An open beta is incredibly important for Sea of Thieves. Our author Patrick believes: Players are reluctant to jump into cold water and pay a lot of money for it.
In a few weeks, on March 20th, it will be time for the release of Sea of Thieves. An adventure on the high seas where you can take on the roles of pirates alone or with friends, decipher treasure maps, sail the seas, and dig up valuable chests.
Players who were able to try the game in one of the past test phases generally had a lot of fun. However, new players might be discouraged by the high price and unfamiliar gameplay mechanics. An open beta would be a clever move.
Gameplay is new – The fun is there, but hard to explain
Sea of Thieves brings a lot of fun, especially for group players. During the last closed beta in January, many gamers entered the game for the first time. Together with friends on two- or four-person ships, players searched for treasures or engaged in explosive naval battles with other pirates. Solo players could also set sail.
Teamwork brings the fun. Among your crew members, you assign roles for steering, sails, or navigation. Others look out for enemies with binoculars while the group searches an island for the treasure chest, the location of which is only described by mysterious sentences.
With these different tasks and a voice chat, my pirate crew and I had a lot of fun on our adventures. But try explaining that to an outsider!
In the beta, players often explained that they had no idea what to expect from the game before testing it. And here lies the problem. The gameplay of Sea of Thieves is hard to compare with other games. It’s not like League of Legends, just as a shooter. It’s also not like World of Warcraft, only with ships.
Sea of Thieves is an adventure where you take control of the story (together with your opponents).
The high purchase price deters potential customers
Apart from the hard-to-explain gameplay, potential pirates have to overcome another hurdle: The purchase price of €70. Due to this high price, fewer players think, “Okay, I can’t really imagine much under the gameplay, but I’ll just give it a try.”
If the game were offered at a lower price, it could probably entice more players to try it out.
Under our articles on Sea of Thieves, we often read statements like “Looks really good, but €70 is just too much.”
On the other hand, other players say that this amount is well invested in Sea of Thieves. But these statements usually come from testers. New users remain discouraged.
An open beta for Sea of Thieves would eliminate concerns
If the developers decide on an open beta, there would be much more transparency associated with Sea of Thieves. This would eliminate concerns, which can be expressed positively and negatively.
On one hand, players are convinced by the gameplay, experiencing funny stories that ultimately persuade them to make a purchase.
Other players realize before buying that they do not like Sea of Thieves. They do not have to pay €70 and jump into cold water.
This kind of transparency before a launch is helpful for the community. We believe it could benefit the sales of Sea of Thieves if they open the gates before the launch and let every player into a test phase for an extended weekend.
The free-to-play tactical MMO Total War: Arena (PC) by Wargaming and Creative Assembly starts its open beta on February 22, 2018. But what kind of game is it, what type of player does it appeal to, and why should you even play it?
When I told my friends that I was invited by Wargaming to Paris, they immediately said, “Cool, World of Tanks 1.0! Tell me if it really looks that great!” But it wasn’t about World of Tanks! Wargaming had invited me and other journalists for Total War: Arena.
There was initially great confusion among my friends, “Total War: Arena? What is that supposed to be? Is it a MOBA with historical troops?”
A Real-Time Strategy MMO?
Total War: Arena is definitely not a MOBA. But what is it then? I had three developers in Paris as interview partners. Their answer: “It’s a real-time strategy MMO.” And as a further explanation followed: “Total War: Arena – These are the real-time battles from a Total War game with the gameplay and progression of World of Tanks.“
The Basics
You participate as part of a large army of around 3,000 fighters against an equally large enemy force. The visuals and interface are strongly reminiscent of well-known Total War games, such as Rome II or Shogun II. The following guidelines apply:
Your force is divided into 30 individual units of 100 men each.
You are not the supreme commander. Rather, you command only 3 units of 100 men each as a sort of “division commander.”.
The other 9 divisions of three units each are commanded by other players.
There is actually no supreme commander. All players can act freely.
Before the battle, you can occupy one of 10 deployment “slots” on a strategic map. Your 3 units will then appear there at the start of the game. You can also draw on the map to communicate your march direction to your teammates.
The goal is to completely annihilate the opponent or capture their base.
The battles take place in real-time. All players act simultaneously.
Hoplites, War Dogs, and Catapults Instead of Tanks, Artillery, and Tank Hunters
Your troops are not modern soldiers or tanks. The technological era of Total War: Arena corresponds to classical antiquity. So you have Roman legionnaires, Greek spearmen, and wild barbarians with war paint.
You choose your troops from the factions of the versatile Romans, defensively strong Greeks, and offensively aggressive barbarians. The Carthaginians with their war elephants and strong cavalry will join at the start of the open beta on February 22 and were presented for the first time in Paris.
Each faction has unique troops that are optimal against some other unit types but are ruthlessly disadvantaged against others. A classic “rock-paper-scissors principle”:
Spearmen Hoplites slaughter cavalry by the dozen if they attack from the front.
Archers take down infantry from a distance but quickly find themselves on the way to Hades against swift cavalry attacks!
Roman Legionnaires can ideally protect against arrows and are versatile but can be easily outmaneuvered.
Catapults hurl rocks far across the battlefield but are quickly reduced to kindling in close combat.
Barbarian melee fighters hit hard but usually lack armor and quickly perish in prolonged positional battles. Quick hit-and-run maneuvers are their strength.
The mighty elephants of Carthage trample normal infantry in no time but can be taken down swiftly with long spears and heavy fire from javelin throwers and archers.
Rabid war dogs tear apart unprotected infantry, but they won’t withstand the hail of arrows from archers or a phalanx for long.
Like in World of Tanks, your units start at the first of 10 levels, called “tiers.” There, you will find naked savages and simple militias. The more you play, the better units and equipment you can unlock. At the end on Tier 10, elite units such as the Spartan royal guard, praetorians, or legendary berserkers await. But you will have to invest a significant amount of time in the game to reach that point.
Heroes and Skills
You choose your three units before each battle from your faction’s pool. Just as important as the selection of troops is that of the leader. You have several historical figures to choose from, unique to each faction.
Each leader has unique abilities. The Spartan Leonidas can defend particularly well against ranged attacks with the skill “Then we fight in the shadows.” The wild Celtic rebel Boudica, on the other hand, boosts her troops to special aggression in combat.
Depending on which leader you select, your playstyle changes. Moreover, your units also have their own skills. Legionnaires can throw javelins, Greek hoplites are hard to beat in phalanx formation, and war elephants can shake the ground with their stomps and knock down enemies.
More Battle Feel than in Rome!
Unlike in the “regular” Total War games, Arena has no pause function. This was essential for many hobby warlords in strategy games to implement their own strategies calmly. They could leisurely survey the battlefield and execute optimal maneuvers such as flanking attacks, retreat movements, and defensive positioning.
In Total War: Arena, you do not have the luxury of pausing. And with your 3 units, you are just a fraction of the total force and must coordinate with your comrades.
From Individual Victory to Total Domination
Let’s take the following scenario: You command a cavalry division. Your riders are fast and maneuverable. You can deal significant damage with a bold charge, but you won’t survive long melee battles. In antiquity, cavalry was usually lightly armored.
You need a way to hit the opponent’s unprotected flanks. Frontal attacks lead to high losses on your side. Therefore, you initially ride along the edge of the battlefield and wait for an opportunity.
The Center Must Hold!
Meanwhile, the heavy troops of both armies march toward each other and soon engage in hard melee combat. Now it depends on how well your team-mates hold the enemy troops with their legionnaires and hoplites and bind them firmly to one spot.
And lo and behold, one of your colleagues succeeds and the flank of an enemy unit is uncovered for a moment! This is your chance! You rush in with the cavalry into the gap and activate the skill “charge” for extra impact!
The opponent is hit hard by the unexpected attack and loses not only irreplaceable soldiers but also morale. This value indicates how well a unit holds up in battle. If a troop is flanked or shot at with fire arrows or similar, morale decreases. If it is depleted, the unit flees and can be quickly wiped out by a bold pursuit maneuver.
Recognizing and Seizing Opportunities!
Such a panic reaction occurs in the enemy cohort that you just attacked. The opposing soldiers flee in fear and break their formation. Many meet their death in the process. The loss of a unit is already bad for the enemy, but the loss of that troop creates a gap in the enemy’s battle line.
Your comrades react quickly, sensing their chance and taking advantage of the moment. They stream through the breach and flank further enemy units. Gradually, the enemy line dissolves like a knitted sweater from which the threads are pulled.
If one of the enemy players had reacted immediately and closed the gap, nothing would have happened, but as it stands, it soon costs the enemy team the victory. Your bold charge was just as crucial as the quick action of your comrades and the tactical mistake of the unfortunately flanked enemy cohort.
More Battle Feel than in Rome and Co.!
Like in an actual battle, many factors contribute to whether it becomes a shining victory or a crushing defeat. The non-pausable real-time fights create a much denser battle atmosphere in Total War: Arena than in the regular Total War games.
Like a real commander, you must keep an overview in the chaos of battle, always looking for promising opportunities and being wary of traps and feints. Additionally, classic military maneuvers and tactics, such as flanking attacks, feigned attacks, ambushes, and encirclements, work remarkably well and often lead to success. It really makes you feel like a Caesar, Alexander, or Hannibal!
If the team is reasonably sharp, there is no need for extensive coordination. Often, the teammates already know what you want to achieve with your troops at the respective location, and they build their strategies around that. However, Total War: Arena really shines when played in a solid team with other players and voice chat.
With the battles limited to 15 minutes and good balancing, Total War: Arena could also be quite suitable for tournaments and eSports.
What’s Next?
At the event in Paris, it was evident how enthusiastic the developers at Creative Assembly are about their project. The attending devs were fired up for the game and the historical backgrounds. Nevertheless, one must balance realism and playability.
Currently, there are also no mounted archers in the game. They were simply too powerful in previous tests. The heavy war elephants have finally been well balanced after many attempts. They can deal immense damage in certain situations.
But those who think they can just charge wildly with the elephants will soon see the poor trunked creatures tragically trumpeting to their deaths. In our test games in Paris, I could at least observe several players confidently sending their elephants to a safe death.
For the future of the game, the developers want to actively integrate more factions, heroes, and units: among others, the Persians or Egyptians are likely. But more exotic factions, such as Japanese samurai or the troops of ancient China, are also seen as conceivable by the developers for Total War: Arena.
Who Should Play This?
Total War: Arena occupies a special niche. It is not necessarily aimed at fans of the classic Total War games. At least not those who prefer to build their empires, let most battles be decided by dice rolls, and load the last savegame when necessary.
Rather, Total War: Arena is aimed at players who:
Love exciting and well-balanced real-time battles
Want to try out various military maneuvers of antiquity themselves
Are fans of (largely) historically accurate units of antiquity
Enjoy achieving great things as a team
Are cunning foxes who like to use tricks and traps
Love it when a plan works
If you identify with this list, then get the open beta of Total War: Arena on February 22, 2018, and play a few rounds. It doesn’t cost anything.
In Monster Hunter: World, you can catch dozens of small creatures that you can then release in your room and observe while playing and frolicking. A few of these little creatures are extremely rare. Find out in our guide how to catch the rare bird, the Feathery Bird, and even snag the trophy “Bristles for Everyone” in Monster Hunter World!
In addition to the hundreds of quests, investigations, and loot hunts, a variety of creatures can be caught and used as decoration for your dwelling. The small geckos, birds, etc., are decorative and yield a considerable amount of research points per captured specimen, depending on their rarity.
The Feathery Bird is tied to the trophy “Bristles for Everyone”
Catching the bristly bird is associated with a trophy / achievement:
Bristles for Everyone (30GS / Silver Trophy) – Catch a stiff, bristly creature
In our guide, you will learn where to find the rare bird and snag the trophies!
In the Valley of Decay, the Feathery Bird is easiest to catch.
How to catch the Feathery Bird in Monster Hunter: World
The rare bird gives you a whopping 800 research points per captured specimen and is easiest to find in the Valley of Decay (if you can call it easy here). It also appears in the Ancient Forest, but is found high up among the branches, making it difficult to catch. Therefore, the Valley of Decay is the much better spot.
The bristly creature will immediately run away as soon as you approach it.To prevent this, you should equip a Ghillie Mantle. You can find this relatively early in the game – and it has the great ability to make you temporarily invisible. An essential gadget for catching skittish creatures.
This is the route to the Feathery Bird
Follow this guide step by step to reach the Feathery Bird in the Valley of Decay:
Start an expedition in the Valley of Decay and head to the central camp
Enter the underground area numbered 15
At the bottom of the cave, there is blue shimmering water, behind which a part of the cave can only be accessed by crawling
At the back on the left side is a small cave. This cave is a dead end, and a Mosswine spawns here.
Very rarely, the Mosswine has the bristly creature on its back. This is your moment to strike. Activate the Ghillie Mantle and catch the bristly bird with your net!
If the Mosswine does not have a Feathery Bird on its back, return to the central camp and try again. You can also follow the exact path to the bird in the following video by Charles:
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The financial report from Ubisoft is a love letter to the games-as-a-service model behind the games The Division and Rainbow Six Siege.
It is that time of year when the financial reports from gaming companies pour in. And all financial reports read this year like a love letter to the beautiful new world of multiplayer online games. At Ubisoft, it almost takes on sexual connotations.
It’s a world where the big ones keep getting bigger. A world where successful online games rake in a fortune for publishers year after year, even long after their release.
Ubisoft has created a presentation about the 3rd quarter of the fiscal year 2018, and it looks a bit like a “games-as-a-service” porn. This is the model behind games like The Division and Rainbow Six Siege – and Ubisoft loves it.
Publishers earn money from games much longer than before
One of the key figures is how much money a game earns in the second year after its release. While it used to be only 13% of the launch year, today with “games-as-a-service” it’s 52%.
This means that the “back catalog” of publishers, meaning the already released games, is becoming increasingly important. One no longer needs a hit every year; one can live well off the hits of previous years.
When it comes to these “live games,” Ubisoft counts games like Rainbow Six Siege or The Division – the money is made here through microtransactions – and the PC is more important in this new model than ever before.
Ubisoft as a role model
Ubisoft believes it can play an outstanding role in this new world.
Ubisoft sees itself as a kind of “pioneer” in this trend. The individual pages of the presentation seem to shout: “Look, we have understood the new world. We are doing everything right.” In 2017, there is now a much greater focus on multiplayer and open world than in 2011.
In terms of crucial digital revenue, Ubisoft wants to catch up with competitors Electronic Arts (FIFA) and Activision Blizzard (Overwatch, Call of Duty, Hearthstone).
Looking to the future, Ubisoft has three major goals:
Conquer China – aiming for a partnership with Tencent
Enter eSports with Rainbow Six Siege
Increase focus on PC and mobile
More about the new world of games-as-a-service and how successful it is can be found here:
Sea of Thieves activates microtransactions after launch. However, you should always know what you are buying.
Next month, on March 20, the pirate adventure Sea of Thieves will be released for PC and Xbox One. Initially, the developers want to ensure a smooth launch, address feedback and issues. A few weeks later, microtransactions are expected to be activated. However, the game will not feature loot boxes with a randomness principle.
Microtransactions only after launch
At the launch of Sea of Thieves, the focus is on providing a good gaming experience. The premium shop will not be available at the start of the game.
“The only conversations we want to hear about Sea of Thieves are about the adventures people have, the stories that unfolded, and why that is cool. At launch, it’s about providing the best gaming experience. Being there, reacting, listening, accepting feedback, and everything else,” explains Executive Producer Joe Neate to Eurogamer.
As Sea of Thieves heads towards “service” and grows with further updates, players will have the opportunity to support the game further. The developers particularly emphasize that in-game purchases will not affect gameplay progression or player strength. You will also always know what you are buying.
“No loot boxes, no loot crates,” confirms Neate. “There will be things that contribute to the fun, social nature of Sea of Thieves.”
Virtual pets – Throw monkeys off the ship
The first purchasing options in the premium shop will be virtual pets that you can select and buy directly in the shop. They function like other objects in Sea of Thieves. This means they can be picked up not only by the owner but also by other players.
“It is really optional. But if you own a monkey, you can keep it like other items in the game. But other players can also take the monkey and throw it overboard because that’s funny,” explains Neate. “The monkey then comes back and is fine. I also really want us to be able to shoot things out of cannons, including monkeys and other animals. It’s just funny, isn’t it?”
Can every crew member play with purchased pets?
If you are the only person who bought a pet and brought it on board, your crew can benefit from the pet. The team aims to add more fun. Because that’s what Sea of Thieves is about. “Again: It’s completely optional. You will always know what you [get when you buy].”
Are there pets available without payment?
According to PCGamesN, there is a chance to earn some premium content in-game, such as through rewards. However, those who want a guarantee on a specific pet will have to purchase it.
Stranger Things and the Muppets are immortalized in Battle for Azeroth. We show you the new cool Easter eggs in WoW!
The first zones in Battle for Azeroth, the next expansion of World of Warcraft, are accessible. While the lucky players of the Alpha explore the new zones, they keep their eyes open for hidden references and Easter eggs. A few of them have already been found, as reported by the colleagues at wowhead.
The most apparent are two references, one to the Netflix series “Stranger Things” and “the Muppets”.
The cute “Dart” from Stranger Things 2
If you quest through Nazmir, you will end up with a very special pet – the strange creature “Dart”. For fans of the mystery series Stranger Things who have already seen the second season, all alarms should be ringing now.
There, “Dart” is a short form of D’Artagnan, a initially cute creature found by the protagonists. Later, Dart evolves further and it becomes apparent that Dart is just a pre-form of the feared Demogorgon from Season 1.
Visually, Dart in WoW comes quite close to D’Artagnan from Stranger Things.
All we can do is hope that little Dart in WoW remains in its cute form. Otherwise, Azeroth will soon have bigger problems than just simple wars between Horde and Alliance.
The Muppets – Kremit and Miggy
Also residing in Nazmir is a reference to the Muppets. Instead of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, you encounter the NPC creatures Kremit and Miggy next to a guitar. If you stick around long enough, you will also be able to see a rainbow before music starts playing! Even the piglet Miggy then begins to “sing” (it just happily grunts).
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This is a reference to Kermit, who sings the song “The Rainbow Connection”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2DTLbTQj0I
Surely there will be more Easter eggs from Battle for Azeroth in the coming weeks and months that will come to light. If there are exciting new discoveries, we will report on them.
Don’t want to miss any news about Battle for Azeroth? Then visit our WoW-Mein-MMO Facebook page and subscribe – then you’ll always stay up to date!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
City State Entertainment announced the launch date of the first beta of Camelot Unchained. However, this first testing phase of the MMORPG is limited to scenarios, and there is not yet an open game world. What can we expect from the 1st Closed Beta?
The beta starts on July 4th. When asked why they chose the summer time and thus the vacation period for the start of the testing phase, studio founder Mark Jacobs explained that he believes many players are at home during the holidays and would prefer to play rather than go on vacation. Moreover, this is only the first beta, so he does not expect as many players as with an open beta.
The first beta of Camelot Unchained offers
What can we expect from the beta?
There is no open game world – with fewer players, an open world would only cause unnecessary travel distances
The beta takes place on weekends
There are several scenarios
Castle sieges take place on weekends
NPCs/Bots will increase the population
The developers also spoke about the further course of the testing phase and about the release:
City State Games plans three closed beta phases before the open beta begins
Each phase will consist only of scenarios
An open world will only be available during the open beta
The release of the MMORPG is still planned for 2019
The beta may be postponed if necessary
There is still much to do
The team is now focused on optimizing the destructible environment and the buildings that you can destroy, as well as ensuring the necessary stability of the game before the beta starts. Additionally, the UI also needs to fit, as it is important for players to enjoy playing the MMORPG and not be put off by a placeholder interface.
City State Games hopes that many players will participate in the first beta of Camelot Unchained, who are also willing to provide feedback. But in general, they just want to offer everyone an exciting time during the battles. The launch will be on July 4th – unless something comes up.
ArenaNet has released an update for the MMORPG Guild Wars 2, which fans are not at all satisfied with.
The griffin is a popular flying mount that players have previously been quite satisfied with. But not anymore. Since the latest update, it flies more like a lame duck and does not do what players want, but behaves as stubborn as a mule.
The griffin’s good flying behavior was a bug
Previously, the griffin could be maneuvered smoothly and well. In a nosedive, for example, it was possible to pull up immediately, which worked effortlessly and led to fun maneuvers. But apparently this was just a bug, as the griffin was not supposed to be controlled like that.
This bug has now been fixed by an update in Guild Wars 2 – and it currently has fans up in arms.
Players are angry
Because the controls of the griffin have been adjusted so that the movements are now executed with a delay. As a result, it does not fly as smoothly as before. Players are already complaining on Reddit and explaining that it is no longer fun to fly the griffin because they constantly crash into something. There is also no apparent reason for this delay that has been implemented.
Whether the developers of Guild Wars 2 will concede and restore the griffin’s old flying behavior is currently unclear.
A seemingly mentally confused fan fell in love with a YouTuber and developed hate towards her partner. He drove for 11 hours, broke into the couple’s home, and died during an exchange of gunfire with the police. It may have been suicide.
The Alburquerque Journal tells a gruesome story based on police reports. A man named Christopher Giles, described by the police as “lonely, alone, and confused,” apparently fell in love with the YouTuber Megan Turney. At the same time, he developed a hatred for her boyfriend, Gavin Free. Free is also active on YouTube.
Turney, 30, runs a vlog on YouTube about anime and her life, offering relationship advice.
Gavin Free, 29, was formerly Creative Director of Rooster Teeth, a successful YouTube channel. Recently, he has been with the Slow Mo Guys.
Couple hid in the bedroom closet
The confused fan drove 11 hours from Albuquerque (New Mexico, known from Breaking Bad) to the YouTuber’s house in Austin, Texas.
He was armed with a gun and broke into the house. During this, he smashed glass and fired a shot.
At 3:40 AM on January 26th, Turney and Free were awakened by the noises, they hid in the bedroom closet and called emergency services.
Since the fan could not find the couple, he presumably decided to leave. However, as he tried to back out of the driveway in his car, the Austin police were already on the scene. They ordered him to stop. Instead, they heard a single shot from the car. The police then returned fire.
Giles was pronounced dead at the scene. He was found with a .45 caliber gun next to his hand. The two YouTubers remained unharmed.
The investigation is still ongoing as to whether Giles died by his own hand. This is still unclear.
Apparently wished death upon the YouTuber’s boyfriend
The authorities examined Giles’s phone and found numerous indications. The investigating detective says, Giles had developed an affection for Turney but at the same time, a dislike for Free due to his lifestyle and success.
Statements were found such as: “I want Gavin Free to die alone and without children.”
It is believed that Giles broke in to harm someone in the house. The report further states that Giles, who lived alone in Albuquerque, was an avid gamer and it was known that he watched many YouTube videos about gaming.
While some players mock Star Wars: Battlefront 2, others just want to have fun – and create mods that sometimes take on absurd dimensions. Are they going too far?
Jetpack Cargo: It will be a Capture the Flag mode where two teams of eight players each can compete against each other. However, this mode will only be temporarily available.
Arcade Mode: It will be revised before the patch, including an AI update.
Balancing: Both the balancing of the heroes and the levels should become more balanced.
Additionally: Updated milestones and general improvements.
Many seem to find these updates not enough. More exciting updates are needed! And for this, some modders dig deep into their trick bag.
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Creative excesses of this kind are already known from mods like “Technician Matt” and the pink Vader. Now Han Solo has been artistically modded into “Toy Story’s” Buzz Lightyear. At least technically a flawless mod that is sure to bring a smile to some.
Thomas the Tank Engine has also now been integrated into Battlefront 2. But what is a fun pastime for some and they like to adorn themselves with these skins, others are not so enthusiastic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhkRTfltzuE
The Two Sides of the Coin
“It’s very, very sad that the game has now become like this,” sighs a fan on Reddit. “No meaningful updates from the developers, instead a bunch of people presenting the craziest mods they could think of during this content drought of an unfinished, broken game. Very sad. So are Star Wars games going down this path? With EA?” At least EA is not making a fuss about it.
Those who enjoy killing alone will soon face tough challenges in Friday the 13th: The Game. We explain the Challenge Mode.
Even long after the original release of the horror slasher Friday the 13th: The Game, the developers continue to meet the wishes of the player community. After all, they had already promised during development that there would be a single-player mode. While this is indeed included in the game, it essentially just amounts to a regular match with bots instead of real players.
The next game mode in Friday the 13th might be more appealing to solo players.
In the upcoming “Challenge Mode”, players will once again step into the shoes of the killer Jason and must make the camp residents’ lives hell and bring them down. This video provides a first look at the mode (Warning, the video is quite intense – as usual for the game):
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However, this time there are specific goals that must be fulfilled. The developers have already mentioned a few examples, such as:
Kill all camp residents
A specific camp resident must die first
Kill the camp residents with a specific object
The level shown is merely the “tutorial” mission for this mode. Later missions will be more difficult and larger, likely requiring more tactical approaches to meet the challenge.
The developer IllFonic admits that they were inspired by the Hitman series:
“There is a popular game series with a bald protagonist with a barcode on the back of his neck. If you’ve played the game, you know which direction we want to go with the Challenge Mode. Just remember, you’re not an elite secret agent … you’re Jason.”
The Challenge Mode does not yet have a release date, but it will be free for all players on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Are you already looking forward to the new mode in Friday the 13th: The Game? Or are you not interested in a single-player mode at all?
Are you fans of the submachine gun in Fortnite: Battle Royale? Then you should make good use of the few hours you have left with the weapon. Epic has now provided further details in a Reddit post about why it is disappearing – and whether all submachine guns are, in fact, vanishing!
At some point this week it will happen – the submachine gun will be removed from the game. In Epic’s latest developer update, it was only stated that submachine guns would disappear. But will this be permanent? And are all types of submachine guns affected?
The lead designer Eric Williamson answered these questions on Reddit!
According to Williamson, only the standard submachine gun will be removed – tactical and suppressed SMGs can still be found. Why Epic decided to remove only the standard variant and why it had to be this particular variant is not known.
Among all submachine guns, the standard SMG produced the best results. The other representatives of submachine guns lag behind in terms of DPS (damage per second) and magazine size when compared to the standard representative.
However, Epic emphasizes that no weapon disappears for good. There will be regular rotations – and for a good reason!
As Eric Williamson further explains, Epic wants to ensure that not too many items are in the rotation so that players are not overwhelmed and have to choose from too many situational items. The balance should also not be destroyed in this process.
Furthermore, Epic plans to integrate new weapons, consumables, or even entirely new items into the game in the future. What does this mean for future balance adjustments or weapons that will then be removed from the game? Time will tell.
When the update 2.5.0 will come that removes the submachine guns is still unknown. More specific information about this should be available in the next few days.
Robert says:Has Epic reached a point with Fortnite: Battle Royale where every new item, every new weapon results in another item being removed from the rotation? Recently, the crossbow was introduced to the game – the submachine gun must now make way.
Since the crossbow is a silent weapon, I think it would have made more sense to forgo the suppressed SMG. However, Epic will consider other criteria that are unknown.
The exciting question will be in which direction Epic will change the balancing through the item rotation – will the focus be on silent gameplay, heavy weapons, or something entirely different? The more potential weapons and items are available, the more varied Epic can design the game – even in the short term.
It is even possible that items that have been removed from the game could serve as the basis for limited-time game modes. Time will tell!
What do you think about it? Will you miss the submachine gun?
In Battle for Azeroth, items lose a large part of their attributes. A new “item squish” is coming in World of Warcraft!
Since the item spiral in an MMORPG like World of Warcraft must constantly turn, the values and attributes on items have been increasing year after year. Where a “+20 stamina” once caused wide eyes at the launch of a game, a “+3000 stamina” in Legion now only makes players smile wearily. The values have continued to grow, and have now reached levels where players can have several million health points and deal similarly high damage.
To ensure that in the upcoming expansion Battle for Azeroth, not everything has to be abbreviated with millions or even billions, patch 8.0 introduces an item squish. This means that the item level of all items in the game will be drastically reduced – the existing attributes on the items will decrease, and as a result, the characters will also lose power.
The best way to illustrate this is with the example of a legendary ring with item level 1000. After the item squish, it will “only” be at item level 280. The existing attributes on the items will shrink accordingly. Where there used to be more than 4000 stamina, there are now only just over 100.
Values shrink, but strength remains the same
To compensate for this, the enemies will also be adjusted once again. After all, Azeroth’s heroes should remain of approximately the same strength even after the item squish. However, the actual duration of battles should change as little as possible. In other words: If you currently defeat a current enemy in 10 seconds, you should not take longer after the item squish.
Please keep in mind that this item squish is still based on early values from the alpha of Battle for Azeroth. It is possible that there will be further adjustments before the release in summer.
What do you think of the item squish? Is this a good solution that should be done every few expansions? Or does Blizzard need a permanent solution, as this problem will arise more frequently?
Today, on February 13th, the servers for Destiny 2 are down. Bungie is performing maintenance to deploy update 1.1.2.1. You can find the start and end times of the maintenance for PS4, Xbox One, and PC here.
Update 6:48 PM: The servers are back online! You just need to download an in-game hotfix.
On this Tuesday, the first major Destiny 2 event of 2018 begins – the Crimson Days. It is a Valentine’s Day event where the Tower will be adorned in the color of love, and you can earn new Crimson rewards in a 2v2 playlist.
However, there will still be maintenance work carried out before the event.
These are the important times for the maintenance:
Today, February 13th, preparations for maintenance will begin at 5 PM. You will not be able to log in anymore.
At 6 PM, the servers will go offline. If you are still in the game now, you will be kicked out.
By 9 PM, the maintenance should be finished. The hotfix 1.1.2.1 will be available for download and installation by then.
As soon as the servers are back online, the kickoff for the Crimson Days will sound.
What changes with hotfix 1.1.2.1?
The patch notes for 1.1.2.1 are not fully known yet. They will be published once the update is live. However, we already know that hotfix 1.1.2.1 will address the Lost Sectors – it won’t include many more changes. Update: The hotfix brings no further changes.
What is the problem with the Lost Sectors? In the past, certain Lost Sectors were exploited for quickly farming faction tokens by switching the area rapidly, allowing players to loot the chest again after a few seconds. Bungie implemented throttling so that only one chest from a “Lost Sector” would drop loot every 10 minutes.
With update 1.1.2, the throttling was reduced from 10 minutes to 5 minutes, but that wasn’t an optimal solution. This will now come with update 1.1.2.1.
What does 1.1.2.1 do? After the new update, you will only be able to open a Lost Sector chest after you kill a Lost Sector boss. In other words, you can only open one chest per boss. If you switch areas, the chest will respawn, but it cannot be opened. You will have to wait for the boss to respawn and defeat it again – only then can you loot the chest again.
The throttling with the cooldown time will be completely removed today. Bungie admits that this did not provide a good player experience. Moreover, investigations will be conducted for the future on how to improve the “Lost Sector” experience. However, nothing is finalized regarding this yet.
At Saturn, you can save a lot when buying a laptop during the Night of Heroes. Among other things, a 300 Euro discount on the ASUS UX34OUQ.
The offers are particularly interesting for the ASUS UX34OUQ-GVO1OT laptop. This features a 14-inch display and is powered by an Intel Core i7-7500U processor. In terms of additional features, you’ll find 16 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD.
The Nvidia GeForce 940MX provides the necessary graphics performance. Especially noteworthy is the laptop’s low weight of 1.3 Kg. Windows 10 is pre-installed as the operating system.
The offers are valid while supplies last or until tomorrow morning at 9 AM CET.
The offers displayed here are equipped with so-called affiliate links. By purchasing through one of these links, we receive a small commission from the respective provider. This does not affect the price.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Fans of the RvR MMORPG Camelot Unchained have been waiting a long time for this: The developers will announce the date of the beta today.
The beta of the PvP-focused MMO has been delayed repeatedly as the team continued to refine the game and sometimes rebuilt game systems. These changes were also based on the feedback from the lucky ones who could take part in the alpha.
The Beta is Coming!
The first beta of Camelot Unchained is now upon us. The date is supposed to be announced today during the day (US time, which could also happen in the middle of the night our time).
There have even been initial pre-tests to identify bugs in the client and servers as well as in the logins. After all, the launch of the beta should go as smoothly as possible. For the tests, 100-vs-100-vs-100 player battles were conducted.
The team explains that numerous improvements and optimizations have been made to the game in the recent past. These include:
Improvements to the server messaging system
Enhanced options for the team to test scenarios
Optimizations to network performance
Improved animations when using one-handed weapons in combination with spells
Optimizations in character creation
Improved character models
Adjustments to the UI
Prettier effects
The Beta Should Provide a Good Player Experience – Start on July 4
The developers at City State Entertainment hope to provide testers with an exciting and smoothly running beta of Camelot Unchained. When exactly the start date will be announced today is still unclear.
Update: At 9 PM, City State Entertainment announced the start date for the beta: It is July 4. They want to have the beta build “feature-ready” by June 12. Everything they have by then will go into the beta.
What to expect in the 1st Closed Beta of Camelot Unchained, we discuss here:
The Elder Scrolls Online (PC, PS4, Xbox One) was supposed to receive the DLC “Dragon Bones” for PC on February 12, 2018. However, due to technical issues, it did not go as smoothly as planned. The server maintenance in Europe is now taking much longer. We will let you know when The Elder Scrolls Online should be back up.
The server maintenance for The Elder Scrolls Online was supposed to be completed by the end of the day on February 12, 2018, and the new Dungeon DLC Dragon Bones and Update 17 should have been applied. Unfortunately, that does not seem to have worked in Europe. Currently, no one can log into the game on PC. The European megaservers are down for the time being.
Problems with the European Mega Server
Those trying to log into the game can reach the login screen, but receive the error message “201” after each attempt. This means there are connection issues between the server and the game client.
The @TESOnline EU PC/Mac maintenance has been extended due to a technical issue with the patch deployment. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience as we work to resolve this issue. We anticipate opening the EU PC/Mac ESO server around 1am GMT on Feb. 13 pic.twitter.com/kgHc5Lacx2
In this case, the error lies with technical issues on the EU mega servers. There were difficulties with the server settings. To resolve the issue, the developers need to significantly extend the server maintenance.
The new maintenance time is substantial. The maintenance will be extended by a full 12 hours. According to Twitter and the help database on the ESO site, maintenance is expected to end around 2 AM on February 13.
So if you had plans tonight to plunder the new dungeon “Claw’s Rest” or test the mount system, unfortunately, you will have to find something else to do.
Tomorrow, on February 13th, the Crimson Week starts in Destiny 2. Bungie released a trailer in advance to get you in the mood for this event.
Around Valentine’s Day (February 14th), the Crimson Week is celebrated in the Destiny universe. The week-long event begins tomorrow, turning the Tower into the colors of love and introducing some new features.
Bungie has now posted a fresh trailer called “Welcome to the Crimson Week”. According to the developers (and Lord Shaxx), you will hear what love sounds like:
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First, the camera flies over the Tower, which is festively decorated: Then Lord Shaxx speaks to you. You can team up with your partner against other Guardians in the Crucible. For the first time, a 2v2 in PvP will take place in Destiny 2. Additionally, Shaxx has a new line as the announcer: “This is what love sounds like!”
Besides the 2v2, the trailer points out other new features during the Crimson Week:
A new Crucible map called The Burnout is coming
There are new Gameplay Rewards. Some of them can be found in the trailer
You earn double Engrams when leveling up XP
Additionally, there’s the info: The Crimson Week is accessible to all Guardians (if you are at max level). It runs from February 13th to February 20th.
Information about Crimson Week’s Contents and Rewards
The 2v2 mode has two special features:
If you are close to your ally, your abilities recharge faster.
If you are too far from your ally, a waypoint will be visible to opponents, revealing your position.
Here you can see the rewards in the new Crimson Engrams, which you earn by playing 2v2 or gathering enough XP:
Included are ornaments, ghost shells, emotes, sparrows, shaders, and teleport effects. In the exotic emote, the Guardian shapes a heart.
In addition to the engram contents, there are 5 more exclusive rewards during the Crimson Week:
Complete the milestone “Welcome to the Crimson Week” by finishing five Crimson Week matches and visiting Lord Shaxx in the Tower to receive the “Fire of the Crimson Week” badge and the Tirastrella Ghost Shell. This is the ghost shell:
Complete matches in the Crucible playlist of the Crimson Week to have a chance at the exotic “Unyielding” Sparrow.
Complete either the Leviathan raid or the raid encounter “World Eater” to receive the Exotic Ornament “Dieselpunk” for the Wardcliff Coil from the last chest.
Complete the Nightfall strike during the Crimson Week to snag the Gleaming Dance Emote.
The Crimson Engrams are only available through gameplay. However, if you want a specific item from the Crimson Week, you can head to Eververse. Tess offers some of the items that can otherwise only be found in the Crimson Engrams for Glimmer.
By the way: We launched a survey yesterday to see if you will participate in the Crimson Week. So far, 36% responded with yes, 53% with no, and 11% were not sure. You can still participate in the Crimson Week survey.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The DLC package Dragon Bones for The Elder Scrolls Online, released on February 13, 2018, brings two new dungeons. One of them, the Scalebreaker, we have already played together with the devs. And let me tell you, it was a tough ride!
The Elder Scrolls Online has always impressed with lovingly designed and vibrant instances. They were usually not particularly difficult. Anyone with a decent team could get through most dungeons without much effort.
The Scalebreaker – Same Story, Different Level
So I didn’t think anything bad when the Zenimax employees Richard Lambert (Creative Director), Michael Finnigan (Lead Dungeon Designer), and Jeremy Sera (Lead Content Designer) invited me on a trip to the new dungeon “Scalebreaker”.
And it really started harmlessly. Even at the entrance of the dungeon, the three posed extensively and bragged about the new outfits from the Outfit System. Little did I know what horrors awaited me inside the Sanctum.
Skull Obelisks and Skeleton Mobiles!
In the Scalebreaker, necromancers have settled in and are conducting gruesome magical experiments. Bones are lying everywhere, we often encounter eerie obelisks adorned with skulls, and we repeatedly come across bizarre “necro art,” such as a morbid skeleton mobile.
This creepy decoration particularly fascinated me, and I asked the developers if the necro cult’s interior design would also be available for housing. “A good idea,” they said. They would consider it.
Finally a Real Challenge for Heroes
The followers of the Over-Necromancer and their undead are the most common enemies in the Scalebreaker. I already notice that the difficulty level has increased significantly with them. Time and again, the enemies manage to take down my hero despite top-notch equipment.
And that was just the trash mob! The bosses are much worse!
The Bosses: Worse than Each Other
The first boss is still relatively easy; it’s a kind of trap for intruders. Permanently installed ghosts regularly summon undead to attack us in waves. After some difficulties, we can defeat the revenants.
Later, we encounter a vast cave filled with animal skeletons. “The Cadaver Menagerie!” announces one of my teammates ominously. There awaits us a tough fight against an undead bear, a tiger, a lizard creature that bizarrely still spits poison, and a pack of wolves.
By the way, the wolves explode and respawn repeatedly. So typical wolf behavior. Additionally, the creatures look extremely creepy. Decayed tendons and muscle remnants hang from pale bones. And constantly, either the tiger is on my back or the lizard monster is blasting me with its poison spit. I survive all this. But then the wolves literally fly around my ears, and it’s all over again.
Heroes like Us?
Next, we come across clues about the fate of a lost adventurer group. Three wannabe heroes had tried to plunder the Sanctum years before us and met a gruesome end. The necromancers enslaved their souls and created further boss monsters.
One of them is an elf mage who casts extremely powerful area attacks as a kind of “lich” and keeps us busy. I am hit by such an effect. Suddenly, lightning constantly arcs around me. No matter where I go, I bring death and destruction to all my nearby companions.
I have to keep my distance, where no one can heal me, and die a miserable death there. Luckily, my teammates thought ahead and had enough filled soulstones for revival.
The Ghost Tag Team
The undead mage was just the first of three dead heroes. The next two come right after in a tag team. One figure is a huge draugr skeleton, the other a gruesome spirit. While the skeleton monster lands heavy blows, the spirit occasionally casts chains that grab one of us and drag them steadily across the ground towards it.
It looks pretty creepy at first, but it gets worse. If the unfortunate one is not quickly freed by their teammates, they will be devoured by the spirit and die a horrible death! Guess who that happened to…
After some deaths, we also manage to defeat these two bosses and free their souls. In return, they help us and later open doors in the dungeon or clear obstacles from our path. In this way, we finally reach the deepest point of the Scalebreaker.
Plus point: Those who already know the ghosts’ conversations and don’t want to hear them anymore can simply run past and don’t have to wait for the ghostly gossip. Ideal for speed runs.
The Final Battle against the Dragon
At the deepest point of the Scalebreaker lie the bones of the dragon Thurvokun, who once perished here. When we arrive there, the Over-Necromancer finally appears and brings the bones to life. It was obvious!
What follows is an epic battle against the skeleton dragon, which crawls menacingly across the ground and snaps at us. Luckily, it can no longer fly with its skeletal wings.
In addition, all sorts of nasty magic effects, like necro shockwaves, hit us hard if we don’t take cover behind special barriers. By the time I realize where the cover should be, I’m already down again.
In the end, the necromancer even merges with the dragon, and we have a doubly dangerous foe.
The Sweet Reward for the Efforts!
In the end, we are finally able to take down the bone creature after many deaths and collect the well-deserved loot. With a bit of luck, Thurvokun leaves items from a new dungeon set. In any case, we get an exclusive dragon skull trophy that we can hang in our house.
But the best part at the end of the dungeon is the great feeling of having survived a truly tough battle. Because the victory was hard-earned due to the challenging difficulty. I am certainly looking forward to experiencing the dungeon on the live server of The Elder Scrolls Online. Without the heavily skilled devs, the whole thing should become even tougher.
By the way, according to the developers, I died a thousand deaths in the normal story mode of the dungeon. The veteran mode should be even tougher.
Are loot boxes making their way into World of Warcraft? At least in China, they are now available, albeit in a strange form.
Those playing World of Warcraft in China may have been a bit confused by Blizzard’s latest offering. To kick off the Chinese New Year celebrations, there is a special offer for the Chinese player base.
Those who decide to purchase 180 days of game time (6-month subscription) will receive the mount Shu-Zen, the Celestial Guardian – a currently exclusive mount in China.
Loot Boxes as an Additional Incentive
However, many players are not bothered by the mount Shu-Zen, but rather by the small extra bonus that comes with the purchase of the different offers.
Those who take advantage will receive up to 5 Landros Gift Boxes – a loot chest with random contents.
This chest originates from the days of Classic and was originally linked to the WoW Trading Card Game. Those who purchased many game cards could collect these boxes in WoW.
Landros Gift Box contains random items from the Trading Card Game. These are toys like Papa Hummel’s Old-Fashioned Pet Cake, which allows pets to grow larger, but also rare pets like the Astral Soul Trader. The really rare items are mounts, such as the Spectral Tiger, which typically cost several million gold.
Image source: wowhead
In light of the loot box debate, many players are now wondering: Is Blizzard selling loot boxes in World of Warcraft in this way? Or is this just a small extra bonus as an incentive to sign up for a subscription until the release of Battle for Azeroth?
Whether this offer will also come to Europe remains uncertain. There are currently no indications of that.
What do you think of this action? Is it simply a nice bonus for a holiday offer? Or is Blizzard testing the willingness for loot boxes in WoW?
