Perfect World has announced the closure of the two MMORPGs Jade Dynasty and Swordsman Online – and is using the same form letter for both titles.
All servers of Jade Dynasty and Swordsman Online will close on June 5. Perfect World announces this in a letter to the communities – for both games with exactly the same wording. Only the game name has been swapped.
A somewhat indifferent farewell
A supposedly heartfelt farewell letter was posted in the forums of both games.
It was not an easy decision, but Jade Dynasty, respectively Swordsman, no longer have a place in the current market to grow. The teams will now focus on other projects, and those who purchased in-game currency between February 1 and May 1, 2018, will have it converted into Arc Credits, which they can use in other Perfect World games.
It feels a bit strange to process both games with the same text. It is understandable from the publisher’s perspective, as it saves work, but for the communities it feels very impersonal.
Jade Dynasty was one of the first games that Perfect World brought to the West. That was nine years ago. Swordsman is still relatively young and only appeared here in 2014. We have accompanied Swordsman on Mein MMO for a while.
If you play one of the MMORPGs, enjoy the last moments before the servers close on June 5.
At least fans of the MMORPG Swordsman can be happy, because Swordsman X is currently in development, which will however be a Battle Royale game. Whether and when this online game will be released in the West is currently unclear.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Barbarians or High-Tech Age? Dinos or Slaves? Since Conan Exiles became playable, it has been repeatedly compared to the front-runner ARK: Survival Evolved. Both games are playable on PS, Xbox One, and PC. We take a closer look at the important features of the survival genre for both games.
Conan Exiles or ARK: Survival Evolved – this question has occupied many fans since the survival MMO in barbarian style was playable in Early Access in January 2017. Until now, Conan Exiles was still in Early Access. Now both games offer enough content to compare them.
ARK was released in August 2017, while Conan Exiles had its release on May 8, 2018. Just before the release, we take a look at both games. Conan Exiles vs. ARK, how do the main features function in the games?
What is ARK? What is Conan Exiles?
Conan Exiles and ARK are so-called survival MMOs. In both games, the main objective is to survive. You are basically thrown naked into an inhospitable world, without explanation and without tools, and must try not to die.
ARK is set in a fantasy world full of dinosaurs and mythical creatures that you might encounter everywhere. You navigate through a technological level ranging from prehistoric times to a post-nuclear future and can experience every step in between.
In Conan Exiles, you are thrown into the harsh world of Conan, the Barbarian. You are an exile, crucified to die in the desert and freed by Conan himself in order to survive in a world full of undead, hostile tribes, and gigantic monsters.
The world of ARK
The core of the games: Survival
In survival MMOs, the fundamental aspect of the game is survival. More or less realistically, characters must eat, drink, and take care of other physical needs to avoid perishing in the game world.
In this regard, Conan Exiles and ARK hardly differ. Both games require you to eat and drink regularly and adapt to the weather conditions. If it’s too cold, you need to warm up. If it’s too hot, cooling helps.
Food and water can generally be found everywhere in both games. Clothing, fire, and water help regulate body temperature. Longer expeditions require preparation in both games – those who venture out without provisions will not survive long.
A fight in Conan Exiles.
Weapons and Combat
Since the worlds of both games are hostile to the player, you need to be able to defend yourself. Both in ARK and in Conan Exiles, there are various weapons for combat, which you often cannot avoid.
This is how you fight in ARK: In ARK, there are swords and shields for melee fighters and various tools for ranged combat. Depending on the technological level you are at, you can shoot with bows, pistols, or high-tech railguns. Whether you prefer melee or ranged combat is entirely up to you.
There are also dinosaurs that you can tame specifically for combat purposes. They assist you significantly in fights against the world or other players.
ARK offers modern and postmodern firearms
This is how you fight in Conan Exiles: In Conan Exiles, everything revolves around melee combat. While bows exist, they are hard to use and cause relatively little damage. Instead, there are various classes of melee weapons, each bringing its own techniques and special attacks.
You can generally also break into other players’ bases with normal weapons, but explosives and divine avatars that you can summon are significantly more effective. Attacking and defending bases in Conan Exiles are essentially sieges.
Ymir’s avatar destroys a fortress.
ARK vs. Conan Exiles in combat: Battles in ARK are significantly simpler and especially later on resemble open-world shooters. In Conan Exiles, the focus is on melee combat, requiring more tactics to avoid getting skewered by the opponent.
Those who prefer shooting in a survival game will feel more at home in ARK.
Those who enjoy experiencing combat up close will be happier with Conan Exiles.
There is no better or worse here; the games are simply too different in this regard.
The longer you survive, the better your character becomes. In both games, this is rewarded by leveling up and improving, in the style of an RPG. However, the way you can distribute the points differs.
This is how you level up in ARK: In ARK, you collect experience to learn so-called engrams. These are blueprints for tools, buildings, and other items that you can craft with collected resources. Along with the engrams, you can assign values to your character.
You can invest points in known values such as health and stamina, but also enhance your speed in crafting items.
The inventory of an ARK beginner
This is how you level up in Conan Exiles: In Conan Exiles, you receive talent points and attribute points as your level increases. Talent points can be invested in crafting recipes.
Increasing attributes boosts an entire area, such as the attack power of all weapons (including bows) or the better utilization of food. Additionally, every ten points gives you a new ability for each value that provides additional advantages.
The attribute menu with perks in Conan Exiles
ARK vs. Conan Exiles when leveling: Both games have a very similar structure here. Recipes are learned through collected experience and are separate from attributes. In Conan Exiles, while you can only level up to level 60, the perk system offers the character more options and depth. ARK excels here with more clarity and a higher level cap:
Those who prefer having more levels to work with will feel more comfortable in ARK.
Specialists will enjoy Conan Exiles more.
Building and Crafting
Base building and item crafting are important features in survival games. With constantly new recipes and the ability to build fortresses, survival becomes easier.
Building and crafting in ARK: At the beginning, you do everything by hand in ARK – literally. You beat trees to collect wood. Later, you can tame dinosaurs that are particularly good at farming certain resources. Building a base takes time accordingly.
You must first find a suitable location and transport all resources there to then build your outpost in parts. Many recipes require workstations to craft them.
A base with a dino pen in ARK
Building and crafting in Conan Exiles: Your first items in Conan Exiles are built from things you pick up from the ground. You can craft the first tools directly in the inventory, while later ones at workbenches. With enough materials, you can start building your first base from raw stones.
You can build wherever you like. If you like a spot, build a hut!
Landscape gardening in an expanded outpost in Conan Exiles. A lot of time can flow into this.
ARK vs Conan Exiles in crafting: The setup of a base is elaborate in both games, especially in the later stages of the game. Most of the gameplay time will be spent on building and improving a stronghold. ARK offers the possibility to build on the backs of huge dinosaurs both on land and in the air. In Conan Exiles, however, settlements can be established anywhere, and you do not need a flat surface.
ARK offers cooler possibilities.
Conan Exiles offers more freedom.
Slaves and Dinosaurs
To make your life and survival a bit easier, both games offer NPCs that you can make your subjects. The NPCs assist you in crafting or gathering more effectively and fulfill various other tasks.
Taming dinosaurs in ARK: In the world of ARK, there is an overwhelming selection of dinosaurs. There are dinos for gathering meat and resources, for transportation, and for combat. Taming a dino, however, is a lengthy process.
The companions in ARK are primarily intended as mounts.
Slavery in Conan Exiles: In line with the archaic style of Conan, there are people in Conan Exiles that you can keep as slaves. Slaves can accompany you as bodyguards, improve production at workstations in your base, or serve as entertainers and defenders.
In Conan Exiles, slaves serve for more effective production and the protection of your base.
ARK vs. Conan Exiles regarding helper NPCs: This area is somewhat a matter of taste:
The dinos in ARK are particularly used for resources and as mounts.
Slaves in Conan Exiles improve buildings and guard your areas.
Even the methods of acquisition differ:
In ARK, you have to watch over your dino and care for it until it wakes up.
In Conan Exiles, you let your slave grind stones until he gives up, and you can do something else in the meantime.
Is there a lot to explore?
A world in which one fights for survival also offers the incentive to explore it. There are significant differences in story between the games.
Story and exploration in ARK: In ARK, you wake up on a beach and are just there. There are no explanations, just a strange stone on your wrist that is somehow connected to the world.
The island where you land has a lot to explore. There are different biomes with varied flora, dungeons, and boss fights that can be challenging and reward you with the best crafting recipes.
The Broodmother, a particularly tough fight in ARK.
Story and exploration in Conan Exiles: As an exile in Conan Exiles, your crimes are described right at character creation. You are a criminal, justified or not, and sentenced to death. A story of the world is conveyed to you through tablets and diaries throughout the game world.
The world of Conan Exiles has various biomes with dozens of world bosses. The biomes are suitable for different levels and provide various resources. Moreover, you can explore not only above ground but also dozens of dungeons and caves add depth to the world and entice with stories and exciting fights.
In Conan Exiles, there are cities, caves, and dungeons that you can explore
ARK vs. Conan Exiles regarding story and exploration: There is a lot to discover in both games. The maps are large, and ARK’s DLCs already offer even more areas to explore. In Conan Exiles, notes may be hidden everywhere, or you may encounter ghosts of the past who tell you the story. The few friendly NPCs are also very talkative.
Those who prefer to simply play without needing a story will also be happy in ARK.
Players who want to experience a world full of narratives will find that in Conan Exiles.
Who are the games suited for? Is single-player possible?
Both games are MMOs and are also most meaningful in this form, as multiplayer games. In clans or tribes, players are strongest, and the games are designed to be conquered by groups of players. However, both Conan Exiles and ARK offer local single-player games where all options can be set and adjusted.
In ARK, the single-player mode is rather cumbersome and impractical. All commands must be entered via console. Crafting, building, and taming also take a long time even at the fastest speed in endgame, and the single-player experience is rather sluggish.
Conan Exiles offers a very user-friendly admin panel if you are a server administrator or playing alone. With just a few clicks, you can adjust your level, become immortal, and add items to your inventory. Particularly for those who just want to build and explore the world, this is a significant advantage.
In principle, the more fun game is the one you can play with more friends. Both games have their advantages and disadvantages, but with more people, they are simply more enjoyable, and you can achieve more.
ARK: Survival Evolved
Conan Exiles
Simpler combat system with shooter elements
Complex melee system with various fighting styles
Higher level cap with many recipes
Max level: 60 with limited talent options
Simple value system for character development
Attributes serving a field of abilities and perks for improvement
Limited building areas, but mobile bases possible
Building possible anywhere
Little story, many dungeons and boss fights
More story, many dungeons and world bosses
Strenuous as a single player
Single player easily possible
Dinos
Slaves
ARK (recently 72% on Steam) had more time to develop the game and cannot offer more than Conan Exiles. There are still many bugs that have not been fixed, but paid DLCs that expand the world. However, if you prefer a broader selection of items and especially dinosaurs, you will be better off with ARK: Survival Evolved.
Conan Exiles (recently 83% on Steam) is the rougher and bloodier game. It is clearly aimed at adults with thick skins and does not even attempt to be friendly. Both group and single players will find what they need in Conan Exiles. If you want coarse barbarism with a great story, you should prefer Conan Exiles.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Fortnite: Battle Royale (PC, PS4, iOS & Xbox One) the challenges for week 2 of Season 4 are already known. If the leak is correct, the new challenges involve Hop Rocks, explosive kills, and dances in front of cameras.
Here’s what it’s about: Since Season 3 of Fortnite: Battle Royale, there are seven special challenges each week. If you complete them, you will earn the coveted stars for the Battle Pass, allowing you to level up faster and unlock skins and other goodies.
Officially, the new challenges will only be revealed when they are active. That should be on Tuesday, May 8th, around 10:00 or 11:00 AM. However, thanks to a leak, we already know what they will likely involve.
Season 4, Week 2 – Here are the 7 challenges!
If the leak regarding the new challenges is correct, then the following challenges need to be completed:
Deal damage with suppressed weapons (500)
Open chests in Greasy Grove (7)
Use Hop Rocks (7)
Dance in front of various film cameras (7)
Each of these challenges is worth five stars in the Battle Pass.
These are expected to be the difficult challenges in the second week. They give ten Battle Pass stars each and thus provide one immediate level.
Search between a scarecrow, a pink hotrod car, and a large screen (1)
Eliminate three players with explosive weapons (3)
Eliminate opponents in Tomato Town (3)
What’s the payoff? If you complete all challenges, you’ll once again receive five guaranteed tiers in the Battle Pass.
How to complete the challenges
If the leak is true, then you have it pretty easy:
Greasy Grove has quite a few crates, land there, eliminate the competition, and take their loot.
If you haven’t completed the pistol challenge from the first week yet, you can use the suppressed pistol to hunt and complete both challenges. It’s best to land at Tomato Town, as you’ll need to make three kills there anyway.
Hop Rocks are abundant in the crater at Dusty Depot. Just land there and collect a few.
The locations of the film cameras will surely be revealed at the start of the second week by diligent players. The same goes for the treasure’s location.
With explosive weapons, it’s quite easy to kill players. Usually, a well-aimed shot or a cleverly thrown grenade is enough.
This is what the Hop Rocks look like.
However, keep in mind that the leaks may not be entirely accurate. The challenges might change by the start on Tuesday.
The Division has been plagued by various problems since its release in March 2016. With a cheating tool, this has reached a new height: What is CronusMAX and how does the tool influence gameplay?
When it comes to bugs and glitches, The Division has a long and detailed history. Massive has always been committed to fixing these as quickly as possible in close collaboration with the community, which unfortunately has not always been successful.
Players have repeatedly used glitches and bugs to their advantage and resorted to exploits.
For some time now, a different kind of problem has been a source of annoyance for the Division community: a cheating tool called CronusMAX. This tool apparently stirs up the PvP area of The Division and causes frustrating encounters in the Dark Zone. Worse, however, is the corrosive influence that the tool indirectly has on the community. Many now suspect a cheater around every corner.
What is CronusMax?
How can CronusMax be used to cheat in The Division? This is a tool that allows the use of different controllers, including mouse and keyboard, on the various consoles. For example, you could use your Xbox One controller with your Xbox 360.
In addition to these basics, the tool allows modifications to the controls that can give players unfair advantages. Among other things, recoil and fire rate can be heavily influenced, which provides unfair advantages over other players. Aim assist can also be manipulated.
It’s easy to see why this tool causes so much trouble. Do you have a shotgun? With CronusMAX, you can assign aiming and firing to a single, common button. What this means in combination with a striker set can be imagined by any experienced agent. These little tricks could give players significant advantages.
Community hopes for a solution
CronusMax spoils the Dark Zone. Many players almost completely avoid the PvP area of The Division, as one could be caught by a Cronus player at any time. An encounter is usually frustrating.
The calls for a solution are getting louder; one can no longer enter the Dark Zone without being hunted by cheaters, as seen in the forums.
What does Massive say about it? The problem is: CronusMAX is not a bug or glitch, nor a hack. It is just a tool. In the State of the Game from April 5 Massive stated that they are working on the problem, but it must be done in collaboration with many different parties.
As long as console manufacturers, publishers, and developers cannot reach a common solution, everything will remain as it is.
What ideas will be implemented here cannot be said at this time. On the one hand, Cronus users could face harsher bans in the future. An agreement between publishers and console manufacturers on future approaches will likely be crucial, especially for online shooters.
Difficult to identify: Cheater or not?
Tool causes paranoia: It is rare to say with certainty whether someone is a CronusMAX user or not. The difference between cheaters and very good players is not always recognizable. This leads to baseless accusations, arguments, and insults.
This creates the possibility that the problem is made bigger than it actually is.
Paranoia has spread in parts of the community. Behind every kill, behind every player who aims faster than oneself, a Cronus user is suspected. Many can hardly distinguish: Am I just worse, or is someone receiving help from software?
Difficult to say how widespread Cronus Max is in The Division
How should players deal with it? It is hardly possible to determine how widespread this tool is in The Division and whether it is really used as frequently as supposed cheating victims claim.
So take a close look, don’t be hasty, and don’t start accusing others of cheating indiscriminately. There are always agents out there who aim better than you. Don’t let such annoying tools ruin your enjoyment of the game, stay calm, and report players to Massive who stand out.
Are you affected and can you share experiences from such encounters? Tell your stories in the comments!
Just before the release of the Warmind expansion for Destiny 2, Bungie announced that with the release of the 2nd DLC, the lockout system for the raid will change. What does this mean for players?
What is it about? In the current “This Week at Bungie” blog, Bungie shared that with the release of the Warmind DLC, the current loot system in the raid will be modified. A class-based exclusion system for raid loot will now be introduced.
This change affects players who play multiple characters of one class. They will only receive loot with one of these characters. The “double” Guardians will not benefit anymore.
Why is this important? In Destiny, you can only create 3 characters per account. Bungie likely wants to ensure that players play all 3 classes. However, since 2014 and Destiny 1, power gamers have created three Guardians of the same class.
Then they raid with all three characters and trade items among each other to level up particularly fast. This way, they had 3 chances a week for a specific armor drop.
Players who play all 3 classes only had this chance once a week. This has been a problem from the start.
Class Lockout in the Raid – What does it mean?
This is how it has been: Right now, a lockout mechanism is active in the Destiny 2 raid. Players receive loot only on the first weekly raid run of each character. It is pointless to play the raid twice with the same character.
New loot is only available after the next weekly reset. Thus, if you have completed the raid with all characters, further runs are not worth it until the reset.
What will change about the raid rewards? The new system will switch from character lockout to class lockout with the release of DLC II. This means: Players who have multiple characters of one class will receive rewards weekly only on the first raid run with that class.
For a subsequent run with the same class, there will be no rewards anymore – even if it is another character. The same applies to the raid sectors.
So if you have, for example, three Titans, you will only receive raid loot on the first run with the first character. The other two will not get any loot when you run the raid with them.
What does this mean for players? So far, power gamers have played three characters of the same class specifically to get loot faster. This will no longer be possible.
Raids and the trials are expected to provide the biggest boost to leveling a character in the future. With this change, Bungie prevents players with multiple characters of the same class from leveling up too quickly.
Thus, only the Nightfall rewards and loot from the Trials of the Nine can be effectively used with double characters. Whether and when this mechanic may also be extended to these game modes is not yet known.
Since the release of Destiny 2, “double characters” could not benefit from the rewards of the weekly milestones. Only the first character receives rewards that drop at a higher or the maximum power level. The other characters of the same class do not receive power-level upgrades from the milestones.
What will happen? Probably, starting tomorrow, some people will delete their now almost redundant “double” characters and create a new character of a class they have not played yet.
A boss from WoW: Battle for Azeroth has some really dark plans. We show you the most disgusting boss that Azeroth has ever seen.
The upcoming expansion of World of Warcraft is full of cruel and disgusting creatures that we must face. Because despite the beautiful environment of Kul Tiras and the pleasant jungle zones of Zandalar, there are some truly disgusting creatures in Battle for Azeroth. One of them is G’huun – a boss who specializes in disease, blood, pus, and quite a dark voice acting. On top of that, he is revered by the blood trolls, who gladly offer sacrifices to him.
What exactly is G’huun? The exact origins of G’huun are not entirely clear yet. The story suggests that G’huun might be an Old God, or at least a creature very similar to the Old Gods. Since G’huun is trapped in a research facility of the Titans, many players assume that the Titans experimented to create a creature that resembles the Old Gods – thus G’huun would be an “artificial” Old God.
The reason for G’huun’s creation was that the Titans wanted to experiment with how to deal with the Old Gods. In doing so, they created something abominable and sealed it away. These seals are broken in Battle for Azeroth.
What makes G’huun so disgusting? G’huun has one of the scariest voices that WoW has to offer. You can listen to the original English version here:
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Aside from that, G’huun’s entire theme is quite disgusting. He is made not only of blood but also of pus, sores, blisters, and decay, which he constantly mentions. His goal is to debase his victims with this corruption as well.
The game world around G’huun is also extremely cruel. The blood trolls hang their victims on poles and let them bleed out slowly and painfully while they rot alive to please their deity.
The exact details about G’huun will likely only be known after the release of Battle for Azeroth.
What do you think of G’huun and his voice? Does it send chills down your spine?
Streamers had the chance to play a current version of the pre-alpha phase of the upcoming MMORPG Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen – and believe that Pantheon will be the new Everquest. We have gameplay from the new MMORPG for you.
A dungeon run of the new dungeon Black Rose Keep. It’s a massive dungeon consisting of multiple levels that get increasingly difficult. The dungeon is also suitable for revisiting to tackle the tougher passages.
Impressions of the streamer: A nostalgic gaming experience
The streamer apparently had a lot of fun during the game round. Here are his impressions:
Pantheon should play like Everquest 1 in principle
The inventory, spells, hotbar, skill system, the entire gameplay feels like Everquest 1 – just a bit more modern
The graphics in the current version are “good”, with room for improvement
The combat feels nice and classic, and tactical – buffs are really important
Pantheon focuses on group play, where each class plays a specific role – the principle of tank, damage dealer, and healer is fully realized
You should constantly feel progress in the game. At the beginning, even simple enemies are a challenge, which later hardly pose a problem. However, tougher foes will appear
It’s necessary to approach tactically, just like in the past. If you attract too many enemies, you likely won’t survive
Corpse runs are an important element to retrieve your equipment after dying
Boss fights play a significant role and feel like in the past. You have to fight your way to the room with the boss and defeat him there
Boss fights are always a challenge, and the team must be coordinated to succeed
However: The streamer Koopatroopa787 had the opportunity to play the dungeon with the developer team. The video was uploaded on Pantheon’s channel. So that’s likely a situation arranged by the developer team. It should be seen more as a PR action than as a critical, independent examination of the game. But that is quite common in this phase of development.
The good old days…
Pantheon aims to create a nostalgic gaming feeling. Almost as if you were back in 1999, but with a contemporary touch and some comfort features expected from a modern MMO. Especially concerning the handling and the UI.
The game speed is not as high as in modern MMORPGs, where you just rush through the quests. Since mana regenerates faster when sitting, there are frequent pauses used for making plans and just chatting – just like it used to be.
The survival MMO Conan Exiles invites you to the desert on PC, Xbox One, and PS4. This week the release starts. Before you embark on the adventure in Hyboria, we have listed 5 things that you should know before buying Conan Exiles.
Conan Exiles will be fully released on May 8, 2018. Until now, it was playable in Early Access for pre-order customers.
Are you one of those people who are still considering whether Conan Exiles is for you? Are you looking for a new survival title to spend your leisure time? We have compiled 5 things for you that you should know before purchasing.
If you want to fully enjoy Conan Exiles, you need to invest a lot of time in the game. Just reaching the maximum level and upgrading your armor and weapons to the highest level can take several dozen hours depending on the server.
Especially if you play on official servers or those with standard settings, you will progress slowly later on. Gathering the best materials is dangerous and takes a lot of time.
The world of Conan Exiles is huge. Anyone wanting to explore all four biomes, every dungeon, and every city will need more than 100 hours. Conan Exiles is designed to constantly challenge and push the player.
Hyboria is a dangerous and unfriendly world. Almost everything and everyone will try to kill you – even the environment. It is almost impossible to traverse the world without dying at least once.
If you play Conan Exiles as intended by the developers, PvP is also continuously active. You can be attacked and killed by any player – even by clan members. Friendly fire can only be disabled by the server admin.
Even if you just want to settle peacefully somewhere, NPCs will eventually take notice of you. During the so-called “purge”, NPCs in the area will attack you if they see you as a threat. Purges become progressively harder, and you will need a good base to stop them.
In multiplayer, friends, clans, and bases provide protection. Good armor is still essential. For single players, there is the option to activate god mode in local play. If you just want to explore and build, you can make yourself invincible.
Danger lurks everywhere – even the gods can come for you.
3. The world is rough, naked, and bloody
Conan Exiles is rated 18+ and is aimed at an older audience. With standard settings on PC, no body parts are covered or censored – penises and other genitals are visible when you are naked.
At least on Xbox, nudity is only possible through DLC. However, it is true across all platforms that Conan Exiles is a bloody game. When you strike an opponent, it may happen that you sever his head or other body parts, which then lie around in the area.
Humans can also be enslaved and slaughtered. You can eat or process human flesh. Hearts and souls are offerings for your gods. And if you like it even more grotesque, you can even beat each other with severed legs and arms.
You will not be able to play with your friends on console if you own Conan Exiles for PC – and the other way around is also not possible. Sony has explicitly opposed crossplay, and Microsoft has not reached a decision yet.
The developers of Conan Exiles would like to implement a crossplay feature. However, it is not currently possible and will be difficult to implement in the future. Whether and when crossplay will be possible remains open.
Duels across different platforms? Not in Conan Exiles.
5. Conan Exiles is continuously developed
Conan Exiles has not yet reached its final state. The game is leaving Early Access and will be fully released. According to the developers, this step is more than just a new label.
Nevertheless, the lead developer stated in the last developer stream that Conan Exiles will continue to be developed. While the game has now reached a temporarily fixed point, further work will be done after the release.
Climbing works already. Some other features are still missing.
Conclusion: Conan Exiles has shown more development in its year in Early Access than many other Early Access titles. With the release, it comes to a state that offers players enough to do.
The game currently costs 30 Euros on Steam but is expected to become more expensive. If you are considering purchasing, keep in mind that it is a tough game in a rough environment. It is designed to be played with friends, although a single-player mode works perfectly fine.
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A player ofFortnite: Battle Royale (PC, PS4, Xbox One, iOS) posted a video on Reddit claiming that his trained fly “Larry” wins a round of Fortnite. What is this about?
What happened? Reddit user Bailo167 uploaded a video to Reddit. In it, you see a housefly tied to a PS4 controller with a string. While the insect frantically buzzes around the analog stick, you can clearly see on the screen that a round of Fortnite: Battle Royale is being won with a final shot.
Did a tiny insect just win a battle royale game?
Can flies really play Fortnite: Battle Royale?
According to Reddit user Bailo167, the fly is his pet and is named Larry. Bailo167 trained it to play Fortnite like a pro and win!
That’s fake! Sure! In the video, you can clearly see that the fly is actually just helplessly buzzing around the stick and not moving it. The strength of a simple housefly is never enough for that. And complex battle royale games like Fortnite far exceed the cognitive capacities of insects!
How did he do that? Bailo167 probably tied the fly to a spare controller and likely played with another DualShock controller in the background and secured the win.
Why would someone do that? The Reddit user likely wanted to generate attention and upvotes on Reddit with his action. And he seems to have succeeded. His post with the bizarre fly video received over 12,000 upvotes at the time of this article.
Jeff Kaplan from Overwatch is making sure a high school senior finds a prom date and even threatens with Hanzo changes.
The Game Director of Overwatch, Jeff Kaplan, addressed a single individual in his latest video. A certain “Nate” was asked to take Lucy to the prom. Only then would there be a chance for the hero Hanzo to keep his Scatter Arrow.
What happened? The student Lucy wrote an email to Blizzard asking for help to convince her classmate Nate to take her to the prom. After a bit of email contact with Blizzard, she managed to get Jeff Kaplan involved, who spontaneously made a video to help her with the challenging question of finding a dance partner.
What is shown in the video? Jeff Kaplan appears in front of the large Overwatch logo and starts his video the way he begins many of his “Developer Updates.” However, the text is heavily personalized.
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“Hey, Nate. I’m Jeff from the Overwatch team. We were considering removing Hanzo’s Scatter Arrow, but maybe we’ll keep it after all. But only if you decide to take Lucy to the prom – so let us know your decision.”
Ultimately, Kaplan’s words turned out to be empty – the revision of Hanzo still came, even though Lucy and Nate will go to the prom together.
Cortyn says: When it comes to collecting sympathy points as effectively and unobtrusively as possible, Jeff Kaplan is always at the forefront. A pretty cute move with a nice ending – and by the way, a wonderful PR for Blizzard and Overwatch. Because what other shooter brings players together?
The release of the Warmind expansion for Destiny 2 is coming soon. In anticipation of the 2nd DLC, the developers are sharing some information about the loot system for the upcoming Escalation Protocol event. Here are the details.
What’s it about? Ahead of the upcoming DLC II, there were still some open questions among fans regarding the loot distribution for the Escalation Protocol event. These uncertainties have now been clarified by Bungie’s Senior Investment Designer. He provided a comprehensive overview of the reward system for the new event in the official Bungie forum.
What is the Escalation Protocol? With the upcoming Warmind DLC, Destiny 2 will introduce a new type of public event with horde-mode characteristics: Escalation Protocol. Here are the core features:
Hive Escalation is a type of horde mode
You fight against the Hive in increasingly stronger waves
There are a total of seven waves
Each wave has a mini-boss, while the seventh wave features the final boss
There are five unique final bosses with their own loot, which rotate weekly
There are 3 reward chests – after the third, the fifth, and the final boss in the seventh wave
This is how the loot system works: The rewards of the new event are divided into three categories: cosmetic rewards, weapons, and armor. Each category behaves somewhat differently in terms of the rarity and type of loot drops. This is meant to offer players more variety, different incentives, and clear goals during their loot hunt.
Cosmetic Rewards: These rewards have a low drop rate and can be found in any reward chest opened during Escalation Protocol.
The further you progress in the event, the higher the chance of receiving one of the exclusive items. Rewards include a ship, a Sparrow, and a Ghost shell.
Weapons: The Escalation Protocol offers three exclusive weapons as rewards: a shotgun, a sniper rifle, and a submachine gun.
With these rewards, grinding is clearly the focus. There is no weekly limit. You can chase the respective weapon throughout the week as long as you want.
The weapons have a low drop chance from the final boss at the end of the seventh wave. The loot pool also rotates weekly with the bosses. Each of the three weapons is tied to a specific boss. The other two bosses can drop any of these exclusive weapons.
The power level of the Escalation Protocol weapons goes up to 340. Once this soft cap is reached, they will no longer represent power upgrades.
Armor: Parts of the armor sets can only be obtained from the chest that spawns after defeating the final boss at the end of the seventh wave.
This chest can only be opened with an encrypted depot key. After completing the Warmind campaign, each character can craft one such key per week. The necessary Rasputin key fragments are obtained by participating in various Warmind activities such as:
Heroic adventures
Heroic strikes
Nightfall strikes
Raids or raid lairs
The key fragments can be handed in to Ana Bray. In return, you receive an encoded depot key. Afterwards, you must complete seven Escalation Protocol levels to decrypt the encoded depot key and receive an unlocked depot key.
The armor pieces from the chest have a fixed order: class item, leg armor, gauntlets, chest armor, and helmet. No duplicates will drop until you have a full set.
Shaders: The exclusive Escalation Protocol shader does not belong to any of the three categories. You receive it when you defeat the final boss of the event.
Far Cry 5 features a powerful map editor in addition to the campaign. A player has now used the Arcade to create an accurate replica of the island from the TV series “Lost” in Far Cry 5.
Players can also spend their time in the Arcade in Far Cry 5. There, they can create their own maps and game modes or play the creations of other users.
Player recreates island from Lost
A fan of the series has taken about a month to create an accurate replica of the island from the TV series Lost. The map created by PS4 player Un-Break-Able may not be to scale but includes all important locations from the series, such as Sun’s garden and all nine stations of the Dharma Initiative, he shares.
What is Lost? Lost is a mystery series that aired from 2004 to 2010. It is about the survivors of a plane crash who must survive on an island in the Pacific.
The Arcade map by Un-Break-Able closely follows the series version of the island. Locations from the 2010 released game Lost: Via Domus were not included.
What is the Arcade? The Arcade is the map editor for Far Cry 5, allowing players to create their own maps and game modes. The editor is set to be regularly expanded and features items from Far Cry 5 as well as from other Ubisoft titles like Far Cry 4, Far Cry Primal, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, Assassin’s Creed Unity, and Watch Dogs.
Currently, single-player maps or maps for up to twelve players can be created in the Arcade in attack, outpost, journey, bounty hunt, deathmatch, and team deathmatch modes. Players of Far Cry 5 have been actively using the Arcade to recreate games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds or the map de_dust2 from Counter Strike.
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Defiance 2050 will only bring the MMO shooter Defiance to consoles PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2018. There are already rumors about PlayStation 5 and the next Xbox. However, the producer of the game does not believe that they are late to the party. He believes in the longevity of this console generation.
How long did the previous console generation last? The cycle of the previous console generation, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, lasted six and eight years. The Xbox 360 was released in 2005, while the Xbox One came to market in 2013. The PlayStation 3 came to Europe in March 2007, after the console had already been available in Japan and North America since November 2006. The PlayStation 4 followed in November 2013.
If the next generation were to follow this pattern again, it would be time for the next devices from Microsoft and Sony between 2019 and 2021. However, the producer of Defiance 2050, Matt Pettit, believes that this current console generation will last longer than the previous one.
Defiance developer hopes for a longer console cycle
Why no new console? In an interview with the US website GamingBolt, Matt Pettit, producer of Defiance 2050, said that he hopes the current generation of consoles will last a bit longer. Partly because the current machines can then be fully utilized.
“My biggest hope for the current console generation is that it lasts longer so we can fully exploit its computing power,” said Pettit. “I expect innovations from the next generation. To create a leap from what is currently possible with the Xbox One X, the technology in gaming needs to evolve to offer more than just a small technical improvement. That’s why I believe that the current generation will last longer than the previous one, which is great for development.”
Defiance was too late for PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2013
What is the background? Pettit likely speaks from personal interest. Defiance was released in April 2013 for PS3 and Xbox 360 – by then the end of the previous console generation was already in sight.
Only in 2018 does Defiance 2050 want to also release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It would be a shame to be late again and just catch the end of the current console generation.
What do others think? Pettit is not alone in his assumption. Ubisoft’s CEO Yves Guillemot believes that the next “real” console generation after Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro will not hit the market before 2021, and likely even later.
Currently, there is speculation about whether the next consoles will still rely on classic hardware. It is possible that Microsoft and Sony will transition to cloud technology in the future.
Overwatch has a new map! With the recently released patch 1.23, the hero shooter has added a new map: the payload map Rialto. We present it to you in a short tour.
With Rialto, Overwatch now has 18 unique maps in the standard rotation. Rialto is a payload map where the attacking team must escort a payload from the first point through two checkpoints to the destination.
Rialto is Overwatch’s Venice map. In real life, Rialto is an area in Venice, located in the San Polo district. The name comes from the Latin “Rivus altus” – deep channel.
IGN has released a video with a free camera flight through Rialto. Check out the layout and appearance of the map here before you dive into the battle!
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Rialto is a familiar face! Rialto is the same map where the last Overwatch event “Retribution” also took place. During “Retribution”, players could play as Blackwatch agents against the Talon organization on Rialto.
The map has already been developed for the event before. It was hinted earlier by the developers that it would be coming to the game. Those who played the event will recognize some of the locations on the map.
You can currently play Rialto in the Arcade mode! To familiarize players with the map, Blizzard has unlocked an additional mode in the Arcade. In the Arcade “Rialto”, you will find only the new map, which you can play over and over again.
The mode can be played solo or in a group. This way, you can get to know Rialto and take a close look at every corner before you randomly encounter the map in quick play rotations.
Rialto is not yet available in ranked mode! Currently, Rialto is only available in Arcade and quick play. The ranked mode of Overwatch has not yet included Rialto in the rotation. Similar to new heroes, it will be added at a later date. A date for this is not yet known.
The map Rialto was previously also in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Many community members react amusedly to the fact that Blizzard has now borrowed the map for their own shooter.
World of Warcraft in real life? In a small forest in the Czech Republic, it is possible! For the 16th time, more than 100 WoW fans gathered at the end of April for a reenactment of the famous MMORPG.
For two days, a real-life event for the online role-playing game World of Warcraft took place in a small forest near the Czech town of Kamyk nad Vltavou. About 150 fans met dressed as Orcs, Trolls, and Elves and reenacted the MMORPG.
The event has been held annually for 16 years and attracts dozens of fans each year. It ended on April 29.
“It relaxes my mind”
The fans apparently have a great time. With homemade armor and costumes, they come together and defend their home against the invasion of the Burning Legion and other intruders.
One of the players is web developer Vojtech Ruzicka. He has crafted the armor of a Troll from fur and skulls. He also has a blue-painted face, fire-red hair and beard, turning the developer Vojtech into a true Darkspear Troll!
His reaction to the event: “I always forget the real world. It relaxes my mind.” Even in real life, fans can fully immerse themselves in Azeroth and bring their own characters to life.
Vojtech Ruzicka, dressed as a ‘World of Warcraft’ character, stands in a Czech Republic forest during a two-day live action battle between orcs, elves, knights and other fantasy characters from the online role-playing game: https://t.co/vPVAVqMrDk ? David W Cerny pic.twitter.com/l6lenJdfns
Most costumes involve a lot of work and effort. Players must pay special attention to ensure that their costumes not only look good but can also withstand a lot.
The participants take part in fights, which can often involve rough contact. It can even go as far as characters dying. Only having a great look won’t get the warriors far – the armors also need to be functional!
Especially the homemade weapons can quickly become a downfall for the artistic costumes. Those who do not pay attention to being well-equipped will have to build a new armor next year – perhaps with more leather and metal.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Who is the ultimate villain in World of Warcraft? We asked you this question and you voted! Here are your top 5 of the most treacherous characters and super villains in WoW – and what makes them so vile.
Since the beginning of World of Warcraft, we have taken down dozens of villains. Each of them wanted to plunge Azeroth into chaos, dominate it, or harm it in other ways. But only one can be the worst of them all.
We asked you who you think should sit on the throne of wickedness, and you voted. Here are your top 5 super villains from World of Warcraft!
With 5% of the votes, Garrosh Hellscream, the son of the warrior hero Grommash Hellscream, takes the fifth place on your list. Thus, the former warchief stands just ahead of the current leader of the Horde, Sylvanas Windrunner, who also received 5% but four votes less.
Who was Garrosh Hellscream?
Garrosh Hellscream was the son of the orc hero Grom Hellscream, who once killed the pit lord Mannoroth, freeing the orcs from the influence of demonic blood.
He grew up in Garadar, the settlement of the Mag’har in Draenor, where he was infected with the Red Pox during the orc invasion of Azeroth. Although he survived it, Chief Kargath Bladefist rejected him when he wanted to participate in the invasion, as the untainted Mag’har, who had not drunk demon blood, were deemed not strong enough.
Garrosh later became the chieftain of the Warsong clan and was supposed to be the successor to his grandmother Geyah in leading the Mag’har. However, when Thrall set off on his journey to Draenor to find his roots, he took the young orc to Azeroth with him.
How did Garrosh become a villain?
Garrosh was haunted since childhood by the legacy of his father, who was the first to drink Mannoroth’s blood and led the orcs to ruin. He saw this as a hereditary guilt that weighed upon him. Only through Thrall did he see a way to free the orcs again.
In this moment, the warrior spirit within him awakened and nourished the thought of leading the orcs back to greatness. With the hero Grom as his role model, this thought would eventually be put into action.
The actual means to wreak so much havoc came from Thrall and Magatha Grimtotem. Thrall appointed him as his successor as Warchief. Magatha Grimtotem helped him to victory against Cairne Bloodhoof, who challenged him to a duel to the death, a Mak’gora.
Cairne saw Garrosh as unfit to lead the Horde and would have won the duel. But Garrosh’s weapon was poisoned by Magatha during the shamanic blessing, so that a single wound was enough to kill Cairne. This treachery enabled Garrosh’s rise as Warchief and villain.
What are his greatest crimes?
Garrosh’s entire career as Warchief is a string of war crimes. However, three points stand out where he acted first against the peoples of the Horde, then against the Alliance, and finally against all of Azeroth.
At the beginning of his time as Warchief, he declared the orcs to be the leading race. He quickly herded goblins and trolls into ghettos in Orgrimmar, which was supposed to be renovated for orcs in iron instead of traditional wood. Here, he already sowed discord between the peoples of the Horde.
His likely greatest atrocity and greatest war crime is the destruction of Theramore. He stole the focusing iris from the blue dragonflight to create a mana bomb.
He dropped this bomb over Theramore, annihilating the city and hundreds of civilians – including the former leader of the Kirin Tor, Rhonin. He is also directly responsible for the transformation of Jaina Proudmoore from the warm-hearted diplomat into the ruthless war mage she is today.
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During his campaign, he did not hesitate to use the powers of the Old Gods. In Mists of Pandaria, he unleashed the Sha of Pride to draw from its power and enforce his fanatical views. We can relive his fall in the Siege of Orgrimmar.
Finally, he vanished during his trial for his war crimes using a corrupt bronze dragon into another timeline. Here he helped the Iron Horde rise in an alternative Draenor and is largely responsible for the events of Warlords of Draenor.
Jagex, the developer studio behind the long-lasting and still successful MMORPG Runescape, is currently working on another online role-playing game. It is to be a next-gen MMORPG. One thing is already clear: It is to become very accessible.
Jagex has actually not had good experiences developing new games beyond Runescape. Stellar Dawn and Transformers Universe were both discontinued. Additionally, Runescape players reacted angrily to Jagex “neglecting” their game to focus on other projects.
As Jagex’s CEO Phil Mansell explains, the company is now well-positioned regarding Runescape. Recently, they even reached the highest number of simultaneous active players in eight years.
A new MMORPG
Nevertheless, Jagex must also look to the future and is currently working on two new games. They are going to try again. One title is meant to be a smaller online game, but the other is a next-gen MMORPG. What exactly that means is currently the big question. Phil Mansell explains the plan a little, without revealing much:
The new game should be accessible but also very profound
He compares the title to the early days of Runescape. Back then, players could quickly get into the game and enjoy successes
Phil Mansell sees the fact that MMORPGs are not talked about as intensively nowadays as an advantage
MMORPGs can be very accessible and less daunting nowadays
Phil Mansell perceives developments regarding MMORPGs as very good
Modern MMOs offer a great online experience without being complicated
The new MMORPG is intended to be similarly structured, providing an accessible player experience and a lively game world, benefiting from what Jagex has learned through Runescape over the past 17 years
This all sounds like it is still in a very early development phase for the new MMORPG. Thus, it is still not clear when we will learn more about it or get to see anything. It will be interesting to see how the fans of Runescape react to this project.
In anticipation of the upcoming Warmind expansion for Destiny 2, two weapons are currently sparking conversation among fans: the returning SUROS Regime and Ana Bray’s new weapon – the Polaris Lance. What is known so far about these two exotic weapons?
What is it about? Shortly before the release of the Warmind DLC, Bungie is revealing more and more details about the weapon arsenal of the second expansion. Two exotic weapons are receiving special attention from Guardians.
On one hand, Bungie is bringing the SUROS Regime back from Destiny 1. Many fans are excited about the return of this classic. However, many wonder if the characteristic features of the SUROS will be retained in Destiny 2.
On the other hand, many players are eager to see the new rifle from Ana Bray. According to current images and video material, players will also be able to acquire and use this unique firearm.
The SUROS Regime in Destiny 2 – What is known so far
What is the SUROS Regime? The SUROS Regime is an exotic automatic rifle and is equipped in the kinetic slot. Many fans of the Destiny series already know it from the first game. With DLC 2, it is now making its entrance into Destiny 2.
What can the weapon do? Unlike in Destiny 1, the SUROS in the current Destiny installment belongs to the rapidly firing automatic rifles with a fire rate of 600. Thus, it now belongs to a different archetype than in the predecessor.
However, the SUROS has retained its characteristic perks from the predecessor – albeit under a new name.
The intrinsic perk of the weapon is called SUROS Legacy. As in Destiny 1, the second half of the magazine will deal bonus damage and can grant health back on kills. When zoomed in, the weapon fires slower but deals additional damage.
What improvements the masterwork version of this exotic automatic rifle will bring is currently unknown.
How to obtain the SUROS Regime? Whether the SUROS Regime will be tied to an exotic quest or will be obtainable from the regular sources for exotic items is currently unknown.
The Polaris Lance in Destiny 2 – What is known so far
What is the Polaris Lance? The Polaris Lance is a slow-firing exotic scout rifle with high damage. This weapon is carried in the energy slot and deals solar damage.
Fans quickly took notice of this new weapon. Ana Bray prominently showcases the Polaris Lance in almost every official image for the Warmind expansion.
What can the weapon do? The exact names of its perks are not yet known. However, it is established that after four critical hits, the fifth shot fires a delayed solar explosive shot. Furthermore, it appears in the gameplay video that critical hits return ammunition to the magazine.
There is currently no information on the masterwork version of the Polaris Lance.
How to obtain the Polaris Lance? It is currently unknown how to acquire this exotic scout rifle. However, the community is considering two possibilities.
Many fans believe it is likely that the Polaris Lance will be available as part of or after completing the campaign for DLC II. Another prominent theory suggests that this exotic weapon may be obtained by completing a collection quest on Mars.
ID Software will remain true to its bloody image and is introducing a new system in the competitive shooter “Quake Champions” that will allow players to tear their opponents into small pieces.
The so-called “Gibbing”, which is the bursting of opponents into individual body parts, has always been a hallmark of the Quake games. Unfortunately, this feature was missing for a long time in Quake Champions, where instead ragdoll physics and blood explosions were used. But that will soon change.
Return to classic Quake Gibbing
In the recent developer stream on Twitch, ID Software presented, among other things, the new “Gore System”, which will ensure more guts on the screen during Quake matches. However, not only individual chunks of meat will fly around. Players will be able to dismember their opponents into tiny components, down to individual screws and bone shards. How exactly this looks live and in color is demonstrated by the developers in a trailer:
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For players with slightly older PCs, there will also be the option to turn off the Gore System to avoid possible FPS loss. This was confirmed by Bethesda Community Manager Joshua Boyle, aka Tokyopunchout, in a comment on Reddit.
The Quake Champions community is hyped
The players of Quake Champions seem to be eagerly awaiting the new feature. Reactions to ID’s announcement on Reddit and social media have been very positive. eSports commentator “Zoot” tweeted regarding the “upcoming” release of the Gore System:
Players are especially excited about the nostalgia feeling that the feature will bring, as it continues the tradition of Gibbing in Quake games. Reddit user Info_lexicons commented: “Definitely reminds me of the classic Quake Gibs. A nostalgic gesture that made me smile …”
The Asian PvP MMO Swordsman X focuses on Battle Royale, as demonstrated in the current second closed beta.
Swordsman X shows that Asian battle royale games differ from those in Europe and the USA, as skills and other MMO elements also play a role. However, this does not mean that Swordsman X is an MMORPG.
What is Swordsman X?
Swordsman X is an online action game
You could compare the title to PUBG and Fortnite, but there are no modern firearms
You learn various combat styles like martial arts or sword fighting
In large battlefields, you compete against other players
You fight until only one player remains
In the game area, you find new equipment and weapons, which are crucial for victory
Horses help you get from A to B faster
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It is currently unclear whether we will see the battle royale game Swordsman X in Europe and the USA as well. However, the game’s options menu in the closed beta indicated the possibility of setting different languages, which did not work yet. Therefore, it seems there are plans to release the online game in other countries.
The Chinese developer Dream Game Studio and publisher Cube Game have yet to comment on this. Swordsman X is set to be released as a Buy2Play game. There is currently no release date.
