result?
Kim Jae Hee: The most important change is that we from Pearl Abyss can now communicate more closely and directly with the users. Direct and transparent communication with users plays a vital role in enhancing the quality of service and user experience. Therefore, we hope to offer a more welcoming and user-friendly service through self-publishing.
Editor’s note: The questions were submitted before our article regarding the support issues. Here, there is considerable criticism from Western players. Pearl Abyss subsequently made a detailed statement regarding support, as you can read in that article. There it was promised to work on current issues.
MeinMMO: What advantages does it bring to be the publisher in the West?
Kim Jae Hee: So far, we have seen more advantages than difficulties. We have received significantly more and open feedback, and if we agreed with it, we immediately set out to improve. We believe that self-publishing is the biggest advantage.
I must emphasize again that there have not been any “difficulties”, but heavy responsibility comes closest. We have the heart to provide better service and receive even more love from the adventurers of Black Desert.
As much as we feel responsible, we translate that energy into motivation to serve a top-notch game.
MeinMMO: After taking over publishing, you made significant changes to the loyalty system. You doubled the prices of many items. What was the reason for that?
Kim Jae Hee: The previous products of the loyalty shop served their purpose and proved helpful for the adventurers, but they needed to be gradually revised to meet the pace of our content updates and the growing needs of our adventurers.
Rather than simply replacing some products, we conducted a complete but necessary overhaul. We also plan to introduce special items that will rotate periodically, allowing players to have a broader range of support with greater convenience. We will continue to present this type of update to support adventurers and do our best to create a more enjoyable gaming environment.
Crossplay between PC and consoles is not planned yet, but possible
MeinMMO: In 2019 you brought Black Desert to consoles, and they quickly received content updates. Do you believe they will ever reach the same status as the PC version?
Kim Jae Hee: They are almost identical except for some content that still needs localization. We are aiming for the global service of the game with a global version, and that is one of the reasons for fast and constant updates. However, the speed of updates is based on the playstyle of the regions.
We have tried many different ways to add entertaining content to the game. For example, we released a new class simultaneously on different platforms. The knowledge we acquired over the past 7 years in various regions will be transferred to the console version.
MeinMMO: Can players expect crossplay between consoles and PC at some point?
Kim Jae Hee: We haven’t thought about that yet. However, we always keep possibilities open. The crossplay between Xbox and PS was not planned at all, but the active suggestions from adventurers eventually led us to support crossplay.
Implementing it between a console and a PC would definitely require a lot of research and consideration, but we see no reason to avoid the challenge as long as it is desired by many adventurers.
MeinMMO: We thank Kim Jae Hee for the detailed answers to our questions.
What do you think of the MMORPG Black Desert and its development in recent years? And when did you last play it?
Those who want to know more about Black Desert can watch the livestream on Tuesday evening at 7:30 PM as part of Find Your Next Game, where MeinMMO will present the MMORPG more specifically for beginners and discuss the development of the game.
In a livestream on April 21, the publisher Gameforge provided insights into the future of the Buy2Play MMORPG Swords of Legends Online. The information about the start of the Alpha and Beta, as well as the shop, was particularly interesting.
When does Swords of Legends start? As Gameforge has announced, the Alpha for Swords of Legends Online will start next week. Selected media and content creators will participate in the test. This Alpha is expected to last about 2 weeks.
After the Alpha, “a few weeks” will pass before the first Closed Beta begins. The start will likely fall between late May and mid-June. Anyone who has pre-ordered the MMORPG or obtained beta keys will be able to participate. It is expected to last a few days.
The second Closed Beta is scheduled to take place 1-2 weeks after the first. Again, pre-orders and beta key holders will be allowed to test the game. The second beta is expected to last about a week.
Will there be a wipe after the beta? Yes, all players will start fresh at release. That is why there will also be a name reservation shortly before release, allowing players to create characters in advance.
The phases of development of Swords of Legends.
What else was covered in the livestream? The following content has been or will be shown in the stream:
The character creation – you can use numbers in your name
This is what the shop in Swords of Legends offers: The developers emphasize in the livestream that the shop will only contain cosmetic items. This includes:
Outfits
Hairstyles
Weapon skins
Accessories
Character reskinning
Mounts
Housing content
All skins will be unlocked for the entire account. However, there are outfits that can only be worn by male or female characters
Additionally, there are general comfort items like name changes or gender changes. Real money items cannot be sold to other players, but there is a gifting mode to directly gift an item to friends.
Screenshot of the shop from the livestream.
How much do the contents in the shop cost? For 25 euros you get 4,250 Crimson Coins. For 25 euros, you can thus get about 2 weapon skins or one outfit.
What is the Loyalty Shop? For every Crimson Coin spent, you also receive Loyalty Points (ratio 1:1). It does not matter whether you buy for yourself or gift the contents. The Loyalty Shop is a kind of second shop where you can unlock additional skins. However, there are no Pay2Win items found here as well.
The Loyalty Shop, where you can access additional skins.
What is the Crystal Shop? Through dailies and other set activities, you can earn the currency Crystal. Certain cosmetics can also be unlocked through this.
What else? Swords of Legends will feature a Battle Pass. This allows you to earn more cosmetics. The free version will also include items that grant progress, but these can all be earned through gameplay.
The paid version will receive special cosmetics that can only be obtained through it.
Can you still watch the livestream? You can watch the recording on Twitch (via Twitch).
What do you think about Swords of Legends and the new information? Are you pre-ordering it or ignoring the MMORPG?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Since the release, the co-op shooter Outriders has been struggling with several issues. One of these is a quest bug in the side mission “Old Powers”, which can still occur. MeinMMO shows you how to circumvent it if it happens to you.
What kind of bug is this? The error occurs in the side mission “Old Powers”. You can find the quest in Chapter 10 of the main story in the old ruins. You receive the task from Dr. Zahedi to locate and examine some obelisks in the ruins.
What is the problem with this mission? It may happen that the quest marker does not update correctly. This causes players to be misled and get stuck at a certain point.
Fortunately, there is a way to circumvent this bug. We will show you how it works.
How to find the 3 obelisks
How to reach your goal nonetheless: During the quest, you need to visit a total of three obelisks. This will take you across the area of the old ruins. However, the quest marker does not lead many players to the respective obelisks and does not update.
Nevertheless, it is not complicated to get to the obelisks:
You need to start from the camp “Distorted Sculpture”.
You can find the “Obelisk in the Courtyard” by orienting left from the flag. Go back a little towards the river and then turn right.
You can find the “Obelisk of the Forgotten Ruins” by going up the stairs from the flag and turning left.
You can find the “Obelisk of the Valley Ruins” by turning around from the flag, heading towards the river, and then turning left. Keep to the left by the wall, and you should find the entrance to the area.
It is important that you follow the order. Otherwise, the respective paths are blocked, and you will end up in a dead end.
You can also watch the whole quest in this video from the channel Game Guides Channel:
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Initial complaints about the bug arose as early as the release of Outriders in the associated subreddit (via reddit).
However, the bug still apparently exists, as the latest posts below are 6 days old (as of April 21) and thus have not yet been resolved. The reason was possibly the other issues that Outriders has been struggling with.
Did you experience the problem as well? Did the description help you? Or did you go through the quests without any issues? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
As Xbox announced, over 50 Free2Play online multiplayer games are now truly available for free: no ongoing “Xbox Live Gold” subscription is required anymore. Among the 50 Free2Play games are well-known titles like Apex Legends, Fortnite, or Warframe. With this, Xbox continues to expand its offerings around Game Pass, Xbox Live Gold, and its Xbox Network.
What’s going on? As Xbox announced on Twitter, over 50 F2P games on Xbox are now truly free.
Weren’t they already Free2Play? Theoretically yes, but on Xbox, these titles previously required a Gold membership to play online.
This means Xbox consoles now have a significant increase in online games that are available to everyone without restrictions.
How did this decision come about? According to the official website, where the announcement and the list of games can be found, they listened primarily to fans’ feedback.
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The complete list can be found on the Xbox website under the announcement (via Xbox.com).
The announcement could also mean that the multiplayer of Halo: Infinite will also be completely free for everyone to play. This should be released separately from the main game as a Free2Play title.
“Better late than never”
This is how fans are reacting to the announcement: At the current time (April 21, 18:00), there aren’t many responses yet. Overall, the replies are positive, but some feel it was long overdue.
Andy writes: “There’s no applause for this, it should have happened 10 years ago!” (via Twitter). Others, however, are happy about the decision.
Even the “Master Chief” himself expresses his gratitude, although it is likely to be the Twitter account of a fan: “Incredible what you are releasing right now! A big thank you to the whole @XboxDACH team for this outstanding generation so far” (via Twitter).
What do you think of this step? Are you excited, or do you think it was long overdue? Let us know in the comments.
A major update for Call of Duty came this morning, April 21st. We look at the patch notes for the Season 3 update at Call of Duty: Cold War.
When is the new update coming? The update is already available, but the contents of the new season will go live tomorrow morning at 06:00 AM. The changes have been active all day today, and now the developers have released the patch notes. Here are the patch notes for Warzone.
3 New Weapons at the Start of Season 3 – More Coming Later
These are the 6 new weapons: For Season 3 in Call of Duty: Cold War, 6 new weapons are being introduced. 3 of the weapons will be available right at launch:
The submachine gun PPSh-41, which Treyarch considers the “Most Popular Submachine Gun in the entire Call of Duty series”
the Swiss sniper rifle K31
and the “Balistic” Knife – this weapon is set to bring back the “Stick and Stones” mode from the original Black Ops
With further updates, three additional weapons will follow in Season 3:
The tactical rifle Carv.2
The submachine gun AMP63
And a baseball bat as a melee weapon
Here are more highlights from the patch notes: A new Battle Pass is coming with 100 levels that promise content. Call of Duty tempts with the “Wraith” skin which is already active at Tier 0. This skin will only be active from the morning of April 22nd.
Additionally, they promise 4 multiplayer maps throughout Season 3, of which 3 will be “6v6” maps. The first will be Yamatau (set in the U.S.S.R.) and Diesel (Mexico). The iconic map “Standoff” will appear during Season 3.
The fourth and even larger map is expected to be “Duga”, which Outbreak players have already enjoyed.
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The new TOTW 30 is now available in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team. However, two players that many had on their predictions are missing.
When the TOTW 30 arrives: The TOTW 30 has been available since 7:00 PM on April 21, 2021. It will remain in Ultimate Team for a week before being replaced next Wednesday.
This is the TOTW 30: The new Team of the Week features a colorful mix of players. However, two players who were also expected in the TOTW 30 predictions are missing from the new Team of the Week. Despite each scoring two goals contributing to their teams’ victories, both Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland are absent from the Team of the Week.
The two top strikers would have certainly improved the rather average TOTW. Here you can find all the players that are included this time.
TOTW 30 starting XI:
GK: Courtois (91)
CB: Ginter (86)
LB: Günter (84)
CB: Kjaer (83)
CM: Eriksen (88)
LM: Sigurdsson (86)
RM: Berardi (85)
RM: Greenwood (84)
ST: Immobile (89)
RF: Volland (87)
ST: Nsame (86)
TOTW 30 bench:
GK: Omlin (81)
RB: Trimmel (81)
CAM: Lucas Paqueta (84)
ST: Yaremchuk (86)
ST: Maclaren (82)
ST: Hernandez (82)
ST: Prevljak (82)
RB: Long (74)
CAM: Johnson (77)
LF: Cebula (74)
ST: Turgott (72)
LF: C. Gomes (69)
The Top 3 in TOTW 30
Here you can find the 3 highest-rated cards in TOTW 30:
The highest-rated card in the current TOTW goes to goalkeeper Courtois. The keeper from Real Madrid is already among the best in the game. His TOTW card is even slightly better.
Immobile offers a 89 overall rating and especially impresses with his strong finishing. The other stats look decent too, but the Italian is not great at defending.
If you are looking for a CM behind Immobile, Eriksen is the right choice. The Milan player has received a 88 overall rating and shines especially as a playmaker for the offense. Again, the deficiencies are more on the defensive side.
The Bundesliga in TOTW 30
Several Bundesliga teams have made it into the new weekly squad.
Matthias Ginter received a CB card with an overall rating of 86, which is well-rounded in physical and defensive attributes. Only the pace is lagging behind, making the card somewhat less useful.
In contrast, Freiburg’s Günter has plenty of pace, also excelling in the other defensive stats. Not a bad card for the fullback.
On the other side of the defensive backline, Union’s Trimmel is included. However, the right back received a rather weak Inform card.
Yesterday Blizzard announced that Jeff Kaplan will no longer work for the company. He was most recently the head of Overwatch. But it’s not just the Overwatch professionals that are affected by his departure; Kaplan also played an important role for WoW players.
Kaplan started his career at Blizzard as QA for Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos
Later he became a quest designer for WoW and was Game Director along with Tom Chilton and J. Allen Brack
After that, he was involved in Project Titan, which was then canceled
Most recently, he was the head of Overwatch. He became the face of the shooter, as he recorded the developer videos himself
Kaplan was always seen as close to the fans and brought laughter and good cheer. Accordingly, players, professionals, and shoutcasters who have worked with the developer have reacted emotionally.
“His commitment was remarkable”
How does the Overwatch community react? A very moving action was carried out by several professional players and teams. They included the word Jeff in their Twitter names and changed their profile pictures. This resulted in creations such as:
Dallas JEFFuel – the team that is actually called Dallas Fuel and plays in the Overwatch League
Seoul JEFFasty – actually Seoul Dynasty, a Korean esports team
Jefflanta Reign – actually Atlanta Reign, an American esports team
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But some shoutcasters and players from the past also spoke up:
Grand Marshal Reinforce, a current shoutcaster, thanked Kaplan for the time spent around Overwatch: “I owe him a lot of incredible gaming experiences, and I feel lucky to have had great conversations with him personally” (via Twitter).
Jake Lyon, the coach of the Outlaws team, expressed much gratitude toward Kaplan: “Thank you for daring so much. Thank you for creating a world in which we can see ourselves as part of it. Thank you, Jeff Kaplan” (via Twitter).
Brennon Hook, also a shoutcaster for Overwatch, praised Kaplan’s passion: “The man had a passion and an aura of charisma around him that was so obvious whenever I visited the office. He always made me feel welcome, even though I came from a different side of gaming” (via Twitter).
Malik Still, a former Overwatch pro, particularly praised Kaplan’s closeness and passion: “Since the alpha days and even before that, Jeff Kaplan’s commitment to the OW community was remarkable. He is truly an amazing Game Director and just a great guy.”
Kaplan was previously an avid MMORPG player and a notorious flamer
Kaplan has not only touched the Overwatch community. Even before his work on WoW, he led a guild in Everquest.
In this context, he was very similar to many players who love their MMORPG. Even today, there are still screenshots from old forums, where he, under the name “Tigole Bitties,” called out the developers of Everquest in surprisingly aggressive language to fix their “goddamn, bugged, half-finished bosses”:
An old forum thread where Kaplan complains about problems in an MMORPG (via web-archive.org).
Just a few weeks after this rant, Kaplan announced that Blizzard Entertainment had hired him as a developer. He said at the time:
“I hope my connection to World of Warcraft serves to make MMORPG fans feel more comfortable now that ‘One of us’ is on the other side of the garden fence and cares about the interests of the players.”
Jeff Kaplan in April 2002, before joining Blizzard
In WoW, Kaplan made a name for himself as one of the first quest designers alongside Pat Nagle. Many of the iconic original quests that we know today from WoW Classic come from Kaplan.
In WoW itself, there are still numerous reminders of Kaplan. For example, there are the items Tigule’s Harpoon and Tigule and Foror’s Strawberry Ice Cream, named after his nickname.
How does the WoW community react to Kaplan’s departure?
In the official WoW forum, there are several threads in various languages discussing Kaplan. The user Ricochet also praises Kaplan’s charisma there: “Kaplan was very popular in the community, he had a certain charismatic charm that people liked. Almost everything he said was worthy of becoming a meme” (via Blizzard).
In the WoW subreddit, there is a thread about Jeff Kaplan that has been in the top 3 for almost 20 hours with over 4,500 upvotes. Many players there thank Kaplan for the great gaming experience he provided them in Vanilla WoW (via reddit).
The well-known website WOWHead has also posted about Kaplan’s departure (via WOWHead).
Where is Kaplan headed now? That is currently unknown. However, it is possible that he is being drawn to one of the projects at Mike Morhaime’s studio. The former Blizzard president left the studio in 2018 and founded two of his own studios, which sound like the “Blizzard of old”:
The football team of Schalke 04 has officially been relegated from the Bundesliga. This could already have a negative impact on the e-sports team in League of Legends. Because in LoL, Schalke is now selling one of the best players: midlaner Felix “Abbedagge” Braun (21) is considered a great talent.
This is the sale: Schalke announced on April 19 that Felix “Abbedagge” Braun is leaving the team. As is known, he is moving to the USA to “100 Thieves”. They finished 4th in the spring season and apparently had a need in the midlane.
The 100 Thieves have not yet made a big name for themselves in sports, but they are nevertheless well-established as an e-sports clan. The team’s leader, Matthew “Nateshot” Haag, is himself a well-known streamer, and 100 Thieves has several strong content creators under contract, who bring money and prestige, such as Valkyrae or CourageJD.
The 21-year-old German mid-laner had been with Schalke since 2018 and had developed well in the last 2 to 3 seasons after appearing somewhat overwhelmed at the start of his career.
According to Bild newspaper, Schalke received one million euros for the transfer.
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Is Schalke now selling the LoL team and the spot in the LEC?
What’s behind it: It is known that Schalke’s relegation from the Bundesliga could also impact the LoL team. Apparently, they need money.
In February 2021, there was even talk that Schalke could sell its spot in the LEC pro league if it were necessary to strengthen the “core business football.” There was no decision made yet, but it was said to be within the realm of possibility at that time from Schalke.
In February, Schalke’s relegation from the Bundesliga was a nightmare scenario; now it is reality.
“Best decision for the overall club”
It is quite possible that the sale of the talented Abbedagge is already a step towards a “cheaper future” for Schalke’s e-sports. The fact that they do not want to replace the 21-year-old with a transfer but with an academy player speaks for this.
The precarious situation in football is likely the decisive factor for the sale of the LoL player. As the gaming head of Schalke says, selling the LoL player was the best decision for the “overall club” – it is not just about the perspective in e-sports.
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The “one million euro” transfer fee is certainly peanuts compared to the sums paid for footballers. However, one could cynically ask whether Schalke’s LoL roster might actually be more valuable than the football roster, as some players from Schalke have probably destroyed their market value with their performances in the Bundesliga in recent months.
Not only Schalke is plagued by financial problems, the currently strongest team in the world apparently cannot pay its stars enough to keep them:
An Nvidia patent promises haptic feedback while gaming on PC. This is reminiscent of the DualSense controller of the PS5.
The DualSense controller is one of the best features of the PlayStation 5 (via Screenrant.com). This is mainly due to the haptic feedback that makes the gaming evening a special experience.
Because the controller allows you to truly experience the game: If you walk over a sandy beach or want to reload your weapon, you get noticeable feedback from the controller, known as haptic feedback. Some PS5 games already support these features and more games are expected to follow.
What PS5 players already get with the DualSense controller could also be available for PC in the near or distant future. At least, a patent suggests this. Nvidia filed this patent with the US Patent Office in 2019. Now the developers have updated and renewed the patent on April 20, 2021. (via patft.uspto.gov).
Nvidia could bring haptic feedback to PC with AI
This is how it currently looks: To implement haptic feedback on the PS5, Sony provides developers with specific tools that allow them to manually integrate feedback for the DualSense in their games.
Nvidia seems to want to take it a step further with a patent.
How could Nvidia solve this? Instead of programming specific haptic effects like feeling sand or the recoil of a weapon by hand, they want to leave this task to AI. The patent states:
This publication envisions a haptic control interface that intelligently invokes haptic effects for content, particularly through the use of machine learning to recognize specific features in the content and then evoke certain haptic effects for those features.
The artificial intelligence is supposed to generate noticeable (haptic) effects that we players can then experience while gaming. In the long term, the AI should be able to directly recognize specific features and translate them into haptic feedback.
What about implementation? Nvidia has had good experiences with AI-driven technology so far. Nvidia’s graphics cards, among other things, use DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling).
This is an upscaling technology developed by Nvidia to upscale textures while saving performance. Especially graphics cards like the GeForce RTX 3060 benefit enormously from DLSS: In resolutions beyond Full HD like WQHD, performance can be increased by 30 to 40 % with DLSS activated.
Nvidia’s experiences and quite positive results suggest that implementation could indeed work if the manufacturer invests resources in the technology. On the other hand, Nvidia might also be interested in providing this technology exclusively to GeForce players. This would leave gamers using AMD or Intel out in the cold.
On the other hand, the patent does not initially indicate whether Nvidia wants to develop devices themselves or share the data with existing devices. For example, peripheral manufacturers for mice, keyboards or headsets could benefit from such technology, as they already have the know-how for their devices and would only need to integrate Nvidia’s technology.
Haptic feedback already plays an important role in gaming
Where is haptic feedback already available? Many gaming controllers like the DualShock or the Xbox controller already rely on rumble effects. During the unboxing of the PS5, testers praised especially the DualSense and its significant advancements. The rumble effects are much better balanced, and the trigger buttons are also praised.
But it’s not just controllers that use such features. A special technology was developed by Razer with HyperSense for its headphones. This is a technology that also relies on haptic feedback and is used, for example, in the Razer Nari Ultimate. Here, explosions are translated into movements that we then feel through the headset.
Also, in Razer’s new innovative gaming chair, HyperSense is expected to be used. If you play CoD Warzone, for example, and a bomb explodes to your right, the chair should also vibrate to your right and create a corresponding sensation.
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If Nvidia really implements its technology, it could be a big step for PC gamers in the long run, as not every developer would need to program haptic feedback independently and ideally only provide assistance for the artificial intelligence.
If you’re looking for a “more normal” gaming headset without haptic feedback, we recommend checking out our buyer’s guide to the best gaming headsets. Here we present the best gaming headsets you can currently get. You can also find a more comprehensive review of the Nari Ultimate on our list.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Genre: Survival | Developer: Funcom | Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S | Release: 08.05.2018 (Main game), 15.09.2020 (Isle of Siptah; Early Access)
With Isle of Siptah, Conan Exiles is getting its largest paid DLC to date. The island went into Early Access in 2020 and had to endure harsh criticism. The developers invited MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus on a tour to show how much Isle of Siptah has improved and what player feedback has been implemented for the launch.
What kind of DLC is this?Isle of Siptah expands Conan Exiles with a new map that is over 90% larger than the original size – so the game is nearly twice as big. The island is a separate map, completely detached from the Exiled Lands.
Isle of Siptah costs €19.99 and has been in Early Access since September 15, 2020. It is the first paid DLC that brings playable content. Previously, only cosmetic bundles cost money, and new features came via free updates.
Immediately after the launch, Isle of Siptah received heavy criticism on Steam. Players felt the island was too empty for its size and felt forced into PvP. The developers want to respond to this criticism and improve everything.
With previous patches and a new update, the developers aim to address player concerns. During a tour, they showed me what has changed and how Isle of Siptah should be good by the release.
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What’s in Isle of Siptah: The main feature of the DLC is the vast island of Siptah, which is dominated by the tower of Siptah in its center. The island offers an alternative to the Exiled Lands, where you normally start.
A storm constantly emanates from the tower, the Maelstrom, which envelops the center of the map in an anomaly. In this anomaly, stronger enemies and monsters appear that provide special loot. The monsters are heavily inspired by Lovecraftian horror, and you need the loot for another new mechanic: the Surges.
With the Surges, portals open in the world through which people from the Exiled Lands stream onto the island. At release, this was the only way to obtain the popular thralls. Surges either occur randomly or can be summoned intentionally.
The third major feature is the vaults, dungeons with special challenges. In the vaults, you have to solve puzzles and defeat enemies to secure strong loot. They have a slightly higher requirement for players than the dungeons in the original map. Moreover, Isle of Siptah offers some new opportunities for building and crafting:
The “Grey Ones” are some of the new enemies in Isle of Siptah.
Big World with Plenty of Nothing
How Isle of Siptah fared in Early Access: The initial reviews of Isle of Siptah were mixed to negative. Players were not satisfied with what they received. Even today, the reviews on Steam are not particularly good.
Isle of Siptah currently has a rating of “Mixed” with 48% positive votes from 1,002 reviews (via Steam). There are recurring issues that particularly bother players.
The criticism was: Despite the size of the map, it felt empty and lifeless to players compared to the Exiled Lands. There were no NPC camps and few places to explore.
Apart from the vaults, the storm, and the surges, not much happened, and building a proper base hardly seemed worthwhile since there was no one to defend it against. At the same time, progression was slow because thralls could only be acquired through the surges.
The biggest problem with Isle of Siptah was, however, that the focus of the expansion was too much on PvP. The surges were the only source for thralls, and it was evident on the map when and where a surge occurred.
This caused players to literally fight over thralls at those locations, and only a few skilled PvP players could secure the thralls. Additionally, this content was very challenging.
Both the storm and the surges, even the vaults, were aimed more at experienced and strong players in the endgame. The enemies were tough, and to summon a surge on your own required many hours or even days of grinding.
And even if you successfully summoned a surge, your survival was not guaranteed – as the enemies were so strong and other players also wanted to get some thralls. So, there was never a guarantee to get your own thralls.
What are Thralls?The thrall system in Conan Exiles serves to expand your base. With thralls, you can improve crafting stations and learn new or better recipes. You can also assign thralls to defend your home or accompany you as bodyguards or pack mules. They come in various quality levels.
You obtain thralls by incapacitating human NPCs and dragging them back to your base to break them on a Wheel of Pain. In Isle of Siptah, this was only possible through the surges.
Patch 2.4 – Everything New and Better
This is how Isle of Siptah looks now: With several patches and the upcoming update 2.4, many of the criticisms that players have raised so far are being addressed. Already there are:
40 new NPC camps and places to explore on the map
new NPC factions
access to the tower in the middle, which was previously locked, for particularly strong loot
new workbenches and specializations for thralls
improved vaults with new enemy types and rewards
attacks from sprinting to make fights more dynamic
an offline mode for single-player
Additionally, purges have made their way to Isle of Siptah. Purges are a system from the Exiled Lands where enemies storm and attempt to destroy your base in waves.
Through purges, you now have a reason to build a better base while also having a source of special loot that the attackers can carry. However, changes have also been made regarding the most significant criticism of the DLC.
This outpost of the “First Men” is a great location to explore.
Finally Humans to Enslave!
How is the big problem being solved? With the new NPC camps, there is finally a way to obtain thralls on Isle of Siptah without having to fight with other players in surges.
The camps offer various types of thralls, and with the different factions, new variants also appear. You can now find cages in the camps that you can open with keys from thrall masters. This way, you free companions who do not need to be enslaved first but can follow you voluntarily.
The random wild surges have been removed, and it is now easier to summon your own surge, as the necessary materials are no longer only found in the storm. New enemy types even provide loot in the open world. This allows you to better decide when and where you want to obtain more thralls from surges.
As a result, the emphasis on PvP has blurred. Surges and other features are still beacons for PvP fights, as they are displayed on the map. Whoever wants can happily fight with others. But those who prefer to avoid PvP can now experience Isle of Siptah without player conflicts.
What’s next? With the upcoming update 2.4, the developers have even more content planned to make Isle of Siptah better. The biggest of the new features are new areas in the south of the map.
Here you will find three new biomes and new NPCs along with their camps. With the new area, Isle of Siptah reaches a size of nearly 92-94% of the Exiled Lands. At EA release, it was only around 75%.
Additionally, you can find statuettes all over the island. These are needed for the “Black Pools,” a new PvE mechanic. With the statuettes, you can summon huge world bosses at the pools, which are normally only found as tough opponents in the storm.
This feature is aimed at endgame players with good equipment and possibly a group, but provides particularly strong loot. Furthermore, there are:
the cult of Zath, a new religion around a giant spider that you can summon as an avatar (you can see its temple in the title image)
more NPC camps and exploration locations
new NPC races
improved lighting effects and prettier visuals – you can see some comparisons in the gallery
The new lighting compared: the old version at the top, the new look below.
Additionally, the journey will receive some new steps specifically targeting Isle of Siptah. The journey is a feature from Conan Exiles that gives players a guide for tasks they can pursue next – especially when they have no goals of their own in mind. You can find the entire journey of Conan Exiles and how to complete all steps on MeinMMO.
Patch 2.4 goes live on April 22, 2021. Upon the release of Isle of Siptah, it will also be possible to switch your character between the two maps, although with a cooldown.
When will Isle of Siptah be released? The developers have not yet been able to tell us exactly when Isle of Siptah will officially be released. However, shortly, you will find a video in collaboration between MeinMMO and GameStar about Isle of Siptah on YouTube, summarizing all the changes and showing new gameplay.
Much better than initially feared
In my opinion, Conan Exiles has done many things better with its PvE mechanics and features like the journey compared to other survival games. Instead of being thrown into a gigantic sandbox with the comment: “Here, do it yourself,” Conan Exiles offers a story, a lot to explore, and always new tasks.
In Isle of Siptah, this was missing so far. The island was precisely what Conan Exiles did not want to be: a big field where players were supposed to entertain themselves. A huge playground with few toys for players to fight over.
What I’ve seen in the new updates now seems much closer to the spirit of Conan Exiles. There is a real story, much to see, and tons of things to do. PvE fans and friends of crafting, building, and exploration are finally well taken care of here.
Personally, I am particularly attracted to the new religion, partly because spiders are just cool and partly because religions in Conan Exiles bring really interesting details. Religious sacrifices are received in different ways for each god, and the huge avatars mix up the gameplay, especially in PvP.
The Black Pools also sound like an interesting endgame feature that can surely excite some friends. The Lovecraft inspiration rounds it all off nicely. After initial skepticism, I am now genuinely looking forward to Isle of Siptah.
Benedict Grothaus Author and survival expert at MeinMMO
Conan Exiles is already among the best survival games available, and Isle of Siptah will certainly contribute to its quality with the new changes. How long the content will keep players engaged remains to be seen, but at least the vaults and the Black Pools sound like something that will still be fun even after repeating them several times. You can find more games in the genre in our list on MeinMMO:
In the new event of Destiny 2, players became rich overnight. Developer Bungie immediately intervened and closed the loophole. Players complain that only bugs that are good for Guardians are fixed quickly.
In Destiny 2, the event “Guardian Games” started on April 20th. But instead of showing which class is the best in the universe, players spent their time at the black market dealer and became rich.
Here’s how players became wealthy: In the competitive events, players must equip a special item for their class; otherwise, points and medals do not count. Thus, the item can be bought very cheaply and infinitely – in case someone accidentally dismantles it, for example.
If one dismantled the class item, they received resources in return.
The key point is: The resources obtained this way are worth significantly more than what one has to spend to buy a new class item.
This method enabled players to quickly accumulate Glimmer and legendary shards – both are essentially the currency of Destiny 2. The trick spread like wildfire. Videos quickly emerged, titled something like: “Infinite Legendary Shards, hurry, Bungie will fix this soon!” (via YouTube).
At Spider, players can exchange and buy resources
Instead of participating in the Olympic events, the Guardians were at the black market dealer Spider, constantly extracting class items from the collection. They immediately dismantled the items and exchanged the resources very profitably with Spider.
How does Bungie respond? Those who wanted to benefit from the trick are too late. On the night of April 21st, Bungie already fixed the financial loophole. Now you receive nothing when dismantling the item.
Players in Europe hardly benefited from the trick, as they mostly slept peacefully when it became known. The fix lasted no longer than 8 hours – a record. On the Bungie Help account (via Twitter), which provides you with updates on technical issues and patches, there is incidentally no word about the fix – or the loophole.
Although Bungie fixes quickly, there’s trouble
You might think that the Guardians would be proud of their developer. In the collective memory, it has been said for years that Bungie usually takes a long time with fixes and updates.
This is why players are upset: Bungie is accused of applying double standards in their fixes and updates: The fixes that “harm” the players come quickly. Everything else seems to take forever. We often read this in the comments here on MeinMMO:
For game-breaking bugs, they [Bungie] need weeks and months to fix them. But for bugs that save unnecessary and demotivating grinds, it only takes days.
In other words, if a Guardian can profit from something, the patch is almost here – so if one finds a trick to quickly get cosmetics from the shop or to level up fast, often something like this happens:
However, if a problem disturbs the Guardians, they can wait a long time for Bungie to take action, at least that’s the criticism. It can take months before an OP class no longer dominates everything. Or there is a weapon that is so strong that one must choose it (yes, you are meant Felwinter’s Lie) and nothing changes from season to season.
In Fortnite: Battle Royale you can now get a new exotic weapon. MeinMMO shows you the location of the Grappler Bow, how to get it, and if it’s worth searching for.
This is what’s happening in Fortnite: The start of Season 6 brought the prehistoric theme to the island of Fortnite. Included are new weapons that you can even craft yourself. If you want to secure special guns right away, you can also search for exotic weapons.
Here you need to search: You can only buy the new bow from an NPC on the map. This character is “Lara Croft,” who is located in Stealthy Stronghold.
This is where you can find the Grappler Bow
To find Lara Croft quickly, you should land in the middle of the jungle of Stealthy Stronghold – where there is a cluster of stone ruins. Once the NPC is near you, you will see a speech bubble on your mini-map. Go to Lara Croft and start a conversation. The option to buy the Grappler Bow should then be displayed in the selection wheel, and you just need to select that field.
How much does the Grappler Bow cost? You can only get the exotic weapons if you pay with gold bars. Prices may vary depending on the weapon – for the Grappler Bow, you need to pay 500 gold bars. If you don’t have enough bars yet, we show you tips on how to collect gold bars faster.
Is the Grappler Bow worth it in Fortnite?
What makes the bow special? The Grappler Bow can be used for various purposes in a match. As the name suggests, it shoots with a grappler that can hook onto surfaces freely, helping you to overcome obstacles. This also allows you to move faster, perform cool tricks, or deal 89 damage to opponents.
The bow is worth it, especially if you want a weapon that brings variety to your match. However, keep in mind that you have to invest gold bars for it. So think carefully about whether you really want the bow – after all, you only have the Grappler Bow for that one match.
In Season 6 there is a wide variety of bows
The bows in Fortnite can be a good choice if you want a strong weapon that can also shoot over distance. After a buff, the bows are almost too strong now, so you might even have to fear them now.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Ubisoft raised money for a good cause with a special cosmetic bundle for the tactical shooter Rainbow Six Siege. The bundle was available for a limited time only – now there is a first overview.
What are these cosmetics? The first “Sixth Guardian” bundle included a special skin for the defender Doc and consisted of a white-yellow armor, a baseball cap with an OP mask, as well as a special skin for the MP5 and a weapon charm.
The bundle was available in Season 4 of Year 5 for 1,200 credits (about 10 €) as part of the eponymous “Sixth Defender” program that Ubisoft launched in November 2020. All proceeds from the packages went to a good cause, with at least $6 per package (via Ubisoft).
With the start of Season 1 of Year 6, the bundle is no longer available, but it apparently paid off well for the campaign.
Where did the money go? Ubisoft raised money for AbleGamers with the bundle. This is a US organization that has made it its goal since 2004 to make gaming accessible to everyone. The focus is on enabling gamers with disabilities to play without barriers.
With special hardware like mouth and eye tracking or specially adapted controllers, even gamers who cannot use regular gamepads, mouse, or keyboard can play. Something similar is aimed at by the Xbox Adaptive Controller .
AbleGamers pays special attention to addressing the specific needs of each gamer and tailoring access. You can find out more about the project on the official website (via AbleGamers.org).
For the organization, Ubisoft has already raised $171,183 with the first bundle – equivalent to about €142,643.
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The skin bundle for Doc was just the first of many that Ubisoft wants to introduce into the game. In the tweet, the developers have already revealed that “next season” another bundle will be released for the “Sixth Guardian” project. However, there are no further details about it yet.
At the moment, however, Rainbow Six has also recently received new content with another bundle. However, this has little to do with charity and donations.
In collaboration with Adult Swim, there are now “Rick & Morty” bundles for the operators Smoke and Sledge. With these, you can run around as a pickle or as a bug alien with matching skins.
However, the two bundles are also more expensive than the Doc bundle for AbleGamers. With 2,160 credits per bundle (or 4,080 for the complete package) you pay almost double to look quite ridiculous:
In a dev update, the developers of Outriders finally released more information about the restoration of items that disappeared due to an inventory bug. It discusses, among other things, which items will be restored. MeinMMO summarizes the new information for you.
Here’s what the dev update was about: The focus was on restoring lost equipment items. This includes, for example, which items will be restored. Some players have been struggling with a nasty inventory bug that removed all their loot in recent weeks.
We will show you how the restoration process works and what else is included in the dev update.
Developers need to check “every single Outriders player profile” to resolve the issue
Is there finally a date? Unfortunately, the developers were not able to provide an exact date for the restoration, as the process is quite complex.
The complexity of the situation is illustrated in the developers’ reddit post (via reddit). It states that the restoration is not a simple reset of backups or anything similar. Every existing player profile has to be checked for corrupted inventories.
What will be restored? According to People Can Fly, there are three different groups affected by the inventory bug. Each of these groups requires different measures to bring back all or at least some of the items.
What items you will receive therefore depends on whether you belong to group A, B, or C. There are two factors that apply to all:
Restored items will have the same values as your original finds. However, after restoration, they will have “Godrolls”. Therefore, each value will reach its maximum. Thus, your items should be as good or even significantly better.
Equipment will be assigned according to the highest possible equipment level of the players, including world tiers and challenge ranks.
There are significant differences among the affected groups. The developer has extensively listed what those affected can expect.
Group A – Unplayable characters with invalid inventory:
The affected players have no equipment left and cannot continue playing (No possible server connection). Most players are affected.
All items that were equipped at the time of the wipe will be restored. Regardless of rarity.
All legendary items that were in the inventory at that time will be restored.
Non-legendary items: The last 20 items found before the wipe will be returned.
All completed accolade ranks will be returned.
Group B – Characters without invalid inventory but have still lost everything:
Affected players have lost all items but could still play. This is harder to identify, but there are notably fewer cases.
Restoration of up to 20 legendary items that were recently in the inventory.
All fully completed accolades.
Group C – Players who are not affected by the bug:
This group is also important, as one does not want to have any unforeseen impact on them during the restoration.
No restoration needed.
Disappeared items, unplayable characters
What was this bug about? After update 1.05, some players experienced an unpleasant surprise. They found an empty character without equipment, or could not log in at all.
While the cause has been fixed since patch 1.06, many players are still waiting for the announced restoration of their loot. This is what it could look like:
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After the appearance of the bug, the developers announced a compensation package as an apology.
Who gets it and what’s included? Every Outrider who played Outriders between March 31 and April 16 will receive a legendary item and a certain amount of titanium that corresponds to their level.
Upcoming updates and Google Stadia
What about the next patch for other platforms? There is no date or more specific information yet. People Can Fly, however, confirms that they are working on updates to deliver improvements and fixes: Outriders confirms the next patch, aiming to deliver a lot of fixes.
What about Google Stadia? Many players have already wondered about the future. So far, the developers have only focused on PC and consoles. The dev update also addressed the status of Google Stadia.
The summary:
Stadia follows a different update plan
The goal was to connect Stadia regarding updates and crossplay
However, the issues before and after release have disrupted these plans
The first patch is expected to be released on Google Stadia by April 26
A second update is to follow shortly after
The version for Google Stadia is to be brought up to the same level as the other versions as quickly as possible. At the same time, the developers apologize for the problems.
What do you think of the statement? Are you affected by the inventory wipe? Are you fed up, or can you live with the solution? Let us know your opinion.
