Tomorrow evening, the activity “Empyrean Foundation” starts in Destiny 2. We summarize how you can prepare and why now is a good time for an investment in this article.
What should you invest in? With the upcoming Weekly Reset, the last mystery of Season 9 begins: Empyrean Foundation. During the multi-week activity, the Guardians will be shelling out a lot.
Using your seasonal currency “Polarized Fractaline”, the community will collectively build a new beacon that leads us into Season 10 and a new future. Here’s how the activity will unfold and what’s in it for you:
This is what you should do with your Fractaline now: Some time ago we recommended you to stash Polarized Fractaline. Now is a good time to invest your seasonal currency profitably.
Specifically into the four planetary obelisks. This way, you will level up the constructs and increase the resonance power of the Tower Obelisk. For every 200 Fractaline, the resonance rank of an obelisk increases by one level.
Your Tower Obelisk will produce Polarized Fractaline each week corresponding to its resonance power.
Bungie
Are you investing smartly like Gordon Gekko? What could return next season from your generous donations, read here:
As Destiny developer Bungie recently announced, the central Tower Obelisk will dispense Fractaline each week after the launch of the Empyrean Foundation. The amount will be based on the total level of the four remaining obelisks and is supposed to correspond to the value of the resonance power.
Here’s why the investment pays off in the long run: Destiny expert Ehroar from the Redeem clan has taken the time to calculate many different scenarios. He concluded that you should pump all your Fractaline into the planetary obelisks now.
For the next two weeks, you should continue to invest all your newly collected Fractaline. Starting from the third week of “Empyrean Foundation”, he then recommends donating the resources.
You will now receive a large amount of Fractaline weekly for free and can additionally farm. In this way, you will end up with more than 50% extra Fractaline compared to if you spent all your Fractaline on the Tower Obelisk tomorrow.
Saint-14 welcomes generous donors with open arms
What you should know about the Fractaline donation: By investing, you will gather significantly more Fractaline and be able to donate more. Not only do you donate for a good cause, but there are also some bonuses for you:
Each donation of 100 Fractaline at the Tower Obelisk automatically grants you 25% progress for all time-lost bounties. So ideally take the bounties while donating and farm for powerful weapons.
If you donate a total of 5000 Fractaline during the event, you will be rewarded with a nice emblem. The amount should no longer be a problem with clever investment.
If the community reaches the maximum goal of reconstruction, all players will receive a shader as a reward.
To tackle the upcoming quest “Worthy”, a triumph must first be completed. This requires your participation in the donation marathon.
A preview of the emblem for big investors
Are you investing smartly like Gordon Gekko? What could return next season from your generous donations, read here:
Soon to be released in FIFA 20 is TOTW 21 (Team of the Week). But, what will the new Team of the Week look like? We will show you the predictions and reveal which players could be included.
These are TOTW predictions: Every week, the FUT community tries to predict what the next Team of the Week could look like. Player performances in real football are considered, and it is forecasted who might make it into the TOTW.
Often, it’s indeed possible to correctly predict some players.
Prediction for Team of the Week 21 in Ultimate Team
Benjamin Pavard had a strong game as a right-back against Mainz 05. He defended well and assisted a goal. However, will that be enough for his first Inform card in FUT 20? We will know more on Wednesday.
This is what the 1st Inform card of Pavard could look like
The release of TOTW 21: Starting Wednesday, February 5th at 7 PM, the new Inform cards will be available in FIFA 20 Ultimate.
Here’s how you can now use the predictions: It’s also advisable to use the TOTW predictions to make some coins. Here’s what you should pay attention to:
On February 11, the new Season 2 is expected to launch in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Until then, there is double XP on everything and a rotation of the playlist that will include two popular game modes this time.
What will change next week? Infinity Ward, the developers of Modern Warfare, reached out to players in a community update. This also included content for the current week (starting February 3).
With the playlist update on Tuesday, February 4, the two high-octane modes Shipment 24/7 and Shoothouse 24/7 were introduced.
Additionally, a generous event for the final push of Season 1 will begin on Wednesday, February 5 at 7 PM:
Known Error Messages: In the letter to players, Infinity Ward also shared some information about known bugs.
With the update from last week, an error message appeared regarding the resetting of combat statistics. Those who pressed “Yes” there may have reset their custom loadouts, operator customizations, and field upgrades to default values.
The combat statistics should be restored, but you will have to make the adjustments yourself again.
If you are also stuck in the download loop of the Spec Ops DLC on PS4, you should contact support directly.
What else did the community update include? At the end of the message, the developers expressed their gratitude regarding the action related to the bushfires in Australia. A special “Outback Relief” package was created for this.
The action ended on January 31, and the exact proceeds are expected to be announced next week.
In MMORPGs The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) and Black Desert , player numbers are surprisingly increasing on Steam in January 2020. Black Desert at least added a class, but nothing happened in ESO. What is behind this rise?
What do the Steam numbers indicate: The Steam numbers for ESO and Black Desert should be taken with caution. Both games are available on PS4, Xbox One and have their own PC launchers.
Therefore, the absolute player numbers on Steam are not very conclusive, but the trend indicates whether the two MMORPGs are currently hot or rather cold.
Because it can be assumed: As the player numbers behave on Steam, so they behave on the other platforms.
ESO has had the most players on Steam since June 2019
This is how it looks for ESO: The online role-playing game from Zenimax saw a 23% increase in January 2020. Since the numbers also rose in December and November 2019, ESO is in a good position like it hasn’t been for a long time.
With an average of 15,417 players, The Elder Scrolls Online currently has as many players as during the release of the major expansion Elsweyr. It was released on May 20, 2019; the surge in player numbers from the Khajiit expansion was still noticeable in June 2019.
The percentage increase of 23.6% was the largest increase in player numbers on Steam since June 2018. At that time, the Summerset expansion had just been released on PC (on May 21).
The strong increase in summer 2019 was due to Elsweyr – but ESO continues to rise in 2020.
Player numbers of ESO increase year by year on Steam
The Steam reviews have been more positive in the last 30 days than usual. In January 2020, 87% of the reviews were positive, overall it was 79%. The Steam reviews indicate that ESO players appreciate the quests and stories in the MMORPG.
ESO has shown a consistent upward trend on Steam since March 2015, which appears to be strengthening year by year. In May 2019, ESO reached its highest number of players on Steam to date.
Also in 2020, this trend seems set to continue. One can be curious to see if Greymoor will reach new heights.
What about Black Desert? Black Desert had its best month on Steam since May 2019 in January 2020.
With an increase of 31%, significantly more players played the MMORPG in January than in December. The percentage increase of 31% is the largest ever for Black Desert on Steam.
After a few quiet months, Black Desert has again seen several thousand more players online.
Where does this increase come from? In January, the new class “Gardia” was released in Black Desert. Traditionally, this causes an increase in player numbers, as people want to try and level up the new class.
The new class Gardia, a type of Berserker in fur stiletto, seems to be well received and triggers an increase in player numbers. The last release of a new class, the rather unusual Shai, did not initiate such an increase in player numbers on Steam in June 2016. The Shai, designed as a “social class”, was probably too quirky for that.
Also, in Black Desert the Steam reviews in the last 30 days have been more positive than throughout its entire duration, although there have been recurring criticisms regarding the randomness aspect in item upgrades.
Current MMORPGs are apparently doing better than many like to believe
This is what’s behind it: Black Desert and ESO are examples that MMORPG players are currently bound to the “established, large MMORPGs”.
This is likely also due to the fact that no new MMORPGs have been released in the West for years that could achieve long-term success. The existing MMORPGs therefore have more room to grow. Current MMORPGs are doing better than many doomsayers like to proclaim.
For over 3 years, Pokémon GO has been on the market and has changed a lot. Our author Noah believes that players are increasingly being asked to spend money. And this shouldn’t really be necessary.
This is what I observe: I have been playing Pokémon GO since the release day and am following the journey of this AR game both privately and professionally. However, Pokémon GO is taking steps that I would almost call Pay2Win.
No matter if it’s events, new Pokémon, or probabilities. You have to spend more and more money to actually succeed.
These reasons support my statement
It has always been said: Pokémon GO has always been criticized for allowing players to buy a clear advantage through items. Lucky Eggs and Star Pieces give you more XP and Stardust, but you must have purchased them in the shop first.
This has always drawn criticism that I didn’t take too seriously. After all, you can finance all of this without real money, and if you use Lucky Eggs effectively, then even those you can buy with in-game coins are sufficient.
Lucky Eggs have been criticized since the early days of Pokémon GO
This is where the problems started for me: The first time I got annoyed about Pokémon GO in this regard was with Kaumalat. In May 2019, the developers brought the Pokémon into the game, and everyone knew that it was the best monster of Generation 4.
However, instead of getting it from eggs or even finding it in the wild by luck, Kaumalat remained elusive for many players. I personally received my first Kaumalat at the end of December, 7 months after release. Before that, I had spent hundreds of euros on incubators and simply didn’t get a Kaumalat.
By the way, I haven’t encountered a Kaumalat in the wild yet, even though I have caught over 200,000 Pokémon and seen far more.
Kaumalat was not the first case either. Before that, Riolu was incredibly rare to get from eggs. I seemed to have some luck there, but other players had to spend an average of 50 euros for a Riolu. At least, one trainer calculated that.
The problems really started with Kaumalat
This is how it continues with the eggs: One might think that Kaumalat and Riolu were exceptions, but Pokémon GO continued its trend in Generation 5.
I myself completely gave up hatching eggs in November and simply do not want to spend more money to continue getting Barschwa from 10km eggs. Even with my limited hatching, I have not received any of the aforementioned Pokémon so far.
I don’t even want to calculate the odds for a player who only uses the infinite incubator and does not spend a cent on the game. It’s hard to imagine that such a player has all these Pokémon.
Money-making in events: What really upset me was the hatching marathon at the beginning of January. There were hat Pokémon to be found everywhere, except in the wild. There, you could only find Pikachu with a hat, which you could catch in previous years. Woingenau and Rattikarl were available in raids that you have to pay for (there’s one free raid pass per day). Party Hat Waumpel could only be obtained from eggs. So, you had to fire up those expensive incubators again and hope for a shiny Waumpel.
The hatching marathon was a disaster for me
The current event around the Lunar New Year does not shy away from the topic of money either. Here, there is the new Pokémon Flampion, which is also quite strong. What should be a reason for joy ultimately disappointed me greatly, because surprise: You can only find it in eggs.
On top of that, the 7km eggs containing the new monster almost exclusively contain weak and useless Pokémon. All Pokémon that are currently frequently found in the wild can also be found in those eggs.
Money-making in raids? Since Generation 3, this problem also exists in raids. Absol and Flunkifer have been available in raids since then. They are not found in the wild. I overlooked that, because after all, there are legendary Pokémon there too, and I gladly spend raid passes for that.
In Generation 4, Sheinux was added. Everyone wanted to have it as shiny, but you had to spend raid passes or incubators for it. After Sheinux, Klikk followed.
Shiny Klikk can only be obtained from raids or eggs
Now, the crowning achievement for me is Praktibalk. This Pokémon is my major highlight in Generation 5, and how do I get it? Exclusively through raids or eggs.
While the Pokémon before were at least not useful, Meistagriff, the evolution of Praktibalk, is incredibly strong. If I want to quickly build a good team from it, I have to invest a lot of money. Alternatively, I can do one free raid every day and after weeks have enough candies.
For me, it’s completely incomprehensible why they didn’t include this Pokémon in the wild.
Pokémon GO has already proven this: In the over 3 years I’ve spent with Pokémon GO, the “money-making” was not always an issue. Almost every point I raised above used to be handled differently.
This is how you can handle the eggs: When Tanhel and Kindwurm were added to the eggs, they were by far not as rare as Kaumalat or Kapuno. Sure, you didn’t get them handed to you, but you could get them if you hatched a lot.
Likewise, those two Pokémon were also occasionally available in the wild.
Not just during Community Day can you find Kindwurm in the wild
Similarly, this can now be done with the other Pokémon. The monsters are not even that much better. A Knakrack is roughly as strong as a Brutalanda, so why is Kaumalat so much rarer than Kindwurm used to be?
I don’t want to meet the rare Pokémon on every corner, but currently, I feel that Pokémon GO wants me to invest a lot of money in incubators to eventually get one of the Pokémon.
This is how raids could be improved: I would still do Praktibalk raids even if it were found in the wild. Because in raids you have the chance for monsters with good IVs. To this day, I’ve done over 50 Machomei raids, but I still enjoy catching Machollo in the wild.
I think Pokémon should not only be in raids or eggs. At least not such monsters where it is legitimate (baby Pokémon in eggs and legendary Pokémon in raids).
Praktibalk should definitely spawn in the wild
Stop these events already: First and foremost, Pokémon GO should stop the events that focus almost entirely on investing money. A Waumpel with a party hat can definitely spawn in the wild, and it shouldn’t just be limited to hatching eggs.
Especially, new Pokémon should not first appear exclusively in eggs. I generally do not support the release of a generation in waves, but now bringing in individual Pokémon that then hide in eggs is completely the wrong way for me.
This is important: Pokémon GO does not state anywhere that you actually have to spend money. You are just increasingly tempted, and the paths to success without spending money are growing longer.
You don’t have to spend money to hatch a Kaumalat. However, if you only hatch with the infinite incubator, you will probably only get a Kaumalat much later or you will just have extraordinary luck.
This is what I have learned in the last few months: While I used to enjoy spending money on Pokémon GO in 2018, my expenses have decreased significantly lately. I no longer see the point in bad eggs or in the Pokémon hidden in raids.
I find it very unfortunate that Pokémon GO is increasingly moving towards a Pay2Win direction and I hope for an improvement in the future. Until then, I will continue to catch Pokémon, at least those that appear in the wild.
Maybe the upcoming events in Pokémon GO will be better. I have hope for that:
Bethesda has provided information about the major Wastelanders update for Fallout 76 in a new blog post. This time, the reputation system has been introduced, and it sounds a lot like content from MMORPGs.
Both Settlers and Raiders return to Appalachia after you’ve made it relatively habitable through months of hard work. Nevertheless, these new NPCs do not know you at all.
For this reason, both factions will initially regard you with suspicion. No one will like you until you have proven that you can be trusted.
Gathering Reputation in Wastelanders
How do I gain reputation? If you want to increase your standing with a faction in Wastelanders, you need to complete tasks for them. Story quests grant more reputation than daily repeatable faction quests.
Even certain dialogue options are supposed to grant you reputation, similar to how it has worked in other Fallout titles. When you gain reputation, you will be informed directly in the game and see a progress bar:
There will be seven reputation levels. All of this sounds a lot like the reputation systems in well-known MMORPGs like World of Warcraft. The levels are, according to current information (not necessarily in this order):
Hostile
Suspicious
Neutral
Neighborhood
Friendly
Ally
In previous information, it was stated that you can join both factions and even play them against each other if you wish. Whether that remains the case is yet to be seen. Currently, tests for Wastelanders are still ongoing.
Are there rewards? Each faction has its own respective merchants in their capitals (Crater for the Raiders, Foundation for the Settlers). They will offer you a larger selection as your reputation increases.
What specific rewards will then be available is still unknown, except that there will be special building plans for faction items. So anyone who wants to build a Raider C.A.M.P. can soon do so in style.
There will also be the possibility to fall in love with NPCs and hire companions. However, we do not yet know how that relates to reputation.
Players are excited about Wastelanders
This is what the community says: Some players fear that the system could become a boring reputation grind in its current form. However, most are looking forward to it, even feeling reminded of New Vegas.
Some fans are furthering the idea. It is already known that factions like the Cult of the Mothman are supposed to come. They are now questioning how these will fit into the system:
I wonder how the sub-factions will work. Do you think the Cult of the Mothman is allied with the Raiders?
When can I check this out? A release date for Wastelanders is still pending. However, a new trailer is set to be released on February 4th. This could explain more once again.
The online shooter Destiny 2 launched on Steam in October 2019. A few months later, in January 2020, the player numbers showed a clear trend: they had more than halved.
Players can purchase additional content à la carte, exactly the expansions and seasons they want to play
Bungie’s plan was to gain new players through the Free2Play approach and the release of Destiny 2 on Steam and Google Stadia by letting them try it out for free and convincing them to purchase additional content like Forsaken to win them as regular players.
The existing players were to be kept engaged with the major expansion, Shadowkeep, and the seasons. With the season model, new content arrives approximately every 3 months, gradually unlocking to keep the Destiny 2 universe alive.
With the player numbers on Steam, one can now see, 4 months after the start of the “new era”, whether this plan worked.
Luke Smith (left) and Mark Noseworthy (right). This was the image of the “new era” of Destiny 2
How valuable are the Steam player numbers for Destiny 2? There have been estimates from third parties regarding the player numbers of Destiny and Destiny 2, but these have never been really official.
However, Steam evaluates the exact player numbers and displays them in graphs. Since Destiny 2 can only be played on PC via Steam, the numbers are indicative.
Thanks to the official Steam numbers, it is now easier to see the impacts of Bungie’s decisions regarding the content model in real-time.
That’s why the Steam release of Destiny 2 is strange: The release of Destiny 2 on Steam is difficult to compare with most releases on Steam:
Destiny was already in “Year 3” at the Steam release and launched after the relatively weak expansion Shadowkeep. Destiny was well past its peak. Thus, a real launch effect was missing, as the game was already considered “old”
Additionally, the Free2Play release was more of a taster offer for new players – Destiny 2 is therefore not a true Free2Play game like Warframe
Destiny 2 also had an existing player base: most PC players likely transitioned from Battle.net to Steam
This was the dream start on October 1st, with 214,100 concurrent players in 3rd place.
But the hype did not last long; by November, 35% of players were gone, leaving Destiny with just under 108,000 players on average
By January 2020, it was only about 66,000 – thus, Destiny 2 was approximately at the level of titles like Rust or ARK Survival Evolved, ranking around 7th to 10th on Steam
It should be noted that a number like “an average of 66,000 players online at the same time” does not mean that “only” 66,000 players are playing Destiny 2 on Steam, but merely indicates that this many are online at the same time on average.
The overall player numbers of Destiny 2 on Steam must be many times higher to achieve such average numbers.
The picture is rather sobering. Source: Steamcharts
Errors in the system
What do the numbers show? The numbers confirm a trend that has always been observable in Destiny: It is a cyclical game that gains attention and players with the release of a “major expansion” or the main game, but then struggles to retain players.
The numbers indicate that Destiny 2 functions almost like a classic PvE “store” game, similar to Witcher 3 or Fallout 4. At launch, the numbers are high, then they gradually decline as the content is completed. The decline typically continues until the numbers reach a certain plateau and then stabilize, or until a “new major expansion” arrives.
The loss from November 2019 to December 2019, with another 28% of players leaving Destiny 2, is concerning. It is possible that the plateau has not yet been reached and player numbers will continue to fall. Especially since no major new content is planned for February 2020.
If Destiny 2 had hoped for a “lasting Free2Play” effect, with players joining for free and sticking around, it is now clear that this effect does not work that way.
In successful Free2Play games designed as “Games-as-a-service”, the number of users either increases over time or remains stable – in Destiny 2 it is decreasing:
In the Free2Play game Warframe, player numbers on Steam increased from March 2013 over the years (with slight fluctuations).
In a Games-as-a-service game with a PvP focus like ARK Survival Evolved, player numbers remained at nearly constant levels from 2015 to today.
In the buy-to-play game Monster Hunter World, player numbers dropped dramatically within just 2 months after release in August 2018, falling to a quarter, and later even lower. However, the numbers recovered starting in July 2019 and almost returned to launch levels with the “Iceborne” expansion in January 2020
Seasons apparently do not bind players strongly enough
What the numbers make clear: There is no significant binding effect from the “Seasons”. The current Season 9 started on December 10, important events only started in January. If Season 9 had been a “hit”, player numbers on Steam would not have dropped by 28%.
The player numbers indicate three problems:
Anyone who wants to actively play Destiny 2 must repeatedly commit to purchasing a new season or may have already acquired the season pass with Shadowkeep – this leads to regular players easily “falling out”
A season is apparently not seen as an “expansion” that allows for a new entry point
It is questionable whether Destiny 2 can convert sufficient “Free2Play” players into regular players
The MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV is getting more and more content that originally comes from old Final Fantasy games. And our author Irie thinks that’s great.
Nostalgia is a powerful tool. Few master it as well as the developers of Final Fantasy XIV. For long-time fans of Square Enix, this MMORPG is an Eldorado of Easter eggs and cameos from other games by the developer.
The Final Fantasy franchise looks back on over 30 years of history, which the FFXIV team has virtually full access to. They purposefully use this content to engage people like me through nostalgia and fond memories from earlier single-player titles.
They proceed in a truly shameless manner.
The Crystal Tower raid was the first major content that originally appeared exclusively in another Final Fantasy.
Is there really that much content from other games?
Final Fantasy XIV is a theme park MMORPG that incorporates a high number of elements from earlier Square Enix games.
Our list of Easter eggs in FFXIV is long, but it doesn’t even cover a fraction of it. Especially fans of Final Fantasy will repeatedly discover elements and names that seem familiar to them.
At the beginning of A Realm Reborn, the development team held back and mainly implemented elements that appear in all Final Fantasy games, such as the summonings Ifrit, Shiva, and Ramuh. They are considered a tradition and should not be missing in any FF game.
However, over time, more and more “exclusive” content from old Square Enix games slipped into the MMORPG.
This started at the end of Heavensward: The avalanche of fan service began towards the end of the Heavensward expansion with the “War Triad.” It was a series of boss battles against enemies from the story of FFVI.
The following addon Stormblood overwhelmed the players with such elements. Starting from the second expansion, major content pieces from other Square Enix games were introduced with each patch:
In light of this, almost every larger part of the new content does not originate from Final Fantasy XIV but from another Square Enix game, mostly Final Fantasy.
Does Final Fantasy XIV have no identity of its own?
The use of familiar content from the series is a strategy that is criticized in the community. Some players believe that Final Fantasy XIV does not build its own identity this way.
Especially with the current YoRHa Raid, there were voices that found it unsuitable for the fantasy setting because the story of the raid revolves around androids and machines.
In the current YoRHa Raid, players are wondering how it will eventually fit into the lore of FFXIV.
Honestly, the announcements of each of the mentioned contents created real hype for me. As an old nerd, I was excited to face off against the big bosses from other games in the series and see how the FFXIV team interpreted them:
How cool is it to finally experience Neo-Exdeath or God-Kefka in true 3D?
Or to battle the summon Eden together with a group of friends?
But it is mainly the way this content from old Square Enix games is processed in Final Fantasy XIV. The elements from the earlier games are not simply shoved awkwardly into the MMORPG. The developers take into account the material they work with and the lore of FFXIV.
The boss Neo-Exdeath appeared in FFXIV for the first time in 3D and not as a sprite.
The content must fit into the MMORPG without alienating players who have not played all the Final Fantasy titles and do not understand what it’s about.
Therefore, I don’t think that Final Fantasy XIV loses its own identity. The content from the old FF games is reinterpreted and fits seamlessly into the world of FFXIV. It becomes an integral part of this world.
The approach of the developers of Final Fantasy XIV
A simple but apt example of this is the Kingdom of Doma.
In Final Fantasy XIV, it is a kingdom that was long occupied by the Garlemald Empire. Kaien is the former king of Doma, who died during a rebellion. His son Hien becomes the new king in Stormblood and a good friend of the player character.
If FFXIV is your first FF title, you immediately understand what is going on in the story and who these people are. Doma feels like an organic part of the world.
In FFXIV, Hien is the young king of Doma. In FFVI, he dies as a child due to poisoned water.
Old nerds like me know, however, that Doma originally comes from Final Fantasy VI. Kaien is the Japanese name of Cyan, who was one of the playable characters. And Hien is the name of his son, who was poisoned by Kefka.
It’s a little wink that suddenly gives the MMORPG more depth. As a player, I notice that the developers have engaged with the material and treat the contents of the old games with respect.
Gaming is an emotional matter
The head of FFXIV, Naoki Yoshida, clearly understands the value of the nostalgia associated with the “Final Fantasy” brand. Many players my age, around 30, grew up with these games. They experienced the epic adventures and laughed and cried with the heroes.
I have a personal connection to the games from Square Enix. My family moved to Germany when I was still a teenager. The only way to fight against the homesickness that consumed me back then was gaming.
Gaming has helped me through difficult situations in my life, and the games from Square Enix always played a central role. I have met some of my closest friends through them and made some of my best memories. Such things shape.
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Check out the reactions to the announcement of the FFVII remake. People are freaking out (from 1:50 min)
And I know that many other people feel the same way. It’s a pattern I have observed over the years in various gaming forums, communities, and later on social media. Gamers often have strong emotional attachments to their favorite games, and fans of Square Enix are right at the forefront of emotionally chaining themselves to their beloved games.
Yoshida, the head of Final Fantasy XIV, has realized that this kind of content is well received and now ruthlessly exploits this nostalgia in his MMORPG. Because he knows that many long-time fans will go crazy if he were to implement, for example, the city of Midgar from Final Fantasy VII into his game.
Especially old FF games are held in high regard in the community and are considered by many to be the best games of all time. Of course, it will be celebrated when suddenly seeing elements from one’s favorite game in the MMORPG.
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The music from earlier FF games is also frequently reused and reinterpreted. “Force Your Way” will give every FFVIII fan goosebumps.
A love letter to the classics
Don’t get me wrong: I believe that the developers themselves have a lot of fun dumping tons of fan service into the game.
Many of them have been working at Square Enix for decades and contributed to the old games themselves. It may be their way of bringing these classics back into the spotlight.
The fusion of elements from old FF games connected by a strong own story and lore is what gives Final Fantasy XIV its identity.
That’s why every announcement of new old content brings a smile to my face, even though I know that my poor nerd heart is being played with.
On January 30, the update for Alpha 3 was released in Dual Universe. It was the last major update before the space MMO will transition to beta. We take a look at what is included in the update and what the further plans are.
What is Dual Universe?Dual Universe is a sandbox MMO set in a space environment. You can settle worlds and meet thousands of players in the process. The game emphasizes:
Realism regarding the flight system of spaceships.
No loading times between planets and space flights.
PvP zones, but also safe areas where you can move unbothered.
How is the MMO developing? Dual Universe started on September 7, 2016, with a Kickstarter campaign. Through this, the game raised around 565,000 dollars. After that, everything progressed quickly for a crowdfunded MMO.
In November 2018, the first alpha was launched, which already contained world building and an initial planet. The first roadmap was also published, announcing Alpha 3 for November 2019 and the release for 2020.
Now, Alpha 3 has finally been released on January 30, 2020, and the release has been postponed to 2021. Nevertheless, it seems that Dual Universe will not remain in development forever, unlike Star Citizen, which is frequently criticized for this.
What does Alpha 3 contain? According to the developers, the Alpha 3 update, named Shattered Alliances, is the largest released for Dual Universe so far. It includes:
A first PvP zone and a corresponding weapon system for ships.
A guild system.
New industrial buildings and recipes.
“Quality of Life” changes to the flight system.
A huge update for the economy, which plays a central role in Dual Universe.
However, since the MMO can only be played at set times, there have been few reactions to the changes so far.
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What’s next for Dual Universe? Already in December, the developer studio Novaquark released a revised roadmap. This shows that Shattered Alliances was the last major alpha update.
The beta 1 is scheduled to start in summer 2020, during which the MMO will then be permanently playable. Then, at the beginning of 2021, beta 2 will be released, which will expand the existing systems.
2021 is the planned release year, and there is already a glimpse of a future update named “Humanity Reborn.” We should be curious to see if Novaquark can stick to this plan.
On December 31, 2020, Adobe will end support for Flash. This will also lead to the discontinuation of a whole generation of games. However, the Flashpoint project has made it its mission to save these games.
What kind of project is this? Flashpoint is a project that has collected various Flash games which you can download for free.
The project currently contains more than 36,000 games that you can play offline, including classics such as:
The World’s Hardest Game
Bowman
Doom 2D
Age of War
Desktop Tower Defense
or Bejeweled.
On this website, you can view the complete list. The download of all games is around 290 gigabytes in size. If you find a game missing from the list, you can suggest it to Flashpoint.
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Why was the project started? At the end of 2020, support for Flash will be discontinued. Adobe is working with major companies like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Many modern browser games are now created in HTML5 or Unity. There, you may hardly notice the absence of Flash. However, many classics that have existed for years may not survive the transition.
What is special about Flash games? Especially in the 2000s, Flash games were hugely popular. They were easy to play in the browser, free, and often even featured multiplayer functions.
I remember them from the times I sat in the computer room at school and secretly played Bowman with friends. The goal was to shoot the other player with arrows.
However, you did not know the exact position of your opponent, as they were standing outside of the visible screen. The first shots served to probe until you had spotted their exact location. Then, of course, the goal was to aim for a headshot.
Bowman – This is what our author secretly played in school
But also aside from Bowman, I spent a lot of time with friends playing Flash games. 2021 marks the end of a small era.
Flash games as a part of gaming history: While Flash games are no longer as impressive and relevant as they once were, they play an important role in the history of gaming.
They helped in the rise of indie games and also laid the foundation for today’s mobile games. Furthermore, they were often a good entry point into the development industry.
With the Flashpoint project, they will be preserved, even if they will no longer be playable in the browser.
In a survey, we wanted to know from you which boss fights from MMOs have stayed in your memory the most. We present you the games and these fights here.
Based on your answers to our survey “Which MMO boss fight stays with you forever?” we have picked five MMOs and their coolest fights and present them to you. The order of the games is based on the frequency of their mentions during the survey.
5. Guild Wars 1
What is Guild Wars 1? The MMORPG Guild Wars was released in 2005 and aimed to distinguish itself from the competitor World of Warcraft with a game world consisting of instanced areas. You assemble your party in cities and outposts, take on quests and complete them with the party in the instances.
Guilds play a big role. They offer space for up to 100 members. PvP battles against other guilds take place in the guild halls and arenas.
Which boss fight did you mention? You chose the fight against the forest spirit Urgoz. Urgoz is actually the guardian of the Echo Forest, but when Shiro Tagachi’s Jade Wind struck there, it changed Urgoz and he went insane.
Your task as part of an elite mission is to track down Urgoz in his lair and destroy him. In a group of up to twelve people, you set out to explore the lair and finally face the forest spirit himself.
What is cool about the fight? Urgoz has a very large range, which is about three times the aggro range. By the time you reach the forest spirit, he is already dealing a lot of damage from a distance. He is protected by several snakes, which are basically just distractions and serve no other purpose (such as healing Urgoz).
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The exciting part of the fight is that you cannot, as in many other boss fights, leave your healer at a safe distance to revive fallen heroes. The range of Urgoz is too great. Your healer is therefore in constant danger.
You also have to deal with suddenly exploding plants that Urgoz can spawn in the middle of the group. The more people participate in the fight and the more companions and summons are used, the more of these plants appear. You must proceed tactically to defeat Urgoz. Prepare for a very tough fight.
What do players think about the fight? Mein-MMO reader Kuba writes: “Back then the first time Urgoz in ‘Urgoz’s Lair’ in GW1, after I don’t know how many hours… For us back then, it was a very atmospheric experience, as we didn’t have the mega-guides yet and had to feel our way through the elite mission.”
What is The Lord of the Rings Online? The MMORPG is based on the novels by J.R.R. Tolkien and tells a story that takes place parallel to the events of The Lord of the Rings and beyond. Basically, you are following in the footsteps of hobbit Frodo Baggins and his companions and exploring Middle-earth.
The Lord of the Rings Online (LotRO) focuses on story and quests as well as exploring large game areas, where you are constantly faced with challenging battles.
Which boss fight did you mention? The fight against the Balrog Thaurlach seems to have especially remained in your memory. During the storyline, you get the task from Eimyr to find the elf Glathlírel. You must assist her in the fight against Thaurlach, a Balrog of Morgoth, whom you find in the fissure of Nûrz Ghâshu.
The fight is very intense, as you not only have to fight, but also have several tasks to complete.
What is cool about the fight? Important in the fight is that you must protect Glathlírel. If she dies, your group is immediately defeated. This adds a significant amount of tension. The fight against the Balrog is divided into three phases. In the first phase, you do not yet deal with Thaurlach. Instead, you protect Glathlírel from enemies, such as world eaters, while she purifies the tainted water. Only in phase 2 does the Balrog plunge into the battle.
https://youtu.be/agT1sGV_L9Q
While you fight the Balrog, part of the group must protect the elf, while another must activate switches so that the tainted water does not enter the basin. You have to coordinate several things at once. The switches also have to be activated in a specific order, while more enemies spawn around.
In the final phase, you must defeat Thaurlach, which is anything but easy. Glathlírel no longer heals you, but throws herself into the fight, putting herself in danger. However, with the right tactics, you can master this very intense and excitingly staged boss fight.
What do players think about the fight? Mein-MMO reader ratzeputz says: “Thaurlach was one of the best fights I have ever experienced. With the loudest cheers in Teamspeak, which I still remember fondly today, when we defeated him for the first time.”
What is Final Fantasy 14?The MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV immerses you in the fantasy land of Eorzea, where many quests await you, telling exciting stories. Together with friends, you explore the vast world and experience many adventures.
Final Fantasy XIV focuses on PvE content; PvP takes place in special arenas. Story is at the forefront of the MMORPG.
Which boss fight did you mention? There were several bosses mentioned that impressed you in the MMORPG. Among them are Alexander, Titan Ex, and Hades Ex. Nidhogg was mentioned most often. Therefore, we present him to you now.
Nidhogg is a very demanding opponent, whom you encounter in the trials “The Last Path of Fate” and “The Song of Nidhogg’s Last Call.” The fight takes place on the Path of Fate, the large stone bridge leading to the city-state Ishgard.
You must save the inhabitants of the city from the beast and thus break the thousand-year cycle of suffering.
What is cool about the fight? Nidhogg is a fight like one knows it from the Final Fantasy series. Defeating the enemy is by no means the end of the fight. Final Fantasy is characterized by bosses that transform, and you must defeat them not just once, but multiple times – such is the case with Nidhogg.
https://youtu.be/AsxIXhYCi5Y
The dragon encounters you in the first phase of the fight in his lindworm form. At first, he appears as not such a difficult opponent, but that changes the more damage you inflict on him. When he has less than 80 percent of his health points, he summons helpers, the Shadow Brobinyak, Shadow Falak, and Shadow Dragon, whom you must defeat within 90 seconds.
Then Nidhogg transforms into a Dragoon, whose body he has taken over. Finally, he summons towers in the corners of the battle arena, which explode and deal devastating damage. In the last phase of the fight, you have time until the timer shows eleven minutes. Then the boss unleashes a devastating attack that you must prevent. You will be under stress throughout the entire fight as the behavior keeps changing, which you must react to.
What do players think about the fight? Matthias Se says on Facebook: “The final fight in patch 3.3 against Nidhogg was the highlight. It really felt like an end to the game.”
What is Destiny?Destiny by developer Bungie is essentially an online shooter that incorporates many elements from MMOs. You meet in a hub with other players, form groups with them, and complete many story missions together. In these, the battles take place like in a shooter.
It is also important that you go in search of better loot. This is a big part of the fun because many items are very rare.
Which boss fight did you mention? In relation to Destiny, the name Atheon was mentioned repeatedly. You encounter the Vex Minotaur and Axis Ghost in the Glass Chamber on Venus. Atheon is surrounded by a mystery that makes him so interesting.
Atheon appears in the first raid of Destiny. This is considered one of the best by many fans of the loot shooter series, which explains why the fight against Atheon was mentioned by you as one of the coolest boss fights.
What is cool about the fight? In the fight, good coordination is important. Atheon doesn’t appear directly, but you first have to awaken the Glass Throne. To do this, you defeat all enemies and open the two Vex transfer gates. This is not easy, as you must control both gates while Oracles appear.
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If you don’t manage to destroy them, your entire group will be wiped out immediately. Take care of one gate at a time. You must obtain the two Aegis artifacts found behind the gates and then defeat all enemies until the Glass Throne awakens.
Now Atheon appears, who is formidable. During the fight, you will be locked in red cages from which you must shoot your way free. The more health points you take from Atheon, the more vicious he fights. Coordinating all this, defeating all the enemies, and defeating the boss is an exciting and very challenging affair.
What do players think about the fight? Patrick McAndrews tells on Facebook: “My best Atheon was: We all died but still had the Warlock’s Super. He revived everyone, we burned down the last bit with grenades, and just barely made it.”
What is World of Warcraft? WoW is considered the king of MMORPGs and relies on the theme park gameplay principle. This means that PvE content such as quests and story are at the forefront. The Horde and the Alliance are constantly in conflict with each other, and you choose one of the sides. In addition, you also face other threats.
PvP also plays a role, but it is not the heart of World of Warcraft.
Which boss fight did you mention? The Lich King was the boss fight that you mentioned most often. That’s why we present him to you now. Arthas is one of the most well-known characters in the history of Warcraft. You will experience his fall and how he became the Lich King in the strategy game Warcraft 3.
In the WoW expansion Wrath of the Lich King, he returns. The Scourge overcomes the land, and the undead must be stopped. You head to Northrend, where you must confront the Lich King’s Arthas himself in his fortress to stop the threat posed by the Scourge.
What is cool about the fight? Five phases await you in the battle against Arthas, whom you meet in the Icecrown Citadel. In the first phase, Arthas can take a lot of damage and summons ghoul slaves and the staggering dread to assist him, and infects you with the necrotic plague that deals damage over time. In phase two, you must be quick, as Arthas partially collapses the platform where the fight takes place.
https://youtu.be/9WiDQhUcG74
Also during the third and fourth phases, you must be careful not to fall into the abyss, while Arthas continually launches new attacks that you must respond to. The fight constantly changes. Phase 5 is especially exciting. Because you will be sucked into Arthas’s sword Frostmourne, where you must destroy the soul fragments together with his father, but also protect his father. You must even hurry and bring Arthas’s health points down to the 10 percent mark within 10 minutes.
The fight against the Lich King is very thrilling and varied in its presentation. Something new happens all the time, and it demands everything from you. In addition, he is so crucial for the story of WoW and for Warcraft in general.
What do players think about the fight? Defiance Bra writes on Facebook: “The Lich King from Wrath of the Lich King. Just without buffs it was incredibly hard to take him down. Combined with a great character and story design.”
In The Division 2, there is a secret vendor named Cassie Mendoza that you first have to unlock and find. It’s worth it, though. She carries valuable gear. This is how you find the “Xur of The Division 2.”
This is Cassie Mendoza: This vendor is not so easy to find. She has random spawn points and changes her location at certain intervals. Additionally, her rotation is a bit irregular.
The arms dealer has been bringing named items since Title Update 6, and a visit can be worthwhile, but it takes a bit of a scavenger hunt to track her down.
This article is from March 2019 and was revamped on February 2, 2020.
The Snitch tells you Cassie Mendoza’s location
This is what you need to do to find the secret vendor: First, you need to locate the NPC “The Snitch”. He also has several spawn points where he can randomly appear.
This Snitch is a valuable informant who provides bounties and can tell you Cassie’s location.
This is how you find the Snitch: Look at the question marks on your map that are not tied to checkpoints or similar activities.
If the question mark disappears as you approach it, that could be a possible location of the Snitch.
Possible Positions of the Snitch
“ue40zocken” presents in another video 16 different positions where you can find the Snitch.
Are there locations where the Snitch is found more often? When “ue40zocken” goes hunting for the Snitch, he first checks near the castle. He claims that in 9 out of 10 cases, the Snitch can be found in a parking garage right near this abandoned outpost.
However, finding him at the castle is by no means guaranteed. There are at least 16 different locations where this well-informed NPC can be located.
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The Snitch has been found northeast of the safe house in the Constitution Hall area, west of the White House. He can appear in a tent where mushrooms are cultivated.
One location is in the northwest part of West Potomac Park, near the Washington Monument. The Snitch is sitting by a wall, near a stack of barrels.
In Southwest, the Snitch was found hidden in a building at the southern edge of the area.
In Downtown East, there is also a hiding spot, at the northeastern edge of the area. The Snitch may appear next to a restaurant menu.
Another location is near the White House, at the northeastern edge of the area. The Snitch is sitting there in an alley next to some cars.
You can also search in the tunnel leading to the Roosevelt Island base. The Snitch can spawn there near the entrance.
In the Constitution Hall area, there is a mall where you can encounter the Snitch by a bakery. The mall is located at the eastern edge of the area, toward the White House.
Cassie has an irregular rotation and plenty of free time
This is how you find Cassie Mendoza: Talk to the Snitch, and then the icon of Cassie will appear on the map. It is a white shopping cart symbol.
Once you have spoken to the Snitch, look for the shopping cart symbol on your mega-map. Source: Video by ue40zocken
If you hover over the shopping cart, you will see the current status of the vendor in the top left corner. If it says “Vendor Is Open,” you can browse the arms dealer’s inventory at that location.
If she is currently closed, you will have to wait until the displayed time is up.
How does the vendor’s rotation work? With Title Update 6, the vendor’s rotation was adjusted, and she offers her goods for 24 hours and then takes a 32-hour break.
When she comes out of break, she has a new offer. However, you will need to search for the Snitch again to shop with her.
Named Items, Set Gear, and High-End Gear
This is what the secret vendor has for sale: Cassie Mendoza sells some cool things. In addition to regular gear (yellow and purple), which correspond to your gear score, she also has a few named high-end items in her inventory.
Cassie has 3 named items for you, as well as set items. Everything at the highest level. Source: Video by ue40zocken
When can I find Cassie? You can only find the Snitch and the vendor starting at level 30. However, if you have a friend who is already playing at the highest level, you can already visit the generous vendor in his game.
In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, a player shows what victims of John Wick must feel like. He takes out an entire enemy team without firing a single shot.
This is the situation: The players are currently in a 6 vs 6 match. However, the video creator’s team was quickly eliminated. The soldier himself is undeterred and gets 5 out of 6 kills for his team – without firing a shot. Just like John Wick, who is celebrated for his cool demeanor.
Meanwhile, you can hear the voice chat of the opponents. They are completely stunned by the actions of their adversary. This is how the opponents of John Wick must feel.
Throughout the clip, you can hear the opponents talking, giving each other tips, and warning about the upcoming killer. All the warnings do no good, as the player takes out the generic team almost single-handedly. Only one kill came from his teammate, who was eliminated shortly afterwards.
Only with throwing knives and his shield, the soldier runs through the map, picking one target after another. The opponents cannot avoid him properly and are eliminated one by one.
This is how the opponents react: In the voice chat, they repeatedly refer to their opponent as “kid” and cannot quite believe what is happening.
In the end, one of the players even says, “The kid just killed all of us,” and you can only hear the annoyed sighs of his teammates.
The player has set out with a shield and knife
Kills like John Wick: The situation is somewhat reminiscent of the “John Wick” movies, where Keanu Reeves takes out countless enemies while remaining totally cool.
Legends of Runeterra, the LoL card game, has been in open beta since the end of January. However, interest is already declining. What is Riot Games planning to do about it?
How is LoR doing right now? Legends of Runeterra launched on January 24 in open beta and many fans were excited about the new card game. On the release day, over 52,000 people tuned in simultaneously on Twitch.
However, interest in LoR is noticeably declining just 10 days after the launch. This applies to both the streaming platform and Google Trends and our website MeinMMO.
What is Riot doing about it? Riot Games has big plans for Legends of Runeterra. Some of these were revealed by Executive Producer Jeff Jew in an interview with PCGamer.
He talks about regular updates, new card sets, and the same support that League of Legends receives.
What is planned for LoR? In the interview, Jeff Jew discussed how the card game Legends of Runeterra is to be further developed in the future:
Monthly updates are planned, which will initially consist mainly of balancing and bug fixes.
Work is already underway on several new card sets, some of which are already playable and being tested internally.
New game modes are planned.
Riot Games is working on a roadmap for several years that will also be communicated to the players.
The focus right now is still on the global release, which is to take place soon and will also include a mobile version. After that, larger updates are to follow.
What is the priority of the game? Legends of Runeterra apparently is not just to be a small side project, but to play a larger role at Riot Games.
Jew draws a comparison to League of Legends and states that LoR is to receive the same support:
We hope that something resonates with everyone, namely that we will treat Legends of Runeterra with the same level of service and dedication as League of Legends itself.
Jeff Jew
That Riot Games can actually deliver on this is demonstrated by Teamfight Tactics. The game already received a completely new set of champions after 5 months and another one is due in March. Furthermore, there are updates and balance adjustments every two weeks.
What does LoR do differently? With a different monetization model and the elimination of random card packs, the developers have less fear of rotating their sets and heavily nerfing cards. This is intended to create a fresh meta regularly:
The reason why other card games do not balance well, in my opinion, is that players spend a fortune to create their decks.
If you have spent 50 or 100 dollars to collect the cards, then we would hesitate to make changes because you would feel bad.
Jeff Jew
How do the developers envision the meta? There should be 10 playable decks in each card set, all maintaining a good win/loss ratio with each other. The developers are aware that this is a very ambitious goal, as in many card games usually 3 to 5 decks dominate. The player who reaches the highest master rank first has mainly relied on one deck.
Additionally, sets should avoid classic “fillers,” meaning cards that are not used but only serve to increase the number of available cards.
The well-known Twitch streamer Tfue, who is primarily known for Fortnite , was robbed after a charity event. Particularly curious: twice in a very short period of time.
After the tournament, the Fortnite star tweeted that he had been robbed. Only about 24 hours later, he posted another tweet: He had already fallen victim to another robbery.
Tfue has luxury watch stolen – “Too drunk to chase after them”
The streamer reports: Initially, Tfue briefly wrote on Twitter, “I just got robbed.” Only several hours later did he inform his fans that his watch from the brand Audemars Piguet was stolen.
“The guys” ran away with this watch. Comparable models of the watch can cost between $10,000 and $40,000.
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He then reassured concerned streamer colleagues and fans. He himself is doing fine.
Later, he explained in the Twitch stream what exactly happened. “3 kids” had assaulted him. One of them had grabbed his watch with both hands. Tfue then pushed him away, and he took the watch in the process.
Tfue says the three kids ran away, and he was too drunk to chase after them.
He then says: It was probably good that he was so drunk. Because if he had been sober, he would have chased after them and might have ended up in jail.
That was the second robbery: Only about 24 hours after his tweet about the robbery, Tfue tweeted again that he had been robbed. This time his phone was stolen in a club in Miami.
The streamer Tfue, who had such bad luck in 24 hours
The phone probably wasn’t as expensive as his luxury watch, but being robbed twice in such a short time is quite curious.
How are others reacting to the incidents? Under the tweet about the second robbery, there are numerous incredulous comments. It is hard to believe that Tfue was robbed a second time.
His duo partner Cloak just asks what is going on with him and what happened to him. Streamers like Benjyfishy and TimTheTatman also commented.
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Fans comment that they no longer want to go to Florida. After all, it seems quite dangerous there.
Fortnite stars and their lot of money: Tfue is among the high earners among streamers. He was among others at the Fortnite World Cup last summer and secured a prize there. He also earns a lot of money through his Twitch streams.
Bungie crowns the coolest community video from Destiny 2 weekly. Recently, this honor was bestowed upon Frostbolt. On this occasion, we would like to introduce you to the PvP ace and take a closer look at the streamer and his clip.
Who is this about? IFrostbolt, lovingly called Frosty on Twitter, is one of the biggest streamers that Destiny 2 has. He currently holds third place among the most-watched streamers. Additionally, he boasts an impressive 127,000 followers.
Frostbolt spends most of his time in the Crucible. Here, he is considered one of the best guardians overall. It’s no wonder that he calls the prestigious Primal Clan his home.
The most-watched Destiny streamers of the last 7 days – Source: Sullygnome
Other big Destiny names are also part of that clan, from whom we report every now and then and who inspired us to many contributions. The team includes:
Typical of the Primal Clan are the so-called montages. These are video clips consisting of particularly impressive kills and breathtaking maneuvers. These highlights are accompanied by catchy music and are often heavily edited to appear even cooler.
The video with which Frostbolt celebrated 100,000 subscribers also caught the attention of Destiny developer Bungie. In the TWaB from January 9, the PvP montage received a knighthood and was crowned video of the week.
Frostbolt’s real name is Henry – Source YouTube
What can be admired in the video? In the award-winning clip, you are immediately greeted by a frenetic shotgun melee massacre. To driving music, the enemy guardians fall in time with the bass beat. Intense cuts and effects provide variety just like the various weapons and abilities.
The winner of the week offers eight minutes of pure Crucible madness with a range of weapons, abilities, and pure … skill? Bow, throwing knives, chaos grenades, hand cannons, pistols … whatever. Even the “Legend of Acrius” made its way in for a bit of love.
Bungie
Frosty himself says about the video: “This is a montage of my best plays from my entire time in Destiny 2.” He wants to convey the feeling of “mastering every class and weapon in the game” with the clip.
Check out the absurdly over-the-top PvP spectacle for yourself here:
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How did Frosty get into Destiny? Initially, Frosty came from the “Call of Duty” scene. The first impressions of Destiny satisfied exactly the sci-fi hunger that he sorely missed in CoD.
Interestingly, unlike many other big PvP aces in Destiny, he never played Halo (also by Bungie). In a podcast, Frostbolt revealed that he chose the Titan as a substitute for Master Chief.
Things really took off with the Trials of Osiris. This PvP event attracted hordes of guardians to the Crucible and in front of their screens. Here, Henry entertained his viewers with amazing plays and good vibes.
Who is Spartan and who is Titan?
Gladd and Frosty team up: Recently, Frosty has collaborated more frequently with Destiny’s exceptional player: Gladd. He is especially known in PvE for absurd achievements. Most recently, he played a key role in the mega puzzle, which kept the community sleepless for a week.
The two adventured together in raids to tackle tough, self-imposed challenges. To balance the PvE tasks, Frostbolt took Gladd into the Crucible for some wild fun.
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What do you think of the video – cool plays or over-the-top fever dream? Why the return of the probably most important PvP mode is likely to happen soon, you can read here:
In Pokémon GO there are new field researches to complete in February 2020. We give you an overview of all new quests and show which Shinys are available.
This is new: Few would have expected it, but there are numerous new quests in Pokémon GO. Just in January, a new selection of tasks was introduced.
Accordingly, the quests in February come as a surprise, as tasks used to change every 4 months. The field researches have launched along with the new research breakthrough Fleknoil.
All Field Researches and Quests in February 2020
The quests have all been compiled on reddit. It may well be that not every task is known yet, but we will update this information as it becomes available.
This stands out: After many Ice Pokémon were included in the rewards in January, this time there is a wider range.
Moreover, the quests themselves have remained the same. Only the Pokémon and some numbers have changed. For example, you now have to transfer 5 Pokémon instead of 3.
For clarification: All Pokémon listed below with a star mark can also come as Shiny from the quest.
Throws
Land 5 great curveball throws in a row
Reward: Encounter with a Pandir #7*
Land 5 good throws
Reward: Encounter with a Voltobal
Land 3 great throws
Reward: Encounter with a Nebulak*, Anorith* or Liliep*
Land 3 great throws in a row
Reward: Encounter with an Onix*
Land 3 fabulous throws in a row
Reward: Encounter with a Larvitar*
Pandir #7 is still among the rewards
Catching
Catch a Dragon-type Pokémon
Reward: Encounter with a Dratini*
Catch 5 Pokémon with weather boost
Reward: Encounter with a Quapsel* or Vulpix
Catch 10 Pokémon
Reward: Encounter with a Karpador*
Catch 7 different Flying-type Pokémon
Reward: 3 Special Candies
Catch 5 Psychic-type Pokémon
Reward: Encounter with a Trasla*
A quest still brings 3 Special Candies
Battles
Defeat 3 Team GO Rocket Grunts
Reward: Encounter with a Psiana
Battle against another Trainer
Reward: Encounter with a Marill
Battle in a Raid
Reward: Encounter with a Nachtara
Win a Level 3 Raid or higher
Reward: Encounter with an Amonitas* or Kabuto*
Win 5 Raids
Reward: Encounter with an Aerodactyl*
Win a Gym battle
Reward: Encounter with a Bisasam*, Glumanda* or Schiggy*
Battle in a Gym
Reward: Encounter with a Menki*
Battle 5 times in a Gym
Reward: Encounter with a Machollo*
Use 7 very effective Charged Attacks in Gym battles
Reward: Encounter with an Elektek
Psiana and Nachtara are now available from the quests
Hatching Eggs
Hatch an egg
Reward: Encounter with an Owei
Hatch 3 eggs
Reward: Encounter with a Magmar
Hatch 4 eggs
Reward: Encounter with an Alolan Vulpix*
Hatch 5 eggs
Reward: Encounter with a Chaneira
More Field Researches
Alolan Meowth is now available as Shiny from quests. Source: reddit
Transfer 5 Pokémon
Reward: Encounter with a Piepi
Transfer 10 gifts to friends
Reward: Encounter with a Pikachu*
Trade a Pokémon
Reward: Encounter with an Alolan Meowth*
Evolve a Pokémon
Reward: Encounter with an Evoli* or Pummeluff
Use 5 Power Ups on Pokémon
Reward: Encounter with a Bisasam*, Glumanda* or Schiggy*
Take a snapshot of your buddy
Reward: Encounter with a Zubat*
Earn 5 hearts with your buddy
Reward: Encounter with a Barschwa*
In February you can also encounter Boreos. We will tell you how strong the Pokémon is:
Whether in a colorful fantasy world, out on the rough seas, or in the midst of a dark medieval setting – there are hardly any limits to MMOs. Numerous games also lead you into space. We show you which space MMOs are particularly worth it.
Endless expanses: Hardly any game world is as vast as space. It’s logical – after all, the universe is considered infinite. In MMOs, this all-encompassing space is filled with numerous players pursuing various goals.
In some MMOs, you have to build a fleet of spaceships, while in others, you need to stop a powerful alien race. Then there are games that awaken the explorer in you, and in the next one, you are tasked with establishing a colony on a foreign planet. Is this exactly what you are looking for? Then here are 7 MMOs that could be worth your while if you want to embark on an adventure among the stars in 2020.
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Star Trek Online
Star Trek should be a term familiar to every sci-fi fan – whether you watch it or not. The stories surrounding characters like Captain Kirk, Spock, Captain Picard, and many, many other figures have been among the largest franchises the universe has to offer for decades.
Star Trek Online is an MMORPG set in this very world. In 2020, it celebrates its tenth anniversary and shows no signs of closing its doors anytime soon. Since 2016, it has also been available on PS4 and Xbox One.
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You create your own character and can control both your character and your ship. Dungeons exist for both spaceships and ground missions. The limits on your exploratory spirit are few. In addition, the game is continually updated with new content, keeping it fresh even after 10 years.
Star Wars is seen by many fans as the counterpart to Star Trek. On the gaming front, there have been many games from the world created by George Lucas over the years.
Most recently, the standalone game “Jedi: Fallen Order,” which takes place between Episodes III and IV, gave Star Wars fans the opportunity to learn the skills of a Jedi from scratch. For those who want to play with several fans, Star Wars: The Old Republic is the better choice.
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Since its release in 2011, it has been around for several years and will continue to impress you in the future – even if you are not a die-hard Star Wars fan, but just want to play a strong story in space.
Elite Dangerous also offers a persistent world where you can explore countless star systems. You can trade, explore, and complete missions. Battles with players and aliens are also on the agenda. In 2020, the already complex game is set to be expanded with a massive update.
“The Next Era” aims to elevate the game to the next level and brings a lot of new content. By the end of 2020, even players who have previously let the adventure pass by may check back into Elite Dangerous.
The free-to-play MMO shooter is characterized by fast-paced gameplay. No wonder: after all, Warframe combines a space setting with ninjas. On the battlefield, you can use a fun parkour system and many different combat suits to take down your opponents.
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The suits provide your character with various abilities that you can use in battle. Online, you can also complete missions with friends – also on the Switch, by the way. Since the end of 2019, you can also engage in space battles thanks to the Empyrean update, which was also well-received. What might Warframe have in store for 2020? If you enjoy thrilling battles in space, you should definitely check it out.
EVE Online is practically one of the MMO seniors, so to speak. The game has been online since 2003 – so it has a good 17 years under its belt. However, it has not lived quietly through those years: EVE Online has continually been updated and expanded.
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Consistently, the space MMO is now one of the most extensive after all these years. It throws players into a huge world that offers them an enormous amount of possibilities and freedoms. You can focus on battles, but also on trade. You can explore or focus on building something. EVE Online gives you the choice – and even in 2020, it is far from being just an old classic.
Are there any singleplayer games that you would really like to see as MMOs? Which ones would they be?
What is this about? Even though we all spend a lot of time in multiplayer games and MMOs, they are not the only games we play. Singleplayer titles are often on our to-play list as well.
Many of them have large worlds and cool settings that offer deep lore and allow for real exploration. And above all, they have the potential to become much bigger.
It has often happened in the past that game franchises that were previously solely focused on singleplayer suddenly received multiplayer content or even became MMORPGs.
Which games do you think could make really good MMOs?
Which players can I suggest? That’s entirely up to you, as long as they are singleplayer.
You can approach the question realistically: Which companies have enough experience and resources to turn their singleplayer titles into MMOs? Which game worlds theoretically meet the most important criteria to be truly successful over the long term?
But you can also dream a little. Do you have a favorite game that you would like to see as an MMO? Which one would it be? Regardless of whether it is new or perhaps already very old and probably will not receive a sequel.
Today, on February 2, the limited research with Picochilla in Pokémon GO starts. We will show you the quests and Shinys and give tips on how to take advantage of the event.
What is limited research? This event revolves around field research. For 3 hours, there will be special quests everywhere that bring the event Pokémon as a reward.
This time, it’s all about the new Pokémon Picochilla. It will also be available for the first time as Shiny.
Limited Research in February 2020 – Start Time and Bonuses
What kind of event takes place in February 2020?
The special event called “limited research”.
When does the limited research take place?
On Sunday, February 2, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM local time
Which Pokémon is the focus?
The Pokémon of the day is Picochilla
What bonuses are there?
First-time chance at Picochilla and its Shiny version, Nager Pokémon will appear more frequently in the wild, and Picochilla will be found in 5 km eggs.
What is important about the times?
Limited research starts at 2 PM. Therefore, they have different times than Community Day, which always starts at 11 AM.
Will the Shiny be available? Niantic has already confirmed that you will encounter Shiny Picochilla during the event. The difference is easy to see, as the Shiny is pink.
How rare is Shiny Picochilla? Currently, there is no data on this. The Shiny rates for past researches have always been different. While in Barschwa there were not enough Shinys available for many players, there were noticeably more Shinys during Perlu. The rate was lowered again for Loturzel and was ideal for many trainers.
It can be assumed that Picochilla will appear more frequently than normal Shinys from the quests. Probably, the rate is similar to that of Loturzel.
Here’s how to get the most out of the research
Pay attention to these CP: A 100% Picochilla has exactly 498 CP from the field research. So, if you have a Picochilla just under 500 CP, it should have good IVs.
Find a place with many PokéStops
Follow these tips: To complete as many field researches as possible and get many Shinys, we give you some tips:
There is only one field research per PokéStop per day. So, if you are already playing before the event starts at 2 PM, you should not complete any quests. These stops will not provide a Picochilla quest anymore.
Find a place with many PokéStops. Your village with just one stop is not recommended, as every additional PokéStop increases the chance of finding a Shiny.
Don’t empty your quest stack – You can use the Pokémon from the stack for the Picochilla quests when you can’t find a monster in the wild.
Try to create a good route through the PokéStops and solve quests that you won’t do. Ideally, try not to pass the same stop more than once during the 3 hours.
The more stops you have, the more selective you can be. Tasks like “Fight in a raid” are time-consuming. If you have enough choices, skip these and complete easier quests. Alternatively, you can collect 3 such tasks and complete them together.
