With the July update for Destiny 2 the drop chances of the exotic weapon catalysts are increased. They are exclusively found in Strikes: however, they were very rare. Now they are supposed to drop more frequently.
With the overhaul of the exotic weapons as part of the second DLC for Destiny 2, Warmind, players have once again received a new farming target. The various exotic catalysts are obtainable through different activities in the game, currently driving the Guardians back to farming. With patch 1.2.3, even the drop chance of the extremely rare strike catalysts is supposed to be increased.
When does patch 1.2.3 come out? Guardians can expect the release of patch 1.2.3 on July 17.
Strike catalysts really exist
Desperate players are searching for catalysts: As we reported back in May, Guardians were initially unsure if the catalysts, which can only be found in Strikes, really existed in the game. Some players did not see the catalysts drop until after 80 Strikes or more.
According to community manager dmg04, however, the chance for the exotic weapon upgrades could be increased if the Strikes are tackled in their Prestige version of the Nightfalls .
Drop chances are increasing – but not too high
Adjustments to the drop chances are coming: On Reddit, community manager dmg04 was asked how the new catalysts are behaving. They are being introduced with the Prestige mode of the two Raid lairs of the Leviathan. Do these have as low a drop chance as the strike and Nightfall upgrades, or are the new catalysts as rare as those found in PvE activities, such as D.A.R.C.I., Tractor Cannon or the Hand Cannon Crimson?
Dmg04 did not have an answer to that, but stated that the drop chance of the strike catalysts will be adjusted with the July patch 1.2.3. The catalyst for the exotic scout rifle Sunshot, which drops from defeated Cabal enemies, is also supposed to appear more frequently with the July update.
The adjustment is meant to lead to the catalysts dropping more frequently. However, Bungie also wants to ensure that the exotic weapon upgrades do not appear too often. The incentive for players to engage with Strikes and Raids should not disappear.
Also with patch 1.2.3 achieving the highest score in Prestige Nightfalls should still offer the best chances of finding strike catalysts.
Players show gallows humor: The beleaguered players on Reddit can hardly wait for the plans to change the drop chances to be implemented. Guardians continue to discuss that they farm Strikes and Nightfall Strikes every week for a chance at the exotic catalysts, strike ghost shells, or exclusive strike weapons.
Some seem to have already given up hope of ever seeing even one of the exclusive rewards. As one Guardian writes in the Destiny subreddit, players shouldn’t be too excited because Bungie would probably only increase the drop chance from one to two percent.
Have you received one or more of the strike catalysts already? Or are you still farming and can hardly wait for the increase in drop chances?
Fallout 76 is still not fully graspable for many players, as most developer explanations are vague. The game aims to take new paths. Here, the PvP system plays a crucial role.
PvP or not PvP? That is the question
What is Fallout 76? Bethesda wants to create an online experience with Fallout 76 that offers multiplayer but does not stray too far from the original Fallout player experience. That means it is not supposed to become an MMORPG, as Fallout 76 takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where there are only a few survivors. It is also not meant to be an online shooter. Bethesda aims to create a unique gaming experience that many players, however, can hardly imagine.
PvP becomes the crucial point. Fallout 76 essentially offers open PvP among players, but it is subject to rules and restrictions. For example, if someone constantly attacks a player, a high bounty will be placed on their head, and they will be marked on the minimap so that other players can hunt them. However, many players do not believe that this will work for several reasons:
What happens if a player causes another player to unintentionally attack someone by constantly jumping into the explosion of a grenade or running into the line of fire? Will that player then be marked as a “griefer”?
Players could conspire to collect the bounty. Player A attacks Player B repeatedly until the bounty is placed, then allows themselves to be taken out, and Player B collects the reward. Then the roles are reversed.
Griefers often do not care whether a bounty has been placed on them. In EVE Online, for instance, these players even brag about the amount of the bounty.
Other players simply enjoy finding ways to trick such systems, discovering loopholes and weaknesses.
Many just enjoy ruining what others have built. It brings out the child who destroys other children’s sandcastles in the sandbox and takes pleasure in it.
Bethesda stated that they want to ensure fairness and are trying to calm players down. However, this is difficult to implement.
Live operation is always something different than focus tests. On paper, supposedly fair game systems – especially in terms of PvP – always sound good. And this can work during internal tests and small groups. But as soon as a game goes live, such systems reveal weaknesses. Fairness is something that rarely works online. There are some players whose enjoyment comes from ruining others’ fun. They do not care about rules and game systems. They even boast about being “the bad guy”.
Anyone playing games with open PvP quickly finds out how it works there. Other players’ fortresses are repeatedly attacked, or weaker players are constantly victims of the stronger ones. Just look at the MMORPG Worlds Adrift. There, newbies hardly stand a chance because the veterans repeatedly attack them in the starting area.
The MMORPG classic Ultima Online nearly failed because griefers drove away other players. Only by splitting into two worlds, where one made PvP more difficult, could the online role-playing game survive.
Fallout 76 is a team game – even when it comes to PvP griefers.
Open PvP is a niche. Open PvP can function in a game designed for it. As it directly targets players who love this type of play. Then you know exactly what you are getting into when you play. However, this type of MMORPG usually only targets a niche. They rarely reach the mass audience. However, Fallout 76 does not want to be a niche product:
It wants to offer open PvP to attract PvP fans and create a certain danger in the game world
Moreover, it wants to reach the casual player who perhaps has nothing to do with PvP.
A balancing act. Finding a system that appeals to both PvP fans and does not ruin the fun for everyone else is extremely difficult. Furthermore, Fallout 76 is supposed to have a story and offer quests – even if only from computer terminals or robots. This means the focus is not solely on PvP. PvE and story are included in the mix. Players who are constantly attacked by others during a quest may become frustrated and give up. However, it is understandable that the danger posed by PvP should play a role.
With too many rules and security systems, PvP fans will quickly lose interest. They then feel restricted in their freedoms
With too weak rules or too many loopholes, the PvE fans will eventually get annoyed
The middle ground could also be aimed at too few players, which would again make Fallout 76 a niche product
What does Fallout 76 want to be? Another point is that many players are simply not sure what Fallout 76 wants to be. An online game focused on PvP or a PvE title. Especially since there are many burnt children who have lost interest in many games due to griefing, many cannot imagine that a combination would work well. So is Fallout 76 in an identity crisis? Would it be better to split the game into PvE and PvP servers? Bethesda wants to create a new gaming experience that mixes both. The development studio currently holds on to this.
Whether that will work, we will see in live operation – not in internal tests and probably not even in beta tests. Only when the masses play will it show how many griefers exist, how they react to the rules, and whether they find loopholes. Therefore, the PvP system of Fallout 76 could be the deciding factor for the success or failure of the game. From November 14th, we will know more when Fallout 76 is released.
https://youtu.be/M9FGaan35s0
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMORPG Bless Online has faced much criticism for its western Early Access release. While Neowiz strives to steer the game on the right path through patches and content, player numbers are declining. Is the game really in such a disastrous state, or are there also glimmers of hope? Our guest author, Erzkanzler, looks at the new MMORPG in a review.
Some players, like a village populated by unyielding Gauls, refuse to stop resisting the trend. Are they really all blinded, clueless, and misguided, or are there players for whom Bless might be worth a look?
The Erzkanzler has traveled the two kingdoms and inquired why Bless has become a home for a few despite all the adversities.
This opinion article is written by our guest author Erzkanzler from the Mein-MMO community
Identity Crisis – Bless as a PvP Game? That Doesn’t Work
One thing quickly becomes clear to me, Bless Online has a drastic identity crisis, and there are several reasons for that. Above all, one must critically examine the marketing of the game to uncover the cause of this crisis. Even currently, the official side still promotes an “ongoing battle” between Hieron and Union and epic realm vs realm wars.
PvP Only on a Schedule? Unthinkable for Many Players
For ambitious PvP players, Bless currently offers little incentive. Although there are battlegrounds, they can only be accessed at certain times, and the queues are opaque. Both are fundamental mistakes if PvP is to be marketed as the cornerstone of the game.
Have you read “Asterix in Britain”? The moment when the Britons interrupt the battle because it is time for hot water with milk? The Romans, perplexed, ask whether the battle can continue and promptly receive the answer: “Sorry, it’s the weekend.” And that’s pretty much how it feels for PvP players in Bless right now.
Open PvP is of Little Importance.
More than minor skirmishes between individual players is rare. Aside from a few wandering, quest-completing players from the opposing faction, there are hardly any relevant contents for this player group. Most even resign themselves to their fate without resistance. Even the mass slaughter of unsuspecting players at instance entrances offers neither immediate benefits nor noticeable disadvantages, aside from a little frustration on one side and schadenfreude on the other. This system can certainly be marked as a design flaw.
It is no surprise that the target group feels, to put it mildly, dissatisfied with the existing reality.
There are neither leaderboards nor great loot or status symbols. PvP players do not want to be picking flowers, raising raccoons, or dancing with other players while waiting for a fight. And above all, they do not want to wait!
If you market your game as a PvP game, you should also allow it continuously. There has clearly been development that misses the core target audience. The, for any MMO inevitable initial class balancing issues have taken their toll.
In my view, open PvP is refreshingly irrelevant. I am a PvE player who appreciates PvP in arenas. But open PvP, where players classically wait until I have 5 quest mobs on my tail, only to rob me of my last 10% HP, I detest with all my soul. The soft open PvP in Bless suits me well. Of course, occasionally someone wants to test their mettle, but since it is faction-based PvP, the farming or brawling over certain spots remains manageable. Even though this will surely gain more significance with important elite mobs and their coveted loot, much to the delight of the PvP faction.
Raids are Currently Completely Missing, the Number of Dungeons is Manageable
Neowiz boasts grandly about dungeons and even raids, but unfortunately, the current Early Access version does not live up to expectations. Specifically, the 9 currently available dungeons are hardly worth mentioning. Six of the nine are short interludes in the leveling phase and initially even split between the two factions. The first two are designed for solo play. The remaining three are certainly not enough to keep passionate raid players with many years of experience amused for more than a weekend. So once again, development has missed the second core target audience.
However, the dungeons of the game are challenging enough for less ambitious players. They shine with mechanics that have little in common with the classic “tank & spank” of other MMOs. I wish there were more instances because I find them relatively well done. Although Neowiz has certainly missed an opportunity to position itself better, with a higher number of dungeons, they could have provided a relevant endgame.
Bless, Perhaps an MMORPG for Casual Gamers?
Bless is a game that serves many facets, yet hardly any of them to perfection. This makes it uninteresting or even poor for many players. In my opinion, the criticism has often gone too far. When considering Bless Online as an MMORPG in Early Access, one must also concede to the team at Neowiz: Their product has potential.
And Bless should be seen as an Early Access game. Although large parts are already developed, Neowiz seems willing to adapt and change existing elements.
Interestingly, and this is one of the essences from my conversations with active players, Bless is an MMO for those who wouldn’t directly count themselves among the targeted audiences. They are those who want a bit of everything. Those who enjoy crafting, for example, but do not want to deal with Excel sheets full of ingredients. Those who like to play an instance with friends in the evening without having to memorize tactics from the net for weeks in advance. Players who enjoy coherent graphics, even when a detail is not 100% perfectly aligned.
Solid Combat System, Relevant Crafting and Companion System Form the Basis for Development
The combat system is solid. Although class balancing has diminished many players’ enjoyment of the system a bit. But after two patches, it’s simply fun to plow through the masses with the two-handed axe of the berserker or to burn monsters’ fur with fireballs as a mage. There isn’t a wide build variety as in other MMOs in Bless, but the skills system is noticeably more complex than it initially appears.
The Companion System is unique in the MMO landscape. Wild boar, giant spider, or demon as a companion? No problem, in Bless it’s “catch them all!” Both companions and mounts can be tamed as well as bred. Nothing stands in the way of my heroic skunk, and my mage rides a caterpillar. To create an incentive, these companions also come with helpful buffs and abilities, which can be remarkably high for companions. A rat that grants more attack power or a jumping mushroom that allows you to gather resources faster are not out of the ordinary with some breeding success.
The crafting is relevant! So relevant that even I, as a declared enemy of all in-game crafting professions, engage with them to be equipped with buff food, spirits (runes), and repair hammers. The products can be offered at the auction house, but there is no real free trade. The items have fluctuating minimum and maximum prices. Bless is not an economic simulation.
Group and Guild Play is Rewarded in Bless
And the guild and quest system also has its reason for being.Those who help make their guild more successful help themselves. Because the guild level determines the number and magnitude of buffs that each member receives permanently. This motivates players to experience the game together, but it opposes the current trend of a collection of solo players in MMORPGs. Bless intentionally takes this step; even those who team up to play will be rewarded with additional buffs.
Classic quests in Bless Online are by no means a storytelling delight. The stories told are mostly trivial and insignificant. However, each completed task noticeably advances my character, if only through a little money or upgrade materials for my equipment.
Sometimes it’s the little things that bring joy in Bless
Often, one overlooks small facets in Bless that make me smile. My personal favorite quest is the one where a villager celebrates me as a great hero and wants an autograph from me. It is fulfilled with a simple key press. Nevertheless, I was delighted; how often have I rescued princesses, saved lost children, and slain dragons in MMOs, only to be treated like a stranger by the villagers afterwards? Bless does not make a big exception here, but this quest amused me.
Finally, even the in-game shopis currently quite restrained. One would typically expect boldness and greed in a mediocre but solid creation. Of course, demanding money for transport to an instance or enabling resurrection with real money leaves a sour taste and is likely owed to its free-to-play history. Relevant in terms of fairness, these “advantages” are really not.
A Shop Exists, But Little Can Be Bought with Real Money.
Bless can currently free itself from pay-to-win accusations, and even the pay-to-progress is relatively mild. Once you reach the maximum level, which is quickly achieved, you receive hardly any immediate advantages. Those who want to play at the forefront and take advantage of every little bonus should consider a premium account. Here, there are still 2-3 little things that make progression easier.
Should One Like Bless?
I still have to answer the initially posed question: Are all active Bless players blinded and unwilling to recognize the obvious truth?
Even now, there are still players who want to believe the absurd marketing promises. Those who dream of the next big MMO, the long-awaited WoW killer. There are still players who expect better PvP than in Black Desert Online, looking forward to epic battles, and preparing themselves with daily duels.
But they are getting fewer, and this is clearly reflected in the player numbers. However, those who enjoy the game now, without projecting all their hopes and wishes onto it, those who simply have fun playing, are not blinded. They know what the game currently offers, see opportunities and problems, and have become accustomed to evasively answering the question of what they are currently playing.
It is Now Up to Neowiz to Show How Serious They Are About Bless Online
Neowiz will have to decide: It is now up to Neowiz to choose whether to continue targeting audience expectations that it likely cannot meet in the future or to listen and support those who are currently playing the game. This way, they might soon reach a player base that has previously shown no interest in Bless, namely the all-rounder. The MMO player who wants a bit of everything without having to obsessively focus their gaming experience on a single ultimate goal. Whether Neowiz can achieve this and whether there will be enough players for this concept remains to be seen.
At least the increasing positive reviews indicate the great disappointment is over. Now the game may have a chance to recover. A dream reboot, like that of Final Fantasy XIV, is still far off and hidden behind much work for Neowiz.
In this sense, the Erzkanzler is now going to play “some online game.”
The latest weekly challenges of Season 4 in Fortnite have been revealed. Dataminers have found hints again. But once more, not all tasks are clearly visible.
New information from datamining: Dataminers have once again dug into the code and found the final challenges for Season 4. We now know what might occur in week 10.
Epic trolls again: But just like in the past weeks, Epic has kept the most exciting tasks hidden. Instead, there are only vague hints and old tasks from Season 3.
Season 4, Week 10 – The 7 tasks of the week!
Some of the tasks should definitely be accurate. These seven weekly challenges have been discovered by the dataminers so far:
Deal damage to enemy structures (5,000): This task should be easy to complete. Ideally, you grab a rocket launcher and start shooting!
Search chests in Junk Junction (7): Junk Junction doesn’t have too many chests, but if you’re lucky and it’s a bit remote, you should be able to collect the seven chests soon.
Fly through floating rings (20): This task is probably a placeholder. The same challenge existed in Season 3.
Search a chest, an ammo crate, and a supply drop in a match (3): Maybe it is a placeholder. Otherwise, it’s fairly easy to complete. You just have to survive long enough to get a supply drop.
Each of these weekly tasks gives you five stars in the Season 4 Battle Pass. This way, you might still score the ultimate rewards just in time before the season ends.
These are the hard challenges in week 10 of Fortnite
If we can believe the dataminers, these three tasks each grant ten Battle Stars. This means a level in the Battle Pass is immediately up for grabs!
Search between movie titles (1): This task was actually predicted last week, but then it became the treasure hunt of Haunted Hills. So is the search between movie titles happening now or is it again just a placeholder?
Eliminate opponents (10): If this task is true, you just have to eliminate ten opponents. No matter which weapon.
Eliminate opponents at Fatal Fields (3): Here is again the usual kill task. It shouldn’t be a problem.
No clear statement: Just like in week 9, some of the challenges seem strange. The movie titles could once again just be a fake. And the thing with the rings is definitely incorrect. Rather, it is suspected, among others by the site Forbes, that it instead involves a task concerning the rifts and anomalies appearing everywhere.
The new rift at Lonely Lodge.
Guides coming on Thursday: What exactly challenges await you in the 10th and final week of Season 4 will likely be revealed by Thursday at 10:00 AM at the latest. We will write guides and articles on the challenges as soon as possible, as always.
Credits play a central role in The Crew 2. You buy cars, boats, airplanes, and various cosmetic embellishments with them. But how do you farm credits most effectively? We provide you with a few tips along the way.
The Crew 2 is a racing game with a huge scope. Cars, boats, and airplanes are just waiting to be purchased and upgraded by you. For that, like most times, you need money – or credits. Drivers and flyers are probably interested in how to earn a lot of money in a short amount of time.
We have taken a closer look at this and will give you tips on farming credits here.
Earn money through races
The probably best method to get rich quickly in The Crew 2: Race after race! Therefore, it makes sense to choose the shortest one and repeat it. Not particularly exciting, but very effective, as these races usually take about 2 minutes per round with some skill.
The nice side effect: You also receive parts for your cars along the way, allowing you to eventually drive faster rounds by upgrading your vehicles with them.
The shortest races of the various disciplines at a glance
Here you can see the top 5 races listed that can be finished quickly. Not only the fastest lap time was considered but also how early the race is unlocked.
Note: World records change. These numbers are based on the time when the article was written. Also, you need a suitable vehicle for some of the disciplines.
Street Races: The Strip (South) – World Record: 01:36,029
Off-Road – Rally Raids Highspeed-Drifter – World Record: 01:50,818
Freestyle – Jetsprints: Maine Highlands Cave – World Record: 01:23,630
Pro Racing – Powerboat: Over-Dam – World Record: 01:13,069
More tips to earn more and easier credits
Increase the difficulty level: If you play on hard, you also earn more credits and followers. However, you need suitable cars for that, as the recommended performance level is relatively high. So, buy a vehicle that meets that requirement as early as possible. We have some recommendations for you.
Street Racer:
The MV Augusta F4 RR motorcycle costs 356,719 credits and already has a level of 223 in the standard version
The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat costs only 280,559 credits and has a level of 195
Rally Raid:
Ducati Hypermotard for 181,439 credits. Comes with a performance level of 72.
Jetsprints:
Proto Leopard for 108,079 credits. Comes with a performance level of 30. While this is initially quite low, it is considered the best boat in its class.
Power Boat:
Frauscher 1414 Demon for 207,759 credits. One of, if not the best speedboat in The Crew 2. The performance level is initially a bit low at 52, but this is a common issue in this category.
If you want a complete list of the best cars and planes in The Crew 2, you can read this here.
In The Crew 2, it is not essential to finish a race in first place. As long as you land in the top 3, you receive the full reward. Even when you are with friends, this rule applies. However, if you compete as a crew, the effect of this rule becomes particularly significant.
You can lose – and still win! So if you are with friends and finish in last place, it’s not tragic as long as someone from your crew is in the top 3. In your group, everyone receives the full reward. This makes farming much more enjoyable.
Do you have other farming methods up your sleeve? Let us know in the comments.
If you don’t own The Crew 2 yet, check out our review.
Fortnite: Battle Royale (PC, PS4, iOS, Switch & Xbox One) will soon get a new weapon: the Tommy Gun! This new retro weapon is fueling theories about dimensional rifts and time travel.
What is the Tommy Gun in Fortnite?: Some time ago, the Tommy Gun was found by dataminers in the game code. Although it is called the “Drum Gun”, it looks just like the legendary Thompson submachine gun. This piece dates back to the 1930s and saw extensive use in World War II and in the hands of mobsters during Prohibition.
In Fortnite, the Drum Gun will reportedly be an assault rifle according to the page StormShieldOne. It is weaker than the regular rifle but shoots much faster and has a 50-round magazine.
And then there’s the time travel theory, which is really gaining momentum with the new weapon.
New map with time travel? Currently, Fortnite players are very excited. The mysterious rocket created a sort of rift in the sky on June 30, 2018. Many fans see this as a rift in space and time. Therefore, time travel could now be a topic for Fortnite and the upcoming 5th season.
New weapon and skins as a sign of time travel? The Tommy Gun is not a modern weapon. Rather, it represents retro shooting. Additionally, there are new skins “Detective”, “Sleuth” and “Noir”, all of which have a 1930s style. Some fans are already seeing early hints of the time travel theme.
Romans and Egyptians? Some fans even see more potential for time travel. According to various theories and alleged leaks, some players believe that the theme of Season 5 also includes Romans and ancient Egyptians. Possibly, locations on the map will soon be sucked into the rifts and replaced by historical counterparts.
One of the new skins in 1930s style.
We will find out more latest by July 12, 2018. That is when Season 5 is finally set to start. However, the theme should already be teased further before then.
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What happens to Prestige? How do the Honor Levels work? What do you lose? We show the new Honor System in WoW: Battle for Azeroth.
With the upcoming expansion Battle for Azeroth, World of Warcraft once again overhauls the PvP system that players had just gotten used to. The feature of Prestige Levels from Legion will be eliminated and replaced by a new system: Honor Levels. We want to break down how this works.
With the pre-patch 8.0 for Battle for Azeroth, the old Prestige system will be completely abolished. However, your earned Honor will not be lost; it will be fully transferred to the new “Honor Level” system without any losses. However, “one level of Prestige” does not mean that you will also receive “one level of Honor” – the conversion is a bit more complicated.
In Legion, the first Prestige Level required 22,000 Honor.
Each additional Prestige Level required 44,000 Honor.
With Battle for Azeroth, the Honor Levels are introduced:
At the beginning, an Honor Level requires 5,000 Honor.
The value increases rapidly with each level until it eventually stabilizes at 8,800 Honor.
So it can be said that each level of Prestige (after the first) is worth 5 Honor Levels.
A small calculation example: A character with Prestige Level 4 has 154,000 Honor, specifically 1x 22,000 Honor (Prestige Level 1) and 3x 44,000 Honor (Prestige Levels 2 to 4).
Converted to Honor Levels, this means: 154,000 / 8,800 = 17.5.
After the system switch, your character would thus have an Honor Level of at least 17.5 – additionally a few more points, as the first Honor Levels require less Honor.
You earn Honor as usual – the values do not change. In addition to visiting battlegrounds and arenas, participating in Open PvP can also be rewarding, but for this, you must switch to the new War Mode in Battle for Azeroth.
Honor from all characters is aggregated
However, the special twist in Battle for Azeroth is that not every single character has its own Honor Level. Instead, all the Honor of your account is pooled and aggregated (even retroactively!) – the Honor Level applies to your entire account. If you have multiple heroes with a high Prestige Level, you will be pleased after the conversion, as you will start in the game with a lot of Honor.
Even cross-faction: Every Honor you earn will contribute to this Honor Level. It does not matter which character you play; even across Horde and Alliance, the Honor Level remains consistent. It is tied to your account.
New rewards
With the system change, there are also some new rewards that players can earn. They will be integrated into the system and await players upon reaching certain Honor Levels. These rewards are completely new:
Glorious Pennant – a toy for Honor Level 175
Sir Snips/Bucketshell – crab with bucket as armor, battle pet for Honor Level 400
Prestigious Bloodforged Courser – new mount for Honor Level 500
This list of rewards will surely be expanded and filled by Blizzard in the future as more players approach Honor Level 500.
The reward for Honor Level 500. Image source: wowhead
It is important to note: Not every new Honor Level grants a special reward. Particularly later on, there may be up to 100 Honor Levels between individual achievements if Blizzard does not add anything here.
Previously earned rewards remain
Some rewards require more Honor after the system change than before, such as the title “Tactician”. Previously, a Prestige Level of 25 was necessary, which translates into 128.5 Honor Levels. The new requirement for the title is, however, the impressive Honor Level 300!
In such cases, you don’t have to worry. If you received the title in “Legion”, you will still retain it in Battle for Azeroth, even if you have not yet met the new requirements for the title.
Conversely, it will take longer for all players to earn the title, as more Honor is required in Battle for Azeroth.
List of all rewards for PvP Honor Levels in Battle for Azeroth
Here we have the current list of all rewards that will be available for Honor Levels (or “Honor Stages”) in Battle for Azeroth.
What do visitors say about the Pokémon GO Safari Zone in Dortmund? There were many problems, but also good solutions from Niantic.
The Safari Zone: Last weekend, the Safari Zone took place in Pokémon GO. Niantic chose Westfalenpark in Dortmund as the venue. However, activities around the park also took place for the event. Rare Pokémon, which normally do not appear in Germany, made a special appearance over the weekend. This attracted thousands of trainers from all over the world.
Problems: On the first day of the event, problems arose quickly. Server overloads and mobile network breakdowns caused frustration among players. The issues persisted until late Saturday afternoon. During that time, playing was impossible for most trainers in the park.
Nevertheless, positive reports: Many trainers draw their conclusions from the problems and evaluate the event negatively. Others, however, praise how Niantic dealt with the issues and state that they still had a great weekend.
The problems of the Safari Zone in Dortmund
Many players in Dortmund: Shortly before the start of the Safari Zone, Niantic CEO John Hanke posted a photo on Twitter showing the queue before the event.
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The problems started early: At 9:00 a.m. the Safari Zone started and about 1.5 hours later, the problems began. “Game data cannot be retrieved from the server” was the message on the smartphones of many Pokémon trainers in Westfalenpark. Niantic quickly tried to address the issues and kept trainers informed via social media.
Apps crashed: Eventually, trainers were warned not to use the item “Incense”. Using it could lead to trainers being temporarily banned from the game.
Frustrated trainers: Many trainers in Dortmund were annoyed by these problems. They traveled hundreds of kilometers for this special event. They wanted to catch rare Pokémon that are usually not found in Germany. When it became impossible to play in the park, they were upset.
Niantic quickly had solutions
Niantic was also aware of the frustrated trainers. After all, it was not in the developers’ interests to present players with a negative experience.
More monsters in the city: Since the reception in Westfalenpark had mostly collapsed, an alternative was needed. Niantic therefore quickly increased the spawns of rare monsters outside of Westfalenpark. This was around 11:30 a.m. – approximately one hour after the problems began.
Also special eggs in the area: The special 2KM eggs that were supposed to be available in Westfalenpark now also appeared from PokéStops in the surrounding area of the park. Niantic’s team therefore tried to offer trainers the most important things that brought them to the event in the first place: special Pokémon and a great group experience.
As the screenshot from trainer Derausmwaldkam shows, there were many special monsters to catch in the City Center of Dortmund:
Day 2 went without problems
Niantic followed up: At the end of the first day of the Safari Zone, Niantic explained that they would now pay close attention to ensuring that the second day went smoothly. And that was indeed the case. The server issues from the previous day did not occur and players could comfortably play. Also, many chose to head to the city and avoid the park due to the mess.
Event as compensation
Europe-wide event coming: On Twitter, the Pokémon GO team announced that a Europe-wide event will start during the week. This can be seen as an apology for the problems at the Safari Zone. Detailed information should follow soon.
This type of compensation pleases many trainers. Although it is still unclear what the rewards or bonuses will be.
What visitors say
What is the mood in the community now? There are now many players in the community who are annoyed because of the issues in Dortmund. Many remember the GO Fest from 2017, which became a legendary mess. They accuse Niantic of not learning from their mistakes.
Others are still satisfied: Despite the many problems, trainers are happy to have been part of this event. They were pleased that Niantic “outsourced” the monsters and were able to continue enjoying their event. We summarize the comments from social media for you here.
Positive voices from the community:
Things didn’t go well in the park at first, but in the city center, it went great
It was nice to see so many Pokémon players at one event
Sunday everything was fine, which comforted over the problems on Saturday
Great weather created a good atmosphere
The park was beautiful, and there was plenty to see besides Pokémon
Negative voices from the community:
Frustration because the event on Saturday did not meet expectations
For some trainers, it was the last event; they are disappointed
Saturday was a disaster
There are now negative outlooks for the GO Fest in July. Similar problems are expected
Pictures and videos of the Safari Zone
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In Fortnite: Battle Royale (PC, PS4, iOS, Switch & Xbox One) there was recently the long-awaited rocket launch. After that, there were suddenly cracks in the sky. And they are getting bigger!
What happened over the weekend? For weeks, Epic teased Fortnite players with the rocket at Snobby Shores. The thing was apparently loaded with Hop Rocks, continuously upgraded, and multiple countdowns appeared in the end. The last one pointed to June 30, 2018. And indeed, the rocket launched on that day!
The rocket event was a huge success! But instead of devastating Tilted Towers, the rocket created a sort of crack in the sky. The players were completely thrilled, the rocket event was a total success!
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What is going on with the cracks? Shortly after the rocket launched, the crack in the sky was clearly visible, but still quite small. Today, on July 2, 2018, it is bigger than ever! The crack in the sky now fills more than the whole screen and continues to branch out more and more. Players have measured it, and it can be assumed that it is growing hourly!
Even more cracks have appeared! Meanwhile, the crack in the sky was not the only rupture in the world of Fortnite. In some spots in the game world, even more anomalies like this have occurred:
A small crack has formed at the large wooden house in Lonely Lodge. It buzzes threateningly and has destroyed the sign in front of the house.
At the motel, a crack has also formed on the sign.
The new crack at Lonely Lodge.
Is the Fortnite map about to break?
What do the cracks mean? Some players have already noticed that the crack looks like someone has damaged a glass dome. Is the entire Fortnite world perhaps just a kind of mini-dimension under some sort of dome? Has the rocket irreparably damaged the fundamental integrity of the world?
The end of a map? This would mean that the world of Fortnite, as we know it, is doomed. There will probably be more and more changes to the map until it collapses completely on July 12, 2018 (the end of Season 4).
But what comes next? Some players – and we here at Mein-MMO.de – believe that with the start of Season 5 on July 12, 2018, a new map could also come. The old map will probably irretrievably implode and make way for something completely new. But until then, there will probably still be many exciting changes on the current map!
In Destiny 2, Cayde-6 will die. Fans have known this for a few weeks now. His death is the key to the PR of Forsaken. But why do players know the most important plot twist months before release? This is because Destiny 2 has broken its first PR promise, believes our author Schuhmann.
Zombie in the Tower: The funny thing is that Cayde-6 is still in the Tower. As always, he hangs out there as the head of the Hunter Vanguard. If you diligently farmed the Flashpoint of the week, you quickly fly to the Tower to see Cayde and pick up the items. But every player who goes to get their engram knows already: “You’re due. I’ve seen you die.”
Cayde’s death establishes Uldren as the new “Big Bad”
From supporting role to mega-villain: In Destiny 1, Uldren Sov only played a supporting role after the reboot. Now, four years later, Bungie makes him the villain and Cayde-6 his victim.
Players are supposed to hate Uldren: Bungie’s idea is clear: By having Uldren take down the supposed fan-favorite, Cayde-6, an emotion immediately arises in the players: Revenge. This time it’s personal. He took out our friend. This is about something.
Lack of tradition: The action also highlights a fundamental problem with Destiny: there is no living story to draw from endlessly. When WoW needs a new enemy, it can draw from 24 years of gaming history. Blizzard pulls an established villain out of the hat. Destiny, on the other hand, has to resort to tricks to emotionally charge a blank slate so that players care about the villain.
In Destiny 2, the PR promise turned out to be flat
Same strategy with Ghaul: Exactly the same idea Bungie tried before Destiny 2. They also introduced a new enemy and immediately gave the players reasons to hate him:
Ghaul destroyed the Tower
Then he took the players’ powers away
He snatched their loot
And even the puppies!
Ghaul’s actions were known beforehand: Just like with Cayde-6, Ghaul’s misdeeds were known long before he would commit them.
Last villain: Garry, the punchline
Didn’t work: However, this hardly worked with Ghaul at that time. Players mocked “Garry” long before. After all, it was Cayde-6, the joker, who took Ghaul’s villainous aura by ridiculing him.
In the campaign, Ghaul was portrayed as a tragic figure who wants to be loved by the “Traveler” in some way. Ultimately, however, Ghaul was just a pawn of his mentor and not the “unstoppable force” Bungie’s PR portrayed him to be. Ghaul didn’t live up to his image.
Destiny 2 broke its promise
No consequences: But Ghaul and the threat also didn’t work for another reason. Because players almost immediately got back everything Ghaul took from them, the effect vanished. The “world without light” turned out to be “a world without light for five minutes.”
Destiny 2 couldn’t fulfill its promise: The PR of the game promised the Guardians: “You will be powerless. You will lose everything.” In the reality of the game, however, this was a promise that could not be kept. They didn’t even want to keep it: Because Destiny 2 lives off fulfilling the players’ power fantasies and making them feel powerful. That’s why they returned everything to the players that they took away.
Due to this dissonance between what players were promised and what they actually experienced in the game, Destiny 2 fell into a motivation pit with its story.
New promise from Forsaken
The new promise: In Forsaken, it is stated from the beginning, “this will be a dark expansion” – therefore, Cayde-6, the humor element of Destiny, is removed at the start to create dramatic effect.
Message clear: Presenting the most important plot point to players months before launch has two effects this time:
As with Destiny 2, the big villain is revealed and players are given a motivation to take him down
But unlike Destiny 2, the death of Cayde-6 also sends the message: This time we mean it seriously, we are ready to change. Destiny 2: Forsaken wants to deliver on the promise made by its PR campaign.
Bungie learns from its mistakes in terms of the story: Ultimately, the early death of Cayde-6 is a result of the PR and storytelling mistakes Bungie made with Destiny 2.
Fancy a new MMORPG set in the modern vampire scenario of World of Darkness? Then you can now check out the Alpha of Shadow’s Kiss.
Shadow’s Kiss was created after the planned MMORPG World of Darkness by the EVE Online developers CCP Games was cancelled. The indie project was successfully funded through a Kickstarter campaign and has now reached Alpha status.
The Alpha is live
A first bite. After the Pre-Alpha, the Alpha certainly represents a very early version of the MMO. Not all game content is available yet. Nevertheless, you already get a first impression of the online game:
You create a character
You experience the tutorial including voice output and get to know the world and the game systems
You choose a backstory for your hero
You can explore the city of San Cipriano and complete some quests there
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Everything is still quite early. What you see is still in a very early status. There are still bugs, performance is not optimized, and a lot is not yet implemented. The developers state that updates will continuously follow, which will improve the game further.
A small indie game with big ambitions. Shadow’s Kiss is a project of a very small indie team, and you can see that in the title. You shouldn’t expect AAA quality graphically, and the game will likely continue to develop for quite a while. Nevertheless, testers say that the atmosphere is right and that the team has their heart in the right place.
How to participate. If you want to become a vampire too and try out the Alpha of the MMO, then buy access in the official website store. It currently costs 15 dollars. Be aware that there will be wipes during the testing phase.
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For Total War Arena, the real-time strategy online game by Wargaming, we have a batch of codes. You can unlock an exclusive premium unit and lure your friends into the game with bonuses.
What is Total War Arena? Total War Arena is a real-time strategy game where you engage in thrilling large-scale battles online. Ten players on each side compete, each commanding three units of 100 men in battle. You can choose from Roman, Barbarian, Carthaginian, and Greek troops.
Among these are special premium units that are only available for real money. Or here in our contest!
100 times premium unit “Retentus” and 7 days of premium
What can you win? This package includes seven days of premium playtime and a special elite unit. During the premium time, you can generate game currency and experience faster.
The premium unit is called “Retentius” and is a level 5 unit of the versatile Romans.
100 invite codes for new players
Optimal game entry: If you want to start with Total War Arena, you can also look forward to our contest. You will receive an invite key with which you can create a new account. Additionally, you will get seven days of premium playtime and 500 gold. With this, you can purchase cosmetic items or even more premium.
What are the conditions? To win, you simply need to carry out three actions from the embedded windows here. Your winning code will then be displayed immediately. The contest ends when all codes are claimed. Legal recourse is excluded. Good luck!
The buttons are equipped with so-called affiliate links. By signing up through one of these links, we receive a small commission from the provider. For you, nothing changes.
How to redeem your code
If you have won, you can redeem your code as follows:
Simply go to the Total War Arena website and redeem your codes in your account there.
For the invite codes, you must first create an account and then enter the code in the corresponding place.
The first major expansion for Destiny 2, Forsaken, will be released on September 4 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Music lovers can get a sneak peek of the soundtrack thanks to an ingenious player.
Music lovers among Destiny players can get a taste of the soundtrack for Destiny 2: Forsaken right now. A clever player has taken advantage of the PS4 pre-order bonus for the first major Destiny 2 expansion, thus gaining access to the first official music track for Forsaken.
PS4 players receive a dynamic background as a pre-order bonus that plays this very song.
The community is divided over the song. While some get excited about the song, looking forward to hunting Uldren and the eight Barons, others feel that the song does not measure up to other tracks from the Destiny franchise.
Yet others believe that the song from the pre-order bonus might be the main theme of the expansion. Whether that is true, we will find out with the release of Destiny 2: Forsaken on September 4, 2018.
The end of the line has not yet been reached. The power of your artifact weapons in World of Warcraft is still growing.
Although World of Warcraft: Legion is nearing its end, the actual maximum power of the characters has not yet been fully realized. Just about a week ago, we reported that the artifact weapons can be immediately upgraded to level 126 with a new quest line immediately to level 126. But the weapon is still getting more powerful.
More levels over time. Some players on reddit have noticed that their artifact weapon did not stay at level 125, but reached level 126 after two days and continued to grow. When looking at the artifact weapon, players see the display for artifact power that constantly ticks up, but that seems to be just an optical effect. The actual power increase is influenced by other factors – probably a fixed period of time.
More power without artifact power. However, it is no longer necessary to spend tokens for artifact power for the increase in the weapon’s power. These can be sold to vendors without hesitation to pocket a few additional gold coins. They no longer serve any gameplay purpose.
What do the additional levels bring? More and more levels in the artifact weapon slightly increase the character’s health points, but above all the effect “Unity of the Legion Judges,” which occasionally grants players a particularly powerful buff. The strength of this buff increases with each level. This makes some challenges, such as the notorious Mage Tower, but also mythical bosses in raids a bit easier.
What you can still do with the additional boost in strength, we have listed for you in this article – because it is your last chance:
Nowadays, two buttons on a mouse are no longer enough. Many skills and functions are placed on the extra buttons of a mouse. Mein-MMO presents you with the currently best mice for MMOs.
This list of the best MMO mice is a personal selection by the author, who has paid attention to a versatile mix and included reviews. If you’re missing a good mouse, please let us know in the comments.
Update on 12.1.2020: We have published a new list with the best gaming mice for MMO players in 2020. We recommend that you also take a look at this article, as the selection has changed.
[toc]
Holife Gaming Mouse
Resolution: Up to 7,200 DPI Programmable Buttons: 7 Short Description: Unbeatable price, but lacking precision and unsuitable for shooter fans.
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What the mouse can do: 7 buttons are programmable, including 2 side buttons. The sensor achieves up to 7,200 DPI and the lighting is customizable. The price is unbeatable, it can’t get cheaper.
What users say: Due to the low price, users are mostly satisfied. However, the lack of precision is criticized; one should not play first-person shooters with the Holife Gaming Mouse.
A user reports that he always keeps his ring finger on the side of the mouse. With this mouse, the edge of the right mouse button continuously rubs against his ring finger, causing blisters.
Logitech G300s Optical Gaming Mouse
Resolution: Up to 2,500 DPI Programmable Buttons: 9 Short Description: For left- and right-handed users, fast response time, but very small and several users reported defects after about 2 years.
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What the mouse can do: The Logitech G300s offers 9 buttons, which can be individually programmed via the Logitech Gaming Software. The programming is saved on the mouse, so the G300s can be connected to another computer and retains its programming.
The design is suitable for left- and right-handed users and the lighting is customizable. The signal rate is below one millisecond and the sensor achieves 2,500 DPI.
What users say: The software is quick and easy to set up and the handling is comfortable. The G300s fits well in the hand but does not match the ergonomics of a pure right-handed mouse. The additional buttons are easily reachable.
The cheap-looking processing is criticized. Many users complained that the first buttons failed after just a few months to 2 years. In addition, the mouse is considered too small and light, making it unsuitable for large hands.
UtechSmart Venus
Resolution: Up to 16,400 DPI Programmable Buttons: 18 Short Description: Excellent price-performance ratio, only the mouse wheel is criticized as feeling too cheap.
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What the mouse can do: 18 programmable buttons, 5 saveable profiles, customizable lighting, and up to 16,400 DPI. Additionally, there is a weight tuning set to adjust the weight of the mouse as needed.
What users say: The many side buttons are very positively received, but you first have to get used to it. The side buttons are correspondingly quite small, but still easily reachable. However, the somewhat stiff pressure point is criticized. Some users also complained about the mouse wheel, as it felt rather loose and cheaply made.
Roccat Kone AIMO Gaming Mouse
Resolution: Up to 12,000 DPI Programmable Buttons: 8, up to 21 with double assignments Short Description: Solid mouse with many buttons thanks to double assignment. More time should be planned for the driver installation.
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What the mouse can do: The Roccat Kone reaches 12,000 DPI and has 8 programmable buttons. With Easy-Shift[+], the buttons can be double assigned, providing 21 functions according to the manufacturer. 3 of the buttons are thumb buttons.
What users say: The mouse is quite large and thus unsuitable for small hands; some find the weight too high. Many appreciate the RGB lighting, but there are mixed opinions about the Roccat Swarm software. Some had no problems with installation and operation, while others recommend setting aside some time.
An alternative is the Roccat Nyth, with modular side buttons. You can read our review of the mouse in the following article:
Resolution: Up to 12,000 DPI Programmable Buttons: 7 Short Description: Good mouse for shooters and MOBAs with individually adjustable weight. Side rubber coating, but it doesn’t last long.
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What the mouse can do: The Rival 600 advertises 7 programmable buttons, 12,000 DPI, mechanical buttons, and side silicone surfaces for a better grip. It also offers adjustable weight and a 0.05 lift-off distance. According to the manufacturer, this mouse was designed for eSports.
What users say: Shooter players praise the good precision. In addition, the good workmanship and optics are appreciated. Criticism is directed at the lack of fabric covering of the cable and the clicking mouse wheel during rapid movements. Several users noted that, as with the predecessor, the side rubber coating loosens over time, especially with regular mouse cleaning.
Corsair Scimitar Pro RGB MMO Gaming Mouse
Resolution: Up to 16,000 DPI Programmable Buttons: 12 side buttons Short Description: Mechanical side buttons that can be adjusted in position by up to 8mm. However, these buttons wobble slightly.
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What the mouse can do: Corsair offers the Scimitar Pro with 12 mechanical side buttons and 16,000 DPI. The side buttons are textured for better grip and the sensor is optical. Through the Key Slider system, the button positions of the thumb buttons can be adjusted by up to 8mm.
What users say: The mouse is easy to configure, but the “Change Profile” button cannot be changed when you want to save the corresponding profile on the mouse. While the mouse wheel is praised, the side buttons are criticized. They tend to wobble and thus disturb during gaming.
Razer Naga Trinity
Resolution: Up to 16,000 DPI Programmable Buttons: 19 Short Description: Mouse optimized for right-handers with interchangeable side parts for 2, 7, or 12 thumb buttons. It can be considered as 3 mice in one.
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What the mouse can do: The Razer Naga Trinity features a 5G optical sensor with 16,000 DPI and 19 mechanical and programmable buttons. If that’s too much, you can swap the side parts. Thus, 2, 7, or 12 side buttons are possible. The ergonomics have been optimized for right-handed users.
What users say: The change of the side parts is quick to perform and is immediately recognized by the Razer Synapse driver software. It’s practical to use the thumb wheel to play shooters or MOBAs, use the numpad for demanding MMORPGs, and with the 2 buttons for normal tasks. Otherwise, the software is criticized; there have been regular bugs and crashes. However, it is admitted that the newer versions run significantly more stable and pleasantly. Razer seems to have frequent issues with quality control.
Logitech G903
Resolution: Up to 12,000 DPI Programmable Buttons: 11 Short Description: Wireless mouse with 32 hours of battery life, suitable for left-handers. Individual mouse clicks are sometimes recognized as double clicks.
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What the mouse can do: The wireless G903 has 11 programmable buttons, a precise sensor, and up to 12,000 DPI. A memory in the mouse ensures that the button layout remains consistent on other computers. The buttons are equipped with a mechanical pivot for a better click feeling.
The design is suitable for left- and right-handed users and the weight is adjustable. The mouse has a battery that, according to the manufacturer, lasts 32 hours. A corresponding charging cable is included. This way, one can switch between wired and wireless operation at any time.
What users say: The expectations that come with the price are largely met. Users confirm the long battery life as well as the suitability of the G903 for left-handed users. There is no noticeable difference compared to wired mice.
However, it is often criticized that the mouse occasionally registers a single mouse click as a double click.
Resolution: 8,200 DPI Programmable Buttons: 19 Short Description: Comfortable and wireless with 20 hours runtime, which many users do not reach. Unfortunately, no internal memory for programming.
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What the mouse can do: The mouse is wireless, offers 19 customizable buttons, including 12 mechanical thumb buttons. The scroll wheel is clickable and tiltable, the sensor reaches 8,200 DPI, and the response time is under one millisecond. The battery lasts about 20 hours.
What users say: The mouse is comfortable and suitable for common grip types. The middle row of side buttons is slightly raised, helping to locate the correct button. The scroll resistance is also considered pleasant. However, the battery does not last the claimed 20 hours for everyone; some report 5, others 15 hours.
However, the software is significantly criticized. The programming is not stored in memory within the mouse. Therefore, Razer Synapse is needed on every computer, which also installs additional software.
Are you interested in a combination of mouse and keyboard? Then check out this test:
In FIFA 19, the content of the Ultimate Team Sets is designed to be more transparent. Players should have a better idea of what is included in the packs. But what exactly could that look like?
The discussion about loot boxes is becoming more heated. EA could even face a multi-million dollar penalty if the sets in FIFA Ultimate Team are considered gambling in the Netherlands.
For FIFA 19, it was announced in an interview with eurogamer that starting from the next FUT season, the chances of getting different cards in packs will be displayed.
FIFA 19 Ultimate Team: Drop rate for packs will be displayed
More information about FUT sets. EA Sports Vice President and COO Daryl Holt confirmed at the Gamelab Conference in Spain that starting from FIFA 19, the contents of the packs will be more transparent. Previously, buyers were aware of the value of the set contents. In the future, EA also wants to display the probabilities, which will tell you how realistic it is to pull something specific.
“For Ultimate Team, when you buy a pack you know what you are getting. You are getting a certain number of assets that are guaranteed – and we’re going to start to do pack odds disclosures that’ll show you the odds of what you might get.
“That’ll be in our product year 19 titles. So, at least that aspect of understanding what the chances are of getting X, Y and Z card.”
The current information situation is opaque. The statement that one knows in Ultimate Team what one gets when buying a pack is not entirely accurate. The buyer knows how many of the included cards are Bronze, Silver, or Gold and how many of the items are rare. What is not clear, however, is: How many players are in the set, and how many of the items are relatively useless consumables? There are pure player card packs, but their description is similarly misleading. According to the text, this set contains “unique top players”. This definition is extremely relative, as most of the time one can be glad if there is even a player in such packs that is usable.
What probabilities will EA display to players?
Unlikely: The drop rate of individual players. Many fans probably hope for an exact display of all drop rates. How likely is it that Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo is waiting in this pack? This case will likely not occur. Apart from the enormous amount of data that would need to be displayed, EA would be cutting its own throat. Who would buy a pack if they knew beforehand that the chance of getting a desired player is close to zero?
More likely: The drop rate for ratings. It would be more plausible to display the probabilities of individual ratings. For each set, it would be known how likely it is to get, for example, a player with a rating of 86. The problem for buyers: There are extreme price fluctuations for cards with the same ratings. A Radja Nainggolan (86) is significantly more valuable due to his stats than a Pepe (also 86). Thus, while the probability of drawing an 86-rated player could be high, the probability of getting Pepe could be much higher.
Another option: Guaranteed ratings. A no less likely possibility has already been partially practiced. Each set would specify what player ratings are guaranteed to be received. For example, “at least three 83+ players” in a “Rare Player Set”. Something similar also existed with “81+ Sets”, which could only be obtained through Squad Building Challenges and not purchased. There, two rare gold players were included, one of which had at least an 81 rating.
Conclusion: We will see changes in the “FIFA Ultimate Team” sets. However, it is doubtful that we will really learn how likely it is to pull a CR7 or Messi. The insights into drop rates will likely revolve more around ratings.
How EA will decide, we will probably see at the latest in September at the release. If you want to have all the new features at a glance, check out our “FIFA 19 Overview”!
Blade & Soul is actually an anime MMORPG, but hints from Korea suggest a battle royale map like Fortnite. At least, that’s what a player from China claims to have found out.
MMORPG goes Battle Royale? Blade & Soul is an action MMORPG from Korea. In addition to an epic PvE campaign, there is also a PvP mode that resembles a fighting game like Street Fighter.
However, another genre might soon come into play: Battle Royale!
Player finds new map in the code: A player from China has been digging through the code of the new update. There he found a new map that was not assigned to any game mode and was not officially in the game yet.
Is a new mode for Battle Royale coming?
That looks a lot like Fortnite! But it quickly became apparent that the map resembles the Fortnite map at least a little (or the new Sanhok map from PUBG). Therefore, suspicions are currently growing that Blade & Soul might get a battle royale mode.
That wouldn’t be so outlandish, as PvP in Blade & Soul has always been an important part of the game. So why not in BR mode?
What do you think of this theory? Does Battle Royale fit into Blade & Soul?
In The Division, there was a major problem from the start: The DLCs were never meant to carry the game for over a year, believes our author Schuhmann. The season pass was a disaster. In The Division 2, Massive aims to specifically solve this issue.
The Division – the Year 1 Catastrophe: The way The Division has developed is actually unusual. Normally, there are two approaches to how a game performs after release:
A classic singleplayer game functions well at release when the story is fresh. Then players happily complete the campaign. Once the story is exhausted, they lose interest in the game and drop out. At best, DLCs later bring players back. Otherwise, they wait for the next installment. Examples include Fallout 4 or The Witcher 3.
A typical multiplayer game has major problems and little content at release. However, if all goes well, it improves with patches and updates, and the quality increases. Examples include Warframe or The Elder Scrolls Online.
How it went with The Division: At the beginning, Massive had a good story and a great atmosphere, but also a multitude of problems. The game crashed a few weeks after release. Then, the first year of DLCs brought hardly any improvement – The Division remained stuck. Only when these planned DLCs were over and the game was patched “normally” could the major issues be addressed. Once the content from the expensive season pass was exhausted, the quality of The Division noticeably increased, and the improvement occurred. Why was that the case?
This was the plan for The Division: Originally, The Division was supposed to receive three paid expansions in 2016, which were meant to further develop the game. Players on PC and Xbox One could start right away – PlayStation 4 players had to wait a month before they could play a new expansion. In addition to the three paid DLCs, a series of free updates were planned to push The Division forward. The plan extended from the release in February 2016 until the end of the year and the last of the three DLCs.
This is how it really was: After the first free updates and the first paid expansion “Underground,” Massive switched to crisis mode and postponed the next two expansions. Instead, they first released updates. “Survival” was released in December 2016, the final DLC “The Last Stand” only in February 2017.
How did the DLCs perform? The DLCs for The Division were more or less flops. They never significantly raised player interest. Only long after the end of the Year 1 plan with patches 1.7 in August and 1.8 in December 2017 did The Division turn around: Players returned. The sentiment around The Division only improved when no more DLCs were planned and other studios took over the further development of The Division.
The Year 1 plan for The Division thus failed. Only afterwards did it improve. Why was that?
The Division made at least 3 major mistakes with the Year 1 DLCs:
Firstly, the DLCs split the community – Not everyone bought the season pass, thus the expansions were not interesting for everyone. Additionally, PS4 players had to wait a month for them. The DLCs were cut off from the general flow of players. In any case, the DLCs seemed to be purely “optional” – as bonus content that had nothing to do with the actual game.
Each DLC opened a side war front. Instead of continuing the actual story and bringing new areas, the DLCs introduced isolated individual modes that were not further developed because not everyone could play them. “Underground,” “Survival,” and “Last Stand” might have been good ideas in their own right and have their fans – but they did not really advance the core experience of The Division, rather they complemented it at best.
No further development of the main story: None of the DLCs continued the exciting story of The Division that many originally bought and liked the game for. Most players would have preferred an expansion of the world of The Division and for it to transition to spring. Instead, each DLC opened new side paths that turned out to be dead ends.
The Division stagnated as long as there were DLCs
The fundamental problem of The Division: The DLCs could not advance the game but remained purely optional. They changed nothing about the base experience. Therefore, The Division did not develop as long as the DLCs were running. Everything remained static. The visible example of this: For two years, it remained winter in Manhattan.
Optional DLCs were simply the wrong model for a game like The Division. The Year 1 plan shows that Massive had no clear idea of what support The Division would need post-release.
The Division 2: New plan, no season pass
No season pass: For The Division 2, Massive now wants to take a different direction. Massive is not selling a season pass for The Division 2 – nor are any paid DLCs planned. They aim to develop the game further with free, regular updates: The plan includes three DLCs for Year 1. With them, Massive wants to ensure that the community stays together across all platforms and intends to continue the story: After all, updates now apply to everyone.
What disadvantages could this have? Unlike The Division 1, The Division 2 will launch with a cosmetic cash shop. It could be that this gradually becomes more prominent than in The Division 1 to generate a constant cash flow. The increased revenues from the season pass and DLCs will no longer be available for The Division.
It also seems that The Division 2 is planning a major paid expansion for February 2020 – based on the model of Destiny or The Elder Scrolls Online.
The Division 2 needs a continuous story
Turning a necessity into an advantage: Generally, Massive should be praised for taking the right lessons from Year 1.
A DLC plan like that of The Division 1 might suit a shooter like “Call of Duty,” where new modes can bring variety.
However, a game that relies heavily on story and atmosphere like The Division requires a different model. Here, updates and DLCs must apply to everyone, not just a portion of the player base.
The Division 2 needs updates that everyone is aware of because they continue the story and world. Merely by making this decision, The Division 2 seems to have already tackled one of the biggest problems of its predecessor in its conceptual design.
The infamous summer lull has also been noticeable in Destiny year after year. With Destiny 2, this is supposed to change. Even before the release of the Forsaken expansion in September, Guardians are expected to have something to do. Bungie has now laid out its plans for July.
Normally, the summer months in Destiny are relatively dull. If something does happen, it usually revolves around Bungie promoting the big fall release (2015: TTK, 2016: RoI, 2017: Destiny 2). But with Destiny 2, that is supposed to change.
Based on an updated roadmap, the studio has outlined what Guardians can expect from summer 2018. The developers have now specified their plans for July.
What July 2018 brings in Destiny 2
If everything goes as planned, it would likely be the first summer in Destiny’s history where Guardians actually have something to do. Here’s what you can expect in July in and around Destiny 2:
Roadmap Update:
For early July, the developers at Bungie are planning an update of the development preview. When exactly the roadmap update can be expected is currently unknown.
July 3 – July 9:
During this group fight victory week, the Witch’s Cauldron mode will be active in the Crucible. You will also have time to redeem your remaining faction tokens and claim the victory weapon if you haven’t done so already.
On July 7, the annual Bungie Day will take place. This is not a holiday that Bungie has imposed on itself, but a tradition initiated by the community. Fans celebrate the seventh day of the seventh month together with the studio, reminiscing about the best memories from Bungie games. Last year, Guardians received beta codes and wallpapers for Destiny 2.
July 10 – July 16:
In this week, the Iron Banner will be active in the Crucible.
From July 13 – 14, Bungie will also be present at Guardiancon. Fans are hoping for more information about the Forsaken expansion during this event. Additionally, the Gambit mode will be playable again.
July 17 – July 23:
On July 17, Guardians will receive some new features with update 1.2.3 to conclude year 1. More information about the July update of Destiny 2 can be found in our article: Destiny 2: These new features await you in Year 1.
Additionally, fans will experience the last Faction Rally of Season 3 during this week.
The Control mode will be active in the Crucible.
July 24 – July 30:
During this group fight victory week, you will have one last chance to redeem your remaining faction tokens. You can collect the corresponding rewards and complete your hunt for faction armor ornaments. Guardians who have not managed to obtain all faction-related masterpiece catalysts by then can rest assured: These will also be available after Season 3.
The Doubles mode will be active in the Crucible.
July 31:
On July 31, the Solstice of Heroes will kick off the highlight of summer in Destiny 2. Players are expected to celebrate their achievements and accomplishments during this event, earning new rewards.
Not much is known about the event yet. It is likely to be similar to the Crimson Days or the Dawning event.
If you want to race and fly at the front in The Crew 2 (PC, PS4, Xbox One), you need the best vehicle that the game offers for the respective disciplines. Learn in our extensive overview which vehicle, boat, or airplane you can use to keep your opponents at bay.
Whether in countless races or freestyle missions with the plane: The Crew 2 offers dozens of different vehicles for the 14 disciplines of the game. It can be difficult to keep track, as you want to invest your hard-earned credits only in the best vehicles.
But which vehicles, boats, and airplanes are the best? A good guide is provided by the leaderboards of the individual disciplines. Here you can see the drivers with the best times and values – and which tool they used for the perfect lap!
The best vehicles of the Street Racing family
In the Street Racing family, the classic disciplines meet. From normal street races to drift challenges and drag races, everything is included. In the following overview, you can see the vehicles with which you should complete the different race types.
The best street racer
The best car for standard street races can be found with Lamborghini. With the Lamborghini Huracán LP610-4, you have the perfect tool for all street races ready. The handling of the vehicle is outstanding, but it costs nearly 500,000 credits.
The perfect tool for street racing!
A motorcycle as a hidden gem: Even individual motorcycles can be used for street races. The MV Agusta F4 RR is a true racing machine that will get you to the finish line safely in all street races. At almost 360,000 credits, it’s even cheaper than the Lamborghini.
A real hidden gem for street races: The MV Agusta
The best drifter
As with sunscreen, the principle also applies to drift vehicles: The cheapest are the best! With the Mazda RX7, you will be well-equipped for your entire drift career – and that for a mere 78,000 credits.
The best drag racer
If you want to dominate the drag races, you cannot get around one vehicle: The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray! Although it is the most expensive of the drag racers at almost 140,000 credits, it is also the best.
The best hyper car
The best hyper car can only be found with one manufacturer: Koenigsegg. For years, Koenigsegg has represented the elite of sports cars. The Crew 2 is no exception. With the Koenigsegg Agera R and the Regera, you have access to the best hyper cars in the game.
However, this is quite an expensive affair: with nearly 800,000 credits or 1,400,000 credits, you’ll have to dig deep into your pockets.
The best vehicles of the Off-Road family
There is also a lot to do off the racetrack. In the off-road challenges, you must master thick SUVs and agile motorcycles. We will show you which vehicles you should focus on in the off-road disciplines.
The best rally raid vehicle
The selection here is a bit trickier. In fact, no single vehicle dominates the leaderboards of the rally raid challenges. Therefore, we have two representatives for you – one on two and one on four wheels.
On four wheels, you will dominate the terrain with the Porsche 959 Raid. The Porsche has excellent handling but is quite pricey at 400,000 credits.
If you prefer to ride on two wheels, you should go for the BMW R1200GS Adventure. The motorcycle is significantly cheaper than the Porsche (about 200,000 credits) and is still fast – with nearly perfect handling.
The best motocross motorcycle
The best motocross bike can be found at the motorcycle manufacturer KTM. The KTM 450 EXC is the perfect choice for all motocross challenges, whether in the regular or the Red Bull variant. You can get the standard KTM 450 EXC for just around 80,000 credits.
The best rally cross vehicle
Among the classic rally vehicles, two representatives stand out: The Citroen C3 Racing and the Ford Focus RS RX. These two cars dominate the leaderboards of the rally cross challenges at will.
Decide for yourself which vehicle you want to acquire. The Citroen is significantly cheaper at 220,000 credits than the Ford Focus, which costs more than 400,000 credits.
The best vehicles of the Freestyle family
In the Freestyle family, you will encounter airplanes, boats, and monster trucks. We will show you which vehicles can help you achieve the best results.
This part is simple. With the airplane that is given to you after the tutorial mission, you can easily complete all challenges and even rank high on the leaderboards. You need no other airplane than the Zivko Edge 540 V3.
The best jet sprint boat
There are only four representatives of the jet sprint boats, which are also quite close in terms of performance. The best sprint boat is the Proto Leopard, which you can acquire for about 110,000 credits.
The best monster truck
In the monster trucks, it’s more about personal preferences than declaring an objectively best vehicle. The leaderboards are mixed – your own skill decides here! If you are going by appearance, there is no way around the Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34). No, this is not debatable.
In the Pro Racing series, it is all about brutal speed. Whether with the powerboat or the formula 1 bolides – these challenges are intense! With our guide, you will stay ahead in all races.
The best powerboat
You will find the ultimate powerboat at the manufacturer Frauscher, and it costs around 210,000 credits. The Frauscher 1414 Demon destroys every other competitor on the leaderboards and offers very good handling.
The best touring car
If you want to be at the front of the touring car championships, you should take a look at Maserati. The Maserati MC12 versione Corse is the ultimate touring car and costs 360,000 credits. The handling of the vehicle is top-notch, and the car does exactly what you want.
The best air racer
Similar to monster trucks, speed is important in air races, but much more depends on your personal skill with the plane. Three air racer representatives dominate the leaderboards, interestingly not being among the most expensive:
The Harmon Rocket HR III (about 200,000 credits)
The Supermarine Spitfire MK IX (270,000 credits)
The WACO Aircraft Corp. WACO YMF-5D Super (285,000 credits)
The best Alpha GP vehicle
In the Alpha GP challenge, the fastest vehicles in the game await you. Unfortunately, there are currently only two representatives in the Alpha GP racing series, the Red Bull RB13 and the Prototype Alpha Mark II. The choice of vehicle is up to you, but the Red Bull is significantly cheaper in terms of price (335,000 credits vs. 470,000 credits).
Which vehicles and disciplines do you like best so far?
