World of Warcraft invites former players to take a look once again. The veterans are gifted a subscription for a few days. How to participate and make the most of the time is explained here.
However, there are some limitations. Those who did not purchase Battle for Azeroth will only have access to all content up to and including Legion. For the BfA content, there are only a few trial hours:
3 hours per character or
until the completion of “A Divided Nation” (Alliance) / “We Need Each Other” (Horde)
repeatable on up to 12 characters
However, those who already own Battle for Azeroth can enjoy all features. Only the subscription fee is waived for this period. A specific time for the end is still unknown.
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For former Legion players, this shouldn’t be too big of an adjustment. Players who stopped earlier might be quite confused. Much of the content that you discover before BfA will suddenly feel useless upon reaching Kul Tiras and Zandalar.
The capital of the Alliance in Kul Tiras: Boralus.
What should I experience? If you’re checking into WoW this weekend, you should make the most of the limited time and see as much as possible. We have some tips for you on how to get the most out of the free weekend.
familiarize yourself with the new abilities of your favorite class
These addons are helpful: If you want to experience Azeroth not just passively but also dive into the content, some addons make it much easier for you. A short list we recommend for the weekend:
Bagnon and Scrap – better inventory management and automatic selling of junk
Dominos – better control over action bars
OmniBar – overview of cooldowns of opponents in PvP
WoWQuote 2 – for funny quotes while leveling and exploring
Have you ever been to Washington D.C.? If not, a tour through The Division 2 is more than enough for a good first impression, says our author Sven.
What I love most about The Division 2: The world of The Division 2 has really captivated me. It is full of noteworthy places, exciting stories, countless details, and a lot of lovingly crafted little things.
Knowing the city along with numerous sights and locations from real life makes my virtual trip to Washington even more exciting.
This is how I play The Division 2: I believe I would have long been in the endgame if the game world were not so fantastic. New York was already great, but the implementation of Washington is a whole different level in my eyes.
Almost daily, I catch myself drifting completely away during a mission and taking a closer look at the mission location. Often, I even get so lost in the world of The Division 2 that I don’t even play it properly anymore.
I just wander around from one little thing to the next and admire the attention to detail that has gone into the game world.
How is Washington portrayed in The Division 2? The cool thing is: The virtual capital of the USA is so well and accurately modeled after its real counterpart that even years after my last visit, I can still find my way around and recognize certain locations that I have visited before.
Whether it’s the Capitol, the White House, the Washington Monument, Potomac Park, or the Lincoln Memorial. Many prominent places I can find even without a map.
A huge number of other players, who either live in Washington or have already visited, report on the incredibly accurate reproduction in the game. Many recognize their home, their workplace, or even the subway stations they use daily.
Seeing the whole thing in a post-apocalyptic interpretation creates an indescribable gaming sensation and gives me a lot of goosebumps. It feels as if I am truly returning to Washington after a massive catastrophe.
So now I walk some paths that I have also taken in real Washington, visiting some places I visited back then – almost everything is there! I even found one of my hotels right away. And my feeling tells me – you are back in D.C.! An experience and an immersion that has no equal in many years of gaming.
That’s why the museums are my major highlights: During my trips to Washington, I had the chance to visit numerous museums. I particularly remember the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of American History.
I was even more curious when I found out that both serve as locations for missions in The Division 2. When I was finally able to play them, I quickly realized: The implementation of both locations in the game is fantastic and feels very authentic.
National Museum of American History – The Vietnam area in the real museum
Especially the Vietnam area and the planetarium in the American History Museum are really convincingly modeled after the real locations within the museum.
National Museum of American History – The Vietnam area in the game (Source: Kotaku)
The large area where the final battle takes place in the Air & Space Museum is also cut from the same cloth as its real counterpart.
National Air and Space Museum (Source: Reddit)
So if you want to start a (albeit short) virtual tour of the coolest museums in Washington, you don’t necessarily have to fly to the USA.
National Air and Space Museum in the game (Source: Reddit)
The good thing is: You can not only virtually visit the museum, but also simultaneously experience two of the most exciting and diverse missions that The Division 2 currently has to offer.
Thus, in the American History mission, the setting changes with each section. From an exhibition, the battles lead you to a destroyed planetarium, into the jungle of Vietnam, or to Mars.
In the Air & Space Museum, you fight your way through the history of aviation and space flight amidst various aircraft, rockets, and the space shuttle.
What I’m looking forward to: What I’m particularly looking forward to is the Pentagon. This location is supposed to be introduced in the course of the first year in The Division 2. Because I have already admired parts of this building in real life and am curious about how the implementation in the game will turn out.
But for now, I’m first looking forward to my next short vacation in post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. and to more details that I will discover there. And to anyone who has ever been to Washington and hasn’t played The Division 2 yet, I recommend – give it a try if you enjoy such games. It is an unforgettable feeling.
On March 27, the servers will merge in the European version of Aion. This merger will result in overlaps in housing, which will lead to a property discussion in the forum.
Which servers will be merged? From the current nine servers, there will only be four in the future. There will still be a server specifically for German players and one for French players.
What problems arise from the merger? The merger leads to several conflicts:
If two characters have the same name, the character with the higher level will take precedence. If both characters are of the same level, the one that has been more active recently will prevail. If both were active, the older character keeps their name.
Players must independently decide which character will stay on the server and which will be transferred to another server.
While the developers have found good solutions for factions and character names, there is still discussion in the official forum about what should happen with housing.
Players discuss property prices
The solution for housing is to simply demolish all houses. Players will receive double the standard price for their property as compensation. However, some players are not satisfied with this.
Property prices fluctuated over time: As in real life, there have been fluctuations in currency in Aion over time.
Before the Patch 6.0., the currency Kinah was worth very little. Villas sometimes cost several billion Kinah. After the update, however, there was an adjustment to the currency. It has stabilized again.
Players are now receiving a very different value of the currency back through the new transfer than what they originally paid. This is particularly interesting for owners who purchased their villas long before patches 5.x.
At that time, Kinah was significantly more valuable, and property prices were still high. Apparently, there were exploits during another server connection.
Players demand currency conversion: A lot has been discussed about this topic in the German forum. Some players have requested that the date of property acquisition be considered and that the value be converted accordingly.
The user Shiemy writes:
My idea would be to give people THEIR KINAH AMOUNT back. HOWEVER, with the new 6.2 Kinah value.
In other words, if someone paid 1kkk, it would be converted like during the patch, to indicate how much NEW KINAH that would be. That way, everyone gets what belongs to them, no doubling nonsense / no exploit stuff.
Problem solved
A proper currency conversion will likely be difficult to implement and would probably cost a lot of developer time. The FAQ for the patch only refers to the current property values.
Moving gifts and acclimatization phase
To ensure a smooth transition to the new servers, the developers have announced an acclimatization phase.L
Limited server transfer: For the first three weeks, server transfers are prohibited. After that, the numbers will be evaluated and thresholds will be set.
These thresholds will then determine how many transfers will actually take place. If one of the new servers is overcrowded, it will be closed immediately.
Reset of PvP rankings: Due to the server merger, there will also be effects on PvP. Accordingly, the rankings will be reset on March 27.
Moving gifts: As a small incentive to check back into Aion after the merger, all players will receive the following content for free per account:
Two YouTubers called for a meeting of their fans on social channels in Berlin. This escalated into a mass brawl. The police are now criticizing the two influencers and urging them to be responsible with their influence. It cannot be that they incite events to generate more clicks and subscribers.
How did the mass brawl come about? The two YouTubers Bahar al amood (14,000 subscribers on YouTube) and ThatsBekir (260,000 subscribers) have apparently been in a dispute or “beef” for some time. Both regularly provide their community with videos.
In one of their
latest videos on YouTube and social channels like Instagram, they called for a fan meeting in Berlin at Alexanderplatz:
The meeting was supposed to take place on March 21 at 5 PM
A total of more than 400 fans showed up for the meeting
However, initial discussions between the two parties quickly turned into a scuffle
Over 50 people participated in the mass brawl
https://youtu.be/Hsuz_BJ1BoU
The fans reportedly had pepper spray with them, which they even used against arriving police officers, according to Berliner Morgenpost.
The fight from Alexanderplatz later shifted to the subway station. About 20 people reportedly continued to brawl on the tracks and threw stones.
How did the fight end? The police published an assessment of the brawl:
9 people were temporarily arrested and there were 13 criminal investigations
100 police officers were deployed
three ambulances and one emergency doctor were on duty
It wasn’t until 9:30 PM that the police could end the operation. An alleged manager of ThatsBekir wrote shortly after the brawl that the YouTubers should not be held responsible. (via Morgenpost)
This was the reason for the meeting: Both YouTubers, who probably also belong to the rapper scene, gathered their fans for a fan or subscriber meeting in Berlin. The police chief Norbert Cioma, however, sees a different reason.
According to Cioma, the meeting and the escalation were deliberately provoked in order to generate clicks, subscribers, and followers for both parties:
We see in the rapper scene and increasingly also among other influencers that they sometimes handle their influence very irresponsibly and it seems to become trendy to deliberately create explosive situations to generate more followers, subscribers, and clicks.
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Cioma cautioned that the influence of people should not be used for such purposes. There are “more meaningful things than using one’s notoriety to provide a suitable platform for violent youth in public.”
In Red Dead Redemption 2, the protagonist Arthur is not only a gentleman, he can also dish out some pretty sharp remarks. A video now shows what cheeky replies the outlaw can give.
In his opinion, Arthur delivers the best lines when he greets NPCs kindly twice in a row and then immediately turns mean. It almost seems like the developers wanted players to be nice first and then nasty to the characters.
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What does Arthur say? The video shows Arthur addressing various NPCs. In each scene, he greets them twice in a row kindly, only to counter with a cheeky remark. The nasty appearance is rounded off by Arthur in the video appearing bare-chested and bare-bottomed.
In the first scene, Arthur greets a lady and asks her if she has heard anything about bounty hunters in the area. When she responds that she knows nothing about it, Arthur shouts at her: “Thanks for nothing, idiot!”
Next, Arthur encounters a sheriff, greets him, and comments on what a great job the lawman is doing. Then the cowboy gets really nasty and says that it must be a lot of fun for the sheriff to be the village idiot.
Arthur not only uses pistols but apparently also words.
In another scene, Arthur on horseback encounters another rider. Again, this one is greeted. Afterwards, the cowboy tells the stranger that he likes him because he has a friendly face. Nasty, Arthur adds that it is a face he would like to punch.
What are the players saying? Readers in the RDR2 subreddit are currently having a lot of fun with the video. They believe Arthur’s replies are just too fitting to be coincidence.
Users have particularly taken a liking to the outfit from the video. Unfortunately, it seems that one can no longer get the pants that leave the backside exposed. As mynamestanner writes, this was due to a bug: one had to set a bathtub on fire before sitting in it. However, the bug has already been fixed.
Players of Red Dead Online can look forward to a new update in the spring:
The old MMORPG RuneScape still captivates a huge number of players. One of these players has set out to make OldSchool RuneScape even more challenging: with challenges. Through his idea, he now attracts hundreds of thousands of fans.
These are the videos in question: The YouTuber Settled has been diligently making videos about the Old School MMORPG RuneScape, which has been on the market for over 18 years.
Despite its age, RuneScape is still popular and inspires creative minds to create new content. Settled shares many of his thoughts, guides, or discoveries with the community.
The core of his videos is almost always something he has achieved or set out to do. He mainly accomplishes tasks that are not particularly unusual for regular players. However, he connects them with exciting stories.
“old but gold” RuneScape is still fun for many people.
For the past few months, he has been showcasing “Ultimate Ironman Challenges.” Particularly, his series featuring a character named “Swampletics” has resonated with fans.
What are these challenges? Settled undertakes the challenges in the so-called Ironman Mode. Ironmen are accounts that have many restrictions in RuneScape, making the game more difficult. As an “Ultimate Ironman,” a special Ironman mode, these restrictions are even greater:
Settled has made these already difficult conditions even tougher: he does not want to leave a certain region. This means he has to utilize all features of a zone.
For Settled, the purpose of RuneScape has always been to set goals and achieve them. He has previously undertaken such a challenge and took several years to do so. Now, he is starting again with “Swampletics” in the region of Morytania.
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What is Morytania? Morytania is a swampy area far in the east of the RuneScape world. In Morytania, vampires dominate the region from a type of castle, and the whole area feels like a horror movie.
The region is populated by monsters such as:
vampires
werewolves
undead
ghosts
In lore, it is considered the “Land of Evil.” In the game, it is an area for players of medium to higher levels. Morytania is also home to the raid “Theatre of Blood,” which many players generally consider to be very difficult. It continually attracts adventurers seeking special challenges.
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Why is this special: Settled has set out to increase all skills only in Morytania. This is particularly difficult because certain prerequisites simply do not exist.
Skills like blacksmithing cannot be increased in a conventional way. Therefore, Settled has to resort to tricks to maximize his character’s potential. This takes a lot of time because the alternative methods are associated with a significant grind.
In doing so, Settled often discovers stories or features in Morytania that other players miss or ignore. He shares his discoveries in special videos with the fans.
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Settled always faces the disadvantage of being significantly weaker than the enemies in the area, as he came to Morytania with as few advantages as possible. This leads to a lot of trickery in combat.
His ultimate goal is to take on the “Theatre of Blood.” His prerequisite for this is that the group cannot be better equipped than he is. A hard-to-achieve goal.
This is how the videos are received: Although or precisely because Settled struggles with many things that should be easy, his videos are very popular. Other RuneScape players are fascinated by how he overcomes hurdles or finds alternative ways to play.
Many viewers can’t even explain to themselves why they are so fascinated. They simply enjoy watching Settled slowly level up his “Swampletics” and come a little closer to his goal with each video.
What do you think of the videos from the successful RuneScape player?
RuneScape is doing well, by the way – yet there is a controversy:
In Pokémon GO it can be annoying to select a new team for every gym battle. But we show you a team that can defeat almost any gym without a hitch.
This is the battle team: The battle team consists of 6 Pokémon that best support you against the classic gym defenders.
If you have this battle team ready beforehand, you can take over any gym in record time.
These 6 Pokémon should be in the battle team
How you should start: Of course, you should create this battle team in advance. For that, you go to your Pokémon box and swipe left. There you can assemble battle teams.
This is what the team should look like: Here we show you the recommended team and then explain why these Pokémon belong to the team:
Machoke
Machoke
Machoke
Tyranitar
Weavile
Rayquaza
Rank 1-3: Machoke
That’s why you need Machoke: The best gym defenders, such as Snorlax, Slaking, or Chansey, are all Normal types. Only fighting Pokémon are effective against them.
Machoke
You need 3 Machoke because most gyms are filled with multiple Normal Pokémon. You can easily defeat them with your Machoke.
That’s why Machoke is the choice: This Pokémon is the best fighting-type monster. Other fighting Pokémon like Hariyama or Breloom are also good, but Machoke can defeat Snorlax and Slaking the fastest. Furthermore, it can take a lot of damage.
Rank 4: Tyranitar
That’s why you need Tyranitar: It’s important that your Tyranitar has the moves Smack Down and Stone Edge. The rock Pokémon is needed for defenders like Gyarados or Dragonite, as they are popular defenders. With Tyranitar, you hit these Pokémon effectively.
Tyranitar
That’s why Tyranitar specifically: Tyranitar has a very good rock moveset and also a lot of stamina. You can have Tyranitar battle against multiple Pokémon without it being defeated.
Rank 5: Weavile
That’s why you need Weavile: In the best case, you give it a second charge move. This way it can use both Dark and Ice-type moves. Dark moves are more important, as it should primarily defeat the Psychic defenders.
Weavile
Psychic-type Pokémon like Espeon, Kecleon, or even the Steel-type Pokémon Metagross can be defeated. The Ice move could be used, similar to Tyranitar, against the Dragon defenders.
That’s why Weavile specifically: Weavile has the special type combination of Ice and Dark, making it versatile. Additionally, it has an enormous attack value and can take down almost everything.
Rank 6: Rayquaza
That’s why you need Rayquaza: With the Pokémon mentioned above, you can defeat the classic gym defenders. Rayquaza, on the other hand, takes down the rest. If none of the above Pokémon is effective, go for Rayquaza. It is the best all-rounder in the game.
Rayquaza
That’s why Rayquaza specifically: Rayquaza has an extremely high attack value and two strong Dragon-type moves. These attacks are at least normally effective against all types except Steel and Fairy.
We have also summarized which Pokémon you should definitely power up:
Here are 11 quick tips on how to make good use of your time in The Division 2 at World Tier 4.
Who are these tips for? Many agents have been in the endgame at World Tier 4 for days now. Some of them have already reached the max gear score and are complaining about having nothing left to do.
Right now, it is not worth the effort to grind for the best items to optimize your build. The reason: Massive will only unlock World Tier 5 in the near future, making all current items at World Tier 4 obsolete, and the grind for the best gear will begin again.
So, the real endgame of The Division 2 starts at World Tier 5, where the hard grind is worth it in the long run. Already in the MeinMMO comments, some agents have written that they are now going to play another game. Spending too much time at World Tier 4 is a waste of time.
However, you can actually already do meaningful things at World Tier 4 that will benefit you at World Tier 5. Here are 11 quick tips.
Increase the gear score beyond 450
Here’s the tip: The official max gear score at World Tier 4 is 450, but there are ways to push this much higher.
This allows you to transfer stat bonuses and talents from one item to another. If you have an item with 450 gear score that has a low critical hit chance, you can enhance that stat bonus with another item and get the gear score closer to 470!
This way, you start at World Tier 5 fully equipped.
Play Control Points for Blueprints
Here’s the tip: Even during the campaign, you earn blueprints by completing activities or projects. In the endgame, you can also earn many blueprints that you can use for crafting weapons, armor pieces, or mods.
Control points are a good source for blueprints in the endgame. First, raise the alert level of the control point to 3, which you can do by completing activities around the control point (marked by red lines on the map). Then, you need to capture it as usual, which can be challenging due to the difficulty level.
In addition to standard loot, you can also get random blueprints this way. According to user reports, these are quite good.
While farming gear at World Tier 4 is useless for World Tier 5, blueprints are already worthwhile now. Because these scale with your agent’s gear score.
Map with control points
Bonus tip: To craft high-quality blueprints, you first need to upgrade the crafting station multiple times, which costs quite a lot of materials. You can do this now so that when World Tier 5 arrives, you only need the workbench upgrade for World Tier 5.
Play Bounty Missions for Credits and Specializations
Here’s the tip: In the operations base next to the projects, there is an NPC for bounty missions – as long as you have unlocked him during the campaign.
Through these bounty missions, you not only quickly earn credits but also points for specializations (via Black Tusk bounties).
Here’s the tip: This tip is primarily aimed at players who like to achieve “100%” in a game and dive deep into the lore. In The Division 2, you can find various collectibles that are not only for collecting but also tell stories.
There are collectibles as follows:
Media
Radio transmissions
Artifacts
ECHOES
Database entries
Here is a map where you can find a lot of stuff in The Division 2.
Here’s the tip: Ubisoft Club players have the option to play weekly challenges. However, you must activate them first.
Go to the menu, select “Progress”, and switch to the “Club Challenges” tab. You have a week to complete multiple tasks, some of which can be tackled alongside other activities. This way, you can earn bonus credits. Don’t forget to activate them.
Bonus Tip: If you want more challenges, you should gather in clans. This way, you get specific bounties, access to a special vendor, and a weekly clan cache. Additionally, being in a clan prepares you better for the challenges of World Tier 5 than playing solo.
Agent from The Division 2
Unlock all skill variants
Here’s the tip: Use your SHD Tech to unlock all skills with all variants. Who knows how powerful some of them will be in the future.
To do this, collect the SHD tech containers shown on the map when you discover safehouses and operate the laptop inside.
By the way, there are SHD tech containers that do not appear on the map. In the White House region, you can find these four:
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Here’s the tip: If your inventory and storage are overflowing with weapons, armor pieces, and mods, you should clean up before World Tier 5 starts. Because then you will need new items.
If you don’t want to part with your stuff, you can create additional characters and transfer the items to their inventory via the storage. If you unlock corresponding bonuses for those characters as well, they can store more items in their inventory.
PvP always offers variety
Here’s the tip: In PvP, you can spend your time and have fun, even without hunting for the best items. You can quickly start the Conflict mode via the map by changing the tab to “Conflict” on the left.
In PvP, you can climb the ranks and compete with other agents. Since the player experience in PvP is never exactly the same as before, The Division 2 offers you additional variety with Conflict.
The Fortnite patch 8.11 did not bring any new cosmetics. However, there are still some items that have not yet appeared in the shop. We show you all the skins and outfits that are still missing.
This is known about the outfits: With each patch of Fortnite, new skins are brought into the game. Dataminers then search the patch and publish the discovered cosmetics.
The outfits usually appear in the shop in the following days and you can purchase them. However, some outfits are still missing but have been found during dataminings.
The following cosmetics have been found
This skin has been discovered: The skin “Carbon Commando” was found in the code but has never been released.
The skin “Carbon Commando”
These gliders are unpublished: A total of 3 gliders have been found that are not yet in the shop. They are less spectacular but still quite cool to look at.
Steadfast
Rush
Helium
These pickaxes are missing: These 2 pickaxes have not been released yet. They look really cool though. One has a horn with a cowboy hat and the other is a log with which you can hit opponents.
Stumpy
Longhorn
This back bling is unpublished: In line with the Carbon Commando skin, there is also a back bling. It will probably come to the shop together with the skin, but nothing has been released yet.
Carbon Pack
This is the missing wrap: A cool magma wrap was discovered but was never brought to the shop. This makes your weapons look glowing hot.
The magma wrap
This is what the missing emote looks like: An emote has also been found that you cannot use yet. When you use this dance, you will do countless backflips in a row.
The emote “Spring Loaded”
This is important about cosmetics: These are all just cosmetic items. You will not get better by purchasing these outfits. So far, they are all still not in the shop. The reason they are missing is not really known.
When will the cosmetics come? There is no release date for the cosmetics. They may not be released at all.
The first event has started in Fallout 76: The Fastnacht event. Many players have already dived into the new adventures and seen what there is to do now. We take a look at what happened and whether a (re)entry into Fallout 76 is worth it in March 2019.
This is currently happening in Fallout 76: With the patch from February 19, the first event ever in Fallout 76 was introduced: the Fastnacht event. For the Fastnacht, you help the robots in the small town of Helvetia to drive away the winter.
During the event, you can complete the local task multiple times a day. You just have to lead the masked robot parade through the town and protect it from waves of charging enemies.
Here you can find Helvetia.
As a reward, various masks are waiting for you as cosmetic items, recipes for cooking, or building plans for your C.A.M.P.
Some of the masks are particularly rare: The more bots survive, the higher the chance that you will receive a mask.
The event ends again on March 26.
In the event, it is about driving away Father Frost.
This is how players view the event: Currently, the Fastnacht event provides enjoyment for most fans. Many enjoy discovering something new in Fallout 76, even if the event repeats itself after some time. The fascination with the new continues.
This has also disappointed some players, as some rewards seem mathematically unlikely or even unobtainable. In fact, the rare masks are indeed really rare, but at least some players have them, and many are motivated to hunt for them.
Is Fallout 76 now better?
This has changed:A major patch has changed several things in Fallout 76. The first contents of the “Wild Appalachia” update are here, which were already announced with the new alcohol feature.
With the patch, several things changed in the game:
the C.A.M.P. has been revamped and now has a bigger building budget
many “Quality-of-Life” updates and bug fixes have been made to the game
The complete patch notes on the first changes from “Wild Appalachia” can be found on the official website of Fallout 76.
What do these updates bring me? If you want to re-enter now, you will probably have to get used to some changes – depending on when you stopped playing.
The double-shot explosive weapons (“DSE”) are no longer as strong. Instead, heavy weapons and melee are now significantly more popular. However, fights against the Queen of the Scorched Beasts and nuclear bomb drops are still common for interested players.
However, the most notable innovations are probably the new items, especially the time-limited items from the Fastnacht event, the new possibilities for your C.A.M.P., and the expanded storage.
I am at level 117 and haven’t touched the game since launch. However, I wanted to check out the new content, and in the middle of the Nukashine quest, the Fastnacht event appeared. It was so great to see the entire server tackle the event together, taking group photos and chatting. The game feels alive again.
The response to the changes has been positively noted for some time, based on the posts on reddit. The community has become somewhat smaller over time, but it seems to be getting more active again, and the first changes are attracting former players back.
What does the future look like? Specific changes are not yet known. In a roadmap, Bethesda promised that both new features and more story content will come. All of this will likely be released throughout 2019.
However, some players have already found new, mysterious vaults. We may soon expect actual raids. Furthermore, the beta of the new Survival Mode goes live on March 26.
The announcement of the Trust system in Final Fantasy XIV made our author Irie a bit more excited than perhaps healthy. But fan service is not the only reason for that.
What is the “Trust” system? At the Fan Fest in Las Vegas, producer Yoshida introduced the “Trust” system for the first time, which will come with the upcoming expansion Shadowbringers to Final Fantasy XIV.
With this system, players will be able to team up with their favorite NPCs. They can then dive into the game together, for example in dungeons.
(From left to right) NPCs Alphinaud, Alisaie, Thancred, Y’shtola, and Urianger are possible and confirmed candidates for the Trust system
Currently, the number of NPCs is limited, but according to Yoshida, it will continue to expand in the future, and new faces will be added. So far, there are 4 NPCs known that can be invited to your group:
Minfilia
Thancred
Y’shtola
Urianger
The system will only be available in the main scenario quests and associated content.
That’s why I’m excited about the feature: For me and many other players in the community, the announcement of the system was a very pleasant surprise, as the feature was actually only a joke in a slightly altered form.
Many NPCs in FFXIV have grown dear to me over the years. They are charismatic, intelligent, and have undergone some developments as well. Therefore, I am really looking forward to seeing which NPCs will be added and how exactly to build my relationship with them.
Demonstration of the Trust system: Yoshida’s character runs through a dungeon together with story NPCs
It also adds a lot to the immersion when fighting side by side with important story NPCs in a dungeon. The new dungeon “The Ghimlyt Dark” makes this very clear, in my opinion.
And I will carve my way through the new content in Shadowbringers alongside my waifu Y’shtola and my husbando Thancred. What more could one want?
Y’shtola is one of the most popular characters in FFXIV. But is she still herself in Shadowbringers? The trailers raise many questions.
Fanservice feature with a pragmatic core
What is the actual purpose of the function? But joking aside: besides the obvious fan service and the opportunity to master adventures with your favorite waifus and husbandos, there is a much more pragmatic reason for this feature.
Lack of tanks and healers is a problem that every MMORPG with a “Holy Trinity” system must face. There are almost always too many DPS and too few supporters.
Warrior of Light fights against an angelic creature in the trailer.
This is frustrating especially in Final Fantasy XIV:
To be able to play through the main story, they must go through 5 to 7 different dungeons that are often story-relevant.
The waiting times for players playing DPS are long and can be really frustrating.
While the developers have reduced the number of mandatory dungeons in the past, for lore reasons they will probably not disappear completely.
Also, the new tank job Gunbreaker will not change the waiting times, at least at the beginning of the expansion when everyone is playing the story. It starts at level 60 and must be leveled to 70+ before it can enter the new dungeons.
For DPS players, the long queues for dungeons can get really annoying, especially at the release of a new expansion.
The new “Trust” system would be the solution to this problem. It refers exclusively to the main story content of FFXIV and will enable DPS players to complete mandatory dungeons faster and progress in the story.
As an eternal bard DPS, I will definitely try the system as soon as it is available because it can be really annoying to sit in a queue for 30+ minutes before each story dungeon.
The crafting system of Astellia is supposed to play an important role in the game. Although not every player needs to pick up the hammer, everyone should benefit from the system at the auction house. The developers have provided us with exclusive information about crafting.
How is the crafting system structured? Astellia offers players eight different crafting professions and five additional gathering professions.
A single character can learn and practice each craft at the same time, but can only access one gathering profession. Other materials must then be purchased through the auction house.
You will become better in your professions and can create higher quality items the more you practice them.
Marketplace in Astellia
What professions are available? Players can choose from the following crafting professions:
Blacksmithing – Creates weapons and armor for warriors and assassins
Carpentry – Creates weapons and armor for archers, scholars, and mages
Leather Crafting – Creates leather goods needed for other professions
Tailoring – Creates clothing items needed for other professions
Jewel Crafting – Creates jewelry, earrings, and similar equipment
Archeology – Creates runes and gems that enhance equipment
Alchemy – Creates potions for health and mana regeneration
Cooking – Cooks raw materials and turns them into buff food
There are no big surprises in the gathering professions either. Here it’s mainly about finding materials for the professions:
Logging – Cuts down trees and collects wood
Metal Mining – Collects metals for the blacksmith
Gem Mining – Collects gems for jewelry
Herb Gathering – Collects plants and herbs for alchemy
Relic Investigation – Collects relics for archaeologists
Collecting materials in Astellia
The importance of crafting in Astellia
The professions in Astellia are to be used to equip characters. The developers have already revealed some details about endgame armor.
Where do I get the best equipment? Players are supposed to receive good equipment as rewards for quests or from lower dungeons in order to easily reach the endgame.
The crafting system is meant to support this and also provide the ability to craft specific equipment that you have not obtained through these means.
For the future, the developers of Astellia plan to expand the crafting system. The professions are expected to receive an update after launch that allows the crafting of some of the strongest armor pieces in the game.
A city in Astellia
Do I need rare materials for the equipment? To craft better equipment, not only materials that you find in the open world or from merchants are required.
You also need to defeat special enemies or visit dungeons. You will also find equipment from these enemies and in dungeons. This system is supposed to bring together crafters and dungeon players.
Are dungeons just for hardcore players? In an interview with us, the developers of the Asia MMORPG revealed that the game generally focuses on hardcore and casual gamers.
The first dungeons are supposed to be easier, while in the endgame, care will be taken that dungeons remain relevant.
The Asia MMORPG is expected to be released in the West this year, and many adjustments are being made:
In Season 7, Bungie has a lot in store for Destiny 2. Among other things, they want to finally ensure that no one suffers from a lack of enhancement cores.
The current state of enhancement cores: Enhancement cores in Destiny 2 are a coveted resource. They are needed, among other things, to infuse gear or to make weapons and armor into masterpieces.
Bungie has already tinkered with the enhancement core economy several times. Currently, dedicated players who invest a lot of time usually have a decent stock of these cores and face no problem. However, there are still plenty of Guardians who complain about a shortage of the valuable crystals – especially when they cannot play very often.
What bothers the Guardians the most about enhancement cores
Some fans see this as problematic: Many fans would like to infuse their favorite gear more often. They do not want to run around like a colorful clown until the new max power level is reached. Appearance is very important to many.
However, to save the coveted cores, many only infuse after reaching the current level cap. Until then, they do not wear what they would like to wear but are forced to wear what they get. This really annoys many.
There are also hardly any reliable sources from which to obtain the cores. The most reliable source is the vendor Spider. There, cores can be purchased with legendary shards, but these become more expensive with each purchase until the next day. If you want to infuse more often, you cannot rely solely on Spider to replenish your stock.
There are junk collector bounties that specifically reward cores, but the bounties themselves are only received randomly. All other sources, such as dismantling gear, also depend on RNG.
What will change regarding enhancement cores
How Bungie is responding: The controversial discussions have not gone unnoticed by the developers. Therefore, they are taking another look at the cores for the next season. In Season 7, the lack of enhancement cores should finally be a thing of the past.
What they specifically want to change: Junk collector bounties, which are randomly obtained from dismantling gear, will be discontinued in the Season of Opulence.
Instead, they want to introduce a consistent source from which Guardians can meet their need for enhancement cores.
At weapon master Banshee-44 in the Tower, there will be a selection of daily and weekly bounties that will reward you with guaranteed enhancement cores upon successful completion. These bounties can be purchased with weapon master materials.
With this additional guaranteed source, they aim to ensure better access and increased control over enhancement cores. All other sources will apparently remain in place. Therefore, no one should have to suffer from a lack of enhancement cores anymore.
Fortnite: Battle Royale and Apex Legends are both incredibly successful battle royale shooters. Is the massive success of Apex Legends a threat to Epic, the company behind Fortnite?
What is the situation with Apex and Fortnite? Apex Legends suddenly came out in early February without any hype and instantly did many things right.
With its sophisticated communication system, numerous comfort features, great gunplay, and various heroes, it captured the hearts of many battle royale fans.
Thus, many players and experts wondered whether Fortnite was slowly facing competition and suffering losses.
Fortnite is growing,
instead of fading away
This is what the Epic CEO says: In an interview, Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic, stated that “Apex Legends has not even scratched Fortnite.” Rather, they have “gained an Apex Legends worth of players” since the shooter from Respawn entered the market.
Fortnite has thus grown by about 50 million players and is now approaching the new milestone of 250 million players.
This is Fortnite’s true enemy: Rather, they have to fear losses from a completely different game. Only the football game FIFA has the power to seriously draw players away from Fortnite.
This is because FIFA is also extremely popular among a large number of (young) players and thus inevitably competes with Fortnite for the playtime of their shared target audience.
Competition stimulates
business
Can Apex and Fortnite coexist? It seems that Apex and Fortnite are not really in competition. Players, who cannot get into building and the colorful aesthetics, have probably already switched, but there still seem to be enough new players coming in.
According to Sweeney, Apex Legends has shaken up and revitalized the genre.
This has in turn reactivated many shooter fans who only play occasionally. Apex Legends and the supposed competition are therefore likely to be something good for both games.
Read here why Netflix is the most afraid of Fortnite:
In Anthem, players have made a mysterious discovery: A structure in the game world is suddenly making strange noises. What is coming our way?
What is “singing”? In the north of the Anthem game world lies the Monument Watch. It is a huge structure surrounded by other, strange edifices.
For a long time, the Monument stood still. However, a few weeks ago, the structure began to move certain parts. Additionally, players are being electrified in some spots when they approach the Monument.
Recently, the Monument changed again: Players noticed a few days ago that the building is making strange sounds.
In the Anthem subreddit, this “song” is already being discussed. Some freelancers find the sounds of the Monument absolutely eerie, while others are trying to decipher the singing. For some, it sounds like a distorted siren, a warning, and others believe it might actually be a real song. Maybe the Anthem of Creation?
What does it mean? Players are also speculating about what the scraping might signify. For some freelancers, it is clear that the changes to the Monument mean something big. They are hoping for first hints about a Cataclysm that, according to the roadmap, is coming our way in May.
Others believe more in a connection to Freeplay events. In March, a completely new event is still planned for Anthem according to the roadmap, which currently has no name.
At this location on the map, you will find the Monument Watch. Stay north in Freeplay.
More players believe that the Monument could be a preparation for the new Stronghold that is coming our way in April. The new fortress is called “The Sunken”; more is not known at this time.
Players should talk about Anthem: Players are certainly fascinated by the mystery surrounding the Monument. The curiosity is further fueled by the fact that the changes to the structure were not announced, and freelancers do not know what it means.
What were the online games’ digital revenues worldwide in February 2019? For Apex Legends, it’s going fantastic, while Hearthstone is doing quite poorly. For Anthem, there are good and bad news. The sales numbers are good, but the cash shop is struggling.
What are the numbers? The numbers come from SuperData and indicate how the global digital revenues looked in February 2019.
This is about the money made through purchases in the respective game shops or through other platforms like the PS Store or the Microsoft Store. It does not include “retail sales,” meaning sales in stores.
However, it seems that these retail sales hardly matter anymore in 2019. Because Anthem looked really bad – the sales figures tell a much rosier picture for Anthem and other games when digital purchases are included.
The question was: Did they also spend money in the cash shop?
Yes, they did. Apex Legends ranks 6th in revenues on PC and 4th on the consoles PS4 and Xbox One. So while Apex Legends remains below Fortnite, it has established itself strongly.
Hearthstone did this poorly: The card game from Blizzard makes the “largest loss” from 2018 to 2019 in February. It loses 52% of revenues on PC and mobile.
At Superdata, they believe that the competition is getting stronger and Hearthstone is simply getting weaker. People are probably tired of the franchise.
Here’s how Anthem did: There are good and bad news for Anthem:
The good news is: With 100 million USD in revenue at launch, it now enters 3rd place on consoles.
However, this is likely to drop sharply, as hardly anyone bought anything in the cash shop. Only 3.5 million USD were made. Therefore, the title will probably not be able to hold its position in the next top lists.
Paradox has introduced the game that has been developing in the World of Darkness universe for years. Some fans actually expected an MMO. Instead, the single-player RPG Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 was revealed.
What was announced? Paradox Interactive presented the role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, which is a sequel to the hit from 2004 and is set to release in 2020.
https://youtu.be/SYvWfDxhm_s
Contrary to initial assumptions, it is not an MMO, but a single-player RPG. The story was developed by Brian Mitsoda, who also wrote the story for the first installment. The focus of the title is on experiencing a dark story and fighting against the children of the night.
You will be transformed into a vampire at the beginning and must cope with this situation.
The events take place in Seattle, which is divided into several zones.
You improve your character based on rules that are derived from the Pen & Paper version of Vampire: The Masquerade.
Over time, you will learn supernatural abilities.
The developers place great importance on creating deep characters that you will encounter.
You must choose one of the vampire clans during the storyline and will be drawn into a war between these clans.
Is there multiplayer? So far, nothing has been said about a potential multiplayer mode. It seems that Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is purely a single-player game.
Why did players suspect it could become an MMO? In 2006, CCP Games, the developers of EVE Online, acquired the publisher White Wolf. This company is behind the Pen & Paper role-playing games of “World of Darkness,” which includes Vampire: The Masquerade.
Now it is confirmed that with Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, a single-player RPG is coming out.
Does this mean there will be no World of Darkness MMO? It is quite possible that Paradox is still working on more games in this universe or has plans to also release an MMO.
However, nothing is known about this at the moment. But one should not give up hope.
If the World of Darkness returns to the minds of players through Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 and the title sells well, it could be possible that an MMO follows.
In The Division 2, it is worth getting to Dark Zone level 10 as quickly as possible. Because free loot awaits!
What do I get from DZ level 10? Once you reach this level, you can unlock a Dark Zone benefit at the Operations Base that grants you daily rewards.
This benefit is called “Winner of the Day” and allows you to pick up a reward every day in a DZ safe room. These safe rooms are located quite centrally in the three Dark Zones and are marked with an orange house symbol on the map:
According to user reports
you can only pick up one reward per day – no matter how many safe rooms you visit
this reward is quite good – High Ends have been found in it and items at the current level (or Gear Score) or higher (up to Gear Score 450 on World Tier 4)
it only takes a short time to pick up the reward in the safe room. You do have to cross half of the Dark Zone, but it is worth it to quickly get good loot
How to get the daily reward
What you need to do for DZ level 10: Almost all activities in the DZ are rewarded with DZ experience points. The more DZ XP you collect, the higher you rise in the level system.
If you get killed while you are rogue, you lose DZ XP. However, if this doesn’t happen too often, you should reach DZ level 10 pretty quickly.
How to unlock the benefit: Now run to Senait Ezera in the Operations Base, who is waiting for you on the first floor as a Dark Zone officer. There you can activate the “Rank 3” benefits. This requires DZ level 10.
And that’s it. Now you can daily run to a safe room in one of the Dark Zones, loot a box or a locker, and get the free reward.
Are there more rewards? Yes, at Dark Zone level 40 you can choose between these benefits:
Additional daily reward from the DZ safe room
or daily rewards in the hideout
You can find all the information about the Dark Zone and its mechanics – and how you unlock them – in our guide:
This is what many agents think of this tip: The tip to reach DZ level 10 as quickly as possible was recently shared in the Division subreddit, where it has already gathered dozens of upvotes and comments.
One user thanks for the reminder. He had completely forgotten that you could pick up loot there.
Another player thanks because he had not been in the Dark Zone so far and did not know about the benefits. Many players save the Dark Zone for the endgame, but with this benefit, you can reliably and easily get good loot on the way to character level 30.
An agent comments that he has the perk active, but did not know where and how to get the rewards. He also thanks for that.
Another says that he does not move into the Dark Zone for that reason. He also gets enough high-end loot that way. It’s not worth it to him.
Nonetheless, others emphasize: Free loot with little effort is always nice.
One user writes that you can level up extremely quickly in the DZ levels. He reached level 50 in about 7 hours.
By the way, you can also comfortably level up in the DZ levels only with PvE content by killing NPCs and clearing landmarks. You do not have to go rogue and actively search for fights against other agents.
The Battle Pass of Apex Legends might indeed receive tasks inspired by “Challenges.” At least that’s what a new leak suggests. Was the backlash too strong?
This is what the leak says: The Twitter account “RealApexLeaks” has discovered some lines of code referring to “Missions.” (via dotesports) These lines contain hints about some features related to missions:
Squad activities (“multisquad”)
Progress (“progress”)
An interface (“hud”)
A selection button (“select_button”)
Fans now assume that Respawn wants to integrate the well-known Challenges from other battle royale shooters under the name “Missions” into the recently released Battle Pass.
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What are the Challenges for? In competitive games, Challenges serve to advance levels in the Battle Pass more quickly, thereby earning the rewards of the Battle Pass faster.
The only way to advance in levels is through hard grinding and leveling. That is frustrating many people, as they have to play many rounds for one level.
especially lines of code are often remnants of previous, planned content that didn’t make it into the game.
Other leaks, like Octane, however, have proven to be true, including his leaked abilities.
RealApexLeaks has currently not provided any leak besides Octane that has also occurred. Apex Legends is still quite young, so many of the found contents could simply come later.
Even the leak from the origin itself was not entirely correct, but Octane came.
This is what fans say about it: Most fans are sure that Missions will eventually come. Respawn would have already hinted at that. Missions would be a way to counteract the negative sentiment.
However, most think that at least in Season 1, no Challenges will be coming. That sounds more like a plan for later seasons.
What do you think of the leak?
According to Shroud, Apex Legends has another problem:
Fallout 76 will receive the Survival Mode on March 26th. This separate game mode is designed to challenge you more than the previous Adventure Mode. Those who take on this challenge can also expect more valuable rewards. However, the community has identified a problem with this mode.
What is the Survival Mode? When you log in to Fallout 76 after installing the update, you will choose between the familiar Adventure Mode and the Beta of the Survival Mode. This is intended to challenge you significantly more.
You essentially experience the same game, but PvP offers fewer restrictions.
There is no Pacifist Mode, and other players can attack you with full damage at any time.
The chance to kill a player with one hit is minimized.
You can activate only one Stimpak of each type at a time.
For eliminating another player, you receive double the Caps compared to Adventure Mode.
The loser leaves not only scrap as loot but also random aids.
There is no “Revenge” respawn option, but you can put a bounty on the player who eliminated you.
Respawns occur at C.A.M.P., Vault 76, and at train stations.
After a fast travel, you are temporarily invulnerable.
You receive a permanent EXP bonus of 20% in Survival Mode.
Fight for Ranks and Rewards
What else does the Survival Mode offer? Through a leaderboard, you can see how well you are performing compared to other players. In doing so, you compare yourself based on a variety of statistics with your teammates.
If you are among the top 3, you will receive a Gold, Silver, or Bronze medal, but you will be displayed on the map, allowing other players to challenge your rank.
In Survival Mode, you must face many challenges, such as searching for supplies in the wasteland, completing events, or hunting down a legendary creature.
These challenges are not easy to master due to the tougher PvP rules. However, you will receive changing rewards weekly for completing these challenges.
This includes weapons like “Devastating Strike,” “Treatment Error,” or “Lone Survivor.”
Will the Adventure Mode also change? In Adventure Mode, the so-called “Slap” damage will be removed. This means you will no longer receive damage in Pacifist Mode when attacked by an enemy.
In return, you will not accidentally attack another teammate and get drawn into an unwanted PvP fight.
Without Pacifist Mode, you will take full damage from an attack.
In the future, your C.A.M.P. is supposed to be protected from attacks by teammates, but this will come in a later update.
There might be a problem…
How are players reacting? Some players are excited about the Survival Mode because they have wanted more risk even in Adventure Mode.
However, some players see a bigger problem related to the transfer of heroes from one mode to another. Bethesda may need to clarify this a bit and possibly adjust it to maintain balance.
Mephistote says on Reddit: “As it stands, someone can take their legendary equipment into the Survival Mode and play without risk.”
Uvtah agrees: “I wish the Survival Mode required a separate character. Everyone should have to start from scratch.”
Players want there to be separate characters for each mode that cannot be transferred, as they fear a larger balancing problem. However, this may be resolved in the first few weeks.
How well the Survival Mode works in Fallout 76 will be seen on March 26th when the update is released.
