In Sea of Thieves, unexpected events are primarily responsible for ensuring that missions play out differently each time.
Sea of Thieves makes an interesting impression, and yet many players wonder how the long-term motivation looks. Many believe it could be fun to experience some adventures as a pirate with their crew. But what should motivate players to stay engaged in the long term?
Improvisation is important
A new gameplay video showing a crew at work reveals that it is not (only) the actual tasks that provide fun, but the things that happen along the way and that one does not expect.
If a crew sets out to find a treasure and this mission does not go as expected, then one must improvise. And that can lead to an adventure of its own.
Unexpected situations change the adventure
For example, it is important that the crew works well together to retrieve the treasure. Therefore, every crew member is important. It’s unfortunate when a pirate is thrown overboard during a sea battle, leading to a precarious situation while the remaining crew tries to win the battle and rescue the crew member, who is also trying to get back on board.
Such situations should change the course of a mission and essentially turn into a small adventure, making every task in Sea of Thieves unique and interesting.
Gaming Disorder has been recognized as a disease since 2018. But what does this mean for us gamers?
The phenomenon of gaming addiction is often debated. While many experts are convinced that it is a disease on its own, others dismiss this classification. Now, the World Health Organization (WHO) has decided that as of 2018, addiction to video games and its associated symptoms are officially recognized as a disease.
The “Gaming Disorder” is classified as an addiction. One of the key criteria is that (like with almost all addictions) gaming pushes aside other aspects of daily life. If this behavior continues despite the individual being aware of its negative consequences, it is considered an addiction.
However, this does not refer to short periods of excessive gaming, but rather longer durations. Experts therefore make a secure diagnosis only after a year.
Vladimir Poznyak from WHO also clarifies:
“Most people who play video games do not suffer from a disorder, just as most people who drink alcohol do not suffer from one. However, excessive consumption can have detrimental effects.”
Video games and their impacts have been observed for over a decade, which in the opinion of WHO is enough time to recognize Gaming Disorder as a clinical picture.
Cortyn states: Essentially, it is not surprising that there is now an official clinical picture for gaming addiction and its associated symptoms. It could help raise awareness among doctors and counseling centers about the issue. However, there is also the danger that thousands of “normal gamers” will now be stigmatized and all gamers will be lumped together.
What do you think? Is it good that “Gaming Disorder” is an officially recognized disease? Or has this been clear for many years, and now it is just made official?
We present to you the most fun horror games of the Steam Winter Sale 2017, with which you can keep your body warm with adrenaline during the cold season.
The contemplative Christmas time means peace, quiet, and relaxation for many. However, for those who do not want to know anything about all of that, they might crave an exciting horror game for the dark and cold season. We have sifted through the Steam Winter Sale and present you 5 horror games from different sub-genres that every gamer should have on their plate!
The best horror games in the Steam Winter Sale 2017
We have picked the best deals for you. Maybe there is one or another title for you?
Outlast
Outlast is from the year 2013 and is therefore a bit older, but that does not take away from the terror of the game. Only armed with the weak light of a camera, you explore the gruesome goings-on in a psychiatric clinic – and they are not for the faint of heart. Currently, Outlast costs only 3.99€, which is an 80% reduction from 19.99€. Every horror fan should grab it.
Dead by Daylight
Dead by Daylight lures with exciting 4vs1 horror, in which 4 survivors try to escape from a killer. Meanwhile, the game has been expanded with many DLCs featuring new characters (both free and paid), so there are plenty of new killers, perks, and survivors. If you like to “hang out” a bit, you might find your luck on a butcher’s hook in Dead by Daylight – or at least the Entity. Dead by Daylight currently costs only 9.99€ instead of 19.99€, which is a 50% reduction.
Don’t Starve Together
With cuter graphics but tough gameplay, Don’t Starve Together is still a great game in its second year if you want to experience some frustration with friends. In a dark, cold world, you try to survive and find or build the essentials to avoid starvation. But hunger is just one of many dangers – madness, darkness, strange peoples, or poisonous food can also bring about a swift death. Don’t Starve Together currently costs only 8.99€, which is a 40% reduction from 14.99€.
Doki Doki Literature Club!
If you’re into psychological horror and also love visual novels and anime characters, then you won’t be able to pass by Doki Doki Literature Club! What starts as a typical dating simulation quickly takes dramatic turns and reveals a game that is simply terrifying on multiple levels. But the best part? Doki Doki Literature Club is completely free! You can’t go wrong with that.
Even though the zombie hype has slowly faded, the first The Walking Dead from Telltale Games from 2012 is still a masterpiece. In the dramatic story of Lee, who tries to save the little girl Clementine from the effects of the zombie apocalypse, there are plenty of dramatic decisions. Anyone who is easily moved to tears or has weak nerves should perhaps think twice about buying – all others can expect a great experience. Currently, The Walking Dead costs only 5.74€, which is a drastic reduction of 75% from 22.99€.
Is there something for you among these games? Or do you want to know nothing about horror at Christmas? Which horror games on Steam can you recommend?
Actually, Rockstar wanted to gift its GTA 5 Online players a car for Christmas, but this now takes money from the recipients’ pockets.
For Christmas, the team from RockstarGames wanted to surprise its GTA 5 Online community with a special gift: A new car was added to the online selection, which they made available for free to all players on December 25.
Although “free” was displayed in the pricing, players had a lot of money deducted. A bitter Christmas surprise.
Albany Hermes actually free – Expensive surprise
With the Christmas gift, Rockstar meant well. In GTA 5 Online, the community often gathers for races, shootouts, and illegal activities.
Those who want to stand out drive up in a flashy car. Regularly, the developers bring new rides into the game that can be tuned up by the community. Lowering, adding spoilers, upgrading transmissions, and installing a hissing turbocharger into the new mean machine. This makes the car race-ready and allows it to outrun opponents.
However, the new cars are expensive – often costing more than a million GTA$. So, for a car, one must invest several hours of gameplay or real money. 1.25 million GTA-dollars costs about 15€.
All the more wonderful was the surprise that Rockstar gave away the new muscle car, the Albany Hermes. Instead of 535,000 GTA$, the Hermes was free.
Players who logged in on December 25 could grab the vehicle at Southern San Andreas SuperAutos and click on the “Free” symbol. Then the Albany Hermes should be added to the garage for free.
But soon, the new muscle car owners noticed that now they were missing a chunk of money. To be exact: 535,000 GTA$
The forums are overflowing with reports from players who rightfully are angry with the developers. When they clicked on the free offer, money was suddenly deducted from them. So far, Rockstar has not addressed this issue. We hope they will soon respond and reimburse the amount that was wrongfully deducted from the players.
Meanwhile, Rockstar has officially addressed the problem and stated that they are working on a solution.
Update: Rockstar is now distributing the deducted 535,000 GTA-dollars to the accounts. There is currently no talk of repeating the action. However, players from the community report that they received the 535,000 GTA-dollars even though they did not purchase the car. So the car is free for players.
To the snow fans:
As Rockstar has now officially confirmed, the snow returns to GTA 5 Online for the New Year’s celebration. Presumably, the white stuff will lie on the streets from December 31 to January 1 and invite for drifting.
In Destiny 2, today, on December 26th, is the Weekly Reset, the weekly reset. New activities start, such as the Nightfall strike or the Flashpoint.
Today, Tuesday at 6 PM, not only the “normal” Weekly Reset takes place, but also the second week of the Dawning. This winter event started last week and has since spread festive cheer in the Destiny universe.
The Glimmer offer in Eververse is restocked. We will add the new inventory at the end of the article.
The milestone “We share the joys of the season with others” can be played again. This can be completed once per week and per character during the event. You may go back into the Cauldron and “fight for peace.”
Let’s see what else the new week brings.
Nightfall from December 26 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC
This week the Pyramidion is the Nightfall.
The modifiers:
Momentum: Abilities charge faster.
Timewarp: Zero Hour: The mission timer cannot be extended.
The challenges:
Complete the Nightfall with at least 5 minutes remaining.
Complete the Nightfall with fewer than 3 deaths.
Do not allow Brakion to be shielded for longer than 40 seconds before defeating him.
Ikora Rey has meditations for Frenzy, Sacrilege, and Omega.
Tess Everis sells the Exotics A Tale of the Star Light (ship) and Give (gesture) as well as the non-Dawning Exotics Grey Dove of the 14th Saint (ship), a Merciless ornament, and a Scarlet ornament. You can also buy the Dawning gauntlets, the Dental Floss dance gesture, and plenty of other cosmetics.
Exciting: After four years under wraps, the Music of the Spheres – a Destiny symphony – has leaked. The composers are thrilled! All info about it here:
A member of the notorious DDOS group Lizard Squad is now likely heading to prison. The group became infamous during an attack on the PSN and Xbox Live network in 2014. At that time, they shut down online gaming over Christmas.
It has been some time, but in 2014, a hacker group ruined online gaming for many players.
A group called Lizard Squad dominated the media for months with DDOS attacks on websites and companies. This was then commented live on Twitter.
Later, DDOS attacks targeted the games of Smedley’s company Daybreak Games. Smedley eventually stepped down from his position there.
Allegedly, Lizard Squad saw itself as “hackers for hire.” As reported by the Chicago Tribune, one could purchase an attack for 20 US dollars. The target person was then harassed and bothered. People were said to have received phone calls every hour, with a tirade of profanity on the other end waiting for the victim.
Two and a half years in prison if he cooperates
Now one of the founding members of Lizard Squad has been convicted. He pleaded guilty in a case of “conspiracy to cause damage to protected computers” – for that, there is a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
The man is likely to only serve two and a half years in prison, provided he cooperates. This was announced by the prosecution. Part of the agreement also includes that he pays 350,000 US dollars to two US online gambling companies whose customers were victims of Lizard Squad’s actions.
The 20-year-old was arrested in October 2016 for a large number of cyber attacks that spanned over two and a half years. Until now, he was able to live with his mother. That will likely change soon. His sentence is expected to be announced only when it is ensured that he cooperates.
In 2015, a member of the group was already in court in Finland but received only a mild sentence. The then 17-year-old received two years probation and restrictions on his internet activities. This enraged his victim, John Smedley, terribly at the time.
MMORPGs playing on the go is quite interesting. Sitting under a tree on a sunny day, Nintendo Switch in hand, raiding with friends. A nice thought.
In 2018, the online features of Nintendo’s current console are set to be significantly expanded to support online gaming on a large scale. Therefore, MMORPGs would definitely be conceivable.
It should be noted that the mobile Switch does not possess hardware as powerful as what is found in current consoles and PCs. This mainly impacts the graphics. Nevertheless, let’s take a look at which MMORPGs we would like to see on the Switch.
1. The Elder Scrolls Online
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim looks good on the Switch. Graphically, the version also looks appealing, and the controls with the controller work flawlessly. Therefore, there should be no problem playing ESO on Nintendo’s console. It is controlled with the sticks and buttons. Thanks to the motion controllers, this is even quite fun. The same could work just as well for ESO.
Graphically, The Elder Scrolls Online does not offer the absolute high-end experience. Due to its graphic style, the game still gives a very good impression even with slightly reduced options. Therefore, an ESO on the Switch is indeed conceivable.
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The upcoming port of the action-packed MMORPG TERA to Playstation 4 and Xbox One raises the question of whether a Switch version would be possible. According to testers of the console version of TERA, the MMORPG plays very well with the controller and is also enjoyable. The action-packed fights are said to feel great.
As far as graphics are concerned, it could very well be that TERA would have to be somewhat toned down for the Switch. The system requirements of the title mention 4 to 8 GB of RAM. The Switch has 4 GB, but this could prove to be a small bottleneck. Therefore, TERA may be a bit harder to implement.
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The sandbox MMORPG Albion Online is perfectly poised for mobile MMO entertainment, as the online game is already playable on tablets and the Nintendo Switch is based on Nvidia tablet technology. The controls would need some adjustments, but the touchscreen could be handy for managing the inventory.
Also, graphically, the developers don’t need to cut back much. Since Albion Online runs on a tablet, it will run on the Switch as well. However, the tablet version of the MMO is not yet fully optimized, but that should only be a matter of time. So it is quite possible to experience the sandbox adventures of Albion Online on the Nintendo Switch.
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For fans of cuter characters and classic RPG fare, Tree of Savior would be a case for the Nintendo Switch. Especially in terms of graphics and atmosphere, this MMORPG would fit excellently into the console’s portfolio. The mix of 3D and 2D graphics is not too hardware-hungry, which means the Switch should handle this well.
The adjustment of the controls might be a bit more challenging due to the classic gameplay. The controls themselves are fairly simple, but managing all the many skills, menus, and inventory with the controller is certainly not easy. But again, the touchscreen can come in handy and serve well. Tree of Savior would definitely do well as a classic MMORPG on Nintendo’s console.
5. Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy XIV runs on PC and PS4. The special thing here: All players can play together on the same server. With a relatively high global cooldown and a well-thought-out gamepad control scheme, this MMORPG works with a controller. For the successful yet complex gamepad controls, the Switch Pro Controller, which is quite similar to the PlayStation controller, would be particularly suitable.
Final Fantasy XIV would be a fully-fledged classic MMORPG on the Nintendo Switch – suitable for both short breaks and extended gaming sessions.
Especially with the online services that will be prioritized next year, MMORPGs are a good fit for Nintendo’s Switch. Let’s see which ones we’ll get to see.
A boss in Antorus, the Burning Throne, the current raid of World of Warcraft was defeated by two players. Here you can see how it went!
The current raid of World of Warcraft is Antorus, the Burning Throne. In the final raid against the Burning Legion, players are required to defeat numerous bosses to reach Argus the Unmaker and unlock the cinematic that ends in the wound of Azeroth.
However, not all bosses in Antorus are as difficult as they seem.
A protection paladin named Darmondevil set out to fight for Eonar alone. However, he didn’t succeed completely, so he recruited his friend, the warlock Darmonevil, and tried his luck. Although the endeavor was only narrowly successful, they managed to complete the boss fight successfully – with just 2 players, where at least 10 players are normally required. You can see exactly how it went in this video:
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The fight for Eonar’s survival is quite a special case. It’s not about bringing down a big boss, but keeping the titan lady Eonar alive. Enemies approach from multiple sides that must be held back in time – the fight resembles a “tower defense” from classic strategy titles.
The fight against Eonar is therefore “something different” and many players appreciate that it is more easy than too difficult.
Nonetheless, it is a remarkable achievement to defeat a current raid boss with only two players.
What do you think? Is this a noteworthy achievement? Or is it just another sign that “WoW has become too easy”?
In the upcoming MMORPG Crowfall, you improve your character without having to fight monsters or complete quests.
Traditionally, in an MMORPG, you gain EXP by defeating monsters or completing quests. Through EXP, the hero levels up and improves their attributes and skills. However, in Crowfall, you neither fight monsters nor complete quests. It is enough to offer sacrifices to the gods.
Offerings Grant EXP
Basically, anything can count as an offering. If you gather resources or collect items, you sacrifice them to a god. Even crafted items can be offered to a deity. This way, you accrue Divine Favor, which essentially is EXP. When you level up, you can allocate points to attributes as usual and improve your character.
However, it will become increasingly difficult over time to gather experience points this way. You will need to sacrifice higher quality items to gain the favor of the gods. This is intended to encourage players to venture into the wilds of the worlds to search for suitable offerings. This is meant to promote exploration of the world and activities beyond PvP battles.
Your Bodies Can Also Be Sacrificed
You offer sacrifices at special fire bowls scattered throughout the world. You then interact with this bowl and place everything you wish to sacrifice into it – even collected organs or the so-called Vessels. Vessels are bodies crafted from body parts you have found, allowing you to inhabit them for the duration of a campaign. Depending on the Vessel, it has specific properties and belongs to a predetermined race. However, you determine the class yourself.
Leveling during a campaign is supposed to be faster with this “sacrifice system”, but no one needs to fear that players will become overpowered. The difference between a new Vessel and one with maximum powers is intended to be quite slim. The system will be tested in Crowfall soon.
After four years under wraps, the Music of the Spheres – a Destiny symphony – has leaked. The composers are pleased!
Late in 2013, Bungie composer Marty O’Donnell completed a masterpiece: Together with Michael Salvatori and Paul McCartney (yes, the Paul McCartney), he created the Music of the Spheres – a symphony in 8 movements that was to be the soundtrack for all Destiny titles in the coming years.
However, it was never released in its entirety.
Until now! Because through anonymous leakers, it was spread on social media at Christmas, on December 25, 2017, so you can now listen to it in full. We embed the YouTube version here:
The reason: Although O’Donnell had been Bungie’s house composer for years, already wrote the Halo music and had been working on the Destiny symphony “Music of the Spheres” for a long time, Activision chose to use its own music for the Destiny E3 trailer in 2013 instead of O’Donnell’s music.
Activision created the trailer itself and used its own music. For O’Donnell, this was a sign that Bungie was no longer the “brotherhood” it used to be, that Activision as a publisher was interfering too much in the creative process, and that as a development studio they were losing their independence.
This was followed by internal skirmishes, legal disputes over company shares, and it was even alleged that O’Donnell placed his personal interest in releasing the Destiny soundtrack over the interests of the company.
Ultimately, O’Donnell was infamously fired. The “Music of the Spheres” has never been released in the form it was intended – the rights remain with Bungie, and they have decided not to release the work in its entirety. Instead, they only use parts of the symphony repeatedly for promotional purposes, and individual pieces can also be found in the game.
As a result: In public, no one knows how the symphony “Music of the Spheres” sounds in its entirety. O’Donnell is far from happy about this. He has publicly stated several times – ultimately encouraging people to spread the symphony.
Via Twitter, he wrote in November that he gave away nearly 100 copies of Music of the Spheres (MotS) years ago when he was still Audio Director at Bungie. He does not have the authority to grant these people permission to share the work. However, no one in the world can stop him from giving people his blessing to do so. He added the hashtag #NeverForgetMotS.
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O’Donnell was very pleased about this. He wrote that it was a fantastic job that corresponds to about 83% of the original. Nevertheless, he hopes that one day the complete work will be published – along with the missing 17%.
This day has now come on December 25, 2017. The leak was published by OS_Epsilon in the Reddit forum. The copy was discovered by a user named Tlohtzin Espinosa. The leak is indeed the original, as the latest tweet from O’Donnell on December 25 shows:
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Kotaku reached out to O’Donnell via email to have him comment on this leak. He replied that he is now relieved and happy. He was with his wife at his 93-year-old father’s place to tell him that people can finally hear his work. Because over two years ago, O’Donnell tweeted that his father asked him when MotS would finally be released, but that decision was not up to him:
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The leak has now made Christmas 2017 even nicer for them. Years ago, O’Donnell is quoted as saying, his mother, who loved MotS, passed away and never understood why the symphony was not released.
He ends his statement via Kotaku with the statement that he does not know who brought his work to the public, but those people have his blessing.
By the way: These are the individual parts of the symphony, with each part dedicated to a celestial body (and the last part to the Traveler):
The Path – The Moon
The Union – Mercury
The Ruin – Venus
The Tribulation – The Sun
The Rose – Mars
The Ecstasy – Jupiter
The Prison – Saturn
The Hope – The Traveler
After just a few seconds, Destiny veterans will recognize the sounds from the Destiny universe:
https://soundcloud.com/tlohtzin123/the-path
What do you think of the symphony?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
What can agents expect in 2018? A “The Division” developer comments on this.
At the beginning of December, the Update 1.8, which provided The Division with new content and set new goals for the agents, was released. But what comes next?
Since this until now largest update in the history of the shared world shooter, the agents are heading towards an uncertain future. Ubisoft and Massive have not announced any official plans about what to expect in 2018 and beyond.
Only the community developers Yannick Banchereau and Hamish Bode revealed in the last State of the Game that they will still be there in 2018. They would keep their jobs. The Division franchise will definitely continue. But how? Massive has now commented on this.
Is a Division sequel coming?
In a conversation with IGN, Massive’s Managing Director David Polfeldt hinted at a possible sequel, but also ongoing support for the original “The Division”.
According to Polfeldt, The Division is a “wonderful, wonderful brand” that still holds many possible stories. There are so many things that were not implemented in The Division 1 that would be interesting for the brand. He continues: “I believe there is definitely a lot of room for a sequel that goes beyond just keeping The Division online. But I can’t say too much about that at the moment.“
Many agents see this statement as evidence that Massive is working on a sequel. Also that he “currently” cannot talk too much about it shows that he might be able to discuss the sequel “The Division 2” in the future.
Major YouTubers like Skill Up tweeted directly that Polfeldt teased a sequel without actually confirming it. There was already a reaction from Hamish Bode, which everyone can interpret as they wish:
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However, Polfeldt did not only talk about a possible sequel. He also confirmed that the studio continues to place great focus on keeping The Division online and fresh. He compares the current situation to a relationship. As long as it is exciting to date the players – and the players seem to still find it exciting – one does not stop dating.
A long time ago, it was assumed that the current player base would be much smaller, according to Polfeldt. It was thought that The Division would develop like many other RPGs over time. However, since the update 1.4, things have looked different: Since then, the number of players has increased with each patch.
He assumes that The Division is much closer to the game they originally wanted to create with the update 1.8, and much closer to the game that gamers would have expected at launch.
Ultimately, it remains that there is still no official announcement for a “The Division 2”. According to Polfeldt, there is simply a lot of room for a sequel, which one cannot speak of yet. And The Division 1 will continue to be kept online and fresh.
According to a Ubisoft business report, we should definitely not expect a Division successor until the end of March 2018. However, in the next fiscal year, which runs from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019, things look different. During this period, three AAA titles from already established franchises are set to be released. Perhaps something related to The Division is included.
Whether we will be supplied with fresh content in The Division 1 by then or what will come to the agents at all, the future will show.
For characters from TERA, the world will soon become more complicated. An Awakening system brings many new abilities!
With newer MMORPGs from the Asian region like Black Desert, it has become customary that there is a new game system at maximum level. The classes can then reach an “awakened” state. This “Awakening” system provides the various classes with new abilities that not only look more impressive, but also significantly change the playstyle of the class.
There will also be such an Awakening system for TERA. In Korea, the system is already live and has ensured that all classes received between four and eight new abilities.
It will probably only be a matter of time before European (and American) players get to enjoy these new features – sometime in 2018, it will surely be the case.
If you want to get a first impression of the Awakening abilities, you can check out this compilation of the new abilities.
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Especially regarding the visuals, the developers of TERA seem to be aiming for an opulent fireworks display of effects. Whether the abilities feel as powerful in the game as they already look will probably only be revealed in the coming months.
There is no exact date for the Awakening system in TERA yet. We will report on it as soon as the local publisher Gameforge makes an announcement.
Are you looking forward to new abilities with the Awakening system? Is it exactly what TERA is missing? Or are “more abilities” rather bad for the console implementation?
The “Siege-MMO” Conqueror’s Blade (PC) is starting its Closed Beta. In the game, you can command armies like in a Total War game, but also engage in combat on the battlefield in true For Honor style.
Conqueror’s Blade could be the dream come true for fans of strategy games and action enthusiasts. Just like in the famous Total War series, you can lead massive medieval armies into battle and strategically direct them against the enemy.
You can also run around on the battlefield as a bulky general and smash annoying opponents. If you want to see for yourself, you can apply for the Closed Beta.
Tactical Action Spectacle in the Middle Ages
Conqueror’s Blade was formerly known as War Rage and was renamed this summer. The game takes place in the Western and Asian Middle Ages. You can lead public favorites like knight armies, samurai, or Chinese soldiers into battle. Among the troop types are longbowmen, mounted Mongols, Maltese knights, and even heavy artillery like cannons and catapults.
The siege equipment is particularly necessary to capture heavily fortified cities and castles. During battles, you stomp or ride around as a general and give live commands to nearby troops. In Conqueror’s Blade, you lead from the front!
Between battles, there are even role-playing elements. You can further develop and improve your general. There’s also a sandbox mode where you can plan your next conquests on a world map.
Test the Siege-MMO
If you want to sign up for the closed beta of the game, you just have to register on the official Conqueror’s Blade website. With a bit of luck, you’ll soon receive a beta invitation and can then show if you’re as good a general as you are a warrior.
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Venezuela is in an economic crisis, with the currency suffering from rising inflation. The value of the Venezuelan Bolívar has sunk so low that it is worthwhile for some families to live off the in-game currency of a German MMORPG.
The 20-year-old MMORPG Tibia is very popular in countries like Brazil, Venezuela, or Chile. This is mainly due to the low hardware and internet requirements of a core high-quality online role-playing game that has been able to build a loyal community over the years.
The large player base, partly in Europe, is a bonanza for gold farmers and item sellers from poorer countries who see opportunities to get some money to secure their livelihoods.
The government in socialist Venezuela is cracking down on the activities of gold farmers, as they are essentially printing money independently, further driving the inflation of the country’s own currency, the “Bolívar”. Nevertheless, some men have now granted insight into their actions. This reveals the problems in Venezuela.
Venezuelans play 7 days a week to feed their family
In an interview with the economic magazine Bloomberg, a 29-year-old graphic designer from Venezuela stated that he plays 7 days a week in a cyber cafe on an old CRT monitor to keep himself, his wife, and daughter afloat. He sells gold or leveled-up characters for US dollars and cryptocurrencies. Although this only brings in a few dollars a day when converted. But in Venezuela, that is still more than what a regular worker would earn.
A similar sentiment comes from an unemployed programmer who has spent the last 5 months in Tibia:
“It is a shame. I never thought that an in-game currency would become more valuable than that of a country”
A mason reported that his arduous work for the government barely provided enough for breakfast. Now he leads a group of heroes through a medieval world with pixelated monsters. What sounds better?
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Only woe betide if the internet goes down, as it did recently in some neighborhoods of Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. For two months, two-thirds of a man’s income disappeared, forcing his wife to become the breadwinner of the family.
This “market gap,” created by the problems of the country itself, has recently led to the emergence of several companies like “Tibia Venezuela Coins” that specialize in trading Tibia gold on South American marketplaces. In exchange, other currencies are at stake. In particular, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin prove to be a good investment to sustainably acquire more US dollars.
The president of Venezuela has also recognized this and is currently considering introducing its own digital currency called “Petro,” which should combat the financial crisis and enable transactions independent of banks.
Old school MMOs like RuneScape or Tibia feed families, ruin the game
The gold farmers from Venezuela report: An advantage of the old-school MMOs is that they largely remain unnoticed. There is no witch hunt like with newer games, where in-game currency is now also sold directly. And even if accounts get banned, it is not a big obstacle to start over again.
RuneScape
A gold seller who regularly gets banned in the cult MMO RuneScape would appreciate more support from the creators of Jagex: “Shouldn’t they be proud that their game feeds several families?” In response, Jagex explained that this is not possible, as it would destroy the game.
Gold sellers are known to have a bad reputation among players. The extent of this problem was highlighted by a now-deleted guide on Reddit that circulated under the name “Killing Venezuelans”.
Tibia is a 2D MMORPG from Regensburg that was released in 1997. It fosters many social features around it and allows for infinite character progression, conducive to eternal gameplay. For years, it was one of the largest MMOs worldwide, reaching nearly 65,000 players at the same time in 2007. Even today, about 15,000 players still gather simultaneously on the servers.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
There was little action in the stream. For hours, only sitting was shown, and Kaplan rarely changed his position.
But suddenly there was a surprising announcement. Jeff Kaplan thanked all the fans who had been so interested in following this “exciting” stream and prepared to officially announce the 27th hero of Overwatch. What happened next can be seen in this short clip:
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Apparently, this “stream error” is a small Christmas troll from Blizzard. However, some players in the community believe that hidden messages are contained in the visual glitches and that one can actually learn more about the next Overwatch hero.
Just a Christmas Prank?
Whether Jeff Kaplan really announced “Hero Number 27” in the Christmas stream will likely be revealed in a few weeks, when there are more hints or an actual announcement.
Until then, hardcore fans of the Sombra ARG, which has been going on for several months, will have to gnaw at this cryptic message.
Which hero could be the next in Overwatch is currently still completely unclear. On Reddit, some fans speculate that it should obviously be “Rocket-Cat” since there is milk visible in the stream.
What do you think of this action? A funny way to tease the community a bit? Or should one not raise hopes for a new hero with such “tricks” at Christmas?
Currently, things are not looking good for Destiny 2. It seems to be becoming a new hobby to take shots at Bungie and the cash shop. Bungie announces that they want to talk. However, this will not be enough, according to our author Schuhmann. Bungie now needs to break out of the cycle they have gotten themselves into.
At present, even the greatest defenders and optimists are struggling to remain positive. The reason is a nightmarish cycle that Bungie has fallen into:
They mess up something, it comes to light, they apologize for it, and then they mess up the next thing just a few days later.
Bungie is a worthy target for anyone who is critical of commercialization in gaming
This has happened so often that Bungie currently resembles a pinata filled with candy, which everyone loves to hit hard. Bungie represents an easy and attractive target for anyone who wants to engage critically with the growing commercialization in gaming. And that is a lot of people.
The underlying direction of the criticism is clear and grateful: An actually fantastic studio that has become corrupt and is now only greedy and foolish, completely deaf to the voices of the players.
Bungie has been desperately trying to distance itself from this image in the past weeks, such as through clear messages in the podcast. There, they critically reflected on the EXP fiasco: “We came off as greedy idiots here.” But such an apology does not work when the next action again comes off as greedy and foolish.
A cycle of failure
Bungie’s downfall will likely be that all content ideas and decisions had been prepared months in advance, and now they cannot change course in time.
While they are still apologizing for the mistakes made with the “fake EXP system”, the Curse of Osiris comes in and locks out non-buyers of the content. Hardly have they apologized for that, when the Dawning event takes place and turns out to be way too cash shop-heavy. Now they cannot apologize for that because the year is ending and they are going on winter break: 2017 ends on a catastrophic note for Destiny.
All of this creates a dreadful image in the public eye: Bungie actually stands as “greedy”. Bungie seems unable to break this cycle.
The pent-up anger of fans is currently expressed in a forum campaign. Players are demanding “RemoveEverse”, Bungie should abolish the cash shop completely.
However, one cannot expect much reaction now that Bungie is going on winter break.
But they did respond to this criticism. On December 23, a tweet from Game Director Christopher Barrett stated among other things that they hear the player feedback regarding Eververse. They want players to feel respected and deliver great game content to them.
Players should expect a lot of discussions with the developer team after the turn of the year.
This is once again the “old strategy” of appeasement and announcing a dialogue that has already been attempted in recent weeks. However, it is clear that this hardly penetrates anymore. Players have heard this too often.
Given the current situation, it seems completely open how Bungie will actually react to this predicament. Perhaps a radical step is indeed necessary here, which also has symbolic character and sets a clear signal.
However, such a step does not fit Bungie and the way they usually deal with problems.
Community tired of exhausting discussions
Currently, the surrounding issues of Destiny 2 overshadow the game itself. This is not a pleasant situation and could indeed harm the franchise sustainably.
It is mainly a discussion that wears everyone down and annoys many. There is a rift in the community between those who want to talk about these issues and those who want to ignore them.
Even critical fans and content creators would prefer different topics than this ongoing negative cycle. But the longer it lasts, the harder it will be to break through it.
Let’s hope Bungie makes the right decisions by the end of the year and that discussions about Destiny 2 will take on a different tone and direction in 2018 than in the past few months. It is currently difficult to be a fan of Destiny 2.
A new video shows that the WoW legend Leeroy Jenkins was just a fake – at least in a way.
Whether you have played World of Warcraft yourself or just heard about it, almost every player knows Leeroy Jenkins. The shout of the name has simply become a symbol for “No long talking, just do it” – even when one has no idea about the current situation.
Leeroy became so famous that he not only received his own character as a follower in World of Warcraft, but also got his own Hearthstone card and took on a prominent role in the trailer for “The League of Explorers”.
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But the video is fake. Nearly 10 years later, the YouTube user “Anf Pal” uploaded a video showing the guild PALS FOR LIFE practicing the Leeroy clip.
The die-hard fans have long known that the original “Leeroy” action was staged, as the calculation of the “success probability” with a chance of 33.33% seems more than just suspicious.
Nevertheless, it’s nice that such a piece of “Internet history” still comes up after many years.
By the way, Anf Pal uploaded the video to generate more attention for the topic of net neutrality. This attempt doesn’t seem really successful, as the comments only include numerous users stating that “their whole life was a lie”.
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According to the guild PALS FOR LIFE, the dragon action with Leeroy was a fact. The incident really happened, but since nobody recorded the kamikaze action at the time, the guild members decided to recreate the whole thing. The video now published is just the “first take”, which they were not satisfied with.
Did you always know that the whole Leeroy action was just a “fake”? Or did you just find out now?
The MMORPG Revelation Online from My.com received a new update called “Ocean View!” In this update, you can build a luxury villa on a deserted island, furnish it with colorful decor, and invite friends to extravagant fashion duels.
The online role-playing game Revelation Online is already famous for its extravagant housing options. Recently, you could move into an apartment located inside the shell of a living and crawling giant tortoise.
However, the new digs in the game aren’t quite that extravagant. Rather, the new house offers you decent luxury and colorful decoration.
The great housing island fun
With the Ocean View! update, you can build a luxury villa on a tropical island. However, the luxury doesn’t come for free. First, you need to upgrade your old digs in the “Faery Inn” to “Wealth Level 4.” Only then can you acquire the wood for the new dwelling.
Once you have finished building the new villa, you can throw wild parties there and show off your many outfits. Additionally, there is the newly introduced feature of dressing rooms. You can purchase them in three different sizes and display all your outfits there.
This is ideal for hosting large fashion shows. Because in Revelation Online, as in many MMOs, the “fashion game” is a form of endgame.
The Christmas event in Nuanor
During Christmas time, there is a fitting event in Revelation Online for the holiday. And as in many other MMOs, in the world of Nuanor rogues have stolen the Christmas gifts! Who does something so mean?! Hunt down the thieves and take back the gifts. But keep in mind that the thieves will flee 20 seconds after your first attack!
Less warlike individuals prefer to collect the snowflakes that are scattered everywhere. You can exchange these snowflakes with the Christmas envoy “Marie Püree” (yes, that’s really her name!) for goodies. She is collecting special snowflakes.
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Additionally, there is a new Christmas dungeon where you can fight bears and earn special tickets. You can also exchange these tickets with Marie for loot. Finally, you can find and assemble Christmas treasure maps. This way, you will ultimately discover a great treasure!
With the Curse of Osiris, new exotic weapons and armors have arrived in Destiny 2. What can the exotic weapon Crimson do? How do you get it? And how does the weapon perform in the Crucible?
The new hand cannon Crimson not only has visual similarities with an exotic pulse rifle from Destiny 1 – the Red Death. In fact, there are also similarities in the weapon’s perks with another pulse rifle from the predecessor, namely Bad Juju.
Sounds too good to be true? We take a detailed look at the weapon to see if it meets the high expectations and how Crimson performs in the Crucible.
How to Obtain the Hand Cannon “Crimson”
As with many exotic armors and weapons in Destiny 2, you are relying on your luck. The following sources can drop the hand cannon as a reward:
Public Events (Completing them heroically increases your chances)
Weekly Milestones
The Nightfall Strike
The Trials of the Nine
The Leviathan Raid including the new raid lair
Xur sells the hand cannon
You can increase your chances with a Fireteam Medallion or the new item “Three of Coins,” which increases the drop chances of an exotic engram from all sources by 50%.
These are the Perks of Crimson
Not only does the design remind players of the Red Death known from Destiny 1, but the perks also hint at who the spiritual predecessor of the hand cannon is.
Impact and stability of the weapon are almost maxed out. The range is good, and the handling and reload speed of the weapon are average, but at a good level for hand cannons.
The spiritual predecessor of Crimson: The Red Death
The weapon’s magazine holds 24 rounds. It’s important to note that the weapon fires bursts of 3 shots, allowing you to effectively pull the trigger eight times before the weapon needs to be reloaded.
At least in theory, because the exotic perk of the weapon allows you to fire continuously under certain circumstances – without having to reload:
Perk 1 – This weapon fires bursts of 3 shots
Perk 2 – Smallbore: Increased range and stability from a moderate barrel
Perk 3 – Fluted Barrel: Increases range (increases distance)
Exotic Perk – Kills with this weapon heal the shooter; precision kills refill the magazine
Perk 4 – Heavy Grip: This grip improves recoil control, increases stability, reduces weapon readiness speed
The exotic perks of the weapon include some of the benefits of Red Death and Bad Juju (unfortunately, like Bad Juju, the Super is not replenished). How does the weapon perform in practice?
This is how Crimson performs in PvE
The weapon’s perks allow for an aggressive playstyle. Every kill heals you, and with precision kills, the magazine is also refilled. Classes that do not have their own health regeneration abilities will be pleased with this weapon.
Even Hunters, who potentially have a lower recovery rate compared to the other classes, benefit greatly from this weapon.
Those playing as Warlocks with the Voidwalker subclass and Hunger effects can restore their health with the Withdraw effect. Combined with Crimson, Warlocks may find it hard to die.
Crimson is perfect for larger groups of enemies, which need to be eliminated quickly; for boss fights, you should use another weapon.
This is how Crimson performs in the Crucible
Even though Crimson is a hand cannon, it plays like a pulse rifle due to the bursts. The weapon deals the following damage in the Crucible:
21 damage for headshots; if the entire burst hits the head, that results in 63 damage points
Body shots deal 16 damage; if an entire burst hits the body, that results in 48 damage points
Enemy Guardians with a resilience value of 1 can thus be eliminated with three bursts to the head. This is a theoretical value; hitting three bursts critically is extremely challenging.
The magazine could refill on kills, just like Bad Juju!
With a resilience value of 5, enemies can be eliminated with four bursts to the body. The great advantage of the weapon in the Crucible is health regeneration. After a kill, you can immediately turn to another enemy. 1vs2 situations become much easier to handle.
However, the range has been noted negatively by many players. Although the value of 62 is decent, many Guardians report that the weapon is only effective at the ranges of hand cannons.
So if you’re a big fan of hand cannons, you should rather opt for alternatives like the Better Devil or the Old Fashioned to have better chances at effective ranges.
Have you tried Crimson yet? How do you like the weapon?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The developers of Overwatch are getting generous. For Christmas, five special loot boxes are waiting for you to grab now!
Christmas is not only celebrated in the familiar circle of family, but also in various virtual realities, where holiday spirit reigns. Currently, there is the Winter Wonderland event in Overwatch, where players can earn special loot boxes.
Since yesterday Christmas Eve (December 24, 2018), players have reported that they were suddenly blessed with five additional loot boxes that appeared out of nowhere in their accounts.
Logging in grants Overwatch players 5 event loot boxes
To get the loot boxes, one only needs to log into Overwatch, and the 5 Winter Wonderland loot boxes should end up in the inventory. If that doesn’t work, it may also help to complete any match. Sooner or later, the corresponding message will appear, announcing that the loot boxes have landed in the inventory.
How long the 5 loot boxes will be available for free is not known. So it is advisable to log in soon, lest Santa Claus take the 5 loot boxes back home.
Those who haven’t pulled the right items from the 5 Winter Wonderland loot boxes still have until January 1, 2018, to earn more loot boxes in the game or buy the Winter Wonderland loot boxes directly from the shop. Then the Winter event ends, and the special items can only be snagged again next year.
What did you have in your Christmas gift loot boxes? Was the long-awaited Legendary finally included? Or were there “only” 16 white and 5 blue items that you never wanted?
