A new AI has just defeated the best chess computer in the world. Google’s new technologies are on the rise.
Google is currently pouring a lot of resources into the development of artificial intelligences and computer systems that can self-improve. After a week ago there was a human-surpassing improvement of an AI, the new AI “AlphaZero” has now also achieved a small masterpiece, albeit in a completely different field.
In the realm of chess computers, there was an undefeated world champion, the AI Stockfish. This was regarded by chess professionals as the ultimate – at least until Google set its AI AlphaZero against it. The AI had only four hours to learn how to play chess. At the beginning, it only knew how a valid move looks and what the goal of the game is.
In the duel between the two AIs, a total of 100 games were played. 72 matches ended in a draw. 28 games were won by Google’s AlphaZero, which thus emerges as the clear winner.
However, there are also some critics on chess.com, as Stockfish was unable to compete with its full computational capacity and did not have the complete set of opening moves to choose from. Yet even the critics agree that AlphaZero would likely have won anyway, though not by such a large margin.
While chess is fundamentally a relatively simple game with only a few rules and a fixed number of possible options, the speed at which AlphaZero has learned is alarming. It will likely just be a matter of time before these AIs are also capable of mastering computer games like StarCraft 2 or similar strategy games.
Two weeks of the open beta for the MMORPG Life is Feudal are running, and players have effectively used this time to shape the world according to their ideas.
The sandbox of Life is Feudal allows for many freedoms. Players essentially start with nothing and eventually create cities and whole kingdoms. A new video now shows how this looks just two weeks after the last wipe and thus after the start of the open beta or after the soft launch.
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Your adventure begins by collecting resources and building a first shelter from them. But it doesn’t stop there. Over time, this hut will turn into a stable house and eventually into a fortified estate or castle. Other players do the same, and if you join forces with them, it is possible to build huge cities together. Cooperatively and in groups, you decide what style the city or village should have and who takes on which tasks. It is also absolutely necessary to tackle such large construction projects with other players. Alone, it already takes ages to build a hut. This whole process is reminiscent of Minecraft, only as an MMO.
Build Entire Nations and Defend Them
Perhaps it won’t just be a city, but you will build a trade route to another player-created village and add this to your nation. Over time, a large kingdom arises that you manage. It is important to ensure that society functions and no chaos erupts which could quickly undo your achievements. Therefore, each player takes on a certain role: farmers provide food, builders construct buildings, others ensure a steady supply flow, soldiers protect those who cannot defend themselves, and the leaders ensure everything runs smoothly.
But not every player is on your side. Therefore, there can be sieges and wars between nations. Because in Life is Feudal, you determine how the world develops and what happens there. You can participate directly through the website of the MMORPG. The launch via Steam is planned for the upcoming January.
The final battle of World of Warcraft: Legion is intense. Professional guilds are concluding that Argus is unbeatable.
The race for the First Kill of the current final boss of World of Warcraft is in full swing. More and more guilds have managed to defeat 10 out of 11 bosses in Antorus, the Burning Throne on Mythic difficulty. However, there are still significant issues with the last boss, Argus the Unmaker. For days, the professionals have been stuck on the final fight, and questions are slowly but surely arising: Is the boss even achievable?
At least the guild Method seems to believe that Argus is “mathematically impossible.” Thus, Sco from Method posted a tweet where he (not entirely seriously) explained how the difficulty level in Antorus has progressed. According to him, the fights started easy and only picked up a bit with Aggramar. However, Argus is on a completely different level, and the doubts are increasing about whether he is even beatable.
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However, the professional guilds will not give up anytime soon. As the final boss of an expansion, there comes a long dry spell afterward where there are no First Kills to be had. So this is, for now, the last opportunity for the unique experience of being the first player team in the world to defeat a raid’s final boss.
The Chinese guild shows snippets from the Argus final fight
Mortal players have not yet been allowed a glimpse of the additional phases of the boss fight, which are only available in Mythic mode. The professionals do not release video material to prevent other guilds from learning tricks and tips. However, the Chinese guild StyleWar does not care about this and streams their boss attempts repeatedly. Thus, there is a first impression of the penultimate phase. Instead of restraining Argus, he is infused with Sargeras’ power.
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As an employer, Blizzard stands out from all other gaming giants. But employees also enjoy working at EA – except at a certain point in time …
Working on a video game is certainly no walk in the park. The working conditions are tough, during the “crunch time” a lot of overtime is put in, and the pressure from disappointed players has affected the mental health of many developers. But at which development team is the work most enjoyable? What is the “Best Place to Work”?
The site Glassdoor has looked at many different companies and surveyed their employees. The focus of the questions was their satisfaction with their employer – how comfortable people feel at their workplace, how secure they are, and what additional bonuses they enjoy. In the list of the top 100 employers, there are also some companies that gamers might recognize.
Blizzard is the most popular employer in the video game industry
Blizzard (WoW, Overwatch, etc.) managed to rank 28 with a score of 4.4/5, surpassing all other companies in the video game industry. It’s often mentioned that despite the high demands, the atmosphere at Blizzard is quite relaxed. For example, Blizzard has a humorous approach to pets, which are also welcome at the workplace – as long as they sign a confidentiality agreement with their paw.
Also found in the list is Electronic Arts, or EA, in 56th place with a score of 4.3/5. Even though the company currently has a bad reputation among many gamers, employees there are satisfied. The only exception is during the “Layoff Season” – when people are laid off in waves. Some fear for their jobs during that time.
In first place is Facebook with 4.6/5. This is not surprising, as Facebook has consistently ranked between 1st and 4th place in previous years.
Other well-known names include Google (5th place), NVIDIA (24th place), and Microsoft (39th place).
The beta of Monster Hunter World (PC, PS4, Xbox) is promising and hungry for more. Our author Leya is confident after testing the beta that the franchise has undergone an evolution that elevates the action RPG to a new level.
Right on time at 6:00 PM on Saturday, I dove into the “Monster Hunter World” beta, where I set out to hunt three large monsters:
Great Jagras
Barroth
and Anjanath
The monsters are classified from beginner to expert and are located on the Ancient Forest and Wildspire Waste maps – These are also the only areas where you can roam in the short demo.
The three monsters are each tied to a quest, and the main objective is to slay them.
The new environment distracted me so much that I messed up the first quest!
Right at the start of the demo, I received a pre-made selection of characters and Palicos, from which I could choose one model each. A note is displayed that there will be a comprehensive character editor in the full version.
Once the choice of characters is made, it’s straight to it! I picked one of the three quests and then landed in a menu where I could choose equipment.
During the demo, you have access to all 14 weapon classes and high-tier armor with various pros and cons – This also applied to my Palico, which I named Mr. Meowgi.
I messed up the first quest right away!
In the demo, you only get 20 minutes to track down and conquer the target monster, normally it’s 50 minutes. Everywhere, there are exciting creatures and plants gently swaying in the wind. I wanted to explore every detail and forgot the hunt.
The quest timer simply wasn’t enough to soak up the entire environment and hunt. I only reached the Great Jagras when the time was almost up: And the quest was failed.
With the strong equipment, you are well equipped to find and defeat the monsters, even in 20 minutes. However, in the demo, you don’t really get a chance to test the functions of the environment, such as the Boomtoads.
The environment in Monster Hunter World is interactive, and there are frogs that explode when you step on them. They then spread paralyzing poison – This is handy for crippling monsters! There are also plants that heal you when you shake them.
The demo showcases gameplay & provides a good impression of the battles
In my second attempt to hunt and kill the Great Jagras, I was successful. This time, I didn’t let myself be distracted by colorful, hopping chinchilla-like creatures and followed the tracks of the scout flies.
The flies search for tracks for the hunters and lead you to footprints or droppings that indicate the monsters. As a hunter, you have to read the tracks and thus learn more about the respective monsters. If you want, you can ignore the flies and explore the world on your own.
The beta shows how the gameplay works and offers a lot of action. Newcomers may find the handling of the weapons and movements cumbersome. However, as a veteran, you feel right at home: This is the cumbersome control you know and somehow learned to love from Monster Hunter.
When you find the main objectives, it’s time to strike or shoot the monsters as much as you can. They can take a lot and deal a good amount of damage – The most important thing is to learn to dodge their attacks and strike at the right moment.
The true core of Monster Hunter World remains hidden in the beta
What the beta holds back is the actual core of the action RPG. Because Monster Hunter is essentially a pure grind fest, even though World is supposed to have more lore than before.
The real appeal of the game is the process of becoming stronger by carving up monsters and crafting better weapons and armor from them. This allows you to defeat stronger monsters that again have new materials for even better equipment. This loot-crafting spiral has always been extremely satisfying and nearly addictive in its predecessors.
Moreover, the tactical preparation for the hunt is an important core element. You ask yourself questions like:
Does the monster have an elemental weakness?
Is it wiser to kill the monster or should I rather capture it? That often brings different loot
Which environment am I going into? Do I need a meal that prepares me for the desert or tundra?
These elements cannot be shown in the beta yet, as it is only meant to whet the appetite.
The “Monster Hunter World” beta is promising and leaves you hungry for more!
The demo of Monster Hunter World convinced me that a great game is coming our way.
Capcom promised that the focus will be on the dynamic environment, and this is already clearly recognizable in the beta. The Anjanath is the strongest monster in the demo and highly aggressive.
When I fought the predator, it eventually became weakened and ran away. Suddenly, another pursuer joined me! The Great Jagras sensed that the Anjanath was no longer fit and would be an easy target for him.
The smaller, weaker predator reacted intelligently and took advantage of the fact that I had already beaten up the Anjanath well.
I am already looking forward to these details in the full version and can hardly wait to explore more fantastic maps like the Coral Highlands. The gameplay in the demo is as good as ever. Now the ecosystem is added, which is worthy of a Monster Hunter.
Monster Hunter World: Beta gameplay analysis in video on PS4 Pro
The German YouTuber Charles also looked at the beta of Monster Hunter World. In the video, Charles shows:
Gameplay
Weapons
Equipment
Menus
Environment
Combat system
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Have you been able to test the Monster Hunter World beta, and what is your impression so far?
By the way, we have our own page for Monster Hunter World on Facebook, where you can find news and other hunters. Check it out: Facebook: Monster Hunter World – Mein-MMO.
Monster Hunter World will be released on January 26 for PS4 and Xbox One. The PC version will follow later, but there is no date yet.
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Many monsters from the Hoenn region can now be caught in Pokémon GO. These two additional Shiny Pokémon are brought into the game by Generation 3.
On your adventures in Pokémon GO, you can now find new monsters like Torchic, Swablu, Surskit, Plusle, or Minun. Among the new Pokémon are also two new Raid bosses. And these are special because the species also exists in Shiny form.
Absol and Flunkifer as Shiny of Gen 3
If you were outside during the weekend and visited the gyms in your neighborhood, you may have already encountered the two new Raid bosses. Absol and Flunkifer are the new bosses inviting you to the grand group battle at the battle locations.
The Absol raids are level 4 – As a boss, Absol has 26262 CP
Flunkifer raids are at tier level 2 – The boss CP of Flunkifer is 9403 CP
If you are very lucky, you might encounter the two in their special form while catching them. Trainers from the Pokémon community have already sent screenshots of Shiny Absol and Shiny Flunkifer. Here’s what they look like:
Trainer Fefeland sent the screenshot of Shiny Absol, which was caught after a raid.
This special Flunkifer was caught by Trainer mbarbagallo after he defeated it in a raid.
Are these all Shinies from Gen 3 in Pokémon GO?
It is currently unclear whether these two are the only new Shiny variants of Generation 3 in Pokémon GO. Shuppet, Zorua, and Drifloon, the ghosts of Gen 3, were already introduced to us in their Shiny forms during the Halloween event.
It is quite possible that further Pokémon exist as Shiny in the game, but the chances of that are extremely low.
The community speculates that the chances for the Shiny forms of Flunkifer and Absol in raids are significantly increased. Furthermore, there is currently no reliable answer as to whether the two monsters also appear in the wild and not just as Raid bosses. However, no official confirmation has been given by Niantic regarding this theory yet.
Ranked matches have always sparked heated debates in Overwatch. Blizzard has addressed two of the discussed topics. With Season 8 in January, the difference in skill ratings and individual performance will be adjusted.
The ranked mode of Overwatch regularly causes frustration and annoyance among players. Nevertheless, it is an important part of the game and the main reason many players play Overwatch.
Problems with the ranked system are frequently discussed in the forum by players. The developers are listening. And evidently doing so well. For the upcoming 8th season of the hero shooter, two major problems will be resolved.
Matchmaking should be fairer – players with similar skill ratings
Currently, there is frequent criticism that players with extremely different ratings (skill ratings) face each other. Even within a team, the difference between the strongest and weakest player can be enormous.
This is especially true at the upper and lower ends of the player base, which is generally thinner. It was justified by the fact that this allows for faster game matching. However, the quality of the games suffers greatly as a result, thus reducing the enjoyment of play.
In the upcoming season, Blizzard will reduce the maximum difference in player rankings. While this means that players at both the upper and lower ends will take longer to find matches, they will have more interesting games with a higher chance of victory.
Personal performance no longer affects skill rating (Diamond+)
Another significant point of criticism is the calculation of personal performance and the retention of skill ratings after a match. Previously, the ranking rewarded players who performed their roles well.
Recently, this realization circulated with Mercy: Those who played Mercy could quickly climb in skill rating.
Currently, the retention of SR is structured as follows:
If the probability of winning is >50%, there is less SR for a win and more deduction for a loss.
Conversely, as an “underdog”, more points are given for a win and less deduction for a loss.
The higher the rank, the smaller the increase in points.
For particularly good personal performance, there are more points for a win and less deduction for a loss.
Conversely, there are fewer points for a win and more deduction for a loss with poor performance.
Particularly the last two points are interesting here. The game itself has indirectly caused players to limit themselves to a few characters.
The rest of the team had to adjust to them or face defeat. Particularly, players who only play one character, known as “one-trick ponies”, were very disliked as a result.
Developers are now addressing this. Starting from the Diamond rank, personal performance will no longer influence the retention and deduction of SR. This is intended to promote teamwork by encouraging players to play what is needed and communicate. They should focus on winning – not on their personal performance.
The changes come into effect with the start of Season 8 of Overwatch, which begins in early January.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Better FPS performance, new driving dynamics, and an improved overall feeling on the new PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds) map. These are the experiences of the community.
On the test servers of the battle royale hit “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds”, players are currently battling it out on the new Miramar map. This will soon be activated on the live servers with version 1.0 and is already receiving a lot of praise.
Players report that their FPS are soaring and that the map “finally feels like it was made for PUBG”.
On the first map, players often had FPS issues. The game performed poorly on PC systems despite good hardware. There are positive surprises on the new map.
More FPS in PUBG – Miramar makes it possible
Many testers of the new desert map “Miramar” noticed that their performance on the new map is significantly better. On Reddit, user takaci writes that his frames per second in the game shot up steeply.
From a usual unstable 50-60 FPS, his frame rate increased to a stable 100 FPS. And that with a setup featuring an Intel Core I5-6500 processor, only 8 GB of RAM, and a GTX 1060 6GB graphics card.
Other players explain that they are suddenly experiencing better performance even on older systems. The new map seems to consume significantly fewer resources. A plus point for Miramar, as players frequently complained about performance issues and lags on the Erangel map that spoiled the enjoyment of the battle royale shooter.
Finally feels like a “real” PUBG map
The new desert map feels to some players like it is finally a “PUBG” map. Reddit user XeonisReaper writes that the old Erangel map from PUBG was almost like a typical modular map and that the developers placed pre-made graphics from Unreal Engine 4 on it. Because these graphics have varying quality levels, this results in disadvantages for the performance and optimization of the map.
The new map had designers who specifically created many buildings for PUBG. This makes the map more efficient for the machine’s performance (or later for the console).
Until now, PUBG players could only play on the Erangel map on the live servers. From this, the developers learned over the past months which types of cities or buildings work and which lead to problems or are less popular.
Miramar is not just a new map, but a PUBG map based on community feedback.
The weapons fit the setting – Gameplay of Miramar
With the new map, the developers are bringing exclusive weapons and vehicles that only exist on the desert map. This includes the Win94 weapon, which fits the western style perfectly.
In the video, Reddit user bobbyblex4 shows how accurate he is with the new firearm.
https://gfycat.com/DefenselessEnviousCoqui
You get a good insight into the new map in the following video from Shroud. There, you can see how much the off-road environment has changed and that you are now significantly slower off-road than on the streets. Due to the many bumps and unevenness, you now have to think twice about whether to avoid the enemy masses off-road or speed through the city, drawing fire to yourself.
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Those who crush enemies with their Super ability in Destiny 2 generate Orbs of Light. But how many actually? And why are there small and large Orbs of Light? A Redditor has investigated this question – with interesting results!
The Destiny community is known for solving the many small and large secrets of Destiny 2. Guardians are confronted with Orbs of Light every day – what they exactly do and that there are two different variants of the Orbs is likely to be specialist knowledge.
At least until now – because the Redditor aslak1899 took a closer look at the mechanics surrounding the Orbs. Which class generates how many Orbs and do these disappear after a certain time? We summarize his findings!
Large and small Orbs – What’s behind it?
Whether you generate small or large Orbs when activating your Super ability depends on how you have set up your Super bar:
Large Orbs of Light are generated when you simply fill your Super bar by waiting or killing enemies,
Small Orbs of Light are generated when the Super bar is filled with more than 50% of Orbs of Light from other Guardians.
Conversely, you still generate large Orbs of Light even if you have built your Super bar with less than 50% of Orbs. The trick is to fill one half with Orbs and the other through waiting or killing enemies.
You can see how large and small Orbs differ from each other in the following screenshots:
Large Orbs of Light
A small Orb of Light
Small Orbs of Light return a smaller amount of Super energy upon collection than the larger counterparts:
If you fill your Super solely with large Orbs of Light, you need exactly 8 of them.
If you only find small Orbs of Light, you need 16 of them for a full Super bar.
Also interesting: Orbs disappear exactly 2 minutes after generation! This is a new mechanic that didn’t exist in Destiny 1. There, Orbs of Light only disappeared upon death.
Orbs of Light also lose quality. The closer you get to the 2-minute mark without picking up the Orbs, the less Super energy you will receive from them. You should generally pick up Orbs of Light right after they are generated.
The number of Orbs generated by the respective classes
The following information refers to the maximum possible Orbs. The chance that you generate fewer Orbs than specified is high – you need to take out some enemies with your Super.
If you use your Super ability to take out an enemy with a yellow health bar, they will definitely drop an Orb of Light. If you only have enemies with a red health bar in front of you, you must take out at least two of them for one Orb.
Maximally, the respective subclasses can generate the following number of Orbs:
Hunter – Orbs of Light
Arcstrider – 5 Orbs of Light
Nighthawk (Path of the Gunslinger) – 5 Orbs of Light
Nighthawk (Path of the Pathfinder) – 10 Orbs of Light
Gunslinger (Path of the Sharpshooter) – 9 Orbs of Light (for this number, at least two enemies with a yellow health bar must be taken out with headshots)
Gunslinger (Path of the Lawless) – 5 Orbs of Light
Warlock – Orbs of Light
Dawnblade – 5 Orbs of Light
Voidwalker – 7 Orbs of Light
Stormcaller – 5 Orbs of Light
Titan – Orbs of Light
Sentinel – 5 Orbs of Light (Dawnshield generates only 2 Orbs of Light)
Striker – 5 Orbs of Light
Sunbreaker – 5 Orbs of Light
What do you think? Did you already know that there are large and small Orbs of Light?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Several highly interesting upcoming MMOs are currently in development, and we would like to learn more about them. 2018 is just around the corner, bringing 365 days full of opportunities for game developers to bombard us with information.
We present to you 10 announced MMOs that do not have an official release date yet, but we hope to learn more about them in the coming year.
Lost Ark (PC)
Lost Ark is an action MMO that appeals primarily to fans of Blizzard’s Diablo. However, you will explore a vast, open game world together with other players, completing quests and fighting monsters.
The development of the hack ‘n slash has been dragging on for a long time. There has been much to see, and beta phases have already taken place in Korea. However, things currently look bleak for Western players. The developers should discuss a release in 2018 – of course also in our country – and it would be great to finally be able to play Lost Ark in Europe to see how the action MMO feels.
Star Citizen is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious MMOs currently in development. You determine whether you scour the galaxy as a pirate, trader, or mercenary, delivering intense space battles and even exploring planets and space stations like in a shooter.
Even though Star Citizen is making great progress, there remains a fear that the extremely high goals may not be achievable and the game might never be released. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how the MMO develops in 2018. However, we do not expect a release before 2019. With a bit of luck, we might see the single-player offshoot Squadron 42 next year.
There is currently very little information available about Amazons New World. It is said to be a sandbox set in an alternative past. Spanish conquistadors want to conquer the New World of America and encounter natives who can wield magic and supernatural creatures.
How New World plays, what it looks like, and what special features it offers – all of that is still unknown. It’s simply time for Amazon to show something about New World so that we know what we can look forward to.
Pantheon’s great strength could also be its greatest weakness, as the MMORPG is explicitly aimed at a niche group of MMORPG players. Specifically, those who miss the old days of Everquest 1.
In Pantheon, you explore a vast world with friends, fight monsters, explore dungeons and ancient ruins, and complete quests. The title is explicitly targeted at groups. Cooperative adventures are the focus. Previous videos also give a good impression. Hopefully, the MMORPG, which was initially plagued by financial troubles, can truly evoke the feeling of Everquest 1 and can excite enough players to stay in the market. We should learn more about that in 2018.
A game world that changes according to the actions and decisions of the players and aims to offer immense freedoms. Ashes of Creation could become a second home for sandbox lovers.
The title is currently still in an early development phase, and no one really knows how the MMORPG plays or how the decisions actually impact the game, or the extent of the consequences. Additionally, so far, there has only been graphics and very little gameplay shown. The developers need to show much more, which should happen in 2018.
Crowfall is looking to try something new, either that will work really well or alienate hardcore MMORPG fans. Because there is, in principle, no persistent game world. You travel from one campaign world to another to collect resources and achievements, which you then use in your kingdom to expand it. However, the campaign worlds are destroyed after a certain time.
Crowfall is not aimed at players who like to have a single world in which they want to “live.” It is a competitive game. PvP is at the forefront. Whether the concept can really excite players will be determined in 2018, when the soft launch is expected to occur.
Fans of realm-vs-realm and PvP battles have long had their eye on Camelot Unchained. The MMORPG promises to take the principle known from the classic Dark Age of Camelot to the next level.
However, there have been setbacks time and again. Game systems had to be redeveloped from scratch, and the beta has been delayed repeatedly. The question simply remains: How does the title play? And do the large battles feel enjoyable? Moreover, enough players should be excited about the title so that the large battles feel like large battles. Whether it all fits together, we hope to find out in 2018.
A massive sandbox in which your hero ages and inevitably dies. Endless possibilities to build your own empire. That and much more is promised by Chronicles of Elyria.
In 2018, there should finally be something playable. However, whether a release will occur is questionable. The project is so ambitious that it could either become one of the most extensive MMORPGs we have ever seen, or it may fail to meet its own goals – which of course no one hopes for. Another open question is whether players will be able to accept losing their beloved heroes repeatedly.
Project TL, formerly Lineage Eternal, could become what Diablo fans have long wished for: A hack ‘n slash paired with MMORPG elements and stunning graphics and fast, action-packed battles.
What has been shown of the game so far has looked fantastic. However, it is now supposed to be revised, and the question arises whether the developers may have bitten off more than they can chew or if the original concept, while looking cool, was not enjoyable. In 2018, something playable must come; otherwise, fans may lose trust in the title.
With Anthem, Bioware announced a new cooperative multiplayer action RPG. The science fiction setting and cooperative missions evoke a bit of the impression of Destiny, but in a third-person perspective.
Many questions remain about Anthem. How exactly does the mix of single-player and multiplayer work? How many RPG elements will the title offer? How do you find teammates and how does the game scale when you want to go solo? Despite all the questions, Anthem is a hot product that Bioware has in the fire. If the developers can combine typical Bioware stories with Destiny-like multiplayer action, we could expect a real blockbuster. More information about this game should come to light in 2018.
2018 will undoubtedly be a highly interesting year in which we can expect a lot of information about a series of MMOs that many players certainly have on their radar.
In the new Path of Exile DLC “War for the Atlas,” new unique items and ten new gems await you.
Developer Grinding Gear Games has introduced the new expansion for the ARPG Path of Exile. The “War for the Atlas” expansion is available for free, just like the base game and the other six DLCs.
The DLC is already available on PC. The release of the Xbox One version will follow later in December.
War for the Atlas DLC Contents – What does the expansion bring?
The new Path of Exile expansion revolves around a conflict: an ancient being known as “the Elder” undermines the creator’s dominion over the Atlas of Worlds. You find yourselves caught in this strife, which devastates the maps. In the process, you explore the powers of the Elder.
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The War for the Atlas DLC brings you new maps where you can slash through nasty monster groups. Clear your way to the heart of the Atlas and face new challenges along the way.
Deformed and Elder Items
When you play on maps controlled by the creator or Elder, you can find deformed or Elder items there. These can possess powerful properties that do not occur otherwise.
New Unique Items
A large part of the more than 50 new unique items for Path of Exile, which have now been unlocked through the new DLC, originated from the community.
10 More Gems with War for the Atlas
The DLC introduces ten additional gems to the game. They are divided into
Four Skill Gems
Six Support Gems
Among the four skill gems, the focus is on necromancy. The support gems aim to bring more variety to the game and create new possibilities for many skills.
Those who have followed Destiny and Destiny 2 since the beginning will inevitably have encountered them: 5 legends that were so powerful that people still talk about them today.
In the more than three years of Destiny’s history, there have repeatedly been eras that produced particularly strong weapons. The impact of these weapons on the various contents of Destiny varied in significance.
One weapon made every boss fight a joke, while another drove opposing Guardians in the Crucible to despair – either way, they are all legends that we want to remember in this article.
Vex Mythoclast or the ONE Fusion Rifle
Without a doubt, the first raid in Destiny’s history offered the best weapons that could ever be earned in a Destiny raid. Fatebringer, Vision of Confluence, or even Guilty as Charged are still known to Guardians who were fortunate enough to enter the Vault of Glass.
However, Bungie really hit the home run with the Vex Mythoclast, an exotic fusion rifle that was only available as a rare drop from Atheon. Not only could the fusion rifle be equipped in the primary weapon slot, but it also played like an auto rifle.
“Guilty” was due to the weapon’s exotic perk that played into the Vex’s ability to influence time.
The first players to manage to get this weapon turned the Crucible into a madhouse.
Opponents of this weapon were simply outmatched. Even the once overpowered auto rifles like the Shadow Price or the Suros Regime couldn’t withstand this overpowering force.
If you would like to reminisce about this time, you can do so with the following video:
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Bungie felt compelled to intervene and reduced the damage of the weapon. After that, it steadily declined. Since the Vex Mythoclast is a fusion rifle, it suffered from all the nerfs that this weapon category endured, leading to its utter unplayability.
Bungie ultimately never succeeded in differentiating the Vex from other fusion rifles. While it returned again at the end of Destiny 1, it could never reclaim its glorious times.
Moira is the newest hero in the roster of Overwatch and is now playable in the ranked mode. One of her signature abilities is Fade, which showcases a hidden strength of the healer!
Moira’s Special Abilities
Moira’s character concept is unique. She plays with the balance between destruction and creation by healing with the life force she drains from enemies. At the same time, she takes advantage of nanobiology to disappear and reappear. That is her only means of mobility.
With this ability, Fade, skilled players can gain significant advantages. With proper timing and combination with objects, elevated or distant places can be reached in fractions of a second. At the same time, one disappears from the enemies’ field of view.
This makes it possible to reach places that are usually only accessible to heroes with good positioning abilities – like Pharah, D.Va, or Widowmaker. This is particularly advantageous when Moira needs a safe place to use her ultimate or has to flee from enemies.
The ability is based on two mechanics: invisibility and increased movement speed up to four times. Moira does not teleport; instead, she disappears, becomes much faster, and reappears.
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The areas from which Moira can jump must actually be unpassable. This means that the ability only works where she would otherwise slide down. The majority of objects have small surfaces like this that need to be found and utilized.
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Moira can also climb larger surfaces where other characters would normally slide down. The distance she can cover before sliding is greater. This allows her to take shortcuts that are closed to others. A significant advantage, especially in ranked play!
The same mechanic could previously be utilized with Genji. If his Storm Strike was combined with a jump, he could also catapult himself far or high. However, Blizzard quickly toned that down and removed this possibility from him. Perhaps Moira will face a similar fate.
Until then, practice makes perfect!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny 2, the “Trials of the Prometheus Lens” are running. Some find it cool, others get no fun from it.
It was the big surprise last night: Xur, the usually stingy Exotic dealer, brought the super weapon in PvP with – the Prometheus Lens.
The Prometheus Lens was introduced this week with “Curse of Osiris”. However, the fusion rifle, which fires a red laser, came with a bug that makes it overly strong in PvP. You just have to shoot at an opposing Guardian for milliseconds and it takes them out. Here you can see gameplay footage of this Exotic:
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No weapon has been as overpowered as the Prometheus Lens in the history of Destiny for a long time. A similar OP level was once held by the Vex Mythoclast in year 1 of Destiny 1, but this weapon was quite rare at that time.
However, almost everyone has the Prometheus Lens now, as Xur has been offering it since Friday night. Thus, the Crucible is currently deteriorating into one big laser show, as the overwhelming majority of all players brings the Prometheus Lens with its red laser into battle.
The Prometheus Lens in Xur’s offerings cannot be a coincidence
Bungie already announced a few days ago that the exotic fusion rifle is bugged. It is expected to be patched next Tuesday. Until then, Senior Game Designer Jon Weisnewski wrote, please take care of the players who do not have the Prometheus Lens.
However, it seems Bungie is now pursuing a different strategy: Instead of “consideration,” they are going for a full offense and simply giving all players the chance to go into battle with the Prometheus Lens. With the motto: “If everyone has the OP weapon, it is no longer unfair!”
Officially, Xur’s inventory is completely random – even Bungie does not know what he will bring from week to week – but in the past, there have always been cases where players consistently said: “Bungie, this cannot be a coincidence!” The current Xur offerings are now the latest example.
Have fun with the laser show
At the moment Xur appeared, several Bungie employees spoke out. The official Twitter channel announced that this weapon is now available at Xur in the EDZ. Community Manager DeeJ emphasized that the “terror” of the Prometheus Lens will be reduced next week, until then it is available for everyone. And Game Director Luke Smith posted this GIF file without comment:
Shortly after, DeeJ commented on the Prometheus Lens again: In Greek mythology, Prometheus gave fire to humans – which angered the gods. With the fire, humans gained great power. This now also applies to the Prometheus Lens.
Pure dominance in the Trials
Despite the new OP weapon, the Trials of the Nine are taking place this weekend. And as the statistics from the Trials report reveal, the Prometheus Lens dominates the Trials at will.
In 99% of all matches, at least one Guardian uses the Prometheus Lens. Thus, it is virtually impossible to find a game without a laser show.
Moreover, 90% of all kills in the Trials have been achieved with the Prometheus Lens so far. In second place is the rocket launcher “Sins of the Past” with 4%.
In the community, this dominance is received in different ways. Many celebrate that there is finally a powerful weapon in Destiny again that creates a stir. A reddit post with thousands of upvotes points out to Bungie that fortunately there is a powerful weapon again and the community loves it. Bungie should learn from this.
And again, others can only watch the whole laser show: For those who do not own the “Curse of Osiris” expansion, access to the Trials is blocked.
What is your opinion on this? Do you celebrate that the weapon turns PvP upside down for a few days or would you have expected a different reaction from Bungie?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMORPG Rift has introduced an option with the latest update that allows you to purchase an important endgame resource with real money. Many players see this as Pay2Win and are vocally complaining on Reddit.
Rift is an esteemed online role-playing game by Trion. As is common in the genre, you level up to the endgame, where you then loot new items and resources for even better gear in raids. For many players, this progression is extremely important.
Therefore, there was quite a backlash when it was announced by Trion that they would be offering endgame resources for real money.
New update allows unlimited purchase of endgame resources with real money
On December 7th, there was an update for Rift that introduced further methods to farm the coveted endgame resource “Captured Intel”. You can farm 47,000 units each week by engaging in various in-game activities. The Captured Intel can then be exchanged for powerful jewelry items at Tier 2.
In addition to the in-game methods of obtaining the resource, there is also the option to simply whip out your credit card and pay real money for Captured Intel. The real money method has no limit; you can buy as much Intel as your bank allows. Furthermore, Captured Intel from real money sales does not count towards the weekly maximum.
Players scream “Pay2Win”!
So, those who spend money can buy endgame progress and thus skip the grind. This is clearly Pay2Win for many players, and a backlash is already raging on Reddit. There are calls for a boycott of the real money resources, and people are generally angry at Trion.
Other players do not see it so strictly. After all, you can still earn the resource in-game.
What do you think? Is it Pay2Win if you can shorten endgame progression?
For a few hours now, you can find fifty new monsters of Generation 3 in Pokémon GO. In this overview, we show you the new Pokémon.
We had to wait a long time for the Generation 3 monsters in Pokémon GO. One and a half years after the release of the mobile game, we now find many of the new Pokémon in the wild. But which monsters are now in the game?
Gen-3 List with 50 New Pokémon (as of December 9, 2017)
In addition to the new starter Pokémon, there are also unusual monsters in the new Pokémon selection. This includes new raid bosses, shiny monsters, and new egg contents.
Geckarbor
Reptain
Gewaldro
Flemmli
Jungglut
Lohgock
Hydropi
Moorabbel
Sumpex
Fiffyen
Magnayen
Zigzachs
Geradachs
Waumpel
Schaloko
Papinella
Panekon
Pudox
Samurzel
Blanas
Tengulist
Trasla
Kirlia
Guardevoir
Knilz
Kapilz
Bummelz
Muntier
Letarking
Makuhita
Hariyama
Azurill
Eneco
Enekoro
Zobiris
Flunkifer
Meditie
Meditalis
Frizelbliz
Voltenso
Plusle
Minun
Roselia
Schluppuck
Schluckwech
Spoink
Groink
Sengo
Vipitis
Shuppet
Banette
Zwirrlicht
Zwirrklop
Absol
Isso
Flunkifer and Absol can now be found in Pokémon GO as raid bosses. According to initial reports, both Pokémon even have shiny variants.
Which Gen-3 Pokémon Are in Eggs?
With so many new monsters that you can find in Pokémon GO, it’s interesting which of them hatch from eggs. The diligent members of TheSilphRoad have already hatched many eggs and so far noted the following monsters hatching from 2km, 5km, and 10km eggs.
Source: Pokémon GO
2km
Eneco
Spoink
Waumpel
Fiffyen
Schluppuck
5km
The starter Pokémon Geckarbor, Flemmli, and Hydropi
The wild action game Crossout receives new maps for PvP and PvE with Update 0.8.3. Additionally, the AI, notorious for its stupidity, becomes smarter and more effective.
In Crossout, the post-apocalyptic action MMO by Gaijin, you drive wildly assembled junk vehicles through the wasteland and blast each other to pieces. This works well in PvP against other players. However, in the coop PvE mode against the AI, the almost non-existent artificial intelligence of the bot opponents somewhat dampens the fun of Crossout.
The computer opponents usually just drive around aimlessly and can be shot down like rabbits. However, this is supposed to change with the new Update 0.8.3.
AI becomes smarter and behaves appropriately!
With the new Crossout Update 0.8.3, the AI is supposed to become smarter and behave according to certain parameters. These behaviors depend on the faction to which the opponents belong. The “Lunatics” will specifically target the weakest player and engage them together in close combat.
The “Nomads”, on the other hand, stay at a distance and use technologies like drones and cloaking field generators to fight effectively from far away. In Update 0.8.3, the Nomads, Lunatics, and Scavengers receive such an AI update. More factions will follow in later updates.
New maps and modes for PvE and PvP
You can try out the new AI in the new PvE maps and game modes:
In the new PvE mode “Frontier Defense”, you must reclaim an oil drilling platform from the Raiders. You need to carve a path to the drilling tower and eliminate all defenders and fortifications. Once the area is secured, you must withstand several waves of enemies. To do this, you can repair the former defenses of the enemy and use them against your foes.
The new PvE map “Refinery” takes place in a Scavenger outpost in a destroyed chemical plant. There lies a valuable artifact from the old world that attracts treasure hunters from the vast wastelands. You can either risk the short but dangerous route through the flooded passages or take the longer path around the facility. The entrances to the area are mined, and the entire chemical plant is swarming with Raiders.
Additionally, there is a new mode for PvP fans. In “Bedlam”, all players of Crossout can participate regardless of their level. Unlike in the regular battles of Crossout, you can re-enter the battle with your vehicle an unlimited number of times in this mode. Ideal for thoroughly testing your vehicle creations!
Bungie addresses the topic of Prestige trophies, HDR on the PlayStation 4, as well as known issues in Destiny 2.
One topic that has made particularly big waves in recent days is: If you haven’t purchased the new expansion Curse of Osiris, you no longer have access to the Prestige activities of Destiny 2: These are locked for non-buyers.
This meant, in consequence, that the trophy / achievement “The Prestige” has become unattainable and thus the Platinum trophy can no longer be earned.
Bungie has now commented on this and other issues.
Trophies and Achievements in Destiny 2 without Curse of Osiris
If you haven’t purchased Curse of Osiris, you have no chance of obtaining the Prestige achievement (and thus the Platinum trophy on PS4) in Destiny 2. Bungie has announced that they are aware of this issue and are working on a solution.
This represents a change in direction compared to earlier. There were similar difficulties and protests back in Destiny 1 in 2015. At that time, Bungie sat out such problems.
How exactly Bungie’s solution will look is not known. They will inform us as soon as there is something new on this matter.
Many PS4 players were surprised after the launch of the expansion that HDR was not activated, even though it was mentioned in the patch notes. HDR allows for more realistic colors and a better picture.
Bungie plans to fix this error with the next update next week. It should be done by December 12.
Furthermore, Bungie addressed other known issues that they are working hard to resolve:
Some players are unable to reach the pillars of the public event on Mercury and die as soon as they are launched into the air by cannons. This affects PC players who play Destiny 2 with more than 60 fps.
Players may find themselves unable to join heroic adventures. The notification “already active” appears.
Guardians who have earned more than 84 emblems may not see any further emblem. It will not display.
Bungie is investigating reports that there are increased frame rate stuttering or performance drops on PC.
Players may lose access to previously owned items if they infuse items with a higher level requirement than their character’s current level allows.
It may occur that players have to fast travel to the Lighthouse after completing adventures in the Always Forest to leave the activity.
What do you think about this? Are you affected by some of the mentioned issues?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Monster Hunter World (PC, PS4, Xbox One) is supposed to have more lore than its predecessors. In the new story trailer “Third Fleet”, a piece of this story is revealed. There are new characters to see and a monstrous problem that the hunters have to deal with.
Capcom released a new story trailer for Monster Hunter World, titled “Third Fleet”. The video provides a deeper insight into the lore and characters of the story.
The trailer opens with a picturesque scene that guides you through the Coral Highlands with dreamy music. After that, a male Wyverian is seen talking about an Elder Crossing that is currently taking place.
Wyverians resemble elves with their pointed ears and are said to be a cross between humans and wyverns.
A gigantic monster is also shown that resembles a living volcanoand is causing trouble for the residents. This volcano monster must be defeated, no matter the cost!
Monster Hunter World: Third Fleet Trailer – With German Subtitles
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The Creative Director of Fortnite (PC, PS4 & Xbox One) advocated for crossplay between the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One during the “Top Games Awards.” Players want and deserve this!
Crossplay is playing across different consoles or even between PCs and consoles. Players can play together or against each other, even if they are on different platforms.
In the gaming world, this is a rarity.
While Microsoft is considering this feature and allowing gameplay between players on a Windows 10 PC and the Xbox One, Sony has so far vehemently opposed crossplay on the PlayStation 4.
However, crossplay between the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 is certainly possible and even took place for a short time in Fortnite. The developers at Epic Games accidentally enabled crossplay in Fortnite. The feature was quickly removed, probably under pressure from Sony, but the Fortnite developers do not want to leave it at that.
Fortnite Developer Donald Mustard: “Players want crossplay!”
During the Top Games Awards, Fortnite’s Creative Director, Donald Mustard, was asked about crossplay by host Geoff Keighley. Mustard said that Fortnite is most fun with friends and it is a shame not to be able to play together with buddies due to platform limitations.
“Players want crossplay!” said Mustard. Therefore, Epic Games will do everything possible to make crossplay happen. “Players deserve it!”
Let’s hope that the Fortnite developers succeed with their noble endeavor and that Sony eventually allows crossplay.
