In Fortnite, a 2-week event has been announced. Hints suggest a crossover with the film Birds of Prey. Will there be a “Harley Quinn” skin in the game soon?
They only provided a hint to watch Fortnite’s social networks. Looking at the social media, there’s an exciting clue.
Update February 5, 2020: Leakers have now found a “Harley Quinn” bundle in Fortnite’s data. Here you can see what it looks like. There will also be challenges associated with it.
The next event is a crossover with Birds of Prey?
Why a crossover with the film Birds of Prey? Warner Bros. Pictures posted a video on Twitter featuring the cast of the film Birds of Prey. The film will be released on February 7, 2020.
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Is the constant shooting in Destiny 2 boring for you? We show you how to turn your Titan into a grim Dark Souls sword wielder and become an unstoppable melee fighter.
This is the build: Swords are currently not in a great spot in Destiny 2. In the predecessor, the exotic versions were considered a strong choice for the power slot. Many wished for their return as a reward for the mega puzzle.
YouTuber ChrisPbacon808 proves with his well-thought-out sword build that swords can still make a good impression. He was inspired by the extremely difficult Dark Souls.
As in the popular Souls games, you need to block precisely, initiate devastating counterattacks, and elegantly slice through hordes of enemies. Conveniently, with his build, you become nearly immortal and always have heavy ammo for your sword at hand.
What you need for this sword build: Since you are fully committing to your melee blade, your other weapons essentially don’t matter – but using ranged weapons like a sniper keeps you safe. Choose the lower Sentinel tree “Code of the Aggressor” as your class.
You need these two exotics:
Black Talon (eng. Black Talon) – The sword not only looks stylish, it also offers you decisive advantages in battle. After every second sword kill, you regain ammo. With the special attack “Crow’s Wings”, you gain access to devastating ranged attacks.
The exotic catalyst for Black Talon – With the masterpiece, you create orbs of light on multi-kills, and shots right after blocking deal extra damage.
Stronghold (eng. Stronghold) – These exotic gloves improve your sword block. You do not consume ammo when defending and move faster. If you block exactly when you are hit (parry), your Guardian also heals.
With stylish ornaments, you modify the appearance of your sword
These mods give you the upper hand:
If you want to get the most out of your knight build, you need certain mods on your armor. The modifications make the build quite complex, but also very powerful.
Be careful, some armor pieces require a specific elemental affinity. We provide information on the energy costs of the mods in parentheses.
What to equip in your helmet: The helmet should have the Arc element. Use the following mods:
Sword Ammo Finder (2 energy)
Charge Up (3 energy) – This Obelisk mod charges you with stacks of light as soon as you pick up an orb of light.
What to equip in your gloves: In this slot, you wear your exotic. How you modify it doesn’t matter too much. A intellect mod is recommended, for faster super energy, which we need for finishers.
What to equip in your chest armor: Use a Void armor piece with these mods:
Protective Light (2 energy) – If you are charged with light and your shield breaks, you gain significant damage resistance.
Unstoppable Black Shield Capacitor (2 energy) – This allows you to stagger enemies with Void melee abilities and interrupt champions.
Delicate Touch (3 energy) – If you interrupt an unstoppable champion, you gain a damage buff. This mod, like the previous one, comes from your seasonal artifact.
What to equip in your boots: Choose boots with the Void element. These mods support your build:
Power Ammo Scavenger (5 energy)
Stagger (4 energy) – Whenever you charge with light, you get a second charge free of cost.
What to equip on your class item: You need a Titan mark with Arc affinity. The following mods are required:
Bloody Blade (2 energy)
Heavy Finisher (5 energy) – Whenever you finish an injured enemy, you receive valuable heavy ammo. However, this costs you half a super bar.
Now it gets serious – Fight like in Dark Souls
This is how to play the build: Against small and weaker enemies, use your light attack. If you encounter stronger foes, use an air combo. Jump in their direction and execute a light attack followed by a heavy hit – this triggers Crow’s Wings.
Against bosses, rely on your double projectile combo from a distance. You can also use this attack against many tightly grouped enemies, causing AoE damage .
With the numerous kills from your masterpiece blade, you will gain super energy very quickly. Additionally, double kills replenish power ammo for your sword.
Due to the mods, additional ammo should drop at regular intervals. If you find yourself in acute ammo shortage, commence a finisher. Afterwards, the wild slaughter can continue immediately.
If you ever get into trouble, you can rely on your resilience from the light charges. Those who truly master the build will block or parry at the right moment to deal extra damage and heal.
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What do you think of this different playstyle? Are you going to try the melee action? What are your thoughts on swords in Destiny 2? Let us know in the comments.
The developers of Fortnite, Epic Games, have announced that with update 11.50 they will be replacing the physics system of the Unreal Engine. This has generated a lot of excitement. The streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins has high expectations for the new “Chaos” system of Unreal Engine 4. He believes it could even reset Fortnite.
This is the announcement: On January 24, Epic announced that at the beginning of February with update 11.50, they will switch Fortnite to the “Chaos” physics system of the Unreal Engine. The announcement coincided with another delay of Season 2.
It is said that the new technology has a lot of potential, but first they want to ensure that Fortnite continues to play like Fortnite.
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What kind of technology is this? What the “Chaos” physics system can do was seen in a demo from the developer conference GDC in March 2019. The demo takes place in the world of Robo Recall and shows how Epic claims users can “create scenes at cinematic quality with destruction on a massive scale.” The system gives artists control like never before.
In the trailer, you can see buildings spectacularly breaking apart and the debris realistically breaking away.
Ninja has his own skin in Fortnite.
“Holy shit, this is going to be huge”
This is how Ninja reacts to the news: The Mixer streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, the man with his own skin in Fortnite, has huge hopes for this technology. He says this could change everything.
He speculates that Epic wants to “reset” Fortnite. Fortnite should feel like it used to, back when no one knew what was going on. In 2017, nobody knew what Fortnite was, how it would develop, and how much could be achieved with it.
Today, people would exploit the building system to create creative constructions.
Ninja says he has no insider information; he is just speculating.
Ninja seems to be excited about the announcement. After it has been significantly quieter around Fortnite in recent months, Ninja seems to expect a lot from the update. Especially since the new Fortnite Season 2 is supposed to start afterwards.
Players are asking: What about the performance?
What can we expect? Currently, the mood in the Fortnite community is split. It is assumed that the new “Chaos” physics system of the engine could do quite a bit during events or when building and destructing. However, there is speculation whether Epic actually wants to exploit this right now.
In any case, it is an interesting development; we will probably find out next week how exactly the new “Chaos” physics system will affect Fortnite.
Epic is planning gradual improvements
What’s behind it: Fortnite is not only an incredibly successful game for Epic, but also serves as a showcase and testing ground for the “Unreal Engine.” In the past, live events have been used to show developers what is possible with the engine in real-time.
Many players of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare are waiting for new official information about a possible Battle Royale. Until then, the well-known MW leaker “TheGamingRevolution” is sharing some unofficial information and believes that the mode is the reason for the extension of Season 1 and will come with Season 2.
The big first-person shooter Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has been dealing with leaks since its release. There are constantly speculations from data miners that later turn out to be true.
Now, further new information has surfaced, spread by the well-known YouTuber and CoD leaker “TheGamingRevolution” with his current English video. He is anticipating the “Battle Royale” mode for Season 2 and provides additional information about the content that may come with the next season.
Battle Royale with Season 2 – Leak suggests this
What does the leak reveal about the Battle Royale? “TheGamingRevolution” received some images from an unnamed data miner. These may show loading screens of the new mode.
The update from January 22 was unusually large, leading the YouTuber to suspect that some content of the BR mode is already in the game. For a while now, you could check out the possible Battle Royale map with a little trick.
The leaker mentions a possible release date of February 12. That would be right after the end of the current Season 1.
A very similar image was found earlier, but this current variation could show another loading screen of the Battle Royale. Source: Video from TheGamingRevolution
What leads him to believe that the BR will come with Season 2? “TheGamingRevolution” supports his assumption with several hints:
The statements from the unknown insider are vague, but it seems certain that the developers are working on a BR mode. Source: Video from TheGamingRevolution
Just last week, the YouTuber published a statement from his unknown source stating that the BR will come either with Season 2 or Season 3. A third possibility, the absence of the mode, would negatively affect the sales of the next CoD and thus is probably not an option.
How reliable is the information? “TheGamingRevolution” has already released several leaks for Modern Warfare and has hit the mark several times. He leaked new maps and the newly released crossbow.
Therefore, the statements should be taken seriously, but they are not certain. Since his unknown source provides rather vague information regarding the release, the release remains uncertain until the official statements from the developers.
Maps, modes, weapons – Leak reveals more
What else does the leaker suspect? In addition to information about the Battle Royale, “TheGamingRevolution” spoke about new weapons, modes, maps, and a familiar operator.
According to “TheGamingRevolution”, these modes, maps, a weapon, and Ghost could come with Season 2.
New modes – The list of possible new game modes is long; for example, a mode could come where a player with a Juggernaut suit has to capture the enemy base.
Maps – Since only MW1 maps came with Season 1, “TheGamingRevolution” suspects MW2 maps for Season 2. Terminal, Scrapyard, and Rust are at the top of his list.
New weapon – Along with the crossbow came a leak for another weapon. The weapon looks like a “Vector” and could be a new SMG.
“Season 2” challenges – From his unknown data miner, he received data about concrete challenges that will be activated during Season 2.
The many leaks of recent months have already led to exaggerated expectations for an update and are very frustrating for the developers. However, what will actually make it into the game and when will have to be determined later.
Are you still excited about the Battle Royale of Modern Warfare, or do you think the developers have already missed the optimal time window for its release?
The Lunar New Year event is running in Pokémon GO and you can find special Pokémon in the 7 km Eggs. The Egg Pool has been thoroughly cleaned up for this. We will show you if the Eggs are worth it.
Here’s what’s new about the Eggs: In line with the Lunar New Year, there are many red Pokémon in the 7 km Eggs. However, almost all Pokémon that are not red had to disappear from the Egg Pool.
Now you will only find 8 different monsters in the Egg Pool. We will show you if the special Eggs are worth it.
The new 7 km Eggs are that good
These Pokémon are included: The 7 km Eggs are actually reserved for baby and Alola Pokémon, but that’s different in the current event. So there are:
Riolu
Vulpix
Flampion
Tarnpignon
Karpador
Pottrott
Magby
Waumpel
The 7 km Eggs have been thoroughly cleaned up
Except for Riolu, all these Pokémon are red and fit the event. Many of them can also be found in the wild.
Is this Egg Pool worth it? There are two major highlights with Riolu and Flampion. In return, the rest of the Egg Pool is quite weak and most of it often appears in the wild.
Flampion is definitely an incentive to hatch. This Pokémon is not available in the wild; it can only be obtained through the Eggs. Flampivian is currently the best Fire attacker in the game and a good Flampion is worth it.
So is hatching worth it? Anyone investing in the 7 km Eggs and even using purchased incubators should be prepared to be disappointed. Walking 7 kilometers to get a Karpador or Tarnpigon, which are currently found everywhere, can be frustrating.
However, there are also two important highlights that cannot be obtained in any other way. Whether the purchased incubators are worth it should be decided by each person themselves. But one should also consider that after the event, Flampion and Riolu will still be available in some ways. The incubators might be more worthwhile then.
How long will the Eggs stay like this? The Egg Pool will likely change with the end of the Lunar New Year. The event ends on February 3 at 10 PM. Until then, you will continue to find the red Pokémon in the 7 km Eggs.
If you want lucky Pokémon, you should take the chance now:
We present to you 6 MMORPGs that were supposed to be released in 2020, or that we had previously assumed would be released, but we, MeinMMO, have doubts about their release this year.
How did the list come about? This list is based on what happened in the games in 2019 and how often updates from the developers regarding the status were received, as well as on the plans that were already announced for 2020. Not all games were explicitly announced for 2020, but in some cases, it was just assumed from the development and statements from the team that they would be released this year.
Ashes of Creation
Genre: Sandbox-MMORPG | Developer: Intrepid Studios | Platform: PC | Release Date: Originally 2020 | Model: Buy2Play with Subscription
What is Ashes of Creation? The MMORPG from Intrepid Studios is essentially a sandbox where you can change the world through your actions. If, for example, you build a city by the sea together with other players and fish like crazy, it might awaken a sea monster that attacks your settlement.
In Ashes of Creation, you also improve your hero, explore dungeons, discover the world, and can establish a trading empire or become the ruler of your own kingdom.
What is the current status of the game?Ashes of Creation is making progress, but is moving forward a bit slower than fans would like. The alpha is supposed to start in 2020.
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Why is a release in 2020 questionable? If the alpha starts in 2020, then we might at best only expect the beginning of the beta. The developers are taking their time with the release because they want to deliver a really good game. And such an extensive MMORPG like Ashes of Creation simply requires a lot of development time.
Genre: PvP-MMORPG | Developer: City State Entertainment | Platform: PC | Release Date: 2020 (State where it could be released) | Model: Buy2Play with Subscription
What is Camelot Unchained? The MMORPG is a successor to the classic Dark Age of Camelot and follows a similar gameplay principle. In Camelot Unchained, it’s mainly about PvP battles. Three factions are at war. You belong to one of them and participate in large battles.
In the sieges of castles, it is even possible to bring down walls and towers. However, PvE elements are also present. You fight creatures in the wilderness to improve your hero.
What is the current status of the game? There have been several beta events over the past year, and the team announced something big for January 2020. Perhaps the open beta for Camelot Unchained will start.
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Why is a release in 2020 questionable? The developers are taking their time. They are not under time pressure, as they have secured funding for the MMORPG. If the open beta starts in the coming months, then a release in 2020 would still be possible, but the team likely wants to gather a lot of feedback.
Therefore, the start in 2021 appears more realistic. There is not a fixed release date for 2020 anymore, only a “soft” one.
Genre: Sandbox-MMORPG | Developer: Soulbound Studios | Platform: PC | Release Date: Originally 2019, now none | Model: Buy2Play with Subscription
What is Chronicles of Elyria? The sandbox MMORPG features a very special aspect: your guaranteed death. This means your hero ages and eventually dies. It is part of your task to ensure a successor to whom you will inherit your belongings and your trading empire, so you can continue playing.
In addition, Chronicles of Elyria aims to offer classic MMORPG elements such as exploring a large world, crafting, battles, dungeons, character development, and group play.
What is the current status of the game? The development is dragging on. Besides videos without final graphics, little has been seen of the MMORPG. However, there are always events taking place outside the game, in which lands are awarded to the players.
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How has it gone so far? In a 2017 released roadmap, it was stated that Chronicles of Elyria would be released at the end of 2019. But nothing came of it. In 2019, the team asserted that the storm would break with the release of the pre-alpha in the same year. This indicated that development had made good progress. However, nothing happened in 2019. Since then, the developers have been holding back statements regarding the release.
Why is a release in 2020 questionable? The roadmap released in 2017 indicated the release of Chronicles of Elyria for 2019. But so far, there is nothing playable. The development continues to delay.
Therefore, it is to be assumed that there will be no release of the MMORPG in 2020. Perhaps we will see the alpha; that would probably be a success.
Genre: Sandbox-Themepark-MMORPG | Developer: Visionary Realms | Platform: PC | Release Date: None| Model: Buy2Play with Subscription
What is Pantheon? Pantheon is a classic MMORPG that orients itself towards the early days of the genre, particularly the first Everquest from 1999. Group play and PvE are at the forefront. You explore a vast fantasy world together with friends and experience numerous adventures there.
Fighting, quests, and the development of characters are important in the MMORPG. Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen aims to show how the genre could have developed if it had continued to follow Everquest 1.
What is the current status of the game? The alpha for Project Faerthale is supposed to begin still in 2020, showing how Pantheon looks as a whole. Recently, the team suffered a major setback when studio founder Brad McQuaid unexpectedly passed away.
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How has it gone so far? The developers have not announced a specific release date yet, as they want to take the necessary time for development, but we had been assumed that a release in 2020 was expected. After all, the game has been in development since 2014 and has made good progress. For 2020, the release of the alpha was recently announced.
Why is a release in 2020 questionable? The team behind Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is relatively small. However, they have set themselves very high goals. This year, the alpha is supposed to start, which will certainly run for a while. With some luck, we might see the start of the closed beta towards the end of the year. A release in 2020 seems very unlikely.
What is Project TL? The MMORPG evolved from Lineage Eternal and aims to combine hack ‘n slash with MMORPG. You experience the action from an isometric perspective similar to Diablo and also fight a lot of enemies in action-packed battles, but you also explore a large world together with many players where numerous quests await you.
Project TL looks stunning based on the first trailer. It could be exactly what fans of Diablo are waiting for, who want a bit more than just hack ‘n slash action.
Why is a release in 2020 questionable? Since the 2019 release was delayed with no explanation of what happened, a launch in 2020 also seems doubtful. It is now said that a beta will begin in the first half of 2020 for Korea.
Given how slowly development is progressing, one might reasonably doubt that Project TL will be released this year.
Genre: Action-MMORPG | Developer: Smilegate | Platform: PC | Release Date: In the West: Still open| Model: Free2Play with Item Shop
What is Lost Ark:Lost Ark places you in a fantasy world that you explore similarly to a hack ‘n slash from an isometric perspective. Together with friends, you experience quests, explore dungeons, and fight against many enemies, including gigantic boss monsters.
Lost Ark skillfully mixes action RPG and MMORPG elements, making the online game a very interesting gaming experience.
What is the current status of the game? The developer studio Smilegate has started a beta in Russia. The next step is the release in Japan. Meanwhile, the MMORPG continues to receive more updates and expansions in Korea.
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How has it gone so far?The developers of Lost Ark stated in 2019 that they would continue their offensive abroad, i.e., the release of the game in more countries, as soon as the MMORPG is released in Japan. This is expected to happen in early 2020. Although no official announcement was made regarding a release of the game here at home for 2020, job postings suggested that it could happen.
Why is a release in 2020 questionable? There has been no word from the developers regarding a release in Europe and the USA. Although it was long said that a “global” release was planned, it then went quiet.
This raises doubts about whether Lost Ark will really be released in Europe and the USA in 2020. If a release occurs in the West in 2020, it will likely only be for one of the areas, USA or Europe.
Why is Lost Ark a special case? Lost Ark is the only MMORPG on the list that has already been released, just not in the West.
Mein-MMO author Alexander Leitsch predicted that in his opinion Lost Ark would make an impact in 2020. And if only in an open beta. This might very well be true, but at the moment a release seems rather questionable. Opinions on Lost Ark’s west release in 2020, therefore, differ.
Our reader heathcliff63 has given a lot of thought to the current status of Destiny 2 and compiled a list of suggestions for improvement, which we present to you in this guest contribution.
After I already shared my thoughts about the ominous Destiny “community” in a review some time ago and concluded that it is nearly impossible to satisfy all the different player types, I would now like to touch on a few topics that I believe could contribute significantly to improving the game.
I believe that the game has enormous potential and is still a lot of fun for me. Therefore, here are a few suggestions for improvement in no particular order.
I assume that every player who has ever participated in a PvP match has a K/D. This is clearly unique per account and is stored in the game as well.
I would propose three groups for matchmaking that cover a specific range. Since I do not have access to statistical data from Bungie, the classification has been done arbitrarily and is only meant to serve as an example:
Group 1 (Beginners/Casual Players): for players with a K/D of 0.0 to 1.0. All modes are active and rotate randomly. Fireteams are not allowed, level advantages disabled.
Group 2 (Advanced): for players with a K/D between 1.0 and 2.0. All modes are active and can be selected individually. Fireteams are allowed, level advantages disabled.
Group 3 (Pros): for players with a K/D >2.0. Restriction to one or two modes only, fireteams are allowed, level advantages activated. Possibly further tightening of conditions by banning exotics, restrictions on certain weapon classes, or disabling supers (which could be activated alternately every week). This would be seen as a replacement for the Trials and Comp, with its own loot pool.
Basically, players with a higher K/D should not be allowed to play in a lower group, which would make matchmaking easier and allow a focus solely on connection quality.
Players with a lower K/D can indeed participate in the “stronger” groups to improve their K/D. The K/D is calculated depending on the opponent’s K/D.
If I eliminate a Guardian who has a significantly better K/D than I do, it gives me more points than if I eliminate a weaker player.
The Iron Banner would only be held once per season, but over two weeks instead. Level advantages would be enabled and all players can participate, much like a Grand Slam tournament. If it were up to me, the weapons and gear from D1 could also make a return here.
This should not be a new insight, thus the game needs new loot at regular intervals. I would at least overhaul the entire loot pool (including NPCs) twice a year, with alternating seasonal availability. Loot pool 1 would be active in Season 1 and 3, and loot pool 2 in Season 2 and 4.
This way, every player would have the opportunity to earn everything, there would be variety, and it would provide an additional motivation to play all seasons. Destiny 2 already offers significantly more activities than its predecessor. The problem is, however, that these activities will eventually become boring for even the biggest fans without an updated loot pool.
The “mini-raid” for everyone
The raids in Destiny are clearly the pinnacle of the game, but are only entered and completed by a small fraction of all players. On the other hand, the game now features some very interesting multiplayer activities that – see loot pool – are languishing.
Therefore, I would suggest a “new” activity composed of three or four randomly generated boss phases from the activities Escalation Protocol, Reckoning, Blind Well, Vex Offensive, possibly a Forge, Menagerie, and Sundial (I hope I haven’t forgotten any). Of course, with matchmaking and its own loot pool (but loot only at the end, so that players don’t drop out too early).
If we’re recycling, then let’s do it right
Since Bungie is bringing back weapons and armor from Destiny 1 anyway, why not gradually bring everything back? This could be story-wise justified by saying that all of our gear was stolen by a rogue Cabal gang during the destruction of the Tower (and our vault) and sold throughout the universe.
Thus, in each season, one or two items could be reactivated, ideally tied to a small story mission or, for all I care, in one of the lost sectors or a strike at a higher level, where you can earn the gear piece from the end boss. Of course, this shouldn’t be widely announced as new content; otherwise, a shitstorm would be pre-programmed.
Bungie has designed 4 great and challenging dungeons, in my opinion. It’s a shame that these largely become useless after completing the quest.
It would be great if suddenly (without major announcement) an exotic scout rifle designed like the Whisper would appear or an auto rifle in the Siva design in the Zero Hour mission.
But please without time limitations, because I find that just creates unnecessary stress that dampens my enjoyment. The difficulty alone and the fact that you usually need a fireteam should already provide enough challenge.
Perhaps if the mission is completed within a certain time, it could be tied as a triumph with a unique emblem for hardcore players.
There it is!
The “SRL World Championship”
I was a big fan of the SRL in Destiny 1. On the one hand, it allowed for high-level gear, and on the other, it was a varied and fun event. Especially now, with so many sparrows featuring cool designs, this would be a great opportunity.
The tracks from D1, plus two new courses, would already set the stage for a new engagement.
You could hold your own championship, with in-game visible leaderboards or even a world championship of its own. Qualification would depend on the best times you achieved on each track, which could be broadcast live on Twitch or elsewhere.
Add in shaders that are color-themed after famous Formula 1 race cars, and armor ornaments inspired by racing suits. If it were up to me, I’d be happy to buy these with Glimmer to ensure that the Eververse benefits from it too.
We don’t want anything for free, but give us achievable goals
Bungie has always had a problem with the drop rate of exotics. It’s an ongoing pendulum between the extremes. Sometimes, exotics are thrown at you, and sometimes they seem to barely exist.
When I read that some players have 50 or more raid completions and still don’t have a raid exotic, while others get one on their first or second try, it only leads to frustration and envy.
Especially with the raids, which are very time-consuming, the drop rate must noticeably increase with the growing number of completions, so that a drop must be guaranteed after, for example, the tenth completion.
On the other hand, exotics are devalued when they can be obtained with such little effort, like Eriana, Symmetry, Devil’s Ruin, and others. You don’t have to be a psychologist to know that a fair reward system and clearly recognizable goals are crucial for motivation.
Of course, random drops belong in a game like Destiny; they add spice and suspense, but I want to know that, for example, after 100 strikes, the chance of a particular exotic increases. This way, I can work towards a goal, and the reward feels satisfying.
Eververse yes, but lower the costs
I have absolutely no problem with Bungie wanting to generate additional revenue through the Eververse. I would be willing to spend real money on cool ornaments, ships, and sparrows, but the prices are sometimes outrageous and are not proportional to the rest of the game.
I am also convinced that revenue would be significantly higher if the prices were at a reasonable level, appropriate to what is being offered.
Further systems of Destiny 2
What I think about strikes: I do not understand why Bungie so persistently ignores the demand for strike-exclusive loot. Strikes are an immensely important part of the game, but even I am slowly finding it boring because it simply does not feel rewarding anymore.
As far as I remember, the situation was similar after some time in Destiny 1, and when strike-exclusive loot was introduced, it boosted that activity immensely.
What I think about the factions: The factions, which had a greater significance in D1, have now totally disappeared and will probably be completely unknown to newcomers.
Even though I preferred the leveling system from D1 with an exotic at level 25 and its own loot pool, I believe that the faction rallies, at least as they were at the beginning of D2, could easily be revived. Anything would be better than the current status of nearly non-existence.
What I think about the level system: I would also urgently suggest reworking the current level system. Why should I earn top loot with great difficulty in one season if every blue drop is higher at the beginning of the next season?
Just to feel “more powerful” for 1 to 2 months, because game-wise the power level is rarely truly relevant. To be honest, I lack the motivation when everything then seems wasted.
Conclusion
I am convinced that there are still many possibilities for us to improve the gaming experience. However, I would be satisfied with the aforementioned expansions, which, in my opinion, would not require a huge programming effort.
I personally do not need a new raid or multiplayer activity every season. Of course, raids are the prestige object and the crowning achievement in Destiny 2, and it is great that they exist.
But the cost-benefit ratio is likely quite low. Almost every car manufacturer has its “showcase model,” but most profit comes from the mass market of “bread-and-butter” cars.
Now and then new strikes or PvP and Gambit maps, and above all new loot, new loot, and yet more new loot. Then player numbers in D2 could approach the glorious past again.
Additionally, more open communication, faster bug fixes, and a little less “awesomeness,” meaning marketing speech. We all love Destiny, invest a lot of money and time, so we deserve an open and honest approach.
Making mistakes is human, and admitting them is not a weakness. However, covering up, concealing, or lying is reprehensible in every respect and inevitably leads to negative sentiment and distrust.
I would be glad if you could share your thoughts on the above suggestions or suggest new ways to enhance the gaming experience.
Recently, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare received a massive update that fixed numerous issues in the game. However, not everyone was pleased. A professional player heavily criticized the patch because it apparently ruined an important league match for his team.
This update is about: A few days ago, Modern Warfare received the major Update 1.13. Among other things, it included the new weapon crossbow as well as numerous bug fixes for various issues.
Who is criticizing the patch? The criticism now comes from the well-known CoD professional player and two-time world champion Ian “Crimsix” Porter. He is a member of the professional team Dallas Empire, which competes in the CDL (Call of Duty League), the professional league of Call of Duty.
Source: Dexerto
Last weekend, Dallas Empire started the CDL season 2020 with two losses and Crimsix used the official post-match press conference to express his displeasure with the latest Modern Warfare patch.
This is why the patch is causing discontent among the professional team: In short, Crimsix believes the update was probably beneficial for the game itself, but brought significant disadvantages for his team.
As background: The update came just 2 days after the start of the CDL 2020 (on January 24) and brought a lot of adjustments that also impacted the competitive ruleset.
For example, the “Slide Cancel” exploit was fixed, which many professionals used to prepare their weapon faster after a sprint. Furthermore, adjustments were made to the Trophy system and certain weapons, and the field upgrade Dead Silence was nerfed. The headshot multiplier was also reduced.
In general, these changes were also welcomed by the pros, but the timing of the adjustments was heavily criticized. Basically, there was no time to train with the new features before the league’s start event kicked off. This was supposed to be a factor for Dallas Empire as well. Although they had trained very well before, the league start failed with 0-2.
This is what Crimsix said in detail: In the press conference, Crimsix elaborated: “Infinity Ward, you guys release a patch two weeks before an event. I strongly urge you not to play this patch then.”
He then further criticized the patch policy: “This patch fixed everything, but in other e-sports, it’s considered a joke to do what we did. So, Infinity Ward, get your shit together because it’s just annoying.”
Source: ESPN Esports
However, he then collected himself a bit and explained that not only Infinity Ward is responsible: “I mean, it’s not just Infinity Ward. Every single year, we have a patch before a major event. Three or four times, every single year. That shouldn’t happen.”
Crimsix went on to explain that while he does not solely blame the patch for his team’s performance, it definitely was a factor and hit the team hard. The changes to slide canceling, the trophy system, and the adjustment of the headshot multipliers completely changed the meta and created hundreds of new, strong positions.
For example, before the patch, fast SMG players were encouraged to challenge slower players through head glitches. However, after the patch, that was no longer possible, and the way teams played changed completely.
In conclusion, he criticized that the preparation and work in the pre-season were completely in vain: “It’s just annoying because we probably played the most of all teams here, and that was not even relevant. Thanks again, Infinity Ward.”
The interesting part is: Dallas Empire was allegedly the first team to know about the slide canceling bug and actively integrated this into their strategy. It strongly appears that they had prepared to utilize slide canceling, head glitches with SMGs, or other exploits, and are now angry that it ultimately did not work out.
What do you think about this topic? Does Crimsix have a point, and should the developers give the pros more lead time with new patches, or better align patch times with major events? Or is this just a sore loser whining because he could no longer exploit some mechanics?
A new leak hinted at a changed map for Season 2 in Fortnite. The leak quickly spread across the internet. While this change would be cool, it is a fake. A video now shows how the images were created.
What kind of leak is this? Images surfaced on the 4chan message board, showing what we might expect before the end/start of the next season. The images showed a changed map and 2 scenes from the trailer.
The images from the alleged trailer showed a few Battle Pass skins that looked quite shocked. The images looked surprisingly poor and grainy, to enhance the “leaks must look bad” effect.
The leaked map mainly shows changes to the location Steamy Stacks in the northeastern part of the map.
It seems that the reactors exploded and the purple liquid spilled into the sea:
The leak would be cool, but unfortunately, it is fake
Although the images show a cool story for a live event at the end of Season 1 Chapter 2 when the reactor explodes, it has now been revealed that the images were faked.
YouTuber shows how he faked the images
How were the images created? The YouTuber KinaKingy admitted that he faked the images. In his YouTube video, he shows how he created the images.
For explanation, he uses a speech generator since he does not speak fluent English.
In this video by KinaKingy, you can see how he edited and faked the images:
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The majority of people agreed that the images were a fake. However, there were also some who believed the images were real.
A cool live event would surely have been created, but now we have to wait and see what awaits us at the end of the Season 1, which ends on 20.02.2020.
What is it with leaks and Fortnite? In the past, leaks about Fortnite have repeatedly appeared that no one believed at the time, but later turned out to be true.
The MMO Temtem is receiving some negative reviews on Steam for the character editor. There, players can choose the neutral pronoun “They” for their character. Some users don’t like this. They say: “There are only 2 genders.”
How is the editor structured? The editor of Temtem allows you to create a character according to your wishes. You first determine the appearance and clothing and then set the gender.
In addition to the options He/Him and She/Her, the game also offers the option “They/Them”, at least in English. This neutral designation means that a person does not necessarily have to be assigned to a gender.
However, the order of character creation and the neutral gender have led to criticism on Steam.
What do the reviews specifically say? On Twitter, user @nitefangmain has compiled some of the critical reviews in an image. The reviews also mention that some users have returned the MMO simply because it offers the “They/Them” option.
Another user even describes the game as a Pokémon, Social Justice Warrior version. New reviews of this kind are continuously being published.
It is striking that the gameplay content of Temtem apparently plays no role in the negative Steam reviews. Instead, they fixate on a point at the start of the game, which they can bypass since the options male and female are still available.
What does the vast majority say about Temtem? The overwhelming majority of Steam users, however, find Temtem good. Out of 8,200 reviews, 89% are positive.
The combat system is particularly praised, in which two Temtems fight simultaneously and can even execute combos together. This is said to make it significantly more complex than the popular Pokémon.
The white hat hacker Ahmed Sherif, alias “Batee5a”, is honored by the German development studio Innogames in the game Forge of Empires. An NPC modeled after him even makes an appearance in the game.
That hackers like those in FIFA 20 do not only engage in mischief in a game but can also significantly contribute to security is proven by white-hat hacker Ahmed Sherif, alias “Batee5a”.
Who is “Batee5a”? The Egyptian bug bounty hunter helps the successful German development studio Innogames to find security vulnerabilities in the online game Forge of Empires. As he does not misuse his hacking skills, he is referred to as a white-hat hacker.
What has the hacker achieved so far? “Batee5a” discovered more than 58 vulnerabilities together with 195 other hackers, which have since been fixed.
As part of a bug bounty hunter program, 22,500 euros were paid out to the hackers.
12,000€ and a character of their own for hackers
What does “Batee5a” receive? Innogames rewards hackers who help them not only with money. The most valuable among them receives a special honor. “Batee5a” has proven to be the most effective hacker. An avatar based on his likeness will be created, which you can then select in Forge of Empires. The avatar will be introduced in the next update.
The white-hat hacker has discovered 31 security vulnerabilities since joining the online strategy game Forge of Empires in early 2019 and has received about 12,000 euros in rewards.
On the left the hacker, on the right his character.
How does he react to this honor? Ahmed “Batee5a” Sherif said: “It’s so cool to see my face building a prehistoric city in a game that my friends play. I’m incredibly proud that my hard work is recognized and appreciated by a company that I personally value a lot. I hope it inspires others to see someone like me in the game who protects the game world – and its software. I also hope that these players will develop their skills from the games and then bring that experience as white-hat hackers to enhance security for everyone.”
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What does Innogames say about the situation? The company is thrilled with the great work “Batee5a” has done so far. “We are pleased to reward Batee5a with a personalized character in Forge of Empires for his outstanding work on our bug bounty program,” says Stefan Walter, Product Head at InnoGames.
“Passionate, collaborative, and fair, Batee5a sets the standard for what it means to be a true gamer who is deeply committed to both improving the game and winning.”
In Destiny 2 we recently saw our own grave and even listened to a eulogy – although in a different time. Could our Guardian actually die? There’s compelling evidence.
Caution, potential spoilers! Read at your own risk!
At the heart of the riddle was a grave in the Corridors of Time, which initially remained unreachable and ultimately turned out to be our Guardian’s. Saint-14, whom we rescued during the current Season 9 through time travel, although he was actually already dead, held a eulogy in honor of our Guardian – but in another timeline.
Could our Guardian really die? In short: Yes, at least according to a well-known lore expert. If one consistently follows and logically interprets the lore surrounding the quest and the new exotic Bastion, our Guardian would have to die. The big question that arises from this is not if, but rather when.
Grave speech by Saint-14: If one solved the puzzle with the correct sequence of rooms in the Corridors of Time, it was finally possible to approach and interact with the grave.
Thereupon, a booming voice of the 14th Saint could be heard, apparently originating from another time. Saint-14 essentially delivered a eulogy – for our Guardian.
It states, among other things:
“…And he died doing what he did best. Defending the last city of humanity…”
“…I adorned his grave with one of his favorite weapons, shattered in the last confrontation. It once belonged to me…”
With the weapon, the Bastion is meant, that’s well known now. Moreover, it is impossible to overlook that this grave belongs to us and we must have truly died – albeit in another timeline.
The exotic weapon Bastion: At the end of the speech, the Guardians receive the exotic item “Chronometric Weapon Core,” which then triggers the Bastion quest. With it, the exotic weapon, which Saint-14 also mentions in his eulogy, can be repaired with his help.
With this weapon in hand, we die according to the lore as we defend the Last City of humanity.
How does it all fit together? In short, the entire story around the puzzle and the Bastion quest can be summarized as follows:
In the Corridors of Time, we come across our own grave. There, Saint-14 has deposited the Chronometric Weapon Core.
This is the weapon core of the Bastion from the future. It allows us to locate the signal of the Bastion in the present.
We then track down the Fallen who stole the Bastion from Saint-14, retrieve the weapon, and repair it with the help of the weapon core and Saint-14.
This also allows us to predict the future of our Guardian: The weapon is now functional. And at the beginning of his eulogy, Saint-14 states that we will die defending the Last City.
Logically thinking it through, according to Myelin Games, there must be another war or battle for the Last City. Our Guardian will die there – and it will be with the Bastion in our hands. The weapon that we have just created.
Because if we do not die, Saint-14 would never have buried us with the weapon core of the Bastion and held a eulogy at our grave. If he had never buried us with the weapon core, we would not have been able to put the Bastion together. But that is precisely what we have just done.
Consequently, there’s no logical way around it: We will die in the future of Destiny 2. Sooner or later, our Guardian must actually die.
When could this happen? According to lore, so far it can only be said – in the future. As for when exactly, there is currently no clue.
Some believe it could happen at the end of Season 9, and Saint-14 might sacrifice himself or save us – just as we saved him. Then he would make way for a new main NPC in the next season and would disappear as seasonal content.
Others speculate that it could happen at the end of Destiny 2, possibly creating a transition to Destiny 3.
Some players say that our character does not necessarily have to die. The quest and the puzzle could merely represent an alternative timeline in which our journey would end.
And some even joke that there is a very simple solution – just never equip the Bastion. Then we could never die.
It will definitely be exciting to see if our Guardian will truly pass away and how Destiny 2 (or 3) would unfold in that case. For now, however, everything is just speculation or interpretations of the lore.
What do you think? Will our Guardian truly die?If so, when? Or do you think all of this is far-fetched?
Analysts from TheSilphRoad have found out that there is now a higher probability of lucky Pokémon.
Your chances of getting lucky Pokémon
What was discovered: The chance of getting lucky Pokémon caught within the last 365 days has been increased to about 9% per trade. This is a significant increase, since normally the chance is around 5%.
This change has been active since Sunday, and it is worth exchanging your Pokémon now. The increase is comparable to last year’s New Year event, as the chance was also 9% there.
Lucky Pokémon can now be obtained more easily
Players are still angry: The mood in the community is still bad. Players are upset that this increase was not implemented right at the event start, even though it was promised.
Many players already exchanged Pokémon at the event start and then were disappointed to find that the chance had not increased at all. Many Pokémon that had been specially collected were thus “wasted”.
Should you trade now? You should currently exchange everything useful you have with your friends. The chance of getting lucky Pokémon is rarely increased and should be utilized.
How long is the chance increased? The event ends on February 3 at 10 PM. The increased chance will likely disappear then as well. However, Niantic may also extend this by 1-2 days after the initial issues. This is not confirmed, though.
Which Pokémon should you trade? The list of potential candidates is long. Currently, you should especially trade Practibalk, as it is significantly cheaper to develop after a trade.
The corrupted items from WoW have a massive impact. But that very thing causes frustration and could even affect the “World First” race.
For almost 2 weeks now, there has been a new type of items in World of Warcraft with Patch 8.3 Visions of N’Zoth. Items can become “corrupted” upon acquisition, which gives them a negative corruption value while also bringing extremely powerful abilities. The corruption system was supposed to replace Titanforging and thus remove some of the annoying RNG factor from the game. However, the current situation is: It’s worse than ever.
What is the problem? Corrupted items can have a variety of different corruption effects. Some are only slightly useful or useful in specific situations (+3% life steal), while others can be really powerful and grant a massive boost to a secondary attribute or a passive effect that deals high damage every few seconds. This means a significant increase in player strength for affected characters. Other characters of the same class often cannot keep up.
How powerful are corruption effects? In recent days, more and more reports from players have emerged, expressing amazement at the impact these effects have on their characters. For example, a druid on Reddit demonstrated how powerful the effect “Resonating Void” can be. This effect deals damage to all nearby enemies based on the player’s maximum hit points – which is significant for tank druids. He showed the log from the fights as a tank druid – the Resonating Void accounted for nearly 50% of his damage. This means that this effect practically doubled the druid’s damage.
Almost 50% of the damage from a corruption trait. Image source: reddit.com/r/wow
Effects are more powerful than Legendary items: Analyzing the various effects and simulating them quickly leads to the conclusion that certain effects are so powerful that they overshadow even the legendary items from Legion. Back then, there was frustration that certain classes without the appropriate legendary were almost 10% to 20% weaker than their counterparts with legendary items. A similar effect is now re-emerging, except that unlike the Legion legendaries, the corrupted items cannot be farmed as targeted.
This very mix of extremely powerful effects, combined with the randomness component, leads to frustration among players.
Does this mean problems for the “World First” race? These powerful items could also affect the upcoming “World First” race. Here, the best guilds in the world try to defeat N’Zoth on Mythic difficulty first. These races are among the most exciting days for many WoW fans – even though the final fight looks lame – and it would be a shame if this competition was not determined by the best guild but by the one that got the most corrupted items with the perfect bonuses.
Blizzard needs to improve: It seems obvious that Blizzard needs to make some significant improvements. If individual traits are so strong that they can double the damage of characters, then the power level of these effects is simply beyond good and evil. As cool as the corrupted effects are, they are also overwhelmingly powerful and cause frustration among players who cannot get their hands on these items. Feedback has quickly been responded to in other areas as well.
This exact scenario had already occurred with the legendaries from Legion. These were also subject to a certain amount of randomness, and only later could they be purchased deliberately. That is simply not the case with the corrupted items, which will lead all players with progression ambitions to farm content repeatedly and pray that the perfect item with the perfect corruption value drops. Let’s hope such problems do not arise with Shadowlands.
What do you think of the corrupted items and their impact? A cool innovation or extremely inappropriate?
The TOTW 20 (Team of the Week) will be released on Wednesday in FIFA 20. But already today there are predictions for the new Team of the Week. We will tell you which players could be included.
What are TOTW Predictions? The predictions for the Team of the Week are forecasts by the community. It attempts to predict which players could be on the Team of the Week.
In fact, the predictions often hit the mark and frequently correctly predict several players.
Prediction for the Team of the Week 20 in Ultimate Team
Jadon Sancho impressed with a strong performance against FC Köln. He scored one goal and provided an assist in the 5:1 victory. Thus, he could deserve his next special card.
This could be how Sancho’s 2nd Inform card looks
Kerem Demirbay from Bayer Leverkusen was the best player on the pitch against Fortuna Düsseldorf. He orchestrated the game and assisted two goals in the 3:0 victory. An Inform card would certainly be deserved.
Filip Kostić had a strong game against RB Leipzig and scored a goal against the league leaders. Whether he will receive his 2nd TOTW card will be revealed on Wednesday.
Alassane Plea scored crucial goals in Borussia Mönchengladbach’s 3:1 victory over Mainz 05. Overall, he scored 2 goals that could earn him his 2nd Inform card. Owners of his Headliners card would certainly be pleased, as it would receive an upgrade.
Leon Goretzka played an important role in Bayern’s 5:0 victory over FC Schalke 04. He shone with an excellent pass completion rate, assisted one goal, and also scored one himself. An Inform card would definitely be deserved.
The release of TOTW 20: On Wednesday, January 29, at 7:00 PM, the new Inform cards will be available in FIFA 20 Ultimate Team.
How you can use the predictions now: If you want to earn some coins in FUT 20, you can use the TOTW predictions excellently for that. What you need to consider will be revealed here:
This is how the voting works: Instead of a simple vote, you will participate in a special way in the game. On February 1, various field research tasks will await you, with which you can vote for your respective favorite. Which monster will you put in the effort for?
Here are the 4 candidates for the Community Day
These are your options: You can choose from four monsters of the first generation. We present them again in a brief overview.
Rhyhorn
This is Rhyhorn: Rhyhorn is a Ground and Rock-type Pokémon that can evolve twice. It evolves into Rhydon and Rhyperior. As an exclusive move, it would learn “Rock Wrecker”, which is a Charged Attack of the Rock type.
Machop
This is Machop: Machop is a Fighting-type Pokémon. It evolves into Machoke and Machamp. Machamp is one of the best attackers overall. As a special move, it learns Counter on Community Day. This Dark-type Charged Attack would be a good option against Psychic-type Pokémon, which Machamp usually struggles with.
Vulpix
This is Vulpix: Vulpix exists in both a normal Fire and an Alolan Ice form. It evolves only once: into Ninetales. It learns as a special move the attack “Weather Ball”, which is adapted to the respective type of the Pokémon. Additionally, Shiny Vulpix will make its debut in the game.
Dratini
This is Dratini: Dratini is a Dragon-type Pokémon that can evolve twice. It evolves into Dragonair and then into Dragonite. It would learn the Fighting-type move Superpower, which could help it defend better against Ice and Rock-type Pokémon. During its first Community Day, it learned Draco Meteor.
Which monster do you wish for?
Choose your favorite: We want to know who your favorite for the Community Day is. Which Pokémon will you vote for on February 1? Let us know in the survey:
The New Year’s event in Pokémon GO is currently also running. However, something seems off:
The LoL team from Schalke 04 lost both opening games in the first week of the LEC 2020. Expectations were high for star carry FORG1VEN ahead of the new season of the League of Legends. Yet, the former ADC proved to be too strong.
They lost their young carry, Elias “Upset” Lipp, who is regarded as one of the best ADCs and talents in Europe, and instead brought in the 27-year-old FORG1VEN. The Greek is a legend but has not played professionally for years.
In Power Rankings, Schalke was rated as weaker ahead of the season, and the first results are going in that direction.
FORG1VEN, the great hope of Schalke 04 this year.
1. Game lost Schalke on equal footing
This was game 1: In the first match of the LEC 2020, Schalke faced Excel Esports, who were rated as “similarly strong”. It was a barometer for both teams to see where they stand so early in the season regarding their processes, communication, and team fights.
FORG1VEN had a score of 5-4-8 with Xayah in the first match.
The match turned out to be a close affair. Ultimately, Excel was able to win in 40 minutes. In the new LoL season, games seem to last significantly longer on average than before.
FORG1VEN was able to hold his own on the bot lane with Xayah, and the German midlaner Felix “Abbedagge” Braun had a good record on Cassiopeia. After 18 minutes, Schalke 04 was even ahead 7-3 after a triple kill from Abbedagge.
The decisive moment was ultimately a team fight, which the Excel supporter Tore decided with an Unbreakable Wall on Braum. With it, he was able to prevent a lot of damage.
In the end, Excel was narrowly ahead in kills with 20-18.
After the match, Schalke seemed quite confident that they would start the season well.
No chance against Origen
This was game 2: The second game of the week against Origen ended much more bitterly. It finished after 38 minutes with 15-4 for Origen.
There, former Schalke ADC, Upset, shone. He had a score of 7-0-4 playing Senna.
Schalke especially had problems in the mid lane, where Abbedagge had no impact on Ryze, finishing with 0-5-2. He was repeatedly focused and ganked.
The defeat was bitter, as Schalke seemed hopeless and it looked like the communication within the team was not working. Origen, on the other hand, presented strong early form and seemed to have everything coming together. They even managed to win against the top team Fnatic in the first week.
This is how things stand now: After the first week, Schalke is at the bottom of the LEC.
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In China, the LoL league LPL has been put on hold until further notice. They want to wait until the coronavirus is under control and no longer poses a threat to the players.
The hardcore survival shooter Escape from Tarkov is a tough place, especially for beginners. Sacriel, one of the best players, has now revealed some tips that should make it a bit easier for newcomers to get started.
Where do the tips come from? This small guide comes from Chris “Sacriel” Ball, one of the best players and one of the biggest streamers of Escape from Tarkov. He fell in love with the survival multiplayer before PUBG even became big and started his journey in the early days of DayZ (long before the standalone version), where he enjoyed hunting campers across Chernarus.
He was one of the first professional players to focus entirely on Escape from Tarkov and has since been providing many fans and players with detailed tips and tricks for this hardcore shooter.
8 Professional Tips for a Better Start in Escape from Tarkov
In a recent interview with Polygon, Sacriel shared some tips about Escape from Tarkov that new players should consider to find their way into the game better and faster. We summarize these for you below.
Group size at the start: Since Escape from Tarkov is a multiplayer shooter, the question arises whether to go alone or in a group. And how large should the group be?
According to Sacriel, new players should try to operate in a 2-man team – at least until they know the maps well and can effectively ambush other players.
Group size with more experience: Once you have settled in a bit, you can also venture out with 3-man or even 4-man squads. But especially at the beginning, you still have a lot to deal with by yourself, so the optimal group size is 2 men.
Which vendor should newcomers focus on at first?
You should visit the vendors in this order: To make good money, you should focus on the Therapist first and sell to her. She offers the best prices but only buys items that are not weapons – such as water, technical parts, or dog tags.
After that, you should head over to Skier and continue selling there. He basically has the second-best prices, but only buys special weapon parts as well as armor and helmets. However, he does not buy complete weapons. You get the most out of it by disassembling a weapon into parts.
Finally, you head to Prapor and sell him everything you couldn’t sell to Skier. Because you should level up Prapor to access early quests.
Also worth knowing: Each vendor can be leveled up by completing tasks for them, buying from them, and leveling up your own main character.
Which weapons should you definitely get started with?
There are no overpowered weapons: Sacriel says there are no magical weapons or overpowered weapons in Escape from Tarkov that surpass all others. For example, the differences between the roughly 500 versions of the AK in the game are relatively small.
Here’s how you should proceed at the beginning: At first, he thinks it is better to play Scav when the opportunity arises. Then you should try to extract the free Scav gear you receive in this context. This Scav gear should then be used in your next PMC run. Try out the weapons and see what works best for you and your playstyle.
Here’s how to get the right weapon: After that, you should transition to finding your preferred weapon types in a raid and then recover them in the secondary slot or from the bag there.
What is the most important map for beginners and what should you pay attention to there?
This is the most important map: One of the main maps where there are tasks to complete is the Customs map. For new players, it is very important to get familiar with this map quickly, but it can also be dangerous.
Because there is a Scav boss that spawns at the gas station and the dorms. And this boss is often farmed by high-level teams for money.
Here’s how you should proceed: In the first half of a match, as a new player, you should therefore avoid roaming in these areas of the map as much as possible if you don’t want to bite the dust immediately.
Most quests revolve around the dorms area, so you should complete your quests in that area relatively late in the raid. Additionally, by that time, high-level squads may have already opened all doors for you, making the trip a bit easier.
What is the most important equipment you should never leave without?
These 2 items are must-haves: It is mainly two medical items, namely the CMS (Surgical Kit) and the Survival Kit, that have become almost indispensable on your excursions.
Here’s why they are important: If a body part previously reached 0 health, it was “dead” for the rest of a round and you had to limp to the extraction point if you didn’t want to die completely.
However, these new medical items now allow you to heal “dead” limbs, allowing you to still have a chance for a full round even after such injuries.
The CMS is smaller and takes less time to use. However, the healed limb receives less health back than through the Survival Kit, which, however, is larger and requires more space and time. But it also heals fractures and leaves the healed limb with more hitpoints.
Where should priorities lie in terms of armor and helmets at the start?
This is what you should know at the start: Body armor is a very complex topic in Escape from Tarkov. This system is very extensive, comparing various aspects such as projectile penetration and armor values, and it takes a long time to really understand it completely.
In general, it works like this: There are 6 levels of armor. The higher the level, the better it protects against incoming damage. But it’s not that simple.
Armor levels 1-3 generally offer only limited protection and will not help you against really penetrating ammunition that players like to use. However, they will protect you effectively against most AI Scavs.
Armor levels 4-6, on the other hand, protect you better against other players but also cost a fortune. Therefore, it is advisable to use such armor only when you have a weapon that you do not want to lose at all – for example, a silenced weapon with optical attachments or otherwise upgraded.
Also important: The condition of armor is also important. A Class 6 vest with a durability of 10/10 (new condition 75/75) will not protect you like a Level 6 armor. In this condition, the Level 6 vest behaves more like a Level 2 vest.
Avoid this mistake: Many new players make the mistake of buying an apparently excellent high-level vest but overlook the low durability, rendering the armor almost useless.
Why should you pay more attention to sounds and the audio atmosphere?
Here’s why sounds are important: Recognizing and understanding sounds you hear and produce often determines life and death in Escape from Tarkov.
There are many sounds to pay attention to – sounds that come from firing weapons, sounds produced when you bring a weapon to bear, or sounds made by players even when they are not moving. All of this can give away your position or the location of your opponent.
Pay attention to these details: It is also important to communicate quickly with your team about any sounds heard. Sacriel has simply made the word “Steps” a standard response. Once you hear a suspicious sound, you say “Steps” and the entire team knows to stop immediately to detect any potential enemy sounds.
Furthermore, it is important to bring your weapon to bear as early as possible when you want to ambush other players – and to do so before you get within hearing range of the enemies.
The different nature of the ground cover is also a big factor. Different surfaces create different sounds and their respective sounds can be heard from different distances. Walking slowly on metal, for example, is louder than a brisk walk through the grass. You should really only sprint when absolutely necessary.
Also very important: If your character (in-game) wears headsets, it can significantly enhance their ability to hear sounds. Some helmets like Kiver or Kolpak can, on the other hand, limit this ability. That’s why some players prefer an unprotected head to potentially overlooking an ambush.
Many get caught just before the exit. What can be done about it?
This is the big problem: Especially at the beginning, it is a common problem in Escape from Tarkov. You have a really good run but get caught by campers just before the exit. Camping usually occurs at the main extraction points.
Here’s what you can do about the problem: Players with a “Factory Exit Key” also have numerous other extraction points available, where the risk of being ambushed at the last minute is lower.
Moreover, there are extraction points on the map marked with question marks. On the Customs map, these include the RUAF point or the Smuggler’s Boat point. These are comparatively rarely camped and often have visual indicators as to whether they are currently available or not. For example, at RUAF, it’s a large floodlight; at the Smuggler’s Boat, it’s a burning campfire.
Study the possible extraction points on the map and it’s best to check the alternative points before deciding to go to the main extraction point.
Have you been playing Escape from Tarkov for a while? What important tips would you give to new players?Here are some beginner tips from us:
In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, you can build a bunch of powerful, secret, or nasty weapons, but what about the craziest weapon modifications? We have tested 5 of such crazy weapon setups for you in combat.
After a hard grind on Shipment to level up another weapon to max level, there’s nothing better than some playtime at the gunsmith.
This can create the craziest weapon setups, which are often discarded with a smile. I looked at such calibers more closely, turned my cap backwards, and tested the trashiest setups of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare for you.
So if you want to bring laughter to the lobby or show your buddies that you can rock the match with these crazy setups, make a note of these insane builds.
The gunsmith looked a bit skeptical but eventually gave the green light for a few test rounds. Normally, every visit to the gunsmith should improve the weapons, but not this time. Today we are cranking the weapons through the grinder and see if these curiosities play as crazy as they look.
There were a few unexpectedly positive surprises. In particular, one setup does a damn good job despite its intrusive appearance. The aesthetics aren’t everything.
These are the crazy setups:
Nerf-Gun – A Scar that somehow manages to be taller than longer.
Giant Deagle – An exaggerated Desert Eagle built for size, not for sense.
The LMS – The PKM as a sniper doesn’t work? Unfortunately, it does!
Flint – Handgun with unnecessary shotgun properties.
Toothpick – An Oden with inappropriate length.
Nerf-Gun – FN Scar 17
The shape strongly resembles products from a company that shares the name with the greatest enemy of any weapon in shooters. But even without Nerf, this weapon performs poorly.
How does the nonsense play? This weapon not only looks like a water squirt gun, it plays like one too. Not really good at any distance and with little water in the tank, uh, bullets in the magazine, you always need the element of surprise. But if you decide the match for your team with this piece, you’ll have the props on your side.
With the recon attachment, you can support your team from the back row, and the sight helps with long shots. But this bulky thing doesn’t really convince. Better stick to water balloons.
Giant Deagle – Desert Eagle
Even the normal variants of this weapon offer no real advantage for professional use. This overloaded thing belongs in a display case, as a scare for grandchildren with the inscription “Hands off!” or right in a weapon museum.
Many gamers know the Desert Eagle from shooters. In RL, however, the weapon is hardly used as it is too heavy and has too few bullets in the magazine.
What attachments do I need for this?
Muzzle: Tactical Suppressor
Barrel: FORGE TAC Executioner
Laser: 1mW Laser
Scope: VLK 2.5x Scope
Grip: Rubberized Grip Tape
How does the nonsense play? Anyone who has ever held a museum piece will regret it at least after spending a night in jail. But with this shooter, you’ll regret it immediately. The optimal setup to improve your handling with the Desert Eagle. If you can manage to score here as well, you’ll sweep everything away with the good builds.
Otherwise, if your K/D means something to you, look at this variant only from a distance. The stability is quite nice, and accurate hits take out opponents, but your firepower is restricted to that of a musketeer due to the small magazine and slow handling. So keep your hands behind your back and hands off this exhibition piece.
Light-Machine-Sniper – PKM
While this weapon does not produce one-shot kills, it’s fine if a shot goes off target. The magazine offers at least 90 misses, making it a perfect entry into a successful sniper career – or maybe a quick end.
How does the nonsense play? Don’t rely on the weapon, but on your skills as a constant camper. If you get seen, don’t even try to take out the opponent. Take your legs or your secondary weapon in hand and come up with a new plan. Even our tips for snipers won’t help you here.
However, the feel of the weapon is surprisingly good. With the attachments, this LMG with an identity crisis provides decent stability, and any random headshot kill feels rewarding. At least until the campsite manager comes by and asks you to only grill on the marked areas.
Flint – .357 Revolver
This pistol-shotgun wishes to be a hunting rifle, but the shotgun bullets hardly go beyond grip reach. With the scope, you can observe enemies from a distance before they take you out.
The flint looks quite nice but needs special handling.
What attachments do I need for this?
Laser: Tactical Laser
Scope: Lockwood Pistol Scope
Trigger: Robust Trigger
Ammo: Shotgun Shells
Grip: Lockwood .357 Special Stock
How does the nonsense play? The noble wooden stock conceals the clumsiness of this modified revolver, but from the very first shot, you’ll get to know the uncomfortable nature of the weapon.
If you adjust to the short range, you’ll get a quite solid shotgun with a hefty kick. With the scope and attachments for better aiming, the shotgun shells provide reliable one-shots in their small area. This way, you get a decent shotgun without having to use “Overkill”.
Toothpick – Oden
You shouldn’t underestimate this setup, even though it looks really crazy. Despite the good possibilities to enhance the dental hygiene of close enemies, it is regarded as a strong build for the Oden.
The long Colossus suppressor already makes you smile due to its incredible length. The barrel and stock add a few unnecessary centimeters to the device. Your buddies will laugh at you in the lobby, but here you have a real killing machine, leaving maximum assists for your teammates.
This Oden setup makes a statement, even though it hardly fits on the screen.
These are the attachments:
Muzzle: Suppressor (Colossus)
Barrel: Oden Factory 810 mm
Stock: FTAC XL Elite Key
Underbarrel: Command Foregrip
Grip: Textured Grip Tape
How does the nonsense play? The assault rifle really takes off with this build. The stock, the grip tape, and the missing sight bring the otherwise poor ADS speed of the Oden to a bearable level, and with the giant suppressor, barrel, and grip, the range becomes enjoyable.
Among all the crazy setups, you should really try this one.
Building weapons in Modern Warfare like never before
The game offers diligent crafters a ton of attachments that should all be tried out. Some of the many guns play “naked” like eating applesauce with your hands, but with the right attachments, clumsy tools turn into really strong weapons and perhaps even new favorite guns.
If you want to delve more into the gunsmith, here are a few articles where we take a more serious look at this feature.
Nests in Pokémon GO are a cool feature, our author Noah thinks, but lately they have become increasingly useless. Here we explain how nests could become more interesting again.
What are nests? Parks or green areas that are also recorded as such on OpenStreetMap are usually nests. Here you will always find a certain species of Pokémon spawning more frequently.
Almost every Pokémon has nests, except for the really rare monsters. Since the release, Niantic has been following this concept, but by now it is simply no longer useful for me.
Nests are often useless – change is needed
This is the situation in my city: It has been ages since I last enjoyed a nest in my city. We have 5 really good nests in our small town that hold many Pokémon, but recently I didn’t want to catch any of these Pokémon.
Dummisel nests not only make Pikachu angry
Nests of Dummisel, Mantax, or Magmar are piling up here, and really useful Pokémon have not been around for a long time. I often take a wide detour around the parks in my city when I know I’ll encounter ball eaters that bring me nothing at all.
Recently, the largest park in our city was blocked for two whole months. Starting with Dummisel, Baldorfish followed, then Girafarig, again Dummisel, and finally a Schluppuck nest. All Pokémon that have no value whatsoever or at least can be shiny.
This is the problem: Currently, there are simply too many Pokémon that can appear in nests in Pokémon GO. Many of these monsters are simply useless and block the park for two weeks until a nest change finally occurs.
There are so many monsters that are just pointless. Why is there a Schluppuck nest when the Pokémon is sitting on every corner anyway? What do I need a nest with 20 Baldorfish for when the Pokémon is bad and cannot even be evolved?
Add to that, nests of starters are now just annoying. Every starter Pokémon that has had a community day, you simply do not want to see in nests anymore. You have hundreds of candies, numerous shinies, and balls that are too precious for an 800 CP Flemmli.
Hydropi I don’t need in a nest
This is how nests used to be: For me, nests in Pokémon GO at the time of release were one of the best features in the game. I remember my trip to Milan in the summer of 2016, where I spent an entire day in a huge Glumanda nest. To this day, it remains one of my best memories of Pokémon GO.
The list of potential nest Pokémon was not very long, and almost every monster could be at least somewhat useful. I was always excited about nests of Kabuto or Amonitas because that was really rare back then.
Of course, there were also some duds as nests back then, but 80% of the nest Pokémon were really good.
This needs to change now: The principle of nests has been the same since 2016. A revision is urgently needed here. Pokémon that cannot be shiny yet and sit on almost every corner have no place in nests in my opinion.
A while ago, they removed common Pokémon like Taubsi or Rattfratz from nests; nowadays, I would be glad to have these Pokémon back. In return, you can gladly remove Schluppuck or Mantax.
Taubsi nests would be much better than nests of Baldorfish, Mantax, and Co.
Likewise, there is no need for Baldorfish or Girafarig nests anymore. The Pokémon has been in the game since 2017 and the majority of the community should now own an example. You can spawn the monsters a little more frequently in the normal wild to fill the PokéDex as well.
In return, all potential shinies, except the starter Pokémon, could appear in nests. This way, nests can effectively be used to farm a shiny. Pokémon like Tanhel, Larvitar, or Dratini could also be added to the nest Pokémon. After community days, everyone should have them, but unlike most starters, they are at least still useful.
Nests need to finally receive a fundamental overhaul for me so that I don’t have to take a wide detour around my city parks anymore, but can also enjoy visiting the nests.
It seems that while the nests will not be revised soon, the weather will be:
