In Call of Duty: Warzone, map knowledge gives you a big advantage. But do you really know every corner of Verdansk? Find out with this map quiz from MeinMMO.
What’s going on here? The large “Battle Royale” map Verdansk is almost a year old now and the main stage of Call of Duty: Warzone. Over the year, a lot has changed on the map, and there is also a second, but much smaller island of Warzone – Rebirth Island.
However, many locations in Verdansk have remained the same over time, and those who play a lot have seen almost everything here. But do you really know the entire giant map?
MeinMMO has included 10 special locations in Verdansk and packed them into a concise quiz, with which you can find out if you have absorbed everything from Verdansk.
MeinMMO Quiz – 10 Special Locations in Verdansk
How does the quiz work? We show you 10 images from the map with perspectives that are unique to Verdansk. For each image, you have 4 options with quadrants to choose from. Directly below the quiz, you will find a map of Verdansk that is divided into quadrants. Think about where the location might be and check in the quiz if the estimated quadrant is included.
After the 10 questions, you will receive an assessment of your performance and see your correct and incorrect answers. You can then repeat the quiz directly, or you can scroll down to the answers. The answers are hidden behind spoiler boxes that you must activate to see the solution.
And now, good luck solving it!
Dieses Quiz ist geschlossen.
Answer Question 1
Answer 1: Tavorsk Park in M9
The playground is located in the south of Verdansk and in sight of the war memorial “Styor Spomenik”. A visit here was likely quite popular before the attack on Verdansk. The park is close to the city, offers a nearby restaurant, and provides a wide view of the Kastovian Sea.
Answer Question 2
Answer 2: WHP Camp in F10
The camper has set up east of the humanitarian WHP camp and was probably watching the city’s demise up close. Right here, there were creepy children’s voices heard before the start of the Warzone Halloween event, which surely gave chills during a stressful round of Battle Royale.
Answer Question 3
Answer 3: Gravel Slide Tower in D11
The beacon blinks lonely and bravely at the highest point of the “Quarry” area in the northeast of Verdansk.
Answer Question 4
Answer 4: Iron Bridge in H14
The picture shows the view from the tube, which is already outside the playing field. The area north of the lumberjack camp was once a popular hiking area, and the Iron Bridge was the connection between the two forested areas.
Answer Question 5
Answer 5: Train Station of Verdansk in K4
Teddies have a long tradition in Call of Duty, and many can also be found in the Warzone. You can find this special teddy on the roof of the train station in Verdansk. You can find more CoD teddies in Easter Eggs.
Answer Question 6
Answer 6: Pipe Tunnel to Gulag in N13
This tunnel passage is a well-covered way to get closer to the Gulag of Verdansk, which is officially called the “Zordaya Prison Complex.”
Answer Question 7
Answer 7: Shooting Range in B7
The net lies over a building at the shooting range of the Arklov Peak Military Base – directly under the western watchtower.
Answer Question 8
Answer 8: Dam Elevator in C3
The breakthrough leads down at the dam to a shaft with a winch that takes you up or down.
Answer Question 9
Answer 9: Grandfather’s House in C10
This house towers over the rest of the area in northern Verdansk and even allows a view down to the Gulag. The building is said to remind a CoD insider of “Granny’s” or “Grandma’s House” – a spot on the map “Overgrown” from Call of Duty 4.
The map of the Warzone is huge. But the Warzone has been around for almost a year in March 2021, and in such a long time, you can discover a lot. In addition to the best weapons of the Warzone and new tactics for victory, the nuances of a map that was completely handcrafted for the battle royale are also part of it.
What were your results in the quiz? Were you able to recognize some of the locations?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Fortnite, a movie night will soon take place, featuring several mini-movies. We will provide you with all the information about it and how you can also participate in the festival.
What kind of festival is this? “Short Nite” is a film festival where players from around the world gather in Fortnite: Party Royale to watch a few special short films together – including some that have won an Oscar.
If you want to virtually gather with your friends and enjoy a movie night, Short Nite gives you the chance to do so. This is not the first time, that Fortnite shows a movie in Party Royale.
When does the movie night take place? Short Nite will start on February 20 at 8:00 PM and will run until February 21 at 8:00 PM. The first showing of all the short films will last about 30 minutes (until 8:30 PM) and will then be repeated for 24 hours.
You can decide for yourself when you want to watch the short films and do not need an “entry” that would limit the number of participants.
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Here you can see the trailer for Short Nite and some clips from the short films that will be shown
How to participate in Short Nite
Where is the movie night taking place? The film festival will take place in the special mode “Party Royale” at the big screen. In this map, there is no fighting, which makes it particularly suitable for such events.
To participate, simply start Fortnite normally and then choose the Party Royale mode among the game modes. If you want to experience the movie night with friends, you should invite them to your lobby beforehand, so you can start the round together.
Here you can see where the screen is located on the Party Royale map. This is where you should go for the festival:
The big screen you should visit is located at the marked spot
Fortnite will also bring a new emote that is meant to get you into the feeling of a movie night. Starting February 20 at 1:00 AM, “Giant Popcorn” will be available in the item shop. In this “dance”, your character sits down on a chair and eagerly eats from a giant popcorn cup.
The action RPG Last Epoch has been in Early Access on Steam for a while and has received positive reviews. However, the developers do not want to rush the last steps toward the release – even if the competition suddenly hastens.
This is Last Epoch: Since spring 2019, Last Epoch has been available in Early Access on Steam and initially looked a bit like a mix of Diablo and Path of Exile.
However, the ARPG from the developers of Eleventh Hour Games has its unique features. One of them is the time travel mechanic, which you will use to navigate through the game.
You can choose a base class for your character and then specialize into over 15 master classes. Additionally, you can customize your skills and, of course, constantly be on the lookout for better loot.
In Last Epoch, various base and master classes are available to you
This is what it looks like on Steam: Looking at the game’s reviews, a positive picture emerges. The reviews are overall “very positive”, with 86% of the 3,570 reviews so far in the positive category. It is described there as a good but not overly complex ARPG. Players who are comfortable with Diablo and Path of Exile should find a strong option here as well.
The testing phase is expected to leave early access in 2021. However, how long the last step will take was left open by Game Director Judd Cobler in an interview with SegmentNext.
Last Epoch – The “next big action RPG”?
This is what Cobler says: In the interview, the developer reports that currently about 50 team members from Eleventh Hour Games are working on Last Epoch. Among other things, they are currently focusing heavily on multiplayer elements: “Players can chat in the city hubs, show off their equipment, use a unique trading system or team up with 3 other travelers to defeat the dangers that await in Eterra,” says Cobler.
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Thanks to the currently positive feedback, the studio is now in a position not to rush into a full release: “We are fortunate to have the resources to release Last Epoch when it meets our high standards. In the meantime, we will continue to release regular content patches at the quality level our community expects from us.”
One of the features already available in beta is controller support – and a console port is at least being considered. However, this is said to be added to the roadmap only after the launch: “We are not actively working on console ports yet.”
This is how Cobler views the competition: In the interview, Cobler is asked about the games Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2 – and whether they are trying to release Last Epoch fully before these two competitors: “That is not a specific goal of ours. We believe that Last Epoch will receive better reviews, have more reliable servers, and will have the most successful launch if we focus on a high-quality release and stay true to our mission of creating the next big action RPG.”
They have also not heard anything concrete about the release dates of the two competitors but are looking forward to playing them as fans. At least Diablo 4 is not expected to be released in 2021. They apparently do not want to hide from either Diablo or Path of Exile: “As a team, we learn a lot from competing with other games, and ultimately, Last Epoch will be better for it. We sincerely believe that we have some of the best system designs of all ARPGs on the market today.”
With Last Epoch, they are confident that they can establish themselves in the ARPG market. Are you looking for alternatives in the genre? Then you can find a total of 8 exciting hack and slashes for 2021 here.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
NCSoft has released a new trailer for the MMORPG Blade & Soul 2, focusing on the combat. And it looks truly spectacular.
What does the trailer show? In the video, several combat styles can be seen that you can acquire in the MMORPG Blade & Soul 2. This includes a martial arts style where the hero beats up enemies with his fists.
Next, we see a two-handed swordsman attacking multiple enemies at once with whirlwind attacks. A female swordsman shows how quickly she can deal damage with just one blade.
Magic is not neglected either. A representative of the Lyn people heats things up for the monsters with fire and ice magic. And an archer shows how she can take down multiple enemies with an area attack even while jumping in the air.
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The trailer truly makes you look forward to the battles in Blade & Soul 2.
The battles in Blade & Soul 2 look incredible
Are there bosses to see as well? The second part of the video revolves around boss fights. The group takes on a huge, troll-like enemy, attacking it from all sides. The monster doesn’t know whom to attack first.
Then a giant monkey rushes in on a sort of cloud and beats down on the party with a staff. And a deer-like monster creature represents the last boss we see in the video.
How do the fights feel? The confrontations are fast and full of action. At first glance, you wouldn’t think it is an MMORPG. The battles could also be from an action game.
The animations, effects, and combos create the impression of watching a martial arts fantasy film.
What is missing in the trailer? Although it is gameplay material, the UI is not visible. This makes it difficult to assess the controls. How do you switch between the individual attacks? How does dodging and jumping work? Everything seems so fast that one wonders what the key bindings look like in the PC version and whether there is a hotbar for selecting skills.
What can we expect with Blade & Soul 2? The MMORPG places you in the same world as the predecessor, but tells a new story. You guide your hero through several continents filled with many secrets to uncover. Exploration is therefore an important element. You determine your playstyle through the weapons you wield, not through a class.
The battles are once again in the spotlight, as the new trailer proves. Besides PvE elements like quests, there is also PvP, and Blade & Soul 2 is specifically being developed for the eSports scene.
When will the game be released? Blade & Soul 2 launches in South Korea in May and has already broken a pre-registration record. An international release is planned for this year.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
So it could soon be time for several players to receive new ratings based on their real-life performances. But who could they be? Some players have stood out in the first half of the season – we look at a few candidates.
Silas Wamangituka
The 21-year-old forward from VfB Stuttgart boasts quite impressive numbers. Ten goals and three assists in 17 season matches account for him – he seems to have fully arrived in the Bundesliga. However, in FIFA 21, Wamangituka only has a rating of 70, which today seems noticeably too low. He has received a special card with 74 in between – an upgrade of his stats would therefore not be a surprise.
Giovanni Reyna
Reyna is currently just 18 years old, but already regularly starts for Borussia Dortmund. He has already provided several goals and assists there – but sending him on goal-scoring missions in FIFA 21 is difficult. Because his current silver card only has a rating of 68. An upgrade is already due, no matter how young Reyna is.
Florian Wirtz
Even younger than Reyna is Florian Wirtz, who, like the Dortmund player, consistently impresses with good performances. The youngster invigorates the offense of Bayer Leverkusen and could also use an upgrade in FIFA 21. Because he is currently also at only 68 – a value that urgently needs to be raised for the Winter Refresh.
Lars Stindl
The captain of Borussia Mönchengladbach is, at 32, no longer the youngest player in the Bundesliga, but has shown with consistently strong performances, 9 goals and 6 assists in the first half of the season, that his rating of 80 might have been set a bit too low. He has already collected an 83-rated TOTW card and an 86-rated POTM card. An upgrade of his original gold card would certainly be deserved.
Leon Goretzka
Leon Goretzka serves here as a representative for a whole series of Bayern players who in summer received ratings that were too low for some reason. In the meantime, the midfielder has at least received an 86-rated TOTW card and an 87-rated Headliner card. However, his original card still remains at 84, which has been too little for Goretzka since summer and could be corrected in the Winter Refresh.
Florian Neuhaus
Neuhaus has made himself a fixture in the midfield at Gladbach and impresses as a link between defense and offense. He tirelessly drives Borussia’s game and has collected a total of eleven goal contributions in 25 competitive matches. There is currently constant talk about a transfer of the midfielder to bigger clubs. His 79-rated card in FIFA 21 does not reflect that in any form – an upgrade to the 82-rated range is conceivable.
Angelino
The Spaniard has established himself completely at RB Leipzig and not only plays in the defensive line but also acts as an offensive driver on the wing. Angelino has proven to be not only a reliable defender but also extremely dangerous in front of goal. Anything less than a significant upgrade of his 80-rated card would be a surprise.
Edmond Tapsoba
Tapsoba arrived at Bayer Leverkusen in January 2020 with a market value of 16 million and has doubled that over the past year with strong performances. He is a key player at Leverkusen and has contributed to the team being high up in the table. His 78-rated card is too low for that.
André Silva
Frankfurt’s striker Silva has played a significant role in the successful season for Frankfurt with his goals so far. He has shown himself to be dangerous from open play but has also excelled with cold-blooded penalties. Silva even made it to the TOTY nomination. However, he only has a standard 79-rated card, which could definitely use an upgrade – and also deserves one.
Marvin Friedrich
Union Berlin has delivered a pretty strong first half of the season in the Bundesliga and has several players who deserve an upgrade. One of them is defender Friedrich, who not only held the line at the back but is also dangerous after set pieces. In FIFA 21, however, he only has a 74-rated silver card that definitely does not reflect this performance.
The players in FIFA 21 are of course not everything that counts. Especially your own skills with the controller are decisive. Here you can find some tricks to outsmart your opponents.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
16-year-old Cody “Clix” Conrod is one of the best players in Fortnite. He streamed on Twitch in front of over 100,000 viewers and just won a tournament. But now he has been permanently banned from the streaming platform. He is inconsolable. #FreeClix is trending on Twitter. We take a look at the case at MeinMMO.
Update February 17, 9:15 AM: Twitch has lifted Clix’s permanent ban after just one day and 15 hours. No further explanation was given, but the public pressure on Twitter was high.
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This is what Clix said: On February 15, Clix tweeted: “Bro, what the fuck, I’m banned on Twitch.”
It means something like: “Goodness, I’m banned on Twitch, what’s going on, bro?”
Clix is familiar with being banned. In 2019, the then 14-year-old was already banned because he was hanging out with player Zayne in Fortnite, who was permanently banned from Twitch. Being on Twitch with someone like that is against the platform’s rules: Clix was excluded from Twitch for a week back then.
But this time, the ban is permanent. The suspension remains in place unless Clix can successfully appeal against it.
The 16-year-old Fortnite prodigy is inconsolable. He writes: He has now been banned from everything he loves.
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he had just reached 108,000 simultaneous viewers on Twitch
Clix was actually at his peak before the ban came
The only 16-year-old Clix has earned $250,968 with Fortnite. Most of the money came from his 18th place solo finish at the Fortnite World Cup in summer 2019. He currently has 3.5 million followers on Twitch. This puts Clix at 30th place, one spot ahead of MontanaBlack, the largest German Twitch streamer.
Clix apparently showed the wrong image during the Twitch stream
Why was Clix banned? Twitch itself does not disclose the reason for a ban. The streamer has to do that himself.
But Clix also seems to have no idea why Twitch banned him. Clix says: Even a day later, he still has not received a response from Twitch.
As the website Sportskeed reports, Clix accidentally showed a “sexually explicit image” live on Twitch. For that, Twitch had already banned streamer Forsen. Apparently, in Clix’s stream, an image of his Windows system was accidentally visible for a few seconds, showing a folder with a sexually suggestive thumbnail and named “Rons Ass”.
He subsequently ended the stream in shock and deleted the video recording.
Ron appears to be “NRG Ronaldo,” a team colleague of Clix.
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The penalty may also be so severe because the “3 Strikes Out” rule applies here. If Twitch streamers are temporarily banned three times in a short period, the penalty becomes permanent.
The current ban is Clix’s third in a relatively short time:
Some Twitter users in Germany are also complaining about Clix’s ban on Twitch: Here again, the example comes up of the female streamer who performed a sex show live on Twitch, showing everything and only received a 3-day ban, while Clix is now banned permanently.
The drop rates for loot in the Castle Nathria raid of WoW have been improved. We tell you how much loot you can really expect.
Raiding felt un rewarding in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands for many players. Usable loot was too rare, and there were too few items in general from the raid. A hotfix has ensured that there is more loot from Castle Nathria with today’s maintenance (02/17/2021).
What has changed? All bosses in Castle Nathria now leave behind 33% more loot. This should mean one more item per boss for most raid groups. Additionally, the tokens exchanged for weapons at the Covenant Sanctum will drop more frequently. So, for those still looking for a good weapon, a visit to the raid should now be worthwhile.
What does this mean in detail? Depending on the raid size, there is now more loot from individual bosses. The following table breaks down exactly how many items you can expect from a boss kill. Each additional player essentially adds a 20% chance for another item.
Number of Players in the Raid
Loot per Boss
10
2 items
11
80% chance of 2 items 20% chance of 3 items
12
60% chance of 2 items 40% chance of 3 items
13
40% chance of 2 items 60% chance of 3 items
14
20% chance of 2 items 80% chance of 3 items
15
3 items
16
80% chance of 3 items 20% chance of 4 items
17
60% chance of 3 items 40% chance of 4 items
18
40% chance of 3 items 60% chance of 4 items
19
20% chance of 3 items 80% chance of 4 items
20
4 items
21
80% chance of 4 items 20% chance of 5 items
22
60% chance of 4 items 40% chance of 5 items
23
40% chance of 4 items 60% chance of 5 items
24
20% chance of 4 items 80% chance of 5 items
25
5 items
26
80% chance of 5 items 20% chance of 6 items
27
60% chance of 5 items 40% chance of 6 items
28
40% chance of 5 items 60% chance of 6 items
29
20% chance of 5 items 80% chance of 6 items
30
6 items
In the mythic Castle Nathria, however, every boss drops 4 items without exception.
Is there anything for dungeons? Yes, but only in the next update, patch 9.0.5. While the drop rate of items from “Mythic+” will not be increased, there will be a new currency, Valor Points. These can then be collected and used to upgrade items from dungeons, making them significantly more lucrative. Of course, this assumes that you actually get these items in the first place. With 1-2 items per completed dungeon, this could take a while, which is currently being criticized by many players.
Will you dive back into the raid starting today? Or does the change have almost no impact on your gaming plans?
What else is changing in WoW soon is something we will find out at the BlizzConline on Friday.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny 2, the new exotic quest “The Voice from the Other Side” has now started. MeinMMO author Sven Galitzki believes that this new quest is worthwhile not only because of the new exotic weapon and advises everyone to take on the quest as quickly as possible.
Why not miss it? I tackled it yesterday with my colleague and guardian comrade Phillip Hansen from MeinMMO (see title image) and can now tell you: Don’t miss this quest! Not only because of the exotic reward that awaits at the end – even though I think it rocks as well. But for 2 completely different reasons:
Firstly, it’s really easy to miss the quest because you don’t see right away where it actually starts.
Secondly, the quest brings a new mission with it – namely “Presage”. This is similar to Omen from Season 12 and in my opinion, it is the best mission that Destiny 2 has ever offered.
How to start the new quest “The Voice from the Other Side”
In order to jump into the new quest quickly, I will briefly explain where exactly you start it.
Here’s where you find the start: You must head to the weapons dealer strike in the EDZ on Earth. It’s enough to select the strike normally from the map, it doesn’t have to be a Nightfall (but it can be) and also doesn’t need to happen through the playlist.
What do you do in the strike? Once you’ve done that, right at the beginning after a few meters, take the new path that opens through a now-open door, eliminate all enemies there, and eventually come across a distress signal. This will lead you to Commander Zavala, and only then does the quest really get going.
You won’t play the strike normally and not to the end either. After interacting with the data pad, you can leave the strike immediately and fly to the Tower.
In this video by Esoterickk, you can see the exact way:
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That’s why I think the new quest is a must: But the main reason why you should definitely not miss this quest, even if you’re currently taking a break, is: The subsequent mission “Presage” is in my opinion the absolute best mission that Destiny 2 has ever had:
It has the perfect mix of exploration, jumping elements, puzzles, and combat, and it isn’t overly mechanics-heavy. And by the way, it’s completely without time pressure.
The atmosphere is absolutely phenomenal. If you enjoy tense moments in space and have a touch of horror, you should have a lot of fun. Dead Space sends its regards.
The story is really exciting in my opinion (yes, no joke!) and I’m curious about what’s to come.
In short: The mission embodies, in principle, what I and likely many others imagine under a mission: suspense, challenge, puzzles, great atmosphere, good presentation, and an interesting story.
Bungie hasn’t implemented and connected this as well anywhere else in my view. Also among many other players who have already mastered “Presage”, enthusiasm is strong. Many see it like I do and say: It is the best mission of Destiny 2 so far.
The beginning of “Presage”
What is it about? I want to spoil as little as possible at this point. In “Presage”, you are to investigate a Cabal ghost ship that has suddenly appeared and is sending a distress signal. I won’t go into further detail.
Everyone should experience it themselves, if you haven’t already. And if you haven’t tackled the mission yet, I can only recommend approaching it blind and without guides. This way, you can truly enjoy the experience – at least the first time.
By the way, the mission is essentially an activity. Yes, activity – Because just like Omen from Season 12, it can be replayed to earn its reward – the new exotic scout rifle – with random rolls. The story is likely to continue further there.
Have you played the mission already? How do you find it? And what do you think of the new exotic scout rifle? Let us and other readers of MeinMMO know in the comments.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Since 1997, the MMORPG Tibia (PC) has existed. The online role-playing game from Regensburg has been successful internationally and celebrates new player records in 2021. We at MeinMMO spoke with Stephan Vogler, one of the founders of the studio, about the success of Tibia and about “MMORPGs made in Germany”.
This is the background of the interview: The German MMORPG Tibia was so strong in 2020 that they were able to pay their employees bonuses that effectively doubled their annual salaries.
All metrics related to Tibia and the MMO studio CipSoft sounded fantastic in 2020:
The average active player count in 2020 increased by a third to 100,000 concurrent players
CipSoft’s revenue grew by 10 million euros to 25 million
The company’s profit doubled
In international research on exciting MMORPG news, Tibia, an MMORPG from 1997, is frequently mentioned, and yet we discuss it far too rarely here in Germany. Tibia originated more than 25 years ago in Regensburg as an idea from a few students. Their company CipSoft is still located in Regensburg and has since grown to 100 employees.
For us at MeinMMO, it was therefore high time to conduct an interview with the creators of the MMORPG. Stephan Vogler co-founded CipSoft at that time and is now the managing director of the MMO studio.
“Yahoo didn’t even have a category for our game”
MeinMMO: Hello Mr. Vogler, to set the timeline. Tibia was released in 1997. At that time, Helmut Kohl was still Chancellor, Toni Kroos was 7 years old, and the golden age of MMORPGs only began 8 years later with WoW. The idea for Tibia came even earlier. How did you come up with the idea to develop an MMORPG in Regensburg in 1995? Which games inspired Tibia?
Stephan Vogler: After graduating from high school, we came into contact with the internet at the university. This fascinated us greatly. It was something completely new. At that time, many universities had so-called CIP rooms – that’s where our company name comes from – where computers were available that allowed easy internet access. Even without logging in.
As avid gamers, we obviously searched for games first. We were fans of Ultima and particularly interested in role-playing games, so we quickly came across so-called MUDs, “Multi User Dungeons”. However, these were purely text-based, so we wanted to do it all with graphics.
The project name was therefore “GMUD” – “Graphical MUD”. That was our basic idea and our unique selling proposition: an online role-playing game with graphics. When we went online with Tibia on January 7, 1997, there was no category for it on Yahoo. One was created specifically for us. 🙂
When I told him about the project, he laughed at us
MeinMMO: Was there a kind of “online gaming” scene in Germany back then, did developers exchange ideas?
Vogler: There was no real scene, no. We only exchanged a little with the admin of a German MUD. When I told him about our project, he laughed at us. What we were planning was certainly very ambitious.
When we started researching the project on the internet, we stumbled across job postings from the creators of Ultima and pieced together that they were working on Ultima Online. There was simply nothing else on the topic. We found one book that dealt with internet programming under Unix, and we bought it.
MeinMMO: How did you recruit your first employees?
Vogler: The first employee we hired was responsible for player support. We quickly realized how important this function is for an online game and that we couldn’t manage it alongside everything else. It was amusing: we sat during the interview on my grandmother’s dusty sofa while the applicant was sweating in a suit and tie in the sweltering heat. It was all still very unprofessional back then.
But our first employee still works at CipSoft and has ensured that we have since always stated that one doesn’t have to dress formally for a job interview.
Our interview partner: Born in 1976, Regensburger Stephan Vogler is one of the founders and managing directors of CipSoft. He earned his degree in business informatics at the University of Regensburg. He enjoys skiing and traveling to faraway countries, likes contemporary art and computer games. His absolute favorite game is Tetris.
MeinMMO: Did you always intend to stay in Regensburg from the beginning, or would a move to Munich or Berlin have been an option?
Vogler: The thought of moving occasionally crosses our minds, especially when we are looking for new employees. In a larger city, one might sometimes have an advantage, especially when needing specialized people. On the other hand, many are with us precisely because we are located in Eastern Bavaria. Anyone who lives here and wants to make games comes to us first. Therefore, no move is planned. In principle, the location of the company is not that important because online games can be developed anywhere there is internet access.
This is where Tibia is developed: A conference room at CipSoft.
“There are no layoff waves and crunch in our company”
MeinMMO: How many employees do you have today, and what would you say characterizes your company culture? What is typical for you as a studio?
Vogler: The number of employees has been steadily growing since our founding. Currently, nearly 100 people work at CipSoft. This is also due to our corporate culture: we value stability. Long-term success and secure jobs are more important to us than short-term profit. We have always remained independent, which means investors don’t interfere, and we can set our own goals. Layoff waves or crunch, as they often occur in the gaming industry, do not happen at CipSoft.
At the same time, we do not rest on our success but are always looking for new ideas. Whether for Tibia or a completely new project, such as our blockchain game LiteBringer.
CipSoft now has nearly 100 employees.
That’s why almost everyone knows Tibia in Brazil
MeinMMO: The global interest in Tibia is highest in Poland, Venezuela, Brazil, Chile, and Sweden. In Germany, Tibia has hardly any significance today, according to Google Trends: Interest in Poland is 25 times higher than in Germany. Do you have an explanation for that?
Vogler: There is no single explanation. This has various causes depending on the country. In Brazil, Tibia took root for different reasons than, for example, in Sweden.
Let’s take Brazil, the most important market for Tibia. In that country, almost everyone knows the game. One reason is that World of Warcraft wasn’t available for purchase at first. Later, WoW was only available as an expensive CD in stores, not as a download. The import duties in Brazil are very high, making both games and computers very expensive. An MMORPG that can be downloaded like Tibia and has low hardware requirements, therefore, had better chances. Also, the fact that we opted for a freemium model very early on, allowing people to play the game for free, worked in our favor.
Vogler: We value players’ freedom very much, and that extends further in Tibia than in other games. We want players to be able to pass on items they have earned to others. That is part of the game and the freedom you have in Tibia. However, this almost always leads to a black market. Our influence on that is very limited, as the transfer of real money takes place outside our game, thus escaping our control.
Of course, we hope that the situation for the people in Venezuela improves and that they can return to more regular work.
For the most expensive character in Tibia, a player demanded more than €10,000
MeinMMO: According to your website, revenue has steadily increased over the years and was over 15 million euros in 2019. How do you make money from Tibia? For example, I read that you collect over 400,000 euros a year just from taxes on in-game trading.
Vogler: Tibia has always been playable for free to a large extent. Those who want more can upgrade their account to a premium account, gaining access to more content and features. Additionally, mounts and similar things can be purchased.
In August 2020, we introduced the “Char Bazaar,” which has proven quite successful. The trading of characters has always existed, even though we never supported it. However, there’s little we can do since that also takes place outside of the game—carrying all associated risks for buyers and sellers. So we wanted to create a reasonable and safe solution for players. The most expensive character sold in the game so far was a druid at level 1123, and a player demanded more than €10,000 for it.
The revenue of the company CipSoft from Regensburg has been increasing since 2001 and exploded again in 2020. Source: CipSoft
MMORPG Tibia booming during the pandemic, rewarding employees
MeinMMO: 2020 was marked by the pandemic. How did that affect Tibia’s success? Do you feel your MMORPG has become more important to players?
Vogler: The pandemic has definitely shown how important online games are for many people. Last year, they were one of the few ways to maintain social contacts and do something together. Of course, we benefited from that. The number of daily players in Tibia increased by about a third to over 100,000, and we were also able to significantly increase our profits.
Since our employees are involved in the company’s success, this means they receive a bonus equivalent to a full year’s salary. Additionally, we have donated over €350,000 to various charitable organizations engaged in fighting Corona, partly with support from the great Tibia community. It’s simply important for us to give back, especially in such a situation.
MeinMMO: Many MMORPG developers say: the players’ tastes have changed. People want to invest less time at a stretch, play less in groups, and do more alone. Have you noticed this trend, and do you address it?
Vogler: Certain trends have always existed, and players have always been very diverse. Earlier, there were fewer alternatives; today, there are many more games specifically targeting certain player types. However, the core mechanics of an MMORPG still work just as well as ever. Tibia tries to accommodate everyone: you can meet up with friends, compete with other players, or explore the incredibly vast world and its history.
You can also do things that are not permitted in other games. At its core, it’s about giving the player a choice between being good or evil. If they can’t do anything mean, they also don’t have the choice to be good. But that might get a bit too philosophical. 🙂
MeinMMO: What role does Twitch play for you today? On English-speaking Twitch, Tibia is hardly represented, but in Brazil, there are several streamers who show it around the clock. Do you have contact with the streamers? Do you try to promote that deliberately or just let it run its course?
Vogler: We certainly find Tibia’s success on Twitch to be great. Due to the many freedoms, the game is very interesting for streamers and viewers. Dramas happen in Tibia quite frequently. We have increasingly pointed our players toward streams in recent years but do not work directly with Twitch. The game itself is interesting, not some marketing campaign.
We also have no contact with the streamers. Many are in a guild that is involved in a dispute with other players, so we prefer to stay out of it to avoid giving the impression of taking sides.
The MMORPG Tibia was one of the first with a graphical interface.
The biggest influence on MMORPGs has been the smartphone
MeinMMO: What has been the biggest change for your gaming studio in the last 20 years? You have personally witnessed the shift from print to online media, the rise of YouTube and Twitch. Has that been relevant for you? Or are there completely different things?
Vogler: We have certainly seen quite a bit come and go. The biggest influence has probably been the smartphone. MMORPGs peaked around 2008/2009; with the advent of smartphones, player counts have declined across nearly all MMORPGs. In some ways, we saw that coming and developed TibiaME, the first mobile MMORPG.
MeinMMO: The MMORPG Runescape is younger than you and, like Tibia, is considered an old-school MMORPG. It has experienced a renaissance in recent years. Do you see parallels?
Vogler: Runescape is cool, and we’re glad that others have had long-term success. There are indeed some parallels. Interest in Tibia has increased even before the pandemic. By the way, Corona also prevented a long-planned meeting between CipSoft and the Runescape creators Jagex. We have crossed paths at various conferences in recent years and were finally looking forward to meeting and exchanging ideas properly.
Vogler: There are certainly new players, but many remain loyal to us for a long time. Or they return after a few years. We are also actively trying to reactivate old players, as we have solved many issues Tibia had in the past. DDOS attacks, connectivity issues, and botting are hardly an issue in the game anymore. We have really made some progress that other developers envy us for. Nevertheless, we continue to stay focused on that and do not rest on our laurels.
Could a successful MMORPG come from Germany in 2021?
MeinMMO: Would it be possible today to develop a modern, internationally successful MMORPG in Germany?
Vogler: Yes, absolutely. There are several studios in Germany that are capable of making such a game. Sandbox Interactive has shown this with Albion Online. However, one must think carefully about how to distinguish oneself from the competition. Even the federal government now sees the potential and is doing more for game funding.
This is what the reception of CipSoft looks like: It’s clear that it’s all about games.
MeinMMO: What would an MMORPG look like if you developed it today, if you had all the possibilities in the world?
Vogler: If we had had the capabilities of today in the 90s, we would have made the world even more dynamic and given NPCs their own lives. Back then, we even had the vision that players could freely converse with NPCs, which is why Tibia has an interface that seems somewhat unusual today. However, the technology simply wasn’t available back then. Today, thanks to artificial intelligence, you can do truly astonishing things.
MeinMMO: Many MMORPGs from the past are releasing classic servers where the game goes back to how it was 15 or 20 years ago. Would that be an idea for Tibia as well?
The demand to restore an earlier state of the game can be found in every MMORPG. But that’s an illusion because the changes made since then would again be necessary. For example, we had to change certain things about the gameplay back then because there were bots. If you were to roll that back, the bots would return as well. All the broken and toxic aspects would re-emerge. From our perspective, a better approach is to consider what players really want, what they miss, and then try to address those aspects. Thus, there are different types of servers in Tibia, for example, with retro hardcore PvP.
CipSoft was ahead of its time with the world’s first mobile MMORPG
MeinMMO: As early as 2003, you released Tibia on mobile, making it the world’s first mobile MMORPG. Today, mobile MMORPGs are massive in South Korea and China. Were you perhaps 10 years ahead of your time with the idea?
Vogler: Yes, definitely. There were no flat rates back then, which meant that some players had to pay hundreds of euros to the telecommunications company at the end of the month. The turning point was the introduction of the iPhone, which brought flat rates along with it. Only afterwards did mobile online gaming become a topic. Our possibilities with TibiaME were limited at that time. Nevertheless, the game has a loyal fanbase in Southeast Asia and has even been growing since the end of 2019.
MeinMMO: Many of our readers are enthusiastic MMORPG players. You are located in Regensburg. If one of our readers says: That’s my dream job, that’s where I want to be. How should they structure the next 5 years of their life for you to say, “We’ll take you.” I assume just playing MMORPGs isn’t enough, is it?
Vogler: That’s correct. 🙂 However, playing MMORPGs is still not a bad idea. We always ask our applicants if they play online games. I would definitely recommend finishing school, training, or studies, and getting involved in game development on the side. So, not just consuming but also producing. Simply do what interests you.
At CipSoft, there are many different jobs because we do everything ourselves, including customer support and marketing. We appreciate every application that shows passion behind it.
MeinMMO: Mr. Vogler, thank you very much for the conversation.
MMORPGs are among the games that age exceptionally well and are much better today than at release. Many players appreciate that:
Some trainers reported late last year that the little bird was unusually hard to catch. However, during the Community Day, you should at least have enough opportunities to catch a few specimens. And that could be worth it: The shiny variant of the little bird will also be available.
The little bird is in the spotlight
These bonuses come with the Community Day in March 2021
What to expect on Community Day: First, there will be a significantly increased spawn rate for Dartiri. For its final evolution, there will be a special move: If you evolve Dartiri into Dartignis and during the event or up to two hours afterwards into Fiaro, it will learn the move “Incinerate”.
The following bonuses will also be available:
There will be triple catch XP. This is ideal for those who want to level up quickly.
Incense will last for three hours during the event.
There will be a surprise with snapshots.
A Community Day box will be available in the shop for 1280 coins, containing 50 Ultra Balls, 5 Lucky Eggs, a Snubbull, and a Charged TM.
Additionally, there will be another special research for Dartiri for one euro.
But before heading into March, we first need to finish February. And there is still a lot going on this month. After all, the big Kanto tour is still coming up, as well as the upcoming Kanto event.
A new trailer for CoD Cold War and the Battle Royale Warzone announces the start of Season 2. What will be in the update?
When does Season 2 start in Cold War & Warzone? As the new trailer shows, the new Season 2 will start on Thursday, February 25, 2021. The free content update will be released in just over a week.
This aligns with the speculations around Season 2 in CoD, as Season 1 ends on February 25 as well. A specific time is not yet known.
You can expect: Since the launch of Modern Warfare, new seasons usually also bring a new battle pass. Here, you can unlock several cosmetics and items through leveling up for 1,000 CoD Points.
In the trailer, a team traverses the jungle of Laos, where the face of the new season is already on site. In a very brief, ruthless duel, he is currently taking out a soldier who was rushing through the jungle – and at the end picks up a playing card with the word (or name) “NAGA” on it.
The trailer showcased a mini-gun and a crossbow in action
Are new weapons coming? During the trailer, another skirmish breaks out in which various weapons are used. There have already been hints at new weapons in CoD, the trailer now shows the following:
A new mini-gun, which could be a new scorestreak, is used in the trailer for sustained fire.
A crossbow is being used.
The assault rifle Galil, known from the Black Ops series, is briefly seen.
A new SMG has been shown, which could be the AI-LC10. At least it has been discussed in leaks before.
If a new map is on the way, your operators will likely be battling through dense jungle terrain soon. However, exact details about the new season are still awaited.
Next week, the RTX 3060 can officially be pre-ordered. This will make the cheapest RTX 3000 graphics card available. However, it is already evident that demand is likely to be significantly higher than supply, as hardware is currently in high demand.
Nvidia introduced the RTX 3060 in January 2021, making it one of the highlights of CES 2021. For a price of 329 USD, it should already provide enough performance for ray tracing. Starting next week, the card is expected to be available in stores.
In the title image, you see the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti as a substitute.
When can you buy the RTX 3060? On the official Nvidia website, the release date for the RTX 3060 is listed as February 25. According to The Verge, there is even a specific time when the RTX 3060 will be available:
The sale of the RTX 3060 starts on February 25, 2021, at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET. That’s 6 PM in Central Europe. Officially, we still do not know if the sale will also start in Europe or if the time only applies to American retailers.
Nvidia has also explained to The Verge that there will be no Founder’s Edition of the RTX 3060. Therefore, you will have to opt for models from other manufacturers.
What should the card officially cost? According to Nvidia, prices are expected to start at 329 USD. It wouldn’t surprise us if the graphics cards end up costing significantly more.
Because usually, custom models, depending on their features (RGB lighting, cooling system, overclocking), cost more than Nvidia’s models. These only offer basic features.
More about the GeForce RTX 3060: We have already looked at the known information about the GeForce RTX 3060 in detail on MeinMMO. More information about the smallest RTX 3000 graphics card can be found here:
However, there is also a positive piece of news: Nvidia has now stated that they will adjust the RTX 3060 so that the graphics card is not profitable for mining cryptocurrencies. This is good news for gamers. A detailed report can be found here:
Why is availability low? Nvidia stated in its annual conference (via seekingalpha.com) at the beginning of the year that availability will remain tight in the first half of 2021. Colette Kress, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Nvidia, said:
Supply is currently tight. We expect inventory levels (…) to remain tight in the first quarter. Our overall capacity has not been able to keep up with the generally strong demand that we have seen.
Colette Kress, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Nvidia
You should not expect to get more graphics cards before April / May. It is also to be expected that prices will be significantly above Nvidia’s price recommendations.
The faster version of the RTX 3060, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, is currently hardly available and usually costs around 700 euros.
This is what the only official image of the RTX 3060 looks like. According to The Verge, there will be no Founders model of the GeForce RTX 3060
Currently, there are hardly any alternatives to the RTX 3060
Nvidia clearly targets mid-range gamers with the RTX 3060. This means players who are willing to spend more money on their gaming PC, but generally do not want to spend more than 400 euros on a graphics card. Basically, there are alternatives, but they are currently hardly available.
What Nvidia alternatives are there? Nvidia itself offers two other cards that are also difficult to obtain. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is hardly available or only at high prices. The RTX 2060 Super offers similar performance on paper. However, it is also true that you can hardly get the graphics card at the moment.
Currently, buying a new RTX 2060 Super is only partially recommended, but it is worth looking at the used market:
What AMD alternative is available? The AMD alternative would be the RX 5700 (XT), which is currently also completely sold out or available only for more than 500 euros. The Radeon RX 5700 XT is considered one of the best graphics cards in the mid-range sector by many. The GameStar lists the RX 5700 XT as the best alternative for gamers. The price for new cards is also significantly above the recommended price of around 350 euros.
Meanwhile, the card is now also nearly 2 years old and is waiting for a successor. There have already been leaks about a successor to the RX 5700, but it is unclear when this graphics card will actually be released.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The former e-sports caster Jack “CouRage” Dunlop speaks in a video about Call of Duty: Warzone and why it no longer brings him joy. The reasons are likely known to everyone, and he has a solution as well: he should just be allowed to do it.
Who is CouRage? The streamer and former pro has been in the business since 2007, starting with Halo. He has been involved with Call of Duty since 2015 in Major League Gaming (MLG) and worked there as a caster.
For some time now, he has been working as a streamer and content creator for the e-sports team “100 Thieves”. He is known among other games for Call of Duty and Fortnite, but he also frequently showcases viral hits like Among Us.
In Warzone, he often plays with well-known streamers like NICKMERCS, TimTheTatman, and Cloakzy. However, he hasn’t played with the three of them for a while and explains in a video why that is. His allegations can be found in the embedded video in English starting at minute 10:30.
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These problems are pointed out by CouRage: CouRage complains that he is simply too slow for Warzone at the moment. He is at a low point regarding his attention span and ability to play Warzone. But these are not the only problems:
The reason I stopped playing with Nick, Tim, and Cloak is that I’m tired of the game. I love Warzone, but I also hate it. Either we’re getting cheated against, we have stream snipers following us, or the sim glitch shows up for the seventh time.
How could this be fixed? CouRage ends his tirade about Warzone with a suggestion: “Give me the lead.” Apparently, he is convinced that he can do it better than the developers themselves.
The Twitch streamer Jaedan “Bug” Kersey opened an upgrade pack during a stream in FIFA 21, promising strong cards. And indeed, one of the best players in the game was included – unfortunately, the streamer didn’t see him.
What it’s about: The FIFA streamer showcased on his Twitch channel “BugsClub” how he opens a so-called Player Pick from a FUT Champions Premium Upgrade SBC.
These are not easy to get, because behind this catchy name lies the following: You need to exchange a team of 11 FUT Champions players – so 11 cards that can only be obtained through Weekend League rewards. Additionally, the team must have a minimum rating of 81.
As a reward, you get one of 3 players, all of whom have already been in the TOTW and have a minimum overall rating of 86. The chances of actually pulling a strong player are not too bad.
Chat warns the streamer, but he doesn’t see it
“Bug” hits the jackpot with this challenge and has the top player Neymar in his three-player selection. He is among the absolute best cards in the game, worth 2.2 million coins (even though this specific FUT Champions version would not be tradable) and is the clear favorite compared to the other two players, Volland and Maddison.
Every player would choose Neymar from this selection. But “Bug” decided to pick randomly for fun and doesn’t even see what a great selection he actually has.
It looks like this:
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While the streamer scrolls blindly through the 3 cards, eventually landing on Volland, the chat goes wild. You can read “Noooo”, “Stop”, and the note “Neymar”. But nothing helps, “Bug” doesn’t look. He randomly chooses Volland – and doesn’t seem very happy on stream, as it’s not a top card.
It gets worse when he finally looks at the chat and begins to realize what he has just done. “That wasn’t Neymar, was it? I’ll watch the clip now,” he says – just before a long “Noooooo” and a frustrated kick against the office chair.
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The stream must then go on for a few moments without him before “Bug” returns, places the chair back, and sits down again. “How high are the chances of actually getting something good?” he asks repeatedly. Normally, the chances for top players are really not good – but this time it could have worked.
Shortly after, the streamer can already grin about his mistake and says: “I’ll keep Volland, dying inside every time I see the card and keep him in my team.”
Amazon has announced a release date for the upcoming open-world MMO New World. However, that is later than expected: New World will be released in August 2021. Originally planned for spring.
When will New World be released? In a new blog post on the official website of New World, the developers announced that New World will be released on August 31, 2021. However, there will be a closed beta prior to that.
Those invited for the test can already play the closed beta starting July 20, 2021. Pre-orderers will automatically gain access to the beta of New World.
EU servers for the ongoing alpha will open on March 30, 2021.
Some of the endgame features that they consider particularly important would not be ready by spring. Therefore, they decided to postpone the release. By August, all important content should be completed.
Development of the MMORPG is ongoing, beta in July
What are the developers working on? In the post, the developers do not specifically mention which endgame features they are referring to. However, they have already listed things that players have been able to test so far. These include:
In the video, you can already see some of the new content from New World.
What will come with the beta? A new endgame zone will be available for testing, the Ebonscale Reach in Aeternum. This area consists of swampy regions and cliffs, where an exiled empress is setting up a “corrupted fleet” that aims to threaten the entire world.
With the expeditions, a new PvE feature for five players will be introduced. In the instanced areas, you will be able to explore the darkest corners of the world and learn more about the source of the corruption. The battles are expected to be particularly challenging and require teamwork.
Additionally, you will be able to engage in large 20vs20 PvP battles for control of ancient technologies in “Outpost Rush.” However, this is just a “taste” of what is still to come. What exactly that will be, we cannot say yet.
Today, on February 16, it is time for the Weekly Reset in Destiny 2 This brings new weekly challenges for the Guardians and advances Season 13. But what else is there for the Guardians to do?
What is happening in Destiny 2? For a week now, Guardians can romp around in the new Season 13 and enjoy the fresh content and weapon. There is also a new Season Pass to level up.
is ready for you. You can choose the difficulty level yourself.
Playlist Strikes are available with these modifiers:
Solar Singe
Stasis Burn
Blackout
Keep in mind that the Singe modifier remains the same throughout the week. The other modifiers rotate daily.
The Arms Dealer is one of the oldest Cabal still remaining in Destiny 2
Crucible: These playlists and modes are active in PvP:
Private Match
Rumble
Control
Elimination
Survival Glory
Survival Glory: Freelance
Showdown
Petra Venj is currently located for a week at the landing zone of the Dreaming City (Curse Week 2). She sends you on a mission to 3rd Ascendant Challenge.
These are the sources for Powerful Loot in Season 13 of Destiny 2
This is how Powerful Loot is divided in Destiny 2: Powerful Loot comes in several tiers, granting you various power boosts. Accordingly, higher tiers also grant you higher power boosts.
Tier 1 (up to +3 above the current power level)
Tier 2 (up to +4 above the current power level)
Tier 3 (up to +5 above the current power level)
Peak Gear (+5 or more above the power level. The only gear that exceeds 1300 and goes up to a maximum of 1310 – after that, level jumps will decrease by +1)
The gaming giant Epic Games (Fortnite) is embroiled in a conflict with Apple and Google. Epic believes that they want to take too high a percentage of revenues when games are distributed through their large app stores. Now Epic is taking new paths: they have engaged a lobbyist who has initiated a bill in North Dakota. The law would completely change the app market.
This is the crux of the conflict: Anyone wanting to distribute an app via the Google or Apple app store has to give up to 30% of their revenue. Epic Games has been fighting against this, which they consider too high, since August 2020.
Their online shooter Fortnite was removed from the app stores after Epic circumvented Apple’s payment model in an act of rebellion, allowing users to purchase in-game currency in Fortnite through their own system. This left Apple feeling cheated out of its fair share.
This conflict has been going on for over six months, with court proceedings and public statements from both sides. Now Epic is taking new paths: they are relying on politics, a lobbyist, and a senator in the somewhat sleepy U.S. state of North Dakota.
This is what the New York Times report says: The New York Times reported over the weekend (via NewYorkTimes):
Epic hired a lobbyist in January 2020, Lacee Bjork Andersson – she works in Bismarck, North Dakota, a city with 74,000 inhabitants
This is the lobbyist that Epic Games has hired. Photo source: LinkedIn
The lobbyist wrote a bill and convinced Senator Kyle Davison to submit this bill in North Dakota
The law targets Apple and Google, who take up to 30% of app revenues in their app stores
An Apple employee, Chief Privacy Engineer Erik Neuenschwader, says: This law poses the danger of “destroying the iPhone as we know it”
60-year-old senator submits law against “Big Tech”
This is what the senator says:
He is completely astonished that his bill is making such waves that even the New York Times wants to talk to him. He says:
“She [the lobbyist] told me it would be big. For me, it meant: A local newspaper would come by with a camera. It wouldn’t be honest to say: I expected this reaction.”
The senator, a Republican, says: He actually wanted to deal with completely different issues, birth certificates for the homeless and a $200,000 program against illiteracy, but then he was convinced by the lobbyist’s arguments.
“The end of the iPhone as we know it”
What is the bill about? The draft prohibits Apple and Google from mandating app developers to use their payment system, through which they collect their share.
Furthermore, the tech companies would have to allow users to download apps from other sources than the app stores. Google already allows this; Apple does not.
What are the reactions? From a key employee at Apple, there is the statement: If the bill passes, it could “destroy the iPhone as we know it”. (via imore)
The Times quotes a Danish tech entrepreneur. He says this is just scaremongering by Apple. If the law in North Dakota passes, it would certainly be a blow against Apple, but not necessarily the end of the iPhone. Apple only fears that the dam will break and further dams will break when the law in North Dakota goes through. The Danish tech entrepreneur says he is ready to open an office in North Dakota if he can save the 30% fee to Apple.
Apple is reportedly lobbying aggressively against it
This is what the lobbyist says: She criticizes Apple. They would be conducting “aggressive lobbying” and have started Zoom calls with every senator. But Andersson says: This may not go over well in North Dakota if lobbyists from California come in and tell locals what to do.
According to the New York Times, the 47 senators of North Dakota are expected to vote on the bill later this week.
The entire topic of “Epic vs. Apple” and how the dispute over the “30% fee” began is covered by us on MeinMMO in this article:
In the survival game Valheim, you can craft a variety of weapons, armor, and shields. Unlike armor, shields can completely block incoming damage. How this works is explained in the MeinMMO analysis of shields in Valheim.
How the analysis was created: MeinMMO author Florian Franck and Benedict Grothaus have spent more than 100 hours in Valheim together since its release. The experiences of both authors are included in the analysis. An additional source was the video from YouTuber “FireSpark81”.
All about shields in Valheim
What types of shields there are: In Valheim, there are currently fist shields and tower shields. You can craft these from different materials.
Fist shields have the advantage that they can be used for both blocking and parrying. If you use a tower shield, you can only block with it.
Fist shields include:
Wooden shield
Bronze fist shield
Reinforced shield
Silver shield
Black metal shield
Tower shields include:
Wooden tower shield
Iron tower shield
Black metal tower shield
Snake scale shield
That’s why shields are so strong: If your blocking skill is high enough, you can block 100% of the incoming damage with a shield. With the black metal shield and a correspondingly skilled blocking value, you no longer need to wear armor in combat.
Valheim offers a variety of shields.
How to parry with shields: In addition to blocking, you can also parry with fist shields. Press the right mouse button just before the enemy attack hits you. This gives you the opportunity to counter and critically hit the opponent.
How to effectively ward off mosquitoes: With an upgraded bronze fist shield, you can block all damage that mosquitoes would cause. The mosquitoes in Valheim are among the most annoying enemies and are extremely strong.
If you do not yet have the bronze fist shield or black metal shield, you can compensate for a lot of damage with metal armor and the wooden shield. In the video of YouTuber “FireSpark81”, the different combinations are presented in detail. With metal armor and wooden shield, “FireSpark81” takes only 1.5 damage in his test after being hit by a troll. Trolls normally deal 50 – 60 damage per hit.
We link you here to the full video, where he goes into more detail on the individual points:
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These are the downsides of shields: The downside to blocking with shields is that you lose stamina when hit. Although you can increase stamina with appropriate buff food or bonuses, you should never lose sight of it. If you get involved in a fight while sprinting and have less stamina from running, blocking may fail and you will take full damage.
If you are wearing armor and are hit, you do not lose stamina. Always pay attention to your stamina in combat and block only if you have at least two yellow stamina bars available.
Why movement speed is important: If you wear the iron scale armor and the corresponding pants, your movement speed is reduced by 10%. If you also have a weapon and a fist shield equipped, your movement speed is even reduced by 20%. This makes you significantly slower and you carry a lot of weight with you.
Armor and shields work differently: In addition to the fact that armor is heavy and takes up inventory slots, only a portion of the damage is absorbed when hit. In contrast, shields block damage in relation to the block value, which is skill-based. The higher the value for blocking, the more damage you can block with shields.
This is how you train blocking in Valheim: The fastest way to train blocking is with a friend. Activate the PvP mode by pressing “TAB” and clicking on the two swords in the upper right corner. Your friend then hits you while you hold the shield up with the right mouse button.
You train more effectively if you have the “Rested” bonus, which is granted when you stay in a house.
Trolls are ideal for training blocking as a solo player.
As a solo player, you should look for enemies that continuously attack. In the “Black Forest” biome, trolls are very suitable for this. However, we generally recommend playing Valheim with friends. With a friend, not only is blocking training faster and more effective, but other activities are also more fun.
In Pokémon GO today, on February 16th, the Spotlight Hour featuring Luvdisc begins. We will show you the bonuses and explain why you should participate.
What is a Spotlight Hour? This event happens every Tuesday in Pokémon GO and highlights a special Pokémon for one hour. Additionally, there is a bonus that rounds off the event.
This week is all about Luvdisc. This fits well, as the Valentine’s Day event is currently running, where this Pokémon appears more frequently.
Spotlight Hour with Luvdisc – All Info
When does the event start? It starts at 6:00 PM local time and runs until 7:00 PM. You can therefore take advantage of the bonuses for exactly one hour.
These are the bonuses: Throughout the hour, spawn points will be increased – so you will encounter many more Pokémon in general. The majority of spawns will be Luvdisc.
Additionally, there are double XP for catching Pokémon. So you will earn at least 200 XP per catch. With a Lucky Egg, you can double that number again.
This is the story of Luvdisc in Pokémon GO: This Pokémon from Generation 3 has been in the game since February 2018. It was introduced for Valentine’s Day.
This Pokémon fits perfectly with the theme of love as it has a heart shape. Niantic continuously uses this Pokémon to implement events around the theme of love in Pokémon GO. Luvdisc has been part of the Valentine’s Day event for the last 3 years.
Even outside Pokémon GO, Luvdisc plays a similar role. According to Pokémon lore, Luvdisc is very sociable and mainly swims after couples. It is also referred to as the Rendezvous Pokémon. According to the lore, a heart scale from Luvdisc brings good luck in finding a partner.
Are there Shiny Luvdisc? Yes, you can also catch this Pokémon in its shiny form. You can easily recognize the Shiny as it is golden and no longer pink. We’ll embed an image for you here:
Here’s why you should participate: The event is generally worthwhile since Luvdisc is quite rare outside of events. So if you haven’t yet caught a Shiny, you should take advantage of the hour.
In general, one can assume that we will see fewer events featuring Luvdisc in the coming months. This Pokémon fits perfectly with the theme of love and Valentine’s Day. However, that day is already over this year. Therefore, the chances of increased Luvdisc spawns might be over for now.
However, if you already have the Shiny, you won’t miss much at the event. Luvdisc is not a strong Pokémon and only makes sense if you are still looking for the Shiny.
What’s next in Pokémon GO? In the coming days, the Kanto Tour and generally the first generation will come into focus. There will be a ticketed event on the weekend, along with other events centered around Gen 1.
There will be a Spotlight Hour, a Kanto event, and special raid bosses from the 1st generation. You can find a detailed overview of all the events that are expected this month here:
The German streamer Maximilian “Trymacs” Stemmler is currently ranked 1 on Twitch – at least when it comes to Subs, which are paid subscriptions. We will tell you why he is currently so successful.
This is what’s currently happening: In recent weeks, Trymacs has mainly dominated the German Twitch scene. Meanwhile, the streamer is so successful that he is attracting international attention:
He currently has 61,110 Subs (as of Twitchtrackers: February 16 at 14:00) – More Subs than any other streamer worldwide. The second place goes to the Canadian xQc with 56,093 Subs.
In terms of viewer numbers, Trymacs is also performing strongly. In the last 30 days, he had 8 streams with over 100,000 concurrent viewers (via Sullygnome).
For the German streamer, things are going really well right now. But where does the success come from and what does he offer his viewers?
Pokémon hype creates enormous viewer numbers
What kind of content is Trymacs currently showcasing? The streamer is currently completely captivated by the hype surrounding Pokémon cards. In one of his recent streams, he summarized his daily routine as follows:
In the stream, he opens booster packs of Pokémon cards.
Then he plays the Pokémon game Sword and Shield live.
After the stream, he watches old anime episodes of Pokémon.
The next day, he starts sorting his Pokémon cards or looks for new Pokémon boosters to buy.
After that, he starts the stream again and opens Pokémon boosters once more.
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Here you can watch one of Trymacs’ openings in the video.
However, the hype surrounding the Pokémon cards is not the only reason for his current success. Trymacs already had a large reach beforehand and was already considered one of the largest streamers in Germany.
Additionally, the streamer has other projects besides Pokémon cards that are doing quite well:
He regularly plays with other streamers, which increases their reach with each other – there were streams with MontanaBlack that were very well received.
This is what makes his Pokémon streams so successful: The recipe for success is often that Trymacs invests large sums in old Pokémon boosters. He opens displays from the early days of Pokémon that have been sealed for 20 years. A display with several boosters costs over 10,000 Euros – an amount that the average viewer cannot spend and therefore likes to watch the unpacking in the streams.
It’s the excitement with each booster pack that makes the streams special. Although one doesn’t pull the cards oneself, one hopes that each pack contains particularly rare monsters.
What’s next for Trymacs? The streamer is far from done with Pokémon and wants to keep his viewers engaged with Pokémon cards in the coming weeks.
As a thank you for the sub record, he promised to open another old display. The price for this is 16,000 Euros.
What are Subs on Twitch? These refer to subscriptions that one can take out with a streamer. By paying a certain amount, you gain advantages in the streams for one month and support your favorite streamer. Advantages could include special emotes that are only unlocked by a sub, or participation in the chat, which is then only open to subscribers.
What does a streamer get out of it? Subs are one of the best sources of income on Twitch. A streamer earns money through advertisements or donations, but he is also involved in the revenue generated by paid subscriptions.
Trymacs has 27,999 Tier-1 subs. These cost 4.99 Dollars on Twitch, and the streamer is supposed to receive at least half of that amount as income. Additionally, there are 29,469 Prime subs – this is the free sub that an Amazon Prime customer can take out every month.
This is how the Pokémon hype among streamers began
What’s behind the Pokémon hype? It was triggered by Logan Paul. He is a major YouTuber from America who opened a Pokémon display worth 300,000 Dollars a few weeks ago.
Meanwhile, more and more streamers and YouTubers are jumping on the trend. They open expensive booster packs with Pokémon cards for their viewers. In Germany, a large number of streamers are caught up in the Pokémon hype. Trymacs is just the beginning. Streamers such as MontanaBlack and ungespielt have already bought or opened boosters.
The trend is even going so far that the entire Pokémon market is exploding. The display that Logan Paul had, which was worth 300,000 Dollars a few weeks ago, is now worth around 500,000 Dollars. But German Pokémon cards are also getting more expensive. Although viewers may not want to buy the very expensive cards, they are purchasing boosters for a little less money, thereby smaller and pricier markets.
Logan Paul has already upped the ante and has purchased old Pokémon cards for 2 million Dollars:
