MeinMMO editor Noah Struthoff has been playing Pokémon GO since day 1 and considers himself a veteran in the game. Currently, there is little going on for him and many other long-term players in Pokémon GO – But why?
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I am currently on a break from Pokémon GO and this break is still ongoing. However, I also hear from many fellow players who have also been around for years that their enthusiasm is waning.
For me, the decisions made by Niantic in recent months are to blame. In my opinion, they are doing a lot, but mostly for new players. Veterans are left behind.
Much for new players – Little for experienced trainers
I see this development as a gradual process. The change didn’t happen overnight, but looking at some of the decisions made in the past weeks, it is quite noticeable.
In Pokémon GO, much is repeated and that is perfectly fine. After all, there are new players who want things that long-term trainers have had for a long time. However, I miss the balance. There is too much for newcomers and too little for veterans. Need examples?
In the last election of the Community Days, 4 monsters were up for choice, of which 3 have already appeared as shiny in the game – Ultimately, among others, Charmander won – we already had the Community Day in 2018.
In the research breakthroughs, there haven’t been any exciting Pokémon for months, but monsters that may be a bit rarer, but have been in the game for a long time – Examples include Larvitar and Surskit.
New Pokémon are introduced sporadically – an event brings 1-2 new monsters into the game every 2 months – a large wave of new Pokémon has been absent for weeks.
The choice for the upcoming Community Days was disappointing to me.
What bothers me the most: I have a feeling that Niantic is focusing a lot on their PvP league. The Pokémon from past Community Days had moves that were interesting for the PvP mode. However, they are completely useless for raids. In the past, there were strong Pokémon like Tyranitar or Salamence, which were especially useful for raids and gyms.
I am not a big fan of the PvP league. This is partly because it has been completely buggy since release and I have probably lost more rounds due to bugs than I have ultimately won. I am not alone in this opinion. When I look into the communities, very few trainers are real fans of the PvP league.
Still, Niantic keeps trying to contribute something there. New moves, event Pokémon that are strong for PvP, and raid bosses that I wouldn’t touch as a supporter of PvP.
Here too, I miss the balance. New moves for the PvP league are cool, but when was the last time a new move was introduced into the game that really shook up the meta in raids? I have to think back quite a while.
The PvP league is one of the highlights of the game for Niantic – many trainers see it differently.
What should change?
This is how to change it: New features need to be implemented that are not completely hidden behind a paywall. The Mega Raids just arrived – something I was really looking forward to. However, the reality is that you have to do 5-7 raids to then hold a Mega Evolution for 4 hours. So I spend about 5 euros in PokéCoins for these 4 hours or save them up over days.
There was a comment on reddit that I can sign 100%: “Another mechanic that I will not bother with. I have invested four years, so that I now log in to do a stop and catch a Pokémon at most once a day. As someone who just wants to fill the Dex, it is pointless to play. Half of the Gen 5 Dex is impossible to find, regionally or locked behind raids or the PvP league. I just want to catch wild Pokémon that offer more variety, instead of Niantic releasing 3 at once and making them super rare.”
I would like to see big waves of Pokémon again, like back at the release of Generation 2. Almost all Pokémon from this generation were newly introduced into the game and you could discover something everywhere.
I would love Community Days that are finally exciting again. They should actually be the highlight of the month. But in recent months I felt more like suffering through it than enjoying the event. Either there were useless monsters or Pokémon that already had a shiny.
I think it’s good and right that new players are also offered something. After all, they shouldn’t come into a game that completely overwhelms them. Nevertheless, the old trainers who have supported Pokémon GO for years should not be forgotten.
What do you think? Are you a long-term player and still have the same motivation as a few months ago? Or are you a newcomer and looking forward to the repetitions?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
During the gamescom 2020, MeinMMO editor Leya Jankowski spoke with cyber criminologist Thomas-Gabriel Rüdiger and YouTuber Saftiges Gnu in a talk about toxic and criminal behavior in online gaming. What dangers exist and what can be done?
What is this talk about? Online games are a lot of fun for all of us, but they also provide a platform for dangers and crime. Issues such as cyberbullying, pedophiles who meet their victims in online games, or extremist groups looking for a platform are addressed.
We, at MeinMMO, took on these topics in a talk as part of the official live program of gamescom 2020 and invited competent guests for this purpose.
Who is involved?
Leya Jankowski moderated the talk. She is part of the editorial team of MeinMMO as a Brand Manager.
Cyber criminologist Dr. Thomas-Gabriel Rüdiger. In his profession, Dr. Rüdiger deals with crime in online games. He has been a passionate gamer since childhood, which is why he specialized in this field.
The YouTuber and streamer Jasmin, known as Saftiges Gnu. Jasmin had her major breakthrough with the battle royale game Fortnite, which attracts a younger audience. Over the years, she has gained a lot of experience on how to create a safe community for younger audiences on Twitch.
Is your computer still capable of running World of Warcraft: Shadowlands? The system requirements are known, so you can now check if your computer is suitable.
With the upcoming expansion Shadowlands, World of Warcraft is going to look a bit nicer again. However, detailed new environments and new effects require more processing power – this could affect the gaming experience of many players.
Although WoW generally works well on older computers, it becomes critical beyond a certain limit. This limit is pushed a bit higher with each expansion. The same goes for Shadowlands. We reveal the system requirements for the upcoming expansion.
Shadowlands – Here are the system requirements
The minimum requirements: If you want to “barely” play Shadowlands, your computer must meet the following requirements.
Operating System
Windows 7 64-bit
Processor
Intel Core i5-3450 AMD FX 8300
Graphics Card
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 or AM Radeon RX 560 or Intel UHD 630 (45W)
RAM
4GB RAM (8GB for integrated graphics)
Storage
SSD drive with 100 GB of free space
Internet
Broadband Internet
Input Device
Keyboard and mouse
Resolution
at least 1024×768 screen resolution
However, you shouldn’t expect maximum graphics quality under these circumstances. Some compromises will have to be made.
Does your “box” still handle it? Or does it need an upgrade?
The recommended requirements: If you want WoW to shine in all its glory, your computer needs to be a bit more powerful. With the following setup, according to Blizzard, you are well prepared:
Operating System
Windows 10 64-bit
Processor
Intel Core i7-6700K AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
Graphics Card
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
DirectX 12 compatible GPU with 8GB VRAM
RAM
8GB RAM
Storage
SSD drive with 100 GB of free space
Internet
Broadband Internet
Input Devices
Keyboard and mouse with multiple buttons and scroll wheel
Resolution
at least 1024×768 screen resolution
Note that using interface modifications (addons) can additionally impact performance and may lead to a higher RAM load.
SSD for Shadowlands? The reason why World of Warcraft now requires an SSD even for the minimum requirements is not entirely clear. Presumably, otherwise, the loading times would simply be too high to ensure a smooth gaming experience.
Can your computer handle it? Or will you have to replace a few components before the release of Shadowlands in October?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The upcoming killer of Dead by Daylight is pretty strange. To deal damage, he has to slam his head against walls.
The release of the last killer in Dead by Daylight was quite some time ago, and the next one is already on the way. After the “Silent Hill” killer Pyramid Head, the developers have now set out to create another standalone killer. The Alchemist has already been teased multiple times in the story, especially during the “Hallowed Blight” event for Halloween. Now, his transformation is complete, and he enters the fog of the Entity as “Blight” to kill the survivors.
But to put it simply: The new killer is really ridiculous.
Back then, Benedikt Baker harvested the serum – now he has become the “Blight”.
What can the Blight killer do? The Alchemist (Blight) works fundamentally like many other killers in the game. His movement speed is standard, so he can keep up well in chases. However, his ability works in a pretty strange way. Similar to the Hillbilly or Oni, Blight can enter a short burst of speed – but there’s an absurd catch.
Blight has several small bursts of speed that he can combine. If he collides with a wall while sprinting, he is not stunned. Instead, he turns around and can initiate another sprint. This can be repeated several times until all charges of the ability are used up.
The absurd part is that Blight cannot attack during his first sprint. To actually deliver a hit, he must first collide with a wall at least once.
From the survivors’ perspective, this looks quite ridiculous. The killer intentionally runs into walls, pushes off, and tries to start the next sprint in a short window of time to run into a wall again.
A bit of gameplay from Blight in his original version can be seen here with the YouTuber OhTofu (starting at minute 4:00):
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How does the community react? The killer has so far been met with mixed feelings in the community. His playstyle feels simply silly for many players. After all, it feels quite strange to have to intentionally run into a wall first to then be able to attack the survivors.
However, some also find this playstyle quite interesting, as it is something different and makes the Blight not only funny but also somewhat unpredictable.
Of course, there have been a lot of memes, as it is quite funny to see the killer first charge into a wall before turning to the survivors.
The PTR is currently offline again. The developers have taken feedback and want to make some changes. It is likely that the hitboxes of the collisions will be adjusted a bit, so the killer doesn’t collide directly with everything in his line of sight. How the Blight comes out of the adjustments and whether the killer will play a bit less silly afterwards remains to be seen.
In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone players can now try their hand at the minigames of the “Games of Summer”. This is a kind of Olympics in CoD style, where you compete for your region and can snag cool rewards. Here on MeinMMO, you will find all the information about the new game modes.
The Games of Summer can be started for free by players in Warzone or Modern Warfare. You will then compete as a solo player in one of 5 disciplines.
The faster and better you complete these, the higher the medal you receive. There are bronze, silver, and gold. The higher the medal, the more loot you get.
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What loot is available? First of all, every participant receives a weapon charm as a reward. In addition, there are special rewards for each discipline, including:
Legendary weapon blueprints
XP boosters
Vehicle skins.
Vehicle horns
Calling cards
If you receive a higher medal on your first attempt, you will also receive the rewards of the lower tiers. However, each reward can only be achieved once per discipline.
If you complete all five disciplines with gold, you will receive the blueprint for “Juliet”, a legendary assault rifle designed for precision.
What about the country? In addition to these rewards, each medal earns points for the player’s respective country. This is determined by the origin of the player account.
The points for each country are updated daily, and the top 15 countries are displayed on the in-game leaderboards. Therefore, those who diligently collect points for their country can ultimately help crown that nation as the champion of the Games of Summer. So play hard and collect gold for your homeland!
The new stadium is fiercely contested.
How long do the Games of Summer last? The Olympic event in Call of Duty will run until September 7, 2020. So you can collect medals until then.
These are the game modes and rewards
The following disciplines can be played one after the other. Until September 1, 2020, a new one will be added each time.
Gun Course: In this discipline, you must shoot all targets in an obstacle course as quickly as possible. It doesn’t matter how accurately you are; it’s mainly about speed. The faster you shoot everything down, the better your reward:
Bronze: Under 1:30 minutes
Silver: Under 1:00 minutes
Gold: Under 0:40 minutes
Running and shooting is the motto here!
Price’s Alley: Here, enemies and civilians appear constantly. With a Renetti pistol, you must kill as many enemies in a row as possible to accumulate points. So be careful not to interrupt the kill streak by hitting innocent civilians.
Bronze: Score 4,000 points
Silver: Score 5,000 points
Gold: Score 6,000 points
Risky Parkour: Here you are on the Livestock map, and there is deadly gas beneath you. You are playing a kind of “The floor is lava” and trying to get over obstacles to various checkpoints. The faster you do this, the better the rewards.
Bronze: Under 55 seconds
Silver: Under 47 seconds
Gold: Under 40 seconds
The ground is poison gas!
Shooting Range: This is a kind of shooting gallery where you should land as many hits as possible with as few shots as possible. Time is also important here.
Bronze: Under 50 seconds
Silver: Under 40 seconds
Gold: Under 30 seconds
Marksman Challenge: Here it is about effective long-distance combat with the HDR rifle to earn points. Anyone who misses will lose additional seconds, so aim well and still be quick.
Bronze: Score 3,400 points
Silver: Score 3,900 points
Gold: Score 4,400 points
The minigames not only help you earn good loot or represent your country well. You can also train your skills in the game and become a better shooter. This will benefit you when you want to try out one of the builds presented here. This will allow you to build 5 weapons that can kill with a single shot in Warzone and Modern Warfare.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Even though the gamescom 2020 is taking place entirely digitally, you will still be able to enter the fair. Within the fair MMO Indie Arena Booth Online.
What is it? It is a fair MMO, which means a virtual world where you can wander between various “booths” of exhibitors with a created character and interact with many things within the world.
As the gamescom is taking place entirely digitally this year, the Indie Arena Booth Online offers you the opportunity to still experience the fair feeling and move with your character from one booth to another in the virtual world.
Are you looking for new games? Then check out the many trailers of the exhibitors or try the demos that you will find in the individual areas of the fair MMO.
Click through the interactive worlds of the individual exhibitors, and maybe you will discover your next favorite game. There are not only games from indie developers but also big publishers like Ubisoft.
Or would you rather exchange ideas with other visitors about the latest gamescom news? There’s a chat function for that.
You can watch a trailer for the Indie Arena Booth Online here:
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What is MeinMMO doing there? Since the Indie Arena Booth Online is a fair MMO, MeinMMO feels right at home!
Therefore, together with our colleagues from GameStar and GamePro, we will have our own booths “on-site”. So come by, take a look around, click through our world, and talk to the authors! Because you will encounter familiar faces there.
Here is our booth in the Indie Arena Booth Online. Some of our employees you can meet there as NPCs. Ask Leya what she is doing here.
Many of our editors like Patrick Freese, Alexander Leitsch, or the famous Gerd Schuhmann will be there as NPCs. You can click through their dialogues to learn more about what we do daily at MeinMMO, who always has to make the coffee for Schuhmann, and what games Jürgen already has on his conscience.
We are already looking forward to seeing you!
Also visit our colleagues: Cool interactions also await you at the booths of GamePro and GameStar. Be sure to stop by there and give them our regards.
What kind of Meet&Greet? As part of gamescom 2020 and the Indie Arena Booth Online, we from MeinMMO will host a Meet&Greet in our Discord on August 29 and 30. The start times will be posted in the announcement channel in Discord.
Our team members will hang out with you in the voice chat, tell you stories from our everyday life, answer your questions, or just chat about the current topics of gamescom 2020.
So grab a drink and join us!
We bring gamescom 2020 to your home
But it doesn’t end there. Throughout the duration of the digital fair, you can look forward to livestreams, game demos, and articles about the latest events in gaming.
You can view the complete schedule here:
Webedia Gaming is an official partner of gamescom 2020. Therefore, we will provide you with news and information about the event here on MeinMMO, GameStar, and GamePro.
Special Events for the Social Gaming Days
During the virtual gamescom 2020, you can watch major influencers and tournaments in streams.
Look forward to the following highlights:
Friday, August 28 (8:00 PM to 10:00 PM) – Rainbow Six Tournament with PietSmiet, Bonjwa, Doktorfroid, and Female Power
Saturday, August 29 (3:00 PM to 5:00 PM) – Fall Guys with PietSmiet and Doktorfroid
Saturday, August 29 (7:00 PM to 10:00 PM) – Hyper Scape Challenge with 8 teams, including PietSmiet, Doktorfroid, Lara Loft, Saftiges Gnu, and more
Sunday, August 30 (8:00 PM to 10:00 PM) – Watch Dogs with PietSmiet
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
MeinMMO author Jürgen Horn last played Fortnite exactly 12 months ago. Now he has tried it again thanks to the Marvel theme. Read here why, despite an enjoyable experience, he ended up bitterly disappointed.
Here’s why I haven’t played Fortnite for 1 year: In mid-2019, I was fully into Fortnite and checked out every season and every Battle Pass. However, then I went on parental leave for seven months and didn’t get to play at all during that time. And somehow I had also had enough of Fortnite at that point and didn’t touch it again when I had more time.
Meanwhile, my new colleague Eilyn Rapp took over the subject here at MeinMMO, and I was assigned other tasks. Since I found a Battle Royale game that suits me better, in my opinion, Apex Legends, I also stayed away from Fortnite.
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After this trailer, I just had to start playing Fortnite again!
This is why I returned: But then Eilyn asked me for help with the news on the start of Season 4, and somehow the Fortnite fever struck me again. I am a big Marvel fan and Thor is one of my favorite heroes. So I thought, “Once the update is done, I’ll play a round after work.” Curiously, it was almost to the day 12 months after I last played Fortnite.
This is how the first round went after 12 months
The first round was so uneventful: I start a first round and find myself on a S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier as a starting zone. Then the Battle Bus takes off as usual, but is accompanied by jets from the carrier that fly around us and then land on the map. Cool, there’s definitely going to be loot.
The Battle Bus is now escorted by jets.
But I prefer to land in the center of the completely new unknown map first. There is a kind of headquarters where an AI opponent is hanging around. “Wow, since when are there PvE elements in regular Fortnite?” I think to myself and shoot the little guy.
Why is it so slow? After that, I loot first and wonder why the game ran so slowly and sluggishly. My character moves as if she is wading through thick jam. Did I pick up a debuff that makes me slow and sluggish?
Compared to Apex Legends, Fortnite is snail-paced.
Death by gravity: But no matter, I still want to explore Fortnite and cheerfully jump out of the building’s window. And die! What the hell happened?
Well, I forgot that you still take fall damage in Fortnite when you fall from great heights. This feature doesn’t exist in Apex Legends either. My goodness, Fortnite is still totally old-school!
The top round to be ashamed of
This is how round 2 started: Despite my inglorious first attempt, I want to try again. This time, I look and see that if I play as Thor, I need to find his hammer Mjölnir. Ah, there it is, because I was already wondering why Mjölnir isn’t a harvesting tool for the Thor skin.
First kill with Mjölnir: The mission map clearly states where the hammer is located. So I land there, and immediately, another Thor comes along who also wants the hammer. “There can be only one!”, I shout at the cowardly imitator and pull the hammer out of the ground a second before he does.
Thor and Mjölnir – A dream team!
Now the aspiring god of thunder looks dumbfounded and I smack him over the head with the hammer until he says goodbye to Valhalla. Wow, that went easier than expected! I have my first kill!
No opponent stands a chance: Indeed, my success continues. I find various weapons, and more opponents are hanging out in the nearby town. But no matter what they do, I take them all out like rabbits:
One runs in front of my SMG, a burst fire and he’s gone.
Another opponent shows up. He builds a pathetic wall. I go around it, and after a salvo, he’s gone.
I don’t even get to reload; opponent number three is already there. I switch to the shotgun and bam, headshot!
An opponent tries to catch me from a distance but shoots like a drunken Stormtrooper with impaired vision. I aim at him with the sniper and relieve him of his misery.
In no time, I have 5 kills and think to myself, “Wow, what a massacre! I’m just too good for you miserable Fortnite noobs because of my hard work in Apex Legends!”
Deadpool puts an end to it: Meanwhile, I’m among the last 15 players and think to myself, “This is going to be an epic victory,” when suddenly Deadpool approaches me! He immediately builds a few walls, and before I know it, he gives me a headshot from a safe height.
Of all people, Deadpool ends my winning streak.
“Okay, so no victory royale, but losing to Deadpool isn’t a disgrace. Making it into the top 15 and getting 5 kills in the first attempt can be seen as an achievement. I won’t count the failed first try from earlier; that was just a rehearsal!
The big disillusionment: Full of pride, I contact my colleague Eilyn. I want to tell her about my great new beginning in Fortnite and that I’m probably so good that I should definitely play more often.
But I was also a bit skeptical and jokingly asked Eilyn whether there might also be bots in Fortnite. The shocking reply came: “Uh, yes, they have existed for a long time.”
What a shame!
Well, after this revelation, all my self-confidence leaves me like hot air from a leaky balloon. Of course, those weren’t player opponents. No one plays that stupidly, not even the worst noob. Only the final Deadpool and perhaps the helpless Thor who didn’t get a hammer were probably real opponents.
The rest of my successes, I probably achieved against mindless and soulless bots that are only there to provide mediocre players like me with success experiences. My victory feels hollow and silly. In the past, every kill in Fortnite was a highlight for me, especially since I hardly master building. Now it feels somewhat cheap to me. I praise Apex Legends again. Every kill there is still a merit, and I hope that bots never come into play.
Whether I will play Fortnite more often remains to be seen. Because although I am currently not much into the gameplay, I celebrate the cool Marvel skins and want to see how the story of Season 4 about villain Galactus develops. And somehow it’s also fun to take out bots, to be honest.
Jürgen Horn Editor at MeinMMO
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The colorful and silly pirate MMO Sea of Thieves is getting a new update in September, which will finally bring dogs as pets on board. This delights dog fans in the community. The developers also talked about the future of the game and the success of the Steam launch at gamescom 2020.
What’s the deal with the dogs? At the digital gamescom 2020, the developers of Sea of Thieves discussed the upcoming September update for the pirate MMO. This will include a new mission type for the Gold Hoarders faction, which will be further detailed just before release.
Much more important is what we already know, and that is adorable dogs! After Sea of Thieves introduced the fluffy pirate cats at the Steam launch in April 2020, it’s finally the dogs’ turn.
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They function similarly to the cats. You can take them on board and cuddle with them or dress them up in all sorts of silly costumes. A real pirate dog needs an eye patch and a wooden leg!
Additionally, you should take the dogs for walks regularly so they don’t do their business on board and make a mess. The dogs will be available as premium pets in the shop, just like the cats.
Players want their dogs in the game
This is how the announcement is received: As expected, many players are excited about the idea of finally having a dog as a shipmate. However, since every ship owner has different preferences, there have been plenty of pictures of fans’ private dogs on Twitter.
This user demands that the breed of his dog – Dogue De Bordeaux – be included in the game, otherwise he won’t buy a dog. This breed has never been present in any game, and now would be the opportunity.
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Not everyone likes dogs: While the dogs are mostly well received, some players are calling for more substantial content and not cosmetic items that also have to be purchased separately. Furthermore, as one fan pointed out, dogs are not suitable pirate pets.
Sea of Thieves successful on Steam and in crossplay
This is the current situation for Sea of Thieves: Executive Producer Joe Nate also talks in a video about the Steam launch of Sea of Thieves. It was a great success, and up to 30 percent of players can now be found on this platform.
Sea of Thieves is doing quite well.
Thanks to crossplay, everyone can happily play with players on other platforms, and every new player will also have enough comrades ready to set sail.
Additionally, the team wants to continue with monthly updates and bring enough events and smaller actions in between to keep players engaged.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny 2, the new expansion finally brings a new element – Stasis. MeinMMO author Philipp Hansen sees good things for PvE, but a lot of bad for PvP.
This new feature is finally here: Destiny players are looking forward to autumn, as the next big chapter is about to start. On November 10, Destiny 2: Beyond Light will be released. Not only will there be new gear to hunt or new locations to explore, but the add-on also comes with a completely new element: Stasis.
The new Ice powers will be fueled for the first time by Darkness rather than Light. This is also a novelty as this is the first new damage type in the 6-year history of Destiny.
Stasis finally brings a hefty portion of RPG to Destiny 2…
That’s why it’s a blessing for PvE: The Stasis power is much more than just familiar Arc bolts or Solar explosions with new color effects. As we can see in the “Beyond Light” trailers , the Guardians have so much influence on the game world with Ice abilities like never before.
With the push of a button, you can create ice barricades that provide cover from fire
The ice wall can also serve as a bridge, acting as a “Jump n’ Run” platform to help you overcome chasms or reach higher ground
As you can slow down enemies (Stasis field) or freeze them completely, new tactical maneuvers open up
For the first time, real Crowd Control, as we know it from many MMORPGs, is available in Destiny 2 – on a smaller scale you can already blind enemies briefly, but Stasis plays in a different league
Moreover, I am immensely pleased that the Stasis classes finally offer more freedom in customization. They do not rely on the rigid 3 paths known so far from which you choose. Rather, they are intended to remind you of the “Node System” from Destiny 1, while still taking an experimental route.
Very interesting seems to be a mechanic that could have been borrowed from Bioware’s Anthem. Some attacks freeze the enemies, others cause the snowmen to shatter – which looks cool and causes damage over a large area. This already resembles the Primer-Detonator gameplay and enables exciting combos.
Check out the frosty and effect-rich gameplay in the new trailer here:
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… the Ice powers will be the nail in the coffin for PvP
That’s why I worry about PvP: As cool and refreshing as the Ice abilities are in PvE, I think they will turn PvP upside down or even freeze it completely.
Why do I say that? Although ice walls as a springboard or barrier are exciting toys that bring fresh spice and tactics to the dusty Crucible – which is urgently needed. But (and that’s a big but) the Stasis field and especially freezing are a definite no-go for PvP.
About the author: Philipp Hansen mainly covers the Destiny franchise for MeinMMO and feels at home in the entire shooter genre. He has spent around 3,000 hours in the Destiny universe and is familiar with both PvE and PvP.
Sometimes however, the Crucible grabs him for an entire season, and he has painstakingly earned every top weapon there. He likes to play “Off Meta” weapons and tactics and enjoys casual Quickplay as much as tactical Comp.
Here’s how I envision it (terribly): Slowing down is already annoying in PvE. But you know that the effect is just a minor slowdown and the enemies will drop a second later – but every second counts in PvP. Just because Guardian XY happens to cast a slow effect, I have to wait and can do absolutely nothing about it? Keep in mind, if you encounter a Stasis field in a strike, you might run into 6 enemies who can activate such a field every minute.
Even worse for me is the freezing. Being completely motionless and then watching a Guardian leisurely aim with his sniper at me and naturally place a headshot in complete peace sends chills down my spine. And you can’t even shoot back.
Should I then watch how I shatter into 1,000 pieces, or will I be saved by respawning before I end up like one of the fatalities by “Mortal Combat” character Sub-Zero?
Take your time aiming, I can’t do anything anyway
The trailers have also shown that the Stasis abilities have suppressive effects. So if you thought: “Yay, my super is finally charged after minutes, now I’m turning the game around and making Shaxx proud”, you should prepare yourself. Instead of racking up kills, you’ll turn into an ice pillar. Although one must say, that brings a bit of fairness. So far, only one Titan subclass has access to such nasty suppressors.
In short: Let’s be honest, who likes to be frozen and then watches the enemy smash them? Not me! But I’m open to surprises. Perhaps freezing (my biggest criticism) only works if the ice ability would have finished you off anyway.
In general, I am for more madness in PvP and long for variety. Who knows, maybe I will someday praise Stasis power as the salvation of PvP – but for that, I will have to get to grips with the new element starting November 10th. For now, that’s my opinion.
Are you going to finish me off with your ice pick or am I just a hothead?
Most of you stay cooler than I
This is what the readers think: Not all Guardians see the new Stasis powers and their impact on the game as I do. Since the topic is being hotly debated, we have started a survey and want to hear your opinions on it.
Currently (8 AM on August 29) only 13% of the voting MeinMMO readers see Stasis as the nail in the coffin for PvP. However, a respectable 29% say that while the abilities bring fresh wind to PvE, they will pose problems in PvP – currently the most popular opinion.
On the contrary, nobody currently thinks that there are “problems in PvE and cool in PvP.” Many of you find the ice power is the coolest addition in a long time (22%) and opens up exciting new possibilities in both PvE and PvP (28%).
This is not an analysis of the survey, but just a snapshot.
You are also actively discussing in the comments under the survey. I read there that some think the trailers exaggerate.
No seriously, Destiny has always been known that things that look OP, broken, or similar in trailers quickly fade into obscurity or have no significant impact on the game.
So you’re saying I should wait and drink some tea before getting all riled up? Most commentators feel the same – you all stay cool and wait until you play it yourself or have more information.
If you want to know more about my view on Destiny, you can read here how I stubbornly held on to my weak favorite weapon despite being laughed at:
The Valorplates represent a kind of class in the looter-slasher Godfall. The concept and function of the Plates will be familiar to fans of Warframe.
What are the Valorplates? The gameplay of Godfall revolves around the Valorplates: ancient armors that grant their bearer god-like powers.
There are a total of 12 different Valorplates that you can switch between in your “base” / your hub. Silvermane will be your starter plate, which you automatically have from the beginning.
Other Valorplates must first be unlocked or crafted at the forge:
Unlockable Valorplates are tied to certain story progress in the game
For craftable Valorplates, you must first gather materials. This primarily includes Valorplate cores, but also other materials that you get from enemies or treasure chests
Two identical armors can perform differently
How do the Valorplates work? The armors are essentially your classes in Godfall. When you switch between them, your stats and skills also change. Depending on the mission or the upcoming boss fight, you should select your Valorplates accordingly to gain advantages.
The Valorplates are divided into three different categories:
Balanced: The stats of these hybrid armors are well-balanced
Specialized: These armors specialize in a specific gameplay aspect
Exotic
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They also have their own roles in combat. Some armors like Hinterclaw are completely geared towards attack, others like Mesa can poison enemies, while others have strong crowd control skills or deal elemental damage.
The customization of the Plates is done on “Constellation Grids.” Each of the 12 armors is assigned to a zodiac sign, providing “slots” into which various augments can be placed.
The augments can be found by you while playing and can be used to modify your armors. Of course, identical armors with different customizations also play differently. But even if two players use the same Valorplate and the same augments, they can still differ from each other.
The distribution of the augments on a Constellation Grid also plays a role. The sequence and composition also impact how your Valorplate feels.
The Valorplates, however, have no impact on your combos in combat. This is determined by the weapons you use:
What are the similarities to Warframe? The Valorplates resemble the Warframes in several ways from the looter-shooter by Digital Extremes.
One obvious similarity is that with the switch of the plates, for example, your stats, passive abilities, and your powerful Archon ability (essentially the ultimate) change. But there are more parallels.
Interestingly, we have never seen how the player character actually physically equips these “armors.” In general, there is no trace of a character outside a Valorplate. A concept that will be familiar to Warframe players. After all, one of the biggest story twists of the game revolves precisely around this.
In Warframe, you have a wide selection of different frames that influence your abilities and stats in combat
The Valorplates are also “full-body suits” in terms of the armor system. So you cannot combine the helmet of Silvermane with the pants of Mesa, just like the Warframes.
The “gender” of the Valorplates also seems to be fixed. The armors presented so far have not been seen simultaneously in both male and female.
Hinterclaw, Silvermane, and Greyhawk appear to be male in build.
While Phoenix and Vertigo clearly have female bodies.
Unless this changes in the future, this is also a characteristic that Valorplates share with Warframes.
Ashes of Creation was already described on Kickstarter as an MMORPG with a hybrid combat system. It aims to please fans of action and tab-targeting combat. The specifics of how the system will work were showcased in a livestream.
How does the combat system work? Ashes of Creation fundamentally builds on the tab-targeting system. You have many different skills that you can throw at an enemy you have selected as your target.
However, with a press of a button (“Z” in the default settings), you can switch to an action combat system. Then you must aim carefully with your auto-attack and some abilities to hit your enemies.
Starting at 11:40, you can see the mentioned combat system.
The tab-targeting is supposed to feel more action-packed
How does tab-targeting work exactly? This combat system roughly follows those found in games like WoW, FFXIV, or Guild Wars 2. You choose a target as your target, and then all skills automatically hit that enemy.
However, there is a special feature regarding the animation radius. Those who use a sword may hit multiple targets directly in front of them with an attack. Those using a halberd, on the other hand, have a much larger radius. Daggers, however, are more precise and have a smaller radius. Even in tab-targeting, your attacks should be able to hit multiple targets directly, not just the one you are aiming at.
Ashes of Creation will also offer a variety of skills, while you should not be overwhelmed with a multitude of hotbars. While there are supposed to be no addons in the MMORPG, you will be able to customize your UI as you wish in the future.
In Ashes of Creation, you can hit multiple targets with one attack, whether in action or tab-targeting.
How does action combat work? In action combat, your mouse cursor turns into a crosshair, and your character constantly follows it. Free movement like in tab-targeting is not possible.
With this crosshair, you need to aim at your enemies for your skills to hit. However, not all skills are equipped with an action system.
Some of them will always hit the attacked target, even if you aim off. Other skills can be improved in the skill tree with skill points to gain new functionalities in action mode.
The skill trees of the classes were also presented in the livestream. They are divided into 3 areas:
Passive skills
Active skills
Weapon skills
Currently, only the active skills belonging to the respective class can be seen in the Alpha. There are even 64 of them in Ashes of Creation, which should all be instantly recognizable by their own symbols in the game when you are in groups or in PvP.
The skill tree in Ashes of Creation (image from the livestream).
The developers also explained in the livestream that they have updated the game from Unreal Engine 4.23 to 4.25 and have filled 16 of the 24 open developer positions.
The space sandbox MMO Dual Universe is finally playable after years of development and impresses with tremendous freedom. Read here what this great space MMO has to offer and who it is suitable for.
What is Dual Universe? Dual Universe is a space sandbox MMO. Humanity has spread throughout the universe after the destruction of Earth, and it is time to rebuild everything.
The game is developed by the French studio Novaquark, which includes former employees from Ubisoft and Sony. According to CEO Jean-Christophe Baillie, initial ideas for Dual Universe were formulated as early as 2011.
By now, the game has launched into the gamescom 2020 Beta after a long development and Alpha testing phase. Anyone who subscribes can now play. The release of the game is planned for 2021. But what is so great about Dual Universe and who should take a look at the Beta?
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In our video, you can see the features and gameplay of Dual Universe.
What makes Dual Universe special?
The two major aspects of Dual Universe: Dual Universe has two major unique features that make the game special. On one hand, they want all players to mingle on a large server instead of spreading across countless separate realms. The “Massively” in MMO is therefore at the forefront, and thousands of players should collaborate in shaping the game world.
This can be taken literally, as almost everything in Dual Universe is built and utilized by players. This is where the heavily modified Unity engine and voxel technology are applied.
If you overdo it, planets can eventually look like this due to excessive digging.
So, if you like, you can dig deep mines into the rock of planets. If you overdo it, this type of exploitation leaves deep craters and gorges on the planet’s surface that can even be seen from space!
With a handy editor, skillful players can then build all sorts of things, including:
Magnificent buildings on planets, such as skyscrapers or outposts
Spaceships in all conceivable shapes
Huge space stations full of gadgets
Later, you should even be able to sell your best creations to other players. However, a predetermined story and PvE elements will not be part of Dual Universe. Players write their own stories and will eventually even be able to offer quests for other players through a mission system, such as escort missions or targeted attacks on a specific person.
This is how space combat works: Another great feature is warring conflicts. Because even though you can spend your time as a peaceful researcher or builder, there is plenty of potential for epic space battles in Dual Universe. So when several players fight over particularly lucrative resources, the sophisticated combat system in space comes into play.
According to the developers, it’s primarily about “shooting holes in the hull.” Since ships are made of different materials, one must deploy a clever combination of the four available weapon types. Depending on how the target is armored, cannons, railguns, rockets, or lasers must be used.
With the right weapons, you can breach the hull and target internal systems for destruction.
If the hull is breached, you can attack the internal systems at that spot and incapacitate the engine or the main reactor. Additionally, you should even be able to board ships through such holes.
So instead of shooting blindly, you need to act tactically and anticipate where the opponent’s sensitive systems are located. Otherwise, you might end up shooting at areas of the opponent where, despite many hits, they take little relevant damage.
Also cool: Large ships and stations require a crew to effectively deploy all weapons. Similar to Warframe with the Railjack capital ships, you need reliable teammates when it comes to combat. Large ships are said to be able to accommodate up to 100 players as crew.
This is in the Beta
This is the game world: For the Beta of Dual Universe, the developers have only offered a solar system with 12 planets at first. There, however, you can indulge and realize yourself as you wish.
Fights will initially only take place in space. Ground warfare is planned for the release. Invasions scenarios are then conceivable, where you first gain supremacy in space and then continue the fight for resources and buildings on the ground.
You can also realize yourself on the ground.
If you’re worried that the many possibilities in Dual Universe may seem overwhelming: The developers have created an entire moon solely for tutorial purposes, where you can also realize yourself creatively.
Why does the Beta cost money? The Beta and upcoming Release version can only be played with a subscription (Alpha backers at least get free Beta access). The reason for this is that the developers do not want to deal with trolls who come into the game just for fun, destroy everything, and then leave. When money is involved, these types of players are much less likely to appear and cause damage, according to the developers.
Pros and Cons of Dual Universe
The ambitious space sandbox Dual Universe aims high and offers several unique features. However, there are also a few weaknesses:
Pro
Creative freedom in object design
Everything can be mined
Players determine economy and story
Contra
Many features still open
Subscription model for Beta is not well received
No PvE elements
Who is Dual Universe interesting for?
Dual Universe is clearly aimed at sandbox fans with a penchant for science fiction. While there are already good games in this genre such as Elite: Dangerous, Eve Online, and the upcoming Star Citizen, the freedom that Dual Universe promises is a notch larger.
After all, where else can you completely design your spaceships freely and even bore visible holes in planets? So if you want to indulge your creativity without limits and are not deterred by subscription fees, you should at least take a look at the Beta and see if the large space sandbox Dual Universe is worth a visit.
Potential: Very Good
I am not a fan of sandboxes and prefer clear stories and guidelines. However, even I can’t help but be awestruck by the ambitious ideas and plans of Dual Universe. The idea of being able to realize oneself completely freely has a special allure.
Moreover, I love to see the creative expressions that such games evoke among fans, and I’m already excited to see what crazy capital ships and death stars players will build here.
I am therefore curious whether the developers will continue to meet the ambitious goals and whether Dual Universe can hold its ground alongside Eve, Elite: Dangerous, and especially Star Citizen.
Jürgen Horn Editor at MeinMMO
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A curious bug in World of Warcraft Classic made fire mages nearly unstoppable. Many of them strolled through Azeroth with a 100% critical strike chance.
Despite the fact that World of Warcraft Classic is a game that is almost 16 years old, small bugs and issues continue to be uncovered. The most recent case involved fire mages who turned into unstoppable killing machines. A massive bonus to critical strike rating made this possible – triggered by a bug.
What was the bug? The bug affected the spell Combustion. This is the final talent in the fire talent tree for mages. The spell grants the mage a 10% additional critical strike chance. The chance increases by an additional 10% with each spell cast until a total of 3 critical strikes are achieved, at which point the effect ends. However, some players found a way to keep the spell active indefinitely.
Römms – with 100% crit, it’s double the joy.
How did the bug work? Mages simply had to enter a dungeon and start casting spells. They stacked Combustion as often as they could until they achieved two critical strikes – typically resulting in 4-7 stacks, meaning 40% – 70% additional critical strike chance. In particularly fortunate cases, a bonus of 100% could even be achieved. If the mage then left the dungeon, Combustion became a permanent effect. Thus, fire mages were able to permanently benefit from the additional critical strike chance.
The buff would only disappear if the mage manually dismissed it, died, or logged out. For the sake of fairness, it should be mentioned that fire mages with maximum critical strike chance tend to die relatively quickly, as the threat generated can hardly be sustained by any tank for long.
These were the consequences: The bug caused massive imbalances in tackling dungeons, raids, or even PvP in the open world or battlegrounds. A fire mage who lands a critical strike nearly every time not only deals massive initial damage but also applies a powerful DOT that quickly drains enemies’ health points. With so much damage, even the toughest bosses in WoW history would not survive long.
A video on this – with questionable music selection – can be seen here:
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Blizzard reacted quickly: After Blizzard was alerted to the bug in the forum, only a few hours passed before a hotfix was released. It is no longer possible to keep Combustion active permanently by leaving a zone. The buff then disappears, or is removed upon the next critical strike – as intended.
It was the golden hours for fire mages, who had a moment of invincibility once again. But now that is over too.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In GTA Online, you can now determine which money bonus will be active next week. We will show you how it works and which one might be worth it for you.
What are money bonuses? Every Thursday, a new bonus week starts in GTA Online. It is determined which activities will pay out double or triple the amount of GTA dollars and which discounts are active.
Normally, the bonuses are determined by Rockstar, and players have no influence. But for the week between September 3 and September 9, 2020, you will determine which activity will make you rich.
Which job gets the bonus?
Which activities are available? A decision will be made between double rewards for “Special Cargo” missions or the MC sales missions. The one that wins will receive the bonus for next week.
This is how you can determine the selection: If you want to be part of the decision, it’s quite simple, because you are already involved, perhaps without realizing it. The one that is used more by players this week will be selected.
If more VIP contracts are completed, we will receive double rewards on “Special Cargo” missions next week.
However, if more players are out as bikers, there will be double GTA dollars on all MC sales missions.
Which activity will bring you a lot of money next week?
What is most worthwhile for you?
The basic idea of both missions is similar, as it involves acquiring goods and then selling them, but they are very different. Therefore, it also depends on the player which one is the most worthwhile. We will show you what you should consider when making your selection.
“Special Cargo” missions: If you sell goods from your fully stocked large warehouse, you will earn about 2.3 million GTA$ (for 111 crates). However, you first have to pick up all the goods and bring them to your warehouse. This takes a lot of time as you go from one point to another. This mission is worth it for players who want to earn a lot but are willing to invest several hours of work.
With warehouse sales, you earn a lot, but you also have to work more.
MC sales missions: With your illegal businesses, you may not earn as much as with the warehouse, but the work is much more relaxed. Here, you have the option to simply buy raw materials that will then be delivered to your business. Your employees process the goods, and you then just have to sell them.
If you even have several lucrative businesses like a counterfeit cash factory, a cocaine lab, and a cannabis farm, the bonus is even more worthwhile. This method is suitable for everyone who prefers to do other things in GTA rather than working.
As a biker, you may not become filthy rich, but you can lean back.
These are the things you should keep in mind when playing this week. If you play carefully, you will benefit from your desired bonus for two weeks. However, if you want to make even more money, you should take a look at these 12 ways to make money faster.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The co-op shooter Remnant: From the Ashes evokes all kinds of emotions: anger, frustration, joy… And you can even experience those together with friends in co-op mode. With a new DLC, a challenging difficulty, and repeatable content, it’s the perfect game to suffer – or rejoice – with friends.
What is Remnant: From the Ashes? Since its release, Remnant: From the Ashes has been a surprising success that no one really expected. As a mix of Fallout and Dark Souls/Bloodborne with a touch of The Division, it is a challenging, atmospheric PvE shooter for up to three players.
Armed with shotguns, rifles, and submachine guns, and enhanced with magical abilities like in Bioshock, you then take on strange wooden creatures, swamp monsters, or newly giant rats together in a post-apocalyptic world.
The crazy weapons and opponents fit perfectly into the dark world that you can explore with up to three players in co-op mode. There’s always plenty to do, even when you’ve already finished the game – so much, that MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus almost missed work for it.
A kind of church on a strange planet full of rats? That really fits well into the world, even if it doesn’t sound like it.
Slay bosses, loot, die – all in co-op
What makes Remnant so good? Remnant offers heaps of repeatable content that changes with each run. Thus, it’s worthwhile for someone who already knows the story to start anew with friends.
In the process, you can always discover new puzzles and solve them together, defeat bosses or fail at them, and collect loot you haven’t had before. This is because worlds are randomly generated each time the campaign is created.
Already the first major story boss can either be an Ent or the giant dragon Brandfleck. Both have different loot and even “alternative kills,” so further visits are always worthwhile. This also applies to secrets and other loot that can be found in the levels.
Brandfleck can be a pretty tough boss, but also offers cool loot, such as a flamethrower.
This is how Remnant feels with friends
In co-op, you go through various emotions together while playing: frustration, joy, anger, fear, hope. Or the feeling of deep satisfaction after finally killing a boss that has been taking you down for hours.
At least in my runs with friends, it got quite loud in voice chat from time to time, for various reasons:
Screams of fear when someone (usually me) runs ahead and is already waiting at the exit of the level for the others. When asked where everyone is, I often hear a reply from behind: “Dude! I have three elites on me and no ammo left, come back!”
Screams of anger when a boss has already wiped us out for the fifth or tenth time. Particularly frustrating when they were almost dead, as the whole fight has to be repeated up to that point. Popular candidates for triggering anger screams are also: reloading at the wrong moment, dodging in the wrong direction, and getting headshot by a teammate behind you. Because friendly fire is always active.
Screams of hope and joy when you’re the last one alive in your team against the boss, almost out of ammo, and have to dodge abilities and enemies. When the last health points of the opponent finally drop, especially against one of the tougher bosses, a relieving “Yes!” often echoes through the headsets.
The Rat Mage Ikro can be really annoying. Defeating him will certainly trigger more joyful screams.
How do I play best with friends? Remnant offers many options to create builds with weapons and skills for aggressive, defensive, or supportive play styles.
Ideally, you should coordinate your roles, similar to an MMO. At least that’s what the guy who made the bosses you’re struggling against told me as co-op tips. This adds even more depth to the whole co-op aspect when you communicate and agree with each other – it’s almost like a special unit in a post-apocalyptic world.
Why is it worth it now? With Subject 2923, the story of Remnant: From the Ashes is concluded, and there are currently no plans for a sequel. So now you have the full experience. Those who got Remnant for free during Epic’s giveaway should now be nearing the point where the new (and final) content becomes interesting.
If you want to discover everything, Adventure mode helps you repeat content in a targeted way.
Or you can take a few rounds in the Survival mode from the DLC “Swamps of Corsus”. This is an endless roguelike mode that you can repeat as often as you want, independently of the story, and now also includes the new enemies and some bosses from Subject 2923.
If you start anew together, be prepared for the entry to be relatively easy right after the tutorial, but then quickly becoming more challenging to really hard. The famous Soulsborne games are quite a noticeable influence. If you need help, you can find in our special tips for getting started in Remnant: From the Ashes.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
New World seems to be appealing to the WoW target audience
What is New World doing right now? New World is specifically targeting the WoW audience. They have chosen the perfect timing and are appealing to the right streamers.
Asmongold confirms this to the site Kotaku, who says:
MMO players are always looking for the next WoW killer or something like that. At the moment, there isn’t much happening in WoW, so a lot of people are playing New World who would normally be playing WoW.
Asmongold on the Twitch success of New World
Amazon is directly reaching out to the “right” streamers with the keys, who also actually want to play a game and are not, like with Crucible, people who would rather play something else and quickly leave.
New World appears to be higher quality and there are currently few alternatives in the specific area of “MMO with RPG elements,” while Crucible faced hot and attractive competition.
And New World offers several features that appeal to streamers, such as the “Voice Proximity” chat, which has already resulted in some cool clips.
Asmongold uses “WoW killer” rather neutrally, as a term for a “new MMO that hopes to reach the massive audience of WoW.” Because here lies enormous potential. WoW players typically return strongly to World of Warcraft with a new expansion, but that tie usually loosens over time. Then they look for a new game.
The “old expansion” in WoW is currently exhausted. This has always been the phase in which new MMOs could at least borrow and excite players for a few months. That is likely what New World has done as well.
While New World is not an MMORPG per se, it has some RPG elements. Crafting plays a significant role. Additionally, the graphics and combat system look good. Although there still seem to be issues with the endgame and the game has already been postponed twice to deliver more content, it leaves a good impression on many players and streamers, at least in the initial hours, as seen from the reactions.
The MMORPG veteran Gordon Walton expressed critical views regarding WoW killers.
“WoW killer” was a trend in the MMORPG realm for quite a while. It referred to a series of games that attempted to emulate WoW’s success by copying its methods.
This was a setback for the genre, as MMORPG developer Gordon Walton once explained:
Asmongold uses “WoW killer” rather neutrally, as a term for a “new MMO that hopes to reach the massive audience of WoW.” Because here lies enormous potential. WoW players typically return strongly to World of Warcraft with a new expansion, but that tie usually loosens over time. Then they look for a new game.
The “old expansion” in WoW is currently exhausted. This has always been the phase in which new MMOs could at least borrow and excite players for a few months. That is likely what New World has done as well.
While New World is not an MMORPG per se, it has some RPG elements. Crafting plays a significant role. Additionally, the graphics and combat system look good. Although there still seem to be issues with the endgame and the game has already been postponed twice to deliver more content, it leaves a good impression on many players and streamers, at least in the initial hours, as seen from the reactions.
The MMORPG veteran Gordon Walton expressed critical views regarding WoW killers.
“WoW killer” was a trend in the MMORPG realm for quite a while. It referred to a series of games that attempted to emulate WoW’s success by copying its methods.
This was a setback for the genre, as MMORPG developer Gordon Walton once explained:
Because it seems that Amazon wants to reach exactly that audience for New World.
New World seems to be appealing to the WoW target audience
What is New World doing right now? New World is specifically targeting the WoW audience. They have chosen the perfect timing and are appealing to the right streamers.
Asmongold confirms this to the site Kotaku, who says:
MMO players are always looking for the next WoW killer or something like that. At the moment, there isn’t much happening in WoW, so a lot of people are playing New World who would normally be playing WoW.
Asmongold on the Twitch success of New World
Amazon is directly reaching out to the “right” streamers with the keys, who also actually want to play a game and are not, like with Crucible, people who would rather play something else and quickly leave.
New World appears to be higher quality and there are currently few alternatives in the specific area of “MMO with RPG elements,” while Crucible faced hot and attractive competition.
And New World offers several features that appeal to streamers, such as the “Voice Proximity” chat, which has already resulted in some cool clips.
Asmongold uses “WoW killer” rather neutrally, as a term for a “new MMO that hopes to reach the massive audience of WoW.” Because here lies enormous potential. WoW players typically return strongly to World of Warcraft with a new expansion, but that tie usually loosens over time. Then they look for a new game.
The “old expansion” in WoW is currently exhausted. This has always been the phase in which new MMOs could at least borrow and excite players for a few months. That is likely what New World has done as well.
While New World is not an MMORPG per se, it has some RPG elements. Crafting plays a significant role. Additionally, the graphics and combat system look good. Although there still seem to be issues with the endgame and the game has already been postponed twice to deliver more content, it leaves a good impression on many players and streamers, at least in the initial hours, as seen from the reactions.
The MMORPG veteran Gordon Walton expressed critical views regarding WoW killers.
“WoW killer” was a trend in the MMORPG realm for quite a while. It referred to a series of games that attempted to emulate WoW’s success by copying its methods.
This was a setback for the genre, as MMORPG developer Gordon Walton once explained:
Amazon enters the gaming business. After initial games like Breakaway and Crucible failed, the new MMO with RPG elements, New World, seems to attract more players. The first days on Twitch prove this. Streamer Asmongold sees a clear reason for this: WoW players and fans of other MMORPGs are currently playing New World because they are always on the lookout for the next WoW killer.
Twitch is a barometer for the success of new games that are not yet available in stores. This is because Twitch’s numbers are publicly accessible and the platform is massive.
What does well on Twitch is trendy and has the potential to be a hit. After all, streamers showcase a new game to millions of viewers for hours. If the game is worthwhile, it acts like continuous advertising and encourages viewers to buy the game themselves. Some of the biggest gaming hits in recent years, like PUBG, Fortnite, or CoD Warzone, have proven how important Twitch is for the gaming industry.
But this doesn’t just apply to shooters. The success of MMORPGs on Twitch was demonstrated by WoW Classic in the fall of 2019.
Twitch is particularly important for Amazon.
What’s the deal with Amazon and Twitch? Amazon bought Twitch in 2014 for 970 million USD.
One might think: If you’ve bought the world’s largest streaming platform, which has been booming ever since, you should use it. Amazon should actually have a huge competitive advantage over its rivals: Streamers should be eager to collaborate with Amazon on Twitch. One would think.
New World has been on Twitch for just a few days and it’s going well.
Crucible failed on Twitch and everywhere else
How it went so far: However, Amazon’s first forays into gaming already failed twice, despite support from Twitch:
The 2nd game “Crucible,” a multiplayer shooter made it across the finish line and released, but did poorly on Twitch, even though the developers boosted it with sponsor deals. Crucible also flopped on Steam and had no success. Amazon has since “un-released” the game, plans to overhaul it and try again later. Crucible stumbled over the finish line only to topple and fall back in front of it.
The “boost” from advertising streams by TimTheTatman, DrLupo, and SypherPK brought nothing. The game generated only minimal interest on Twitch at release, and even that quickly disappeared: Crucible hardly interested anyone on Twitch.
However, Crucible was only published by Amazon; it was developed by Relentless Studios. That Amazon can do it better when they are both the publisher and the studio is now proven with New World.
They hired streamer TimTheTatman to promote Crucible on Twitch: He was quickly gone.
Clips from MMORPG streamers go viral for New World
This is how it is now with New World: New World has been playable for a while, but it has only recently started being showcased on Twitch.
Since it has been visible on Twitch, it is doing well:
In the last 3 days, New World entered Twitch ranked No. 7.
At its peak, 344,000 people were watching, on average the game had 101,000 viewers
That’s more viewers than CS:GO and the trend game Among Us, but New World is viewed less on Twitch than mainstays like GTA 5 or the new Fall Guys. Nevertheless, a considerable success.
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WoW streamer Asmongold celebrates the “World First Grizzy Kill”
Great desire for an MMO like New World among Twitch streamers
How did they manage that? What is already clear: New World appeals to a broad audience among streamers.
They have major MMORPG streamers like Asmongold and Sodapoppin – these are two of the most popular WoW streamers. Both have entertained their audiences with their unique humor for years
The Twitch veterans, summit1g, LIRIK, and shroud have checked out New World. They have huge channels and a loyal viewer base. They are always on the lookout for something new. Summit1g and shroud are primarily shooter players but love MMORPGs.
But even a more niche hardcore streamer like Quin69, a Path-of-Exile specialist, has already spent several hours in New World.
It’s no coincidence that Asmongold, the top WoW nerd, has been playing so much New World already. Amazon gave some streamers 100 keys to give away – including Asmongold.
This is clever: Because “paying” streamers is only allowed if they mark their streams as “Sponsored”. However, giving keys to streamers creates an incentive to play without immediately revealing themselves as advertising partners.
With the tactic of having streamers give away beta keys, Valorant had a huge success on Twitch in 2020. Amazon shows that they understand Twitch by giving players like Asmongold these keys.
The “old expansion” in WoW is currently exhausted. This has always been the phase in which new MMOs could at least borrow and excite players for a few months. That is likely what New World has done as well.
While New World is not an MMORPG per se, it has some RPG elements. Crafting plays a significant role. Additionally, the graphics and combat system look good. Although there still seem to be issues with the endgame and the game has already been postponed twice to deliver more content, it leaves a good impression on many players and streamers, at least in the initial hours, as seen from the reactions.
The MMORPG veteran Gordon Walton expressed critical views regarding WoW killers.
“WoW killer” was a trend in the MMORPG realm for quite a while. It referred to a series of games that attempted to emulate WoW’s success by copying its methods.
This was a setback for the genre, as MMORPG developer Gordon Walton once explained:
Asmongold uses “WoW killer” rather neutrally, as a term for a “new MMO that hopes to reach the massive audience of WoW.” Because here lies enormous potential. WoW players typically return strongly to World of Warcraft with a new expansion, but that tie usually loosens over time. Then they look for a new game.
The “old expansion” in WoW is currently exhausted. This has always been the phase in which new MMOs could at least borrow and excite players for a few months. That is likely what New World has done as well.
While New World is not an MMORPG per se, it has some RPG elements. Crafting plays a significant role. Additionally, the graphics and combat system look good. Although there still seem to be issues with the endgame and the game has already been postponed twice to deliver more content, it leaves a good impression on many players and streamers, at least in the initial hours, as seen from the reactions.
The MMORPG veteran Gordon Walton expressed critical views regarding WoW killers.
“WoW killer” was a trend in the MMORPG realm for quite a while. It referred to a series of games that attempted to emulate WoW’s success by copying its methods.
This was a setback for the genre, as MMORPG developer Gordon Walton once explained:
Because it seems that Amazon wants to reach exactly that audience for New World.
New World seems to be appealing to the WoW target audience
What is New World doing right now? New World is specifically targeting the WoW audience. They have chosen the perfect timing and are appealing to the right streamers.
Asmongold confirms this to the site Kotaku, who says:
MMO players are always looking for the next WoW killer or something like that. At the moment, there isn’t much happening in WoW, so a lot of people are playing New World who would normally be playing WoW.
Asmongold on the Twitch success of New World
Amazon is directly reaching out to the “right” streamers with the keys, who also actually want to play a game and are not, like with Crucible, people who would rather play something else and quickly leave.
New World appears to be higher quality and there are currently few alternatives in the specific area of “MMO with RPG elements,” while Crucible faced hot and attractive competition.
And New World offers several features that appeal to streamers, such as the “Voice Proximity” chat, which has already resulted in some cool clips.
Asmongold uses “WoW killer” rather neutrally, as a term for a “new MMO that hopes to reach the massive audience of WoW.” Because here lies enormous potential. WoW players typically return strongly to World of Warcraft with a new expansion, but that tie usually loosens over time. Then they look for a new game.
The “old expansion” in WoW is currently exhausted. This has always been the phase in which new MMOs could at least borrow and excite players for a few months. That is likely what New World has done as well.
While New World is not an MMORPG per se, it has some RPG elements. Crafting plays a significant role. Additionally, the graphics and combat system look good. Although there still seem to be issues with the endgame and the game has already been postponed twice to deliver more content, it leaves a good impression on many players and streamers, at least in the initial hours, as seen from the reactions.
The MMORPG veteran Gordon Walton expressed critical views regarding WoW killers.
“WoW killer” was a trend in the MMORPG realm for quite a while. It referred to a series of games that attempted to emulate WoW’s success by copying its methods.
This was a setback for the genre, as MMORPG developer Gordon Walton once explained:
The survival MMO Last Oasis is planning a new feature: Exo-skeletons made of wood, which will be presented in a short teaser. These allow you to carry multiple weapons at the same time. This is reminiscent of Fallout and sounds like quite a lot of firepower for PvP, which is already where the focus lies.
What kind of feature is this? The exo-skeletons from Last Oasis resemble power armor from Fallout a bit. However, they are not made of futuristic metal and are not powered by nuclear energy, but consist like the agile walkers out of wood.
The skeletons are a kind of armor that closes relatively loosely around the body and apparently enhances it. A short teaser that we have embedded here for you shows what they will look like:
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Meanwhile, the player numbers on Steam have significantly shrunk. On average, 876 players are still playing, with a peak of 1,333, which, however, is quite a bit less compared to over 33,000 at launch (via steamcharts).
The upcoming update with the exo-skeletons has already been a big wish of the community. Whether this feature will lead to more or fewer players remains to be seen. There aren’t any concrete statements yet about the functions and how this will ultimately look.
What exactly do the armors do? As stated in the press release, you can use two ranged weapons simultaneously in combat with the armors while they provide you with additional protection. This sounds like you could be blasting through the oases like a desert Rambo with two guns.
The whole concept of the exo-skeletons sounds a lot like power armors that have already provided cool gameplay in Fallout. Those were the high-end armors that players usually used to wreak havoc in the wasteland with huge guns and for many players a reason to invest more time.
The boss has already revealed in an interview with MeinMMO that Last Oasis wants to focus more on PvE in the future. Apparently, the hardcore approach was a bit too much after all. Additionally, it would be a shame if no one could explore the great world without constantly fearing for their life.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny 2 today, on August 28, the mysterious vendor Xur makes an appearance and brings his exotic goods. But where can you find him and what items does he sell? Here you will find everything about Xur’s location and inventory this weekend.
This is happening in Destiny 2: For the Opening Night Live event of gamescom 2020 Bungie announced new details about the upcoming fall expansion Beyond Light.
Yet even without ice abilities, players are freezing in Destiny 2, which a new update is set to fix soon. Here is the information about the upcoming update 2.9.2:
All information about Xur on August 28, 2020 – PS4, PC, Xbox One, Google Stadia
Xur appears: As usual, the noodle-faced vendor appears today at 7:00 PM on a planet of his choice. He will remain there until the next Weekly Reset on September 1 and sell his exotic goods to interested Guardians.
What does Xur have on offer? Does the Exotic vendor offer equipment pieces with high overall values this weekend? Or a sought-after exotic weapon?
We take a closer look at his inventory and tell you what he has.
Where is Xur located? This is his location this weekend
The position of Xur: The mysterious vendor is currently located on Titan in the area “The Rig” this weekend.
Xur’s location on Titan
Xur’s inventory from August 28 to September 1 – All Exotics at a glance
Weapon: Sunshot – Hand cannon for 29 Legendary Shards
Titan: Actium War Rig – Chest armor for 23 Legendary Shards
Mobility: +19
Resilience: +3
Recovery: +12
Discipline: +9
Intellect: +13
Strength: +9
Total: 65
Hunter: Gwisin Vest – Chest armor for 23 Legendary Shards
The new cinematic for World of Warcraft with Bastion is causing a lot of discussions. We analyze the video closely and explain what actually happened – and what it means.
Yesterday, the first of four new cinematics for the upcoming expansion World of Warcraft Shadowlands was released. While some lore fans jump excitedly in circles celebrating the details of the video “Afterlife, Bastion”, other players have big question marks above their heads. So it’s time for an analysis and possible interpretations of what we saw.
To make sure we are all on the same page, here’s the cinematic that you should watch first:
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The video begins with one of the most important moments in the history of Warcraft 3. The death knight Arthas Menethil kills his former paladin mentor, Uther Lightbringer, with the cursed runeblade Frostmourne.
Shortly after, he finds himself in the arms of a risen Kyrian, Devos. She brings Uther to the realm where he has been assigned by the Arbiter: Bastion.
Uther kneels before Devos – the Paragon of Loyalty.
In Bastion, souls who have lived particularly pure and righteous lives arrive. The souls start as Aspirants and must renounce their memories over many years (sometimes even millennia) to become completely empty. Only then can a soul “ascend” and take its place among the Kyrians, following the path of the Archon. As angelic beings, they ensure that souls are guided to their respective realms.
However, Uther struggles with this. Despite the passage of time, he suffers unusually and cannot distance himself from his memories. The feeling remains that he has not yet completed his task. Something that Devos also notices, as she keeps a close eye on Uther.
Devos tries to understand what is causing Uther’s suffering.
In conversation with Uther, Devos discovers that Uther cannot let go of his memories because he still senses the blade that murdered him. Devos then examines the painful spot and realizes that not only Uther’s body was destroyed, but that his soul also suffered damage.
The Shattering of Uther’s Soul
Devos then touches the fatal wound of the paladin. In the flashback, we see Uther being struck down by Arthas once again. The runes on Frostmourne glow as the paladin’s soul leaves his body.
What’s particularly interesting here is that Uther’s soul was torn in two. The bluish part is devoured by the runeblade, while the golden part transitions into the Shadowlands.
The blue part of the soul is devoured by Frostmourne, the golden part transitions into the Shadowlands.
However, we do not know if this is a one-time phenomenon that only applies to Uther. After all, Uther prayed in his last moments “Light, save my soul.” Since Uther is considered one of the greatest paladins of all time, it is quite possible that the Light granted him this wish.
If this is a normal occurrence of Frostmourne that souls are torn into pieces, it would have even greater implications – such as for Sylvanas or all the other beings that were killed by the runeblade throughout history. However, that is still pure speculation, which is why we should regard Uther with his backstory as rather exceptional.
Frostmourne consumes part of Uther’s soul.
On the other hand, this splitting of the soul may simply have the reason that Blizzard had to somehow enforce the continuity of the story. After all, players could communicate with Uther’s soul in Icecrown Citadel and its dungeons. That would not have been possible if his soul had completely transitioned into the Shadowlands. At the same time, Uther’s story could not have been told in this way if his soul had remained entirely in Frostmourne.
Shocked by what she saw, Devos then turns to the Archon. She warns that a mortal (Arthas) holds the power of the Maw (Frostmourne) in his hands and is causing chaos in a world of mortals (Azeroth). Something must have escaped from the Maw – something that is considered completely impossible in the Shadowlands. Devos sees Bastion in danger and even questions the “Path” – the divine order through which everything in Bastion occurs and is led by the Archon.
Devos tries to convince the Archon – but she does not want to listen.
However, the Archon does not want to hear any of this. She demands that Devos refrain from these thoughts and not dwell on them further.
Devos agrees to the command, but as she turns away, almost “towards the camera”, her expression darkens as if a shadow falls over her. These thoughts apparently do not let her rest.
Devos appears darker – determined to choose her own path.
In the next scene, Devos descends to Uther and announces that his time of ascension has come – although his soul does not yet meet the requirements. Nevertheless, Devos grants Uther the ascension on her own authority after asking if Uther wants to see “him”, meaning Arthas, punished. Uther accepts. This makes him the first ascended Kyrian who has not distanced himself from his memories.
Uther ascends – as the first Kyrian who still possesses his memories.
With the promise of seizing Arthas as soon as he falls in the realm of mortals, Uther and Devos lie in wait.
The next scene shows perhaps the most crucial moment from the expansion Wrath of the Lich King. The Lich King Arthas has fallen, Frostmourne has been shattered, and his dying body gazes at the sky. His last words “I see only darkness before me” take on a new meaning here. Because this darkness is none other than Devos, who intercepts his soul before it transitions into the Shadowlands.
Devos reaches for Arthas’ soul – thus rising above the natural cycle.
This is visually quite powerful. Though ascended Kyrians are angelic beings, Devos appears dark, threatening, and almost evil due to the lighting conditions. A strong contrast to the typically peaceful and bright Bastion, which she serves.
The next and final scene is perhaps the most significant. Devos has set herself above “the Path”. Instead of Arthas being judged by the Arbiter, as all souls must go through, she decides together with Uther over the fate of the former Lich King.
Uther holds Arthas’ fate in his hands.
Uther holds Arthas by the neck. While Devos and Uther float thanks to their wings, Arthas’ soul is unconscious as they hover above the Maw. The Maw is that area of the Shadowlands which may equate to eternal damnation.
Devos demands: “Throw him into the Maw. Give him to the darkness he serves. His eternal torment awaits him.”
In these words, particularly interesting is Uther’s appearance. His eyes are wide open, and his gaze seems almost fanatic. Nevertheless, he does not immediately comply with the instruction, instead taking the time to regard Arthas in the chokehold. Arthas, with his eyes still closed, looks almost harmless – broken and weak. Like an ordinary man who is merely sleeping.
Devos – the little devil on Uther’s shoulder. Does she tempt him to make a mistake?
Uther’s gaze darkens again. With the words “Not vengeance… justice” he complies with Devos’ instructions and throws Arthas’ soul into the Maw, thereby condemning him to eternal torment.
A decision that Uther may regret in the future.
A perfect start for Shadowlands
With the animated short film, Blizzard has likely managed to appeal to many old WoW fans. Not only do heroes like Uther and Arthas get thematized, but the problems and difficulties of the Shadowlands are also highlighted.
Moreover, the video touches on a typical theme of the Warcraft series: What constitutes an evil act? How does one repay something terrible? Is it really justice to condemn someone to eternal torment?
However, the video also shows a small difficulty: Warcraft simply cannot let go of its greatest characters and always has to pull Arthas out of the hat. As long as this is only used for such epic moments, it is not a problem.
I’m definitely very impressed with how Blizzard managed to connect the “old lore” from almost 10 years ago with the new world of the Shadowlands. More of this. And a lot of it.
Cortyn Nightshade MyMMO specialist demon for World of Warcraft
Without spoiling too much, it should already be said that the story of Uther and Devos continues in Bastion. The actions from this video have consequences, and a large part of the campaign revolves around Devos, Uther, their deviation from the path of the Paragon, and many philosophical questions.
With the release of Shadowlands in October, you can experience for yourself what has become of the two and what influence their actions had on the Shadowlands.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
