In Overwatch, one of the core systems is being overhauled. The movement of the heroes is being changed on a large scale!
In Overwatch, minor changes to gameplay mechanics are part of everyday life. Every now and then, individual abilities are modified, but the developers usually leave the major “core systems” of the game alone. Until now.
In the latest patch on the PTR, the developers are making significant changes. The entire character movement system is being reworked. While most players likely won’t notice a change here, professionals and frequent players will certainly be able to observe some effects.
According to Jeff Kaplan, movement on the ground should be much “more consistent” than before. The problem was that heroes experienced a change in their movement speed on slopes (such as stairs). Additionally, the “strafing”—moving sideways on a slope—caused characters to not move in a straight line, but instead veer slightly forward or backward.
The flying heroes benefit!
Furthermore, heroes will be better controlled in the air. For example, Winston can make small adjustments during his jetpack jump, but all other heroes who are often in the air (Pharah, Mercy, Junkrat, Doomfist, etc.) will benefit from these changes and be able to steer more accurately.
New movement already bugs some maps
The new system has already led to a first bug on the PTR. The different maps where players start in an “Overwatch landing ship” were no longer playable. Heroes could not leave the landing ship and were magically pushed back into the spawn area.
The fix for this is already in the works and will surely be implemented before the patch goes live.
There is no release date for the next patch yet; however, it is likely to be after the Christmas and holiday period. So at the earliest in the second week of 2018.
For Honor does not hold back when it comes to blood and violence. Accordingly, the executions depicted in the game are quite stunning. One of them was removed shortly after its release a month ago. When it reappeared in the game yesterday, it had been toned down – which dissatisfied the fans. It’s not about blood, but rather a spicy detail.
The focus of the change is the execution emote of the Valkyrie. The name “No touching” already indicates the direction: In the original emote, the opponent accidentally touches the Valkyrie’s breasts while stumbling. The Valkyrie then shows even less mercy, kneeing the opponent in the groin and executing them rigorously.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
This emote was removed from For Honor again after a short time. Was it due to a bug? Or did someone sense a hint of “Rape Fiction” and report it? The rumor mill was churning.
It is not without a certain unintended comedy. The animation and reaction were designed around the breast touching. Now something seems to be missing. Many players are not pleased with the change.
As can be read on Steam and on Reddit, many are “disappointed” and find it a shame that “everything funny is gradually being removed from the game.” Especially since the game does not shy away from violence in any aspect and double entendres are not uncommon.
This is the “new, toned down” execution:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
“The original animation simply featured inappropriate behavior between the Valkyrie and her opponent. We felt it was insensitive and therefore changed it. Unfortunately, the execution was hastily implemented into the game and we only noticed the mistake after an hour. In the future, we will pay more attention to ensure that such insensitive content does not reappear.”
“Touching breasts” is forbidden – “Kneeing in the groin” is allowed?
Guddy thinks: Is it worse to accidentally touch a breast than to intentionally knee someone in the groin? Especially since we are still talking about an execution; the opponent is going to suffer anyway.
The women in For Honor can defend themselves just as well as their male counterparts. An animation like before the change does not make them weaker or the game itself sexist.
I find the change a bit unfortunate. If anything, I would have removed the knee to the groin. The poor man (or alternatively the poor woman) is already hanging in the ropes. And it is also nice to see when such behavior is punished. Even though technically one should rather not resort to the axe …
What do you think of the change? Are you as outraged as the Reddit users?
Something seems to have gone wrong: For an hour, players had the opportunity to access the test servers of Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode – and they have interesting reports to share!
It’s no longer a secret: Epic plans a complete overhaul of the shooting behavior of weapons in Fortnite, with a special focus on the Battle Royale mode.
Recently, it was announced that access to the test servers with the appropriate configurations will only be released in early 2018. That didn’t go quite well, the test server was accessible to all players for about an hour – and testers are reporting exciting things from there!
These are the changes Epic plans for weapons
Many players have been frustrated for a while now about the Bloom mechanic in Fortnite: Battle Royale, which adds a random factor to the fights, thus downplaying the skill of the individual player.
A simple removal of the Bloom mechanic would mean that the winner of gunfights will often be the player who saw the opponent first. Without Bloom, it’s much easier to take down the opponent. The player who lands the first shot has the advantage.
For this reason, further adjustments are necessary to give all contenders the same chances. The following measures from Epic are conceivable:
Reduction of Aim Assist – The aim assistance provides a magnet effect on the opponent – making them easier to hit. Aim Assist is a useful tool, especially on consoles.
Increase in weapon recoil behavior – Increased recoil means that players must constantly readjust their weapons to continue hitting the opponent.
Damage drop-off over range – Currently, weapons cause the same damage at any range. Individual damage drop-offs for each weapon would make tactical considerations in gunfights much more significant.
The particular challenge with all these measures is to consider the platform. It is significantly easier to aim with a mouse and keyboard than with a controller’s joystick. Typically, there is no aim assist on PCs. Epic must be able to balance PCs and consoles separately.
Players had at least for an hour the opportunity to test a first round of adjustments. This action was not intended; Epic has since locked access to the test server again. However, this did not stop players from sharing their experiences on Reddit.
While PC players mostly react positively to the changes, the situation on consoles is more mixed. Specifically, players have noticed the following changes:
Aim Assist has been dramatically reduced
The recoil behavior, especially with automatic rifles, has been drastically changed. The vertical kick of the weapons is significantly more pronounced than before
A damage drop-off over range has been introduced, which even means that headshots with sniper rifles are no longer deadly at certain distances
A few players report that weapons of any rarity now deal the same damage. A legendary automatic rifle now deals the same damage as a common one.
For PC players, the changes are much more manageable due to the mouse and keyboard control than for the controller players. The immense recoil of automatic rifles is specifically a headache.
Removal of Bloom has been positively highlighted. Shots hit where they are supposed to; the random factor has been removed. Fortnite now feels like a real shooter.
Epic responds to player feedback
Epic once again proves that they react promptly to feedback and announces on Reddit that the activation of the test servers was a mistake. None of the mechanics noted by players are final, they stick to the schedule, to announce more details in early 2018.
When asked whether Epic will incorporate player feedback into future plans, a representative from Epic responded that they are carefully monitoring the feedback and emphasized that even an unwanted test provides data that Epic can analyze afterward.
Robert thinks: Even though the insights gained from the short access time and the early stage of the test servers are not very representative, one thing is certain: There will be profound changes to Fortnite’s gunplay.
Epic has a balancing act ahead of them. The removal of the Bloom mechanic must be offset. The reduction of Aim Assist and the much more noticeable recoil of the weapons will widen the skill gap between players.
Epic must ensure that the changes do not lead to frustration among some players, as this could have mid-term effects on player numbers. However, I am convinced that Epic will succeed, as their close relationship with the community and consideration of player feedback is a great strength of the developer, which will pay off with such changes.
What do you think? Do you welcome the changes or do you view them skeptically?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The League of Legends champion “Teemo” is supposedly getting a game centered around him. Developer Riot Games is already working on it.
Rumors about a new title from the League of Legends developers, Riot Games, have been around for a long time. However, there was nothing tangible until now. A name of a game that apparently revolves entirely around the little scout Teemo has now been revealed.
Teemo’s Adventure – Successor to League of Legends?
The expert on the Asian gaming market, Daniel Ahmad, found a new entry from Riot Games on a list of “approved games for sale in China.”
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The game is called “Teemo’s Adventure” and is supposed to be developed by Riot Games and Tencent. It is expected to be a game that will only be released for PC. So far, this entry seems to be only for a release in China. We are curious whether there will be any official information about it soon.
Teemo is a champion from the popular MOBA “League of Legends” and has a mixed reputation among fans. Some love him for being so cute, yet still a dangerous opponent in battle. Others simply hate him for… well, actually for the same reasons.
So, are we about to expect an exciting adventure with little Teemo soon? We’re excited!
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
During the Winter Veil festival in World of Warcraft, you can easily make gold – even in 2017. With Ice Cold Milk, Small Eggs, Gingerbread, and Mounts from Wild Gifts, you can quickly acquire the precious metal!
During the holidays, there are limited-time events in WoW. Just that alone makes experienced WoW economic experts raise alarm bells. Where there are restrictions, there are items that hold a higher value.
The Winter Veil festival of Azeroth also offers several opportunities to rake in gold. While the removal of the Elixir of the Blitzdenker has made this more difficult, it is not impossible! With two methods, you can still snag some coins.
In the culinary arts, there are four ways to acquire gold:
Ice Cold Milk
Holiday Spices
Small Eggs
Gingerbread
The last two are either tied to farming work or investments, while the other two rely on players’ laziness.
The easiest method to earn gold during the Winter Veil festival is to buy Ice Cold Milk and Holiday Spices from merchants. These are available for just a few copper coins each: Milk from any innkeeper, spices from all Gnomish traders.
In the auction house, however, you can demand a multiple of that (depending on server size). The profit is only a few copper or silver coins, but it becomes profitable with volume.
Beating Drake Hawks and Collecting Small Eggs!
The somewhat more difficult way is to farm Small Eggs. You can best obtain these from Wild Drake Hawks in the Immersang Forest or from Large Flesh Rippers in Westfall. Each egg sells in the auction house for up to several gold pieces.
If you are able to cook, and it is worthwhile on your server, you can bake Gingerbread directly from the eggs and sell them in bundles of 5.
The reason for the popularity of these items is the quest “Delicious Treats for Old Father Winter,” which must be completed every year during the festival in Orgrimmar/Ironforge. However, many players do not plan or are lazy, and the auction house is closer than the next innkeeper, so they are happy to drop a few coins for other players.
The Garrison: Grumpus’ Servant in Wild Gifts
A somewhat time-consuming method of gold farming is the Garrison, introduced with Warlords of Draenor. Every character with a level 3 Garrison can complete daily quests here, which offer up to 5 “Festive Supplies” as a reward.
With these supplies, you can buy decorations and other items from Izzy Firecracker in the center of your Garrison. More importantly, you also receive Wild Gifts from the Goblin lady.
Until recently, you could also obtain Elixirs of the Blitzdenker from these, which was the main source of income. However, since they have been removed, there is now only one reward that is important to you: The Servant of Grumpus.
This epic mount is the rarest item in the gifts. If you complete all quests with all available characters and collect the gifts every day, you may have some of these creatures in your inventory with a bit of luck.
Then it is time to wait. Because holiday mounts sell best after a while, when fewer people are offering them.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Blizzard is looking for new employees. Is the next “Grand Theft Auto: Omnic Crisis” coming our way? Or is it the Diablo action MMO?
Every now and then, Blizzard posts job advertisements seeking developers with very specific skills. Fans have already suspected in recent months that a Diablo game in first-person perspective is being worked on.
According to the latest job posting, Blizzard is looking for a “Gameplay Engineer to help create vehicles and build features for handling vehicles within a solid first-person engine. The perfect candidate has extensive experience in vehicle handling and is also familiar with other game systems such as physics, animations, and camera.”
It seems rather unlikely that Blizzard actually wants to create a pure racing game, as the description indicates that the vehicles are meant to be just “part of a first-person world.”
Junkrat as a racing driver? Who else but him?
“Racing game” in the Overwatch universe?
After all, the job listing allows for plenty of speculation. Vehicles in a Diablo universe seem rather unlikely, and in the setting of Warcraft, many bizarre mount creatures are used. Only Overwatch, as a futuristic vision of the real world, seems to be an acceptable candidate for a “first-person world” with vehicles.
Whether we will actually see a single-player Overwatch with driving elements from Blizzard in the coming years or if it will rather turn out to be a “GTA” in Overwatch style remains to be seen. However, with a release still expected this decade, it is not to be expected with Blizzard’s usual development time.
What do you think, which franchise is Blizzard looking for a developer for? Will it be a new MMO? Or after many years, is Blizzard attempting to try its hand at a solo title again?
In Destiny 2 today, on December 19th, is the Weekly Reset. New activities are coming, such as the Nightfall strike and the Flashpoint.
In the Destiny 2 universe, a major event is taking place today: It is going to snow! Starting at 6 PM, right on time for the Weekly Reset, the kickoff for the Dawning – the winter event that will accompany us in the coming weeks, will take place.
During the Dawning, there are new activities to play and new loot to earn – especially cosmetic items. We have gathered all the information about this event here:
Ikora Rey has a Dawning quest as well as the meditations Six, Cycle, and Tree of Probabilities.
Tess Everis sells ornaments for the Lion’s Roar, Risky Business, and Unrelenting Lion for Glimmer. Additionally, she offers the emotes Shuffle Dance and Good Idea. Furthermore, she sells Dawning items for Glimmer, like the Dawning armor chest piece, an exotic Sparrow named Holiday Cheer, as well as a ship, a ghost shell, an emote, a teleport effect, and a winter shader pack.
Remember that now all vendors have a selection of legendary items that you can purchase for shards and the corresponding tokens.
By the way: Yesterday, on December 18th, the first webcomic for Destiny 2 went live. This contains a code with which you can obtain a secret emblem. All details here:
Ark Park is set to be a spin-off of the survival game Ark: Survival Evolved, focusing entirely on Virtual Reality. Initially, it was stated that the virtual Jurassic Park would be available for Playstation VR in December 2017. However, that is no longer the case.
If you prefer to take down dinos rather than cuddle them, you can venture into the “Hunting Grounds” and confront the ancient creatures with weapons.
However, it seems that all this dino fun won’t be happening this year.
Developer Snail Games won’t make the release in December
According to developer Snail Games from China, the release of Ark Park for Playstation VR in December 2017 is canceled. The game is still under development and not ready for release in December.
Rather, it will take at least until Spring 2018 before one can expect Ark Park. They want to release the game only when it is finished. However, they are very happy that so many players are eagerly waiting for the project and do not want to disappoint them.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Players have started a first war in the online space game No Man’s Sky – and this, despite the fact that there is actually no real multiplayer cooperation.
In No Man’s Sky, player-created civilizations exist, such as the Galactic Hub and the United Federation of Travelers, as well as the Empire of Hova. Players join together outside the game and organize a kind of roleplay via private messages and forums.
The organizations Amino Hub and Galactic Hub wanted to hold Olympic Games in No Man’s Sky, where participants were to achieve various goals. But there was a dispute over details.
Dispute Leads to Revenge
The Amino Hub took this dispute as an opportunity to create chaos. When the developer studio Hello Games distributed messages about the so-called Unification Day in the game, which acts as a kind of holiday, some player civilizations wanted to use this occasion to actually celebrate.
However, Amino Hub wanted to use this holiday to implement their revenge plan. Amino and their allies, the Vestroga Hub, sowed discord between several civilizations.
The First War in the Game
Threats and intrigues against other player organizations eventually led to a vote among the players, through which Vestroga, the allies of Amino, were excluded from the community and lost all privileges.
This was exploited by the Empire of Hova to launch a devastating strike against Vestroga. They attacked the planets of the Empire by exploring planets in the empire’s star realm that had not yet been discovered and thus adding them to their own realm. This cut off all routes for the Empire. As an additional provocation, they named these systems “Empire of Hova” or “The Destruction of Vestroga.”
By having a player stay on a planet and establish a base there, only their base is displayed. Even if another has already established a base there. Only the most recent one counts. The old base is thus “overwritten.” The Empire of Hova did everything to ensure that the “occupied Vestroganers” had a hard time in their space.
This led to all players from Vestroga eventually leaving the planets and the organization dissolving. Thus, the “war” completely wiped out a civilization.
The Old Gods in World of Warcraft rise again. Patch 7.3.5 brings the dark visions of a cultist.
The Patch 7.3.5 of World of Warcraft is currently on the test server and will bridge the gap between “Legion” and “Battle for Azeroth”. More and more details are coming to light, revealing information about upcoming events.
Those who will quest in Silithus in the next patch may encounter the rare mob Ogmot the Mad, who has as loot a small book in his inventory, the Visions of Ogmot the Steadfast.
The entries resemble a diary, the ogre converted to the Cult of the Shadowhammer and seemingly afflicted with visions and whispers of the Old Gods. Many of the diary entries are cryptic and hard to interpret, while others allow for only one interpretation.
“Last night, I dreamed of two armadas clashing upon a sea of blood. Shadows writhing beneath, rising, rising. I smiled in my sleep.”
Here, players seem to agree that it refers to the conflict between Horde and Alliance being fought upon the sea. Beneath the sea lies the last Old God, N’Zoth, who feeds on the death of mortals – the war will empower N’Zoth further.
“Today the smoke from my campfire rose and took on forms. A shepherdess, shrouded in the shadows of her past, loved by a herd of blind sheep. She led them over a cliff. Even as they crashed against the rocks, they never doubted her. The crows grew fat on the flesh of the sheep. Their laughter was everywhere.”
Sylvanas could be the shepherdess here, steering her sheep, the Horde, into great misfortune. But Jaina is also a potential candidate, as it has long been suspected that she has succumbed to madness.
“The Eye of the Blade watches all. Why do you not see this? The first of his lies has been presented. Bound by a throne? No… unbound. The next will come soon.”
Here it gets interesting. The “Eye of the Blade” could refer either to the sword of Sargeras, which is embedded in Silithus, or to the weapon of the shadow priests, Xal’atath – a weapon of the Old Gods.
The “first lie” clearly refers to the three lies that were already prophesied by Il’gynoth. Apparently, the first one has been spoken by now, suggesting that Anduin (if he is the “liar”) will soon provide a good reason for the war.
“A group of cultists has appeared. Do they understand my blessing? My greatness? They speak of Argus. Of the one who was awakened. Of the victory that went unnoticed. I shared my visions, but the Thin One only laughed. I do not like them.”
“The stars stare down. I must hide from their gaze. The dagger spoke the truth. It has been too long since I drowned. Do not leave me, master!”
Again, there is mention of a dagger, as well as “stars” and “drowning”. Il’gynoth whispered back then that one must “drown in the circle of stars to find him” – it is probably talking about the Old God N’Zoth.
“Awakened by their screams. Gripped by their whispers. A blessing of the masters. I finally understand! A door. A path. Ours. Ours. Fool! The circle has awakened us all!”
Once again, words are repeated that have already been known from Il’gynoth. The boss in the Nightmare spoke of “5 torches that will serve as a path” and “A circle that will soon be complete.” That Ogmot is reiterating all these things makes it increasingly likely that Blizzard has very precise plans regarding the journey on Azeroth with the Old Gods.
Overall, the diary entries seem to clearly indicate that the great conflicts of Battle for Azeroth will only serve to empower the Old Gods with new strength.
What do you think of such diaries that leave much room for interpretation? An unnecessary “spoiler” in the game or a cool way to let the future of WoW seep through?
Christmas in GTA 5 Online brings cool new content like the Ubermacht Sentinel Classic. But when does the snow come?
The developers of GTA 5 Online released new Christmas content today on December 19. This includes a new car based on an old BMW model. New masks and clothing will get you into the holiday spirit as you race through Los Santos and crash into the NPCs.
But this is not all the Christmas content for the game. Players are eagerly waiting for the white magic – and we’re not talking about the products from the cocaine lab.
Ubermacht Sentinel Classic – Old BMW in GTA 5
If you log into GTA 5 Online now, you can buy the Ubermacht Sentinel Classic at Southern San Andreas Super Autos for a mere 650,000 GTA dollars. The car resembles a BMW E30: A real eye-catcher for car fans.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
With the car, you won’t break any speed records or keep up with supercars. However, there are many options for tuning the Sentinel Classic to match your preferences visually.
Additionally, there is a wide selection of festive masks and suits that you can put on your online characters. Some of these clothing items are rather strange and evoke more fear than holiday joy. You can see an example in the following tweet:
In your accommodations (houses, offices, hangars, Mobile Command Centers), you will also find colorful lights and decorated Christmas trees. Just one thing is missing.
GTA Online Snow 2017 – When will it finally snow?
In recent years, the developers have sweetened the Christmas season for GTA 5 Online players with snowfall. Snow fell on the large online map, covering the streets with the white powder that invited drifting everywhere.
Players were also able to throw snowballs at other characters and have fun snowball fights. We currently do not know when the snowfall will start this year. But with the new Sentinel Classic, it will surely be fun to drift around the corners on the slippery surface.
The current content of the FestiveSurprise in GTA 5 Online is showcased by GTA Series Videos:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The winter event is approaching in the action game For Honor and brings a new 2v2 melee mode, the Ice Melee.
It will be freezing cold this winter, as the frost winds blow in For Honor. Starting from December 21, you can participate in the Frost Winds event, where a new game mode awaits you with the Ice Melee. It is a 2v2 melee mode that takes place on thin ice.
Thin Ice and Rewards
While you fight each other, you must pay attention to where you step. Because the ice can give way at any moment and bring you an ignoble end.
As part of the Frost Winds event, it is possible to unlock winter rewards. These include combat outfits, new weapons, mood effects, emotes, and much more. You can earn these items not only by proving yourself in the Ice Melee. Every game mode will grant you rewards during the event period.
Get the winter package
The Frost Winds event runs until January 4, 2018. Starting December 28, a package containing all winter-specific items will also be available. The contents of the package change dynamically based on the items you possess. A new video shows you how the Ice Melee works in For Honor.
PUBG – Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds offers at the launch of the 1.0 update the replay feature and a killcam. These are two quite nice features that help you dive deeper into the action, reflect on your own playstyle, and create some damn entertaining videos.
The new feature was implemented a few days ago on the PC test servers and with version 1.0 it will also be available at release. Even now, some players on the test servers are starting to make small videos. Because the replay feature can do quite a lot!
All You Need to Know About the Replay Feature
Automatically everything within a 1km radius is recorded
During the replay, you can look around in the 3D world and view the events from any angle and perspective.
Up to 20 replays can be saved.
As Killcam it records everything that happens around the victim at the moment of their virtual heart stop.
It can be played in slow motion.
This way you can visually track other players afterwards, learn the circumstances of your death, better uncover cheaters, and create those videos. The 3D technology behind it comes from the Korean company Minkonet.
Moving Images
The videos already cover many genres and tastes. First, an artistic video about the Red Zones, accompanied by suitable music:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Atmospheric PUBG is showcased in the video “Beauty of Miramar”. It feels like a clip from Breaking Bad. Especially with the knowledge that behind the cheerful music and beautiful images, a dirty world full of explosions and frying pans is hidden.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Today, on December 19th, The Dawning in Destiny 2 begins. At what time does the Dawning start and what do I need to know about the winter event?
Update 18:05: Requirements are: You must have completed the story campaign and be character level 20.
Update 18:10: Tess Everis has a gift for you, a Dawning Engram. You should also go to Ikora Rey. She has a Dawning quest for you. Right next to Ikora, there are gifts. There you will find a “Gift Image: Rahool”. You need to collect engrams and defeat the Taken. Only legendary and exotic engrams count. Once you have done that, Rahool, the Cryptarch, will give you a gift. Such gift quests can be completed once per day and per character. You can gift different NPCs daily.
Update 18:25: The Witch’s Cauldron is a separate PvP playlist in the Crucible. You must play it to complete Ikora’s Dawning quest.
The weather forecast promises snow today in the Destiny universe. Because the “The Dawning” event starts.
Bungie has now announced the precise start time:
On December 19th at 6 PM our time, the Dawning begins. So at the weekly reset.
On January 9, 2018, the Dawning ends. Again at the weekly reset at 6 PM.
The content of the Dawning event
For three weeks, winter reigns in Destiny 2. During this time, you will find some new features in the game to celebrate your Light:
The Tower and the Farm will be festively decorated. It will snow, there will be lights, and a Christmas atmosphere will prevail:
Snowball fights: Snowballs will be distributed everywhere. In the Tower and the Farm, you can throw them at your friends. In Strikes, you can throw them at enemies to temporarily stun them and deal significant damage.
Mayhem returns: “Mayhem” is the Witch’s Cauldron PvP game mode that many Destiny veterans will remember. In the Crucible’s Witch’s Cauldron, abilities recharge faster, allowing you to unleash one Super after another. This leads to chaos – but you are celebrating your Light during the event.
Dawning milestones: Each week, you can complete a milestone for a Dawning Engram. This milestone leads you to the Witch’s Cauldron or Strikes.
There will be new consumables that reward all players you play with in Strikes or PvP matches with bonuses:
There will be new Dawning items, with Tess Everis updating her stock every week so you can buy them for Glimmer.
Over the course of the three event weeks, she will haveevery Dawning Exotic (ships, Ghost shells, Sparrows, emotes) and every Dawning armor piece on offer. Here you see the Dawning armor pieces:
Gifts: In the Tower’s Bazaar, you can pick up a “Gift Image”. Then travel to the worlds to create a gift that you can then give to a vendor. In return, you will receive a gift from them. A gift can be created each day of the event.
Hockey: Instead of soccer, you will probably play hockey. Bungie released this image:
Are you joining us?
We will update this article today from 6 PM and cover the most important unknowns live.
Update 17:30: Bungie announced that starting from 6 PM, you first need to fly into orbit to see the winter version of the Tower or the Farm if you are already in the game before 6 PM. You may need to try this multiple times. For further updates see above in the article.
A bored player calculated the average sizes of the genitalia of all races in World of Warcraft.
World of Warcraft has a detailed background story, but there are a few knowledge gaps. And there are players who are willing to invest a lot of time to fill these gaps. Thus, the player and theory crafter Leggerless painstakingly calculated the genital sizes of all races in World of Warcraft and published them in detailed charts on his blog and on Reddit.
For Science!
To arrive at his results, Leggerless used a formula based on the typical body size of the respective races. He took the average height of a human male as the basis for the penis sizes. He then used the typical size of an erect penis to determine the “erection percentage,” which is the relative size of the penis compared to the rest of the body.
Leggerless was then able to apply this calculation basis to all other races. This led him to the average sizes among the different races. The Tauren rank highest with average genital sizes of 19.70 cm, while Gnomes barely reach around 7 cm and clearly fall short.
Leggerless also considered the female beings and calculated charts for the dimensions of vaginas based on his penis calculations. Here too, the Tauren are at the top.
However, Leggerless states that scientifically speaking, genital sizes do not necessarily correlate with body size. But it would be a good foundation to gain a general overview.
You can find the detailed charts from Leggerless in the sources mentioned.
By the way, Leggerless seems to have a penchant for this subject. He also calculated the breast sizes of all races in Final Fantasy XIV. On his blog, he also deals with various family-friendly, rather niche topics in the MMO world, such as the different time zones or linguistic subtleties. He seems to be someone who wants to explore the fictional worlds to the depths where no one has gone before.
The publisher of the shooter LawBreakers (PC, PS4) is disappointed with the game’s sales figures. Nexon attributes this to reasons such as strong competition from Overwatch, PUBG, or Destiny 2, but also to their own lack of experience with such a title.
The head of Nexon America, Jungsoo Lee, gave an interview to the Korean gaming site Inven. It covered numerous topics, including the shooter LawBreakers. Nexon released it in the West and is disappointed with its sales figures.
Not enough experience with paid games
Efforts were made to promote LawBreakers, but the results were “unsatisfactory” and they felt disappointed with the outcome.
However, LawBreakers is an important game for Nexon: it is the first game for PlayStation that Nexon America has released. They learned a lot from marketing for a Western audience.
One problem identified is that LawBreakers did not release at the right time. Overwatch and PUBG are the bestsellers in the genre. Other titles like Quake Champions, Destiny 2, and Call of Duty: WW2 are also popular.
The failure of LawBreakers is not due to the game itself, but they faced some disadvantages because they lacked experience in releasing a paid game. LawBreakers was originally supposed to be released in 2016, but it was postponed to improve the game. Ultimately, they unfortunately could not compete with games like Call of Duty or Destiny 2.
Furthermore, LawBreakers is not a game for Steam: AAA players are currently struggling with this. Steam users look specifically for certain games that perfectly match their tastes.
Viral or Marketing Sledgehammer – Nexon Between the Fronts
There are two different poles:
Small studios that focus solely on the game itself and rely on it going viral with great Steam ratings – like Factorio
Or the games of giant publishers like Activision Blizzard, who can spend tons on advertising
Nexon is situated between these poles and needs to find its own way. It must communicate clearly and directly with customers. With LawBreakers, they learned how to reach customers.
Nexon is in contact with Boss Key Production to provide a better gaming experience for LawBreakers players.
The right game at the wrong time?
Mein MMO believes: Since its release, LawBreakers has been considered a “game in crisis.” The explanations so far have been: the market is oversaturated. No one was waiting for the title because games like Overwatch or PUBG satisfy the hunger that LawBreakers targets. Apparently, Nexon sees it the same way now.
The disappointment regarding LawBreakers’ lack of success aligns with the fate of games like Battleborn or Gigantic. They also struggled to gain a foothold, even though all these games undoubtedly have had their advantages.
One week after the PUBG release for Xbox, the first patch is here. This will address the performance issues that received a lot of negative criticism.
Xbox players have been able to play the shooter PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on the console via the preview program for a few days now: this is in an early access version. The PC version has regular updates that are supposed to improve the battle royale shooter.
The update was released today between 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM and requires a console restart to take effect.
Primarily, there are many bug fixes to improve PUBG. At launch, there were minor issues with nametags and crawling animations in the game. These should be resolved by the patch.
Additionally, the update clarifies player icons on the world map.
The keyboard function is disabled by the update. Players noticed in the first days that they could play PUBG on Xbox with a keyboard. This was apparently not intended by the developers and has been removed for now.
Excerpt from the Patch Notes
Interface
Equipment symbols are now visible in the interface
Player icons are more clearly recognizable on the world map
Character
Settings for character hair color have been improved
Animations
Camera issues as a passenger in a buggy have been fixed
Characters now look in the right direction when they stop swimming
Performance
Anti-aliasing has been slightly improved on Xbox One and Xbox One S
Control on motorcycles is no longer inverted
Keyboard functions are disabled
Bug Fixes
A bug was fixed where the names of other players in a lobby were not displayed correctly
Curtains on windows no longer block the view of other players in TPP mode
Players can no longer lean out of the vehicle when that side is actually blocked
Battle royale shooters are currently among the trending games! Many developers want a piece of this lucrative pie. However, the development of The Culling (PC, Xbox One) is now coming to an end. This might be due to the hit game PUBG.
The Culling had considerable success. It was among the top sellers on Steam in 2016 and was also popular on Twitch. From the over 4,500 players simultaneously active in March 2016, only 13 (!) are left now.
What happened? PUBG. PUBG has completely transformed the genre, just as World of Warcraft did with MMORPGs back in 2004. PUBG struck a chord with players, who flocked to this title – leaving other genre contenders behind. Such as The Culling.
Out of Early Access and into the End
Since October of this year, The Culling is no longer in Early Access. It has officially launched. And while many developers hope to attract many more players after the end of the Early Access phase, The Culling shows well that this isn’t always the case.
The developers subtly admit that they have been beaten by PUBG. The market for battle royale games has changed.
However, the developers do not want to give up completely. They are now focusing on a new game, about which they do not want to reveal anything yet. The support for The Culling will be discontinued. There will be no more updates. However, the team plans to keep the servers online for the foreseeable future.
The Beginning of the Battle Royale End?
The developers thank everyone who accompanied them during the development of The Culling. It is not an easy farewell, but the team is now fully focusing on the next game.
Are we seeing the beginning of the bursting of the battle royale bubble? This should certainly be a warning to other studios. Just because you are in the battle royale genre does not automatically mean you are running a successful game.
Bungie comments on the Three of Coins in Destiny 2. Guardians criticized that these have no value.
On December 15, Xur brought the Three of Coins to Destiny 2 for the first time. These are consumables that increase the chance to acquire exotic engrams from all sources in the world for four hours. You activate the coins and, with a bit of luck, you may receive more Exotics than usual.
However, dissatisfaction spread over the past weekend: Many Guardians wondered if it is worth buying and using the Three of Coins at all. Countless players reported that even after eight hours of farming with the coins they did not receive a single Exotic.
Frustrated, they wrote that one should definitely not buy the Three of Coins. After all, they cost a whopping 31 Legendary Shards, which could be used more sensibly. We quickly started a survey about the coins on Mein-MMO.de. Nearly two and a half thousand Guardians have voted so far, with the result:
55% of you receive on average no Exotic at all when they play for four hours with active Three of Coins. 38% receive on average one Exotic.
A staggering 87% believe that the Three of Coins are not worth it.
62% will no longer buy the Three of Coins and 24% will only do so if they don’t have anything else to do with their Legendary Shards.
In short: A large part of the community doubts that the Three of Coins have any value. Many would not be surprised if Bungie soon came forward and announced that a bug was present, many wrote. And now Bungie has responded.
What does Bungie say about the Three of Coins?
The community manager dmg04 addresses the function of the Three of Coins. They collected and read the Guardians’ feedback all weekend long, and now they want to clarify:
When you activate the Three of Coins, it increases the base chance by 50% to receive an exotic engram upon completing an activity. By using the Three of Coins, you do not receive a guarantee of an exotic reward. It simply increases the chance that you will receive an Exotic upon completing an activity.
In other words, the Three of Coins should work as intended. With one exception: compared to Nightfall Strikes, the heroic strikes do not grant higher chances for an Exotic when the Three of Coins are active. That should actually be the case. They will fix this bug with a hotfix that is expected to be released early in 2018.
Many users are dissatisfied with this response on social media. They mention a number with the 50%, but it doesn’t give much information. Because 50% of what?
If the chances of an Exotic are at 1%, then with the Three of Coins they are at 1.5%. It’s not worth investing in the Three of Coins. And this is exactly what the user experience currently reflects – it’s not worth using the Three of Coins.
Via Twitter, the suggestion came that one should receive a guaranteed Exotic through the Three of Coins if one plays for four hours. According to dmg04, this is great feedback. There may be adjustments to the coins in the future.
By the way: Xur brings not only the Three of Coins but also a Fate Engram. This also seems to have problems, as Guardians report receiving duplicates from it. That shouldn’t be the case. A few hours ago, Bungie tweeted that they are also investigating the Fate Engrams.
The power of the state strikes back. Chinese players are excluded from almost all social services on Steam.
The Steam program by Valve is one of the largest gaming platforms on the internet. Thousands of games can be purchased, installed, and played here. Each game receives a large community page where users can discuss, create guides, showcase screenshots and artworks, or even publish modifications.
For a large part of the player base, many of these services are no longer accessible. Since December 15th, Chinese users of Steam can no longer access 94% of the Steam services. This essentially means that the following features are no longer accessible for the Chinese player base on Steam:
Steam profiles of other users
Groups
Badges
Game hubs (forums/guides/achievements)
Workshop
The marketplace
Dark times for Steam. Users are being locked out in China.
Playing games, chatting with friends on the friends list, and online matchmaking do not seem to be affected by this censorship. Only all social functions of Steam that are not directly related to purchasing or starting the game are no longer accessible.
The true reason behind this action can only be speculated at the moment. Most comments on Reddit assume that China wants to extend its authoritarian power, and thus larger social networks based in America are being swiftly blocked.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Additionally, Steam (at least in China) has a major competitor, namely the platform WeGame from Tencent. Tencent has been suspected since September of transmitting users’ personal data to the Chinese government. Some users suspect that China wants to rein in Steam to better monitor the population with WeGame.
How much of this is conspiracy theory and how much is sad truth will probably come to light in the coming weeks and months.
