In the new raid Crucible of Storms from World of Warcraft, Shadow Priests are the kings of damage. But now Blizzard is taking the crown away from them: A nerf is announced for the next patch.
For almost a week now, the raid “Crucible of Storms” has been available in World of Warcraft. However, it has become clear over the Easter weekend that one class is leading ahead of all others.
The Shadow Priest dominates in the two boss fights of the Crucible and is far ahead in first place on the damage charts. This was even too much for Blizzard, so a nerf for the Shadow Priests is coming to tone them down to a healthy level.
Why were Shadow Priests so successful? The main reason for the Priests’ success lies in the fact that Shadow Priests benefit from fights against multiple targets like no other class.
They can then build their resource “Insanity” faster and distribute their DoTs much more effectively and keep them active on multiple enemies for longer. Since both fights in the Crucible of Storms take place against multiple enemies, this advantage was particularly pronounced.
This is how Blizzard wants to nerf: The developers see the problem primarily in an Azerite trait. The ability “Promising Spirits”, which increases the damage of Shadowy Apparitions by 100% and is stackable multiple times, will be reduced to 70%. This should lower the overall damage of Shadow Priests by several percentage points and bring them more “in line” with other classes.
The Shadowy Apparitions are the little “ghosts” that players can see in a fight, flying from the Shadow Priest to the enemies. The more enemies are affected by DoTs, the more ghosts appear.
This is how Blizzard justifies the nerf: Blizzard emphasizes that it is not about weakening specializations that can shine in certain situations. Every class has its strengths and fights in which it excels.
This time, however, the Shadow Priest is far above the tolerable level and therefore needs to be scaled down a bit.
It is a bit ironic that Shadow Priests dominate in the raid they are story-wise responsible for. After all, it was the Shadow Priests who carried Xal’atath in Legion. This very blade was responsible for opening the raid and has now lured the players into a trap.
The online shooter The Division 2 was released about a month ago and has already gone through quite a bit. Our author Schuhmann looks at where the game currently stands and gives an assessment of the situation.
These are the two phases of The Division 2: The previous course of The Division 2 can be divided into two phases:
The honeymoon period, in which (almost) everything was great – this lasted from the release on 15.3. to 5.4.
the current WR-5 phase, where many things are going well, but problems arise – this phase began on 5.4. with the first major update. The phase is expected to end in May when the raid goes live and the second major patch arrives, which will overhaul half the game
The April update brought Tidal Basin and the turning point for The Division 2.
This is how the honeymoon was: The release of The Division 2 went smoothly and without major issues. Many “core fans” from The Division 1 were thrilled by how Massive has further developed the cover shooter that they know so well.
The Division 2 felt complete and polished at release – especially compared to Anthem, which was released just a month before, The Division 2 had a lot to offer from day one.
some bugs and glitches were newly introduced with the patch
overall, the balance at World Rank 5 struggled in many areas – some talents are too weak, some weapon types are hardly used, Exotics play no role, and the special gear sets are practically useless
and it turned out that the “Dark Zone,” the PvP, is hardly visited
This is how Massive reacted: The developers of The Division 2 responded mainly with analysis and a “stop”:
With smaller updates, the most pressing issues were addressed – special ammo started dropping again
This is how The Division 2 currently stands: The honeymoon is over, and players are now aware of the difficulties.
The first patch was, in the eyes of many, more of a step back than a step forward. However, some see the current criticism of The Division 2 as “complaining on a high level”.
The mood around The Division 2 is still good, although not as euphoric as in the first weeks. The agents are currently in a waiting position, to see how the balance patch will unfold and how the raid will play.
Credit must be given to how well and confidently Massive has responded to the issues so far. The communication has been strong. Massive is clearly in tune with “The Division 2,” has addressed every problem and proposed solutions.
Now it will depend on how these problems are addressed in practice.
What’s next? The test server will run at least until May 2nd. The next major patch is not expected until May.
When exactly the major balance patch and the raid will come is currently still unknown.
In Fortnite: Battle Royale the season-ending event is entering its second round. This time, mysterious lasers have appeared, and players will likely need to align them together.
This has now been completed, and the rune has activated a kind of machinery. However, the big bunker still has four more devices for additional runes.
The new rune is here.
What we know about the laser rune
What happened next? Recently, a new rune appeared, which conveniently hovers over the bunker at Loot Lake this time. But so far, it does nothing. Instead, platforms have emerged at three additional locations that emit a kind of colored laser:
Volcano: Green laser
Hill north of Pleasant Park: Blue laser
Hill south of Shifty Shafts: Red laser
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What is the deal with the lasers? The lasers beam across the map and shift their alignment in seemingly random paths. Players can damage the lasers with pickaxes, which might relate to their movement. Thus, it may be that the lasers move whenever enough players have hit them worldwide.
The laser at Shifty Shafts.
A popular theory on Reddit suggests that the three lasers must all directly shine on the rune in Loot Lake for stage 2 of the puzzle to be completed.
What has been achieved so far? So far, a reaction has only been observed at one laser. The green beam at the volcano hit the rune and changed both its color intensity and its sound. So there seems to be some truth to the theory.
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EVE Online is often described as a niche game because it is not easy to get back into. CCP Games has now announced the active player numbers, and they look pretty good.
How many active players does EVE Online have? According to CCP Games CEO Hilmar Petursson, 300,000 players actively play the MMORPG every month. This is approximately the entire population of Iceland.
These are quite good numbers for an MMORPG, especially for one that focuses on PvP and does not cater to casual gamers due to its complexity.
EVE Online is not stagnating
Are there new players? According to Hilmar Petursson, it’s not just veterans playing. He says EVE Online is not stagnating, even though the MMO might give that impression. There is a very loyal fanbase that remains dedicated to the game for many years. However, new players also regularly find their way into the online game.
About 10,000 new players are expected to join each week. However, many of them do not stay for long. Therefore, CCP Games wants to gradually modernize the player experience.
What is the problem? The MMORPG is now 16 years old. The underlying technology shows signs of aging, especially during the mass battles that become a slideshow.
According to Hilmar Petursson, it was never planned for 5,000 or 6,000 players to be involved in a single battle. This only developed over the years as player-led organizations emerged and wars broke out.
Hilmar Petursson explains that 5,000 concurrent players are just about acceptable, but 6,000 already exceeds the limit.
https://youtu.be/5bMb68y2mv4
What is being done about this problem? CCP Games wants to improve EVE. To this end, the company briefly collaborated with the startup Hadean to jointly enhance this experience. However, this was only an experiment, with more to follow until a way is found to offer a modern EVE.
There can be no EVE Online 2
What does the future hold? Hilmar Petursson compares working on EVE Online to building and managing an entire city. That is why it is not easy for CCP Games to work on further EVE games, such as the online shooter Project Nova. Taking care of a city and ensuring it runs is already difficult enough.
Building a second city and connecting both is even harder. For this reason, there can also be no EVE Online 2. The “city” must run and continue to develop.
The premium Raid Passes, on the right of the picture, can now be deleted.
It sounds strange that someone would want to voluntarily delete such an item. After all, you don’t get it for free.
Here is why players want to delete the Raid Passes: Raid Passes are often received in offer boxes. So if you like to hatch eggs, you buy such a box and also receive Raid Passes.
But if you hardly do any raiding, you don’t use these passes and they accumulate in the bag. Now you can delete them and clear your bag again. So if you hardly raid, you can now empty your bag.
What do the players say about this: On Twitter, the user “TheLateGreatZK” shows a picture of his over 600 Raid Passes and writes: “Because so many people have asked why you would want to delete your Raid Passes. This is the reason: You buy boxes for other items and end up with Raid Passes that fill your bag!”
Many players are happy about this feature
“Pycrow” writes on Reddit: “My friend, who regularly buys boxes in the shop, but cannot raid because he lives in the countryside, will love this feature!”
What do the critics say? Some players do not understand why one would want to delete Raid Passes and find the function useless.
As “shilaluddin” writes on Twitter: “I pay for my Raid Passes, so why should I delete them??”
You should keep an eye out for Scyther, because the shiny rate is higher:
The developers at Treyarch have revealed when one of the most popular modes – “Hot Pursuit” for Blackout – will finally return in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
What is the return of Hot Pursuit about? When Treyarch unexpectedly removed the “Hot Pursuit” mode from Blackout in early April without announcement, there was a huge uproar among fans.
Many could not understand this step and demanded the swift return of Hot Pursuit. For many, it was one of the most popular modes, which was also advertised as a seasonal highlight for “Blackout“.
Treyarch yielded and brought the mode back, but shortly removed it again – much to the anger and confusion of many fans, who vented their frustrations again on Reddit. Now Treyarch has responded more quickly, and the return of the popular mode is imminent.
When is Hot Pursuit supposed to return? In one of the latest Reddit posts, where fans demanded the return of this format, the official Treyarch account spoke up yesterday, on April 22, and announced that the Hot Pursuit mode will make its return on Tuesday, April 23, in Blackout.
No specific time was given, but it’s reasonable to expect it around 7 PM our time. This is the usual time for new updates and content in Black Ops 4.
How long you can enjoy Hot Pursuit is unclear. Currently, this mode rotates with other limited-time formats. However, more and more fans are calling for a permanent stay. Whether and how the developers will respond to this criticism and demands remains to be seen.
Why was Hot Pursuit removed in the first place? Few fans could comprehend the removal of this popular game mode. Some players speculated that it might have been an attempt to force players onto the new Alcatraz map of Blackout. However, this map was too small for Hot Pursuit. Treyarch did not explain this step.
What is Hot Pursuit? The special mode “Hot Pursuit” was introduced with the Operation Grand Heist.
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In Black Ops 4: Blackout, you can chase supply drops with high-tier loot or cash in the style of cops and robbers using fast muscle cars.
Other players could use police cars to spot their opponents more quickly. During the “cops and robbers” gameplay, wild shootouts occurred from the cars.
The massive gaming market in China has been stagnating for months. New regulations have now been issued that games must adhere to if they want a license for China. It seems the government is tightening the reins.
That has long been the situation: For many years, China was regarded as an untouched “goldmine” for western game developers. A vast market waiting to be tapped.
However, to make money with games in China, one needs a “license” issued by a Chinese government agency. It hasn’t been entirely clear what the rules are for granting this license.
It was long the practice for western companies to seek a Chinese partner to obtain such a license:
For instance, Blizzard partnered with NetEase and altered games like Diablo 3 or WoW to obtain a license
Developers are encouraged to portray Chinese values and culture in a way that casts China in a favorable light. This is apparently to ensure that China comes across well when the game becomes an international success.
Why is China doing this? According to Feng Shixin, the Deputy Director of the “Publishing Bureau of the Central Propaganda Department”, online games in China generate 30 billion US dollars a year. China has 600 million players. (via Venturebeat)
The gaming industry has grown so rapidly that the country’s regulations could not keep pace.
What impact will the new rules have? Experts believe that the limit on the approval of new games will hit especially “smaller studios” in China hard, which are not yet established in the market.
Smaller studios may also struggle to adapt to the new rules. They might find it challenging to implement “anti-addiction measures” as Tencent has already done.
Many teams without financial backing have already been killed by the months-long halt, as Asian expert Daniel Ahmad told Techcrunch .
Western firms believed that the large Chinese companies had so much influence over the government that they were safe from trouble when collaborating with them. After all, they were part of the committees.
There was also concern that children could become addicted. Particularly “Arena of Valor,” a mobile version of LoL, made headline news in China for people completely succumbing to their gaming addiction, like a form of digital opium.
These are the new rules: By now, nine months later, the Chinese government agency has introduced a new process for approving games. It is clear that they are tightening the reins:
It is said that they want to control the number of newly approved games
Fewer variations of poker and Mahjong are supposed to go online – in 2017, 37% of the 8,561 approved games were variations of poker and Mahjong
Additionally, there should be new “anti-addiction measures” – These will limit how much time and money one can spend on games
Browser games must now be approved just like other games
The new “Online and Gaming” committee will decide whether games meet China’s “social values”
Blood will be completely banned – it is no longer sufficient to just change the color
Corpses may no longer be displayed
Games may not deal with the imperial history of China – this apparently concerns two genres “gongdou,” intrigue in the harem, and “guandou,” palace intrigue. Both are popular settings in China that appear in TV series (via techcrunch) – this relates to sex and corruption in politics, which is something China does not want.
The registration process will be more specific. Companies will need to submit more and detailed information about their game in advance
Developers are encouraged to portray Chinese values and culture in a way that casts China in a favorable light. This is apparently to ensure that China comes across well when the game becomes an international success.
Why is China doing this? According to Feng Shixin, the Deputy Director of the “Publishing Bureau of the Central Propaganda Department”, online games in China generate 30 billion US dollars a year. China has 600 million players. (via Venturebeat)
The gaming industry has grown so rapidly that the country’s regulations could not keep pace.
What impact will the new rules have? Experts believe that the limit on the approval of new games will hit especially “smaller studios” in China hard, which are not yet established in the market.
Smaller studios may also struggle to adapt to the new rules. They might find it challenging to implement “anti-addiction measures” as Tencent has already done.
Many teams without financial backing have already been killed by the months-long halt, as Asian expert Daniel Ahmad told Techcrunch .
Developer Bioware has announced that the new patch for Anthem including Stronghold is set to be released today, April 23. The server status for Anthem will be offline during maintenance. Here’s what’s in the update.
This is what Bioware announced: Recently, Global Community Lead Andrew Johnson announced that Anthem will receive a new update.
Here’s what you need to know about the patch and the maintenance.
An Interceptor in action
No patch notes yet, all about the server maintenance
When will the update be released? The patch is expected to go online after server maintenance on April 23.
When will the servers be offline? The maintenance is scheduled to run from 14:00 to 19:00.
By around 19:00, we should be able to play Anthem again.
What’s in the update? In addition to the new Stronghold The Sunken Cell, there will also be some bug fixes and “other improvements”. The patch notes will be released later today.
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Lineage is one of the oldest and most successful MMORPGs – at least in Asia. Since 1998, a subscription has been required to play. However, this will change soon.
What is Lineage? The MMORPG Lineage was launched in 1998 and developed by Jake Song, who is now working on ArcheAge. The enormous success of the classic online role-playing game helped NCSoft to start its victorious march on the market. Lineage was the first MMORPG to reach more than one million subscribers.
Even today, the game is still so popular in South Korea that it generates significant revenue for NCSoft every quarter.
It is a fairly classic MMORPG where you set out with friends to hunt monsters and improve your character over time.
The conquest of castles plays a significant role, as it allows control over the fortress and the ability to set prices for items in the region.
It is played from a 2D isometric perspective, similar to Diablo 3.
The veteran Lineage is still extremely popular in Asia today, much more so than many AAA MMOs.
What is changing now? As NCSoft announced, Lineage will switch its business model from subscription to Free2Play.
When will the switch happen? Starting on May 2, the MMORPG will be available in Korea as a Free2Play game.
Why is it being switched? In March, a remastered version of Lineage was released in South Korea. This brought higher resolution textures and other modernizations. However, to make the game more modern and aligned with today’s player habits, the payment model must now also be adjusted.
Free2Play as a business model is significantly more widespread in Asia than the subscription model. The new version of Lineage is expected to adapt accordingly.
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What special features does this switch offer? Just about six months ago, NCSoft stated that Lineage would not switch to a Free2Play model. However, it is now happening.
It is said that the sale of in-game items will bring NCSoft at least as much money as the subscription. For example, an EXP booster called Einhasad’s Favor has been announced, which analysts believe will ensure that NCSoft does not miss the subscription revenue.
How are players reacting? Here, Lineage actually plays hardly any role. In the USA and Europe, it is not officially playable. However, there are some fans of the MMORPG who are also happy about the remaster, but the switch to Free2Play is hardly a topic in the West.
Lineage 2 is a bigger topic since there are also official “Western” servers for this MMORPG.
The streaming service Twitch had long the category “The Joy of Sex”. But now the category has been closed. The streamer Sodapoppin is up in arms.
That’s why this category exists at all: In 1993, a game called “The Joy of Sex” was actually released – hence there is also a Twitch category for it. It was an educational game for the “Philips CD-i” platform.
But without much warning, the category has now been removed by Twitch.
That’s why the category is controversial: It is known that Twitch has a strict policy against “sexuality” on stream.
The rules clearly prohibit sexual content. Streamers know that they will run into trouble if they show any images on Twitch that are perceived as “sexual”. Even revealing too much skin in the wrong places can lead to trouble and bans.
Nevertheless, there was the category “The Joy of Sex” for years, which seemed to completely contradict Twitch’s idea. Because the enjoyment of sex should not be a big topic.
Streamers used the category for testing and indie streams
This is how the category was used: As the site Kotaku reports, streamers primarily used “The Joy of Sex” to have fun or to test their stream setup.
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The streamer is sad that Twitch deleted his testing environment.
In this category, it was neither about sex nor about the actual game, but it was a kind of internal Twitch joke, where even the category title likely piqued viewers’ curiosity.
A major streamer, Chance “Sodapoppin” Morris (2.5 million followers), regularly used the category and spent about 122 hours in it since 2017. He used “Joy of Sex” to stream indie games that did not yet have their own category on Twitch.
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This is what the streamer says: In a live stream, Sodapoppin now says:
“What? They removed The Joy of Sex from Twitch. I will make a fuss. Be damned quiet. Do you have any idea how damn proud I am that I have streamed the most time under ‘The Joy of Sex’? I have worked for that. And to take it away from me randomly… I swear, man. Why? That was my area!”
In Destiny 2 the Iron Banner is coming in April. We have summarized all the important information about the start time and the loot, as well as some new details about the future of the PvP event for you.
When does the April Iron Banner take place? Although the Spring event “The Indulgence” is currently in full swing, another event is coming this week – the Iron Banner.
Starting from the weekly reset on April 23, Guardians can compete in the crucible under the strict watch of Lord Saladin until April 30.
Which mode is active? During the Iron Banner, you play in a 6vs6 format. The mode is Control, where you must capture and hold zones.
Are you still working on the Thorn? The exotic quest for the hand cannon Thorn sends you into the crucible in the step “Transform the Unknown into a Weapon”. There, you need to eliminate Guardians with Void energy or hand cannons.
In the Iron Banner (and in competitive PvP), progress is increased. So if you still need to complete this step, a visit to the Iron Banner might be worth it.
These rewards can be earned in the April Iron Banner
Powerful Items: First, Lord Saladin has 7 weekly bounty quests that will reward you with a powerful reward upon completion – a good opportunity to secure additional powerful loot alongside the weekly routine.
The Weapons: Completing these bounties unlocks additional items in the Iron Lord’s inventory, which you can then buy directly from him. As weapons, you can acquire the Scout Rifle Aclaws and the Rocket Launcher Bear’s Roar.
Additionally, you still have this and during the next Iron Banner time to secure a kind of pinnacle weapon of the Iron Banner – the masterwork version of the Iron Banner fusion rifle “The Clever Rebuke” with curated rolls.
Furthermore, after each match, you have a chance at crucible and Iron Banner items.
Armor Pieces: Throughout Season 6, you can earn pieces of the Iron Symmachy sets for your Guardians in the Iron Banner:
New Emblem: In Season 6, you can secure a special Iron Banner emblem. If you achieve 2,500 kills while Iron Burden is active, you will receive the “Heavy as Death” badge.
Keep in mind that this emblem can only be earned during Season 6. The recently introduced Iron Burden will not return in Season 7 per community feedback.
Anduin Wrynn will be the next hero in Heroes of the Storm. We reveal what the heartthrob from Stormwind can do.
After weeks of waiting, the developers of Heroes of the Storm have finally introduced their next hero. However, the surprise might have failed, as the character was leaked a few weeks ago. Anduin Wrynn will be the new hero in Heroes of the Storm.
Who is Anduin Wrynn? In World of Warcraft, Anduin is currently the High King of the Alliance and King of Stormwind. He leads the people of humans. His father was Varian Wrynn, who died in battle against the Legion. Although Anduin initially pursued the path of a priest, he took up his father’s sword after his father’s death and is not completely clumsy in battle – especially because he can use strong light abilities.
Anduin’s abilities in HotS: In Heroes of the Storm, Anduin is a classic healer. He has supportive and healing abilities and can also apply control effects to enemies. Let’s take a quick look at his abilities:
Leap of Faith: Anduin pulls an ally to himself, landing them at his feet. The ally is unstoppable during the journey.
Flash Heal: After a casting time of 0.75 seconds, an allied hero is healed.
Divine Star: A wave of light is sent out, dealing damage to all enemies and then returning to Anduin, healing allies in a larger radius.
Penance: Sends out a wave of light that damages the first enemy hero and roots them for 1.25 seconds.
Word of Salvation: His first heroic ability is a powerful heal. After 0.5 seconds of casting time, Anduin channels the light for three seconds. Nearby allies regenerate up to 25% of their health and are protected as long as they stay close.
Light Bomb: His second heroic ability is a bit more offensive. Anduin fills a target with light. After 1.5 seconds, the target explodes, dealing damage to all nearby enemies and stunning them for 1.25 seconds. The target receives a shield for 5 seconds that absorbs more damage based on how many enemy heroes were hit.
The trolling abilities from WoW: Particularly cool is that Anduin has Leap of Faith. This was already a ability in World of Warcraft that could be used to troll teammates or protect them from damage. There will surely be many funny YouTube clips where players show each other the “great” maneuvers they accomplished with Leap of Faith.
Currently, Anduin is on the PTR and can be tested there. Typically, it takes one to two weeks before a new hero transitions to the live version of the game.
What do you think of Anduin? Are you still playing Heroes of the Storm?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
We have compiled for you the biggest and most interesting references from every main Final Fantasy that appear in Final Fantasy XIV.
Final Fantasy XIV is so packed with Easter eggs and elements from other FF games that you don’t even know where to start. This MMORPG is an amusement park, and long-time fans of the series will discover something familiar around every corner.
In addition to countless NPCs, enemies, items, weapons, and place names, there are also larger references and Easter eggs that you will discover in FFXIV.
In this article, you will find Easter eggs for every main FF game that came before FFXIV.
Final Fantasy I – Warriors of Light
The four starter classes of FFI
Who are the Warriors of Light in FFI? The most prominent reference to FFI in the MMORPG is the designation of the player character as “Warriors of Light”.
In the very first game of the Final Fantasy series, the Warriors of Light were four young people who appeared one day in the kingdom of Cornelia. Their goal is to restore the balance between light and darkness in the world. To do this, they must defeat the chaos of fire, water, earth, and air, which have tainted the crystals.
Who are the Warriors of Light in FFXIV? In FFXIV, the term “Warriors of Light” was initially used to refer to the player characters present in version 1.0 of the MMORPG.
The “Meteor Survivor” character stands in cinematics as a representative of the player characters
These were adventurers who defended the city-states of Eorzea during the decisive battle against the Empire of Garlemald. When the people of Eorzea tried to remember the faces of these adventurers, they only saw figures in dazzling light. Hence the name “Warriors of Light”.
Throughout the story of Final Fantasy XIV, however, all player characters are referred to as such because they are the chosen ones of the goddess Hydaelyn.
More references from FFI:
Witch Matoya and her brooms are NPCs from FFI. The music that plays in her cave is also from FFI.
The final boss of Tam-Tara, Grand King Galvanth, is a Pisco demon from FFI.
Boss Chaos from the Omega raid is the final boss of FFI. During his DPS check, he summons a dark crystal that could be found in the Chaos Shrine.
Final Fantasy II – Wild Rose
Princess Hilda gives Firion the password “Wild Rose”
What is “Wild Rose” in FFII? The “Wild Rose” rebellion plays a central role in the story of FFII. It is a group of resistance fighters led by Princess Hilda of Fynn.
Firion, the main character of Final Fantasy II, joins the rebels to aid them in their struggle against the evil Empire of Palamecia. Hilda then reveals to him the password that the rebels use to recognize each other. The password is, of course, “Wild Rose”.
What is “Wild Rose” in FFXIV? Just like the rebels of the Wild Rose in FFII, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn play a central role in Final Fantasy XIV. The members of the Scions stand up against the Empire of Garlemald, which is a strong parallel to FFII.
Minfilia is one of the main NPCs in FFXIV and will play a significant role in the upcoming expansion Shadowbringers
The password that members use to identify themselves is “Wild Rose”. Players receive it from Minfilia, the leader of the Scions.
More references from FFII:
The battle music from Final Fantasy II is used in several places in FFXIV.
The outfit of Firion is a veteran reward.
Just like the Empire of Palamecia, the Garleans use Dreadnought-class airships.
Final Fantasy III – The Crystal Tower
The Crystal Tower from Final Fantasy III
What is the Crystal Tower in FFIII? In the story of Final Fantasy III, the Crystal Tower is the residence of the evil mage Xande. Xande could not bear the thought of eventually having to die and went insane.
He decided to destroy the balance between light and darkness. This would lead to the extinguishing of the crystals and cause time to cease to exist. Thus, Xande would never have to die.
Xande chose the Crystal Tower because the balance between light and darkness was most distorted there.
What is the Crystal Tower in FFXIV? In the MMORPG, there is an entire raid series built around the Crystal Tower. It was built thousands of years ago by the fallen Empire of Allag and originally served as an energy source.
In Final Fantasy XIV, players can raid the Crystal Tower.
After the first emperor of Allag, Xande, was revived and seized power in the Empire again, he made a pact with the Voidsent, Cloud of Darkness.
The insane emperor wanted to open a portal to the land of darkness so that the massive Voidsent could spread death and destruction everywhere. But while opening the portal, the ground beneath the Crystal Tower gave way and buried the emperor along with the tower.
In the upcoming expansion Shadowbringers, the Crystal Tower will play an even more important role.
More references from FFIII:
The airship from FFIII and Cid’s ship from FFXIV are both named “Enterprise”.
Doga and Unei are NPCs involved in the events surrounding the Crystal Tower in both games.
FFIII NPCs Desch and Selina are mentioned in a quest about the Sky Pillar.
Also in FFIII, there are Warriors of Darkness. They defend their world against the onslaught of light.
Final Fantasy IV – Dragoon Armor
Dragoon armor of Kain from FFIV
Dragoon armor from FFXIV
Where does the signature armor of the Dragoons come from? As one of the main characters of FFIV, Kain played a central role in the RPG. He was the leader of the Dragoons, who were subordinate to the king of Baron.
As a Dragoon, he wore special armor that set him apart from other warriors. This armor has been faithfully recreated in Final Fantasy XIV and is worn by the Dragoons of Ishgard.
When inactive in-game for a long time, male Dragoon characters assume the same pose as Kain in Final Fantasy IV. It is also shown in the official artwork for Dragoons.
More references from FFIV:
The housing area “Mist Village” is simply called Mist in English. That was the name of the summoners’ village in FFIV.
Calcabrina is a boss that appears in both games.
The Tantra armor set of the monks is based on Yang’s outfit from FFIV.
The boss Mist Dragon from the Kargland dungeon is also a boss and later a summon from FFIV.
Final Fantasy V – Exdeath
The main characters of FFV encounter Exdeath multiple times on their journey.
Who is Exdeath in FFV? The origin of Exdeath is explained in the backstory of FFV. Long ago, humans decided to banish all evil spirits to a forest and seal them in a tree there.
The concentrated evil inside the tree eventually condensed, after many years, into the humanoid being Exdeath, who became the main antagonist of Final Fantasy V.
Who is Exdeath in FFXIV? In the Omega raid of FFXIV, Exdeath, as well as his stronger form, Neo Exdeath, is one of the final bosses that players must defeat.
In FFXIV, players fight in the raid against both Exdeath and his final form Neo Exdeath.
Omega created Exdeath from the data it gathered about the legends and myths of the world. It searched for powerful beings to challenge the player characters.
More references from FFV:
The enemy Gilgamesh from FFV can be fought multiple times in FFXIV and plays an important role in the stories surrounding Hildibrand.
As in FFV, players can fight against the Siren on the ship graveyard during the story of FFXIV.
FFV character Krile Mayer Baldesion is one of the main NPCs in FFXIV. Her grandfather Galuf plays an important role in the story surrounding Eureka.
Bosses like Calofisteri, Halicarnassus, Byblos, Alte Roite, and many others appear in both games.
Final Fantasy VI – Kingdom of Doma
The army of Emperor Gestahl besieges the castle of Doma, and Cyan stands against them.
What is Doma in FFVI? In the story of FFVI, the Empire under Emperor Gestahl sets out to conquer neighboring kingdoms with the help of Magitec.
One of these kingdoms is Doma. During the siege of the castle of Doma, Kefka poisons the drinking water, killing a large portion of the castle’s inhabitants.
Among them is the family of Cyan, one of the main characters of Final Fantasy VI, who subsequently joins the resistance against the Empire.
What is Doma in FFXIV? For the first time, players visit Doma during the Stormblood expansion. It is a kingdom that has suffered under the rule of the Empire of Garlemald for many years.
During FFXIV: Stormblood, Hien reclaims the kingdom of Doma from the Garleans and becomes its king.
Together with the prince of Doma, Hien, players manage to liberate the kingdom and strengthen it against further invasion from the Empire.
Hien is the son of the late king, Kaien. “Kaien” is the Japanese spelling of Cyan.
More references from FFVI:
Magitek technology and many machines of the Empire of Garlemald are modeled after the originals from FFVI.
The raid Omega: Sigmascape centers around bosses from FFVI.
The airship Blackjack from Setzer appears in a quest of the Wild tribe of the Ixal.
Azys La is based on the Flying Continent from FFVI.
The character Ultros can be fought along with his friend Typhoon in the Hildibrand storyline.
Overview of the survey: The website fifplay.com has listed several leagues for voting that are not in FIFA 19. They want to know from the fans which of the leagues on the ballot should be included in FIFA 20.
The survey includes numerous leagues from around the world, from the German regional leagues, the fourth highest league, to the “Trinidad & Tobago League”, there is a lot on the list.
Although this is not an official survey, developer EA Sports is likely taking a close look, as over 2.2 million fans have participated as of April 22.
The 10 Most Desired Leagues
The top 10 represent 39% of the total votes as of April 22 at 16:28. These include, for example, the Mexican, Indonesian, and German Women’s Bundesliga.
This is the current top 10 of the survey:
Indonesian League – Go-Jek Liga 1 (6%, 140,044 votes)
Malaysian League – Super Malaysian League (6%, 139,671 votes)
Finnish League – Veikkausliiga (6%, 135,317 votes)
Romanian League – Liga 1 (4%, 77,692 votes)
Mexican 2nd League – Ascenso MX (3%, 77,142 votes)
Israeli League – Ligat ha’Al (3%, 72,070 votes)
United Arab Emirates – UAE Premier Division (3%, 68,648 votes)
Greek League – Super League (3%, 61,381 votes)
Allianz Women’s Bundesliga (3%, 60,228 votes)
Qatari League – Qatar Stars League (2%, 53,442 votes)
The Indonesian and Malaysian leagues are very close together with nearly 500 votes, while the Women’s Bundesliga, despite being in 9th place, does not even have half as many votes.
Following Qatar are the Brazilian, Lebanese, and Vietnamese leagues.
How are such results possible? It is hard to say. FIFA has a massive global reach and is played in almost every country. Many fans would like to see their own leagues in a spin-off.
Could one of these leagues be added soon? Only Electronic Arts can say for sure. However, EA has always added new leagues over time. A notable example was in FIFA 18 the 3rd German Bundesliga.
However, whether we will actually see a German Women’s Bundesliga is questionable. So far, there are only the women’s national teams in FIFA 19, so a league system would have to be introduced.
Which league would you like to see? Feel free to write in the comments.
In The Division 2, there are 4 different enemy factions in total. To ensure they are sufficiently distinct and remain exciting, the creators have done a lot.
This is what the developers want to achieve: Just like in The Division 1, you will encounter 4 different factions throughout The Division 2.
These differ in many aspects, such as their story, appearance, but also behavior and equipment. The factions are the
In the predecessor, there was often criticism that these factions did not differ enough from each other.
Therefore, the enemies in The Division 2 have been given significant adjustments.
Black Tusk is technically superior to the other factions
Many factors determine enemy behavior
What determines how a faction behaves? The developers have included 4 different main factors that define the behavior of the various enemy types, known as “Faction Differentiation”:
Aggression – Aggressive/Defensive: Determines how aggressively or defensively enemies charge at you. The Hyenas charge at you more aggressively, while Black Tusk acts more cautiously and keeps its distance.
Organization – Organized/Disorganized: This factor determines how coordinated enemies are. Do they warn each other? Here, for example, True Sons and Black Tusk are superior to Hyenas and Outcasts.
Training – Untrained/Trained/Highly trained: This is often noticeable in the movements of the enemies. Hyenas often stumble over their own feet in a hurry, while Outcasts and True Sons are more agile. Only Black Tusk is highly trained.
Tech – Low/Medium/High/Very High: What technical aids are used in combat? True Sons rely more on firepower, while Black Tusk uses, for example, robotic dogs and various drone variants.
In addition to these factors, the types of enemies come into play. Here too, the developers took measures to avoid overlaps.
These factors determine enemy behavior. Source: PCGames Hardware
Sniper is not the same as sniper
This is how the enemies provide enough variety: In The Division 2, there are approximately double the number of enemy variants with 64 different types compared to The Division 1, according to Ubisoft.
To ensure they sufficiently differ from one another, each archetype, such as Tank, Sniper, or Technician, has been specially tailored for each faction.
For example, Outcast snipers use bows with explosive arrows, while other sniper types use traditional sniper rifles. They can lie down or use drones.
Enemies react more credibly
What else has been improved? Additionally, the developer has given NPCs significantly more freedom of movement and animation. Hit feedback has been improved, and enemies are now actively disrupted in their movement by your shots.
In critical situations, enemies also have more reaction options, which should help avoid the same situations in regular combat. They are more agile and take cover faster. Additionally, they communicate with each other.
Your group will hear the same dialogues between enemies, which was not the case in the first part.
To counteract the persistent bullet sponge issue from The Division 1, enemies now die significantly faster. Tougher enemies, however, have reinforced armor.
What was wrong with the bullet sponges? A major criticism of The Division 1 was that enemies could take too many bullets.
It just felt wrong for many to shoot 3 magazines at an enemy without real armor before they fall. Now specific parts must be destroyed to take them down.
If you, for example, shoot a helmet off an enemy, the way is clear, and you can quickly take them out with headshots. This is how The Division 2 aims to ensure that enemies do not seem too bulletproof.
Mechagon will be a pure grind fest in Patch 8.2 of World of Warcraft. At least Cortyn is really looking forward to it.
The topic of “Grinding” is quite a controversial term in MMORPGs. In the past, many games were based on grinding for hours or even several days at the same spot – that is, killing the same enemies over and over again. In many MMORPGs, this was the only way to level up. Today, the term is frowned upon by many and embodies boredom. But not for me.
Those who follow MeinMMO closely might remember an article from a few months ago, where I explained that I miss the grind in World of Warcraft. As if Blizzard had heard my wish, the new island “Mechagon” is coming in Patch 8.2 Rise of Azshara and will be a true grind paradise.
Robots gnomes are waiting in Mechagon.
Only little mandatory content in Mechagon: When entering Mechagon for the first time, players will receive a small introductory questline and a handful of rotating daily missions every day. However, this takes only a maximum of 30-40 minutes per day before one can “check off” Mechagon if they’re just looking for the reputation needed for flying in Battle for Azeroth. Once that’s unlocked, players might turn their backs on the island.
So many goals, so much time: Mechagon is full of goals that each player can set for themselves.
Scrap as currency on Mechagon: Almost every enemy in Mechagon leaves behind a handful of scrap. This is practically a new currency that you can use to unlock a ton of things in the main camp. And when I say “a ton,” I really mean a lot. Although not everything is currently available on the PTR, according to the achievement, there are nearly 40 unlocks. These can be cool mounts, like mechanical saber cats, or temporary power-ups that allow you to fly on Mechagon with a jetpack before it’s unlocked for the whole account.
You can unlock a lot with this robot. At first it’s little, but you’ll always find new blueprints.
These upgrades have fluctuating costs. Some cost only about 50 pieces of scrap, while others can go for 2,000 scrap and more, making them quite “expensive”. Anyone wanting to have it all will need to farm for days, if not weeks.
A little overview of Mechagon is provided by this video from YouTuber SignsOfKelani:
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Everyone can grind as much as they want: The cool thing is that Mechagon has no time-gating (aside from the unlocking of the dungeon after a few days). This means there is basically no content that you have to wait a long time for before it’s available. If you want, you can work towards a beloved mount right on the first day or search for a special pet you fell in love with weeks before the patch.
Secrets without end: However, Mechagon is more than just pure grinding, as there are also many secrets to discover. This thematically reminds me strongly of the Timeless Isle. There are abandoned Gnomish machines that you have to feed with scrap to get them running again. Then these machines begin to burrow into a mountain while being attacked by enemies. If you can protect the machine until the end, a cave will be revealed that contains a particularly rare enemy and a treasure chest with some extremely valuable (Mechagon) resources.
Mechagon is about the same size as the Timeless Isle.
Many puzzles and small riddles can be found on the island, and it will certainly take many days to discover and memorize everything. I wouldn’t be surprised if the WoW team has included one of the large puzzles in the style of collective consciousness here again.
Why is grinding so great? For me personally, grinding is a form of relaxation. If I can just slay enemies for half an hour and make very small steps toward a goal, that relaxes me. You can listen to an audiobook or let some YouTuber chatter away in your ear.
Above all, it’s a goal that I can pursue at my own pace in World of Warcraft. I can decide whether I want to farm some scrap pieces for just 5 minutes today or whether I want to plow through Mechagon for the next 6 hours to free all mechanical life forms of their spare parts.
There are no artificial restrictions, no mechanics that tell me “You have already collected 500 scrap today, you can collect more tomorrow.” I really miss that. I am really glad that Mechagon will be exactly what I have been missing in World of Warcraft for a few months now.
Hours of just casting and killing and casting and killing and casting and killing … and sometimes looting.
In summary, Mechagon seems to be exactly what I wished for. A small but fine area full of farming opportunities. However, most of it is just “fluff” and little things that progress players don’t need. Thus, nobody is forced to go to Mechagon, and those who do not enjoy it can simply turn back after a handful of quests.
However, those who find joy or relaxation in long grinds and want to see steady progress while working towards that one mount or toy are likely to find their happiness in Mechagon for quite a while. I will definitely be one of those players.
Are you looking forward to Mechagon and all the small things that can be unlocked through grinding? Or will you ignore the island and prefer to stay away from such an area?
Generally, there is a lot of good in Patch 8.2, so the mood in the community is improving:
In fact, the superhero MMORPG City of Heroes was supposed to have been shut down since 2012. However, after it became known that City of Heroes could still be played on unofficial private servers, a lot has happened around these private servers.
SCORE offers its members the opportunity to restore old characters from the original City of Heroes so that fans can simply continue where they left off.
This caused an outcry in the community, as many players who were not invited felt overlooked. They thought the community would stick together and were disappointed that they didn’t know anything about SCORE.
This is what has happened now: An independent group of fans from SCORE operator Leandro Pardini has now also gained access to the source code of the private server of City of Heroes.
The exact circumstances of how this happened are not entirely clear. As MassivelyOP reports, the code was uploaded to a Discord server and then spread. However, the code does not contain the complete game. It still needs to be developed further to function.
Meanwhile, the group has already created a test server from the code, and according to MassivelyOP, over 8000 players have registered for it in just a few days. Currently, however, the server can only support 2500 players at the same time.
While it was possible to restore your old character in SCORE, this will likely not be the case in the new project. One of the team members announced this on Discord. Whether SCORE itself will continue to operate has not been confirmed or denied.
What does this mean for fans? For fans of the original game, this means that they might soon regain access to a City of Heroes. In a post on reddit, some fans shared information about the server.
NCSoft, the operator of the original City of Heroes, has apparently become aware of the situation but has not yet reacted. Until a decision comes from NCSoft, the private servers remain in a gray area.
Where does the fascination with City of Heroes come from? City of Heroes was an MMORPG in which players could take on the roles of superheroes and supervillains.
Instead of using conventional classes and skills, City of Heroes worked with superpowers. These could be coordinated in battles together with other heroes against gigantic opponents, creating a unique dynamic.
For many fans, there has been no replacement for this type of superhero game since the end of City of Heroes.
Do you also have an old MMORPG that you still celebrate?
With its now nine legends, Apex Legends offers a wide selection of different characters. However, not all of them are equally strong, and players perceive one of them as particularly weak. The developers see it differently.
Which legend is it? It is Mirage. Mirage’s abilities include tricks and confusions of the opponent. He works with copies of himself and uses cloaking to lure enemies into traps or reveal their positions.
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In the reddit thread about the current patch, fans discuss that it would already be a buff for Mirage if his ultimate ability did less than it currently does. It would be stronger if he did not become invisible but remained visible. This way, opponents would not immediately know which one the real Mirage is.
That’s why there is no buff: However, in the same thread, a developer also responded to the criticism. According to Leeeeeee-RSPN, the win rate of Mirage does not indicate that he needs a buff.
Figures from early April show that Mirage is one of the least popular legends in Apex Legends. At the same time, he is also one of the legends with the highest win rate. Respawn currently sees no reason to buff him and has no plans in that direction.
Do you think Mirage needs a buff?
Console players apparently have quite different problems right now:
In Pokémon GO there are reports of a special Shiny rate for Scyther. It is said that this Pokémon appears Shiny in the wild more often than other Pokémon.
This is what players are saying about the Shiny: On Reddit numerous players have shared their results from Scyther nests. There, all trainers have found that the rate of encountering a Shiny seems to be significantly increased.
This is how the Shiny came into the game: With the Bug Event in April 2019, Scyther was first introduced as a Shiny. Since then, the Pokémon is seen rather rarely in the wild, mainly in nests.
With the Bug Event, Scyther was introduced as a Shiny
Why is the Shiny rate different here? Niantic had already used a different Shiny rate for Aerodactyl and Shuckle. Now it seems that Scyther has also been affected.
The official reason for Niantic’s rate changes is not known. It is suspected that it relates to the rarity of the Pokémon. Shuckle and Aerodactyl are quite rare in the wild, and Scyther is as well, outside nests.
What does the Shiny rate of Scyther mean now? If it indeed lies at 1 in 150, then it is quite high. Normally, you would need to click three times as many Pokémon to get a Shiny.
This is what the Shinys of Scyther and Scizor look like.
What does this mean for me now? If you have a Scyther nest in your city, you should definitely visit it. Clearly, you have the chance to obtain a rare Shiny.
It is not known if this rate will remain for a short time only or if it is a mistake. Therefore, you should take your chance and try to grab a Shiny Scyther. Currently, the odds are looking very good.
The best Pokémon of the 4th generation is still not in the game:
Albion Online has been Free2Play since April 10th. The entry is said to have been simplified by the latest updates. A good time for our author Alexander Leitsch to take a look at the MMORPG.
I have been accompanied by MMORPGs since I was eleven years old. Although I have played many different games over the years, Albion slipped under my radar due to its isometric perspective and graphics.
From Guild Wars 2, Black Desert, or ArcheAge, I am used to very intensive and detailed character creation. Races, classes, many options for appearance, and details like piercings or tattoos.
Albion Online forgoes exactly these details in character creation. The biggest adjustment for me is the class choice. There simply isn’t one. How you play your class ultimately depends on your equipment choice and the content unlocked on the Destiny Board.
But other details like races or elaborate character designs have also been omitted. You first choose from a selection of new avatars. These are always humans, but with adjusted appearances. Afterwards, you can still choose between details like skin color, hair color, body hair, and underwear.
Character creation in Albion Online gives no more details
From the start, everything revolves around grind
After character creation, you land on a small tutorial island. There you will get familiar with the controls and the first tasks. Even on this island, you should collect materials like wood and stone to craft armor and weapons.
These small quests show you directly where a significant part of the gameplay time in Albion Online will be spent. Because to unlock higher equipment tiers, you have to craft the lower equipment again and again.
But you also have to learn to equip your gear first. By killing many enemies with the lower equipment, you learn to be able to equip the higher gear.
All these functions and content come together on the Destiny Board. Those who understand the board know their tasks in Albion Online.
On the Destiny Board, you will find your skills
Step by step to higher tiers
After the starting area, quests eventually stop as well. From here on, it’s focus on the Destiny Board!
This is what the Destiny Board can do: Whether unlocking new crafting tiers, new equipment, or more difficult expeditions. Only those who grind the previous tiers reach a higher one. This is still fun in the first levels but quickly becomes monotonous.
For the highest tiers, you have to craft and identify items multiple times. After many hours of farming and crafting, I at least reached item tier 5 out of a possible 8 tiers. However, only in crafting.
Grind also when killing enemies: To be able to equip higher gear, you have to kill many enemies. These must be a certain level or above that level.
So far, however, I am not able to equip item tier 5. And that is mainly because I have hardly found any enemies.
The swordsmithing – many hours of grinding to reach tier 17 out of 100
Beautiful, vibrant world
The shift to Free2Play did Albion Online good. Suddenly there were queues and a huge number of players interested in the MMORPG. The world is now said to be even expanding.
However, the interest also has its price, especially when many players gather in the starting areas.
Players make the cities confusing: During my first attempt to reach the auction house, I took almost a minute to find the NPC. Not because he was hidden, but simply because so many players were standing by him.
Many players at the auction house
And the same awaited me in the areas. Finding and defeating enemies in the initial zones was almost impossible. Players kept rushing at the way too few mobs in my opinion.
You have to team up with other players to fully experience the content. This is especially true for PvP.
Arenas and GvGs: If the PvP in the open world doesn’t suffice, you can also participate in a more organized manner. There are PvP arenas, which again require a certain equipment tier.
In addition, individual guilds and alliances can control, conquer, and defend certain areas in the world. These areas comprise the endgame of the game alongside gathering materials and PvE dungeons.
Real money would make everything easier and faster
Exchanging gold for silver: Only towards the end of my test play did I actually break down and buy some gold. For 4.40 euros, you get the first package with 750 gold. This gold can be converted into silver, the in-game currency of Albion Online.
And for 750 gold, you get nearly 1 million silver. And what drama I’ve spared myself with that silver.
Advantages of a money boost at the start: If you carry too much weight in your inventory, you move slower. The same applies to the mount. However, if you want to utilize crafting well, you need many materials. A transport ox helps here. This mount has many more carrying capacities.
But for that, you first need the nearly 10,000 silver to afford the animal. The moments when I was missing a few materials to reach the next tier in crafting could also be comfortably solved with some silver.
You don’t want to know how often I have run between the open areas, the auction house, and the crafting stations, always on the verge of the weight limit. The mount is a must-have!
Premium character as the cherry on top: If you want to go even further, you buy a premium account. More learning points, more resource and harvest yield, more silver from mobs, and a fame bonus.
All very useful if you want to progress quickly and save time. However, such a premium status only applies to one character. Since you are not bound to any class, you can continually adjust that one according to your wishes.
My conclusion
Albion Online was more fun for me than I expected after the first few minutes. The graphics, controls, and grind had always kept me away from the MMORPG.
But while in Guild Wars 2, I sometimes don’t know what to do, the Destiny Board gives me a plethora of tasks. Although they are all connected to grind, those who enjoy having the carrot in front of them have plenty to do in Albion Online.
The PvP battles were exciting, and in the end, I won at least a few of them in the open world. Fairly, I must also admit that I haven’t ventured into the black zones yet.
The topic of real money keeps coming up in connection with Albion Online. A premium status is certainly helpful, but can theoretically also be achieved by exchanging in-game currency for gold. While you benefit from a small boost for a good mount and first equipment at the start, you can sell expensive materials in the endgame and secure the premium status for that. At least if you are willing to take on a bit of extra grind.
However, anyone looking for an MMORPG focused on PvP and who has no issues with losing their equipment will have a lot of fun in Albion Online. I, for one, will also try to further progress my character Sputtele in the coming weeks.
Pro
Good combat system
Logical and well-thought-out crafting
Diverse PvP systems
Always a carrot in front of your nose
Contra
Significant influence from real money purchases
You have to like the grind
No overarching story
Currently a bit overcrowded
The focus of the areas is primarily on resources, and you need to gather plenty of these to progress.
This is how I experienced the first battle against other players
For higher gear, you need higher resources. And to get higher resources, you will eventually have to venture into higher areas. Albion Online has a very easy to understand system:
The lower areas have a blue marking. There is no PvP here.
Higher areas are marked with a yellow marking. There you can optionally fight against each other.
The red areas are PvP areas. This is where the first action happens.
In black areas, it’s almost entirely about PvP.
The PvP in Albion Online is particularly interesting because it includes full loot. Who dies drops their equipment and the opponent can pick it up. This is incredibly annoying when you just equipped your first T4 gear.
My first experience was in a yellow area and is quite comical. I actually only wanted to chop a tree. But right in it stood a player. I clicked on him and accidentally attacked.
Before I knew it, the player of course retaliated. And I was powerless. When killed, you have two options:
Wait 3 minutes and respawn at the same spot
Respawn at a safe, distant location… and lose all equipment
I waited the three minutes, and kindly the other player did not strike again to loot me completely.
How I learned to fight in Albion Online
The Skills in Albion Online: In a fight, you can access four weapon skills and two utility skills in addition to the auto-attack. More are not available to you. Which skills you can use is determined by your equipment.
They depend both on the armor class and the selected weapon. In the inventory, you then have various skills to choose from by clicking on your equipment.
Skills and equipment in Albion Online
Dodging and Interrupting: Only in PvP and expeditions did I learn that you should evade enemy attacks through skillful movements or interrupts. The mobs from the first areas didn’t really demand that, which is why I got my ass kicked in my first PvP duel.
The entry into the combat system of Albion Online is initially quite relaxed. However, anyone who fights against other players should be familiar with both their skills and those of the opponent.
Housing and endgame of Albion Online
What is housing like in Albion? Also, shortly before writing this report I bought my own island. For this, you definitely need a premium account. You can gradually expand the island and build buildings there.
This includes houses that you can decorate, crafting buildings such as the smithy, and agricultural facilities like fields or herb gardens for food.
You will also need silver and a variety of materials to erect these buildings. You can access this island from the capitals. However, these often already have crafting buildings. As there is no bank and auction house on the island, I see no reason to buy it other than for personal design.
Additionally, you can acquire plots and houses in the cities themselves. However, since space is tight, you have to wait for auctions. And even though I haven’t seen any, the purchase will likely not be cheap.
Buying plots in Albion Online
The expeditions in Albion Online: I have had a lot of fun so far with the expeditions. These are dungeons that you can enter either alone or in a group from a city.
However, expeditions require certain equipment tiers, so you can’t experience all of them immediately. The lower tiers have been a lot of fun, though.
I have not been impressed by the difficulty so far. But that might still change at the higher tiers.
Random dungeons: However, what was not manageable in terms of difficulty were the randomly generated dungeons that came with the Oberon update in March. At least for me.
If I had had a group with other players, my run would probably have been much more successful. But that’s also one of the key points of Albion.
You have to team up with other players to fully experience the content. This is especially true for PvP.
Arenas and GvGs: If the PvP in the open world doesn’t suffice, you can also participate in a more organized manner. There are PvP arenas, which again require a certain equipment tier.
In addition, individual guilds and alliances can control, conquer, and defend certain areas in the world. These areas comprise the endgame of the game alongside gathering materials and PvE dungeons.
Real money would make everything easier and faster
Exchanging gold for silver: Only towards the end of my test play did I actually break down and buy some gold. For 4.40 euros, you get the first package with 750 gold. This gold can be converted into silver, the in-game currency of Albion Online.
And for 750 gold, you get nearly 1 million silver. And what drama I’ve spared myself with that silver.
Advantages of a money boost at the start: If you carry too much weight in your inventory, you move slower. The same applies to the mount. However, if you want to utilize crafting well, you need many materials. A transport ox helps here. This mount has many more carrying capacities.
But for that, you first need the nearly 10,000 silver to afford the animal. The moments when I was missing a few materials to reach the next tier in crafting could also be comfortably solved with some silver.
You don’t want to know how often I have run between the open areas, the auction house, and the crafting stations, always on the verge of the weight limit. The mount is a must-have!
Premium character as the cherry on top: If you want to go even further, you buy a premium account. More learning points, more resource and harvest yield, more silver from mobs, and a fame bonus.
All very useful if you want to progress quickly and save time. However, such a premium status only applies to one character. Since you are not bound to any class, you can continually adjust that one according to your wishes.
My conclusion
Albion Online was more fun for me than I expected after the first few minutes. The graphics, controls, and grind had always kept me away from the MMORPG.
But while in Guild Wars 2, I sometimes don’t know what to do, the Destiny Board gives me a plethora of tasks. Although they are all connected to grind, those who enjoy having the carrot in front of them have plenty to do in Albion Online.
The PvP battles were exciting, and in the end, I won at least a few of them in the open world. Fairly, I must also admit that I haven’t ventured into the black zones yet.
The topic of real money keeps coming up in connection with Albion Online. A premium status is certainly helpful, but can theoretically also be achieved by exchanging in-game currency for gold. While you benefit from a small boost for a good mount and first equipment at the start, you can sell expensive materials in the endgame and secure the premium status for that. At least if you are willing to take on a bit of extra grind.
However, anyone looking for an MMORPG focused on PvP and who has no issues with losing their equipment will have a lot of fun in Albion Online. I, for one, will also try to further progress my character Sputtele in the coming weeks.
Pro
Good combat system
Logical and well-thought-out crafting
Diverse PvP systems
Always a carrot in front of your nose
Contra
Significant influence from real money purchases
You have to like the grind
No overarching story
Currently a bit overcrowded
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
