The new Hearthstone expansion is live! We tell you everything you need to know about the launch of Kobolds and Catacombs!
At Blizzcon 2017, Blizzard presented the latest expansion for Hearthstone. Kobolds and Catacombs offers 135 new cards, legendary weapons for all characters, and an extensive single-player mode that still provides variety even when played repeatedly.
After players had to wait almost a month, it was finally time. The release of Kobolds and Catacombs was approaching! This evening, December 7, 2017, the expansion was launched. The corresponding card packs are now available in the game shop and can be purchased there for gold or real money. Those who prefer to work hard for their packs can also earn them in the Arena starting now.
For many players, however, the highlight will be the new single-player mode that is provided for free. A total of 48 different bosses await in the “Dungeon.” Here, players are given a deck of 10 cards with which they must slowly make their way deeper into the dungeon. After defeating each boss, new cards and even special treasures await. However, the player loses everything if they lose a fight!
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But he only gives a monologue, which my Guardian ignores with a shrug. That’s a pity because a lot of immersion and credibility is lost here, as it reinforces the impression of controlling soulless puppets.
At least the weapon forge promises to keep us busy for a few weeks, even though I wish for random rolls here that would increase replayability. The first footage that has surfaced for the new raid sector is also positive. This will open its gates on Friday, December 8.
Have you already completed the story? How did you like it?
Our author Robert has completed the campaign of the new Destiny 2 expansion Curse of Osiris. How is the addon playing out so far? Are the story and characters convincing? Read it in our preview report!
Osiris is one of the most anticipated figures in the Destiny universe. There were already many hints about the old Warlock in Destiny 1, especially through the PvP event “Trials of Osiris.”
In Destiny 2 Curse of Osiris, it’s time to unveil the secret of the old Warlock with an epic story full of twists – or is it? Is the story of the new expansion really as epic as it deserves for Osiris?
Warning: Story spoilers ahead – Read at your own risk!
The Locations – Between Beauty and Recycling
I’m getting to know Mercury as a “new” location. Throughout the story, I am sent into different timelines, allowing me to see Mercury of the past as well as the future.
And one thing is for sure: The locations look fantastic. Mercury of the past is a feast for the eyes. The surroundings, the flora, and the water in contrast to the machines of the Vex provide a unique panorama. Once, Mercury was a garden paradise created by the Traveler.
I could hardly take my eyes off this sight, and soon it was time to move on. I also visited the bleak future of Mercury, where the Vex control everything. Unfortunately, I was unable to capture all the details, as we moved on quickly.
And that is indeed one of the problems I have with the locations. They look good, why am I only allowed to spend so little time there? The past of Mercury would offer countless possibilities. To return there, I must hope that Ikora has a corresponding mission as meditation or that I play the adventures. I would have liked to get to know them better during the story with additional background information.
In addition to Mercury, the story takes us to familiar places, including a notably emptier version of the Pyramidion strike. Additionally, I am transported to Nessus and the EDZ.
Bungie is often accused of selling old locations as new content; however, I had no problem with that here. The core of the story takes place on Mercury, including in the Infinite Forest.
The Infinite Forest was announced as an exciting activity, which should look different each time you enter, host different enemies, and include various mechanics.
Well, you can’t deny that Bungie has delivered here.
However, the Infinite Forest does not convince me, all ideas are running on low flame. Those who wished to re-enter the Infinite Forest repeatedly, with changing modifications and mechanics, will experience disappointment.
In principle, the Infinite Forest is nothing more than a connecting piece between level areas, which is always arranged differently. You can enter the Infinite Forest whenever you like, but you must repeat the story mission (as meditation with Ikora) or the adventures.
The architecture is always the same here, the colors are identical, only the (already known) enemies vary.
There are exactly two mechanics. You can either walk directly through the areas, or you have to kill a few specific enemies, the demons, to open the next gate.
The first and second times it was even fun to run through the Infinite Forest. By the third time, I caught myself just running past the enemies.
The Infinite Forest in its current form is boring and uninspired. It lacks replayability, changing terrains, and varied mechanics. The basic idea of the Infinite Forest is good, but Bungie still needs to step it up.
The story revolves around the Warlock Osiris, who is trapped in the Vex network and needs to be freed. We are supported in this by Osiris’ ghost Sagira, who brings a fresh breeze.
The missions are typically structured for Destiny: We run through beautifully designed levels and take out all sorts of aliens along the way. In between, we have to complete jumping passages, transport Arc charges, and find cards and processors of the Vex network.
This plays nicely but offers no groundbreaking surprises. The final boss fight is coolly staged but unfortunately focuses only on defeating minor enemies. To injure the boss, Arc charges must be placed in designated installations.
Osiris helps us in the final battle – what exactly he does remains in the dark. I also wonder after completing the game what exactly the curse of Osiris is supposed to be. Even Panoptes, the final boss, remains pale and aloof – he feels like a placeholder for evil. Most of you have probably forgotten his name already.
Anyone hoping to finally learn what exactly happened to Osiris will be left puzzled after completing the story. Neither does the story fit into the existing lore, nor is any of the numerous loose ends of the Destiny universe further explored.
I have also noticed some inconsistencies regarding the locations and characters:
Brother Vance suddenly reappears. What happened to him after the events of Destiny 1 remains unclear. He has also lost his mysterious and dark character. You rather feel like you are facing an Osiris fanboy.
In Destiny 1, the Lighthouse was located in a different area than in the sequel. Instead of being in Caloris Planitia, we are now on the Glass Fields. Why the location changes is unknown.
The usual excellent gunplay and the really beautiful locations unfortunately do not hide the lack of depth in the story and the inconsistencies that accompany the character “Osiris”.
Especially the Infinite Forest left me with conflicting feelings. I didn’t expect any large Nephalem Rifts like in Diablo 3, but a bit more variety would have done the place good. In terms of terrains, there was enough potential; the mechanics could also be more diverse.
Rarely have I wished for a talking Guardian more than in the last sequence. Since we temporarily exchanged our ghost for Sagira, there is actually plenty of need for conversation with our ghost.
But he only gives a monologue, which my Guardian ignores with a shrug. That’s a pity because a lot of immersion and credibility is lost here, as it reinforces the impression of controlling soulless puppets.
At least the weapon forge promises to keep us busy for a few weeks, even though I wish for random rolls here that would increase replayability. The first footage that has surfaced for the new raid sector is also positive. This will open its gates on Friday, December 8.
Have you already completed the story? How did you like it?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
As Ubisoft announced, three of their planned games have to be postponed. Among them is an unannounced game.
In a press release, the French developer and publisher Ubisoft stated that more work needs to be invested in three of their games. However, there was no further explanation for the delayed releases.
Release of The Crew 2 and Far Cry 5 postponed
In reference to the delayed release, the Ubisoft team explained that the developers of Assassin’s Creed Origins also took more time, allowing the team to express their full creativity. This had a positive effect on the quality of the game and its associated success.
With a similar approach, they are now approaching The Crew 2, Far Cry 5, and an unannounced game.
The Far Cry 5 release is now planned for March 27, 2018
Crusaders of Light (Android, iOS & Facebook Game Room) is a successful and complex Free2Play mobile MMORPG for smartphones. In the latest major update “Shadows of Sardar”, everything gets bigger.
Crusaders of Light is a complex mobile MMO. The game runs on smartphones with iOS or Android, as well as on PC via Facebook Game Room. The game is also referred to as “WoW for mobile devices”. You play as one of four classes (Warrior, Ranger, Paladin, and Mystic), which further evolve into one of three special subclasses.
With your hero, you will fight your way through a fantasy world in WoW style, where you complete quests or engage in PvP battles.
This game world is now significantly larger with the update “Shadow of Sardar”!
Increased Level Cap, Larger Game World, and More Raids and Dungeons
Starting today, December 7, 2017, the big update “Shadows of Sardar” is available for all versions of Crusaders of Light. This update is the largest to date and offers the following features:
Max level increased to 55: You can now reach level 55. Once you reach the new max level, you can become even stronger with new legendary gear.
Large new area: The new area expands the game world by 33 percent.
New Raids: The new core of the Crystal Rock Raids can be explored by seven to ten players. In the crystal caves, enemies pose a significantly greater challenge at the new difficulty level “Mystica”.
New abilities: Your characters now have ten abilities instead of three. Each class also receives two new skills. These changes make the combat system more complex and allow for new rotations and combos.
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Fortnite: Battle Royale (PC, PlayStation 4 & Xbox One) recently received a significant update that greatly enhances performance. Additional changes have also been made to the UI, inventory, and aim assist for gamepads.
Fortnite: Battle Royale, the PvP mode of the loot shooter Fortnite, runs on the Unreal Engine 4 created by the developer and shines in a playful comic look. However, there is always room for improvement.
The developers have not been particularly satisfied with the performance on PC until now. Therefore, with the current update 1.10, the developers at Epic Games have significantly improved the game’s performance.
Update 1.10 brings performance optimization
The latest update 1.10, which went live on the servers today, December 7th, has significantly improved the performance of Fortnite. Among other things, there is now a better frame rate when multiple characters are nearby.
Shadows, lights, and bushes are now rendered better, and PhysX performance has been improved. Additionally, issues with server performance have been resolved and particle effects have been optimized.
Better inventory and less aim assist
There are also improvements to the inventory interface. You can now access your items better with both the mouse and the controller. Additionally, the aim assist for controllers has been toned down.
This should help you better adjust to the movements of the opponent with sniper rifles. Also new: you can no longer reload while looking through the scope of sniper weapons. So think carefully about when to shoot, because if you reload, you might lose your target!
The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of War is a multiplayer game! Did you not know? Well, from now on it has become one! With the latest update, you can let your enslaved orcs compete against each other! It is as brutal as it sounds, but at the same time more fun than it seems!
When thinking of MMOs, one doesn’t usually think of The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of War. Just like its predecessor Shadow of Mordor, its successor is a single-player game. You control the hero Talion through Mordor, killing orcs, taking over Mordor from within.
You receive help from the spirit of the original smith of the Rings of Power, Celebrimbor. In addition to the ancient elf, there are also plenty of orcs available to enslave. And these are now important for a multiplayer mode: A coliseum!
The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of War has received a mode with the latest free update where enslaved orcs can compete against each other.
Orcs against Orcs! Win battles and celebrate the champion
Orcs in all corners of Mordor can be subjugated and controlled. They obey Talion (and Celebrimbor) from then on and follow him to death. The battles take place similarly to well-known browser or mobile games.
An orc is selected to fight in the pit and then faces a stored copy of another. If he wins, he levels up; if he loses, he dies and is no longer available for the rest of the game. No active play occurs. Select an orc, watch, cheer, and wait.
With each victory the orc achieves, he receives a loot box. This contains one item per victory. After three consecutive wins, the winner is upgraded to epic status; after five, to legendary.
Several factors are important for victory:
The level of the orc
The level of Talion (orcs cannot level up higher than this)
The equipment of the orc (can be earned through victories in the pit)
The strengths and weaknesses of the orc
In particular, the last point raised questions in the predecessor Shadow of Mordor. Many disadvantages of the orcs were rather pointless, as a well-equipped Talion could easily eliminate them anyway. In the fight pit, strengths and weaknesses are crucial; they decide victory or defeat.
Strengths and weaknesses become more important
It is therefore important to select fighters whose weaknesses are difficult for other orcs to exploit. Conversely, it is also beneficial to send orcs with strengths into battle that are difficult to counter.
From this point on, it is useful to take a closer look at the strengths and weaknesses of the green skins. However, only warriors can be selected who are controlled in an area where you have captured a fort.
Orcs compete against each other as evenly matched as possible. However, it can still happen that a common forest and field orc with level 2 must face a Supreme Commander with three stars. Still developable, but interesting nonetheless.
Shadow of War aims to win players with the constant cycle of new orcs, new equipment, and the improvement of orcs for… even more orcs and equipment. Or rather playtime. This system ensures that players are retained and their interest in the constantly evolving mode is piqued.
Benedict says: A really cool idea that will surely attract people who do not yet have the game. Especially players who were curious but needed “that certain something” (like me) will certainly appreciate such innovations. Better free updates than constant DLCs!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMORPG Crowfall is late. Now the responsible studio ArtCraft has received an additional 6 million dollars at the beginning of December. Are they picking up the pace now?
Despite all the doomsayers, the team is now toasting to a “great year 2017” in a public statement. After all, a lot has been revised and improved, the developers have certainly not been idle and are looking forward to 2018. Then, finally, Alpha, Beta, and the soft launch are supposed to start, and ultimately, as soon as the game has been polished enough, the worldwide release as well.
These were the main advances in 2017
In 2017, the following was achieved:
The discipline system was introduced with over 100 specializations.
The skill training system was completely overhauled.
Buildings can now be constructed in real-time without needing to restart the game.
The graphics engine has been polished.
The website was completely redesigned.
New classes were introduced: One can now choose between 12 races and 11 classes.
Introduction of a functioning system for building and customizing fortresses according to personal needs.
A stable server has been established.
6 million dollars extra!
Over the summer, there was internal discussion about where things stand and what is needed. It was concluded that more funds would be needed to allow the game to continue growing and to cover launch costs.
On December 1, Crowfall secured a new funding round of 6 million dollars from investors. Additionally, they are pleased with the pledges totaling about 4 million dollars that have been raised so far by the 35,000 backers! Moreover, the number of registered crows is encouragingly high at about 232,000. The full statement can be read here.
This funding covers ongoing costs and marketing materials for the launch, primarily for new positions. These are intended not only to relieve existing staff but also to hopefully bring more speed to game production without sacrificing quality.
The developers are very aware that without crowdfunding, much of this would not have been possible and are grateful for the support from backers and fans.
Nevertheless, skepticism among the crows
The fans are still divided. Up to this point, Crowfall has been granted considerable financial support, and the game looks anything but finished. Some fear, as seen in the comments, that if the game launches in 2018, it will likely be hopelessly outdated.
The others are simply looking forward to further progress and that backers are kept informed. Which side are you on?
When you read the names of these games, you don’t immediately think of MMOs. However, they still belong to this genre, at least according to their own statements. Here we present to you 7 of them.
The MMO genre is large and diverse. Nowadays, even racing games and fishing simulators call themselves “MMO.” Many gamers can only shake their heads, as they associate this term only with a specific kind of game: namely online games where masses of players gather on the screen. There must be hundreds at least! And actually, MMORPGs are the only true MMOs.
However, the MMO genre has gone through an interesting transformation: MMOs are now practically referred to as multiplayer online games that function as “Games as a Service.” That is, games that are maintained long after launch and provided with new content. We are dealing with the change in the definition of MMO here:
In this article, we want to show you a few games that many say: “That’s not an MMO?!” – The games themselves, however, say: “Yes, we are!”
The Crew 2
With The Crew, most people think at first glance of a normal action racing game and not of an MMO. However, it is an open-world car racing game where you encounter many other players. And so it happened that Ubisoft wanted to give its new franchise a unique label and established a new genre with the term “racing MMO.”
Ubisoft refers to it on the official site as “Open-World Racing MMO”
After The Crew, now The Crew 2 follows. The second part offers cool transformations that allow you to instantly switch from an airplane to a boat or other vehicles in the game. With seamless transitions between the various modes of transportation, you can jump into the water with your sports car and instantly become a speedboat. Without any annoying delays.
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All locations on the map can be reached by car or by plane. For water enthusiasts, there is also a large network of rivers that takes you from the top of the map down to the very bottom.
You can expect off-road races, freestyle challenges, street races, and also professional races.
In the open world of The Crew, you race with other players over the tracks. You have a progression system that improves you over your playtime. While races are the focus here, The Crew 2 offers several MMO elements at second glance.
The zombie survival game Dying Light (PC, Xbox One, PS4) will soon receive a PvP battle royale mode. The standalone expansion “Bad Blood” is set to release in 2018, with sign-ups for the PC beta already open.
An unwritten law seems to dictate that a zombie survival game must eventually get a standalone battle royale expansion. Thus, zombie games like H1Z1 and Fortnite now feature extremely successful battle royale modes, all running independently from the original and often being more successful and popular than the PvE carnage.
Battle Royale game mode is not just another PUBG or H1Z1!
According to the developer Techland, many fans have wished for a battle royale mode for Dying Light. The genre is apparently popular among survival horror fans. Therefore, they intend to release a standalone PvP mode called Bad Blood in 2018.
However, Bad Blood is not just going to be another H1Z1: King of the Kill, PUBG, or Fortnite: Battle Royale. Instead of 100 or more players slaughtering each other, only 6 players will fight for survival in Bad Blood. It works as follows:
All players are dropped in a region overrun by zombies
The goal is to escape before nightfall. But there are only a limited number of seats in the escape helicopter.
To secure a seat on the helicopter, you must collect blood samples from zombies. However, you can also steal them from other players or team up with them for more yield.
The more blood samples are collected in total, the more seats the helicopter has available.
Along the way, you must, as usual in Dying Light, find resources and craft weapons.
The battle royale addon Bad Blood is set to release in 2018. If you want to test it earlier, you can already sign up for the beta of Bad Blood on PC via the Techland page linked here!
More articles about Dying Light poking fun at Destiny:
In The Division, Global Event 3 is approaching. The modifiers and secret gear sets it carries are already known.
The State of the Game just aired on December 7, 2017. It was the first situation report after Update 1.8, which initially discussed some issues that this update introduced.
This is how you start when you log in to 1.8: at World Tier 4 instead of 5. This is a bug that should be fixed soon. Currently, you need to take action and manually set the World Tier back to 5.
Moreover, there have been increasing reports of server crashes in recent days, which should be resolved by today. Furthermore, there are issues with the pulse generator and the sorting function in the stash. These and other problems that Massive still needs to sort will now be investigated.
Global Event 3 is coming
Update 1.7 brought a new activity in summer 2017: Global Events. These are week-long events that bring variety to the PvE space – with modifiers and new loot.
So far, only two Global Events have taken place. The third one will follow in mid-December, on December 12.
The Global Event 3 is called “Strike.” These are the modifiers:
Global modifier that is always active: When enemies are killed, they explode after a short delay.
Pre-emptive Strike (optional): If you deal too much damage, it triggers a small explosion on the agent itself.
Tactical Strike (optional): The effect of Pre-emptive Strike + Strike explosions mark nearby enemies. Kills of marked enemies deal damage to all enemies. Additionally, you receive increased damage from ally explosions.
While the global modifier is always active, the other two modifiers can be activated additionally, allowing you to earn more global credits. The optional modifiers could only be selected on the PTS during the missions Lincoln Tunnel, Lexington, Time Square, Warren Gate, and in the incursion Stolen Signal. It is likely that these modifiers will also only be available in live play for these missions.
In other words: The Strike event is explosive. Your enemies explode upon kill and if you’re not careful, it can also go off with you.
With the third global event come these secret gear sets: Way of the Nomad, D3-FNC, Predator’s Mark, and Banshee.
In addition to the secret gear sets, you can also earn new masks and new cosmetic items.
More information from the State of the Game:
Community Developer Yannick Banchereau shared some stats: In the first 24 hours after the launch of 1.8, over 750,000 exotic containers were opened across platforms. The agent who opened the most during this time opened 264!
Update 1.8 is not the end of The Division. However, nothing can be announced at this time.
In Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris reach the Max Power Level 335 – Here are 4 tips on how to reach the max level.
The “Curse of Osiris” expansion increased the maximum Power Level in Destiny 2. Previously capped at 305, it now goes up to 335 Power (including mods).
Most of you will have likely started the new expansion with a Power Level over 300. First, play through the new campaign to access all endgame content. Through loot drops or vendor rewards, you will likely be over Power Level 310 after that, as “normal loot” now provides significantly above the previous maximum of 305.
To reach 335, you now have a few – partly new – options available. Here are 4 tips for leveling up.
Play the normal Leviathan raid to guarantee an item at max level
This tip is currently spreading on social media, with unclear whether it is a bug or intentional: If you defeat Calus in the Leviathan raid, the chest will definitely contain an item at 335 (or 330 without mod). No matter what Power Level you are.
You only need to defeat Calus on the normal difficulty, which now has a recommended Power Level of 300. This way, you can quickly and relatively easily obtain your first item at the new max level.
By the way, the chests from other raid encounters also contain items that can advance your Power Level. Thus, the Leviathan raid is an excellent activity to quickly boost your Power Level. Moreover, you will also earn raid keys that can lead you to Exotics.
With Exotics to 335
The Exotics continue to be an excellent source for increasing your Power Level. They can bring you up to 335.
There are several ways to obtain Exotic items, such as through the raid or via Cayde’s treasure maps. Still, the most efficient method is to play public events to earn Exotics. Activate a “Fireteam Medallion” from Tess Everis to increase the drop rate.
Additionally, you will receive a guaranteed Exotic upon completing the Curse of Osiris campaign.
Tip: Xur will soon sell Three of Coins (starting from 12/15). This will increase the drop rates for Exotics from all sources for 4 hours. This way, you can obtain Exotics even faster.
Heroic Strikes as a new milestone
You can view the milestones in your Director. All milestones that drop “Powerful Gear” weekly will get you to 335 Power. However, they can only be completed once per week and per character.
These include:
The Flashpoint
The Nightfall Strike
The Leviathan Raid
The Call to Arms
The Clan Milestone
Heroic Strikes
The heroic Strikes were newly introduced with Curse of Osiris. They have a recommended Power Level of 270 and are meant to enhance strikes in Destiny 2. Complete three of them, and you will receive Powerful Gear.
The new weapon forge also helps you progress
At the Lighthouse, there is a weapon forge with which you can craft special Osiris Vex weapons. These weapons are also supposed to scale with your Power Level and advance you in progression.
Once you have forged your first weapon, three more Vex weapons in the form of Lost Prophecies will be available to you weekly.
Gathering the materials needed to forge the weapons is quite laborious. You will need to play many public events, strikes, or PvP matches. Along the way, you will find some additional Exotics that will also boost your Power Level.
Starting next week, there will be a new heist in GTA 5 Online. A huge update brings exciting new content to you!
Finally, the PvE (heist) content in GTA 5 Online is being expanded. With a new heist, your team skills will be put to the test once again. In addition to the new mission, you can expect flying cars and crazy flight aids.
GTA 5 Online Doomsday Update and Trailer
In the exciting trailer, the GTA developers present the new content that awaits you. The new heist is once again a group mission, where you can team up with either friends or random players to solve the tasks together.
This time, your crew must decipher secrets to eliminate a threat. You will be traveling downtown in Los Santos, diving into the sea, and even venturing into the heart of Mount Chiliad. The creators describe the heist as an “epic new online adventure” with “apocalyptic dangers.”
On December 12, “The Doomsday Heist” will be released for Grand Theft Auto Online.
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What else does the Doomsday Update bring to the game?
In the trailer, we can see several contents that “so” far have not been in GTA 5 Online. This includes a variant of the DeLorean, which can not only fly but also functions as a submarine.
New this time are also jetpacks, which can quickly transport you to dizzying heights:
Are you looking for more firepower? No problem! With the new tank, you should have enough firepower for the road:
You will probably be able to manage your businesses from the air in the future. Because it looks like there will be a flying headquarters (or some form of mobile command center) in the sky:
How do you like the changes of the update? Are you excited about a new heist, or does GTA 5 Online need to do more to convince you?
The new announcement video reveals much more about the game’s story, which has to do with religious circles. In the livestream, the team also announced that the entire campaign of Far Cry 5 is playable in co-op mode. Now you can complete all story missions together with a friend.
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Far Cry 5 Release Date – When is it coming out and what is it about?
The official release of Far Cry 5 is early next year. On March 27, 2018, the game will be released for PC, PS4, and Xbox One and is set in a fictional town called Hope County in the state of Montana. Alone or in two-player co-op mode, you can dive into the story.
The trailer already gives first impressions of the story, which apparently has a lot to offer for the player.
As the new junior sheriff of the town, you must prove yourself in a new task. Your arrival accelerates the already smoldering plans of a fanatical doomsday cult and entices The Project at Eden’s Gate to finally take over Hope County.
You will be drawn into a power struggle completely unprepared, in which you should keep a cool head. Your goal is to thwart Eden’s Gate’s plans and boost the resistance to free yourself and the community of Hope County.
To solve missions, you can use animals as helpers. Bears or pumas support your gameplay style. This works for missions you want to solve stealthily and also for action gameplay styles that are more “loud”.
The race for the first kills in WoW is in full swing. Two guilds are currently battling for ultimate victory against the Burning Legion.
In line with Saint Nicholas, the mythic version of Antorus, the Burning Throne was released yesterday on 06.12.2017. The final raid of World of Warcraft: Legion has once again ignited the exciting race for the first kills among the professional guilds.
However, things are not going well for the Legion, as Sargeras probably hoped. After nearly 16 hours, “the 3 great guilds” had already sent 9 of the 11 bosses back to the Nether. The race is mainly between Method, Exorsus, and Limit.
Just a few hours later, Method already achieved the kill of Aggramar, but Exorsus was able to catch up with a slight delay.
A bit behind is the guild Limit, which is currently still stuck on Aggramar and has thus only managed to defeat “only” 9 of the 11 bosses.
Method and Exorsus are in a neck-and-neck race
The current status (at the time of writing, 7.12. 4 PM) is that Method and Exorsus are having fun with Argus, the Unmaker on the mythic difficulty level.
The final fight is considered particularly mysterious, as Argus has two additional phases that only exist on mythic difficulty. How exactly these phases work is still completely unknown. The major guilds will hardly share any information until the first kill to not give the competition an advantage.
Image source: MMOzone
So far, it can be said that the mythic difficulty of Antorus does not pose a particularly lengthy challenge for the professional guilds. But until the last boss is defeated, the raid is not considered completed – and end bosses tend to hold out in World of Warcraft for several weeks.
As the mythic bosses were also not tested by players on the PTR, it is quite possible that there are bugs or errors that have led to some bosses being easier than planned and others (like Argus) being too difficult. So far, Blizzard has held back on hotfixes, so everything seems to be in order.
What do you think of Antorus, the difficulty level, and the progress of the professional guilds? Is it all too easy, or is it an impressive achievement how quickly the professionals are plowing through the content?
Templars are in The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) a class that is great for damage dealing with maximum DPS. But how does the DD Templar play, and what should you pay attention to in its builds in 2018? Find out here in our guide for the Templar DD build.
The Templar in The Elder Scrolls Online was once famous for its good healing performance. Nowadays, there is another strong healer class with the Warden, and many Templar players would like to switch. But can the noble Templar even be a good damage dealer?
Find out here in our guide to the Templar, which presents him as a Max-DPS damage dealer.
The Templar in ESO as Magicka Damage Dealer in PvE
This version of the Templar as a DD class is particularly well suited for fights in dungeons and raids. However, it also works well in solo play, as it can still heal itself effectively.
This guide is based on Update 16 (Clockwork City, 2017).
Race: Altmer – The High Elves receive a bonus to Magicka and deal more damage with fire, frost, and shock magic. This is always useful for a Magicka-based damage dealer! Dark Elves or Bretons can be chosen as alternatives if the lovely High Elves do not appeal to you.
Armor: You use five light armor pieces due to the Magicka bonus. Additionally, you have one medium and one heavy armor piece.
Weapons: You use a destruction staff for both slots, ideally a fire and a lightning staff.
Equipment Bonuses: You use the “Divine” trait on your armors. This maximizes your Mundus Stone. The fire staff has the “Infused” trait, and the lightning staff is “Nirnhoned”. As glyphs, you use Magicka glyphs on the armors and a fire glyph on the fire staff. The lightning staff gets a suitable shock glyph. You equip your jewelry with an Arcane glyph to increase spell damage.
Mundus Stone: “The Apprentice” is ideal here as it increases spell damage, thus improving your DPS.
Sets: The craftable set “Law of Julianus” (craftable in Wrothgar), the monster helm set “Valkyn Skoria” (drop in City of Ash II on Veteran, the shoulders are obtained from the chest of the Undaunted with Glirion), the staff “Moon Dancer” (drop in the Depths of Lorkhaj), and the Maelstrom lightning staff (drop in the Maelstrom Arena) are particularly suitable.
Attributes: You distribute your points entirely to Magicka.
Skillset 1:
Ritual of Retribution (From Level 30 Restoring Light)
Start your rotation in skillset 2 with “Elemental Blockade”, then follow with a light attack. Next, follow with “Flaming Spear”, again followed by a light attack. Then cast “Purifying Light” and switch weapons.
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Activate “Cursed Vampire” and renew it every 12 seconds. Also, ensure that “Concentrated Focus” remains active to improve your Magicka regeneration. Then continue with “Piercing Strike” and a light attack. Repeat this until you need to renew the damage-over-time effects on the first bar.
Don’t miss our other guides and builds for ESO classes:
In Destiny 2, the mood is not good. Then a job advertisement appears and makes everything even worse: Bungie is apparently looking for a head for the game’s cash shop. This person should ensure game progression through loot boxes.
A few weeks ago, the mood in the Destiny 2 subreddit boiled over. It was about a topic that seemed quite boring at first glance: the scaling of experience points.
There, a system in Destiny 2 misled players into thinking they were getting a lot of EXP, but in reality, there were significantly fewer experience points than displayed. The system obscured a hefty experience point deduction. Some shouted: This is a scam and a scandal.
Mood at boiling point after XP deceit
After players uncovered this system with extensive research, a shitstorm was already in the air, especially in the aftermath of the Battlefront 2 controversy.
Because when Destiny 2 players receive fewer experience points, the incentive to purchase loot boxes directly in the shop increases.
According to Bungie, this system was in place to make experience gain fair and to balance inequalities between individual activities. However, Bungie’s argument did not gain traction.
Players felt: This is a fraud and only intended to boost sales in the cash shop Eververse.
Bungie tried to calm the mood
Bungie then temporarily suspended this system but doubled the amount of experience points needed for a Glimmer Engram.
This was part of a communication offensive last week to repair the biggest rifts in the relationship between Bungie and the most loyal fans.
Job advertisement turns mood sour again
But the peace didn’t last long.
Now the community is upset over a job advertisement from Bungie for a “Progression Designer” who is apparently supposed to take care of the Eververse, the cash shop of Destiny 2.
This person is supposed to oversee it long-term, integrate it into the game, link it with other systems, and ensure that the shop is used well and satisfies players. The designer is responsible for the “overarching vision” so that the shop is coherent and functions long-term across multiple expansions and seasons.
Spendgame instead of Endgame
Players are particularly disturbed by a formulation in the job listing: The designer is to ensure long-term player progression and a “hunt” over Destiny 2’s Glimmer Engrams.
For many, this is a sign that Bungie wants to further expand the cash shop. The talk is about “Spendgame” instead of “Endgame.”
The background is the accusation against Bungie that Destiny 2 has a weak endgame and offers players too few goals to aspire to. Cosmetic rewards that players should actually earn through difficult activities in Destiny 2 are tied to the cash shop.
The topic of “endgame” is a minefield among Destiny 2 fans, where even community manager DeeJ stepped in it when he dared to say: The real endgame is to find friends …
Only 1 job out of more than 40 involves the Eververse
Mein MMO believes: This is one job advertisement among about forty that Bungie is currently posting. That Bungie is simultaneously looking for 3 people for the story, 10 artists, and 11 technicians makes this one job advertisement seem significantly less severe. Game designers are also being specifically sought who are supposed to take care of gameplay – and not the cash shop.
Glimmer Engrams can be earned in-game. The Eververse also offers player progression without monetary investment, which needs to be taken care of.
Upon closer inspection, this job advertisement is not a reason for the community to lose its temper. It is the heated mood that causes them to react loudly.
When the mood is as negative as it is now, there’s a great risk of seeing everything from just one perspective. This view does not show the whole picture.
Can you imagine Deadpool as Pikachu? In the new Pokémon movie, Ryan Reynolds takes on the role of Detective Pikachu.
Pokémon fans can rejoice, as a new film in the franchise is on the way. The live-action Pokémon movie revolves around Detective Pikachu, played by Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds. Filming for the movie is set to begin early next year.
The trigger for the deal was the massive Pokémon hype that broke out in the summer of 2016 when Pokémon GO was released. The contract was signed two weeks after the launch of Pokémon GO. No wonder: the value of the franchise significantly increased due to the augmented reality sensation.
Ryan Reynolds as Detective Pikachu
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the Deadpool actor has signed on for the role of the yellow investigator. Detective Pikachu is based on an adventure for the 3DS that was released exclusively in Japan in February of last year. It was the latest Pokémon game for handhelds when Legendary secured the film rights the following summer during the hype around Pokémon GO.
In the game, you play as a child exploring the world and trying to solve mysteries. You will be accompanied by a Pikachu wearing a Sherlock Holmes hat.
The curious part is that Reynolds is now playing the role of Pikachu. His movements will be digitized and later transformed onto a digital Pikachu. Similar to Andy Serkis’s role as Gollum.
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Alongside Reynolds, Justice Smith (seen in the upcoming Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) plays an important role. The character Smith plays has his father kidnapped, which leads Smith to reach out to Detective Pikachu. Together, they want to find the father.
Expectations for the film project are high, as the Pokémon franchise has sold over 300 million video games worldwide and produced an anime series with 20 seasons.
Moreover, well-known figures are involved in the film. The screenplay was written by Nicole Perlman (known as co-writer for “Guardians of the Galaxy” and writer for “Captain Marvel”) and Alex Hirsch (known for the series “Gravity Falls” on the Disney Channel). The director is Rob Letterman (known from “Goosebumps”).
“Ryan, you should play Pokémon GO as Deadpool”
A Facebook user had the idea shortly after the movie announcement in the summer of 2016 that Ryan Reynolds should play Pokémon GO as Deadpool. He wrote this to the actor on his Facebook timeline.
In 2016, Reynolds portrayed the comic book character Wade Wilson in the Deadpool film. He received good reviews for his role as the controversial hero. For a comic that was long considered unfilmable, the creators managed to combine a successful mix of geek comedy and superhero spectacle on screen. With Ryan Reynolds, who seemed made for the controversial anti-hero. Will that also hold true for Pikachu? The combination of the screenwriter from Guardians of the Galaxy and Ryan Reynolds could also indicate a humorous, controversial film.
Bohemia Interactive, known for the realistic open-world shooter Arma 3, has released Ylands, a survival game where you can seamlessly switch between single and multiplayer.
“Create your own adventure” is the motto of the title. Because Ylands offers you more than just the typical survival game that you might know from many other titles. It includes an editor that allows you to create your own worlds and complete games using simple scripting and thousands of objects, which you can then share with other players.
Seamless transition between single-player and multiplayer
Essentially, Ylands offers you a large, open game world that you can explore freely. You gather resources to build a ship with which you sail to other islands. There, you descend into deep caves to find valuable treasures or rare resources needed to craft certain items.
In Ylands, you seamlessly switch between single and multiplayer modes. Exploring a dungeon can be an exciting single-player experience, while you meet other players on a newly discovered island. Join forces with them to build settlements together.
However, not everyone is on your side. PvP also plays a role, and if, for example, you have built an impressive castle, other players might show up to besiege it and take it over.
Live out your childhood fantasies
The developers want to give you many opportunities to let loose in the game world. This includes naval battles, car races, taming horses and riding them, brewing potions with magical effects, or starting large projects together, such as creating monuments and much more.
Ylands utilizes a unique and special graphic style aimed at appealing to a younger audience. Because that’s exactly what it’s about: living out childhood fantasies in the game.
At Digital Extremes (DE), they focus on the Free2Play model and microtransactions in Warframe (PC, PS4, Xbox). The developers believe this model can offer the experience of a AAA title when respecting players and their wishes.
Warframe is currently considered one of the exemplary games regarding a fair Free2Play model. The online shooter has no paywalls to unlock important content. There are even purchase barriers if players have too low a level for certain items.
It is possible to trade the premium currency Platinum in the marketplace. Those who manage to do this smartly and collect special resources or items can earn Platinum from other players. Only cosmetic items need to be purchased with real money.
Digital Extremes wanted to follow in the footsteps of other Free2Play giants
Warframe was released in 2013 – a time when the Free2Play model was still unusual for large publishers in the West. The “Games as a Service” approach was slowly making waves and bringing decent sales numbers to games like Destiny, GTA Online, or Overwatch.
In contrast to these games, DE decided at the time to take the Free2Play path with Warframe. They thought they had a good idea of what expectations would be placed here.
They oriented themselves based on existing titles like League of Legends or World of Tanks. The developers looked at the intervals in which updates were made and how monetization worked for the players.
DE wanted to learn how to keep a Free2Play title alive through microtransactions.
Warframe faced a paywall – Players hated it, and DE reacted
Through studies of other Free2Play titles, Digital Extremes felt ready to conquer the market with Warframe – but the first shot backfired significantly.
In the closed beta, Warframe had a paywall once players reached the level cap. The online shooter was free up to a certain point; afterwards, players were asked to pay.
At that time, a small community had already formed around Warframe, and they hated the paywall! Many felt that the online shooter would be much better without harsh pay barriers. At this point, Warframe received rather mediocre to poor reviews, and the online shooter was on the verge of collapse.
Digital Extremes now had to make a decision: Would they listen to the community and remove the paywall or continue with the existing system? Ultimately, DE decided to respect the wishes of its players, removed the paywall, and released a new version of the game.
The players were pleased that their feedback was taken seriously and Warframe was subsequently adjusted.
“Players must have a choice and a voice”
In an interview with Gamesindustry, DE’s Vice President Meridith Braun spoke about her attitude toward microtransactions in Free2Play games. Braun believes that players must be given a choice and a voice. This made a difference for Digital Extremes at the time and changed the studio’s philosophy.
According to the Vice President, monetization must be integrated into the DNA of game design, whether it is a free game or a full-priced title with microtransactions.
Meredith Braun: “We have tirelessly worked for the last five years to present our players with a fair business model […], that puts the players at the forefront of every decision.”
Braun assumes that removing the paywall from Warframe strengthened the relationship between the studio and the players.
New expansions to keep Warframe “fresh”
The developers place value on continuously developing the online shooter and earning players’ respect.
In PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds there are Supply Crates, called loot boxes, which are occasionally dropped by an airplane. Those who catch them can look forward to better weapons and gear. As a PR stunt for the release of PUBG on Xbox One, the developers are now distributing real loot boxes in Australia!
When an airplane is heard in the battle royale shooter PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, there will soon be deaths. The plane drops a loot box full of weapons and gear somewhere on the map, and countless players rush there to grab the loot. This inevitably leads to a massive slaughter, as some players lie in wait for the loot seekers or they fight at the box on the spot.
Hopefully, such a thing does not happen in Australia, as real loot boxes are to be dropped there soon.
At the start of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on Xbox One, there are special Supply Crates in real life!
In the Australian regions around Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney, the developers of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds will drop real supply drops on December 9 as a PR stunt for the upcoming Xbox One release. These “real loot boxes” contain 25 awesome prizes, including “Xbox One X” consoles, Elite Controllers, Xbox Live codes, PUBG loot, and PUBG game keys.
On the Facebook page of Xbox Australia, it will be announced in advance where a box can be found. Those who have a special code and mention it to the Microsoft employee on site can open the box and take the loot. The matching codes will also be available on the Facebook page.
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Let’s just hope that PUBG fans aren’t so much in the mood of the game that they grab the frying pan and act like in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds when multiple players arrive at a loot box at the same time.
The crazy PR stunt is only supposed to take place in Australia.
