EVE Online: Developers want gigantic battles, working on solution

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 2 minutes

Something that EVE Online repeatedly makes headlines are the massive battles that occasionally occur between players. It is clear that developer CCP Games would like to see more of this.

Thousands of players participate in the battles. During the siege of M-OEE8 in December 2016, 5,337 players fought against each other. This forced the servers to their knees, which were not designed for this many players in one place.

On January 23 of this year, an even larger battle was supposed to take place. About 6,100 players wanted to participate. However, the battle was only short-lived due to the severe so-called “Time Dilation”. This is a form of “intentional lag” which slows down time to relieve the servers. But this makes a battle of this magnitude impossible.

EVE Online

Battles are analyzed to improve performance

There have been complaints from players who wish to engage in such space battles. They are the highlight of EVE Online. Sometimes ships worth several hundred thousand dollars are destroyed. The development team stated that they continuously monitor these battles, collect data, analyze it, and then work on methods to improve performance. However, each battle is larger than the last, bringing new problems each time.

The last battle, for instance, made it impossible for the attackers to destroy the Death Star-like Keepstar of the opponents due to “Time Dilation”. Because it could repair itself faster than the attackers could inflict damage.

CCP Games stated that they were able to collect important information during this engagement. This is supposed to help enable larger space battles in the future that run more smoothly and do not need to be canceled due to server performance.

EVE Online - War of the Demigods

Software solutions are coming

CCP already has an idea of how this will be implemented:

  • Work is being done on software solutions
  • Calculations and services that are less critical will be outsourced to external cloud servers
  • The “Main Cluster” of the servers will be relieved
  • This is intended to lead to better performance in large battles
  • Further ideas are currently being discussed

CCP Games wants to enable players of the space MMORPG EVE Online to engage in gigantic battles. They are the flagship of the game, and more will definitely be done to continue providing players with such experiences.

The last gigantic space battle in EVE Online had to be canceled prematurely due to technical limitations.

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  1. Polygon

Final Fantasy XIV Patch 4.2: The same error as at the Stormblood launch

Irina Moritz Irina Moritz Reading time 2 minutes

The long-awaited Patch 4.2 of Final Fantasy XIV went live today as scheduled, but apparently players are so eager for the new content that the servers cannot handle the rush.

Both in the main scenario quests and in Omega, there is an error message occurring in solo content. 

Raubahn Ex 2.0?

For some FFXIV players, the error will trigger a post-traumatic stress disorder, because it is the same problem as during the launch of the Stormblood expansion. 

Back then, thousands of players were stuck for days on a solo instance that started with the NPC Raubahn. This seems to be happening again.

alphinaud ex

According to the error message, the instances for the solo fights that are taken on with the NPCs Alphinaud and Cid are completely overcrowded. The problem was quickly nicknamed “Alphinaud Savage” or “Raubahn’s Revenge” by players.

It doesn’t matter which data center you are on. The US servers are just as affected as the European ones, although they should be less populated due to the time (around 6 AM).

The reports are piling up

The social media channels are now buzzing with reports of the error. In the FFXIV subreddit and in the official forums, players are complaining that Square Enix is making this mistake for the second time.

d85f765f25b295958f95a9ec5eab5cf0

Whether it will cause problems for as long as during the launch of Stormblood is unlikely, but not impossible.

However, this time Square Enix responded quickly. To fix the error, a two-hour emergency maintenance was announced, starting at 1:30 PM our time. 

Check out our little guide for a crisp overview of the most important quests of the patch:

The most important quests of Final Fantasy XIV Patch 4.2 at a glance

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Cosmetic surgery for ugly heroes in Monster Hunter World?

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 2 minutes

In Monster Hunter World (PS4 and Xbox One), some heroes in the game look much worse than in the editor. But if enough Monster Hunter fans wish for it, developer Capcom might add an option for post-character customization.

The powerful character editor of Monster Hunter World offers plenty of options for creating dream heroes. You can spend hours having fun, only to finally admire your brave hunter with pride and exhaustion. But once the game started, many players were horrified! Because often the hero in the game looked different and usually worse than in the editor.

monster-hunter-oger

Many players would appreciate it if the unwanted pancake face could be changed later.

Developers bring post-character customization feature if you want it

Monster-Hunter-World-Leya1

If you only want to make small changes to your hunter, you can already do that in the dwelling. But a complete “do-over” is not possible. However, such a “beauty operation feature” would indeed be possible.

Monster Hunter Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto spoke about the involuntarily ruined pancake faces of the heroes at the Taipei Game Show 2018. If enough players would like a feature in the game that allows for post-character customization, then they would want to patch it into the game.

However, they only want to go to the trouble if enough players wish for it. So anyone who is dissatisfied with their hero in Monster Hunter World should let Capcom know.

Tips for the editor from the developers

Monster-Hunter-World-Palico-Niedlich

But until that happens and a post-character editor comes into the game, Tsujimoto and Game Director Yuya Tokuda gave tips for the editor. You should definitely adjust the facial expression and lighting. This way, some unpleasant surprises can be avoided.

Here is how you can catch monsters in Monster Hunter World!

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Source(s):
  1. Siliconera

Destiny 2: First Iron Banner in 2018 starts today! – Here are the weapons

Tom Rothstein Tom Rothstein Reading time 4 minutes

Today marks the start of the first Iron Banner in Season 2 for Destiny 2. There are some changes – and new weapons.

On this Tuesday (January 30th), Lord Saladin takes his place in the Tower again to welcome the Guardians to the Iron Banner. He has been absent for several months.

The reason: At the beginning of December, Season 2 started, which changed some requirements for activities such as the Iron Banner. In order for all Guardians – including those without the “Curse of Osiris” DLC – to participate again in the Iron Banner and earn its loot, Bungie had to implement several updates. And now, at the end of January, nothing stands in the way of Lord Saladin’s return.

The first Iron Banner in Season 2

In Season 2, the Iron Banner remains a one-week PvP event where you play in 4v4. Power level advantages are disabled, and there is a normal player search. During the Iron Banner, you can earn special Iron Banner rewards.

Start, End, and Game Mode

  • Start of the Iron Banner: January 30th, expected around 9 PM (after today’s maintenance)
  • End of the Iron Banner: February 6th at 6 PM
  • Game mode: Control
    destiny-2-eisenbanner

Participation Requirements:

  • You must have unlocked the Tower, i.e., complete the main campaign.
  • You must be at least Level 20.
  • Then visit Lord Saladin to start an Iron Banner quest.
  • The Iron Banner has its own playlist in the Crucible overview that you can play.

The Rewards of the Iron Banner on January 30th

crimils-dolch

You can earn three new Iron Banner weapons of Season 2 during this event. In exchange for tokens, you can open Iron Banner Engrams at Lord Saladin, which contain these new weapons: 

Crimils Dagger – Hand Cannon

crimils-stats

All new Iron Banner weapons belong to the quality “Legendary”, including the hand cannon Crimils Dagger. It is a powerful hand cannon with high recoil. The archetype is the same as that of the Sturm. The range is high. Here are the stats:

The perks:

  • First Shot: Improved accuracy and range on the first shot of an attack.

You have the choice between:

  • Armor-Piercing Rounds: Rounds deal extra damage to shields and penetrate targets. Slightly increases range
  • Fallback Magazine: Magazine is ejected when reloading, wasting ammunition but significantly increasing reload speed.

The sights are True Sight HV, Crossfire HV, and Calm Hand HV.

frostmire

Frostmire’s Curse – Scout Rifle

frostmire-stats

A new Iron Banner scout rifle is called Frostmire’s Curse and comes from Veist, giving it full-auto capability, larger ammo reserves, and slightly increased reload speed when the magazine is empty. The weapon is carried in the energy slot. The stats:

The perks:

  • Dragonfly: Precision kills create an elemental damage explosion.

You have the choice between:

  • High-Caliber Rounds: Shots from this weapon push targets back further. Slightly increases range
  • Extended Mag: Significantly increases magazine size, greatly reduces reload speed

The sights available are Rifled Barrel, Arrowhead Brake, and Cannelured Barrel.

gunnora
Gunnora’s Axe – Shotgun

gunnora-stats

The new Iron Banner shotgun is called Gunnora’s Axe. Due to its precision frame, it fires only a single slug. The recoil behavior is vertical. Here are the stats:

And here are the perks:

  • First Shot: Improved accuracy and range on the first shot of an attack.

You have the choice between:

  • Improved Rounds: Increased range
  • Attack Magazine: Significantly increases stability, increases rate of fire

You can also choose between Cannelured Barrel, Rifled Barrel, and Barrel Wrap.

Additional Rewards

In addition to the weapons, you earn armor pieces and ornaments. The ornaments are new in Season 2. You unlock them by completing certain challenges. Each Iron Banner armor piece has an ornament. Here you can see them:

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Additionally, a ship, a sparrow, a ghost shell, and a badge are added to the Iron Banner loot pool:

geist
All new “Cosmetics” except for the ship
saladin

If you desire a specific item from the Iron Banner, you can march to Lord Saladin and browse his inventory. In Season 2, he offers the 5 armor pieces as well as three weapons for direct purchase:

There is no limit to how many engrams you can open or how many tokens you can earn.

Are you participating in the Iron Banner?

Here you can see all new Iron Banner weapons of Season 2

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

PUBG update addresses Miramar issues, brings better loot

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 2 minutes

Developers are taking player feedback about the desert map of PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds), Miramar, to heart and are now testing changes to the map.

At the launch of PUBG, players had only the Erangel map to choose from, which lured them with green meadows and wide fields. Since December, players can also play on the desert map “Miramar.” However, after the initial hype, sympathy for the new map is declining.

The developers are noticing the downward trend and are sending some changes into the game.

PUBG Test Server Patch Notes

The latest patch on the test servers especially addresses the feedback that the developers received regarding the Miramar map. The situation hasn’t looked good in recent days. Some players are so annoyed by the new map that they use a trick to throw the map out of their game themselves.

In the patch notes for the test server update, the developers detail what is changing in the world and the replay function, and which bugs are being removed from the game:

World

  • Miramar Improvements
    • Additional buildings and cover have been distributed across the map to enable a better gameplay experience
    • More off-road paths have been added
    • The spawn level for loot has been updated in some areas. This means that there are now better items to find in some villages and locations. However, the developers did not specify exact places.
      PUBG Plane Jump Miramar

Replay

  • The replay system has now been updated to a new version. Files from the older version can no longer be played back.

Bug Fixes

  • A problem has been fixed that allowed healing and boosts underwater
  • The bug that caused characters to get stuck in certain areas of the Miramar map has been fixed
  • A bug has been fixed where wall textures of certain Miramar buildings were not displayed correctly
  • Another bug has been fixed where buildings near Hacienda del Patron were not displayed correctly

A new anti-cheat method is also being implemented. This is still under further development, but is already being tested for stability and compatibility.

To celebrate four million Xbox players, PUBG is giving away in-game currency on consoles

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Source(s):
  1. Steamcommunity

The top 3 of the Overwatch League lose for the first time – the West is catching up

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 3 minutes

The Overwatch League has completed its third week of the first phase. After the initial matches of this season, there were clear favorites, all unbeaten. But that has changed.

The most important eSports spectacle this year is the Overwatch League. Blizzard even built a dedicated arena for the event, providing a stage for the 12 competing teams.

In this competition that spans multiple phases and weeks, teams battle for recognition and prize pools worth millions. Many well-known names such as EnVyUs (now Dallas Fuel) and Lunatic-Hai (now Seoul Dynasty) are represented with their players.

After the first match days, there were some teams leading the standings without a single failure:

  • Seoul Dynasty,
  • London Spitfire
  • and New York Excelsior.

All of them had won 4 or 5 games in a row – only to all suffer their first loss this week.

Overwatch League Boston Uprising celebrates victory

London Spitfire and New York Excelsior lose on the same night

On Friday, January 26, two of the favorites of the Overwatch League had to endure harsh defeats. Both London Spitfire and New York Excelsior were outmatched by their challengers that evening. And that even in immediately consecutive matches.

London Spitfire lost to Boston Uprising. Boston is not a weak team, but has yet to shine with significant successes. The team is actually situated more towards the lower end of the mid-table. A particularly big day for the boys from Uprising.

New York Excelsior fell to Philadelphia Fusion, who have shown themselves to be one of the stronger teams so far. Nevertheless, they are not at the top, which is why analysts predicted defeat for them, much like for Boston. Still, Fusion won – but how actually?

A fan has to pay up because of the worst team in the Overwatch League – but is still happy!
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The teams did not anticipate resistance

Watching the games, one notices a steadfast confidence among the teams from London and New York. Both are already aware of their victory and seem to see their opponents as no threat. They apparently underestimate them.

The fact that both Boston and Philadelphia put up resistance surprises both teams – London a little more than New York. Especially the boys in light blue seem disoriented and helpless towards the end. Almost as if they can’t really grasp that they are losing.

Whether it was due to arrogance or lack of concentration is hard to say without a statement. However, the “underdogs” clearly appeared to be better prepared and took the matches much more seriously, as shown by their focused playstyle. They simply had more to gain than their opponents had to lose.

At least for New York, that seemed to be a reason to become aware once again that in the Overwatch League, everyone always gives their best.

Consequently, on the following day, they faced the current contender for first place, Seoul Dynasty – and won. Thus, every favorite has already been defeated at least once, even though it was close.

The star player of the Overwatch League, Fleta, plays for Seoul Dynasty by the way.
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The matches send messages

All three games were extremely close: After a 2:2 tie, a tiebreaker round on Lijang Tower brought victory for the challengers. Such head-to-head races should define the Overwatch League. And they all sent important messages.

On one hand, Seoul Dynasty is no longer, as initially thought, the number one contender for first place. Lunatic-Hai, from which it originated, was the best team in the world. Now it has been defeated and New York Excelsior is the new favorite.

On the other hand, all three teams consist of purely South Korean players. For many Western players, this is disheartening. After all, there is little incentive for them to even try. However, the victories of Boston and Philadelphia show: Westerners have chances!

The matches indicate that Western teams can also win. Europe and America have now become serious competitors for South Korea.

If you want to learn more about Overwatch and the Overwatch League, also visit the Overwatch group of Mein-MMO on Facebook!

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Shroud of the Avatar hat ein gewaltiges Problem mit Echtgeldhandel

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 3 minutes

It seems that the MMORPG Shroud of the Avatar is facing a bigger problem related to Real Money Trading (RMT), the trading with real money.

From the very beginning, it was said that trading with real money is allowed in Shroud of the Avatar. This represented an important reason for many players to buy lots, houses, and player towns for a lot of money. Lots are limited in the game world, and some hoped to make a profit by selling coveted land at a higher price than they purchased it for.

Shroud of the Avatar Community

RMT in SotA – An Investment for Players

Recently, a player offered a “levelling” service for money. He wanted to help others level up faster and would be paid in real money for it. He obtained permission from the developers for this. However, the service was controversially discussed in the official forum a few days ago as there was suspicion that it could be a Pay2Win element. The new community manager from the publisher Travian Games intervened, closed the thread, and stated that inquiries would be made regarding this matter.

Then the regular community manager appeared and explained that this “levelling” service was indeed not allowed. Now a heated discussion is taking place in the official forum on this topic, as RMT, Real Money Trading, is a crucial pillar of Shroud of the Avatar, and many players have invested a lot of money in the hope of making a profit.

Shroud of the Avatar PvP 3

Trading with Real Money – A Real Issue

RMT represents a problem in online games in general, which is why many developers and publishers hesitate to officially implement such practices. Besides the possibility of money laundering, RMT opens the option for tax evasion. Because even the sale of virtual goods must be taxed in some countries. Several problems arise:

  • Who checks whether taxes are paid?
  • Who bears the responsibility here?
  • Who actually owns the item? The person who bought it or the person who programmed it?
  • Are you just buying the use of the item, just like you buy the use of games?

Real Money Trading in games is a complex field and very complicated to implement. In the official forum of Shroud of the Avatar, it is now being said that trading with real money could pose a problem for publisher Travian Games. According to a forum member who allegedly has contact with the publisher, discussions are currently taking place regarding this issue. It could even lead to RMT being completely banned. This, however, would have catastrophic effects on the player-driven economy of the online game and on the support of those hoping to make a profit from SotA.

It will be interesting to see how this develops. The official release of Shroud of the Avatar is set for March 27 (the online game is currently still in early access phase), and by then a clarification should ideally be made on whether RMT is allowed and how it will be handled.

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Fans wollen Paragon mit einer Petition am Leben halten

Guddy Hoffmann-Schoenborn Guddy Hoffmann-Schoenborn Reading time 2 minutes

The MOBA Paragon is dying. Now some fans want to revive it – and have started a petition.

Recently, the end of the MOBA Paragon was announced: On April 26, 2018, the plug is supposed to be pulled permanently. To prove to Epic Games that there is indeed interest in the continuation of the game, the Brit “Jude Dobbin” has now started a petition.

Paragon-Shinbi

“Keep Paragon alive!”

In this, Dobbin appeals not only to Epic Games but also to the fans with heartfelt words. In the spirit of “Together we are strong!” he addresses each individual fan.

“Paragon is a great game that many players have invested countless hours into. The fact that Epic is shutting down the game is incredibly sad, but if Fortnite hadn’t gained so much success from the popularity of the Battle Royale genre, Paragon would still be thriving. I now propose that Epic keeps the Paragon servers online, even if they would just leave the game as it is. I would be more than happy about that.

All I want is to come home and turn on Paragon to play with my friends, but what do I do if the game no longer exists? Please, Epic, killing Paragon is not the right thing to do. So to everyone: Please sign this petition, maybe we can then get Epic to reconsider their decision. Thank you”, Jude Dobbin

The petition on change.org has already been signed over 24,000 times and receives a lot of positive support in the comments from equally passionate players. Some say that the petition already has more signatures than there are Paragon players.

Whether the end of Paragon can be prevented remains to be seen. It is at least a nice sign for the developers. And as a grieving fan, it is comforting to know that you are not alone.

Fortnite is said to be responsible for Paragon’s woes.

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Source(s):
  1. change.org

The most important quests of Final Fantasy XIV Patch 4.2 at a glance

Irina Moritz Irina Moritz Reading time 4 minutes

The long-awaited content patch 4.2 of Final Fantasy XIV is here! In this small guide, we’ll give you a compact overview of the most important unlockable content of the patch and where to find it.

Main Scenario

The continuation of the main story of Stormblood takes players to Doma this time to support their allies Hien, Yugiri, and Gozetsu in their fight against the Garlean.

FFXIV_Hien_Yugiri_Story
Quest Name“Urgent Report from Kugane”
LocationRhalgr’s Reach (X: 14.6 / Y: 9.4)
NPCLyse
LevelWarrior or Mage Lvl 70
RequirementsThe previous main story quest “The Assembly” must be completed

“Hell’s You”

The new dungeon is located in the south of the Ruby Sea. Alongside Fractal Continuum (hard), it is the second dungeon that is now rotating in the daily random content for experts.

Quest Name“The Inner Demon”
LocationRuby Sea (X: 5.7 / Y: 15.8)
NPCSoroban
LevelWarrior or Mage Lvl 70
Item Level310
RequirementsDuring the main scenario of patch 4.2. Quest name is still secret due to possible spoilers.

“Fractal Continuum” (hard)

The dungeon is the continuation of the normal mode of the Fractal dungeon released in the Heavensward expansion.

FFXIV_Fraktal-Kontinuum_Dungeon_schwer

The technology located on the ancient Allagan ship is as fascinating as it is dangerous.

Quest Name“Aetheric Anomalies”
LocationRhalgr’s Reach (X: 13.2 / Y: 12.2)
NPCPhilliot
LevelWarrior or Mage Lvl 70
Item Level310
RequirementsStory quest “Just the Beginning” and the Heavensward dungeon “The Fractal Continuum” must be completed.

Omega Sigmametrie (normal)

Also known as “Story Mode.” The quest series continues the subplot of the Omega raid. This time, the monster Omega replicates classic enemies from FFVI and lets players fight against them.

More information can be found in our summary of the raid.

Quest Name“Omega Calls”
LocationRhalgr’s Reach (X: 13.4 / Y: 12.4)
NPCJessie
LevelWarrior or Mage Lvl 70
Item Level325
RequirementsThe quest “Anomaly of Heroes” must be completed

Omega Sigmametrie (epic)

The epic mode offers a challenge for the Raider community.

FFXIV_Omega_Sigma_Kefka

As a reward for the battles, players receive the best weapons and armor from patch 4.2 and upgrades for the equipment that can be obtained through the new Allagan stones.

Quest Name–
LocationRhalgr’s Reach (X: 13.5 / Y: 12.4)
NPCMagitek Terminal
LevelWarrior or Mage Lvl 70
Item LevelSigmametrie 1.0 – from 340

 

Sigmametrie 2.0 – from 345

Sigmametrie 3.0 – from 350

Sigmametrie 4.0 – from 350

RequirementsThe last quest of Omega Sigmametrie (normal) must be completed. Quest name is still secret due to possible spoilers.

Spirit Dance – Byakko

The new trial is the first of a total of four battles from the quest series “Myth of the Four Beast Gods.” The Spirit Dance is the “normal” or “story mode” of the battle.

Quest Name“The Inner Demon”
LocationRuby Sea (X: 5.7 / Y: 15.8)
NPCSoroban
LevelWarrior or Mage Lvl 70
Item Level325
RequirementsWill be automatically unlocked during the main scenario

Soulstorm – Byakko

The “Extreme” mode of the battle against Byakko. As a reward, players receive the new Kamuy wolf, as well as powerful weapons that will be useful in the Omega raid.

FFXIV_byakko_extrem
Quest Name“Soulstorm – Byakko”
LocationKugane (X: 11.6 / Y: 12.6)
NPCTraveling Bard
LevelWarrior or Mage Lvl 70
Item Level340
RequirementsThe trial “Spirit Dance – Byakko” must be completed.

Dress Critique

With the mini-game, the Gold Saucer casino finally gets new content.

Once a week, players can be assessed on their fashion sense by the NPC “Masked Rose” and receive rewards between 10,000 and 50,000 MGP.

Quest Name“Show Me Your Clothes”
LocationGold Saucer (X: 4.8 / Y: 6.1)
NPCLewena
LevelAny class at Lvl 15
RequirementsThe quest “On to Pleasure” must be completed.

The Wild Tribe of Ananta

The Ananta are another tribe that players must win over. Daily quests will be unlocked once “Border Guard Velodyna” is completed.

FFXIV_Ananta_Elephant

But beware, there are several prerequisites that must be completed before it becomes available.

Quest Name“Border Guard Velodyna”
LocationAlbanian Borderland (X: 30.2 / Y: 25.7)
NPCM’rahz Nuhn
LevelWarrior or Mage Lvl 60
RequirementsThe quest “Into the Light” must be completed.

 

For this to become available, both quests “The Black Rose” and “Oh Brave Father” must be completed.

Additionally, the developers want to tackle the housing issue in FFXIV hard in patch 4.2. More about that can be found here:

Final Fantasy XIV is taking radical action to solve the housing crisis

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. FFXIV Lodestone

Listen to the wonderful soundtrack from WoW: Battle for Azeroth

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

Data miners have extracted the music tracks from the upcoming WoW expansion. Listen to the fantastic music here!

The alpha of Battle for Azeroth is underway. While only a few chosen ones can already test the upcoming expansion of World of Warcraft, data miners have already delved into the game files of Battle for Azeroth. In recent days, they have repeatedly made great discoveries that raise more questions than they answer.

Today we take a look (or rather an ear) at the various music tracks that have already been found. The colleagues from wowhead have extracted and uploaded the soundtrack, so we can present you with the most beautiful music tracks here.

The best soundtracks from the alpha of Battle for Azeroth

Real pirate vibes in the best “Pirates of the Caribbean” style are likely to emerge with “DGN Freehold“. Good mood is guaranteed here, while you fight by the sides of the swashbucklers or train your parrot.

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If that hasn’t convinced you yet, the next piece will surely change your mind. “City of Gold Grand” will most likely play in the troll city of Zandalar – at least in parts of it. Who wouldn’t immediately envision an epic treasure hunt or a journey through foreign civilizations with this music?

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However, not everything is beautiful in the golden city. Some areas seem to have fallen under darkness. It at least sounds like dark cultists and evil rituals in “City of Gold Dark“. But precisely that invites an exploration tour!

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It’s also quite eerie in “Nazmir Necropolis Music“. Especially from minute 2:40 it becomes spooky when the summoning choirs kick in. Whatever is going on there, it is sure to be eerie!

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How do you like these soundtracks from Battle for Azeroth? Do you find them fitting and interesting? Or are the sounds already getting on your nerves, so you will deactivate them in the game anyway?

Have you already checked out the new continent Zandalar? Here there is a video tour!

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. wowhead.com

In Fortnite: Battle Royale, a new mode is live: Sniper Battle!

Robert Albrecht Robert Albrecht Reading time 2 minutes

Fortnite: Battle Royale (PS4, Xbox One, PC) has a new game mode available now: Sniper Showdown. But hurry – the game mode centered around the sniper is not available indefinitely!

Server issues, login difficulties, no group features – Epic faced some challenges in Fortnite: Battle Royale last week. Since January 29th, you can enjoy a brand new mode: Sniper Showdown!

Specifically, all weapons on the map have been replaced with sniper rifles. To prevent close-combat from becoming a jump-and-move spectacle, Epic has at least scattered a few revolvers across the map so that battles can also be fought from shorter distances.

You may snipe and heal – but no throwing grenades

You can also find the obligatory support items like shields and medkits on the map. Epic has only excluded grenades to keep the fights focused solely on weapons.

fortnite-building

Especially the removal of grenades or all explosive weapons is likely to make building bases even more important. Whoever has a base with a height advantage is likely to be relatively safe in this game mode. Unfortunately, Epic has designed the mode only for squads of four players again.

With our tips and tricks for epic victory!

Sniper Showdown can only be played in team mode

That’s a shame, especially because solo players can do relatively little with the time-limited modes if they do not want to fill their squad. However, for fixed teams, the mode is likely to be very fun: Hunkering down in a self-built fort with four people and blasting the opponents with bullets is quite something!

You can play the Sniper Showdown mode until Friday, February 2nd. – then it will be removed from the rotation.

Fortnite-PvP

Robert says: This will be a camp fest! Indestructible fortresses, all players armed with sniper rifles – those who are out of materials in the endgame will have a tough time. Have you been waiting for this mode? Then throw yourselves into the fray!

Have you tried the mode already? What are your experiences?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Gamespot

Destiny 2: Servers down today – Maintenance and Update 1.14 on January 30th.

Tom Rothstein Tom Rothstein Reading time 3 minutes

In Destiny 2, on January 30th, the servers are down. Maintenance is taking place, update 1.14 / 1.1.2 is being deployed. Here you will find out how long the servers will remain offline.

Update 6:13 PM: Update 1.1.2 is now available for download and installation. It has version number 1.14 on PS4 and is approximately 75 MB in size. Here are the patch notes in German!

At the beginning of January, Bungie presented a roadmap for 2018, outlining when to expect major endgame updates. Today, on January 30th, we reach the first milestone of this roadmap.

The developers are deploying update 1.1.2, which has a few changes and numerous bug fixes. However, maintenance work is necessary beforehand.

Important times for maintenance:

  • From 5 PM, preparations for maintenance begin. You will not be able to log in.
  • At 6 PM, the servers go down. If you are still in the game now, you will be kicked out.
  • Around 9 PM, the servers should be back online. By then, update 1.1.2 can be downloaded and installed.
destiny-2-warlock-hüter

Keep in mind that Bungie is never very precise with the end time of the maintenance. The servers can be made available much earlier, but also much later.

What changes with update 1.1.2?

The official patch notes will be released later today, as soon as the update goes live. We will report on it. However, some changes are already known:

  • Legendary armor pieces receive masterwork versions – The stats on this new, rare armor can be rerolled, and each masterwork armor grants +3 damage resistance when you have an active super.
  • The raid rewards are being reworked– Mods with special raid perks will be introduced, rewards after raid encounters will improve (they will have a chance for exotics) and a ghost shell will be introduced as a special prize. You can find all the information in the link provided.
  • Prometheus Lens
    • The Flame Refractor perk now generates ammunition instead of drawing from reserves
    • Base damage is increased
  • A bug will be fixed where new characters created after the “Curse of Osiris” do not receive the flashpoint milestone
  • Players in social spaces, like the Tower, will receive a notification when their post office stash is full
  • Heroic strike completions now have a higher chance of exotic loot
  • Mercury challenges are now available during adventures
  • A bug will be fixed where “Curse of Osiris” strikes do not grant clan engrams correctly when featured as “Nightfall”
  • A bug will be fixed where challenges do not appear in the quickplay playlist
  • The dismantle timer for masterwork cores has been increased
    destiny-2-hüter-schwert

However, this is just a preview of the changes in the update. The patch notes will include further points, for example Bungie already announced via Twitter that they also want to fix the faulty waypoint at Ikora Rey and the missing shaders in weapon master engrams.

By the way: As soon as the maintenance is finished, the Iron Banner will start and the weekly reset will occur. Our article about the reset will come later than usual.

Interesting: Bungie confirms that there will be a PvE arena in Destiny 2 in the future

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Bungie

Beautiful in the Monster Hunter World editor and ugly in the game itself?

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 2 minutes

Monster Hunter World (PS4, PC and Xbox One) has a powerful editor that allows you to create beautiful characters. However, for some players, the end result in-game looked horrendous!

In the editor of Monster Hunter World, you can spend many hours at the start of the game. The possibilities are enormous and allow for many beautiful creations by hunters and feline companions:

But for some players, the dream character turned into a nightmare!

In the editor it looks good, but in the game it looks bad!

Monster-Hunter-editor-fail-01

According to the YouTuber and Monster Hunter World fan GaijinHunter, many players of Monster Hunter World experienced the shock of their lives in the game. They had spent 90 or more minutes crafting their dream hero, but in the game, instead of the beautiful avatar, they encountered an ugly ogre with a pancake face.  Or at least a far less appealing person than what was seen in the editor.

How can this happen? There are several theories:

  • The angle during character creation was more favorable than in the game
  • The lighting in the editor is to blame
  • Some face base shapes seem to look fundamentally different in the editor than in the game
  • Possibly, the graphic quality in the editor is better than in the actual game

My-MMO editorial team has no problem with potato faces!

To illustrate the full extent of the misery, GaijinHunter has collected numerous particularly bad pancake faces and potato heads. We do not want to withhold this gallery of horrors from you.

However, in our editorial team, there were hardly any problems with unexpectedly ugly characters. The heroes of our Monster Hunter authors all matched the creators’ expectations and were only slightly different in the game.

Monster-Hunter-Leya-Ingame
Leyas hunter looks just a little worse in-game than in the editor.

These 18 tips for Monster Hunter World you should know before starting! No matter if your hero looks good or not!

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Kotaku

Overwatch League: Pro happily shows the middle finger, pays $1000 fine

Guddy Hoffmann-Schoenborn Guddy Hoffmann-Schoenborn Reading time 2 minutes

The Overwatch League has already shown quite a bit: Not only the games themselves, but also scandals around homophobic remarks and racially condemned memes. Now there’s also a middle finger involved. And that divides opinions. 

The owner of this mysterious middle finger is Joon-Yeong “Profit” Park and he plays for London Spitfire. Before the second game of London Spitfire against San Francisco Shock, he is seen live in the stream laughing and showing the middle finger to the camera.

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The middle finger offends

For some, this was another outrage. “Who thinks of the children?” was the sentiment on Twitter. There, Profit is criticized for not being able to control himself. He apologized in the usual way on Twitter.

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There he also clarified that he did not intend any malice and that he did not know that his face cam was currently being broadcast live. At the time of the recording, he was in an audio check with the coaches and other players. The finger was aimed at them – in a consensual joke.

The consequences

While Jack Etienne, CEO of London Spitfire, appeared to take it lightly in a tweet, the Overwatch League itself issued a clear statement. The violation of good conduct will now cost Profit $1,000.

Overwatch league fans cheer for Dallas Fuel

“On Wednesday, January 24th, the player of London Spitfire, Jun-Yeong “Profit” Park, showed an obscene gesture on camera, thereby violating the official rules of the Overwatch League,” says the official statement from the OWL. “The Overwatch League takes player conduct standards seriously and is committed to quickly addressing violations in this regard.”

However, the official rules had not yet been made public, as is the case with the NBA. However, they are working towards publishing these rules on the official website sometime over the next few months.

Guddy says: As a spectator, it would also be good to know what is now allowed and what is not. Much still seems to be up in the air. There is a need for greater transparency and a clear line to be drawn so that the sport can be taken seriously.

It’s just a middle finger, which wasn’t even directed at the spectators but was jokingly aimed at acquaintances. In a game that is not intended for children anyway, I don’t think this deserves outrage from the audience. However, the reprimands from the organizers are certainly justified, as they have set certain rules in place.

Here is all the information about the Overwatch League.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Polygon
  2. Telegraph

PUBG players are annoyed by desert map, circumvent the map selection

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 3 minutes

Until an option for map selection in PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds) is implemented, players are tricking the shooter.

During the early access phase, PUBG only had the Erangel map. Every match took place on the same map until most players knew every spot there. Just before the release of version 1.0 in December, the developers released the desert map “Miramar” on the test servers. Players eager for a change of scenery stormed the servers and frolicked in the large sand map.

However, after just about a month, the enthusiasm for the desert map is declining, and players prefer the green Erangel map.

No map selection? No problem!

When registering for a match in PUBG, players are automatically assigned either the Erangel map or the new Miramar map. The developers have already confirmed that a feature will be implemented where players can choose a map before starting a match. However, this feature is still awaited, and many players are no longer willing to leave their map choice to chance.

Some simply do not like the new map and want to stick with the familiar Erangel map with its houses and fields. However, the automatic map selection sometimes favors the desert map too much, frequently sending players there. This annoys players who did not want a new map at all.

As a solution, they simply remove the relevant map data from the game’s installation directory. Because if there is no Miramar file, you can’t get to the desert map. What seems at first glance to be a “This is much too easy, there’s no way this could work”-solution actually works.

pubg-miramar-01

A discussion about this is taking place on Reddit, where players present their solutions to bypass the Miramar map. The most common workaround involves either completely deleting the map data or simply renaming it.

Control PUBG map selection yourself

After making the changes to the installation directory, you start your game as usual. If randomness then determines that Miramar is the selected map for you, you simply fly back to the lobby.

This solution is not elegant, but it saves a few seconds of loading screen before you would manually leave the game otherwise.

PUBG Map Desert Dateien

The map data is installed in your Steam folder. Navigate to “Steamapps”, “common”, “PUBG”, “TslGame”, “Content”, “Paks”. In this folder, you will find four files with a “.pak” extension and “Desert” in the name. You can rename, delete or move these to remove the map from the selection. After restarting PUBG, you should no longer start on the Miramar map.

Is that too cumbersome? No problem. Reddit user CodexFive has created an app that takes care of the process for you. His PUBG Map Chooser is available here on Github.com

Interfering with game files always carries a certain risk, which is why there is this “Try at your own risk” warning.

Warning! Bluehole has since confirmed that tampering with game files in light of the new anti-cheat measures is not allowed and may result in a ban. So it’s better to avoid it!

Recently, the developers themselves tricked by achieving greater performance with this minor change

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Reddit
  2. VG247

Bungie confirms that there will be a PvE arena in Destiny 2 in the future

Tom Rothstein Tom Rothstein Reading time 2 minutes

Prison of Elders, Court of Oryx, Archon Forge – such PvE arenas will return in Destiny 2.

Bungie’s Game Director Christopher Barrett has been active on Twitter in the last few hours. He is the guy currently working with the live team to shape the endgame of Destiny 2 according to the community’s desires. Since early 2018, he has taken time to answer some community questions on Twitter.

However, the answers are often quite vague. A few days ago, he was asked whether there will be PvE arenas in Destiny 2 again, like the Archon Forge, the Court of Oryx, or the Prison of Elders. Barrett responded that he liked those arenas in Destiny 1 as well. Cooperative events are among the best moments in Destiny. However, he did not elaborate further.

Until now! Because a few hours ago he was asked again if PvE arenas will return. And this time the answer is short and clear: Yes.

https://twitter.com/cgbarrett/status/957721517948780544

What are PvE arenas in Destiny?

In PvE arenas, such as the Prison of Elders, you fight cooperatively with your fireteam against waves of enemies. There aren’t too many complicated mechanics involved; you just shoot various enemies down. The waves increase in difficulty, and if you survive them all, there’s loot at the end.

destiny-2-hüter-immerforst

The Archon Forge and the Court of Oryx, on the other hand, were “open” arenas. One would carry a rune or a offering to a spot where the fight would then start. Random Guardians nearby could join the fight.

Many Guardians actually thought before Curse of Osiris that the Infinite Forest would become such a PvE arena. After all, the Infinite Forest is a place where infinite realities can be simulated. Each visit could have the “arena” set up differently – and then you fight against hordes of enemies with bosses or other challenges at the end. The Infinite Forest could have even had the potential to become an endless mode with a leaderboard and rewards based on performance.

We are excited to see what kind of PvE arena Bungie is currently working on. When Bungie will release it is still completely unknown. Probably not before the second DLC, which is expected in spring 2018.

Around Christmas, leaks about the second DLC surfaced. It is supposed to be called Gods of Mars, and features & a release date were mentioned.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Twitter

5 million copies of Monster Hunter World shipped in just 3 days

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 2 minutes

Monster Hunter World has only recently been released, yet Capcom has already delivered millions of copies. This could make the game a major success for developer Capcom.

Monster Hunter World was released on January 26, 2018, for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles. The latest installment of the series was intended to appeal to console players and players in the West.

Monster-Hunter-waffles

This calculation could work well when looking at the number of copies of Monster Hunter World that have been delivered so far.

Over 5,000,000 copies in just three days

Capcom has not yet released specific sales figures for Monster Hunter World. But we know that over 5,000,000 copies of the game were shipped in the first three days after release. This number includes both physical copies and digital downloads.

The number of shipped copies does not mean that all 5,000,000 have been sold. Many of these Monster Hunter copies are still sitting on the shelves of retailers.

Digital sales were included

Curiously, digital sales were counted in the number of shipped game boxes. The digital versions are indeed sold download copies. However, Capcom has not revealed how high the proportion of digital copies ultimately is.

The fact that Capcom has released so many copies into the market shows that the company is anticipating significant sales success.

So far, these are exclusively the console versions. The PC version is expected to follow in the fall and guarantee even more sales.

According to some analysts, the late release of the PC version of Monster Hunter World could harm the game.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Capcom
  2. Reddit

Kul Tiras – The new Alliance continent in the video flight

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time < 1 minutes

First images from the Alpha of Battle for Azeroth show what the new WoW continent Kul Tiras looks like. Check out the video here!

Just a few days ago, the closed Alpha of World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth started and journalists and players alike are still waiting for their access. But data miners have already dived into the Patch 8.0.1 client and are dissecting it into its components.

Other players, such as YouTuber Arctium, quickly set up their own server and have already explored the new areas. In this video, he takes an extensive look at Kul Tiras by flying through the different zones.

Kul Tiras will only be available to Alliance players during the leveling phase (110-120), and only later on can Horde and Alliance cross over to each other’s continents.

Unfortunately, all recordings were made at night, so much is shrouded in darkness – which largely fits Kul Tiras well. There is a first glimpse of the beautiful Stormsong Valley, Tiragarde Sound, and the oppressive landscapes of Drustvar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnMozGDmbsg

Also keep in mind with this video that many textures and NPCs are still missing. This is just a first, early impression from the Alpha of Battle for Azeroth. The final areas will surely undergo some changes.

As for how it looks with the Horde, we already presented that in the flight video of Zandalar.

What do you think of the first video from Kul Tiras? Is the zone visually appealing and are you looking forward to it? Or does it stand no chance against Zandalar and have you already decided on the Horde?

Don’t want to miss any news about Battle for Azeroth? Then subscribe to our WoW Facebook page and stay up to date!

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Destiny 2: Guardians defeat Argos in 25 seconds, win Video of the Week

Tom Rothstein Tom Rothstein Reading time 2 minutes

In Destiny 2, a fireteam raised the DPS and defeated Argos in 25 seconds. Thus, the Guardians earned the MOTW title.

The community manager Cozmo crowns a video from the Guardians each week as the MOTW – Video of the Week. One or two additional clips will receive honorable mentions.

lens-of-fate-abzeichen

All Guardians who participated in the winning videos will be awarded this elegantly designed emblem:

This time, a fireteam around the Guardian “Ouch MS” secured the MOTW title. They managed to take down Argos, the final boss in the Leviathan Raid, in just one damage phase in about 25 seconds. The damage phase begins at around 2:20 in the video:

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This damage output is achieved by using the Nightstalker Hunter and the Orpheus Rig Exotics to generate a ton of orbs of light, and then dealing massive damage with the Gunslinger Hunter and the Celestial Nighthawk. Skull weapons and powerful rocket launchers are also useful.

If you don’t know what is happening in the video above, you can read our guide to the Leviathan raid. Here you will learn how to defeat Argos “normally”.

Bungie has another video to offer. In this short clip, a Striker Titan barely makes it through the door of the safe room:

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That’s it for the Bungie videos. Normally, we embed works from our readership here, but unfortunately, we haven’t received any videos to present.

However, if you want to show your videos to thousands of other Guardians, send them to us! We may embed them in the “Video of the Week” article next week.

To do this, upload your work on YouTube and then send us a private message via Facebook with the link included. You can find us there under “Destiny 2 Mein MMO”. We’ll look at everything you send us, but we cannot guarantee that the videos will make it into the article.

Destiny 2 needs better Trials of the Nine – and your help

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Bungie

Auf der Xbox bereitet das Matchmaking in Monster Hunter World Probleme

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 2 minutes

Who Monster Hunter World wants to play on Xbox One with random other players has a problem right now. The matchmaking for the multiplayer mode is not working for many players and is preventing a large part of the multiplayer battles.

The action RPG Monster Hunter World can be played solo or with other players in multiplayer. Those who want to have other hunters just join a session at the start of the game and should have enough hunter buddies for the big hunt.

Monster-Hunter-World-Palico-Niedlich

In theory, this sounds good, but in practice, it looks pretty bleak for many players on Xbox One right now.

Multiplayer bugged for days

For most players on Microsoft’s console, an error message constantly appears when they want to start the multiplayer mode. The developers already addressed this on Twitter on January 27 and stated that they are aware of the problem. They are working on a solution. However, there has been no further feedback so far.

Many players hold the lack of a beta phase on Xbox One responsible for the matchmaking bug. If they had thoroughly tested everything with the community, as many players mentioned on Twitter or Reddit, the matchmaking would work now.

Workarounds for the matchmaking problem

Thankfully, the situation is not entirely hopeless. There is, among other options, the possibility to bypass the matchmaking bug through direct invitations from friends. It seems that only the game with random players is affected.

Monster-Hunter-World-Nergigante1

On Playstation 4, everything should work perfectly, unless the PSN is down again.

Is Monster Hunter World worth it? Read our review of the “Monster Work” here!

We will keep an eye on the situation and update this article when there are news regarding the matchmaking problem.

Update: Most online features currently offline

The developers are currently working hard on a solution for the matchmaking problem. Therefore, they have temporarily disabled most online features on the Xbox version. This affects:

  • Matchmaking
  • Filter Search
  • Squad Session Search
  • Respond to SOS

However, you can still play with your friends via session ID or invitation. The developers want to restore the disabled features as quickly as possible.

If you want to farm Zenny in Monster Hunter World, thankfully, you do not necessarily need other players.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Kotaku
  2. Polygon