To stream a sports broadcast, this streamer picked up a controller to avoid a ban.
Actually, you had to pay to watch the UFC fight (with real people). American streamer AJ Lester streamed the entire fight between UFC fighters Max Holloway and Jose Aldo with a simple but effective trick to avoid being banned.
He simply picked up a controller.
Deceptively Realistic Graphics, Right?
Most sports broadcasts on television are copyrighted and cannot be streamed on other platforms without permission. Streamers often try to bypass this on the Twitch.TV platform: They attempt to stream interesting matches for a wide audience.
However, the administrators of the streaming platform usually notice this quickly and the corresponding channels are warned or even banned, as this is illegal.
To continue streaming the match, AJ Lester picked up his gaming controller, turned on his webcam image, and made sounds as if he were actually playing. This made the stream look like a “normal” gaming stream of a UFC video game. However, with surprisingly good graphics.
In the following clip, you can see how great the stream looked:
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A viewer tweeted a clip of the streamer’s creative idea and it went viral. Over 170,000 likes and 77,000 retweets the clip achieved on Twitter. In the meantime, the video was removed from Twitter due to a copyright violation.
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In a follow-up stream, Lester explained that his fame overwhelmed his email inbox because he suddenly gained so many followers on Twitter and other social channels. According to his statements, the streamer has not yet received any messages about possible consequences of his stream.
For safety, he deleted the video of the live broadcast. It remains to be seen whether there will be worse consequences for the streamer.
Through the broadcast, he gained more than 3000 new followers on Twitch and is happy about his new audience.
The Free2Play MMORPG Blade & Soul focuses on fast-paced action gameplay, intricate skill combos, and stylish anime graphics based on the Unreal Engine 3. There are regularly new contents with a continuation of the story, new item tiers, and additional dungeons and raids. Moreover, Blade & Soul features a sophisticated PvP mode that plays like a beat ’em up game.
Blade & Soul by NCSoft is a successful AAA online role-playing game from South Korea for PC. Blade & Soul has been available since 2012 in its home country, and the game was so popular that it even has its own musical about the archvillain Jinsoyun and an anime series! In Europe and the USA, Blade & Soul was released in January 2016. But is this game worth it for you?
A Game Like a Wuxia Film!
In Blade & Soul, everything revolves around mystical martial arts! The entire game is clearly aimed at fans of Asian martial arts stories (Wuxia) and anime/manga. Your heroes are therefore aspiring students of a mythical martial arts school in the mountains, which is wiped out by a rival at the very beginning of the game.
Only your hero survives and vows revenge! But in true Kung Fu film style, you must first learn the mysterious martial arts of the Hongmoon Clan. In plain terms: You grind and quest through hours of content to become ever more powerful. The typical MMORPG structure thus fits the theme of the setting!
The gameplay of Blade & Soul revolves mainly around fast-paced, action-rich battles. Thanks to the dynamic combat system, you actively evade or block attacks. Those who skillfully and timed defend against attacks receive powerful options for counterattacks and can trigger additional effects. Your skills are all easily accessible via hotkeys and can be developed individually.
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Combos and tactically smart application of skills in Blade & Soul are crucial to gameplay. Some of the well-balanced classes are complex and require well-coordinated combinations of skills for maximum effect. However, there are also classes that are easier to play and place less demand on the player.
The Classes and Races in Blade & Soul
The selection of your race is more of a cosmetic choice, as the four races do not provide bonuses. Depending on which race you choose, your selection of classes is limited. Only the cute little Lyn can become Summoners, while the path of the Berserker is only available to the massive Gon.
All four races are humanoid but differ in physique. Jin are typical humans, Yun are a race of elfin beings who are always female, Gon are powerful giants, and the Lyn are cute little creatures with animal ears and tails.
As for classes, there is a colorful selection of fitting martial arts heroes:
Kung Fu Master: A difficult class to play that focuses on combos and blocks.
Blade Master: A strong damage dealer who masters many combos and blocks.
Berserker: An initially easy-to-play brawler class with a big axe.
Elementalist: A typical mage who attacks from a distance with elemental effects.
Summoner: An easy-to-play support class that has a cute cat as a pet.
Pactbreaker: A dark ranged fighter who controls opponents and summons a demon.
Nightblade: The typical ninja rogue DPS class.
Blade Dancer: A special melee class that can only be played by the cute Lyn.
Elemental Fighter: A mix between a Kung Fu Master and an Elementalist.
Marksman: The newest class in the game, who operates at a distance with pistols and rifles and is very mobile.
An Endless Story
Throughout the game, you experience exciting gameplay along with an engaging story. The plot exploits all the registers of the Wuxia genre and shows in elaborate and spectacular cutscenes how various friends and foes spectacularly battle each other.
Regular free updates and expansions continue the story. In addition to more action, you can expect surprising twists where friends become foes and foes become friends.
The Free2Play Model
Blade & Soul is completely free to play. All new content also comes free via updates. However, you can subscribe to a paid membership that grants you bonuses:
You can store and withdraw an unlimited number of costumes, saving inventory space (this feature may be offered for free in an upcoming update)
You earn more in-game currency and experience points
Your fast travel feature has a shorter cooldown
You are prioritized in queues
You can have more than 10 concurrent auctions running
Marketplace fees are reduced
Leveling up weapons goes faster
Additionally, there are microtransactions for costumes, services like new character slots or inventory spaces, and upgrade materials for equipment. The upgrade items are particularly sought after, as they require a lot of grind in the game. Those willing to spend real money can experience much faster progress in gameplay and participate with top-tier players in the endgame.
What Makes the MMORPG Blade & Soul Different?
Blade & Soul is in many ways a typical online role-playing game. There are levels, raids, dungeons, equipment, and loot. However, in some features, NCSoft’s colorful MMORPG takes different approaches:
Your outfit is just fluff. The damage caused primarily depends on the weapon used, which can be further developed over various levels. Other stats, such as health points, defense values, accuracy, and critical hit chance, come from the “Bagua Fragments” used. These are small images divided into 8 parts, each providing bonuses per piece. If you use several Bagua from a set, you get bonuses! However, the Bagua can only be seen in the equipment menu. Therefore, you can wear whatever you like!
There are tons of costumes with which you can dress up your heroes. Like in many Asian MMOs, the outfits can be very extravagant and sexy at times. However, there are also modest outfits. So whether you want to appear as a mysterious martial monk with a straw hat, a sword master in a samurai look, or a sexy sharpshooter, Blade & Soul fulfills your wish.
The playable classes play extremely differently. From the agile Blade Dancer to the brutal Berserker, to Elementalists and Marksmen, there are many different play styles. Some classes, like the Kung Fu Master, can only reach their full potential with masterful players as they build on very complex combinations and require quick reactions. Other classes, like the Elementalist or Summoner, are more accessible for newcomers and casual players, although true mastery often presents further challenges. In group play and group PvP, the classes have their own strengths, which do not much align with the classic MMORPG role distribution of “Tank-DD-Healer”.
There are no pure healers; every character can deal damage. Tanking mainly works through blocking or dodging. However, good awareness is especially needed to avoid deadly area attacks. This creates a dynamic combat scenario.
The PvP mode in Blade & Soul takes place partly in the open world and partly in special arenas. Whoever wears the uniform of one of the two opposing factions is fair game for the enemy. If you don’t want to engage, just wear something else and you have peace. In the arena, PvP plays more like a beat ’em up than an MMORPG. Here, your skills in dodging, blocking, and countering become even more important. Additionally, in team PvP, as in wrestling, you have the option to tag in or out as needed. The PvP is so popular that it even has its own eSport league.
You Will Love Blade and Soul If …
you are ready to invest a lot of time in your favorite game
you don’t mind experiencing content over and over again
action-packed and well-balanced arena PvP is totally your thing!
you enjoy fast and action-rich battles that bring real challenges
you appreciate a steadily evolving story that regularly provides you with new gameplay content and challenges!
Blade & Soul is Less Suitable for You If …
you prefer more leisurely gameplay! Blade & Soul has a decent pace and requires good reflexes and movement!
you cannot stand Eastern settings or martial arts backgrounds
you can’t stand anime aesthetics and wacky costumes!
you want to experience the end game but have very little time available
Beginner Tips to Ease Your Start
With the following tips and tricks, you can start much more effectively and gain significant advantages right at the start and in your first hours:
When you reach “Jade Stone”, complete all (!) resource gathering quests there. They give a large amount of experience points!
Achievements are important! Later, a certain number of them will be needed, and some achievements improve game stats!
Each class plays very individually. Therefore, it helps to watch some gameplay videos. Otherwise, it can easily happen that you reach the maximum level but struggle with the challenges of the class or it simply doesn’t suit you. Especially if you want to reach high levels and are interested in the endgame, you should know exactly what awaits you later!
If you play “block classes” like a Kung Fu Master or Blade Master, you can block “yellow” attacks. Attacks with a red indicator cannot be blocked. Here you have to dodge!
PvP in the open world is voluntary! As long as you don’t wear the uniform of any faction, you cannot be attacked by other players.
In the PvP arena, weapon damage is normalized. The quality of the weapon has no effect there.
The game engine often does not register all left and right mouse clicks when spamming quickly (important for classes like the Elementalist). Instead, it helps to use the “R” key more often.
Tips for Money and Item Upgrades
Money is essential in Blade & Soul for item upgrades and thus for game progression. These tips will help you become rich and powerful!
Money rules the world! Weapon upgrades are incredibly expensive but necessary to master later challenges. Therefore, one should always think about how to earn in-game currency. A little skill in trading in the market and knowledge of good farm spots are very valuable here. Also, make sure to regularly complete dungeons and daily challenges. If you don’t consider early what you need for the next upgrade, you might quickly lose enjoyment in the game as you’ll reach your limits sooner or later, and progress will cease.
It’s especially important to sell surplus items on the market. So always check back (with F5 in the default settings, you can access the market) and see what individual items are worth. The market is available from level 15.
Chest keys are very valuable! They should be used wisely. Many materials for weapon upgrades can be easily found in the game, while others are very difficult to obtain. Therefore, think about whether you really need the chest’s contents.
Crafting professions are always linked with two other professions. Choose your jobs carefully and align them with each other.
You can receive quest rewards instantly without returning to the quest giver. However, this costs money! Especially at the beginning of the game, you should not waste unnecessary money.
Do not sell everything that comes into your hands! Many items are needed for weapon upgrades or can be sold for greater profit in the market.
Repair tools are truly valuable and should not be squandered.
Disassemble surplus Baguas that you find. This provides valuable transformation materials, especially later in the game.
You can log out comfortably after issuing crafting orders; the orders will still be completed.
Conclusion – Blade & Soul Offers Plenty of Content & Fun for Fans of Martial Arts and Anime!
If you enjoy colorful anime graphics, Kung Fu action, fast-paced gameplay with a high skill factor, and brilliant Wuxia stories, you can’t go wrong with Blade & Soul. The game offers plenty of content completely free, and you only really need to spend money if you are totally into fancy outfits from the cash shop or want to quickly and easily participate in the endgame with top gear without any grind. However, if you bring a lot of time or just want a really well-thought-out combat system and top PvP, you can confidently download the client!
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Due to cheats in the survival game Fortnite (PC, PS4, Xbox One), two cheaters have been prosecuted. They were accused of copyright infringement. The first trial has now concluded, and developer Epic is continuing to take action against the 14-year-old cheater.
First case: Epic against cheater ends with injunction
The first of these cases has now been concluded. It involved a cheater in Minnesota. He was accused of using unauthorized computer code to cheat. He has been banned nine times but created a new account in Fortnite Battle Royale each time and continued cheating.
This lawsuit has now been settled out of court. The cheater has signed a temporary injunction which requires him to destroy all cheats and never cheat again. He must not do anything that infringes Epic’s copyright.
If he violates these conditions, he must pay 5,000 US dollars. It is unclear if he is currently incurring any costs.
Case against 14-year-old cheater still pending
The second case involved headlines because a 14-year-old was to be prosecuted. The mother of the accused has addressed the public in a letter and accused Epic Games of several issues, including violating the minor’s protection by anonymity with the lawsuit.
Epic Games claims they did not know the age of the cheater when they filed the lawsuit. Now that the mother has revealed her son’s full name and address, she has exposed the young man to the public.
The law states that for individuals known to be minors, only initials can be used. Epic wanted to comply with this and will continue to do so in further submissions to the court.
The case against the 14-year-old has not progressed further. However, it appears that Epic is not willing to back down and will continue to take action. This could lead to a second temporary injunction.
Apparently, Fortnite does not want to ruin anyone here but wants to ensure that every cheater understands that serious consequences are imminent.
Buying a more powerful console and still being able to play PUBG only at 30FPS is a disappointing news for console fans who are looking forward to the battle royale shooter. Although developers have already proven that more frames can be achieved, players will start with the handbrake pulled.
Why 60 frames when you can have only 30?
In an interview with wccftech, Brendan Greene recently explained that the PUBG developers want to bring the game to the Xbox consoles at 60FPS. A game version with which the developers are testing the game has likely already overcome this hurdle.
However, it seems that gamers will still have to wait for these frame rates. On Twitter, PlayerUnknown personally stated that PUBG will only run at 30FPS on all Xbox consoles at launch. This includes the new Xbox One X consoles.
They are working on achieving higher frame rates, but this cannot be confirmed at the moment. It sounds like they have not yet given up on the big goal of 60FPS.
A possible reason for the FPS cap is players on the regular Xbox One systems. In the mentioned interview with wccftech, Brendan Greene explained that PUBG only reached 30-40FPS when testing on the Xbox One.
If the game runs at 60 FPS on the Xbox One X now, these players might have an advantage because they are playing at a higher frame rate. Therefore, the reason for the 30FPS limit on all Xbox One consoles could be to ensure that all players have the same conditions.
A selection of further gameplay changes in the patch notes:
The PvP rank is raised from 40 to 99. Last Stand and Skirmish contribute to this.
The PvP modifier is adjusted to maintain TTK balance. Because endurance is being revised: For each point of endurance, health points are increased by 30 (instead of previously 15).
When hip firing, the reticle is removed and the crit chance is reduced by 50%.
Agents can now vote on whether to kick group members. This is possible once there are 3 or 4 agents in the group.
Exotics Warlord, Caduceus, Historian, Tenebrae, Damascus, Golden Rhino, Midas, Hungry Hog, Showstopper, Thompson M1928, and Tommy Gun receive an increased damage output.
The Pakhan is slightly weakened in damage but its spread is reduced.
Medved receives increased range and reduced spread.
The damage of high-rate-of-fire weapons is reduced.
Specifically, the damage of the M4, MP5, and MP7 is reduced.
In addition, numerous bugs are fixed, and further balance adjustments are made. We will take a detailed look at the new exotics and the changes to the gear sets in future articles. Until then, here are the complete patch notes.
The complete patch notes for 1.8
As soon as the patch notes are available in German, we will embed them here.
New feature: West Side Pier
West Side Pier is a completely new area accessible for all agents where two new game modes take place: ‘Resistance’ and ‘Skirmish’. In the zones, the enemy factions are teaming up to take the fight to the Division agents.
The West Side Pier map stretches over two named zones: Piers North and Piers South.
A new safe house will be available named Camp Clinton. Camp Clinton will act as a new social hub, similar to the Terminal, for Update 1.8.
West Side Pier features a new dynamic spawning system for enemies, new special assignments, and daily assignments.
West Side Pier Commendations have been added.
New feature: Skirmish
In Skirmish, two teams of four agents compete against each other to get the highest number of kills before the timer expires. Teams earn points each time a downed enemy agent is eliminated.
Agents can start a Skirmish session from the Last Stand matchmaking gate in the Base of Operations or Camp Clinton.
PvP rank (previously called Last Stand rank) cap has been increased from 40 to 99. Last Stand and Skirmish both contribute to this progression.
New PvP rank rewards have been added, including Classified Caches.
Skirmish Commendations have been added.
New feature: Rogue 2.0
The Rogue system in the Dark Zone has been overhauled for Update 1.8.
To go Rogue, the agent needs to toggle their Rogue status before being able to do any damage to friendly agents. Any member of their group can choose to also go Rogue or to leave the group.
Manhunt levels and objectives have been added. Agents reaching Manhunt status will now have an objective to interact with, which will reward Manhunt Caches. Non-Rogue agents will see the general area of the Manhunt objective and will be rewarded for stopping the Manhunt agents.
New feature: Optimization Station
Gear Optimization provides an all new way for agents to invest in their favorite gear and achieve the perfect min-maxed build for their playstyle. Agents can take any of their gear to the new Gear Optimization station and spend Division Tech and Credits to improve the quality of the item’s stats towards their cap.
New feature: Resistance
The update introduces a new PvE game mode called ‘Resistance’ where factions are teaming up for the first time to fight against Division agents. Enemy NPCs continuously spawn in waves as the agents try to survive for as long as they can.
This new PvE game mode takes place in three arenas in West Side Pier.
Agents can start an event from the map or by walking to the arena locations located in West Side Pier and initializing the event from there.
Resistance Commendations have been added.
New feature: Underground changes
The old Directives have been removed and replaced by new ones that bring new gameplay options.
Electro Tech – New electro-tech gives the player vastly reduced cool-down on skills, however a side effect of this experimental technology causes disruption to other electrical systems while a skill is activate.
Adrenal Healing –Agents are granted a constant adrenaline boost, restoring their health, however the extra intake means less frequent use is available for all healing abilities.
Kinetic Armor – Experimental new gear that increases Agents armor as they increase their movement speed. Armor protection is significantly reduced when static.
Compensator – Experimental tech that gives all weapons extra stability when firing down the sights; however due to weight of this tech Agents have decreased ammo capacity.
Shock Ammo – Specially designed magazines allow for permanent shock bullets, but with constant fire this can cause it to be unusable for a short time and potentially shock the Agent.
The Underground will now have checkpoints.
Hunters have been added to the Underground as a random spawn. When they show up, there will always be one more Hunter than there are agents present. Slain Hunters have a chance of dropping Exotics and Classified Gear Sets.
The Rave Room from the End is NY mission has been added to the room rotation.
New Directives panel added to the Tactical Operations Center.
New quick launch options in the Tactical Operations Center for Daily and 3 Phase 5 Directive Operations.
Underground Daily Operations and Weekly Assignment information added to the map.
The Underground has been given weekly assignments, and will reward a Weekly Cache which contains an Exotic.
Rewards have been increased overall in the Underground.
New Underground Commendations have been added.
New Patches have been added as commendation rewards.
Added ability to fast travel to Daily Operations.
Players are now able to match-make for customized operations and for daily operations.
New Classified Gear:
The new Classified Gear Sets which will become available in upcoming Global Events are:
Global Event 3 ‘Strike’:
Path of the Nomad
D3-FNC
Predator’s Mark
Banshee’s Shadow
Global Event 4 ‘Ambush’
AlphaBridge
FireCrest
Hunter’s Faith
Tactician’s Authority.
AlphaBridge
Set Bonus (5 pieces):
+25% Health Regen
+10% Weapon Damage
Set Bonus (6 pieces):
Talent: Improved AlphaBridge
Inactive personal versions of all Signature Skills are rotating every 6 seconds and can be activated by killing enemy agents or Veteran/Elite NPCs. The Signature Skills that is up on rotation when an enemy is killed is activated for 10 seconds when all Primary Stats are balanced between each other. These times are shortened depending on the difference in the ranges of your Primary Attributes. You can no longer activate Signature Skills or be affected by Ally Signature Skills.
Banshee’s Shadow
Set Bonus (5 pieces):
+20% Looted Dark Zone Funds.
+5% damage to target out of cover.
Set Bonus (6 pieces):
Talent: Improved Banshee:
While Rogue, the time to clear Manhunt status is decreased by 5% for every group member within 10 meters. All Rogue status actions that result in a rank up are doubled. Rewards for clearing Manhunt status are improved. While not Rogue, damage to Manhunt status agents is increased by 5% for each Manhunt level the agent has. Rewards for killing a Manhunt status agent are improved.
D3-FNC
Set bonus (5 pieces):
+15% Protection from Elites
+5% Ballistic Shield damage resilience
Set Bonus (6 pieces):
Talent: Improved FrontLine
When Ballistic Shield is deployed, melee damage is increased by 2000% and all overhealing the agent receives is applied to the Ballistic Shield as healing. After receiving a damage threshold from receiving Physical or Exotic damage, the Ballistic Shield grants a buff to the agent and all group members within 15 meters for 6 seconds. The duration of the buff is increased by 2 seconds for every 3000 Stamina the agent has.
Physical Damage: Armor is increased by 30%.
Exotic Damage: Weapon Damage is increased by 30%.
FireCrest
Set Bonus (5 pieces):
+1 Incendiary Grenade Capacity
+5% Flame Turret Range
+20% Flame Turret Damage
Set Bonus (6 pieces):
Talent: Improved FireCrest
Bullets have a 2% chance to cause an enemy to burn. Burning targets can cause a fiery explosion when killed by bullets once every 10 seconds. NPCs set on fire by your flame turret will burn 25% longer for every 2000 Electronics.
Hunter’s Faith
Set Bonus (5 pieces):
+20% Optimal Range
+10% Headshot Damage
Set Bonus (6 pieces):
Talent: Hunter’s Precision
Headshots double the gained increased damage bonus. 2 consecutive missed shots are needed to lose the bonus damage.
Path of the Nomad
Set Bonus (5 pieces):
+10% Health on Kill
Talent: Improved Nomad’s Resolve
Increases the amount of healing from Nomad’s Resolve. Nomad’s Resolve will now overheal.
Set Bonus (6 pieces):
Talent: Nomad’s Luck
50% chance to have no cooldown for Path of the Nomad. Take 60% less damage for 10 seconds after Path of the Nomad is triggered.
Predator’s Mark
Set Bonus (5 pieces):
+10% Reload Speed
+8% Assault Rifle Damage
+8% SMG Damage
Set Bonus (6 pieces):
Talent: Improved Predator’s Mark
Hitting 10 shots without switching targets now applies The Predator’s Mark which makes the target bleed for 50% of the damage already done by those bullets; The Predator’s Mark ignores the target’s Bleed Resistance. The Damage over time to the target is increased by 15% for every 3000 Stamina and can critically hit the target. When at 9000 Stamina the damage over time bonus is increased by an additional 120%.
Tactician’s Authority
Set Bonus (5 pieces):
+5% Skill Haste
+5% Skill Power
Set Bonus (6 pieces):
Talent: Improved Tactician’s Authority
Using a skill while at the max bonus will reset the skill power buff but will raise the cap to 60%. Using a different skill at 60% has a 40% chance to set the buff power back to 30% while keeping the cap at 60%. This chance is increased by 20% for every 3000 Electronics.
New Exotic Weapons:
Four new Exotic weapons have been added to the game.
The House (Submachine Gun)
Special Talent: Card Counter
One half of the magazine does 20% increased damage. The half which deals increased damage flips after 15 seconds or when the magazine is empty.
Big Alejandro (Light Machine Gun)
Special Talent: Cover Shooter
Every bullet fired at an enemy from cover increases weapon damage by 0.5% up to 50%. The bonus lasts for 10 seconds. Getting a kill with this weapon while in cover resets the duration. The bonus damage is cancelled by reloading, swapping weapons, or exiting combat.
Devil (Marksman Rifle)
Special Talent: Fire
Headshots increase stability by 30% for 15 seconds. Body shots increase headshot damage by 30% for 15 seconds.
Set Bonus talent used together with Heel: The Devil’s Heel
Both weapons gain the Fire and Fury talents and the buff durations are increased by 15 seconds. Bonuses from Fire and Fury are no longer lost when swapping between Fire and Fury. Weapon swap speed is increased by 50%.
Heel (Marksman Rifle)
Special Talent: Fury
Hitting weak points increase weapon damage by 15% for 15 seconds. Hitting skill proxies increase critical hit damage by 30% for 15 seconds.
Set Bonus Talent used together with Devil: The Devil’s Heel. See above.
New additions to the Premium Vendor
Players can now obtain all new vanity items and collections by unlocking the Encrypted Cache Mark 2.
The Premium Vendor NPC can now be found in Camp Clinton, as well as the Terminal.
Gameplay
Adjusted PvP modifier to balance TTK with the new stamina improvements.
Increased health point gain per stamina point to 30 (was 15).
Increased grenade cooldown to 6 seconds (was 3).
Critical Hit Chance is reduced by 50% when hip firing.
Removed reticle when hip firing.
Replaced all instances of the + Weapon Damage gear statistic with % Weapon Damage. This results in more consistent benefits for all weapons regardless of RPM.
Fixed an issue where a grenade could become invisible if thrown exactly when going into a downed state.
Deconstructing High End gear, High End weapons, Gear Set items, Classified Gear Sets, Exotic armor and weapons now has a chance to reward D-Tech.
The turn speed for all agents has been increased slightly.
Issues with the Hunter’s Faith 4-piece bonus damage not reaching higher amounts of stacks with high RPM weapons have been fixed.
The Tactician’s Authority bonus will now proc for all damage dealt, including damage dealt by friendly turrets at a reduced rate.
Fixed a bug where agents could fire faster than intended with any Bolt Action rifle.
Fixed an issue where an agent would not receive a cache after completing an assignment if their inventory was full.
Agents can now vote to kick group members. This functionality becomes available when a group has 3 or 4 members. When an agent joins a group via matchmaking, that agent will be immune from being kicked out of the group for 3 minutes. Also, an agent who joins a group via matchmaking can only be removed from the group if the agent is kicked by vote.
UI
Fixed a UI bug where a .0 would be added to Firearms and DPS stats on weapons.
Fixed several UI issues where text would overlap in certain languages.
Fixed a UI issue where the HUD would still appear when in the Dark Zone even though the Auto-Hide option was turned on.
Fixed a UI bug where it would seem as if an agent had the Fire Bullets consumable active even though it was not active. This issue would only appear if the consumable was used shortly before the agent entered the downed state.
Fixed an issue where Smart Cover would overlap with the megamap.
Added rarity colors to the inventory’s Appearance menu so that it matches the behavior in the rest of the UI.
Weapon balance
Exotic weapons
Warlord, Caduceus, Historian, Tenebrae, Damascus, Golden Rhino, Midas, Hungry Hog, Showstopper, Thompson M1928, and the Tommy Gun have had their damage slightly increased.
Pakhan has had its damage slightly reduced and its spread decreased.
The Medved has had its range increased and its spread slightly decreased.
Weapons
The damage of high RPM weapons have been decreased.
The M4, MP5, and MP7 have had their damage decreased.
Talents
Adrenaline will now give the user a 2 second immunity to all status effects.
Adept will now give a single stack of its buff which is refreshed if another skill is used while it’s active. It will no longer stack multiple times.
Fixed instances where Rapid would stop working.
Fixed an issue where Battle Buddy would apply twice to an agent after they’ve been revived by a Support Station.
Fixed an issue where the Pakhan would lose its stacks upon switching weapons with the Lone Star 4 piece bonus active.
Skills
Support Station
Fixed a bug where the Support Station skill would still remain on the ground and the skill become unavailable when the agent using the skill move more than 100 meters away from it.
Fixed an issue where the Support Station buffs would stay even if the station was disrupted.
Fixed an issue where the Support Station healing rate would be inconsistent.
Turret
The PvP modifier for all turrets have been decreased to 35%.
Removed ability to activate First Aid while firing.
Survivor Link
Updated the Survivor Link tooltip to clarify that the agent’s group members are the ones that receive the emergency health boost.
Recovery Link
The Recovery Link auto revive will now deplete the Tactician’s Authority bonus.
Pulse
Agents will now be able to use Pulse when the cooldown is over even if the skill is already active.
Commendations / Patches
The Pacifist commendation will no longer be rewarded after a completed PvE Survival session.
Fixed an issue where the Outbreak shirt and the Cave Dweller patch would not blend well if the agent had the Banshee or Baseball jacket equipped.
Fixed an issue where Commendations with conditions as well as a patch reward would sometimes display incorrectly.
Fixed an issue where patches would cause flickering if wearing the Padded Cardigan – Black shirt or Hunting Vest – Brown with a female character.
The Commendations Highest Value Target and Targeted Agent will no longer reward the same patch as Face Time.
Last Stand Revival will now reward the correct patch.
Fixed a bug where progress for the No Retreat and No Surrender commendations would be given even though the agents had been killed in action.
Fixed a bug where the Sewer Slayer commendation would not always update upon killing a named enemy.
Fixed a bug that would allow the One Man’s Trash commendation to progress by resupplying.
Fixed a bug that would allow the player to bypass the Agent with a Shotgun commendation requirements.
Gear Sets
Tactician’s Authority
Set Bonus (4 pieces):
“Every bullet you hit enemies with adds 1% bonus skill power. Every bullet your deployed skills hit enemies with adds 0.2% bonus skill power. Skill power bonus max is 30%. Bonus is consumed on skill use.”
D3-FNC
Set Bonus (4 pieces):
When used, your Ballistic Shield has no skill mod active. It will no longer remove Critical Chance from your weapon. SMGs can be equipped. Ballistic Shield health is increased by 57% for every 3000 stamina.
Hunter’s Faith
Set Bonus (4 pieces):
“Each consecutive shot with a bolt action marksman rifle that hits an enemy deals 3% more damage. The damage bonus is increased by 4% for every 2000 3000 Firearms. The bonus damage is removed once a shot misses a target, upon weapon swap or reload, or after 10 seconds.
Classified Gear Sets
Striker’s Battlegear
Set Bonus (6 pieces):
Every hit adds a self-healing bonus for 0.02% of max health per second. This bonus is further increased by 0.05% for every 3000 stamina. Stacks up to 100 hits. Missing shots drops the bonus by 1 stack and the bonus is reduced by 2 stacks every second.
Every hit increases the bonus damage from Striker’s Battlegear by an additional 1%. Missing shots drops the bonus damage from Striker’s Battlegear by 1% and the bonus is reduced by 2% every second.
Global Event
Added support for future Global Events.
Outbreak global event masks are now rewarded by completing Outbreak specific commendations when the event is active.
Changed a tool tip to reflect that Global Event weapon skins and vanity sets can only be obtained through leaderboards.
Fixed a bug that would cause wildlife to explode during the Strike global event.
Fixed various UI issues.
Fixed various localization issues.
Missions / HVTs
Joe Ferro is now invulnerable while locked inside the glass room.
Fixed a bug where enemies would not spawn during an HVT contract after joining another agent’s session.
Fixed an issue where completing Napalm Production Site on Legendary difficulty would not count towards Global Event missions.
Fixed an issue in Warrengate Power Plant where the boss wave’s medics would not deploy their support station under certain circumstances.
Incursions
Fixed an instance where the agents could abuse a certain room to gain an unfair advantage during the final fight of Stolen Signal.
Dark Zone
Increased base Rogue timer from 19 seconds to 90 seconds.
Fixed an issue causing a downed group member not having their manhunt status cleared while in a downed state.
Fixed “Group gone rogue” notification being displayed to solo players upon reconnecting to the game while having rogue or manhunt status.
Survival
Fixed a bug where the Store menu would be available in Survival.
Fixed an issue where completing a daily Survival assignment would not give a notification.
Underground
Fixed a bug where an Underground mission could lead to a dead end.
Fixed an issue where the final boss in the Underground could be farmed repeatedly.
Fixed a bug where the final objective would not update after killing the final boss.
Agents will no longer be trapped in the Underground if the team leader leaves the group directly after opening the last door.
Fixed an issue where frame rates would drop significantly in a certain room.
Fixed not being able to vault over certain props from both directions.
Fixed not being able to take cover in certain locations.
Fixed a bug that would allow the agent to exit the playable area.
Fixed various locations where it was possible for the player to get stuck.
Removed an invisible wall.
Fixed a break in the floor which would prevent the agent from progressing.
Updated hints to correspond with the revamped Underground.
Made a number of adjustments related to the placement of props.
Fixed some weird doors.
Fixed various UI Issues.
Last Stand
Last Stand rank has been renamed to PvP rank.
Cypher key fragments are now obtainable from Last Stand caches.
Fixed an issue where an agent would be given a 30 second death penalty in Last Stand after previously dying as a Rogue in the Dark Zone.
Fixed an issue where an agent would be given a 30 second death penalty in Last Stand after previously dying in Survival.
Fixed an issue where an agent could get stuck on the Last Stand matchmaking screen.
Fixed an issue where an agent sometimes would not see the respawn menu after dying.
Fixed an issue where the player would receive a prompt to enter a Last Stand match if the group had previously closed the game during a Last Stand match.
Loadouts
Switching between Loadouts using key bindings will now give a warning message if the current Loadout isn’t saved.
Added new Loadout name options.
Premium Vendor
Fixed a bug where an item in the Premium Vendor would not have a tool tip.
Fixed a bug where the glimmer effect on rare vanity items would not disappear in the vanity items menu.
Fixed a bug where an Encrypted Cache could automatically be opened when the agent purchased a Cypher Key.
Fixed an issue where a second Premium Vendor could appear after an agent purchased an Encrypted Cache.
Fixed an issue where the agent would be stuck on the cache opening screen if kicked from the group while opening an Encrypted Cache.
Fixed an issue with Encrypted Caches where the preview button still worked even though it was not present on the UI.
Fixed various UI issues.
Fixed various animation issues.
Fixed an issue where the Premium Vendor would briefly disappear upon purchasing an encrypted cache.
World
Fixed a cover location in the Dark Zone which would show agents as out of bounds.
Fixed an issue with the “The Armory” landmark in the Dark Zone where sometimes an agent would not receive a reward for clearing the landmark, and it would continue to display as active.
Fixed an issue where agents could not pick up an Echo in Chelsea.
Fixed an issue where agents could get stuck between the Recalibration Station and Optimization Station at the Base of Operations.
PC Specific
Fixed an issue on PC where sorting items by name would not always display the items in correct alphabetical order.
Fixed an issue where the DirectX 12 renderer would not work on certain graphics cards.
Agents can now use the /join command to join a group of agents in an Open Group.
Other
Fixed an issue where the Green Cadet Cap and the White Cadet Cap looked identical.
Made an improvement to the shooting range in the Base of Operations in order to enable agents to test some of the new gear talents which require that the agent is in combat.
Decreased opacity of loot pillars while in combat.
Fixed an issue where using the Historian against a shooting range target would not generate explosion particles.
Fixed a bug in the Dark Zone where an agent’s Global Event mask would overlap with the regular gear mask.
Fixed an animation issue tied to using emotes after jumping from an object.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (PC, PS4, Xbox One) received an update that finally grants you more credits. Especially good players and those who farm the arcade mode now get much more in-game currency as a reward.
Actually, it was intended in Star Wars: Battlefront 2 that you could buy the essential loot boxes for progression with real money as well as with in-game credits. After massive protests against this alleged Pay2Win mechanic, microtransactions have been suspended until further notice.
What remained was a system where you often have to grind for a long time to get the necessary credits and parts for more loot boxes and upgrades of the star cards contained in them. That is now over!
Finally more credits in multiplayer and arcade mode
With the latest update for Battlefront 2, you now earn more credits. Especially the top players in a round in multiplayer are supposed to receive significantly more credits according to the developers at DICE. Those who enjoy farming credits in the solo missions in arcade mode will also be pleased.
Previously, you could only earn 500 credits per day there. Due to the increased credit yield, which also applies to arcade mode, this “credit cap” according to DICE was reached too quickly. Therefore, the developers have tripled the daily credit limit in arcade mode. You can now farm 1,500 credits every day.
More crafting parts from daily loot boxes
As another feature, the rather lame daily free loot box has become thicker. You now receive more crafting parts from the free box. These parts are important to upgrade the existing star cards.
Moreover, the developers at DICE emphasize that the changes from the credit update are just the first step towards revising Star Wars: Battlefront 2. It remains exciting to see what DICE and publisher EA still plan for Battlefront 2 and whether the controversial economic system of the game will significantly change in the long term.
An artificial intelligence creates an enhanced software that puts everything created by humans in the shade.
To many people, this still sounds like music from the future: machines that are capable of independently creating other machines and computer programs, thereby continuously improving themselves. What for many is a horror vision from the Terminator movies or the Omnic invasion in Overwatch, has now taken its first step into reality.
Raymond Kurzweil, who has been working as Director of Engineering at Google for some time, has now achieved a small sensation with his team.
The developers at Google set their AI “AutoML” an exciting task. It should closely examine the components of AI NASNet and improve them with more effective versions. NASNet is basically a recognition software that is supposed to identify specific objects from videos in real time, such as people or cars.
Image source: Google Research
The AI AutoML eagerly took on the tasks and made countless small changes to NASNet, making the system increasingly powerful.
The end result is that NASNet now recognizes objects 1.2% more successfully than all human-developed recognition systems and operates 4% more effectively. This marks the first time that an AI has managed to improve another AI more than humans have been able to so far.
This development is indeed a huge breakthrough in the development of AI, but it also raises many concerns that have previously been dismissed as strange fantasies of sci-fi nerds. After all, what machines can cause when they take control and continuously improve themselves has been imagined by us for decades through movies, series, and books.
Skeptics think: It will probably only be a matter of time before Skynet nests itself in all our computers. Whether that will be as entertaining as a movie remains to be seen.
What do you think of this development? A great thing that finally brings the next big step in technology? Or is this the beginning of the end of humanity?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Bungie has announced some changes for Destiny 2 with the DLC Curse of Osiris. The community experts, known from YouTube and Twitch, are responding cautiously optimistic. It’s a step in the right direction, but not the necessary leap. The readers of Mein MMO view the changes in the update even more critically.
With Curse of Osiris, Destiny 2 will see the first adjustments from Bungie tomorrow in response to the partly harsh criticism from fans. How do the most well-known content creators from Twitch and YouTube react to the patch? And what do the readers of Mein MMO say about Bungie’s plans for Destiny 2?
Datto – “I find it hard to praise things just because they are like they were in Destiny 1”
Famous YouTuber Datto has posted a long analysis. The video has now collected about 300,000 views.
Datto sees the current state of Destiny 2 critically. To him, Destiny 2 has made too many concessions to casual players and lost sight of the players who truly make up Destiny: the veterans and hardcore gamers.
Now Bungie has the salad: The tourists are gone again, the regular players are upset and are taking to the barricades.
Datto generally finds Bungie’s changes good, but they are not enough for him. He believes they only make the game better in the short term, but deeper systemic changes are necessary.
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While the armor ornaments certainly correspond to Datto’s ideas, they only bring Destiny 2 up to the standards of Destiny 1. He finds it hard to praise Bungie for something that was already in Destiny 1.
Datto can make little of the changes to make Xur even more generous.
Despite all the criticism, he acknowledges Bungie’s core message that they want to focus more on hardcore gamers in the future. Datto expects the deeper systemic changes with the spring 2018 with DLC 2 or only in the fall 2018 with the expansion for Destiny 2.
Between Satisfaction and Criticism, What the Content Creators Say
The site PC Gamer has collected a series of tweets from known Destiny 2 personalities. The reactions range from:
“I think it’s good, but it’s a shame that PvP-Ranked won’t come until 2018.” (Gothalion),
to “Well, it’s a step in the right direction, but not a leap – endgame goals are missing.” (Tefty),
to criticisms that important topics are missing and Destiny 2 needs deeper systemic changes. (TripleWreck)
In general, most feel that it is important to communicate openly. The announcement of “Ranked PvP Matches” for December 2018 has been positively received.
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In comments to our articles about the planned changes, the mood of the Mein MMO readers is rather negative.
Petit Oiseau complains: In my opinion, Bungie has listened, but not understood. They are missing the incentive of weapons like Gjallarhorn.
Texx1010 thinks it won’t be enough. The players are already gone.
Cerberus feels that Bungie has pushed the carrot in his back instead of holding it in front of his face.
Bienenvogel thinks: You have to start somewhere. It’s a shame that Bungie messed up the launch so badly, but at least now they want to fix it.
Deli Kan wants Destiny 1 back: Iron Banner and Trials should return to D1. After that, Bungie can freely introduce “Masterworks.” He doesn’t care about that.
KingK feels these are steps in the right direction, but too small and insignificant for him.
vvV AmNesiA Vvv says he is more interested in the balance changes with Season 2. He hopes for better PvP playability.
dh feels something is still missing for long-term motivation. For the 4 or 5 weapons he really uses, he will get the Masterworks. For his beloved future war cult, the ornaments too. But that seems to be it with the DLC.
More comments from the Mein MMO readers and what changes these actually are, you can read here:
World of Warcraft receives new, strange mounts. Soon, dogs seem to serve as a means of transport.
Mounts are among the most beautiful and important rewards that players can unlock during their adventures in Azeroth in World of Warcraft. After all, characters spend many days riding these creatures throughout their online lives.
With patch 7.3.5, the number of “in-game dogs” could increase further – this time as a mount! Data miners are diligently working on dissecting the game data from the upcoming update and keep stumbling upon interesting findings. Various files for a “Dog Mount” have now been found.
The exact game data for the “Dog Mount” is still encrypted, so it cannot yet be viewed in a model viewer. In the past, this was (almost) always the case when the corresponding mounts were part of a promotional campaign. For example, in a cross-promotion with another Blizzard title or during a pre-order, such as the Collector’s Edition of Battle for Azeroth.
Will the “Dog Mount” perhaps be a giant Corgi?
Some fans also speculate that the “Dog Mount” could be the new mount for the Dark Iron Dwarves, one of the allied races. After all, they primarily live in the Searing Gorge and the Burning Steppes, where many Worgs live, which they might have trained as “dogs” over the years.
What kind of mount it ultimately is, we will probably find out at the earliest with the release of patch 7.3.5 – which still has no fixed date.
PS Plus (PlayStation Plus) has announced the free games for November 2017! These free games are available for PS4, PS3, and PS Vita.
Tomorrow, on December 5, the PS Plus games for December 2017 will be available. You only have a few more hours to add the November games to your library.
These are the free games for PS4 in November:
Worms Battlegrounds: Worms is a cult classic – grab a team of worms, equip them with heavy weapons, and blast them at other worms. The Sheep Launcher, Concrete Donkey, and the legendary Holy Hand Grenade are just a few of the crazy weapons in the arsenal. The game features a single-player campaign as well as a multiplayer mode for up to 4 players.
Bound: This is intended to be an artistic platformer with an engaging story. This game offers full support for PlayStation VR and PS4 Pro.
This video gives you an impression of these games:
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You can download the games starting from November 7, 2017.
What are the free games for PS Plus?
Once a month, “PS Plus” members receive a delivery of free games that they can download from the PlayStation Store and add to their library. This game lineup is included in the subscription of the online service. PlayStation Plus costs about 60 euros per year.
The legendary monster “Ho-Oh” stays longer in Pokémon GO than expected. This was confirmed by Niantic’s support.
In recent days, trainers in Pokémon GO have been able to battle and catch a new legendary monster. Because the last event, the global catching challenge, went so well, the Pokémon GO team released the fire bird “Ho-Oh”.
The stay in the game has now been extended according to support emails.
Ho-Oh extends the stay duration
Last week, Niantic surprised us with the announcement that Ho-Oh will now appear in Pokémon GO. You can find the flying raid boss in level five gym battles. Originally, it was planned that Ho-Oh would stay until December 12th.
Now Niantic states in the support ticket that Ho-Oh will stay longer. But how long remains unclear.
The support staff mentions in a message regarding raid issues “Additionally, we will extend the deadline for catching Ho-Oh. More information will follow soon.”
Raid errors are likely the reason for the extension
Reports and screenshots of emails indicating the extension are accumulating on Reddit. In recent days, there have been repeated issues during raids. Players were sometimes unable to participate because the app crashed or only displayed a black screen instead of the game. Others could not start a catch attempt after a successful battle.
Many trainers who then contacted support and described their issue received premium raid passes and other items as compensation that they used for the raids.
By the way, Niantic has apparently fixed the error as they explained on Twitter last weekend.
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Apparently, this poor player experience is the reason why Ho-Oh stays longer available to catch in the game. After all, the trainers who faced these issues lost valuable time.
Another email from Niantic was posted by Reddit user 0815Flo0815:
As soon as Niantic reveals how long Ho-Oh will stay in the game, we will update this article.
Changhan Kim, CEO of PUBG Corp., explained that there is a high demand for cosmetic items in the battle royale shooter PUBG (Playerunknown’s Battleground). However, items that affect gameplay will not be offered.
Changhan Kim even goes so far as to say that they will never offer items that impact gameplay. Instead, they want to focus entirely on cosmetic items. These will be introduced in the form of loot boxes. It is possible to find loot boxes in the game or purchase them with in-game currency. They contain skins or clothing.
Some of these items can also be traded on marketplaces such as Steam. However, certain items – for example, those from the Pioneer Crates or preorder items – are excluded from trading.
However, the system is not final yet, as the developers have emphasized. There may still be changes regarding how loot boxes are handled before the game launches.The fact is, they will continue to offer only cosmetic items and nothing that affects gameplay in any way.
Is a tutorial coming?
Moreover, the company is somewhat backtracking regarding a tutorial for PUBG. It was previously stated that there would be none. Because in real life, there is also no tutorial, and PUBG should be as realistic as possible.
However, players keep demanding some sort of introduction mode or at least a shooting range to practice. That is why the team is currently considering how to incorporate something like that into the shooter. However, players will have to wait until after the official launch of the game.
Weapons must always maintain balancing
Regarding the choice of weapons that find their way into the online shooter, Changhan Kim explains that they always want to eliminate the flaws that have arisen from the weapons currently in the game. The team is therefore always working to maintain balancing.
In this live-action video, you will meet Destiny Girl – a Guardian who experienced the attack of the Cabal Red Legion in Destiny 2 in her own way.
The story of Destiny 2 begins with a dark hour for the Guardians: Ghaul, the leader of the Cabal Red Legion, comes to Earth to steal the Guardians’ light. He destroys the Tower, cages the Traveler, and forces the surviving Guardians to flee into the countryside.
This storyline is featured in this week’s “Video of the Week.” The YouTube channel Freakin Rad presents Destiny Girl – a Guardian who survived Ghaul’s attack and is now paving her own path.
At the beginning, Destiny Girl’s story is heavily based on the events in Destiny 2. They are humorously retold. However, towards the end, everything takes a slightly different turn. Have fun with it – good English skills are advantageous:
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This week, Bungie is presenting only two videos instead of the usual three. A special mention was given to this PvP montage, in which you can see some sniper kills. Enjoy:
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That’s it for this week’s Bungie videos. Now let’s see what you have sent us.
This time, we received a video from Nethzite. He gives a hint with a “Vex video” for the upcoming DLC Curse of Osiris. Because in this expansion, we will deal with the Vex, who are launching a new attack.
https://youtu.be/NOeqlXWkomo
How did you find the videos this week?
If you also want to show your videos to hundreds, if not thousands, of Mein-MMO readers, then send them to us! But make sure they meet the high standards of our distinguished readership. Upload them to YouTube and send us the link, which we will then embed in the next “Video of the Week” article. You can reach us best via the Facebook page “Destiny 2 Mein MMO”. Send us a private message there with the link included.
Many players are already looking forward to the upcoming Monster Hunter World and are excited about the beta. We have compiled all the information regarding the testing phase for you. Learn more about the content, the download, and the release date!
The beta for Monster Hunter World will take place from December 9 to 12 for owners of a PlayStation 4. To participate, you need to have a PlayStation Plus account. The client will be available for download starting December 8. Then, you will experience three quests in solo and multiplayer mode and also visit the training area where you can test 14 weapon types.
During the beta, it is possible to earn bonus items. You will then carry these over to the full version, which will be released on January 26, 2018. Items can only be transferred if you use the same player account with the same Sony Entertainment Network account for both the beta and the full version.
If you successfully complete the quests, you can expect face paint personalization options for your hunter.
You will also receive an item pack with useful items including mega potions, life powder, and shock traps.
The bonus items will be accessible in the full version of the online role-playing game at the player’s personal quarters with the handler.
The developers of Monster Hunter World also explain that the beta is only a multi-day test run of the game, in which the online capabilities and servers are tested. Therefore, content, menus, and options are still provisional. The beta does not show the full game, there is no support, and they reserve the right to terminate the test phase at any time without prior notice.
Are the developers satisfied with the open beta test of MU Legend? What do they say about the cheaters? We interviewed Webzen for you.
Since early November, you can play the “Hack and Slash” MMORPG MU Legend in the open beta test. After that, the game will have a soft launch, so you can carry over your beta progress into the finished game. Now the first “test weeks” have passed, bringing both positive and negative aspects.
We addressed the developers about problems and future features. In the interview, you learn how the launch of MU Legend feels for the developers and how things will continue with the ARPG in 2018.
Mein-MMO: First of all, we want to thank you for the interview. We have a passionate community here on Mein-MMO.de, and we are all excited about the future “MU Legend” content. Who are our readers dealing with? Dennis Czybulka: “Hello! My name is Dennis Czybulka and I am the COO of Webzen Dublin, the official publisher for MU Legend Global markets.”
Mein-MMO: Players and the press often refer to MU Legend as “Diablo-MMO”. Was it in your mind to create a Diablo-MMO with MMO features, or where did the inspiration for the game come from? Dennis Czybulka: “We often read this phrase, and it makes us proud in a certain way. As few of you may know, the release of MU Online (the predecessor of MU Legend) was in 2001. The “MU” brand is very well-known and popular in Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Asia. MU was never really known in Germany, and we want to change that now. The inspiration was more based on our own game. We wanted to create a worthy successor to MU Online without neglecting the innovations of the Hack&Slash genre. We aimed more at MMO features.”
Mein-MMO: Your quarter-view MMORPG was released before major competitors like Lost Ark or Project TL from NC Soft. Is that an advantage or was it even a goal to release MU Legend before the competitors’ games? Dennis Czybulka: “I wouldn’t necessarily call it a “goal”. It was more of a nice coincidence. Our goal was to release MU Legend when it met our quality standards. The Hack&Slash genre has been somewhat neglected for a while, and we wanted to fill a gap that we believe exists. Overall, I am happy with the timing of the release.”
Mein-MMO: The “Hack&Slash-MMORPG” is a relatively young genre, and it still seems to be evolving. What is the biggest challenge in that? Is it the addition of MMORPG features to this type of game? Dennis Czybulka: “Starting a large project like this, the challenges and hurdles seem enormous. A lot of time goes into good old brainstorming and developing concepts. The more we thought about the game, the more natural it felt to combine MMORPGs and Hack&Slash. Like something that always wanted to go together but had never been combined before.
We are happy with the OBT version and the initial reception from our players. The roadmap for MU Legend in 2018 is exciting, and we can’t wait to share this with our players and hear their feedback on the development of certain features.”
What makes MU Legend special?
Mein-MMO: With this genre that is becoming increasingly popular every year, leading to more quarter-view MMOs: What is the hallmark of MU Legend? Dennis Czybulka: “We can only compare our game with those that have been released so far. We can say that the pace and general feel in MU Legend are unique. In comparable games, the early and mid-game are more of a “necessity”, with the goal being to reach endgame as quickly as possible to unlock the full potential of the character. In Hack&Slash games, the focus is on AOE abilities. You want to be as strong as possible, but that is usually only unlocked at high levels.
We take a different approach: the character feels powerful from the very first levels and unlocks AOE skills early on. This way, every player experiences the Hack&Slash feeling. For the future, we have unique features planned that will likely significantly impact the entire genre.”
Mein-MMO: MU Legend has been playable since early November. How many players have joined the OBT so far and are playing regularly? Dennis Czybulka: “Normally we do not comment on our player numbers. However, we can say that we already had to open new servers well ahead of our plan. We are very satisfied with the numbers from the open beta test so far.”
Mein-MMO: Since we are already talking about player numbers: There are some users who do not take “fair play” seriously. We have seen that actions are taken against Zen/Redzen sellers. The auction house and trading function are currently disabled due to these issues. Is there an update on the progress in the fight against the cheaters and how you will address the Zen/Redzen pre-sellers? The players fear that the auction house will remain disabled for a long time. Dennis Czybulka: “We take this unwanted behavior very seriously. Unfortunately, the deactivation of the auction house and the trading function was necessary at that time. However, by the time your readers can read this interview, the Zen auction house should be active again. We continue to work on resolving the other issues.”
Mein-MMO: Have differences in player behavior between different regions been noticed in the first weeks? Do players from Germany or Europe, for example, play differently than players from China? Dennis Czybulka: “The biggest differences are usually the time spent in-game, social behavior towards other players, or simply where players play the game. For example, in Asia and Latin America, there are large groups that play together in internet cafes.”
Cash Shop and further updates in MU Legend
Mein-MMO: Is the Mu-Legend team satisfied with how the cash shop has been functioning since the start of the OBT, or are changes planned based on player feedback? Dennis Czybulka: “Cash shops are always a very sensitive topic. Not only among players but also internally within the company. We are still analyzing and will make changes to elements that are not performing well based on the feedback from players or our staff.”
Mein-MMO: We will soon receive the first major content update for MU Legend. One of the new features is 3v3 battles – when can we expect that? Dennis Czybulka: “The 3v3 battles will be released on December 5th. We are already working on another major update that will activate a few cool guild features. That will come in early January.”
Mein-MMO: Can every player start immediately or are there certain prerequisites for the 3v3s? For example, level or gear prerequisites? Dennis Czybulka: “Characters must be at least level 65 to enter 3v3s.”
Mein-MMO: Are equipment equalizations (like in TERA) planned, where each class gets equal gear to play, or will the matchmaking system handle imbalances? Dennis Czybulka: “Unlike TERA, the 3v3 arena will not have an equipment balance system. Players can use anything they have invested time in to make themselves stronger. We hope that this will allow players to show their friends and opponents how strong they are. However, artifacts will be disabled in all PvP content, as they would disrupt the balance between the characters.
Our matchmaking system uses battle tokens and win points to make matches as fair as possible. We will continue to work on providing players with fair and fun PvP battles.
Will there be PvP seasons?
Mein-MMO: Balancing a game, especially in the PvP area, is difficult. There’s always “that one class” that seems “OP”. Did the classes need special adjustments for group PvP (possibly weakening abilities)? You often hear from other games that it’s hard to balance a game for PvP and PvE at the same time. Dennis Czybulka: “We consider class balance in all content. Specifically, in PvP content, we have disabled artifacts to promote better balance.”
Mein-MMO: Will there be different queues for solo and group players? In other 3v3 games, players can sign up as a three-person group and play against other three-person groups or play as a random group in solo play against other random groups. Dennis Czybulka: “For now, there will only be single player registrations. However, changes are planned for the future.”
Mein-MMO: Developers often bring a competitive factor to PvP modes through season modes or other PvP events. Can we expect PvP seasons, tournaments, or other 3v3 events in MU Legend? Dennis Czybulka: “We have some things planned. But we do not want to reveal them just yet.”
Mein-MMO: The competitive factor is particularly high in PvP modes. Players want to showcase how good they are compared to other players and share their successes. Should we expect a PvP progression system that rewards us for successful play in PvP with titles, gear, or skins? Dennis Czybulka: “Players earn battle tokens and win points for participating in the 3v3 arena. With more win points, players reach a higher league. Players in a higher league receive more battle tokens for wins and losses. These battle tokens can be exchanged for useful items like Sage’s Stone and Magic Gem at the battle token vendor. There are also additional attractive items that you can exchange for.”
News about Guild Battles Coming Soon
Mein-MMO: Besides 3v3 battles, we are also looking forward to mass PvP like guild battles. Is there any news on that? Dennis Czybulka: “Keep an eye on the media. We will talk about that soon!”
Mein-MMO: Last but not least: Will there be a PvE update after the PvP update? If so, is there a hint about what to expect? Dennis Czybulka: “PvE content is of course important to us due to the genre. At the moment, however, we cannot provide any further information on that.”
Black Desert Online is receiving new content and updates in 2018. The highlights of the updates are a region with dragons and a comprehensive graphics update.
Black Desert Online is the online role-playing game with the most stunning graphics and the most detailed character editor. It’s hard to believe that the developers want to make everything even more beautiful and magnificent. However, as previously announced, the makers of Black Desert at Pearl Abyss are working on a comprehensive graphics update, which is reportedly already largely completed.
Black Desert Online is planning more innovations for 2018.
Black Desert Online is set to become more beautiful & extensive
JaeHee Kim, the lead producer of Black Desert Online at Pearl Abyss, spoke with InvenGlobal about the upcoming changes in Black Desert Online. Kim revealed that the graphics update is already 60-70 percent complete.
This is intended to make Black Desert Online look like a new game. However, the performance will not be affected. If players prefer the old graphics despite the new splendor, they can disable the graphics update if they wish.
The improved graphics will likely shine particularly in the planned new area “Dregan”. There, you will be hunting dragons in 2018, as the giant lizards will be opponents that you can defeat. However, you will need groups to effectively take down a dragon.
More PvP, mini-games, and a leaner client
JaeHee Kim also had more information about planned innovations and changes in Black Desert Online:
There will be revisions of the existing content. Black Desert will receive more mini-games for resource gathering, including a form of Minesweeper.
The tutorial will be more detailed and informative.
There will be an “Action Mode” which hides almost all UI elements and only shows content relevant to combat.
A 3D mini-map that shows elevations and depths is also planned.
A feature will be introduced that allows you to label your items with your name.
A so-called “tag system” is firmly planned. This allows you to switch your active character on-site with another of your characters without having to log out each time. However, there will be a cooldown for this feature.
There will be PvP guild battles that allow not only large-scale battles but also modes for 20vs20 and 5vs5. There will also be possibilities for solo players and small guilds to participate in such battles.
Every player will receive an NPC maid as a Christmas gift.
During the last telethon, the developers of the MMORPG Shroud of the Avatar stated that they will announce the official release date in a few days. Additionally, the current atmosphere is quite tense.
With the telethons, the developers of SotA collect donations from fans every month to further develop the game. Typically, between 50,000 and 80,000 dollars are raised here. The item shop and game sales constitute the other sources of revenue.
During the last telethon on December 1st, the developers announced that they would reveal the official release date of the game on December 14th.
When will the MMORPG be released?
Regarding this date, there has been some confusion lately because it was initially said that the game would not be released this year, but Richard “Lord British” Garriott, the founder of the development studio, later explained in an interview that he wants to launch SotA still in 2017.
We will soon know when SotA will officially be released.
Bad mood in the forum
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the official forum is quite tense. Many players report that threads are increasingly being closed or even deleted if they contain even the slightest criticism of the game. Some responses from the developers to sensitive questions – such as an item that some consider Pay2Win, or the fact that SotA was originally not explicitly announced as an MMORPG but is now one – are extremely snarky and annoyed.
Much criticism directed at the game
Shroud of the Avatar is under heavy criticism from several fronts. If you look at the comments on the Kickstarter website, it is even being suggested to report the game as a scam because it was not labeled as an MMORPG during the crowdfunding campaign but is now one.
On Reddit, in the comments from MMORPG.com, Massivelyop, and since the start of the early access version in Russia on the site goha.ru, players are speaking very negatively about the online game. Additionally, there is a relatively small player base, as the numbers on Steamcharts demonstrate.
All this criticism and the low number of players are likely making the developers nervous about the upcoming release. A lot of negative feedback could lead to the launch not going as smoothly as the team hopes. That’s why they are currently reacting somewhat defensively to negative comments and prefer to delete them before a bad impression of the title spreads, especially among new players.
However, they are overreacting a bit, as the pressure on the developers just before the launch presents a psychological burden that leads to overreactions and thus to threads being deleted lightly and snarky remarks.
Recently, the European publisher Travian Games conducted two surveys of early access player satisfaction with the title. It remains to be seen whether the results of the surveys are also related to the poor mood within the team. No results have been announced yet.
There is a sign of life from the MMORPG TERA for consoles PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The first Closed Beta is slowly approaching.
7 years after release, TERA is set to receive a port on PS4 and Xbox One
Rumors about a port of TERA on PS4 and Xbox One have been around for years. The MMORPG has one of the best combat systems and plays quite “arcadey”, so a console port was actually logical.
However, there was hesitation for a long time because earlier console generations like the Xbox 360 or PS3 were not designed for online gaming. This changed with the PS4 and Xbox One, and therefore a late port of the MMORPG from 2011 is now coming.
This port was announced in March 2017, it was originally supposed to happen this year, but everything took longer. The release date of TERA on PS4 and Xbox One was then postponed to 2018. But tests should still start in 2017 – it was quiet for a long time there too. Leading the console port is the US publisher of TERA, En Masse.
Players have been able to sign up for the Closed Beta since March, and now there is the first sign of life. Some players who expressed interest in the console port received this email:
Beta for TERA on PS4 and Xbox One – Here’s how to sign up
En Masse will begin a “technical test” for TERA, a kind of beta, and has sent out a survey to those who signed up for the beta.
The survey should only take a few minutes. Those who fill it out have a better chance of participating in this beta test. The survey is open until December 10th. Maybe the beta test for TERA in 2017 will really happen.
Destiny 2 receives the first DLC “Curse of Osiris”. When is the release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC? What is the price of the upcoming expansion and what content does it include? All the information is here.
Three months after the release of Destiny 2, the first major batch of fresh content arrives: The DLC “Curse of Osiris” (Curse of Osiris) is here.
This expansion not only brings new gameplay content but also free updates that will overhaul existing mechanics. All Guardians are expected to benefit from this.
All the new features awaiting you in December 2017 in Destiny 2 are summarized here for an overview.
Curse of Osiris – Release, Preload, Download Size
Curse of Osiris will be released on December 5, 2017, simultaneously on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. That’s a Tuesday.
Before the launch, extensive maintenance work will take place. This is scheduled between 4 PM and 7 PM. That means, around 7 PM the signal for the Curse of Osiris will sound.
So you can start right at 7 PM, there will be a preload. This will begin at 5 PM. So, you have about two hours to download the required game data if you want to start on time.
The download size is expected to be approximately around 6 GB, depending on the platform. Most internet connections should easily handle this in two hours. However, some Guardians may only be able to dive into the new adventure on Wednesday.
The Price of Curse of Osiris – What Does the DLC Cost?
Curse of Osiris is a paid DLC. This is not included in the price of the standard edition of Destiny 2. If you want the new gameplay content, you must either
or purchase Curse of Osiris separately. Then the DLC costs 19.99 euros.
If you have already purchased a special edition of Destiny 2, such as the digital deluxe edition, you already have the expansion pass. You won’t have to pay anything more.
The Content of Curse of Osiris – This New Content Awaits Destiny 2
Curse of Osiris expands the Destiny 2 universe with additional content. The DLC revolves around a new story regarding Osiris, Mercury, and the Vex. Once, Mercury blossomed into a great garden through the Traveler, but the Vex turned the planet into a machine world. Now, a new threat rises there, and you need Osiris’s help to stop the Vex.
The Most Important New Features:
New story missions: The FdO campaign is said to include around 7 story missions according to early testers. This has not been officially confirmed. You can see the first story mission here.
New planet: The campaign takes you to Mercury, where a new patrol zone and the Lighthouse will serve as a social space.
Infinite Forest: The Infinite Forest is likely the biggest innovation of Curse of Osiris. It is located in the middle of Mercury, where the Vex simulate different realities at various times. It is a purely PvE activity. Together with your fireteam, you will face PvE enemies, with each run providing a new experience. The game world will be recreated anew each time. According to early testers, the Infinite Forest has the potential to enhance the endgame.
There will be heroic strikes as well as two new strikes. These new strikes are said to be woven into the campaign.
Raid Lair: Curse of Osiris introduces a new activity that has not existed in Destiny before. The existing raid will be expanded with a “Raid Lair”. This means: A new gate will open in the Leviathan raid, where new challenges and a new final boss await you. The second Destiny 2 expansion will add a new Raid Lair. A Raid Lair is shorter than the “normal raid,” but it is meant to be more challenging.
Heroic adventures: The adventures will be upgraded with a heroic version.
New power level cap: The maximum power level will be increased to 330 or 335 with mods. At the same time, the recommended levels for certain activities will be raised.
Trailer for Curse of Osiris
Several trailers for Curse of Osiris have already been released.
This is the reveal trailer:
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Updates in December – System and Endgame Innovations
In December, Bungie will release two free updates, which will launch on December 5 and December 12. These will bring important system changes:
On December 12, variety will come to the weapons: masterwork weapons will be introduced, which generate orbs, display the number of kills, and come with bonuses to certain stats.
On December 5, with Season 2, armor ornaments will be introduced. These ornaments are available for Vanguard, Crucible, Trials, Iron Banner, raid, and faction armors. You need to earn these ornaments as they are tied to specific objectives. This thus introduces a form of grind, such as: Win 25 Iron Banner matches for one ornament.
A good dose of nostalgia awaits you in January 2018 in the Wootbox “Old School”. A new year is beginning, but with the Wootbox you can indulge in sweet nostalgia and enjoy your favorite series, movies, and games.
The Wootbox is a surprise box filled with loot. Those who subscribe to Wootbox receive a box each month filled with merchandise from pop culturally relevant franchises, thus gifting themselves a surprise and treating themselves.
Nostalgia and retro charm galore can be found in the Wootbox for January 2018. With the new box, it’s back to the past and to all your favorite series, movies, and games from the last century.
So look forward to the timelessly cool Ghostbusters, the tough heroine Leeloo from The Fifth Element, The Legend of Zelda, and the fantastic storytelling worlds of the famous anime director Hayao Miyazaki.
The Full Old-School Load in January
Dive into nostalgia with the Wootbox Old School from January. It is available from €19.99 and contains official and exclusive products worth over €60. But that’s not all, as you also have a chance to win a Mega-Wootbox with gifts worth over €2,000.
What, you want even more? No problem. A new limited Wootshirt is also available. It is different from the one in the box and features an exclusive Old School-themed design. You can get it for €9.99 including shipping costs.
And don’t forget that Christmas is approaching rapidly. For this occasion, a Wootbox with 100% Star Wars content has been assembled. The box contains a Europe-exclusive POP figure and is available until the end of the month, so subscribe now to not miss out and to receive it in time under the Christmas tree!
This is a sponsored post from a partner of Mein-MMO.de
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
