At Fortnite, there is now new information about the coveted Halo skin in the Battle Royale Starter Pack. The affordable offer could be available next week, on Tuesday. If the starter pack comes as expected, it will likely be a huge hit.
At that time, it was said that this was the “Battle Royale Starter Pack” and it would cost $4.99. This starter pack includes the exclusive skin, a cool backpack, and 600 V-Bucks. For comparison: 1000 V-Bucks usually cost €9.99.
Therefore, the starter pack seemed to be a particularly attractive offer – designed to encourage players to make their first purchase.
However, it turned out that a bug was responsible for the offer being visible early. The package could not be purchased. Since then, fans have been waiting to grab the exclusive Halo skin “Rogue Agent Outfit”. Now there is news.
An announcement has surfaced in the PS communities
As several players report on reddit, this offer has appeared in the PS communities.
When: The offer starts in the afternoon on Tuesday, March 27. According to our time, it will probably be the night into Wednesday. The offer will end on Sunday.
What: Currently, it is only known that it is supposed to be a “starter pack” – apparently featuring the Halo skin. In any case, the skin is featured. Additionally, there should be “V-Bucks” – the premium currency of Fortnite. If the leaks from early March are to be believed, it is a good offer with 600 V-Bucks for about €5. Plus, there’s the exclusive skin.
This offer was briefly spotted back at the beginning of March.
Currently, everything is still a bit shaky, but it looks like the long-held wish of some players will soon come true.
The Halo skin is likely to be a blockbuster at Fortnite
The special thing about the offer is the combination of affordable V-Bucks and a really cool skin modeled after the “Orbital Drop Shock Troopers” from the Halo universe. If the offer goes live as planned, the cash registers will surely ring. After all, millions of players play Fortnite.
An offer like this is economically smart for Epic: Once someone has made a purchase in the shop, they are more likely to spend money on Fortnite again.
But is this really a Halo skin? Not exactly. The skin is called “Rogue Agent Outfit.” Fortnite has a tendency to draw inspiration from popular things and create skins that resemble the originals without having the license to do so and naming it accordingly. Recently, the “John Wick” skin from Fortnite caused a stir.
Sea of Thieves offers potential for many fun pirate adventures. The community has thought about what changes could enhance the game.
After the launch of Sea of Thieves, many pirates have already embarked on their adventures. Climb aboard the wobbly ship, raise the sails, and sail towards a mysterious island where a treasure is hidden. However, many players in the community feel that there should be “more” to it. The community is bursting with great ideas that could improve the game.
Players are concerned about lack of content
Although the game looks really great and is a lot of fun in a group, there are also dry phases at sea. Eventually, things often repeat themselves, and a certain routine sets in while questing.
This leads to free-thinking discussions with other pirates about what content Sea of Thieves should have to keep the game on the right course.
It is noticeable that players do not claim, “No, the game is dumb. You should have included this feature. Bye, I’m out,” but instead express concern about the future of Sea of Thieves and sincerely want to improve the game.
The developers at Rare have already stated that community feedback is extremely important to them and has greatly contributed to the improvement of the game. Maybe the developers will also be inspired by the following ideas from the community.
In an interview with IGN, Rare explained regarding the fans’ concerns that Sea of Thieves is a game that grows and evolves. New cosmetic options, mechanics, and “ways to play” are part of these ongoing updates.
Improvement suggestions from the community – More to do
Fishing, rowing, and rowboats are ideas from the community that could be beneficial to Sea of Thieves. Because the feedback is often: The game is solid and looks great, but it lacks more content. Freshly minted pirates have a flood of ideas on what content should be added to Sea of Thieves.
Rowboats! Instead of jumping from your ship and swimming to the island, small boats would be a cool transport option. This would also allow you to approach enemy ships if you plan a raid on them. Like lifeboats, these could be attached to your ships or towed behind you. The artwork of Sea of Thieves also used small boats.
Sail damage – Sails should be damaged by cannon or weapon fire, slowing down the affected ship. This could introduce a new crafting material from fabrics that could be used for repairs (maybe by climbing up the mast).
Bounties on other players – If someone has ruined your tour and sunk your ship, you can take revenge with a bounty. The entire server should be notified: Whoever kills player XY within the next Z minutes receives a large sum of gold. Maybe the player with the bounty will be chased by a cloud or have their location displayed every minute on the map, making it easier to find and kill them.
More ship customizations – Changed sails and galleon figures are cool, but players want more to make their own ships truly unique.
Fishing – Anyone who has played Sea of Thieves knows that some journeys can become really boring for a part of the crew when traveling long distances. A mini-game with fishing would be a cool way to pass the time on deck.
A pipe – As another accessory, players would like a pipe to smoke. To avoid excessive promotion of it, this feature may not make it into the game. Or perhaps with bubbles?
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Mau Mau or Skat? Card games would be a fun solution to pass the time between quests.
Weapon progression – A controversial idea from the community that receives both applause and a lot of criticism. Players want progress in Sea of Thieves not only to be cosmetic but also to be reflected in stronger weapons. Perhaps this should focus more on updates like better scopes that don’t directly affect weapon strength.
Fire! Imagine if you could set other ships (or your own) on fire. Or they could be struck by lightning and catch fire. That would add another thrill when you’re out at sea. Instead of bailing water from the ship, you’d then have to use buckets to put out the fire.
More animals in the water – If you look into the water of Sea of Thieves, you see very few sea creatures. Occasionally a shark swims by, or the tentacles of a bodiless Kraken emerge from the sea. With more animals, the water in Sea of Thieves, which already looks extremely good, could be enhanced.
Pet companions – By catching wild pigs and chickens, players came up with the idea that they want more animals in the game. These should belong directly to them and accompany them on their adventures as pets. Rare has already mentioned ideas for monkeys and parrots.
More musical instruments – Or at least more songs would be great. New songs could perhaps be unlocked by solving puzzles that would anchor the notes in the pirates’ memory.
Source: http://www.guitarhive.com
Flags that can be swung – Not every player in Sea of Thieves is there for pure PvP bashing. Some players don’t want to harm other pirates and are perfectly fine with coexisting. A white flag that clearly indicates that you come in peace would be a sensible addition (this could also be used to ambush naive players).
More events at sea – The random appearance of the Kraken is cool, and the skeleton raids are interesting. But there should be even more happening on the sea. Sudden races with dolphins leading to a treasure chest would be awesome.
More loot! In the chests or barrels in the game, players should be able to discover more. Special rum or tobacco that can be collected and sold. This way, a general trader at the outpost (or a special island) could accept various knick-knacks in exchange for gold coins or special quest orders.
The community is overflowing with ideas. Some even want a Battle Royale mode that should be conducted with the ships. The developers at Rare have probably already had some of these ideas in mind, but for various reasons, have not yet implemented them in the game.
The release of the update milestone 1.1.4 for Destiny 2 is getting closer. While it brings many changes, many core issues of the game remain unaddressed. These 5 things urgently need to change for Destiny 2 to have a chance.
The update 1.1.4 is just a few days away. This roadmap milestone represents the most extensive update yet for Bungie’s latest Destiny installment. However, even the numerous changes will leave most core issues of the game unaddressed. Although Bungie is trying to screw many things, for many Guardians, they are the absolutely wrong ones. The studio is largely working past the community.
With update 1.2.0, which is expected hand in hand with the 2nd expansion in May 2018, it looks no different. Although the currently last communicated milestone from Bungie’s emergency plan will make some adjustments to the troubled game, substantial changes will also be in vain here. A turnaround during this period is also unlikely.
Bungie is now backed against the wall and has likely finally recognized the problem in this self-inflicted situation and seems willing to tackle it consistently. With a job posting, the studio signaled that it wants to involve the community more closely in the optimization process for Destiny 2 in the near future. Bright minds from among the players hopefully will soon have the chance to steer the second installment of the series back on the right track in cooperation with Bungie. Many are now hoping for a turnaround like in The Division.
The Guardian community has already communicated its concerns and improvement requests multiple times. It is already clear – The following 5 things urgently need to change and therefore will most likely be on the list of any potential candidate:
The Sandbox
Although the upcoming update 1.1.4 will change the sandbox on a large scale, it remains one of the biggest problem areas of the game.
Already during the beta, Destiny 2 could not match the feeling of the popular predecessor. Unfortunately, that has not really changed to this day. The game looks like Destiny, the game sounds like Destiny, but to the dismay of many Guardians, it plays noticeably differently. Too differently.
While the upcoming patch will specifically address some of these issues, such as the movement speed of the Guardians, other concerns remain.
The widely demanded reduction of TTK, which is responsible for a large part of the problems in the Crucible, is not taking place, for example. Instead, Bungie has turned various other screws without being asked, which could now lead to new problems in PvP.
The charge times of abilities are not buffed in the true sense, but still remain heavily mod-dependent. The mods themselves are also set to undergo a general overhaul. How this system will be played out ultimately cannot even be guessed at the moment.
There will initially be no changes to the customization options of the individual Guardian classes. The focus selection remains rudimentary.
Whether and to what extent Destiny 2 can approach the original Destiny feeling in the course of the remaining updates remains to be seen.
The Weapon Slots
Considering the current weapon system of Destiny 2, it quickly becomes clear – the current constellation of weapon slots does not work as intended and simply isn’t fun. A problem that was already hinted at before the game’s release and has now developed into one of the biggest plagues of Destiny 2. The clear orientation of the game in favor of PvP is now demanding its toll.
Entire weapon classes have completely lost their reason for existence due to this realignment. And even though some buffs are coming, not much will really change here for the time being. A rocket launcher will still be a better choice than a shotgun, fusion rifle, or sniper – both in PvP and PvE.
Comprehensive changes can be expected in the context of the next major expansion, which is expected in autumn 2018. But even that is pure speculation – official information remains scarce. So there are no quick solutions in sight here either, even though they are sorely needed.
The Loot
The current loot in Destiny 2 is unattractive and boring – the situation cannot be described any other way. For example, the game suffers massively from the fixed rolls of weapons. Already after a short playing period, players lack any incentive to continue investing time in the game. The hunt for weapon god rolls or perfect stat perk combinations in armor pieces, which kept many players entertained during content droughts in the predecessor, is completely absent. It is unlikely that anything will change in the foreseeable future.
Masterwork weapons and armor also cannot really solve the problem. While Bungie is currently reworking a large part of the exotics to make them more exciting and rewarding, the exotic items only represent a small part of the overall gear and will not be able to solve the problem on their own.
The March update will bring fresh Nightfall-specific loot into the game, but if these should also have static perks, which can be assumed, these rewards will not contribute to a sustainable solution to the problem.
Deep changes would also be possible here, at the earliest in autumn.
Secrets and Collectibles
Cool secrets – no matter how small – or hidden quests like in the predecessor are sadly missing in Destiny 2. Many Guardians will still remember their hunt for the Sleeper Simulant, the Outbreak Prime, or the Black Spindle – especially the memorable moment when they could finally call these weapons their own. Unfortunately, the second part cannot capitalize on such experiences.
Also, the hunt for Dead Ghosts or similar collectibles, which provided many players a welcome pastime during times of content drought, are sorely missed in Destiny 2.
While Bungie has promised to integrate both secrets in the style of Destiny 1 and collectibles into the game, they were vague in these statements – a specific timeline for these features is not yet established.
The Lore
The lore in Destiny 2 has a fundamental problem.
Parts of the community warned before the release that it could undermine the lore surrounding the Destiny universe if the grimoire system were completely discarded. And they were right.
Yes, the adventures play well and are largely interesting, the scanable objects often provide exciting background information about the story, characters, and locations around Destiny 2. However, none of this can be reread or viewed anywhere. Not even for long on bungie.net, where at least the grimoire cards could be viewed.
There is no encyclopedia, no journal, no collection of objects and background information in the game that you have already found to read or view them again at a later time if you wish. There are also no clues as to where exactly to search for these objects should you feel the desire to listen to the recordings again because you may have been more focused on shooting than listening the first time.
Connecting complex storylines and better understanding new insights is ironically no longer as easy as it was in Destiny 1 – even though you had to rely on external means back then, while Bungie in the case of Destiny 2 itself relies on external means like the comic “Fall of Osiris,” because it seems that it is not easily possible to do justice to such a complex and extensive universe solely in-game in an adequate manner.
Furthermore, the undertaking of adventures and the search for scannable objects are not necessarily tied to the progression system in the game and can essentially be completely ignored.
This leaves a lot of potential background knowledge hidden for many – knowledge that could have been easily accessed through grimoire cards in the first part whenever needed, even if you brushed through the story with a knife between your teeth.
Moreover, players are missing worthwhile incentives such as grimoire points, progress rewards from a record book, or special quests that encourage them to dive deeper into the story of the game than necessary during the initial run of the campaign and thereby actively pursue specific activities.
Bungie still has great need for improvement here.
What do you think? Are these the most pressing issues of Destiny 2? Or are there other things on your priority list?
In the latest patch of SWTOR, Inquisitors and Agents encounter their former companions. In addition, a heavy raid boss awaits…
For Star Wars: The Old Republic, a new update has been released. The “Patch 5.8: Command Authority” has been deployed on the servers and brought many innovations, along with some “old” features returning.
The centerpiece of the update is definitely the new Operations boss Izax. This is likely to be one of the toughest opponents that SWTOR has ever had – on the PTR, the first fight lasted only 8 seconds, then the machine had torn apart all players into their individual parts. As a warm-up phase, there is the fight against the superweapon Scyva – those who fail here should start praying for Izax.
“New old” companions: Ashara and Vector
For two classes, there are old companions that players can finally meet again.
Imperial Agents can look forward to reuniting with Vector Hyllus, the popular “bug man”.
Sith Inquisitors can finally see their apprentice Ashara Zavros again. The Togruta has devoted herself to studying the Force alone during the years without her master.
The special thing about these two companions: They were both “Romance Options” in the original story and disappeared with the release of the Eternal Throne.
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Aside from that, there are some minor revisions to the rewards for the conquests. The interface has been renewed and the rewards have been redefined – they now match better with the difficulty of the respective task. Additionally, it is now clearly visible what your personal progress is and how it differs from the victory march of your guild.
Have you remained faithful to Ashara and Vector? Or have your characters found a new love in the latest expansions?
The Deviljho has recently appeared in Monster Hunter World. Surprisingly, shortly after its release, an event quest was added, introducing the Deviljho as an tempered monster into the game. The tempered Deviljho currently leaves many hunters in despair and provides strong endgame content.
With the Deviljho, Monster Hunter World has now added the first free DLC monster, providing players with fresh content. The Deviljho is a monster suffering from an insatiable hunger for flesh, posing a significant threat to the ecosystem due to its voracity. It is said to have exterminated entire species and even eats its own kind.
The Deviljho is considered an absolute terror in the Monster Hunter universe, capable of measuring up to the powerful Elder Dragons. The regular variant, now in the game, has been perceived as strong by many hunters, especially due to its extremely fast and also more intense attacks. However, the Deviljho did not present the great endgame challenge that many had hoped for.
Then came the tempered Deviljho.
The tempered Deviljho shows its true face in “Cucumber Season” – And it’s brutal!
Without any announcement from Capcom, an event quest has been added to Monster Hunter World that now presents a real endgame challenge for many hunters. Those looking at the event quests will find the following task: “Cucumber Season”. The name of the quest is a joke among fans, who like to refer to the Deviljho as a pickle due to its appearance.
In this event quest, players must hunt a tempered Deviljho. Tempered monsters are stronger variants with significantly more attack power. The conditions of the quest already show that it is intended for advanced players.
It requires a hunter rank of 50 and is marked with a difficulty of star level 9. 9 stars are currently the highest quest level in Monster Hunter World. Players must have reached hunter rank 50 to engage in tasks for tempered Elder Dragons. These are monsters like Nergigante, Teostra, or Kirin, the strongest creatures in the game.
Tempered Deviljho is set at Elder Dragon level
Now reports are piling up from hunters who cannot believe what a brutal beast the tempered Deviljho is. It deals considerable damage and can easily knock out players with a single hit if their equipment is mismatched for the Deviljho. Hunters are currently falling one after another before the tempered Deviljho.
Additionally, the tempered Deviljho seems to have quite a lot of health for a “normal” large monster. Initial estimates suggest that it has more health than the Elder Dragon Kushala Daora. However, this is based on player observations and not an official statement from Capcom.
Furthermore, the (tempered) Deviljho is incredibly fast for its size and conducts its attacks swiftly and frequently in succession. This is currently overwhelming hunters.
Lightning Stones are offered as quest rewards – These are part of the endgame
But at least: Those who manage to defeat the tempered Deviljho in the event quest “Cucumber Season” will be rewarded accordingly. The quest description states:
“We have discovered an extremely sour Deviljho! The cause of its distress is likely the consumption of lightning stones. Put an end to the heartburn and collect the lightning stones!”
Indeed, as a reward in this quest, warrior and hero lightning stones appear more frequently. These are extremely rare and are used to further upgrade equipment beyond its maximum. This process is known as augmentation and is endgame content in Monster Hunter World.
The tempered Deviljho seems to live up to its legend and currently offers hunters a strong challenge. There are some voices complaining that the tempered Deviljho is much too strong for a regular monster that is not an Elder Dragon. Other voices say that the tempered Deviljho now corresponds to the monster it should have been, and as it was desired. A challenge indeed.
Warning: As “Cucumber Season” is an event quest, it will also have a time limitation and will disappear again.Since there was no announcement regarding the quest, it is not clear how long it will be present in the game. Typically, event quests would last a week. In this case, the quest would disappear between March 30 and 31. However, it is also possible that it could be gone earlier or later.
Update: The “Cucumber Season” quest is no longer in the game
Update March 26: The quest “Cucumber Season” is no longer in the game. Just as suddenly as the quest appeared at the end of last week, it disappeared again after the weekend.
Augmentation gives you the ability to further enhance your weapons and armor beyond their limit in Monster Hunter World. Learn here what Augmenting actually is and how to unlock and apply it.
In the current endgame of Monster Hunter World, you mainly face tempered monsters. These are monsters that have more attack power than their normal variations. Especially tempered Elder Dragons can pose a significant challenge. To defeat them, you need appropriately strong equipment.
At a certain point, you can modify your armors and weapons through Augmentation so that they become strong enough for the endgame.
What is Augmentation and how does it improve my equipment?
Through Augmenting, you can increase the stats of your armors and weapons beyond their maximum. So, an Augmentation removes the actual stats cap of your equipment. Weapons can even have different Augmentations or multiple of the same type at the same time.
Weapons have 5 possibilities for Augmentation:
Attack Boost – The “raw” damage of the weapon increases by +5. This is stackable with other enhancements.
Affinity Boost – Grants 10% more affinity. This is stackable with other enhancements.
Defense Boost – Grants 10 additional defense points and increases the chance to reduce incoming damage. This is stackable with other enhancements.
Additional Slot – Grants 1 additional slot for decorations. Slot levels are stackable here.
Health Recovery – Health is restored when hunters hit with their attacks. Health recovery is stackable here.
Armors have 1 possibility for Augmentation:
Augmentations remove the maximum limit of armor spheres that you can use for armors. This increases the defense beyond the cap.
How do I get Augmentation and what do Power Stones have to do with it?
When you hunt tempered monsters in investigations, you can receive special rewards known as Power Stones. There are different types. Once you receive a Warrior or Hero Power Stone for the first time, you unlock the Augmentation option in the forge.
Warrior and Hero Power Stones are needed to further enhance weapons and are extremely rare. Other Power Stones are used to further upgrade armors, and they appear somewhat more frequently.
To unlock Augmenting, you must have completed the following:
Complete the quest “Beyond the Exploding Scales” and face two tempered Bazelgeuse
Find a Warrior Power Stone for the first time – These are rare rewards from tempered monsters of level 2
Or find a Hero Power Stone for the first time – These are rare rewards from tempered monsters of level 3
It can happen that you find a “regular” Power Stone before you receive a Warrior or Hero Power Stone. However, you can only use it once you have unlocked weapon Augmentation with a Warrior or Hero Power Stone.
How do I best farm Power Stones?
It can be frustrating for some hunters to get the coveted Hero and Warrior Power Stones and to unlock Augmentation at all. They appear extremely rarely as rewards, and there have been reports of hunters who were well over Hunter Rank 80 and still did not receive a single Power Stone. To obtain several of the stones, you should prepare for a hard grind.
You can only obtain Hero and Warrior Power Stones from tempered monsters, which are divided into three threat levels:
Level 1: Hunter Rank 13+ – This level includes weaker monsters such as Tobi-Kadachi, Barroth, or Pukei-Pukei
Level 2: Hunter Rank 30+ – This level includes stronger monsters such as Rathalos, Diablos, or Legiana
Level 3: Hunter Rank 50+ – This level consists exclusively of Elder Dragons like Nergigante, Teostra, or Kushala Daora
Hero and Warrior Power Stones drop exclusively from tempered monsters of level 2 and 3. The drop chance for the special stones is highest at level 3, meaning when killing tempered Elder Dragons.
To obtain the rewards, you must start investigations with tempered monsters in them. These are marked in the quest descriptions in purple, and tracks of tempered monsters are blue.
“Follow the Sapphire Star” is one of the best quests to farm Power Stones
The drop chances for Hero and Warrior Power Stones are low. Your best chance to get the stones is to complete investigations with tempered Elder Dragons. These are the tempered monsters with threat level 3. To get there, follow these steps:
Lift your limit for Hunter Rank 29 by completing the quest “Beyond the Exploding Scales,” where you hunt two tempered Bazelgeuse. Now you will have a limit up to Hunter Rank 49.
Lift your limit for Hunter Rank 49 by completing the quest “Thundering Roar in the Highlands,” where you kill a tempered Kirin.
Once you have completed “Thundering Roar in the Highlands,” your Hunter Rank limit is finally lifted, and you can accept investigations for tempered Elder Dragons with threat level 3.
There is an optional quest that is perfect for farming Power Stones: “Follow the Sapphire Star”:
In this quest, you must kill a tempered Kushala Daora, a tempered Teostra, and a tempered Nergigante. So, these are three tempered Elder Dragons united in one quest. This increases your chance of receiving a Power Stone reward from one of the three.
However, the requirement for the quest “Follow the Sapphire Star” is that you have reached Hunter Rank 100. This unlocks the quest.
What types of Power Stones are there and how do I use them?
There are a total of five types of Power Stones that you can receive as rewards from tempered monsters in investigations.
Power Stone Types
Locations
Power Stone Shards
Investigations with tempered monsters of Level 1
Power Stones
Investigations with tempered monsters of Level 2
Shimmering Power Stones
Investigations with tempered monsters of Level 3
Warrior Power Stones
Investigations with tempered monsters of Level 2 (very rare) and Level 3
Hero Power Stones
Investigations with tempered monsters of Level 3
Power Stone Shards, Power Stones, and Shimmering Power Stones are used in melting and as primary components to upgrade your armor. They are also used as secondary components to augment weapons. Warrior and Hero Power Stones can be used to augment weapons.
Weapons have their own types of Power Stones
The different weapon classes of Monster Hunter World have different Power Stones. This increases the grind for the stones. Because you need to not only be lucky enough to obtain a special Power Stone but it also needs to be compatible with the weapon you want to enhance.
The rarity of weapons and armor plays a role in Augmenting
Which and how many Power Stones you can process into your equipment depends on their rarity.
Weapons of rarity 6 have 3 x Augmentation slots and require 1 x Warrior Power Stone for each slot
Weapons of rarity 7 have 2 x Augmentation slots and require 2 x Warrior Power Stones for each slot
Weapons of rarity 8 have 1 x Augmentation slot and require 1 x Hero Power Stone for the slot
Armors of rarity 6 or lower require Power Stone shards for Augmentation
Armors of rarity 7 require Power Stones for Augmentation
Armors of rarity 8 require Shimmering Power Stone shards for Augmentation
I meet all the requirements and nothing drops – What now?
Finally, it should be mentioned that the drop chance of Power Stones is indeed rare. Don’t be discouraged by that. If you meet the described requirements, a Warrior or Hero Power Stone will drop sooner or later and unlock Augmenting. It’s purely a matter of luck.
In general, it’s advisable to complete as many investigations of threat levels 2 and 3 as possible if you want to farm the stones.
For several days now, players worldwide can play Fortnite: Battle Royale on iOS devices, provided they have received an invitation. What are the differences compared to the version on PC, PS4, and Xbox One? Is Fortnite even fun on the touchscreens of mobile phones? We put it to the test!
If someone asked me what the biggest hurdle to mastering Fortnite: Battle Royale is, I would probably answer that the precise coordination between items and building mode is a key factor in one’s success.
Those with good reflexes have an advantage in such games. Terms like “situational awareness” (the ability to assess the situation and correctly derive one’s actions to successfully navigate a tricky situation) and “muscle memory” (the memorization of patterns and buttons) come up frequently in this context.
Can all these skills be properly utilized if one has to rely on a touchscreen that provides no haptic feedback instead of their usual peripheral device?
I took a closer look at Fortnite: Battle Royale – it’s worth it because the game looks really good. Tested on an iPhone 7 Plus.
Fortnite: Battle Royale for Smartphones – The Graphics!
Epic promises nothing less than the exact same game that players know from PC, PS4, and Xbox One. At least visually, Fortnite on mobile offers quite a bit. I haven’t seen a prettier mobile game yet.
Loading screen, lobby – everything looks just like on the big platforms. Of course, Fortnite on mobile can’t compete with the graphics of PC and consoles; anti-aliasing is reduced, details noticeably dialed back, and shadow rendering minimized.
However, this does not detract from the overall graphic quality. Fortnite looks really good on smartphones and tablets.
Fortnite: Battle Royale for Smartphones – The Controls!
Running around, looking around, picking up items, firing and reloading weapons, placing and editing structures, and managing resources – can all of this even work with a touchscreen?
My anticipation took a hit after I started my first game. To walk around, you only need to slide your finger across the bottom left edge of the screen, a single tap activates the auto-run mode.
Looking around happens on the right side – so far, so intuitive. Unfortunately, a certain fool learned to play with inverted Y-axis in his youth (small spoiler: that was me) and can’t handle the controls without inversion anymore.
“No problem,” I thought – only to find that there is no such inversion option in the controls. Now, Fortnite: Battle Royale on mobile is still in its early stages, which rendered it nearly unplayable for me.
Of course, I tried anyway. The controls are intuitive, at least as long as you are not engaged in a fight and also want to build. Because then it gets hectic. Especially beginners may struggle with the control concept.
In combat situations, the weaknesses of the touchscreen controls become apparent. Real multitasking is not possible. One cannot look around and shoot an opponent at the same time without completely cramping their fingers.
Considering the natural limitations of a touchscreen, the controls can be learned with some practice, however, spectacular gameplay situations like on PC or consoles are considerably harder to achieve with a touchscreen.
Anyone who cannot manage with the touchscreen must wait until Epic provides controller support via patch.
Fortnite: Battle Royale for Mobile – The Performance!
The game ran very smoothly in most situations, even though I often struggled with lags. One thing is clear: Anyone who does not have a consistently stable Wi-Fi or LTE connection will have little fun with the game.
For the commuter who struggles with dead zones on their route, this game is not designed for. Aside from connectivity issues, the game ran surprisingly smoothly for me.
Fortnite does not consume data as much as I feared. Per round, depending on duration, you consume about 7 MB in the LTE network, which is an acceptable value. In terms of performance and efficiency, Epic has done a fairly good job.
However, Fortnite: Battle Royale takes a significant toll on the battery. A whole 15% was cost me for a complete round. Admittedly, my battery is a bit older – anyone who is frequently on the go should consider purchasing a power bank.
Fortnite Mobile: Runs well, but the controls …
Fortnite: Battle Royale looks really good on mobile devices. The game runs smoothly, with few exceptions. However, such a game concept relies heavily on the controls. That Epic did not offer camera inversion at launch is bearable.
In hectic situations, however, the touchscreen controls cannot achieve results as spectacular as with mouse and keyboard or a controller. Those who invest the time and familiarize themselves with the controls will also enjoy Fortnite on the go.
For everyone else, it means waiting until Epic delivers controller support and more refined settings.
What do you think of the mobile port of Fortnite: Battle Royale?
Far Cry 5 will be officially released on March 27 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. While players wait at home for the game to be unlocked on Steam, many console players are already roaming through the fictional Hope County.
Some retailers are already shipping physical copies of the game. Photos of happy console players sharing their experiences are piling up on social media.
PC players ask Ubisoft to finally release Far Cry 5
PC players find the whole situation dreadful. On Reddit, some are already asking Ubisoft to release Far Cry 5 earlier, as Let’s Plays of the title already exist on YouTube. Other PC owners console themselves with the fact that they can at least enjoy the game at 60 frames per second.
When time slips away like putty on Steam
The game is only available on PC through the platforms Steam and Uplay, which also unlock Far Cry 5 only at the official release.
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To protect the PC player base from unwanted spoilers, strict rules have already been introduced in the subreddit for Far Cry 5. It is prohibited to mention story spoilers in the titles of posts. Additionally, Let’s Plays on the platform are deleted up to one day after the official release.
First reviews are quite positive
According to initial impressions, Far Cry 5 does not differ as much from its predecessors as Ubisoft wants us to believe, but the enjoyment of the game is not supposed to suffer.
According to Kotaku, the creepy yet beautiful environment impresses. Exploring the surroundings works differently, as the communication towers from the other parts are omitted. The map is revealed as players move in the respective direction and discover quests in any order.
On Reddit, the story is particularly well-received. User MikeySunshine claims that Far Cry 5 offers the best-designed story he has played since Bioshock. Everything has a place and a reason to be in the game world. Moreover, the latest installment in the Far Cry series has some of the most charismatic villains to offer.
At ArenaNet, the developers of the MMORPG Guild Wars 2, there is a so-called “CAT Team”. They are responsible for ensuring that events and celebrations run smoothly and that there are enough cats in the game.
Cats are the unsung stars of the internet and, thanks to a very special team at the Guild Wars 2 developer ArenaNet, they are also well represented in this online role-playing game. The developer employs a team, besides the large project teams, that is called “CAT”. They are actually responsible for cats among other things!
Cats, Holidays and Crazy Items
The abbreviation CAT stands for “Current Activities Team”. The tasks of this group revolve around all the “small” things in the game that happen alongside. This includes events between major releases of expansions or new story chapters.
The CAT team is currently involved in the portal invasions surrounding the latest chapter of the story. Among other things, they also create the following content in the game:
Transitions between story elements
Legendary weapons
Holidays and special events
Especially the holidays require a lot of work and must be prepared months in advance. Therefore, team members Alexander Youngblood, Joe Kimmes, and Brett Nellermoe start working on the Halloween event in the summer and then immediately on Christmas.
Cats and Horses
Especially the festive decorations in the capitals are always a challenge. Recently, thanks to the expansion Path of Fire, several mounts were introduced into the game. This required a more generous design of the festive decorations.
And then there was the situation where the mount race was to be introduced into the game and suddenly it became apparent, “We don’t have any horses in the game!” A centaur was not an option. In the end, the artists created a skritt (a type of rat-person) sitting on a toy horse, carried by other skritts.
Cat Content Must be Right
The CAT team wouldn’t be called that if they weren’t all cat freaks. Therefore, the team is also responsible for the cat feeding scavenger hunt. In this mini-event, you must feed various hungry cats in Tyria. The kitties then follow you home and populate your home instance. Since then, players have consistently demanded, “Bring more cats!”
As a special joke, there was even the fat cat “Lady Glyzinia Schnurringsen” as a special raid boss. The pampered noble cat then attacks you with meowing and paw slaps. You can defend against her attacks with an “anti-cat water sprayer”.
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The announced PvP model came as a surprise and was a shock for many who were looking forward to the MMORPG Bless. What are the players’ reactions to the PvP model?
During an interview, the developers at Neowiz explained that there will be no separate servers for PvE and PvP because PvP is integrated into the game and is an important component.
Bless, like World of Warcraft, relies on two factions that are in conflict: The Imperium of the North, Hieron, and the Peoples of the Union, in the South. Conflicts between these two factions are important for the MMORPG and are unavoidable. Bless offers open PvP between members of the opposing factions. Player versus player combat is essential for the endgame.
Unlike WoW, Bless does not give the option to hide this part of the game by playing on a PvE server.
PvE with PvP does not fit
Bless is not a pure PvP game; it also offers a lot of PvE content, including quests – and it is precisely this combination that causes a lot of friction in the community. PvE and PvP do not fit together for many.
Imagine wanting to complete an important quest but constantly being attacked by other players
You just want to gather resources to craft items, but players are attacking you
Exploration tours through the world become dangerous as you might be ambushed by teammates at any moment
Open PvP always opens the door to “ganking”, which means repeatedly attacking weaker players to take away their enjoyment of the game
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PvP fights are also different from fighting AI enemies. It is harder to defeat a human opponent, which is why you also have to train specifically for it. In a game that offers open PvP, you need to deal with it and compete with other players.
However, those who only want to focus on PvE are “forced” into something they actually do not want. And a game that wants to force its customers into things they do not want always has a hard time.
In Bless, you have the option to bypass PvP. However, it is somewhat complicated:
You craft a special item that protects you from attacks from other players
This item can also be purchased in the cash shop
The item can only be used as long as you have not yet reached the level cap
Since the endgame of Bless is geared towards PvP, the developers want to encourage you to experience it
Those who have reached the level cap but still want to avoid PvP need to acquire another item that is only available in the cash shop (cash shop currency should also be earnable in-game, but no one knows yet how easy or hard that will be)
Players are disappointed
When this became known, criticism poured in. Many players are disappointed that Neowiz apparently wants to make Bless into an MMORPG that focuses on PvP. Many believe that PvP and PvE simply do not fit together (among other things for the reasons mentioned above).
Some simply do not want to engage in player-versus-player battles because they want to explore the world and complete quests without being ambushed. They now feel forced to participate in PvP, which they do not want. Many are now concerned that Bless will become a ganking zone.
In general, this tone often appears in criticisms: There are a lot of PvP games out there. I was looking forward to Bless specifically because I thought it would be a PvE MMORPG.
While others calm down: Just wait and see how our version turns out.
You don’t want to play with someone in your team again? No problem. A new Overwatch feature makes this possible – but it has its pitfalls.
In Overwatch, it is often not the opponents that drive you crazy, but the teammates. Trolls and idiots come up from time to time. Although you can directly report disruptive players, it usually takes a while before the person receives a penalty.
A new feature that is currently being tested on the PTR could help with this!
If you wish, you can soon place players on the “Avoid as Team Member” option. The corresponding player will no longer be matched with you in a game. This restriction lasts for 7 days. After that, you can add the player back to this list directly, should there still be a need.
Avoiding Players as Team Members – but a maximum of 2!
If a player particularly gets on your nerves, you can now specifically avoid him.
However: You can only avoid 2 players at the same time as team members.
What sounds like a harsh restriction actually makes sense. Because the more players want to avoid each other, the longer the waiting times in matches will be. In a team of 6 players, the system would already have to avoid double the number of players.
According to Jeff Kaplan, the limit of 2 players is still manageable, so there should be no extension of waiting times. Only in the Grandmaster tier outside of the main playtime could this have implications.
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However, it is different for players who are avoided by many other players. Those who are often avoided will receive a warning on their next login and should perhaps reconsider their gameplay behavior. Affected players may then face very long waiting times. This can be circumvented by finding a full group and playing with them – because then you cannot be avoided.
Cortyn says: Oh please! I think this feature is brilliant, and the restriction of 2 people is absolutely sufficient. It often happens that you think, “I really don’t want to play with this guy again” – and this new feature is perfect for those situations. Of course, there are also some problems. For example, those who often play heroes that are currently “not in the meta”, like Torbjörn or Symmetra, might quickly feel excluded. So it remains to be seen how this feature develops.
What do you think of the possibility to specifically avoid other players? A good and sensible idea as long as it is limited? Or should the limit be removed?
Fortnite is such a phenomenon that it seems to be taking over some schools. Especially since there is Fortnite on mobile, it threatens to literally engulf classrooms and the school day.
Fortnite is a phenomenon, especially among teenagers. The battle royale mode is free and the age recommendation for Fortnite is 12 years. The game is a huge topic for children and teenagers – and thus also for their parents:
We reported on what to do, if your child plays Fortnite and it was one of the most successful posts we have ever made.
All of this was two weeks ago – since then, something bad has happened from the perspective of teachers and parents: Fortnite has been released on mobile.
Children play in class while pretending to work
In the USA, teachers are sounding the alarm.
In a conversation with the US site Kotaku, a high school teacher explains that in recent weeks, students have been coming into his class and running a game of Fortnite there. They started a match during break or before school, and since the matches last 10 to 15 minutes, they brought it into class.
Some he even caught sitting next to each other playing Fortnite while pretending to work.
On Twitter, teachers complain that students are only playing Fortnite and talking about it.
Source: Twitter/Kotaku
Fortnite and Snapchat are a monster in combination
The teacher explains further: The problem is that Fortnite is so closely linked with social media, especially with Snapchat. The children constantly talk to others about Fortnite. Even when students do not play it, they are constantly engaged with it, talking about it, or watching others play Fortnite.
The two biggest distractions in school at the moment are:
Fortnite
and Snapchat
According to the teacher, although Snapchat is the worse distraction, since students immediately post every victory in Fortnite on Snapchat, Fortnite and Snapchat have merged into a monster.
Many schools in the USA are now resisting because Fortnite overloads school Wi-Fi networks. Schools are specifically blocking Fortnite or shutting down the internet altogether. Some teachers confiscate phones on which Fortnite has been played.
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Children no longer talk to each other, playing Fortnite
Most schools have rules against phones in class, but during breaks, smartphones are tolerated as they are part of everyday life. Teachers observe that children no longer talk to each other, but only play Fortnite.
What are your experiences with Fortnite in everyday life?
The Dark Iron Dwarves in World of Warcraft get very special mounts. A core hound with only one head and paladins even get a special treat!
With the upcoming expansion for World of Warcraft, there are numerous new allied races that will join the Alliance and Horde throughout the game. Each allied race in Battle for Azeroth comes with a corresponding mount. While the Void Elf has to settle for a Chocobo variant and the Draenei rides an Elekk, the Dark Iron Dwarves seem to have hit the jackpot of cool mounts.
Core Hounds as Mounts for the Dark Iron Dwarves
Dark Iron Dwarves ride around on a new core hound. Unlike the larger representatives of core hounds, this one has only one head and a bright glowing body.
Image source: wowhead
But that’s not all. The data miners from wowhead have found even more in the game files and also discovered the mounts for Dark Iron Paladins. After all, paladins have always received their own mounts (at level 20 and 40). For the Dark Iron Dwarves, these are specially armored rams.
At least the core hound can also be used by any other Alliance species. All that needs to be done is to complete the introductory quest line of the Dark Iron Dwarves. With the unlocking of the new race, the core hound is also granted.
Image source: wowhead
When exactly the Dark Iron Dwarves will arrive is still uncertain. The earliest date is probably the launch of the new expansion Battle for Azeroth in the summer.
What do you think of the mounts of the Dark Iron Dwarves? Pretty cool and thematically fitting? Or would something else have been more appropriate?
The community manager of PUBG, Sammie Kang, explained at the developer conference GDC how to create hype for a game nowadays without any resources. This is done through Twitch and streamers. But if you don’t have money to pay streamers to play your game, you have to get creative.
2016 – PUBG has no money, but an idea
In 2016, there was no “PUBG Corporation”, but the Korean studio Bluehole Ginno. The team consisted of about 25 people, who previously knew each other from the online MMO Devilian, which was quite unsuccessful. The team had never worked on a shooter and had exactly 0 US dollars in marketing budget.
And Bluehole Ginno had a concept for a Battle Royale shooter. They knew: The concept is excellent for streamers and YouTubers.
PUBG needed hype for their game. And the only way to get that for free was through the content creators on Twitch and YouTube.
The Microcosm Twitch
Kang says: There are small, medium, and the big fish on Twitch. The big streamers with many viewers were not reachable for PUBG. Because the big fish often stream only games that are already in the mainstream. They simply didn’t need PUBG.
But the streamers below this category are always looking for new content. They have no contacts with the big studios to get something exclusive. That’s why they are constantly searching for something to stand out from the crowd and make their breakthrough.
Since PUBG had no money to pay streamers, they turned to these mid-tier streamers on Twitch and offered them exclusive access to the early phases of the game. They also allowed them into the Discord channels so they could talk to the developers. This established a bond from the start with these streamers, who could then make a name for themselves with the content.
It became a privilege to participate in the first tests
Even though the first tests were still shaky, it became a privilege to participate because only handpicked people had access. They gave the streamers they collaborated with the feeling from the beginning that they were granting them exclusive advantages.
The community manager says she was in constant contact with the testers and streamers, receiving hundreds of emails: “Streamers really want to talk to the developers. They appreciate it when you reach out to them and provide information. Even if it’s just a few messages on Twitter: Streamers want to talk to the developers or the community managers, not the PR guy.”
Rewards for the streamers
The PUBG community manager says they rewarded the streamers as follows:
Bluehole Ginno gave them access to developers and to private Discord channels
They included graffiti from top streamers in the game
Advertisements were run to spread the best moments of the streamers
PUBG also distributed beta keys through the channels of the streamers
They emphasized that changes were inspired by individual streamers.
Such streamers are better than bought ones
Kang says: “Streamers must be part of the marketing plan if you have no budget. But they only help if you treat them right. They are not a marketing tool. Many publishers pay streamers to play their game, but that is only a one-time thing. The streamers must be emotionally invested, feel a connection. And to achieve that, you have to build a relationship with them that brings benefits to both sides.”
More about the change in the gaming landscape that has brought the microcosm Steam/Twitch to the forefront:
The developers of the interesting sandbox MMORPG Worlds Adrift are abolishing their own premium currency “Sky Atlas Coins” and are now relying solely on “real money.” This avoids the fantasy currency and clearly states what it costs in real money. This is seen as a sign of transparency.
The MMORPG Worlds of Adrift will offer players the opportunity to purchase items through an in-game shop at launch. This is the case with most MMOs nowadays.
It was previously planned to acquire Sky Atlas Coins, which could then be spent in the shop. However, this is changing now.
Cash shop items can only be purchased with real money
The developers of Worlds Adrift are now only using real money currency:
In the shop, you will only find cosmetic items
To give these items a “value,” prices will now only be listed in real money currency
Sky Atlas Coins are no longer available
Those who were promised Sky Atlas Coins during the game’s pre-order will receive more loot once the cash shop is enabled
The change of currency and the introduction of the item shop will occur in the coming months
The team emphasizes that only cosmetic items can be purchased with real money.
Premium currencies that can then be exchanged for real money are often criticized. Critics argue that these currencies with funny names contribute to players spending more money because they are not aware of the real value of their expenditures. The premium currency obscures the value of real money.
At Worlds Adrift, this is to be understood as a sign of absolute transparency.
Stress test caused the servers to melt
Furthermore, a stress test of the servers took place. An MMORPG requires stable servers, and to test what they can handle, stress tests are conducted before release. A test was also performed for Worlds Adrift. For this, the developers invited all interested players on March 22 to “melt the servers.” Insights from this test are now being used to optimize the servers.
Currently, the airship MMORPG Worlds Adrift is still in an alpha phase and is preparing for the launch of the early access version.
A new patch is available on the PTR for Overwatch. While D.Va is facing changes, Reaper and Mei are receiving significant improvements.
Although Brigitte has only just arrived in the live version of Overwatch, the developers are already pushing the next patch to the PTR. This patch includes the long-announced adjustments for Reaper and Mei. However, D.Va and Zenyatta are also getting some fine-tuning, and Moira can finally see more on her screen. We reveal what is changing.
The threat from Mei is being realized. She will now be able to freeze multiple enemies simultaneously with her primary fire. The frost beam can pass through multiple enemies, thereby slowing down and freezing several opponents at once. However, the frost – as before – does not penetrate shields (such as those of Reinhardt or Winston).
Reaper can act more accurately and quickly
There are three minor changes waiting for Reaper. None of them increase his damage, but they should make him stronger nonetheless.
Death Blossom (Ultimate) now automatically reloads the shotguns.
Phantom now increases movement speed by 50% (previously 25%).
Phantom can now be canceled early by pressing Shift or the primary fire button again.
This allows Reaper to better pursue enemies, and opponents can no longer precisely time when he comes out of his Phantom form.
D.Va, on the other hand, has to endure a small nerf. The damage of her micro-missiles will be reduced. The explosion damage per missile drops from 6 to 4. The 3 damage points from the impact remain unchanged, resulting in a damage loss of nearly 22%. This should somewhat limit D.Va’s high burst damage.
For Moira, there are only a few quality of life improvements. Biotic Grasp, Coalescence, and Fade are now more transparent when you are near the effects in the vicinity of the camera. This applies to both allies and enemies and should provide a bit more clarity on the battlefield.
Aside from that, there are also a number of smaller bug fixes.
Please note that this is just a PTR, and the changes may still evolve until the patch is released.
What do you think about the buffs for Reaper and Mei? Necessary and sensible? Or will they become too strong?
In the next WoW expansion Battle for Azeroth, things are going to get dark. The new models from World of Warcraft could trigger quite a few nightmares!
World of Warcraft often hears that it is just a “children’s game” with quests that merely consist of “collecting ingredients for a cake” – at least in the Elwynn Forest, that might still hold true.
In Battle for Azeroth, things are also going to get gruesome again. The latest version of the upcoming expansions brought a ton of new models into the game, which were extracted by data miners. The folks at wowhead have already deciphered most of the models, so we can show you some pictures here.
Those who found the flesh colossi in Wrath of the Lich King disgusting will likely turn up their noses at the new models.
These creatures were apparently cobbled together from different bodies and then resurrected. Not only human bodies were used, but also pigs, as can be seen from the heads or hooves.
But other creatures, like birds, were also merged with the remaining bodies.
As if that wasn’t horrifying enough, there’s also the “Blood Abomination” – a creature made from bones, blood, pus, spikes, and teeth that likely emerged from a very terrible nightmare.
What do you think about the new models? Do you find them creepy and disgusting? Are they suitable for World of Warcraft? Or is this taking it too far? And should they be called “Manbearpig”?
In the Asia MMORPG Blade & Soul, the new update “Fire and Blood” has been released. In it, you can expect a truly massive dragon raid boss, next to which the new Lyn-shooter sprites look tiny.
Blade & Soul has never shied away from spectacular battles. After all, the MMORPG from NCSoft aims to capture the flair of martial arts films and anime. But in the new update Fire and Blood, things really heat up, as you encounter a gigantic dragon!
A Truly Massive Opponent
The dragon is known as Koldrak and resides in the cave of the same name. The dragon has been corrupted by dark powers and needs healing in the form of significant damage. However, that’s easier said than done, as the dragon is truly enormous!
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In the trailer video, you can barely recognize the heroes as they desperately assault him with fists, blades, and firearms. Shortly after, the dragon incinerates the unfortunate heroes with his fiery breath.
Among the gunners are also the tiny shooter sprites from the Lyn people, thanks to the new update.
Even More Instances, PvP, and Better Loot
The update Fire and Blood is similarly extensive as the dragon Koldrak and also includes the following features. Not too shabby for a free update.
The dungeon “Imperial Tomb” for 6 players. There, the story continues, and you fight again against the pirates of the Black Ram.
The event “Favor of Fire” where you can earn special buffs and rewards in dungeons.
The PvP event “Battle of Legends” where you can disguise yourself as special famous fighters like Master Hong, Jinsoyun, or Poharan. With this, you also gain very special abilities.
The CEO of Epic Games talks about the game Paragon. The end has already been announced. Many attribute its downfall to the success of Fortnite, but there seem to be other reasons as well. Though Fortnite does seem to benefit from the end of Paragon.
The CEO of Epic Games, Tim Sweeney, spoke in an interview at a developer conference about the fate of the MOBA shooter Paragon.
The story of Paragon is quickly told: Paragon was announced at the end of 2015, and players could enjoy the shooter since March 2016 on PlayStation 4 and PC. The end of Paragon was announced by Epic Games on January 27, 2018. The game will run only until April 26.
Many fans blame Fortnite for the end of Paragon
The remarkable thing is how generous Epic Games has been regarding the end of Paragon:
Many fans have criticized even before the end: The success of Fortnite is swallowing our favorite game Paragon. The developers are being pulled away and are no longer working on Paragon, but on Fortnite.
And indeed, Fortnite now seems to benefit from the end of the MOBA. Nearly all of Epic’s 700 employees are reportedly involved in one way or another with Fortnite. But it goes further: Fortnite is inheriting something that was specifically developed for the shooter Paragon.
The replay system is more than just a simple kill cam. Epic hopes to provide people with a powerful tool that they can use in their own way.
Sweeney states: “At the moment, the tool serves to compile clips, but it could also work live. A streamer could play and a caster shows live what is happening right now.”
Why is Paragon being shut down?
Overall, Paragon is a sobering and sad story for Epic Games. Paragon simply did not resonate with players.
It was said to be a game that many played. They found it high quality and respected the work put into it. However, most only played it for a while and then stopped.
Only a fraction of the players who downloaded it played it after a month, Sweeney shares.
In the end, Epic was left with a very small fanbase that adored Paragon. But they could never satisfy a truly large number of players.
Maybe we would have found the magic formula without Fortnite
Paragon was a great tragedy. They poured their heart and soul into the game and did everything for it.
It is difficult to learn anything from Paragon. They achieved great things, but cannot diagnose what went wrong.
If they hadn’t had Fortnite, they might have continued to experiment with Paragon and perhaps found the magic formula. But now it’s impossible to know how that would have turned out.
It must be noted that nearly everyone in the 700-person studio Epic Games is currently working on Fortnite, leaving other projects behind. This also explains the insane speed of development:
Is Bungie finally having a change of heart? A current job posting from the studio for Destiny 2 suggests that they want to involve the community more closely.
Because numerous changes to the much-criticized game seem to be developed without considering the wishes of the community.
Players have the impression: Some of the most serious core issues with Destiny 2 are not even being addressed. Essential feedback from the Guardians seems to be ignored.
However, it seems that the developers obviously want to change that. A job posting from March 23, 2018 (Link to Bungie Careers) now indicates a shift in Destiny 2. This initiative from Bungie is currently generating quite a bit of discussion on Reddit and other community sites.
The consensus is the same everywhere: FINALLY!
Bungie is looking for a gameplay specialist from the community
According to the job posting, Bungie is currently looking for a dedicated gameplay expert who has the ability to test and analyze games from a gamer’s perspective.
The gameplay specialist should primarily focus on the endgame experience during the weekly routine in Destiny 2 and pass his impressions and expertise on to the developer teams in the form of constructive feedback.
The passionate expert should be willing to engage in endgame content of Destiny 2 with a small team of talented players to gain in-depth and extensive knowledge about the associated game mechanics and systems.
Furthermore, the candidate should be able to adequately assess the endgame content and its potential, making insightful predictions regarding its attractiveness and impact on players.
This engagement is initially designed for 3 months. The expert will work directly at the Bungie studio to have the best and quickest influence on the development.
The following competencies fall under the expert’s responsibilities:
Sustainable front-to-back play of Destiny 2 endgame content
Analyzing and evaluating gameplay mechanics, systems, and processes based on gameplay
Addressing issues and creating feedback regarding endgame-specific and general improvements for Destiny 2
The following skills are required:
Extensive gaming experience in both Destiny games
Excellent communication in spoken and written English
Ability to work independently as well as in a team
The following skills would be advantageous:
Experience with as many Guardian classes as possible in both Destiny titles
Experience leading clans or large social groups
Knowledge of coaching inexperienced Destiny players regarding endgame activities
Is the job posting the first step towards the hoped-for turnaround?
The list of upcoming adjustments for Destiny 2 is getting shorter. A real breakthrough has not yet been achieved with the changes implemented so far. However, some of the most important adjustments still need time before they can be implemented. Others have not even been addressed. Many renovations seem to be developed without considering the wishes of the fans. In short: A turnaround is not really in sight.
The purpose of this job posting is unequivocal. With their back against the wall, Bungie has apparently recognized the problem and wants to counteract this measure by involving the community more closely in the development work – just like Massive Entertainment with their game The Division.
However, Bungie must at least pave the way for the next major expansion, expected in fall 2018, significantly in the coming weeks if they want to help the game seriously rise from obscurity. This expansion offers an opportunity to introduce widespread and substantial changes to Destiny 2 and address the core issues of the game – such as trivial loot and the current weapon system.
And this is likely what this job posting is aiming for. If Bungie consistently implements this strategy shift in dealing with fan feedback and increasingly incorporates the community’s wishes into the optimization process, it could indeed mark the turning point for the beleaguered Destiny 2.
There is no shortage of interesting ideas and well-thought-out concepts for Bungie’s second Destiny installment. There are also more than enough smart minds among the Guardian ranks who would be more than qualified for such a job. Names like My Name is Byf, Datto, or Slayerage are already circulating in various forums and social media.
One thing is certain – Bungie MUST finally deliver. The studio has limited opportunities remaining. But with this long-overdue measure, Bungie moves closer to the chance to decisively steer the ship back on course. FINALLY!
What do you think of this job posting? Will this long-overdue step finally bring about the turnaround? Or is this all pure PR to placate the fan masses?
