The Battle.net launcher has been expanded with numerous features in recent days. Among them are gifts!
At Blizzard, the goal is to connect players more closely through more social interaction opportunities. Because those who have many friends in the Battle.net games will surely spend more time there – a clear plus for Blizzard.
The biggest change is the introduction of a new tab in the app. The “Social” section, in German software called “Chats”, offers numerous new possibilities to stay in touch with friends even outside of the games. If desired, one can create their own groups with up to several hundred members.
For each group, different chats can be set up, with accessibility determined individually for each player.
Moderation rights can also be distributed if the groups are to be more than just a loose gathering of friends.
Those who wish can also join the corresponding chat channels with a headset, as it is also suitable for voice chat.
Additional customization options, such as a wide selection of profile pictures, complete the feature.
Overall, it can be said that Battle.net now has similar features to the Discord software – the best characteristics have been adopted.
Be “offline” and still play
If you just want to casually play without social contacts, you previously had to forgo your Battle.net games. Now there’s a possibility to make yourself “invisible” on Battle.net, appearing as “offline” even while being in the software and the corresponding games. We have explained how you can be invisible in Battle.net in this post.
Good friends give a loot box
One of the best features is probably the ability to now gift games and in-game items (like shop pets) directly to friends through the launcher. Someone has a birthday or deserves a small sign of appreciation? Then you can directly gift them playtime in WoW, loot boxes in Overwatch, or card packs in Hearthstone. Received gifts are then practically displayed directly in the launcher and can be easily redeemed.
To promote the new feature, every user of the app receives a free classic card pack from Hearthstone, which can be picked up in the “Gifts” menu with just a few clicks.
However, there is also criticism: Character services in World of Warcraft, such as server transfers or faction changes, still cannot be gifted to fellow players.
What do you think of the new features of the Battle.net app? Is it a cool thing, or do you only use Discord and TeamSpeak, making this unnecessary ballast?
What would an honest PC launch trailer for Destiny 2 look like? Like this!
A week ago, Bungie released the official launch trailer for the PC version of Destiny 2. Such launch trailers are fundamentally meant to persuade undecided players to purchase the game by tantalizing them with action-packed scenes and bombastic music.
All of this applies to the PC trailer of Destiny 2 as well. Furthermore, it lists grandiloquent quotes from various magazines that want to put Destiny 2 in a particularly good light. Thus, the MMO shooter is referred to as “the biggest shooter of the year,” “a technical marvel on PC,” or “the best PC game of E3 2017.”
Many Guardians agreed after seeing this trailer: “Awesome trailer that really delivers!” But: Is the trailer also “honest”?
This question was explored by the YouTube channel Cross Coast Gaming, which created an “honest PC trailer” for Destiny 2. It is currently spreading in the Destiny forums. We embed it here for you:
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This honest trailer amusingly summarizes some criticisms of Destiny 2:
It starts by stating that you will spend over 170 dollars on the game over the course of Destiny 2 – for expansions and microtransactions. Because if you only buy the launch version, you won’t experience the full Destiny 2 experience of the coming months and years.
You fight against the same enemy races in Destiny 2 as in Destiny 1. Only this time there are alien dogs (the war beasts of the Cabal).
The Arcstrider is basically just a Blade Dancer with a staff – so a pole dancer.
The player count in PvP matches was not doubled, not tripled, but reduced!
Console players only have 30 FPS.
You can quickly switch from one activity to another via the Director without having to go into orbit. If you want to go from the raid to the Crucible, you just have to kick two of your friends that you like the least.
A few more things are criticized, but in the end, the conclusion is drawn: Destiny 2 is “Destiny with 2 team members less in the Crucible.”
This trailer is currently very well received in the English-speaking community. It is described as “fantastic.” However, one user also writes that he laughed throughout until he realized how sad the video actually is. Do you feel the same way?
The unfortunate shooter Battleborn received one final update before the developers at Gearbox ceased development and published nothing more for the game. Thus, the game has ultimately died a design death, even though the servers are still running for now.
Battleborn started as an ambitious project and was supposed to be the new hit game from the developer Gearbox. In Battleborn, thrilling PvP battles in MOBA style combined with a witty story mode, supported by the typical Gearbox humor. Unfortunately, Battleborn was only briefly successful. As soon as Blizzard’s hero shooter Overwatch hit the market, player numbers declined and in the end, only about 50 people played the game on average.
But before Battleborn ultimately dies a design death, the developers are releasing one last update. So to speak, the “last meal” of the game. In the final patch, you’ll receive new skins for your heroes. Curiously, they are all inspired by Borderlands, the funny loot shooter by Gearbox. Thus, the crazy chaos witch Orendi gets a Tiny Tina skin. Fitting, considering both characters are voiced by actress Ashly Burch.
Additionally, there are a few new taunts and final bug fixes. For example, damage should better scale with level-ups and adjustments from the game’s upgrade system. Previously, this led to unintended damage spikes in the mid and late game. With the bug fix, the damage should scale a bit more consistently and understandably.
Battleborn Servers Still Online, But For How Long?
With the final patch, the developers see their work done and will not invest any further effort into the game. However, the servers will continue to run for the foreseeable future. So, anyone who still wants to play Battleborn can do so. But don’t expect to find a game quickly. The current average number of active players in the last 30 days on Steam was 54.4.
Battleborn was actually a great game that doesn’t deserve such an end. Read our obituary for Battleborn and mourn. There is also a playlist with cool Battleborn and Borderlands songs there.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
SuperData has published the new figures for the month of September. They show which games generated the most revenue digitally in the past month. At the top is Destiny 2 for consoles, while on PC, League of Legends once again leads the field.
As in every month, you can see from SuperData’s figures which computer games generated the most revenue digitally worldwide.
PC: League of Legends remains the leader, DotA 2 falls off the list
The month of September shows interesting trends on PC.
While League of Legends once again holds the number 1 spot in the PC ranking, the dungeon beat-em-up Dungeon Fighter Online has swapped places with the MMORPG Fantasy Westward Journey 2. The online shooter Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) has moved up to rank 4, while the Chinese Counter-Strike Crossfire has slipped to position 5.
Rank 6 is held by World of Warcraft, just like last month, while rank 7 is once again occupied by World of Tanks.
The highly acclaimed single-player RPG Divinity: Original Sin 2 debuted at position 8 and Overwatch remains true to its place at 9, just like Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO) at position 10.
Consoles: Destiny 2 rises to the top, Overwatch drops out
In the consoles, primarily on PS4 and Xbox One, there have been some changes:
FIFA 18, which was only released at the end of September, enters high at position 2.
Rank 3 was held by NBA 2K18 in September.
GTA 5 and FIFA 17 come in at positions 4 and 5.
Blizzard’s Overwatch is no longer in the top 10.
Mobile: Lineage drops, Fantasy Westward Journey leads the list
In mobile games, the list has been shaken up. Position 1 is again held by Fantasy Westward Journey, while Honour of Kings (Arena of Valor in Europe) occupies rank 2. Clash Royale moves up to position 3, followed by Monster Strike at rank 4 and Fate/Grand Order also climbs to position 5.
Following these are the games Candy Crush Saga at position 6, Clash of Clans at rank 7, and Dragon Chronicles at rank 8. Lineage 2 Revolution and Lineage M occupy positions 9 and 10.
Yes, the latest trailer of Battlefront II forthe single-player campaign looks phenomenal: It features an engaging story with diverse characters, impressive graphics and, last but not least, a few gameplay snippets that make you crave for more. Crave for what exactly? Let’s dive deeper into the dark matter together!
You play as Iden Versio, the commander of a special unit with the striking name “Inferno Squad“, who must face her failure during the Battle of Endor. We are in the year 4ABY – the year the return of the Jedi occurs. The year the Empire is defeated.
Blood, sweat, and tears from the Emperor! This is the stuff that first-person shooters in my humble world are made of! Without mercy, the tables are turned and you are thrown headfirst into the fray.
Aspects that I wish for
The threat should be palpable: You hide fearfully behind a barrel when Luke stands tall before you. Short: I want to see Luke from a completely different perspective!
Despair: Not only is the Death Star destroyed, but with it also all hope. The Empire seems crushed and fallen comrades are piling up around you. Short: I want to empathize with the Empire.
Discrepancy: It seems like a battle of David against Goliath, yet it is the torn Rebels who gain the upper hand! Short: I want to see the slap in the face of the Empire!
Characters instead of caricatures: Even the seemingly antagonistic Empire would benefit from a deeper profile with concerns, wishes, and fears. Short: I wish for profound characters with individual motivations.
The fictional backstory
The backstory to the campaign (“Battlefront II: Inferno Squad” by Christie Golden) is still fresh in my memory: It also highlights the antagonistic side of the Star Wars saga, depicting its diversity and creating richness in facets. This novel can serve as a damn good template for achieving depth even in this short campaign (Let’s remember: It’s supposed to last only 5-7 hours).
Star Wars has always been more than just swinging lightsabers and flying X-Wings. It is a fairy tale of good and evil. How nice that now the evil is also given a voice and this trailer hints at making it a real theme.
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Guddy’s conclusion
Admittedly: EA has it easy with me at the moment. I am simply in a Star Wars fever and would likely get goosebumps even from a video of a nose hair trimmer as long as the familiar sounds of John Williams delight my ears. But Battlefront 2 actually has the potential to be solidly liked by me due to its theme upon a sober glance.
The update 5.01 is available for download and installation on PS4. How large is the system software update, what are the patch notes?
If you want to play online on your PS4 this evening, you first need to download a new system software update. This has been available since shortly before 11 AM (October 24).
The update is version 5.01 and is 374.7 MB in size.
The installation may take a few minutes.
Update 5.01 – Patch Notes
The patch notes are straightforward:
The system software update 5.01 improves system performance.
In previous smaller PS4 updates, “stability” was always improved. Now it is the system performance’s turn.
Whether there are additional changes hidden in this update that are not mentioned in the patch notes is currently unknown. While this article is being written, no secret innovations have been discovered in the reddit forum.
In Destiny 2, today, on October 24th, is the Weekly Reset. New activities are coming, such as the Nightfall and the Flashpoint.
First, an important info about the Weekly Reset: Today is the last reset in 2017, taking place at 11 AM. At the end of October, on October 29th, the clocks will shift. In the winter time, the weekly reset will therefore already be at 10 AM – one hour earlier.
Next week could be a bit turbulent regarding times. In the USA, the clocks will shift a week later, on November 5th. However, we will get the calculator out in time to provide you with the correct dates mentioned by Bungie during this time.
Let’s now first look at the weekly reset! What activities are coming?
Nightfall on October 24th on PS4 and Xbox One
As Nightfall this week The Arms Dealer is up.
The modifiers:
Fallen Assault: Abilities recharge faster.
Time Loop: Zero Hour: Mission timer cannot be extended.
The challenges in the Nightfall:
Complete the Nightfall with at least 5 minutes remaining.
Complete the Nightfall with less than 3 deaths.
Take down a Harvester while fighting Bracus Tynoc.
Flashpoint, Treasure Maps, Meditations, Raid Order
The Flashpoint is on Io. You can master public events there.
Cayde-6 also has treasure maps for Io.
Ikora Rey has the missions from last week available as meditations: Six, Wrath, Sacrilege. Meanwhile, the new missions are live: Unbroken, Vengeance, and Theft.
The affair surrounding Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein is making waves that reach the gaming industry as well. One of the most important gaming forums worldwide, NeoGAF, has now closed after allegations of sexual harassment were raised against the site’s head.
“Sexual harassment” is more in the public focus than ever before. Powerful Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has been one of the biggest topics on our planet for days. Weinstein is alleged to have sexually harassed actresses in countless cases. More and more allegations are coming to light.
Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
This event is making big waves and reaching more and more people. Because the actresses in Hollywood found the courage to confront such a powerful man, more victims of sexual harassment are finding the strength to go public and say: “I have remained silent until now, but something like this has happened to me too. I was sexually harassed.”
These waves are now reaching the gaming sector as well.
NeoGAF temporarily down
There are allegations against the head of the huge gaming forum NeoGAF, who allegedly sexually harassed a woman during a trip to New Orleans in 2012. The allegations can be found here on Imgur. It is said that he had stood nude in the shower with the woman unsolicited.
As reported by PcGamesN, in the course of this, 11 administrators or moderators from NeoGAF have left to make a statement of solidarity. Many users have also joined their departure.
Currently, NeoGAF is offline, and it is speculated that it may stay that way.
Other gaming forums seeing significant membership growth
PcGamesN notes that other gaming forums are currently seeing a significant increase in members, benefiting from this exodus from NeoGAF.
The NeoGAF forum is one of the most important gaming forums worldwide. Here, the news of the hour is discussed. Industry insiders and developers regularly participate in discussions. One or the other rumor may also have originated from the imagination of a NeoGAF member.
We at Mein-MMO have reported on discussions and information that originated in the NeoGAF forum. Especially regarding Destiny, there were revelations—game director Luke Smith commented there, for example. Leaks about Destiny 2, which later turned out to be true, were also found on NeoGAF.
It is currently unclear whether the story of NeoGAF ends and the forum remains down or if it will open again. The situation is confusing. Moderators are distancing themselves from the head of NeoGAF, and more and more are announcing their withdrawal—users also seem to be leaving the forum in droves.
Whether the forum will open again—perhaps under different leadership—is currently unknown. Allegedly, the head of NeoGAF is preparing a statement.
NeoGAF back – but chaos continues
Update 24.10 10:55: NeoGAF is back. The founder’s statement is available. He denies all blame and describes the allegations as false. You can read the statement in English here.
Essentially, the forum operator holds the difficult political situation of 2017 responsible for the break with the moderators. He wants to focus NeoGAF more on gaming in the future.
Many users express dissatisfaction with the statement and open protest threads or posts. Numerous users are getting banned. Whether NeoGAF will recover from the crisis remains to be seen.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
If you’re looking forward to classic MMORPG adventures, you’re surely keeping an eye on Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen. It has now also been confirmed when the Pre-Alpha will begin.
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen aims to bring back the classic MMORPG feel that the Everquest series created. Group adventures are primarily in focus here. On your journey through the vast fantasy world, you will experience many adventures that you will generally only be able to master in a well-coordinated party – just as was the case with Everquest 1.
1,000 Dollar Pre-Alpha comes at Christmas
The developers have talked a lot about the online role-playing game so far, but soon you will also be able to get a picture of it yourself. Because as it has now been announced, the Pre-Alpha will start this year during the Christmas season. A specific date will be announced later, but it is said to be at the end of the year.
Designer Brad McQuaid also participated in a stream about the current version of the MMORPG and shared more about the game while gameplay was shown. Although they want to revive the times of Everquest 1, Pantheon will also offer many modern features such as matchmaking.
Nevertheless, it remains a hardcore MMORPG for groups. With this, the team aims to fill a gap that has appeared in the market. Many MMO fans have reportedly asked for a hardcore group experience and the big games are not fulfilling that wish.
Therefore, according to Brad McQuaid, Pantheon makes sense and will try to fill this gap. The game is also more about the individual stories that players experience in the world and less about a large, predetermined story that everyone must follow. How this will play out, we will likely first learn during the Pre-Alpha.
Some games in Overwatch are pretty short. But only after 3 seconds the decision was already made in this match of our PotGs.
Every week, absurd, exciting, or simply funny moments happen in Overwatch that are often captured in a “Play of the Game”. We searched social media and picked out three special highlights for you. Enjoy our three “Play of the Game” moments of the week in Overwatch!
As McCree, it can be quite challenging to take out many players with the gunslinger. The moment must be timed perfectly; otherwise, the ultimate fails, or an opposing Genji reflects the first shot. Player MrWorldWide impressively demonstrates how to properly reflect shots as Genji.
He not only takes out the opposing McCree but also two more teammates of the gunslinger. And as if that wasn’t shameful enough, Genji then also delivers his voice line “Good aim, McCree” – Ouch!
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As a “Hanzo Main”, it’s pretty tough these days. You get mocked, laughed at, and even a religion of your own helps very little. But player Keldrix shows that you don’t have to care about the ridicule; you just need to apply “simple geometry”. In a 3vs3, the gates opened, and he had charged his scattershot. Together with Soldier: 76, he fired exactly once into the enemy’s starting area. That must be one of the fastest matches in Overwatch that has ever occurred.
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That Overwatch has a toxic community is now well known. In the Plays of the Games, there are some very unpleasant gameplay scenes. But Prax seems to have generated a whole new level of “BM” when he set a “definite sign” with his Bastion before running over the opposing team. We at least had to chuckle.
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Have you experienced a particularly cool gameplay scene that you’ve captured on video? Then just send us a link to the video (preferably on YouTube), and maybe you’ll find your clip here next week!
The PC and console build of Destiny 2 may differ in the future – but Bungie has a different goal.
In Destiny 2, console players on PS4 and Xbox One have had a clear advantage over PC players. They were able to start the MMO shooter a month and a half earlier, solve a lot of secrets, and have long been playing the “hard” endgame content such as the raid or the trials.
Today, October 24th, the catch-up begins on PC. At 7 PM the starting shot will be fired. For the first time, PC players can fully dive into the Destiny universe. A week later, the raid and the trials will be unlocked – from then on, all players will be on the same level across platforms – or?
A look at other MMOs and online games shows that the PC version of Destiny 2 could not only catch up to the console version, but also “overtake” it directly. Because while updates on PS4 and Xbox One first have to go through a complex certification process, developers on PC have more freedom and can implement new features and changes directly.
Therefore, it is common in other online games: The PC receives the new content first, with consoles following days, if not weeks, later. Will this also be the case with Destiny 2?
DLCs, patches, and updates are supposed to come everywhere at the same time
In an interview with Bungie’s PC lead David Shaw, PC Gamer pursued this question. Shaw stated: When DLC 1 and DLC 2 are released, this will happen simultaneously on consoles and PC. This means that as soon as the endgame content is activated on PC, the Destiny 2 builds on all platforms are supposed to move into the future hand in hand.
This simultaneity also applies not only to expansions, but also to updates and patches, as confirmed by the studio Vicarious Visions.
If necessary, the PC version may diverge
According to Shaw, Bungie intends for the versions on all platforms to be 100% identical. However: If something dramatically unexpected happens on PC, this version may diverge slightly from the console versions. They still want to keep the builds as similar as possible.
As soon as Destiny 2 is released on PC, they will closely monitor the game and listen to what PC players have to say. They have the tools to respond to PC-specific challenges and issues.
The “One Design Build” across all platforms remains the big goal, but this should not be a hindrance to quickly respond to specific PC issues.
The question remains how the weapon meta on PC will differ from the consoles. Thomas Gawrys from Vicarious Visions believes that there will definitely be differences due to the mouse and keyboard controls. Because the guardians will play differently on the platforms.
Bottom line remains: Bungie wants the Destiny 2 versions on all platforms to be as uniform as possible. However, they can also respond if the PC presents new challenges.
New leaks about World of Warcraft are causing a stir. Did a Blizzard employee secretly leak the new addon?
We are in the heated phase before BlizzCon. In just two weeks, Blizzard’s event will take place and is guaranteed to reveal the next expansion of World of Warcraft. During this time, rumors and leaks also sprout from the digital ground, just like fake leaks that want a bit of attention.
A new image was released on Reddit, apparently taken with a mobile phone. It shows the logo of the (possibly) next expansion of World of Warcraft: Tides of Vengeance. The photo was apparently taken from the website that is supposed to promote the new addon.
Normally, one would dismiss this image as “fake” outright – but a similar image with the same logo was posted just a few days ago.
Either someone has gone to great lengths to fake not just one image, but two images – or there is something to these leaks, and Tides of Vengeance will indeed be the next expansion.
The phrase “The waves are her domain … and the storm is her ally” is also not completely convincing for many fans. It sounds “too uncreative” and lacks the substance that Blizzard usually delivers. However, thematically, this phrase would fit very well with a Naga expansion featuring the Old Gods. The new book for World of Warcraft “Before the Storm” would also perfectly match this leak.
Final certainty will probably only come at BlizzCon 2017 – taking place on November 4th and 5th.
What do you think of all the leaks, fantasies, and ideas? Is it fun to speculate or should one just keep quiet and wait for what happens?
Destiny 2 is coming to PC and the excitement for the launch is drowning in a sea of tears.
The PC release of Destiny 2 has delighted and frustrated PC gamers for years.
PC Release of Destiny 2 – An Emotional Roller Coaster
Even before the console release, Activision was sweet-talking PC gamers: Destiny – it would fit well on PC, they said back in September 2014. A contract had even been signed for a PC port planned for 2016.
From 2014 to 2016, there were repeated rumors about a PC port. However, those hopes were dashed each time. Destiny 1 took place without PC gamers.
Until 2017, when the news came: Destiny 2 is coming to PC! Many were excited at that time. It seemed clear: Great, we will all start with Destiny 2 on September 8!
PC gamers cautiously hoped: Maybe it’s only 14 days.
Later it turned out: PC gamers would start a full 6 weeks later. Only on October 24 would it begin.
An up and down of emotions. And this was all long before a PC gamer could lay their hands on Destiny for the first time!
PC Gamers are First-Class Citizens
To justify the late PC launch, Bungie said, the PC version just takes longer to be really good. They could have postponed the PS4 and Xbox One launch as well but chose not to. Bungie assured that they wanted to treat PC gamers well. Love them, and consider them as first-class citizens.
Despite all assurances, the decision for the late start was poorly received by PC gamers: “6 weeks longer to wait?” – that dampened the mood.
PC gamers suspected: Every secret, every story twist, every trick would have already been known if they started with Destiny 2.
The Beta was Really Good, But That Doesn’t Matter Now
The beta for Destiny 2 on PC went well, however. Players acknowledged that Destiny 2 on PC has a lot to offer. It didn’t feel like a console port, but like a real PC game. The new Guardians were excited for Destiny 2 on PC – a game with high frame rates and great resolution.
However, this excitement is hardly felt a day before the release. Destiny 2 is in a felt crisis as 6 weeks with Destiny 2 on PS4 and Xbox One have revealed some weaknesses. Especially the motivation to replay content is lacking, and PvP is a major point of criticism.
Especially many people who play Destiny 2 and post in forums are frustrated about design decisions made by Bungie and Activision. There is a desire to “fight back” and express their discontent to the world.
Under articles about Destiny 2 on PC, players advise against starting now. The mood is low. The momentum is lacking.
One thing is clear: The negative mood is not all-encompassing, and there are indeed players who are satisfied with Destiny 2. However, the negative voices are loud and clearly audible.
Bungie and Activision Misjudged
On closer examination: Even if everything had gone perfectly with Destiny 2, a new game with story and PvE content traditionally reaches a first low point after 6 weeks. The initial honeymoon phase has faded. Story and content are through, and faults and deficiencies become apparent. Hardly any game with PvE content looks better 6 weeks after release than it did at launch.
This is what years of experience with games that have a similar content structure to Destiny shows.
With The Elder Scrolls Online, the planned launch on PS4 and Xbox One was postponed by a year in 2014. 6 weeks after the PC release of ESO, the mood was at an all-time low.
Even with The Taken King, the peak of Destiny 1, the mood 6 weeks after launch was more like: “Now the next DLC could come.”
Also, with games like The Division, the excitement faded after 6 weeks.
Decision for Late Launch of Destiny 2 Raises Questions
Did Bungie and Activision really believe the mood around Destiny 2 would be ideal for a PC launch 6 weeks after release? Destiny 2 would have to be the glorious exception to the rule. The content of Destiny 2 offers no reason for such hope, especially since Bungie itself knew that Destiny 2 would not be a long-term success, speaking of respecting “the time of the Guardians.”
Either someone completely misjudged the situation or the skeptics are right who said: The late PC release was not a decision by Activision and Bungie, but was linked to concessions with Sony/Activision.
In any case, the late release raises even more questions than it did back in May when the decision was made.
How do you see it? Does the current mood affect your desire to play Destiny 2 on PC? Or are you unaffected by such things?
If you are eager to play Destiny 2 on PC, we recommend this article:
The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is getting a bit bigger today, as the DLC Clockwork City is here. It brings a large new area, a new raid, and another PvP battleground. Also, you can transmute your gear even without the DLC.
Clockwork City, is the last DLC for The Elder Scrolls Online that will be released in 2017. For 2,000 crowns (approximately 12 euros), you can explore the legendary Clockwork City from today, October 23, and experience adventures there. Players with an ESO subscription can enter at no additional cost.
The DLC offers a new region, a new city, open dungeons, the raid “Sanctorium Institution”, a new PvP battleground, and an item transmutation system.
Clockwork City brings new content to explore – Raid, Dungeons & PvP
The new DLC Clockwork City takes you into the alternate dimension of the Clockwork City. Everything there is made of metal, gears, and oil. Even trees and animals!
Thus, the DLC embraces steampunk: a style where gears, steam engines, and mechanics play an important role. But the steampunk idyll is in danger, and heroes are needed to save it!
If you are less interested in PvE, you can try out the new PvP battleground “Mad King”. There, the points to be conquered move wildly in the vegetation, leading to chaotic and wild battles. Beware: To play the PvP battleground, you need the Morrowind expansion. However, it is not required for the rest of the DLC.
However, keep in mind that you can only do this publicly in the Clockwork City. There is also a transmutation workstation for housing, and if you don’t have a house, you can ask a friend or guild member to let you use their workstation in their home.
If you want to spend a little more money, you can get the Clockwork City Collector’s Pack for 4,000 crowns (approximately 25 euros). This pack includes the DLC expansion, the Clockwork Skeevemite as a companion, the Kagouti Mechanoid as a mount, and five Scrolls of Learning.
When is the DLC Clockwork City coming to ESO for PS4 and Xbox One? – Release Date
The console version of Clockwork City will be released on November 7 for PS4 and Xbox One.
Don’t miss these videos! You can see successful throwing knife throws and a visually spectacular Destiny 2 video here.
Monday evening – it’s time for the videos of the week! Community Manager Cozmo has been busy again, sifting through heaps of video submissions from the global community and presenting the top three works.
All Guardians involved in these videos will receive a beautifully designed badge:
We complement the videos that Bungie shares with works from our own community. Maybe one day you’ll find yourself in our “Video of the Week” article!
This week’s “Movie of the Week” title goes to a calm, yet visually spectacular and artistic video called Explore. It comes from the unknown YouTuber “Greylander” and is meant to be a homage to Rick Merekis’s “Move”. Sit back and enjoy:
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From our readership, we received a video from Nethzite this time. He presents a “music video” featuring a compilation of scenes from Destiny 2:
https://youtu.be/u-SXLV0w00g
How did you find this week’s videos?
Now it’s your turn to get creative! If you want to showcase your videos to our readership, upload them to YouTube and send us the link. You can best reach us on Facebook at “Destiny 2 Mein MMO”. Just send us a private message with friendly content. We’ll check out everything you send us. However, we can’t guarantee that the videos will make it into the article.
For a few minutes, Niantic apparently tested the new spoofer protection in Pokémon GO and denied many cheaters access to the game. The protection is now inactive.
Niantic continues to work on keeping cheating players away from Pokémon GO. This is now evident with a new anti-spoofing measure that was recently active for a few minutes. This works particularly effectively and does not allow spoofers to enter the game.
However, GPS fakers quickly found a way to bypass the protection. The measure has since been deactivated.
New in-game message for spoofers
Currently, the Halloween event is taking place in Pokémon GO, attracting trainers with frequent spawns of ghost Pokémon from the 3rd generation. There are also candy rewards. At the same time, the developers are trying to take important steps against the cheaters in Pokémon GO.
During the data mining of the penultimate update 0.79.2, experts found a blacklist function. Community experts suspect that certain GPS fake apps are on the blacklist and their users can be excluded from Pokémon GO through the list.
A few days ago, this new anti-cheat measure was apparently tested by the developers. Trainers with GPS fake apps suddenly could no longer enter Pokémon GO. (GPS fakers use programs to report a false location to Pokémon GO. This allows trainers to be anywhere in the game while lying on the couch at home. This is not allowed.)
The cheaters could not enter the game but received this message:
Source: Reddit user PikAtChuHuN
“We have detected software that may impact Pokémon GO. This includes apps that falsify your location. Using unauthorized software that has a direct impact on Pokémon GO is a violation of Niantic’s terms of use and may result in the loss of your account. You must uninstall such apps to continue playing.”
More aggressive tactics against cheaters were requested
With this warning and exclusion from Pokémon GO, Niantic has now taken a much more aggressive stance against cheaters. Previously, Niantic warned cheaters but still granted them access to the game.
With the new message, cheaters could no longer play Pokémon GO. Players from the community had long wished for such a tough stance against spoofers.
Cheat protection circumvented after a short time
As positive as the anti-cheat news may sound – they only lasted briefly. In the spoofing forum for Pokémon GO, there was already a way to bypass the blacklist about an hour later. Shortly thereafter, Niantic deactivated the protection again, and spoofers were able to enter the game with their fake GPS apps again. This pleases the spoofers.
Trainers who play without cheats are annoyed by the deactivation. For them, it feels like a defeat.
We are curious to see what Niantic comes up with in the future and whether they can effectively improve the blacklist.
Playing Overwatch as a woman is not so easy – at least when using the voice chat. Because then you get bombarded with hostility.
Unfortunately, hostility in Overwatch is part of everyday life. If you don’t play exactly how an aggressive teammate wishes, you quickly receive some harsh words thrown at you.
The YouTuber nweatherservice, who also regularly streams her Overwatch games, has compiled what she has experienced in recent months. There are numerous insults and hostilities – long before a match has even started. And that’s just because she is a woman.
“Go back to the kitchen?” – “Excuse me?” – “I don’t think I have spoken unclearly.”
Insults are part of everyday life in Overwatch
As almost always, this topic also causes controversial discussions in the community. While a large part of the players agrees that this behavior should in no way be tolerated, there are also a few dissenting voices. It is said that it was “just as bad” to respond to the insults and say something back.
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There was also heated discussion about how a typically friendly player should react in such a situation?
Should one intervene and take sides with the lady? Then one quickly comes to be seen as a “White Knight” and might give the woman the impression that she is viewed as “weak” for not defending herself alone. Should one therefore stay silent? Then it may convey the impression of agreeing with the flamer.
The best response is probably a brief, harsh reaction that this is not tolerated, followed by blocking the player. Just don’t engage in a discussion…
The corresponding post on Reddit received more than 26,000 upvotes and has now been locked because the moderators can no longer keep up with addressing the violations – which they regret very much, as the topic is serious and should be discussed.
Have you been or will you be treated like this in Overwatch regularly when you identify as a woman? Or do you think this is just a concatenation of individual cases that are “not representative” at all?
In Black Desert Online your hero grows beyond himself with his awakening skills and only uses the stylish new weapon. However, in Korea, there are now new so-called “absolute skills”. With these, your regular weapons will be at least as strong as the awakening version.
A problem in Black Desert Online has been that you can actually throw your old weapons away without a care when you “awaken” at level 56. The new weapon you get is so strong that it is mostly indispensable. Who wants to hit around with bare hands as a sorceress when you can have a cool scythe with much more DPS instead?
But actually, it’s a pity because the old weapons would have had their charm. The developers are aware of this as well, because in Korea there are now new skills that hit as hard with the old weapons as the awakening weapons do.
Double to triple damage through absolute skills
The new skill alternative to awakening is called “absolute skills”. These are extremely powerful versions of some (but not all) existing skills. You can only use the new abilities from the awakening and they offer double to triple the DPS potential of the regular skills.
With the new absolute skills, you can really use the old weapon instead of the awakening weapon more often with a clear conscience. The downside of the new skills is that they cost a lot of skill points. Costs of 50 or more points are certainly possible. So you have to weigh whether to upgrade your old weapon or the awakening item.
Absolute skills and skill fusion are not the same!
Also interesting: The absolute skills are something different than the skill fusion from the also new mechanic “Rabam’s Enlightenment”. Both features are completely different and do not influence each other.
So far, the new absolute skills are only available in Korea and only for the classes warrior and ranger.
Since the information about the absolute skills became known, the community has been debating actively. Most players think the idea is great. However, there are concerns that it will take months before all classes have their absolute skills. So similar to the endless wait for the awakening weapon of every hero before.
Others, however, contradict this because the absolute skills are “only” improved values of old abilities, not new skills. However, some players fear that the constant increase in DPS skills will come at the expense of defense in PvP.
What is Massive Entertainment actually doing right now? They have little to do with Year 2 of The Division.
These days, numerous agents are eagerly awaiting Update 1.8. This is supposed to be released in Autumn 2017 and will bring a lot of new content, such as a map expansion, two new game modes, a revision of the Dark Zone mechanics, and a lot more stuff that players have long been yearning for.
What is interesting is: All this content is not being created by Massive, the actual developers of Division, themselves. The new game modes and the changes to the Dark Zone come from the “Red Storm” studios, and the upcoming Global Events are being worked on by the Reflections Studios. Both are Ubisoft studios.
Overall, it seems that the “Red Storm” studios are leading the charge for Year 2 of The Division. In almost every “State of the Game” livestream in recent months, two Red Storm developers were present to introduce their new content.
This raises the question: What is Massive actually doing during this time?
Has Massive given up The Division?
In fact, it has been over a year since the Division developers from Massive personally went public to talk extensively about the shared-world shooter. This was during Update 1.4, which fundamentally revised and improved the endgame experience. The lead AI designer from Massive, Drew Rechner, and the senior game designer from Massive, Nikki Kuppens, presented the key changes at that time.
After that, it became quiet around the developers of Massive. Already the Update 1.6, which introduced the PvP mode “Last Stand,” was primarily developed by the “Red Storm” studios.
While the first ETF (Elite Task Force, a group of community representatives) for Update 1.4 still took place at Massive in Sweden, the community representatives for Update 1.6 were invited to the USA at Red Storm. The third ETF for Year 2 took place in England, at the Reflections Studios.
One thing is for sure: Massive Entertainment itself is currently putting in no (or hardly any) effort into the Year 2 content of The Division. What are they doing instead?
Avatar and The Division – What Massive is working on
Since spring 2017, it has been known that Ubisoft is planning a new Avatar game, which aims to achieve great things. Therefore, a strong studio should be behind it, placing a lot of emphasis on details and approaching the matter with great passion – and this studio is Massive Entertainment.
When this information became public, agents were up in arms. There were fears that this would be a death sentence for The Division. That Ubisoft and Massive would abandon The Division and replace it with a new project.
Shortly after that, community developer Hamish Bode calmed the nerves: The new Avatar game will not affect the ongoing development of The Division. They are hiring new people. The work will proceed separately. Massive continues to work on The Division.
A look at the Massive page underlines this statement. The studio is currently hiring new people. Over 40 new full-time positions are advertised. The majority refers to the “Avatar Project”. They are looking for programmers and designers.
However, Massive is also hiring numerous people for The Division, such as programmers, artists, and designers. In other words, work is currently being done in the background on the future of The Division.
The Division 2 or a Year 3?
The question is: Is Massive working on a Year 3 or perhaps a full sequel, a “The Division 2”? There are good arguments for both possibilities.
For a Year 3 speaks, that Massive made great efforts with Update 1.4 to make The Division future-proof. This update was a complete overhaul for the shared-world shooter, in 2017 PvP modes were and are being added, slowly the game is outgrowing its teething problems. It would be a shame if, after Year 2, they said: “Friends, that’s it!”
In the last Ubisoft financial report, they also mentioned that they want to focus more on “live operations” in the future – meaning that a game will be supplied with new updates and content over the years. This approach is one Ubisoft wants to pursue more intensively – whether it will also be applied to The Division with a Year 3 or whether a full sequel will come, the future will tell.
For a “The Division 2” there are also several arguments. Already in February 2017, Ubisoft revealed that no new title would be released for a currently successful franchise in 2017 – as was originally planned – but that it would be expanded through updates. This means that for a franchise, the original planning was thrown overboard and the year 2017 had to be bridged.
We assumed and still assume that this refers to the Division franchise. After all, Year 2 currently seems quite improvised. And this would mean: Massive is already working on the planned sequel – but is taking (at least) a year longer to meet the high demands of the community.
Perhaps the year 2018 comes too early for a The Division 2. Maybe the agents’ journey will continue in The Division 1. However, it is noticeable how quiet it has become around Massive. Most likely they are currently working tirelessly behind the scenes on something big for The Division.
In Black Desert players discuss whether the Korean MMORPG is also a gamble for money in high-level play.
Currently, there is a discussion about loot boxes happening in gaming. Blockbuster games like Middle-earth: Shadow of War and Star Wars Battlefront 2 have ignited and fueled this discussion.
Players spend money on a loot box but do not know what item they will get. Isn’t that essentially gambling and should it therefore be treated and regulated like gambling? One would think that children should be protected from such things.
Wait, if loot boxes are gambling – what about Black Desert?
On the forum reddit, a discussion about the Korean MMORPG Black Desert has erupted. There are hidden random mechanics deep in the endgame that an angry forum poster considers “unethical.” After all, Black Desert is rated for players aged 16 – young people must also be protected from the developers’ methods.
The problem is: In Black Desert there is no proper auto-loot, you cannot simply crouch and with a push of a button loot the corpses of 400 pirates.
Instead, players have pets for the job. In the European version of Black Desert, each player can employ 4 pets, in Korea even 5. These are dogs, cats, or birds.
These pets then automatically loot the corpses. Pets come in 4 “tier” levels. The higher the level, the faster the pet loots.
If the pets are “too slow,” a pile of loot remains unused. A nightmare for anyone trying to get the most out of their gaming time.
RNG for the best possible pet?
The problem is, to obtain a “higher-level pet”, you must crossbreed two lower-tier animals. In the process, these animals disappear and a third pet is created, which can have the next higher level – or not. Here is where the randomness comes into play.
You can combine pet A (T3) and B (T3) and then get pet C.
If pet C has T4, then everything is fine.
If pet C only has T3, then players have effectively lost a “pet T3.”
These pets are mostly tied to the cash shop of Black Desert. It costs money if you want to take the chance for a better pet – and in principle, you can lose money there.
Therefore, one faction believes:
This is clearly gambling. Subtly, Black Desert forces me to part with money to play the game optimally. If I don’t do that and let only weak pets collect loot for me, then I have a significant disadvantage.
How bad is this RNG effect?
In principle, there are two opinions regarding the discussion.
One side says: Yes, this is the trick of Black Desert. It’s all aligned with the cash shop if you want to keep up in the endgame. This is typical for Korean MMORPGs to pull such tricks with RNG. When you reach the end of Black Desert, you realize: You constantly need to keep the PC running to generate passive income, which you then invest into such RNG upgrade games.
The other side says: Well, that’s also exaggerated. You don’t necessarily need these highest pets. You can do without. Black Desert may have weaknesses – but not in terms of pets.
In any case, this discussion shows how difficult the topic “Pay2Win” is in such complex MMORPGs. Because to understand where the problem lies, one must be familiar with the game and dive deeper.
It is often argued regarding Black Desert that: One can also buy the pets from the auction house for in-game silver. To which others respond: Yes, but no one ever puts them up because no one is foolish enough to do so.
Mein MMO says: These elements that tempt hardcore players to spend a lot of money in the shop are opaque and hidden. It’s about “game enhancements” and “game advantages” that only appear deep in the endgame.
Such RNG elements in upgrading items can become significantly expensive – but one typically only realizes this after investing a lot of time in an MMORPG, making it difficult to resist.
Korean MMORPGs like Black Desert or ArcheAge divide opinions with their cash temptations. Those who approach these MMORPGs with the ambition to compete at the top will be much more confronted with these elements than someone who is “just playing for fun.”
