In the SF MMORPG EVE Online, developer CCP has come up with something special to curb the bot problem: Players are allowed to specifically massacre bots. While this doesn’t achieve much, it boosts morale.
The fight against bots mostly takes place behind the scenes of MMORPGs through bans. However, in EVE Online, bot populations are now decimated publicly through executions.
GM Week at EVE: Last week, EVE held “GM Week”. During this event, the Game Masters of EVE host a series of in-game and social media events. According to PCGamesN, one GM has something special planned for the week.
Bots open for hunting: CCP teleported botters to the Yula High-Sec area and marked them as “Suspects”. This means they are fair game, and anyone can take them down. NPCs attacked the botters, and of course, players did as well. It was said to be a massive massacre.
Here in the video, you can see and hear how a pilot is just realizing what’s happening and is pleased about it:
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Reddit applauds: In the corresponding thread on reddit, “CCP_Falcon” dryly comments with “Ah, fun times.”
Most fans are pleased with the action. They consider it one of the better events during GM Week.
One player even says: “You could actually do this every Monday. I would never get bored of it.”
Why is EVE doing this? EVE has had a bot problem for some time now. This is particularly critical in EVE because the economy is so important. Honest players felt like fools when others were visibly cheating and profiting from it. This significantly lowered motivation.
In recent months, CCP has promised to take a tougher stance against bots. While simple bans of the botters would suffice, they are not as visually impactful. The public execution and hands-on massacring serve as a frustration vent for players and a source of general amusement.
After the kill, came the ban: The bots were also banned after the massacre, by the way. CCP_Falcon (via reddit) commented a day later: “In our excitement, we forgot to ban the bots we killed yesterday. Sometimes we can be a bit foolish.” But they have now taken care of that.
We evaluated our WoW surveys where you could express your opinion. The results are in – and they are quite clear.
A few days ago, we asked you some questions about Battle for Azeroth . Now we will review the surveys and arrive at the conclusion: The latest expansion of World of Warcraft is well received by our readers. The Alliance, however, is a bit more satisfied than the Horde.
With 55%, more than half of our readers like Battle for Azeroth
More than 1/5 of the readers (22%) still find it too early to form an opinion. They want to let the upcoming weeks unfold and experience further features, such as raids and warfronts, before they have a clear picture
Nearly 18% of our readers are of mixed opinion. They see many positive aspects in the game but also some negatives. Especially the “Artifact Power grind” is frequently mentioned as a downside
In contrast: Only 5% find no enjoyment in Battle for Azeroth and are therefore somewhat disappointed
Kul Tiras is the more popular continent
Since there are two completely different leveling and story experiences in Battle for Azeroth, we also asked the question about the favorite continent. Here too, the response was relatively clear, in favor of the Alliance.
52% of our readers consider the continent of Kul Tiras to be better done. No wonder, the exciting story around Jaina and the beautiful landscapes of Tiragardesund and Drustvar create an atmosphere that you can only find in “The Witcher” otherwise
But Zandalar also has fans. 30% of our readers enjoy wandering through the dense jungle of Zuldazar or roaming through the endless expanses of the desert of Vol’dun
In total, 18% consider both continents equally well done and apparently can enjoy all six areas
Does this result correspond to what you expected? Or would you have thought that more people are disappointed with Battle for Azeroth? Does the result reflect the opinion in your circle of friends?
In an interview at Gamescom 2018, the head of Torchlight Frontiers revealed numerous new details about the upcoming MMO-ARPG. We summarize the information for you.
Who is speaking? Max Schaefer is the co-founder of Blizzard North and Runic Games. With his new studio Echtra Games, Schaefer is responsible for Torchlight Frontiers, which is now becoming an MMO and is set to be released for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. The interview was conducted with the site mmorpg.com.
What to expect in Torchlight Frontiers
Looks like Torchlight, feels like Torchlight: The controls remain the same, the combat remains the same. Torchlight Frontiers is supposed to feel exactly like Torchlight 1 and 2. Additionally, the PC version will feature gamepad support.
This is how Torchlight Frontiers is structured: The world of Torchlight Frontiers is a mix of public areas – so-called Shared Open Spaces – and private instances for solo players and groups.
The public areas are basically the path to your quest that you are on. They will be randomly generated, but not to the extent of the actual quest areas – i.e., dungeons or caves.
There will be public cities and hubs. However, these will not be randomly generated, as players should always be able to find their way there and not encounter a new environment every time they enter the city.
The expansive public areas will resemble, for example, the world in Marvel Heroes, where you can randomly run into other players. Dungeons and similar areas will be designed to be more compact and are intended for solo players or groups. Most of the quests and the story will take place there.
Day-night cycle: Torchlight Frontiers will feature a day-night cycle. Currently, each phase lasts about 20 minutes. Monsters and items change with the respective cycles.
New class “The Forge” is a conscious robot
The classes: Some classes in Torchlight Frontiers may seem familiar to you. However, there is a completely new class called “The Forge”.
The associated lore is still being finalized, but in principle, it is a robot with its own consciousness that looks like a metal oven on spider legs. By shooting with its weapon, it builds heat as a resource and then discharges it in a close-range AOE attack.
So, while honoring the classics, the world of Torchlight is also being expanded. There will be four or five classes available at launch.
Pet system: The pets are getting a major update with Frontiers. In Torchlight 1 and 2, players had pets that could carry items and sell useless stuff for you in the city. They also helped you in combat.
All this will also be available in Frontiers. But now you will collect tons of pets and be able to store them in a dedicated hut in your fort. The pets are available across all your characters.
This is how housing works through forts
Torchlight Frontiers features housing: Torchlight Frontiers will have a housing system. The developers call it forts. Numerous things in the forts will be available for all your characters. They want to encourage players to create multiple characters and will provide corresponding good reasons for it.
Different characters benefit from each other: For example, pets can be used across characters. But that’s not all. Things you do there will grant your characters various skills or improve them in some way.
Your fort is also useful for other players: One example is the enchanting bank in your fort. This can be leveled up. Additionally, you can assign one of your characters as an enchanting merchant to it. Afterwards, your fort can be made visible to random players. They can then visit it and use your merchant just like a merchant in the city. The potential proceeds will go to you – after all, it’s your fort.
The developers want to provide enough incentives for players to create a cool fort with numerous useful things. Not just for themselves, but also for other players.
Torchlight Frontiers promises regular new content
Plenty to do: As Schaefer has assured, there will be extensive content, plenty to hunt and sufficient replay value – even for multiple characters. The developers even want you to level up multiple characters, even from the same class. Because you will have the ability to specialize your characters and customize them in numerous ways.
Character level not decisive: The developers at Echtra want to focus on progress in specific areas and regions of the game rather than on the player level.
Regularly new locations with fresh content and new features will be added. And all this content should be relevant for both high-level players and newcomers – right at release. They want to distance themselves from the idea that a level cap or gear score excludes players from new content.
Monetization system: This system is to be shaped through internal testing and with the help of the beta, based on player feedback. Some examples for item store ideas included purchasable cards that come with bonuses such as increased gold drops or increased magic find. When a player in the party uses such a card, every party member benefits from this bonus. However, it will also be possible to earn such cards in-game without spending money.
Is Torchlight Frontiers an MMO?
This is what the developers say: The developers themselves prefer to refer to the game as a Shared Online ARPG. According to Schaefer, it is definitely an MMO. But when you say that, people have specific expectations associated with that term. When Echtra says MMO, they mean it in a broad sense.
They want to emphasize that it is a Shared Online ARPG so that people know: It is Torchlight, just with the additional benefits of an online community. The goal is a long-term game designed for years.
Can you play Torchlight Frontiers solo? You can play it solo, but other people will always be around you. However, you can choose not to play with them.
Recently, new alleged information about Blackout and other modes of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has come to light. Additionally, there were some new details about weapons and possible events.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be released without a single-player campaign. However, in the missions of the Specialists Story Mode, the backgrounds of each Specialist will be explored through solo missions.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – Specialists Story Mode
Leak with alleged info: These new suspected details about Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 are not officially confirmed and should therefore be viewed with a degree of skepticism. However, just recently, The Wew Lads accurately predicted the details for the upcoming DLC4 for Call of Duty: WWII. We have summarized the contents of the leak for you.
The following information is small excerpts from larger missions that are expected to offer much more:
The mission of the Specialist Ruin takes place in a Grapple Range: His mission is directed against himself. He disobeys orders. This mission also features the female Specialist Battery. She has an overarching love story with a new character.
In Recons Specialist mission, you play as Battery: The mission revolves around a plot by the Specialist Organization. Recon will have to make a tough decision – it seems to involve killing a child. He makes this sacrifice and is then recruited by the Specialist Organization.
The Specialist Crash has to settle old debts: Crash owes someone money and finds a solution to this debt problem during his mission.
Cutscenes reveal more about Seraph and Firebreak:
The cutscene with Firebreak revolves around what he described in Black Ops 3 – he is attempting to kill his father.
The cutscene of the female Specialist Seraph shows the events she spoke about in Black Ops 3 – how she got her cybernetic arm and her Specialist weapon “Annihilator”.
By the way: The Specialists are brought together by a woman who embodies a typical occult character.
More Specialists are expected: In addition to the known Specialists from the beta, the characters Spectre and the combat robot Reaper from Black Ops 3 are being developed for the fourth Black Ops installment. Spectre will receive a completely new model. There are also indications of Reaper’s minigun, but this could also be remnants from Black Ops 3.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – Battle Royale Mode Blackout
There are also new potential details about the Blackout mode:
Features of the Blackout Map: After initially gliding down with a wingsuit, you finally land on the map via parachute.
The maps Cracked and Array from previous Black Ops installments have been reworked into sections of the Blackout map. There are doors that can be opened and closed – just like in Fortnite and PUBG.
Additionally, it is planned that there will be Zombies in some areas of the map. However, this feature might not make it into the Blackout beta.
Additional mechanics? There will be collectible items similar to those in the Heist mode. In Heist, you try to collect a bag of cash and bring it to a random pickup point. From the looted money, you can buy new gear.
100 players in Blackout? During tests of Blackout, up to 100 players were reportedly able to compete against each other. At least that many slots were used during testing. It does not mean that the final version of the mode will support that many players.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – New Mode “Outboarding”
The source states that Outboarding may have been replaced by the Specialists story modes. However, the author is not sure.
It is supposed to be a training or tutorial mode.
Included are Sgt. Frank Woods from various Black Ops installments and Renzov, who also plays a significant role in the Black Ops series. Woods apparently wakes up after some sort of simulation.
There are efforts underway to develop specific weapon and Specialist variants, suggesting that there will be special events.
Themes include “Day of the Dead” and “Halloween”. There will likely also be Halloween-inspired supply drops. However, these features are still subject to change as Activision and Treyarch are still working on how the microtransactions in the game will look.
A “Day of the Dead” variant of the VAPR-XKG has already been seen.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – New Weapons
Two new weapons have been developed that were not included in the beta:
A small rocket launcher – similar to the BlackCell from Black Ops 3.
So that you can celebrate your goals properly on the virtual pitch, FIFA 19 offers a ton of celebration animations. Compared to FIFA 18, 11 new goal celebrations have been added, which are now known.
New celebrations from Ronaldo, Mbappe, Griezmann and others.
The new animations are intended to reflect the famous celebrations of world stars like Ronaldo, Mbappe, or Griezmann. Because they occasionally show these dances and poses in real football as well.
These are all new celebrations – with key combinations and screenshots:
Little Brother – Hold L2 and press Circle twice (Hold LT, press B twice):
Giddy Up – Hold L1 and press R3 (Hold LB, press right stick):
Phone It In – Hold L1 and push the right stick up (Hold LB, push right stick up):
Double Siii (Ronaldo celebration) – Press X when a teammate is nearby (Press A):
Hang Loose – Hold L1 and push the right stick once up and once down (Hold LB, push right stick once up and down):
Neighbourhood – Hold L2 and move the right stick down twice (Hold LT, move right stick down twice):
Kiss the Ground – Hold R2 and push the right stick to the right (Hold LT, push right stick right):
Matador – Hold R2 and press the right stick once down and once up (Hold RT, press right stick once down and up):
Milly Rock (Lingard celebration) – Press X (Press A):
Number One (Ronaldo celebration) – Press X when the victory is secured (Press A):
Crocodile (Griezmann celebration) – Press X (Press A):
Note: The button combinations for PS4 and Xbox One are indicated in parentheses. Some of the new celebrations can only be performed with specific players.
What kind of video is this? The video comes from Youtuber Kazooie94, who was allowed to publish it as part of the “EA Game Changers Network”. The “Game Changers” is a partnership between EA and community representatives such as Youtubers or streamers. The selected FIFA Youtubers can test FIFA 19 early, must provide extensive feedback to EA, and are allowed to publish early gameplay material – like these new celebrations.
The online shooter The Division 2 aims to impress not only with its gameplay. Washington D.C. is supposed to be gigantic and diverse. At Gamescom, our author Tarek was able to get an impression of it himself.
Already in The Division 1, the setting was one of the most important components of the game. Massive placed great emphasis on the credible representation of Manhattan, New York. For part 2, they have set their sights even higher.
At Gamescom 2018, I visited Ubisoft and Massive. There I got an insight into the creation of the game world and which factors are particularly important for the developers.
Setting as a main character of The Division 2?
Where does The Division 2 take place? The storyline of The Division 2 will take place in the capital of the USA, Washington D.C. Seven months after the events of The Division 1, the peak summer has hit D.C.
The situation in the city has spiraled out of control since the outbreak of the green poison, with various factions fighting for dominance.
To achieve this, they put in a lot of effort into research and realistically replicating the US capital. Can this work?
On-site research aims to ensure maximum realism
How does the population react in the event of an outbreak? To find out how Washington D.C. would react to a catastrophe like the green poison, Massive was able to utilize the resources of publisher Ubisoft. On-site, extensive research and recordings took place for 10 days.
Local residents, police officers, firefighters, survival experts, and disaster management were asked what situations could be expected if such a catastrophe were to occur.
How would the government and individual institutions act to protect the civilian population and maintain order?
How geography influences level design: A concrete example of the orientation towards geographical data was provided to us with the subway. This is partially flooded in The Division 2 because D.C. was built on a swamp and is subjected to heavy rainfall every year.
As society collapsed, no one maintained the subway tunnels and stations anymore. Consequently, some areas filled up with water.
The 6 different areas of Washington D.C.
A crucial factor for the US capital as a setting is the diversity of different neighborhoods. Massive has divided Washington into six areas that differ in various aspects such as architecture, infrastructure, and utility:
The suburbs of Georgetown: The houses of the upper class are supposed to particularly demonstrate how civilians had to leave their belongings behind when the disaster started.
Business districts: These were particularly hard hit by looters.
The Mall: Here lie important historical sites like the Lincoln Memorial, the Air and Space Museum, and the Washington Monument.
Government district: Among many other well-known locations, the White House is located here.
Residential areas: These are most similar to Manhattan. Civilians tried to hunker down in their apartments and survive.
The surrounding forests: The overgrown areas of D.C. were a particular challenge, as they wanted to transfer the familiar gameplay from The Division 1 into the novel areas.
Washington D.C. is not strictly divided, so you will frequently stumble from one area to another. This is meant to make the game world feel organic and diverse.
First info on well-known landmarks
Massive provided initial insights into the more famous locations of D.C. and what condition they are in The Division 2.
The White House: The former seat of government has been completely recreated, and all (known) rooms will be included. Even those that are not accessible to the public.
There had previously been a leak referring to the White House as the operations base of The Division 2. However, upon inquiry, they would not confirm this.
The Lincoln Memorial: The memorial honoring Abraham Lincoln served as a checkpoint and reception center for civilians after the virus broke out. Directly behind it is the Arlington Memorial Bridge, one of the main access points to the city.
Roosevelt Island: The island was primarily a park in the past. Now it is isolated and overgrown. The island has become a quarantine zone.
The National Air and Space Museum: In reality, it is one of the most visited museums in the world. In The Division 2, the Air and Space Museum becomes one of the largest refugee camps. The exhibits served the government for a time as a source of equipment that suddenly finds new purpose.
All these buildings and landmarks will be recreated in original scale and accessible to players.
Game world as a main character? It could work
This is how I perceived the presentation: After The Division 1, I was already optimistic. Manhattan had been brilliantly designed and created with a lot of attention to detail.
Having now gotten a direct insight, I am now completely sure: The Division 2 will have a fantastic game world.
Massive’s attention to detail is incredible. They even dealt with the decay of trash to credibly depict the waste lying in the streets.
Battle for Azeroth will soon receive new features. In a statement, the creators of World of Warcraft discuss upcoming content and the first Mythic+ season.
Shortly after the launch of Battle for Azeroth, Blizzard published a “small roadmap” announcing the upcoming features. In the coming weeks, WoW fans can expect a raid, warfronts, and seasons for PvP and PvE.
Mythic+ dungeons are getting a season
Battle for Azeroth is the fastest-selling expansion of all time, and Blizzard will soon feed the game with new content. On September 4, the first season for PvP in Battle for Azeroth and for Mythic Keystone dungeons will open.
Mythic+ seasons are coming: A special innovation in Battle for Azeroth will be seasons for Mythic Keystone dungeons. In “Mythic+” instances, players can face increasingly difficult challenges and compare themselves on official leaderboards.
With an upcoming patch, there will be “seasonal affixes” which are enhancements for the enemies in dungeons that will apparently change with each season. The first seasonal affix will be “Infested,” based on the corrupted dwellers of the raid Uldir.
Participation in the seasons will also yield seasonal achievements, the keymaster, and the key conqueror of Battle for Azeroth: Season 1.
There is even an eSports for Mythic+ dungeons.
The PvP season begins: With the upcoming PvP season, players can collect “conquest points,” which will allow them to open a weekly reward chest in their PvP headquarters in Boralus or Atal’Dazar.
In the statement, Blizzard also discusses some of the already known features that have been announced for Battle for Azeroth but have not yet been implemented.
Warfronts are likely coming “soon”: In the warfronts, players from the Horde and Alliance fight for strategically important points in Azeroth. They capture them for their faction and unlock special features, such as world bosses in the respective area for a few days.
The first warfront will be Stromgarde, a PvE event for 20 players in Arathi Highlands. The Alliance will control Stromgarde first, while the Horde will attack. Warfronts are expected to be made accessible “in the coming weeks.”
Uldir is an ancient facility of the Titans, housing the failed experiments of the Old Gods. You will encounter eight bosses in Uldir, including Zul and the gruesome abomination G’huun.
The monster G’huun.
Additional updates are in progress: In the future, further allied races such as the Zandalari trolls and the Kul Tiran humans will also be available. More details regarding these and yet-to-be-announced content will come at a later time.
Are you already excited about the upcoming changes? What are you most looking forward to? Or is there still a particular feature you’re missing? Let us know in the comments!
A new giant cube has appeared in Fortnite. A player has abused it as a trampoline and achieved a crazy kill.
Since yesterday, there is a new highlight in Fortnite: a cosmic cube. A player has showcased it perfectly on reddit. This has garnered him almost 40,000 upvotes and the recognition of the Fortnite community.
Note: We have embedded the video above. If you can’t see it, try it here.
How to use the cube as a trampoline: In a video on reddit, a player demonstrates how the recoil from the cube works. He lands on the cube with a glider and then bounces around on the cosmic cube.
A unique feature of the cube is that damage to the cube catapults the damage dealer away. Since the player landed directly on the cube, the cosmic cube turns into a trampoline. “Double jumps” with incredible height are possible.
The highlight of the action is a no-scope kill with the sniper rifle in mid-air, after someone from the bushes opened fire on the jumper.
How the internet reacts to the action: The video of the kill was posted online at 1 AM our time on the night from Friday to Saturday. It has almost 40k upvotes on reddit now. That’s a lot even for Fortnite.
Most didn’t even know the cube and its function at the time the video was released, as a player already performed this crazy kill.
Players are excited about the clip. The top comment says: “I thought the video was just going to show the double jump, but then a no-scope kill too. Damn.”
What is the deal with the cube? Currently, it’s still unknown. The cube is located in the Paradise Palms area, which is in the southeast of the Fortnite Battle Royale map. Apparently, the cube is part of the “season finale” of Season 5 in Fortnite. Epic always comes up with something special.
The cube emits a strange humming sound – maybe that’s a clue. We will continue to follow developments in Fortnite here on Mein MMO in the coming days.
The Old Gods apparently now play a role in Battle for Azeroth. In a quest for the Champions of Azeroth, a servant of the old god N’zoth appears in World of Warcraft.
“He rises!” When you gain reputation with the Champions of Azeroth, you can upgrade your Heart of Azeroth by several item levels with every new reputation level. To do this, you need to complete a quest. At the “Respectful” status, this quest is somewhat longer.
Magni will once again lead you into the Heart Chamber of Azeroth, where you are to empower Azeroth. However, you will be interrupted by a servant of N’zoth, who appears from the void and demands the heart to nourish his master. You repel the servant, and his last words are “He rises!”
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Since the Warbringer video about Azshara, it has been known that the former elven queen Azshara is now the queen of the old god N’zoth. However, the appearance of the Faceless One is the first concrete sign in the game.
There were already signs: Azshara can already be briefly seen in the Shrine of Storms. Her appearance makes it clear early in the game that Azshara will play a role in Battle for Azeroth.
In the area of the shrine and in the open world of Stormsong Valley, there were already further signs. In the instance and around it, there are frequently aberrations that strongly resemble the Faceless Ones, servants of the old gods. Some frescoes on the ground also depict a creature that strongly resembles N’zoth.
Will there be more Old Gods? So far, there are no concrete signs of another Old God. However, there is a fan theory that suggests Yogg-Saron also has a hand in this and that Anduin serves the Old Gods.
Yogg-Saron is apparently not really dead, and he is, after all, the “God of Death.” Even in the pre-event for Legion, players encountered his servants. In Battle for Azeroth, Sylvanas uses chants that sound suspiciously similar and strongly reminiscent of Yogg-Saron.
In Destiny 2 Forsaken, Xur finally returns to his old self – at least almost. This is how the Exotic dealer changes in Year 2.
When Xur appeared in the first weeks of Destiny 2, he turned out to be a huge disappointment. The once mysterious vendor that countless Guardians eagerly awaited week after week in Destiny 1, only to curse him later, has long lost his mysterious status.
Looking at the Google interest in Xur over time, you can see his sad decline into irrelevance:
Nearly the entire Year 1 of Destiny 1, Xur’s weekly appearance was a major event that the Guardians followed with curiosity – the interest was consistently high. This was certainly also due to the Gjallarhorn hype.
In the months following the “The Taken King” expansion in the fall of 2015, interest in Xur steadily declined. After TTK, there followed months of content drought, which also affected Xur.
The rise in the fall of 2016 marks the release of the “Rise of Iron” expansion, which lured some Guardians back to the game – and to Xur. However, interest in Destiny and Xur in Year 2 and Year 3 was no longer as high as in Year 1.
At the launch of Destiny 2, interest skyrocketed again – the entire Guardian community wanted to know what the Agent of the Nine would bring in the sequel. But the Guardians were disappointed. The massive hype plummeted rapidly within the first weeks post-launch.
Soon after, only a few players were interested in Xur’s weekly offerings.
Xur in Destiny 1
Why is hardly anyone interested in Xur since Destiny 2?
Mystery Xur: In Destiny 1, the Agent of the Nine, with his extravagant appearance, was an exciting mystery.
This is what made Xur special in Destiny 1:
Xur appeared somewhere in the Tower every Friday (later also in the Reef). No one knew exactly where. His location was not displayed on the map. Every Friday marked the start of the big Xur hunt. Those who found him first hastily wrote about it in the relevant forums.
Xur had exciting items for sale. From powerful exotic weapons like the Gjallarhorn to exotic armor pieces with various stat rolls, to the Three of Coins – there was always talk about Xur’s offerings and which items were particularly worth it that week.
Xur on the balcony near the Speaker
People knew – and still know – almost nothing about Xur. Tentacles grow out of his face and he is an Agent of the Nine. But why he sells Exotics to the Guardians, where he disappears to when he leaves, and what he does with all those Strange Coins from Destiny 1 is unclear. He is one of the most mysterious characters in Destiny.
Bungie repeatedly claimed that even the developers do not know what Xur brings and where he appears. They fueled the mystery around Xur.
All of this led to Xur attaining cult status in the community. Websites, Facebook accounts, and even prophets specializing in Xur sprang up. Weekly discussions about Xur occurred and players logged in regularly to visit the old tentacle-faced vendor.
In Destiny 2, Xur is often alone
Imagine it’s Xur, and no one shows up
This changed in Destiny 2:
In the first months after the launch of Destiny 2, Exotics were thrown at players. Many were no longer interested in Xur’s inventory, as they already had everything he could offer.
Xur’s arrival is tied to the Flashpoints. So you know days in advance where the Agent of the Nine will appear this time. He is also indicated on the map with a symbol.
The mystery of Xur thus evaporated. The noodle-faced vendor became more casual. He also remains a few days longer per week than in Destiny 1. The mysterious vendor turned into a boring permanent guest.
Interest in Destiny 2 and the Exotics generally declined, which further harmed Xur’s standing.
Throughout the first year of Destiny 2, Xur’s offerings were adjusted multiple times – he received a Fated Engram, the Three of Coins, and a challenge card for the Nightfall – but this could not stop the negative trend.
Xur became an obsolete model.
This is how Xur changes in Destiny 2: Forsaken
With Year 2 and the Forsaken expansion, Xur is supposed to become the “old Xur” again: a mysterious vendor who brings cool stuff.
When does Xur change? According to Bungie, the changes will come as early as August 28 with the preparation update for Forsaken.
How does Xur change?
Xur will no longer be displayed on the map with a symbol. He will play hide and seek with the Guardians again.
Xur will no longer be tied to the Flashpoints. He can appear anywhere in Forsaken. So it will take a while to find the Agent of the Nine again.
The Fated Engrams will only yield Exotics from Year 1. The new Forsaken Exotics cannot be contained in these Engrams.
Fated Engram – contains an Exotic you are still missing
What else changes? Bungie emphasizes that Xur follows a clear goal, but he himself cannot explain it. After all, his will is not his own. In other words, Bungie wants to wrap him again in a mysterious cloak.
A Twitter user posed several questions about the “new Xur”: whether he would have completely new locations in the worlds, whether he would appear in the first week of Forsaken, and whether he would still come at the same times. Community Manager dmg04 replied that from now on there would be no more information about Xur from Bungie – unless problems arise.
In short: Xur will finally become more mysterious in Destiny 2 Forsaken. And since the Exotics are now significantly rarer and better than at launch, a visit to Xur should soon be worthwhile again.
Neowiz announced the MMO Bless Unleashed during Gamescom. The MMO is being developed in collaboration with Bandai Namco and is set to release in 2019 for Xbox One. Players of Bless Online have questions.
The Bless series is getting a new installment: Bless Unleashed will take place in the world of Bless, but offer a completely new experience for console players. Of course, the announcement raises questions among fans. What does the future hold for Bless if Bless Unleashed releases in 2019?
In a Steam post, Bless developer Neowiz addresses some questions from players.
2 separate teams are working on 2 independent games
Focus is on PC version: According to Neowiz, the newly formed developer team Round Studio 8 would be working on Bless Unleashed, while another team continues to provide content for the PC version of Bless Online. The team behind Bless Online will still focus on content for the PC title, while Round Studio 8 will take care of Bless Unleashed.
The PC version would be published by Neowiz itself. Bandai Namco will handle the publishing of Bless Unleashed. For the team behind Bless Online, the PC version has priority. Since the two projects existed independently, Neowiz could maintain 2 games simultaneously.
Bless Unleashed has no impact on Bless Online
Bless Online is set to release in 2018: According to Neowiz, the release of Bless Online for 2018 is still planned. Bless Unleashed would only release as a full game in 2019.
The Early Access of Bless Online has given the team the opportunity to receive direct feedback from players and improve Bless Online before it releases as a full game.
Player feedback should benefit Bless Unleashed: Neowiz would take the insights gained from the Early Access phase of Bless Online and share them with the team behind Bless Unleashed, so that the action MMO releases in the best possible state in 2019.
The decision to develop Bless Unleashed was made independently of the release of Bless Online on Steam.
This is how players react to the announcement of Bless Unleashed
Players express their opinion: Under the Q&A post on Steam, on Reddit, and in the Bless Discord channel, players are commenting on the announcement of Bless Unleashed.
For some players, it is completely clear that Neowiz has only released Bless Online on PC to gather funds for Bless Unleashed. This role has now been filled by Bless Online.
Other players are astonished that Neowiz intends to release Bless Online this year. The team behind Bless Online still has a lot of optimization work to do before they believe it is ready for release.
Some players do not want to believe the announcement. The most ironic thing in their eyes is that the console version will likely be better optimized than the Steam version.
Some players wish for an upgrade of Bless Online to Unreal Engine 4. Then Bless Online and Bless Unleashed would run on the same engine. They also expect a performance boost from the switch.
Dark Iron Dwarves are one of the new allied races in World of Warcraft. Shortly after the launch of Battle for Azeroth, some players met the requirements to unlock them. You can now unlock the Dark Iron Dwarves in WoW.
The first steps: You can unlock the Dark Iron Dwarves by speaking with Moira Thaurissan in Stormwind. You must meet the following requirements.
You have:
an Alliance character at level 120
completed the Alliance War Campaign (with the achievement “Ready for War”)
an exalted reputation with the 7th Legion
Moira will then give you a quest in which you must complete a short scenario. Here you will see the walkthrough in English.
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You will be sent to the Blackrock Depths to unlock Moira, the home of the Dark Iron Dwarves. There, Azerite is being researched to solidify the alliance, and you should check out one of the achievements. The scenario has 6 sections.
Part 1 – The Blackrock Depths: In the Blackrock Depths, you’ll be guided around to see the work that the Dark Iron Dwarves are currently doing to help. You will be shown the Dark Forge, the centerpiece of the Dark Iron Dwarves’ forge.
There, you should help process Azerite. During the processing, however, the Blackrock is attacked by Goblins from the Venture Co., whom you should drive away. However, the Dark Forge is destroyed, and the holy forge hammer, Ironreaver, is stolen.
Part 2 – The RIESENFLÖZ!!: Moira tells you that the attacker is Mogul Ratzunk, the last boss in the dungeon “The RIESENFLÖZ!!”. He has stolen Ironreaver, and she is sending you to get it back.
You must complete the dungeon normally and loot Ironreaver from Mogul. The difficulty on which you do this seems to not matter.
The RIESENFLÖZ!!
Part 3 – The Molten Core: Return with the hammer to Stormwind, where Moira tells you that a piece of the Molten Core is needed to repair the forge. Speak with her, and she will send you to an instanced version of the raid.
In the core, a tank awaits you, with which you eliminate enemies and advance to the end of the raid. There, Grezzrok awaits you, whom you must defeat to then take the fragment of the core.
Part 4 – The Firelands: Return to Moira again and give her the fragment. She then tells you that the essence of Ragnaros is still needed and sends you to the Firelands. However, a cult of Dark Iron Dwarves has gathered in the Firelands, wanting to bring back Ragnaros.
Eliminate the dwarves and ultimately their leader, High Judge Grimstone, to charge the fragment of the core in Ragnaros’ chamber.
Part 5 – The Blackrock Depths: A mole machine brings you back to the embassy, where you speak with Moira once again. She then sends you back to the Blackrock Depths.
Speak with Moira to go directly to the Dark Forge in the Blackrock Depths, where the forge is currently being repaired. The final step of the repair is left to your honor.
Part 6 – The Embassy: Back at the embassy, you can turn in the quest and receive the reward of access to Dark Iron Dwarves as an allied race, as well as the Dark Iron Core Hound as a mount.
Are the Mag’har also playable?
Yes, the Horde can also unlock the Mag’har for the respective requirements. However, the Alliance was finished with its requirements a little earlier, as humans receive a reputation bonus of 10% and the 7th Legion could thus reach Exalted faster.
If you’re interested in Star Citizen (PC) but haven’t decided to financially support the game yet, now you have a chance to try it out for free. For a limited time, Star Citizen is available to play for free. We’ll explain how you can download and test the space MMO.
Coinciding with Gamescom, Cloud Imperium Games, the company behind Star Citizen, has decided to make Star Citizen available for free to players for a limited time. However, the offer is only valid until August 28, 2018, at 9 AM.
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The Star Citizen project is running under the name “Gamescom Free-Fly” and offers new players the chance to explore Star Citizen. During this time, players do not have access to the full scope of the game.
How can I play? For the promotional campaign, Cloud Imperium Games has launched an official website. On the site, you can create an account directly or log in.
Simply enter the coupon code “GETINTOTHEVERSE,” which you can also copy directly from the site, and download the game.
What can I play? Supporters of Star Citizen usually receive ships that they can fly. Players who are testing Star Citizen will have access to four special vehicles:
MISC Prospector, a mining ship.
Drake Cutlass Black, a combat ship with a lot of firepower and the most popular ship for new and returning players.
Aegis Avenger Titan, a light freighter.
Drake Dragonfly, a two-seat hoverbike for surface exploration.
The code also gives you access to some “modules” like the Arena Commander, a space battle, and Star Marine, a ground shooter. You can also simply explore the “Verse” with your ships.
The game is in Alpha: Star Citizen is currently in Alpha 3.2. The game is not yet complete and fully refined during the alpha phase. Therefore, expect that bugs and errors may occur and some content may not work fully.
What new ratings will the players from Schalke 04 get in FIFA 19? Here are predictions based on fan requests.
Just in time for FC Schalke 04’s start to the new Bundesliga season, let’s take a closer look at the “Knappen” that you will be able to play in FIFA 19.
After a strong Bundesliga season 17/18, in which Schalke secured second place, many Schalke fans are excited about the ratings EA Sports will give the Königsblauen in the upcoming football simulation.
Predictions for the ratings in FIFA 19: Official player values for Schalke 04 are not yet known. However, fans already have clear ideas about what ratings they would give the players.
Prediction for Schalke Ratings in FIFA 19
The Futwiz website created a survey on what new player values the community would give to the professional footballers in FIFA 19. Many fans have already voted.
Here are the fans’ desired ratings for FC Schalke 04 (the final values from FIFA 18 are given in parentheses):
Fährmann – 85 (84)
Nübel – 69 (64)
Langer – 69 (70)
Sané – 82 (79)
Nastasic – 81 (80)
Stambouli – 78 (79)
Naldo – 85 (84)
Baba – 77 (77)
Oczipka – 79 (77)
Mendyl – 66 (63)
Bentaleb – 80 (80)
Mascarell – 78 (76)
Geis – 76 (77)
Serdar – 76 (68)
McKennie – 74 (69)
Caligiuri – 80 (78)
Schöpf – 78 (77)
Harit – 80 (77)
Konoplyanka – 81 (79)
Skrzybski – 75 (71)
Uth – 82 (80)
Embolo – 80 (76)
Burgstaller – 80 (78)
Di Santo – 75 (75)
Teuchert – 71 (67)
Note: There are no details available for Goller and Riether from Schalke.
Compared to FIFA 18, according to participating fans, almost all Schalke players deserve an upgrade. From this team, Naldo and Fährmann would stand out. Schalke would thus have a well-rounded squad with numerous players around the 80 overall rating.
Are you satisfied with these rating predictions or would you assign different values?
In June it was announced that Schalke signed a contract with Konami and thus became a license partner of PES 19. Many Schalke fans feared that their gaming experience might be limited in FIFA 19.
Reassurance for Schalke fans: Schalke 04 announced via Twitter that the Schalke team and their home ground, the Veltins-Arena, will still be available in FIFA 19.
To find out what other leagues, teams, and stadiums are in FIFA 19, check here:
The puzzles of World of Warcraft have little to do with the game anymore. Most clues can be found through datamining. Is it still fun?
I love the puzzles of World of Warcraft. From the very first mystery surrounding Kosumoth to the long-forgotten hippogriff and the latest puzzle about the creepy pet Baa’l. However, the puzzles in WoW have lost their charm. It’s no longer about logical thinking and combining clues, but about datamining and extracting game data.
Datamining as a forced puzzle solution
The search for the pebbles: Especially absurd was the search for the numerous little pebbles needed for the Baa’l puzzle in Battle for Azeroth. To solve it, you had to click on thirteen small stones scattered throughout the world. The stones are only a few pixels large, making them almost impossible to discover randomly.
Finding the pebble randomly is virtually impossible.
And this is where datamining comes into play. The exact process is quite technical, but simply put, the puzzle about Baa’l was solved as follows:
It was found out which “item ID” the different stones had
One then regularly checked the WoW cache file. This contains all data on objects that have recently been loaded in the game world, for instance because one was near them
As soon as the corresponding ID appears in the cache file, one knows that the character is in the correct environment to find the item
This does not reveal the exact location of the stone, but it gives a rough idea of the 100-meter radius in which one needs to search. Finding the entrances to hidden caves, on the other hand, is cool and interesting. These are small, hidden things in the world, where at least there’s a chance of finding them.
Datamining consumes charm and immersion
Of course, datamining is an acceptable solution to master the puzzle and apparently also the way Blizzard envisioned – otherwise, the hiding of small pebbles cannot be explained.
The hidden cave entrances are still acceptable.
However, puzzles are losing their charm. It is rare to decipher clues and find answers through logical combining. Occasionally, there’s an anagram to decipher and now and then a reference to Alice in Wonderland.
A large part of the puzzles is solved through “outgame” mechanics. And that bothers me immensely. It no longer feels like the puzzles are part of the game world but something that goes beyond it and forces me to break immersion and look at game data technically.
I think the puzzles are a cool idea, but they are drifting further away from what Warcraft means to me: a coherent game world with great mysteries – within the game.
What do you think about the whole thing? Do you find it good when the puzzles operate on multiple “levels”? Or should they only be solvable with information in the game?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Fortnite, the grand finale marks the end of Season 5. At the center of the spectacle are a rift and a cube. As in previous seasons, Epic seems to have come up with a storyline full of surprising twists.
Fortnite players are now familiar with this. Mysterious things happen at the end of a season in Fortnite. The finale of Season 5 is happening right now and is more mysterious and cosmic than ever before.
This has happened: Yesterday, we reported that lightning strikes in Fortnite. A huge rift opened in the sky and continuously sent lightning down to the ground. This happened during the night from Thursday to Friday.
Giant Rift Creates Cube in Fortnite
Throughout the day, the lightning strikes became faster and stronger. One night later, the next big surprise came.
After countless bolts of lightning concentrated from the rift to a single spot, a gigantic purple cube suddenly appeared on the ground. The rift in the sky has now disappeared. Instead, Fortnite now has this massive cube.
Here you can see the spectacle:
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What does the cube do? As the site Kotaku knows, the cube emits a strange humming sound. It also fills the shields of players nearby.
If you hit the cube with a pickaxe or shoot at it, you will be pushed back.
Where is the cube located? The cube is on top of a mountain in Paradise Palms. This is in the lower right corner of the map.
The Secret Story of Fortnite
What happened in the last seasons?
These “storylines” and surprises began with Season 3. A giant comet appeared in the sky, slowly approaching the Fortnite world and eventually crashing into Dusty Depot at the end of the season.
In Season 4, players discovered that an alien was inside the meteor, which then shot a rocket into the sky. Since then, rifts have appeared in Fortnite, abducting things or bringing them back from other dimensions.
In Season 5, more such rifts appeared, bringing in things from the past or altering the map, like most recently in Tomato Town. What all of this leads to in Season 5 is still unknown. But there are clues.
In an interview at Gamescom 2018, Bungie revealed some new details about how they want to make the lore of Destiny 2 tangible in-game with Forsaken. They are making big claims. It is said that reading the lore made someone cry at their desk.
Once again, Bungie has emphasized that they want to present the extensive and exciting lore of Destiny 2 better in the game with Forsaken and make it more tangible for players. In a Gamescom interview with the site GamesRadar, Forsaken chief Steve Cotton and project lead Scott Taylor revealed new details.
With Forsaken, there is as much lore in the game as in a novel
Lore collection works like a small book: Scott Taylor initially outlined how the upcoming lore collections will work. These collections will be available to all Guardians with the Day-One Patch 2.0.0.1 for Forsaken starting September 4.
“The system you use to collect the lore in the game functions and feels like a small book that you can open and read stories in. There are short stories but also long tales that you can discover in the world and then look up in the game,” Taylor said.
This is how you collect lore: The project lead then went into more detail about the sources for the lore. Those who loved the hunt for dead ghosts, classified fragments, or inactive SIVA bundles in Destiny 1 can look forward to Forsaken, as they will finally get their fill.
“You collect it (the lore) when you defeat bosses or by collecting items like dead ghosts or small drones in the world. They tell short stories. These can consist of one part or three parts. Perhaps you can find out what Uldren did between the Taken King and his presence in the Prison of Elders. All of that is now in the game – and it’s addictive.”
As much lore as in a novel: To conclude, Taylor emphasized how much lore is in the game with Forsaken.
“It has the aesthetics of a book. You can open it in the game and it will tell you a story about each of the Barons before you take them down – why they were in prison and what happened to them. There’s as much lore in the game as in a novel.”
Steve Cotton added: “We haven’t even read everything. But the team responsible for localization came to us and said, ‘We are working on the stuff and it’s really good. I cried at my desk. These are great stories.'”
Is a long-standing community wish coming true? It seems that fans will finally get with Forsaken what large parts of the community have continuously demanded since Destiny 1 – an extensive lore that you can find in the game and refer back to whenever you want.
With the hunt for dead ghosts and other collectibles, collectors and adventurers will also have more to do.
The zombie survival game “Just Survive”, previously known as H1Z1 , is being discontinued. On October 24, it is over with the zombies. There will never be a release.
End of Just Survive announced: The early access game “Just Survive” will never leave early access. As the Daybreak team announces, they have decided to discontinue the game.
When is it over? Just Survive ends on Wednesday, October 24, at 8:00 PM our time.
Why is the game ending? It simply doesn’t have enough players. The team states that they had big plans, but are no longer capable of implementing them.
The Rise and Fall of H1Z1: Just Survive
In 2014, everyone was excited: H1Z1 was hastily developed in 2014 by Sony Online Entertainment under the leadership of John Smedley.
It was originally a side project to pass the time while the team waited to start working on the actual project.
“H1Z1” was probably based on ARMA and quickly found a loyal fan base that continuously demanded to release it into early access as soon as possible.
What was H1Z1? “Just Survive” was at that time a mix of Minecraft, ARMA and “The Walking Dead.” Players were supposed to fight against hordes of zombies, scavenge items, build bases, and fight for survival.
In 2015, the early access began: At the beginning of 2015, the game was released in early access on Steam, still unfinished. It generated a wave of hype but lasted only a few weeks.
The game was at that point too unfinished and buggy to convince players in the long term.
The developers repeatedly promised in the coming years that “Just Survive” was a rough diamond and played an important role in the studio’s plans. It had enormous potential that would be realized. Ports for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were also planned.
But nothing came of it.
Overtaken by Battle Royale: As early as 2015, the focus of the H1Z1 team shifted to “Battle Royale”.
Smedley had already recognized the signs of the times three years before PUBG and Fortnite. At Christmas 2014, Smedley hired modder Brendan “PlayerUnknown” Greene to develop a battle royale mode for H1Z1.
With this “Battle Royale concept”, H1Z1 aimed to conquer Twitch. This part was still enormously successful in 2016 and the first half of 2017 and was separated from “Just Survive” as a standalone game “H1Z1: King of the Kill”.
But many things went wrong:
SOE was sold by Sony – under the new owners, there were layoffs and budget cuts
Smedley left the studio, thus H1Z1 lost one of its biggest advocates and the studio lost a visionary
Brendan Greene was also gone quickly – with “PUBG” he implemented what Smedley had planned for H1Z1
Despite all promises, “Just Survive” never significantly evolved after the hype of 2015
And H1Z1 also suffers from the fact that the base game was put together so hastily back then
Just Survive is a kind of “Worst Case” for Fortnite Save the World
What’s behind this: “Just Survive” has been a sad story since 2015. Repeated promises, repeated disappointments. Since the early access hype back then, there hasn’t really been any positive news about the game – and that hype was three and a half years ago.
The fans of the original game feel left behind and disappointed by Daybreak for years. They feel they have never received their promised “zombie survival” game. Instead, they got a “battle royale” shooter that they never wanted.
Sounds very much like Fortnite: The crazy thing is the many parallels between “Just Survive” and “Fortnite: Save the World.” Fans of the original “zombie and base building” Fortnite also feel that the developer is neglecting them for the new, hot battle royale part of Fortnite.
For more about H1Z1, check out our extensive special:
The puzzle fans in World of Warcraft have to take a hard blow. What they were looking for is not in the game at all.
Since the release of Battle for Azeroth, players from the “Secret Finding” Discord server have been searching for hidden game content of World of Warcraft. The first major puzzle about the pet Baa’l was solved a few days ago. Originally, players thought that the hints led to the mount “Hive Mind”. However, a developer has now clarified: The Hive Mind is not in the game.
The players thought this would be a secret mount – but it is not.
What was the Hive Mind? This mount was described as unique, as it could connect with other mounts. If multiple players owned a Hive Mind, they could ride together. Each additional player increased the riding speed by 10%. The larger the group, the faster the mount.
Model was just a “Place Holder”: The Hive Mind had the appearance of a floating brain in the game data during beta, as seen with the boss Yogg-Saron. Jeremy “Muffinus” Feasel, who is responsible for most of the puzzles in the game, has now clarified that the Hive Mind was just a placeholder and the idea was discarded. However, it could be revived at a later date.
Community disappointed. The puzzle community is quite disappointed by this revelation. The Hive Mind was considered “the big prize” that would exist in Battle for Azeroth for the hardest of all puzzles. At least that is how the players saw it. The fact that this mount does not exist has caused some dissatisfaction.
However, the puzzle community does not give up. Because there are still many more puzzles in Battle for Azeroth that remain unsolved.
Do you want to miss any news about WoW and Battle for Azeroth? Then leave a like on our WoW Facebook page!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In The Division today, on August 18th, the big vendor reset is happening. We present to you items from the vendors that are particularly worth it.
It is time for the vendor reset again. Every week, on the night from Friday to Saturday, the offerings of the many vendors change randomly.
So you don’t have to visit all vendors, we have summarized the best deals for you. These are our recommendations.
Recommended Weapons since 25.8.
W 31st St: MP5 ST with Destructive, Nimble and Accelerated. An alternative to The House with good PvE talents. Replace Nimble with Deadly.
Special Equipment Vendor, Terminal: Pakhan with Destructive and Determined. Although the LMG has a low gear score, it has good talents for PvE. If you cannot unlock Determined, we recommend Raider or Precise.
The Mods after the Vendor Reset
Vendors of the Dark Zone:
E 31st St: Performance Mod with Impulse Creator Crit Chance (+2%)
DZ04: Performance Mod with ballistic shield damage (+4%)
East 61st: Loud Muzzle Brake with Crit Damage (+18%), optimal range, Crit Chance (+2.5%) and increased threat
Vendors of the PvE Zone:
The Firewall: Firearms Mod (259) with Crit Chance
DZ Vendor, Operations Base: Stamina Mod (259) with Hit Points (+3195)
Special Equipment Vendor, Terminal: Performance Mod with ballistic shield damage (+4%)
Southpaw: Purple Electronics Mod (187) with Damage against Elites (+3%)
The Offer of the Special Blueprint Vendors
The vendor in the terminal offers blueprints for these items:
