An app makes absurdly good musicians out of WoW heroes like Jaina or Khadgar. The community celebrates this.
That absurd things sometimes happen in the community of World of Warcraft is now everyday life. But you rarely see the two archmages Jaina Proudmoore and Khadgar performing some songs and looking quite good while doing it. An AI makes it possible – and is celebrated by the community for it.
What kind of AI is this? The app Wombo.ai (link to the app’s page) uses modern AI to change the lips and facial expressions of photos so that they match the lyrics of various songs. This is actually intended for real photos, but it works surprisingly well with other faces and fantasy characters – like those from Warcraft.
The community is very excited: A few hours ago, the first video of this kind was shared in the World of Warcraft subreddit, showing Jaina performing the song “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor. After just half a day, the clip has already received over 8,800 upvotes on Reddit and garnered numerous comments:
“Secret cutscene when Arthas finally returns from the Maw.”
“Wow, the smile between the words is incredibly convincing. She is so emotionally charged! This is amazing.”
“As funny and cool as this is, this AI thing really frightens me with all the possibilities that malicious people could do to innocents.”
In another version, Jaina then sings “Don’t Cha” by the Pussycat Dolls – which has also received a lot of attention:
Finally, Khadgar also gets to perform a bit of music. He is often affectionately referred to as “Daddy Khadgar” or “Dadghar” in the community – so of course there is only one song that fits him – the “Ding Dong Song” by Günther.
The app works particularly well with WoW: Interestingly, the results with WoW characters in many cases look better and more convincing than with real photos. The real photos often appear distorted and you quickly realize that the movements do not match the original.
In WoW, due to the comic-style graphics, faces are generally manipulated more strongly, so the WoW faces harmonize much better with the AI. This then leads to entertaining clips like the ones presented here.
What do you think of such antics and this one in particular? Can you still look “Daddy Khadgar” in the face without blushing?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMORPG Guild Wars 2, the latest story patch was released on March 9. We at MeinMMO spoke with the developers about upcoming changes for the game.
What’s new? With the third chapter of the “Icebrood Saga: Champions,” new content has been released in Guild Wars 2. This includes:
New dragon aid missions. These are events that are introduced with each chapter.
New allied factions.
New achievements.
New rewards in the form of weapons that level up with each episode.
A new vision of the past. This is a single-player mission that tells a story from the past.
Overall, the content is relatively modest and is somewhat less than previous episodes of the Living World. Back then, there were, for example, new areas, world bosses, and a multitude of tasks.
However, it is still not known when the expansion will come and what will happen between the finale at the end of April and the release of “End of Dragons”.
We at MeinMMO wanted to know from the developers how things will proceed until the release of the expansion. Joe Kimmes, team lead of the Icebrood Saga, responded to us.
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“The state of Tyria will be the foundation for the expansion”
MeinMMO: What makes the new episode of the Living World so special and why should players experience it?
Joe Kimmes: In the previous chapter, we saw the consequences of the goals [of the elder dragon] Jormag. In this update, players must confront Jormag’s servants, and we experience the beginning of a plan to prevent the confrontation between two dragons.
The crucial moments will be in the story mission where you catch up on a quest started by Braham and in a boss fight at the end of the chapter.
I think that players will have a strong idea of how things develop in the last chapter.
In the special story mission, everything revolves around Braham.
MeinMMO: The upcoming chapter 4 will represent the finale of the Icebrood Saga, thereby concluding a story that has lasted 1.5 years. Can you give us a preview of the story afterwards? Will it continue directly with End of Dragons?
Joe Kimmes: The finale of Champions will lay the foundation for the expansion “End of Dragons”. You will not see it right from the start, but the outcome of the saga and the state of the world Tyria afterward will be the basis for where our story begins.
In the meantime, we will continue to supply the game with content while we look forward to End of Dragons. There will be regular festival updates, like the Dragon Bash.
We are also excited to soon discuss further content that will be released between the end of the Icebrood Saga and the expansion.
Instanced content and the WvW update are not forgotten
MeinMMO: You introduced a new fractal in summer 2020. What are your plans for the future?
Joe Kimmes: Instanced group content remains a core element of Guild Wars 2. However, we currently have no new information that we can discuss.
MeinMMO: Devon Carver, the former WvW lead, is back at ArenaNet. Does this help you complete the much-anticipated alliance update?
Joe Kimmes: We currently have no news regarding the changes to the World vs World alliances, but we haven’t forgotten about it either.
The WvW in Guild Wars 2 is a special PvP mode where hundreds of players from three different servers compete against each other for castles and fortresses.
New content is already coming in April
For fans of Guild Wars 2, there are several tasks to complete in the coming weeks:
In connection with the new episode, new global faction mobilization events will be activated on March 23, April 6, and April 20.
At the beginning of April, the return of the Super Adventure Box will take place. This is a 16-bit game within the game.
The next episode and the finale of the Icebrood Saga is scheduled to be released at the end of April.
An expansion, End of Dragons, has also been announced for this year. However, when exactly it will be released is still unknown.
Anyone currently considering whether to start or return to Guild Wars 2 can find a good overview on the topic here:
The big live events in Fortnite have now actually become a tradition, regularly attracting huge numbers of players and viewers. However, the finale of Season 5 – and thus the start of Season 6 – changes something in the tried-and-tested formula.
Here, unlike previous events, players will not experience a live event in the true sense.
There is indeed a final event in which
among other things, the “most elaborate story cutscene” ever is supposed to be included in Fortnite
players will play the end of Agent Jones’s mission themselves
Agent Jones will complete his mission
The difference from previous events is that this will be a pure single-player experience. There will be no interaction with other players, as was customary in the past – everyone is alone.
In addition, this event will not be tied to a specific time. It will be activated for each player as soon as they start the game for the first time in Season 6. And thus, Fortnite is changing its own successful formula somewhat.
Fortnite changes how you experience events – at least once
This is how it used to be: That Fortnite is changing the familiar concept is a bit surprising. After all, the live events of the past successfully attracted players and viewers.
On platforms like Twitch and YouTube, the live events generated a lot of attention for the game – not to mention that many players also participated in-game. Despite the change, it is conceivable that Fortnite could still achieve this effect with the change to a solo event – while simultaneously solving a few issues.
This is how you can still watch online: Although the event starts for each player at an individual time, there is still a time when it goes online. A world premiere has already been announced that viewers online can follow – more information and a specific time will be announced later.
It is conceivable that players and viewers will still gather at that time to experience the event “live”. However, it is not mandatory. And for players, this could mean an advantage.
At the beginning, everyone looked together at Galactus – but later it was more about being alone
This is changing for players: Although players are now going “solo”, they were also somewhat solo during parts of previous events. For example, if you look at a large part of the Galactus event, you can see that there was also little interaction between players.
The advantage is that players definitely cannot miss the event – whether they are sitting at the screen during the premiere time or not. This means they do not have to worry about missing a potentially important point in the story – or simply a fun gaming event.
This also means they are not necessarily dependent on standing in a queue for an hour to ensure they get into the event on the server. This could still be a factor when the premiere happens – but those who join a little later probably won’t have to plan for a waiting time.
In Pokémon GO the raid hour with Tornadus starts today, on March 10th. MeinMMO shows you the counters and explains who should participate in the raid hour.
What kind of event is this? The Legendary Raid Hour takes place in Pokémon GO once a week. Every Wednesday evening, level 5 bosses appear in most gyms that you can fight. This lasts for one hour. During this time, you have a good chance of finding other trainers to fight the boss together.
Today, on March 10, 2021, you will encounter Tornadus in the gyms during the raid hour. The eggs need only 10 minutes to hatch for the event. Afterwards, the bosses will be active in the gyms for 60 minutes.
All info and counters for the Tornadus event
When does it start? As usual, the event starts at 6:00 PM our time. The raids will be active for one hour and should then end around 7:00 PM.
You need to know: Tornadus is a Flying type. For you, this means that Electric, Ice, and Rock type attackers can deal a lot of damage here. You will encounter Tornadus today in its Incarnate form. Later this month, its Therian form is also expected to be released.
Why is Tornadus here now? In Pokémon GO, the legendary season started. The legendary Pokémon in level 5 raids rotate weekly. It started with Thundurus in its Incarnate form. Then came Tornadus. Next, Voltolos will appear in its Incarnate form. The monsters will later also be available in their powerful Therian form in the game. You can see all events in March 2021 for Pokémon GO here
How many trainers do you need for the battle? If you are equipped with strong counters, you can defeat Tornadus with just 2 trainers. To be safe, we recommend about 4 trainers.
Is Tornadus worth it?
For shiny hunters: If you are looking for a new shiny for your collection and do not yet have Tornadus in the shiny version, you can use the raid hour to hunt. Because the shiny form has been unlocked in the game and can be caught by you with luck.
In the embedded tweet, you can see what the shiny form looks like in the game:
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As an attacker? Tornadus is mainly worth it for shiny hunters. As an attacker, it is not really noteworthy. Due to its attacks, it has no chance of competing against the best Flying type attackers. Some attacks would need to be revised for Tornadus to become relevant as a Flying attacker.
Are you participating in the raid hour with Tornadus today or skipping the event this week? Let us know your thoughts here in the comments on MeinMMO. Share your opinion with other trainers in the community.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A player has found a way to build secret hideouts in Valheim that serve as a retreat during long journeys. Now many other players want to replicate it – and the builder himself says it’s not really hard at all.
What kind of hideouts are these? The player and reddit user cartronmat uses the possibilities in Valheim to create his own large caves under rocks. In these, he has everything he needs:
a bed as a respawn point and for sleeping
a campfire to prepare food
decorations to increase comfort
chests for storing rations and resources
stands for weapons and shields
The whole hideout is located in the plains, currently the hardest area in Valheim. Access is through a hole in the rock and via stairs that lead up and down. The idea has amassed almost 10,000 upvotes in a short time:
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On the campfire, he even placed a cauldron to also make the best food in the game. The ingredients for this can mainly be found in the plains anyway. In this way, cartronmat can take a short break or replenish his supplies when he’s exploring the tougher areas.
Although the hideout looks complex, the creator himself says it’s not that hard to make. However, you have to pay attention to a few things.
A secret hideout in the rock – Here’s how it’s done
Here’s how to build the cave: First of all, you need one of the large rocks in the plains. In Valheim, you cannot build caves as the ground would collapse immediately. You need the natural stability of the rock formations.
Choose one of these stones and start digging in with a pickaxe . Be sure to be careful not to accidentally dig too much on the sides or above you. Once the rock is destroyed, it remains permanently like that.
Hollow out the rock completely and dig down as deep as possible – similar to when you dig a residential cave underneath a deposit. The difference here is that you do not have a tunnel or ditch as an entrance, but only a small entry hole.
This is what the entrance to these secret hideouts looks like. Image source: reddit.
Things to pay special attention to: Since you are not building from underneath the rock, but digging in from above, you must pay special attention to which spots you’re hitting when using the pickaxe. Additionally, a part of the rock must always touch the ground, otherwise everything will collapse.
The rock itself serves as your roof, so you should not dig under it. Otherwise, you’ll have holes in the walls, or, with some bad luck, everything could collapse. Accordingly, you also won’t have good smoke ventilation, so the campfire should only be burning briefly.
Make sure to bring some wood while digging as well. When you get to the bottom, you might not have a natural way back up and will need stairs or ladders made of wood.
A secret stash like this helps you get through the plains or other areas with such rocks more easily. You can also find such large boulders in the mountains – but there you need to protect yourself well from the cold.
An update to the currency “Ethereum” means that powerful graphics cards will soon become irrelevant. How do players benefit from this transition?
This is what it’s about: The cryptocurrency “Ethereum” will receive an update during the year leading up to 2022 that will change the mining process (via Techradar.com).
How does it work currently? Until now, what mattered in Ethereum was who spends how much power mining cryptocurrencies. Those with the most computational power in a network have the advantage (Proof of Work).
What is changing? Ethereum 2.0 relies on a new system. Here, what matters is how much value people have locked in the network (Proof of Stake).
Simply put, users will then invest in so-called coins rather than in powerful hardware. They do not receive rewards for being particularly fast, but for the number of coins they own. So you will gain returns from your currency.
Mining, in the traditional sense, will no longer take place, as it is not about high computational power anymore. Instead, one invests in the cryptocurrency.
What are cryptocurrencies? These are digital currencies traded online. They are anonymous and usually decentralized. The so-called blockchain technology is considered secure. The downside is that the currency’s value can fluctuate extremely.
Currently, there are more than 4,500 different currencies, but the most important are Bitcoin and Ether (via wikipedia.de).
Ethereum transition impacts the graphics card market
What does this mean for me as a gamer? In the old system, it was relevant to have a lot of power to be faster than the competition. With greater power, one can solve the cryptographic puzzle faster than others.
In the new system, this excess power is no longer necessary, and powerful graphics cards are expected to play no significant role in the mining of the cryptocurrency Ethereum. Instead, what matters is how much currency you own.
Who says this? The head of the analysis firm “Jon Peddie Research,” Jon Peddie, explains in an interview that it is not a good idea to invest in a powerful graphics card if one wants to mine. He says:
Ethereum, the most suitable currency for GPUs, will very soon change to version 2.0, thus making GPUs obsolete. Anyone would be very foolish to invest in a high-end, power-consuming graphics card for crypto mining today.
Jon Peddie, President of Jon Peddie Research, via Jonpeddie.com
Jon Peddie Research is a company from California that has been active in the multimedia sector for around 30 years.
When will this transition take place? The transition of Ethereum will take at least until 2022, and this only if there are no incidents.
If you hoped that miners would find the graphics card market uninteresting by summer, you will likely be disappointed. However, the transition is expected to have a long-term impact on the market.
Are you currently waiting for graphics cards or considering buying one? Then let us know how much money you would spend on a graphics card:
It is also interesting that manufacturers like AMD and Nvidia are preparing graphics cards for mining.
AMD and Nvidia are preparing special graphics cards for mining
Here’s the situation with Nvidia: Nvidia has already issued an official statement that it intends to produce mining graphics cards.
For this reason, it had made the RTX 3060 worse for miners. Instead, Nvidia wants miners to buy the new graphics cards, as with CMP, Nvidia has introduced a graphics processor series aimed at professional miners. CMP stands for “Cryptocurrency Mining Processor. “
What about AMD? There is currently no official announcement from AMD regarding such a mining graphics card.
However, there is speculation that a mining graphics card from AMD could be coming. Given the current boom in cryptocurrencies, this decision would not be surprising.
In China, there has been ongoing discussion about a mining ban on bitcoins. One reason for the ban is issues such as pollution and energy consumption. Therefore, some users in the East have also switched to mining Ethereum.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With Patch 9.0.5 you can upgrade items in World of Warcraft. We will show you how it works and where to find the NPC for that.
Patch 9.0.5 of World of Warcraft is live and introduced the item upgrading system. However, the game does not reveal much about the system on its own and omits where the NPC for upgrading is located or what the limits for upgrading items are. We will reveal all the important details about upgrading through Valor.
Where can items be upgraded? Item upgrading is possible in the capital of the Shadowlands, in Oribos. To do this, head to the NPC Aggressor Zo’dash. You can find him in the west of Oribos in the area “The Enclave”. He is the same NPC that is used by PvP players to upgrade their items. You can see his exact position on this map:
Here you can find Aggressor Zo’vash, who upgrades your items.
Which items can be upgraded? Basically, you can upgrade all items you get from “Mythic+” dungeons, as long as you received them after March 10, 2021, that is, after the release of Patch 9.0.5. Items that you obtained from “Mythic+” before that cannot be upgraded.
How far can items be upgraded? How far you can upgrade corresponding items depends on the achievements you have earned with your character. In general, the rule is: The higher the level at which you have completed all Keystone dungeons, the further you can upgrade an item. You can find the exact data in this list:
Required Achievement
Maximum Upgrade
No Achievement
Item level 200
All Dungeons on M+5 (on time)
Item level 207
All Dungeons on M+10 (on time)
Item level 213
All Dungeons on M+15 (on time)
Item level 220
How do you get Valor? You earn Valor points in two different ways, although one should be seen as merely a nice bonus.
Dungeons of the “Mythic+” category grant 135 Valor upon completion. It does not matter what difficulty the dungeon had. Both M+2 and M+15 grant 135 Valor each.
Calling quests give a small amount of Valor as a bonus. The “normal” calling quests give 35 Valor, while the epic ones grant 50 Valor.
The most efficient farming method for Valor is currently completing low dungeons of the “Mythic+” category in Shadowlands.
The NPC upgrades PvP and PvE items. Easy to remember.
How expensive is upgrading? That varies a lot and depends on the item you want to upgrade. Upgrading off-hand items and rings costs about 250 Valor, while hefty two-handed weapons cost a whopping 1,000 Valor. You can find the current values in this list:
Item
Valor Cost (per rank)
Shield, Off-hand, Ring, Cloak, Bracers, Necklace
250
Trinket, Belt, Shoulders, Gloves, Boots
400
Helmet, Legs, Chest
475
One-handed Agility Weapons
500
One-handed Intelligence Weapons
750
Two-handed Weapons
1,000
One-handed Strength Weapons
Unknown (500 or 750)
The costs apply per upgrade, meaning each increase of 3 or 4 item levels.
More about World of Warcraft: Shadowlands can be found here:
How much Valor can be accumulated? Basically, there is no upper limit to how much Valor your character can carry at once in their inventory. However, there is a fundamental cap on how much Valor each character can accumulate.
The cap starts at 5,000 Valor.
Every week, this cap increases by 750 Valor.
In week 1, you can therefore accumulate a maximum of 5,000 Valor, in week 2 then 5,750, in week 3 then 6,500 and so on. Once you have caught up to the cap, you need only 750 Valor each week.
What do you think of the new system for upgrading items? A cool, meaningful thing? Or is it a grind that is too long that you have already lost interest in?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Viking RTS Ancestor’s Legacy is now free to play in multiplayer. You can also try out a few single-player missions for free. We will explain what exactly to expect.
What is Ancestor’s Legacy? The real-time strategy game was released in May 2018 and can now be partially played for free in the Peasant Edition.
In the paid base game, you experience a single-player story influenced by historical events of the Middle Ages. You are the leader of one of these factions:
Vikings
Anglo-Saxons
Teutonic Knights
Slavs
In Ancestor’s Legacy, Vikings, Slavs, Anglo-Saxons, and Teutonic Knights fight against each other.
You guide your people from the early Middle Ages until the year 1250. Each nation offers five missions in which you raid villages, gather resources, build an army, and try to destroy your enemies in large real-time battles.
Ancestor’s Legacy aims to impress with as much historical accuracy as possible and bloody, brutal battles.
Besides the single-player campaign, you also compete against each other in multiplayer battles.
Free and Bloody Viking Battles
What is free now? You can now get the Peasant Edition of Ancestor’s Legacy for free via Steam. This version includes the following content:
All 17 multiplayer maps from the base game are included
You can play all four factions
4 single-player missions from the story campaign are also included
Basically, you now experience the multiplayer part of the strategy game for free and get a glimpse of the campaign. The trailer gives you an insight into the version:
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What are the limitations? You experience most of the campaign only in the regular version, which you can purchase for 29.99 euros via Steam.
Additionally, crossplay between the two versions is not possible. So if you play the Peasant Edition, you cannot fight against players who own the standard version.
How does the game score? Ancestor’s Legacy currently has a rating of 81% from 3,430 votes (as of: March 10, 11:35 a.m.).
The ratings from the past 30 days are at 79%.
However, the player numbers according to Steamcharts leave much to be desired. In the last 30 days, the peak was only 43 concurrent players. The free Peasant Edition is expected to generate more interest and an increase in player numbers.
If you want to experience a dark and brutal real-time strategy game where Vikings meet knights, then Ancestor’s Legacy in the Peasant Edition is worth a look.
World of Warcraft led to many companies developing MMORPGs due to its great success. In the beginning, many WoW clones were created. However, if an MMORPG is to become a hit again, it must be significantly different, says MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch.
What is the current state of MMORPGs? In 2021, many MMORPG fans are longing for a new, major hit. But the last few years, especially since 2016, have been filled with disappointments.
The last MMORPG that was able to establish itself firmly and build a larger fanbase was Black Desert, released in 2016. Other promising titles lie in niche status or have already been discontinued:
Astellia was released in 2019 and aimed to appeal to fans of classic MMORPGs. Although the game had no major scandals and is still running in 2021, its success is modest.
The only “new MMORPG” that has been able to establish itself since then is WoW Classic.
There is still a huge demand for a new game. Whenever we write about a potentially new MMORPG here on MeinMMO, it generates attention and discussions.
WoW has been the king of MMORPGs for almost 16 years.
In the years between 2012 and 2016, several games emerged that broke away from the well-tested concept of WoW and succeeded:
ESO has primarily targeted story fans and solo players who want to interact with other players only marginally
Black Desert focuses heavily on sandbox fans and PvP
Guild Wars 2 experiments with the absence of an item spiral and a greater casual mindset
But none of them managed to dethrone WoW. They often still have too many similarities with the title or their own problems that hold the masses back.
But what does a new hit actually need?
Alexander Leitsch is primarily responsible for MMORPGs here at MeinMMO. Across various titles, he has over 25,000 gaming hours.
His main games include Guild Wars 2, Black Desert, and ESO, but basically, every new game on the market is directly tried out.
The next hit must offer something that attracts non-fans
What does a new hit need? Every MMORPG fan can probably remember their first steps in their first game. It was something completely new, epic, that they had never experienced before. But that feeling fades, especially when games are very similar.
A new hit must therefore bring something that distinguishes it from other titles, as well as something that appeals to players who currently do not feel comfortable in any MMORPG.
In this context, features that used to exist and have been forgotten due to WoW are often mentioned. They long for:
the “Massively” in MMORPGs – not just being in a dungeon with 5-20 players.
social features that are supposed to bring players together.
rewarding grind that keeps players occupied for months or years. A positive example often cited is Old School RuneScape.
Old School RuneScape may look old, but it still has many players.
At the same time, the new hit should also find ways to attract completely new target groups that are currently found in other genres, such as fans of survival games or PvP titles.
This requires innovations and surprises that clearly differentiate it from WoW.
Why does no WoW clone work? WoW is still the king of MMORPGs today, but if a new game is to become a hit, it cannot be a simple clone.
Because the people who would potentially be interested in such a game are usually already playing WoW. And behind WoW is a huge company, decades of experience, and a large budget. No indie MMORPG can surpass Blizzard in a rush.
Indie MMORPGs have different approaches – One sounds promising
Which indie MMORPGs are currently in development?
Crowfall – an MMORPG with strategy elements focusing on PvP
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen – an old-school PvE MMORPG
Camelot Unchained – a pure PvP game inspired by Dark Age of Camelot
Ashes of Creation – a sandbox MMORPG that focuses on PvP and large communities
They all share that they have been in development for years and often get stuck in a pre-alpha or alpha state. This is particularly evident in Crowfall, which announced its release for 2018, 2019, and 2020 respectively. A release is again planned for 2021.
Ashes of Creation also incorporates fortress battles, evolving cities, and cool mounts.
Which game could be successful? Of the mentioned indie titles, the greatest hopes probably lie with Ashes of Creation. This MMORPG promises especially social features and the Massively that so many desire.
Additionally, it already impresses before alpha with good graphics and some innovative approaches, such as the special node system that should be the focus of the entire game. In the combat system, it relies on a hybrid between tab-targeting and action battles.
Both titles are set to release in 2021 and could bring fresh air to the market.
New World is particularly characterized by its unique combat system and the castle battles, while Lost Ark is supposed to combine the ISO perspective of Diablo 3 with the depth of an MMORPG .
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Both of these titles, as well as Ashes of Creation, differ significantly from WoW. They theoretically have the potential to establish themselves in the market in the long term and at least scratch at the throne of the MMORPG king.
And there may still be another candidate.
An MMORPG to LoL: Besides Amazon, developer Riot Games (LoL, Valorant) has also committed to a new MMORPG.
So far, it is only known that it is to take place in the same universe as League of Legends. Recently, new staff were sought for the game. The game has huge potential solely because of the large fanbase.
What do you think about the mentioned games and generally about the state of MMORPGs in 2021? What should a new MMORPG hit definitely include for you?
Valheim is already known for showing little mercy to players. The enemies are tough, the bosses even tougher, and you constantly have to travel across the world to gather more materials. For some particularly hardcore players, this doesn’t seem challenging enough – they install mods for even greater challenges.
How do players make it harder for themselves? Valheim allows the use of mods. These are expansions for the game that can have various effects. For example, they allow the use of portals while carrying metals in your inventory or make building easier.
Normally, mods make the game easier. However, some modders have decided to go in the other direction. They make Valheim harder and even find an audience, albeit only among the toughest players.
Are the bosses not tough enough for you? Make it harder on yourself.
What are these mods? On the website Nexusmods you can find various mods for many games, including Valheim. Three of these mods have effects that make certain elements in the game more challenging:
ExpertMode: Enemies are generally stronger (two stars) but do not drop more loot. The mod is customizable. Here you can find ExpertMode on Nexusmods
Combat Evolved: Makes the combat system more challenging and realistic. Shields can no longer parry ranged attacks, and strikes to the back become stronger – for both players and enemies. Here you can find Combat Evolved on Nexusmods
Starvation: Adds a hunger component. You now have to eat to avoid starving, not just for buffs. Here you can find Starvation on Nexusmods
To do this, you need to gather materials and explore new areas. This already takes a long time. However, if you now also have to ensure that you don’t starve or gather materials for repairs, everything takes even longer.
If the little beasts aren’t annoying enough for you for some reason, you can definitely torture yourself again with this mod.
If you belong to the brave – or the crazy – Vikings who want to put themselves through this torture, at least make it a bit easier on yourself and read in our guide, how to find and defeat all bosses in Valheim.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In a few days, the “Electrotastic Event” starts in Pokémon GO, showcasing many Electric Pokémon. Additionally, the Therian Form of Thundurus will be introduced to the game for the first time.
What is this event about? If you’ve been playing Pokémon GO for a while, you probably remember the Bug Out event. It took place last summer and brought XP bonuses, many Bug-type monsters, and Shinies. The Electric event will center around the designated Electric monsters. You can expect:
Wild spawns featuring new Pokémon from Generation 5
Changed egg contents
Research tasks
Electric-themed raid bosses
The Therian Form of Thundurus and a new Mega Pokémon
All info about the Electric event in March 2021
When does it start? The Electrotastic Event runs from Tuesday, March 16 at 10:00 AM to Monday, March 22 at 8:00 PM local time. You have almost a week to take advantage of the bonuses.
Changed spawns: In the wild, you’ll encounter Electric Pokémon like Alolan Geodude, Electrode, Blitzle, and Ampharos more frequently.
A new Pokémon: If you’re lucky, you may encounter Zapdos in the wild for the first time during the event. This is a Pokémon from Generation 5.
5-KM Eggs: The contents of the eggs will change. If you receive 5-KM eggs during the event, they could hatch into Pichu, Electabuzz, Blitzle, Shelgon, Electrike, Zapdos, and Ampharos.
Raids: You will encounter the following opponents in raids during this event:
Raid Level
Opponents
Level 1
Electrode Electrike Electabuzz Blitzle Zapdos
Level 3
Alolan Raichu Alolan Golem Magneton Ampharos
Level 5
Therian Form of Thundurus
Mega Raids
Mega Electivire Mega Houndoom Mega Abomasnow
Event Bonus: In addition to these changes in opponents and Pokémon in the wild, another bonus awaits you. Niantic states that you will have a greater chance of finding evolution items from gifts from friends during the event.
Why is this event important?
Important content for collectors: If you’re busy completing your Pokédex, you’ll be excited about the addition of a new Pokémon. With Zapdos, your Pokédex will gain at least one more slot. However, this Pokémon has 2 evolutions.
Who is Zapdos? Zapdos is a Pokémon from the fifth generation and is of the Electric type. It has two evolutions, Zekrom and Zekrom-EX. Visually, Zapdos changes from a fish to a monster with larger fins that even has arms as Zekrom-EX. In the main series games, you had to evolve Zekrom with an evolution stone (Thunder Stone) into Zekrom-EX.
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Here you see the Therian Form of Thundurus, Zapdos in the middle, and Mega Electivire on the right
Catch this boss: Thundurus is rather “okay” in its Incarnate Form. However, its Therian Form has significantly stronger stats. And that is an important point for you, as with the right attacks, Thundurus in Therian Form could become the best Electric attacker. This will surely be revealed once the final stats are known in the game. But save some candies for it.
What do you think of the preview for the Electric event? Is it something you are looking forward to and if so, why? Share your opinion here on MeinMMO in the comments.
With Season 2, PS Plus members get a free DLC with cosmetics for Call of Duty: Warzone & Black Ops Cold War. MeinMMO shows you the content and how to grab the combat pack.
What is this package? PlayStation and Call of Duty are in a joint cooperation and part of this partnership are the “combat packs”. Occasionally, these free DLCs for PS Plus members offer a handful of cosmetics, and now the package for Season 2 is online – the “Endurance Combat Pack”.
This time there is also an exclusive operator skin for PlayStation players with PS Plus and additional items to enhance your character and equipment. You can see the content in action in an English trailer:
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But you can also search for the pack on your PS4 or PS5 in the PlayStation Store. Enter “Combat Pack” in the search bar and activate the pack through the store. If you are in the browser or in the game store during the purchase, you should restart CoD to get the items into your inventory.
Season 2 brought a lot of zombie content and even undead into the battle royale Warzone. Furthermore, the stories of the two CoD universes Black Ops and Modern Warfare are currently merging. Additionally, the first anniversary of Warzone is approaching, and some players hope for new content from it. It will be exciting to see what the current season still has to offer – aside from the new combat pack.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The system of Valor Points in World of Warcraft is live, but it comes with a major annoyance. Players are angry about how Blizzard has implemented it.
In World of Warcraft Patch 9.0.5 is live and with it the system for item upgrading. However, this leaves many players bewildered. Blizzard has made farming Valor Points so absurd that some players are outraged. Rightly so, because those farming trivial content make the fastest progress.
What kind of system is this? Since Patch 9.0.5, players can upgrade items obtained from “Mythic+” dungeons. By completing dungeons, players collect Valor Points that can then be spent to increase item levels and thus make them more powerful. Generally, this is a good system that allows all players to improve.
What is the problem? The issue is how players earn the Valor Points. To upgrade, one needs several thousand of them – which is fundamentally acceptable as these are meant to be long-term projects.
The actual difficulty here is that players receive 135 Valor after completing each dungeon. It is completely irrelevant whether players complete a dungeon on “Mythic+2”, “Mythic+10” or “Mythic+18” – they receive 135 Valor Points every time.
Farming challenging dungeons is particularly efficient – this does not sit well with many players.
Why is this problematic? The most efficient way to farm Valor Points now is to complete simple dungeons of the difficulty “M+2” or “M+3”. This can often be done in a few minutes, but for well-equipped players, it is completely undemanding.
Thus, the optimal strategy currently is to complete one or four high-level keys to have something good in the vault next week and then just spam simple “+2” dungeons to quickly gather Valor.
Players demand changes, but how?
This is how players react: As soon as players figured out this system, criticism poured in, as seen on wowhead. Most players expressed their anger and disbelief:
“That’s pretty stupid, if you ask me. Higher keystones should give more Valor Points. Why does Anima scale with difficulty, but Valor doesn’t?”
“Do your +10 dungeons until you get the item you want and then farm +2 dungeons. Damn stupid.”
“Very strange. This must be a bug, or does Blizzard want us to spam +2 dungeons?”
How could it be fixed? There are several proposed solutions. Many players believe that the amount of Valor should scale with the dungeon’s difficulty. For example, a “Mythic+2” could yield only 50 Valor, while a “Mythic+15” might provide around 200 Valor. This would incentivize players to tackle harder dungeons directly, instead of simply farming the easiest ones mindlessly.
More news about WoW: Shadowlands can be found here:
The problem will resolve itself in the long run: However, it should also be noted that the problem will likely fix itself in the long run. Currently, players can farm a massive cap of 5,000 Valor, but later it only increases by 750 points per week. In this case, it is sufficient to complete 5-6 dungeons to reach the cap.
If the number of necessary dungeons decreases in the coming weeks, players will be more inclined to tackle harder dungeons again to also improve their weekly reward from the vault.
What do you think of the new system and the “135 Valor for everything” rule? Is it good as it is? Or should Blizzard make quick adjustments?
Season 6 in Fortnite is starting soon, but it is still unclear what the story will look like. However, many indications suggest that DC hero Batman will play an important role.
When does Season 6 start? As announced on March 9, Season 6 officially begins on March 16, 2021. This means the next season is just under a week away.
But before players start the new season, they will experience the finale of Season 5. This is supposed to represent the end of the zero point crisis and “shake reality to its core” in Fortnite. It is said to feature “the most elaborate story cutscene” Fortnite has seen so far. You really can’t miss the event – instead of a live event like with Galactus, all players will experience the event solo as soon as they log in for the first time in Season 6.
Since the zero point has reality-altering effects, we can actually expect major changes. However, how this will unfold is still uncertain. It has been hinted that Batman plays an important role.
Batman returns to Fortnite
Batman gets Fortnite comic series – Important for the story
This is how the Batman crossover works: Donald Mustard is the “Chief Creative Officer” at Epic Games and thus significantly involved in the events in Fortnite.
In a tweet, he referred to a new Batman comic series that is directly connected with Fortnite. It is called “Fortnite and Batman: Zero Point.” In this comic, the backgrounds of the zero point will be explained and the ongoing story of Fortnite will be highlighted.
The first comic is set to be released on April 2 and will then bring out a new issue every two weeks. The developments in the comic are supposed to have a direct impact on the game. Additionally, the comics are said to come with codes that promise bonuses in Fortnite – including unlocking new skins. There will be a total of 6 issues.
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The comic series will deal with how Batman lands on the Fortnite Island. The bat detective will then uncover the truth behind the island and how it is connected to the zero point. Characters like Catwoman and Harley Quinn are also expected to play a role.
Mustard confirmed to IGN that the Batman in the comics finds himself in an unknown environment, does not know who he is anymore, but still retains all his instincts. There will be skins again.
The launch date suggests that Batman will not play a role immediately at the start of the season, which begins on March 16. It is possible that a different story will initially develop, leading to Batman’s appearance in Fortnite.
Why is that funny? The great hero of the MMORPG ESO faces the mightiest foes like the Vampires from Greymoor, has even been dead before, gets singed by dragons, and confronts Daedric Princes.
But if they get spun around a bit too quickly, they start crying immediately.
How do players react to that? The ESO community finds this feature amusing. Some didn’t even know about it, as they probably never thought to spin their character quickly:
MagicNipple writes on reddit: ‘Honestly, I just discovered this by accident yesterday. I tried it for 5 minutes straight.’
LadyFizzex already knew the feature (via reddit): ‘I do this a few times when I log in.’
ChuckleheadCharlie has a little anecdote (via reddit): ‘If you do that in Metal Gear Solid 3, Snake throws up.’
Swiftstormers is excited about reddit: ‘Thanks! This is such a fantastic detail. I would have never thought of discovering something like this.’
Sometimes, it’s the little details that bring joy to the players. Although it has no gameplay impact, it’s still fun to spin the hero around and make them cry.
For FIFA 21, EA has announced the new Title Update 12. Here at MeinMMO, you will learn what changes it brings.
When will Title Update 12 be released? The update has not yet been released for any platform. However, EA has announced that it is expected to be released soon for the PC version of FIFA 21.
A release for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S should then follow in the coming days.
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What’s in the new update? The new Title Update 12 mainly focuses on bug fixes, like the last update. There are no new features or significant changes to be found.
This makes Title Update 12 the third consecutive update without gameplay changes. Players have noticed this as well, expressing their frustration on Twitter:
amity: “Have you just given up trying to change the gameplay?!”
In the MMORPG Naïca Online, passwords are stored insecurely and the developers apparently do not want to do anything about it.
What is Naïca Online? The MMORPG started its beta on November 10 on PC and Android. You take on the role of beast men, coexisting with humans. After creating a character, you explore the game world in pixel graphics, team up with other players, delve into dungeons, and fight monsters – including boss enemies.
The MMORPG is supposed to appeal mainly to fans of the 16-bit game era, like the SNES. Here’s what it looks like:
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What is the problem? Players have discovered that their password and the associated email address for the account in MMORPG Naïca Online are stored in plain text format. This means that users’ email addresses and passwords are not encrypted. Hackers could easily read and use them.
This becomes problematic especially when players use the same password in combination with that email address as a login for other online services or games. Hackers would then also have access to those services.
How long has the problem existed? The issue was identified during the alpha phase, which took place in the fall of 2020. It still exists in the beta phase, however.
What do the developers say about it? When the security flaw was reported in October 2020, the team responded:
The alpha is no longer relevant, so there is currently almost no interest in fixing the issues players found there. Wait for the open beta. We wouldn’t have the time to look into this anyway.
What is the situation now? During the beta, the problem still persists and there is no fix. This is probably because the developers have since abandoned their MMORPG. A few days ago, the team announced in the Discord channel that they are no longer working on Naïca Online and most of the staff had to leave the studio. Only 2 people are currently working there, and they have started a new project.
In the official Discord channel, moderators even punish hints about the security flaw with a warning. This was brought to attention by Reddit user gamingsec, who found these problems and informed the developers.
This is how the community reacts: The behavior of the developers is seen as irresponsible, and players are very upset.
ANTI_D3_NECKBEARD says on reddit: ‘The MMORPG really has poor management. Thanks to the person who discovered the security flaw.’
False-Adhesiveness writes (via reddit): ‘I wonder if this was all a scam or if the developers are just incompetent.’
op_is_a_faglord expresses disappointment (via reddit): ‘This sounds really sad, but somehow it’s what I now expect from an indie MMORPG in early access.’
What do you think about this situation? Should the developers be obliged to fix such issues even for a discontinued game?
If you like MMORPGs with colorful graphics, check out the MeinMMO list of the 6 best anime MMORPGs.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
As a skiff spaceship brings new enemies into the area during the mission, some Guardians decide to jump on the roof of the space airship. Since it starts to shake under the weight, more and more Guardians jump on it.
Amid laughter, someone shouts “Bring it down!” and shortly after, you can hear in disbelief: “It works!” The enemy spaceship actually crashes. However, it doesn’t smash into the ground but simply goes through it.
The absurdity was captured in a nearly one-minute video:
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Bungie encouraged players shortly thereafter to have fun with the oversized fireteams and not to fear any penalties.
The Destiny developer also noted that the game is not designed for “when a clown car full of Guardians rolls in.” It was also said that “strange things could happen because of this.”
Clearly, skiff spaceships cannot handle that many players jumping on them at the same time. Therefore, it gets pushed out of its position and even clips through the ground. The game cannot quite handle the bug, even killing some of the clowns, uh, Guardians.
Will the Guardians dance on the boss of the strike, the S.A.B.E.R, next?
This is how the video is received: The video was uploaded by the quite small channel of Djxz0 with 1,000 subscribers (via YouTube). Within 2 days, the clip already reached over 40,000 clicks and 2,260 likes (as of 10.03.21). So it can be said that viewers enjoy what they see.
One of the jokesters in the video is, by the way, a real Destiny celebrity: My Name is Byf. The “Lore Daddy” is the most well-known story and lore specialist of the MMO shooter, which we have also reported on several times on MeinMMO.
Guardians have fun and find a deeper meaning behind the party glitch
There is a lively mood in the comments as well:
There’s a torrent of puns with “spaceship” and “fallen”. You know: because it’s a skiff of the Fallen – a setup, indeed.
One user points out that the hyena-like laughter is the best thing about the glitch for him. Because the Guardians are simply having fun and trying out crazy things. It doesn’t always have to be strong loot that brings players together.
Others already award the video the title “Movie of the Week”. Bungie awards this title along with a coveted emblem to a clip from the community every week in their blog post.
It is often said in an MMORPG: Defeat the dark boss. But a role-playing game can tell much more interesting stories. Perhaps we will get one with the Blackwood expansion for The Elder Scrolls Online, at least that is what MeinMMO author Andreas Bertits hopes.
Role-playing games are a genre where many exciting stories can be told. The developers are free to let their imagination run wild and write creative quests. But often, in the end, only the fight against the evil boss remains, which is often the case in MMORPGs.
The dark Lich King must be defeated in World of Warcraft, you want to give the Balrog in The Lord of the Rings Online a hard time, and in every expansion of the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online, a new villain awaits for you to defeat him at the end.
It’s always the same stories that are told. A new, evil power emerges, and you know right from the start how it will end: The villain dies by our hands. This type of storytelling is simple and works, but it’s not particularly varied.
But it can also be different. You usually see this in single-player games. A pioneer here is the Ultima series, which has shaped my view of stories for RPGs.
In Ultima 8 there was no final battle. The player had to find a way home.
Even Ultima 4 from 1985 had no final boss. Instead, it was necessary to retrieve a book from a dungeon and master eight virtues, which made the hero a role model for the people of the fantasy land Britannia.
In Ultima 6 from 1990, it initially seemed that one would have to defeat the dark Gargoyles and their leader, who started an invasion in Britannia. However, it turned out that they were only searching for a new home, and it was the hero’s task to bring both peoples together.
In Ultima 7 from 1992, it was necessary to destroy a dimensional gateway before the evil Guardian could pass through. So, in essence, the game ended by avoiding the boss fight.
And in Ultima 8 (1994), after being banished to another world, the goal was to find a way home. There was also no boss fight here.
I simply want to experience stories in MMORPGs that deviate from the norm, take brave new paths, and serve me something I haven’t experienced often.
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The trailer for ESO: Blackwood shows Mehrunes Dagon as the enemy, but you will not destroy him.
Will ESO: Blackwood deliver a more unusual MMO story?
How could ESO: Blackwood help here? Not much is yet known about the story, but it is said to revolve around players finding and defusing some weapons of mass destruction in the world. Although there is an antagonist in Mehrunes Dagon, we do not destroy him.
Because Dagon also reappears later in the games of the Elder Scrolls series. The single-player titles are set hundreds of years after ESO. Dagon remains as a dark Daedric Prince.
At least there will not be a moment in the Blackwood expansion where we will annihilate him. However, that doesn’t mean there can’t be other boss opponents. Nevertheless, the story seems somewhat different than what we have known from ESO so far.
Andreas Bertits has been playing MMORPGs since 1997 and started in the genre with the classic Ultima Online. His love for the Ultima series also led him into the online world of Britannia.
Now he mainly spends his online time with The Elder Scrolls Online in Tamriel or adventures through the Forgotten Realms in Neverwinter. However, he tries almost every MMORPG that comes to market.
So, perhaps we can’t completely avoid bosses: Boss fights have become customary in MMORPGs. They are part of the regular gameplay. Because they represent a kind of goal. Players who have leveled their heroes for a long time can show how effectively they can fight against the boss.
Usually, these confrontations also offer special challenges in which players must employ specific tactics. This is fun and provides variety to the regular battles.
Moreover, there are often particularly valuable rewards that you can obtain as loot through boss fights. They are thus a game mechanic that MMORPG players expect. Therefore, there will certainly be one or another of these confrontations in ESO: Blackwood.
However, whether you really have to fight the one last boss fight is still unclear. Zenimax Online has not yet revealed enough about the story of Blackwood.
Nevertheless, the actual premise of the story, that the search for dangerous weapons is on and we need to defuse them, is interesting and refreshing. It has not been directly stated that the villain appears with a massive army that you need to stop, as was the case in ESO: Greymoor.
More from the gray gaming past of Andreas Bertits:
Therefore, I hope that with Blackwood I can experience a story that is simply different. One that does not present me with the super evil boss and where I know from the beginning that I have to fight against him and defeat him. Because we have simply had that too often in MMORPGs.
Of course, this boss mechanic still makes sense, but once in a while getting stories that deviate from that brings fresh air to an online game.
What do you think? Do you also want to experience stories in MMORPGs that do not revolve around the obligatory final battle against the boss? Or is that a game mechanic that simply belongs to you?
Patch 9.0.5 of World of Warcraft is finally live. However, some bugs and issues have crept in, which Blizzard is already fixing.
After a long wait, the small Patch 9.0.5 is now live in World of Warcraft. In addition to some new features, such as collecting Valor Points, there are also a number of bugs. Fortunately, the Americans have had the patch for a few hours longer, so Blizzard has already been able to work on hotfixes.
What’s new in Patch 9.0.5? The mini-patch 9.0.5 contains relatively little new content. There are two new mounts, one of which is the great community mount Wandering Ancient. Otherwise, the update mainly brings back the Valor system, which allows players to upgrade their items from “Mythic+” dungeons.
Note that the upgrade is only possible for items you obtained from dungeons after the launch of Patch 9.0.5. Items you already owned beforehand cannot be upgraded.
We have shared more about the upgrade system here.
The Wandering Ancient is still a bit of a wait.
What problems are there? Within the first hours after the release, there were a number of reports about possible problems and difficulties. The following issues were identified:
In Torghast, the corridors do not grant Soul Ash after successful completion. (Fixed now!)
The mount Wandering Ancient is not yet available. It should arrive for players within “the next few days”.
Some items that were supposed to be added to the transmog collection are not functioning correctly.
Additionally, there is something that is not quite clear if it is intended by Blizzard. Currently, every “Mythic+” dungeon grants 135 Valor Points upon completion, regardless of whether it is a dungeon of difficulty level M+2 or M+15. All dungeons grant 135 Valor Points.
What’s next? After Blizzard has fixed the major bugs and issues from Patch 9.0.5 with hotfixes, it should soon continue with Patch 9.1 Chains of Domination – at least on the PTR. There, the next update will certainly be tested for a few months before it goes into the first “real” content update of Shadowlands.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
