Crafting! Crafting changes & new recipes in WoW Patch 7.3

Recently, the patch notes for the upcoming Patch 7.3: Shadow of Argus for World of Warcraft: Legion were released at gamescom. The patch will be released on August 30 and brings several changes. The patch notes already mentioned a change to professions – we have compiled what specifically changes.

In addition to new recipes for every crafting profession, there will also be new materials. This includes a “new blood of Sargeras”, the Primal Sargerite, which is required for crafting most of the new items. Additionally, the new items can be upgraded with Primal Obliterum up to a maximum level of 935.

world of warcraft crafting dalaran herbalism

Finally farming again! New materials in Patch 7.3

  • Obliterum

Primal Obliterum is crafted from Obliterum and Primal Sargerite. It can be used to upgrade crafted items from 7.3 recipes up to 5 times.

  • Primal Sargerite

The “new blood of Sargeras” can be obtained similarly to its predecessor: through world quests, gathering professions on Argus, and through the shoulder enchantment “Boon of the Lightbearer”, which can be purchased with a respectful reputation with the Army of the Light.

  • Herbs

For the new alchemy recipes, the newly introduced herb Astral Glory will be used. Herbalists also have a chance to find a Demonic Whip while gathering herbs.

world of warcraft fel lasher crafting teufelspeitscher
The Demonic Whip that herbalists can obtain.

Ores

Miners can mine the new ore Empyrium on Argus. This, like all other Legion ores before, has six related quests (presumably for ranks in deposits and veins).

Additionally, with a friendly status at the Argus campaign, Krokul’s Pickaxe can be purchased. This one-handed axe enables faster mining of ore deposits on the islands and on Argus, even when not equipped.

Krokul Mining Pick World of Warcraft

Gems

One of the most important changes is that epic gems are being introduced, which can also be processed into epic socketed gems. The gems are:

  • Chemirine (orange)
  • Argulite (purple)
  • Lightsphene (yellow)
  • Labradorite (blue)
  • Florid Malachite (green) and
  • Hesselian (red)

More about the socketed gems later in the section about craftable items.

Cloth and Leather

Tailors receive Lightweave Cloth as a new material, while leatherworkers can skin Fiendish Leather from wild animals on Argus.

WoW: My Craft – The new recipes in Patch 7.3

wow-legion-alchemy

Alchemy

For all recipes, Rank 2 reduces the required amount and Rank 3 has a chance for crafting multiple items.

  • Astral Alchemist Stone
    • 1x Infernal Alchemist Stone
    • 75x Astral Glory
    • 5x Primal Sargerite
  • Item Level 885
    +1116 Versatility
    Equipping: When you deal healing or damage, there is a chance to increase your strength, agility, or intellect by 6599 for 15 seconds.
    Equipping: Increases the effect of mana and healing potions by 40%
  • Rank 1 is obtained through the quest Ascending Alchemy, Ranks 2 and 3 from the Argus campaign.
  • Lightblood Elixir
    • 30x Astral Glory
    • 1x Primal Sargerite
    • The elixir only works in the outdoor areas of the islands and Argus and grants a chance to deal bonus damage in combat against demons for 15 minutes.
    • Rank 1 is obtained through the quest Limited Supplies, Rank 2 from a world quest, Rank 3 through a discovery.
  • Tears of the Naaru
    • 25x Astral Glory
    • 1x Primal Sargerite
    • Reveals all nearby demons for 30 minutes.
    • Rank 1 is obtained through the quest Tracking the Trackers, Rank 2 from a world quest, Rank 3 through a discovery.
  • Transmute: Primal Sargerite
    • Transmutes 25 blood of Sargeras to a Primal Sargerite.
    • To obtain the recipe, two quests for the alchemist in Krokuun must be completed.
  • Astral Healing Potion
    • 20x Astral Glory
    • 1x Crystal Vial
    • Regenerates 1,080,000 health.
world of warcraft crafting blacksmith

Blacksmithing

  • Empyrial Breastplate
    • 125 Empyrium
    • 10 Primal Sargerite
    • Item Level 885
      737 Armor
      +1886 Strength/Intellect
      +2830 Stamina
    • To learn the recipe, the quest Empyrial Strength must be completed. Similar to the quests for the blacksmithing recipes of the Highmountain Tauren, the components and finally the end product must be crafted.
  • Felslate Anchor
    • 50x Felslate
    • Attaches an anchor to your shoes that allows you to “fall” underwater.
    • The recipe is available through the quest Weigh Anchor in Dalaran.

Cooking

  • Feast of the Fishes
    • Requires one fish of each kind from Legion.
    • The satiation buff of this feast allows the character to gain the powers of a fish. They can breathe underwater and move faster, but on land, they can only helplessly hop and lose health continuously.
    • The recipe is obtained from Keeper Raynae in Val’sharah
world of warcraft crafting enchant dalaran

Enchanting

  • Chaos Shatter
    • Creates 2 Leylight Shards from one Chaotic Crystal.
    • The recipe is obtained with a friendly reputation with the Argus campaign.

Engineering

  • Gravitational Reduction Slippers
    • 25x Empyrium
    • 8x Oversized Blasting Cap
    • 1x Primal Sargerite
    • Can be attached to boots to allow for 3 minutes of higher jumping – and more fall damage.
  • Wormhole Generator: Argus
    • 30x Empyrium
    • 2x Loose Trigger
    • 2x Primal Sargerite
    • Teleports the player to a random location on Argus (15 min cooldown).
world of warcraft crafting inscription dalaran

Inscription

  • Mass Mill Astral Glory
    • Grinds 20 Astral Glory at once.
  • New glyphs for priests and paladins:
    • Glyph of Dark Absolution: Your Atonement leans more towards shadow. Available in the Seat of the Triumvirate.
    • Glyph of the Voidling: Transforms your shadow spirit into a void horror. Available from Ataxon in Mac’Aree.
    • Glyph of the Lightspawn: Transforms your shadow spirit into a lightspawn. Available with a friendly reputation with the Army of the Light.
    • A series of glyphs for paladins allows them to dye their Divine Steed in one of the colors of the class mounts.
  • Vantus Rune: Antorus, the Burning Throne
    • 10x Sallow Pigment
    • 30x Roseate Pigment
    • Increases versatility against a boss in Antorus by 1500. Same function as the rune in the Tomb of Sargeras.
world of warcraft crafting jewelcraft dalaran

Jewelcrafting

  • Mass Prospect Empyrium
    • Allows for prospecting 20 Empyrium at once.
  • New gem recipes available after completing the quest A Colorful Key:
    • Masterful Argulite: +200 mastery
    • Quick Lightsphene: +200 haste
    • Versatile Labradorite: +200 versatility
    • Deadly Deep Chemirine: +200 critical strike rating
  • The cut gems only require the raw stone as material, no additional blood of Sargeras or Primal Sargerite.
  • New headpieces:
    • Jewelcrafters can craft four new items. After completing the quest A Crowning Achievement, four recipes will be available:
      • Empyrial Cosmic Crown: Cloth, golden with a gray-silver tint
      • Empyrial Deep Crown: Leather, golden with a silver-bronze tint
      • Empyrial Elemental Crown: Chain, golden with a bronze-silver tint
      • Empyrial Titan Crown: Plate, golden with a purple-violet tint
    • Rank 2 is available at achieving the reputation level Respectful with the Army of the Light, Rank 3 drops from the Antorus boss Shatug.
world of warcraft crafting dalaran leatherwork

Leatherworking

  • Fiendish Shoulderguards (Leather Shoulders)
    • 36x Fiendish Leather
    • 20x Lightweave Cloth
    • 8x Unbroken Claw
    • 5x Primal Sargerite
  • Fiendish Spaulders (Chain Shoulders)
    • 36x Fiendish Leather
    • 20x Lightweave Cloth
    • 8x Unbroken Tooth
    • 5x Primal Sargerite
  • Rank 1 recipes are available through the quest Counterbalancing, Rank 2 through respectful reputation with the Army of the Light, and Rank 3 from the Antorus boss Admiral Svirax.
world of warcraft crafting dalaran tailoring

Tailoring

  • Lightweave Breeches (Cloth Pants)
    • 59x Lightweave Cloth
    • 8x Runic Catgut
    • 2x Sharp Spritethorn
    • 8x Primal Sargerite
    • Rank 1 is obtained through the quest Looming Over Me, Rank 2 through the reputation Respectful with the Army of the Light, and Rank 3 from the Antorus boss Portal Keeper Hasabel.

All material costs are subject to change, as something may change from the PTR to the release.

Fishy! New rewards and achievements in fishing

In addition to the new recipes and materials, there are also more updates regarding the professions. Fishers can look forward to new rewards from the fishing NPCs in Legion:

WoW Fishing dwarf
  • Corbyn’s Beacon from Corbyn with the status Helpful Friend: Use on other players to find Glimmering Trinkets (currency) (Not to be confused with Cortyn’s Beacon. The latter drains players of their soul).
  • Floating Totem from Akule Riverhorn with the status Good Friend.
  • The recipe Feast of the Fishes from Keeper Raynae.
  • Some swimmers have been added.
  • An Ancient Fishing Line can be looted from Slithon the Last in Mac’Aree. It replaces the fishing line on the rod and increases the skill by 6.
  • The Deep Light Fisher also receives a new color: Deep Light Emerald. You must complete the achievement “Fisherfriends of the Isles” to achieve Best Friend status with all 6 fishermen.
  • With a bit of luck, fishermen can fish up a new underwater mount with Patch 7.3: The Pond Nettle.
World of Warcraft PTR Patch 7 3 Pond Nettle
“Blub blubb Grrrbl blubb blllub” – The opinion of an owner about this mount while riding it.

Benedict says: I am looking forward to the new recipes. Especially, of course, to the new gems. But it’s also nice to see that Blizzard can still troll well (the fish meal will be a blast in raids). Personally, I’m curious how this will affect the in-game economy. It is unfortunate, however, that archaeology seems to have been forgotten. Again. It seemed during Legion that interesting things could be done with it. What a shame.

What do you think? Will you focus more on crafting or farming with Patch 7.3, or is it all less interesting? How are you preparing for the expansions of the professions? Share your thoughts in the comments!

By the way: If you want to pick up additional rewards, complete the emissary quests before the reset!

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. wowhead

Destiny 2: Ikora Rey and Commander Zavala Introduced – The Fearless

Bungie introduces the characters in Destiny 2 in smaller vignettes. Today: Ikora Rey as the coolest Warlock and Commander Zavala, the Titan with the best Bubble.

After the introduction video of Cayde-6, Ikora Rey and Commander Zavala complete the Vanguard trio. There was also a short introduction video for the new character Hawthorne.

Commander Zavala – the fearless leader

Commander Zavala is somewhat the counterpoint to the fun and sarcastic Cayde-6. Dead serious and always on duty – that’s what characterizes Commander Zavala. Could easily be a German.

Commander Zavala is the head of the Titan Vanguard and was prominently featured in this impressive trailer:

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Commander Zavala is described as the one who is there when it matters. He is the one who leads the troops into battle and fights at the front lines.

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Ikora Rey – Nova Bombs with style

Ikora Rey was the first to prove that shooting from a Sparrow is possible. She is the head of the Warlock Vanguard and is described as fearless. She shows no mercy to enemies.

She was also introduced in greater detail in a vignette:

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Ikora Rey approaches things just as fearlessly as Commander Zavala or Cayde.

What do you think of the vignettes? Are they really suitable for getting to know the characters? Let us know in the comments!

Exclusive Mein-MMO discounts on the PC version of Destiny 2

Together with Gamesplanet, we have an exclusive discount on the PC version of Destiny 2! 

And here’s how it works:

1. Go to https://de.gamesplanet.com/ and create an account or log in.
2. Go to the product page of Destiny 2 or Destiny 2 Deluxe (linked above) and add the game to your cart.
3. Then enter the discount code DESTINYISTMEINMMO in the “Redeem Voucher” field.
4. The price of the game changes to 49.79€ (Standard) or 82.99€ (Deluxe) and you can purchase it at a discount.
5. You will find the key in your library on Gamesplanet in time for the preload/release.
 

This discount campaign runs until 01.09.2017 at 09:59 AM.

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FIFA 18: Player-Faces und Grafik in neuem Video vorgestellt

A new video has been released about FIFA 18. This is meant to show how good the graphics of the upcoming football simulation look. See here some player faces.

Regarding graphics and atmosphere, FIFA 18 is said to blur the lines between the virtual and the real world. At least according to EA Sports. The players and teams come to life, and authenticity is elevated to a new level. This is made possible by the Frostbite engine, which debuted in the FIFA series with FIFA 17.

Such promises FIFA fans have certainly heard before. Every year, EA Sports claims to have refined the graphics even more, depicting the players in an even more realistic manner. And how the players will look in FIFA 18 is now shown in a short trailer.

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Griezmann, Sanchez and Co. – This is how they look

In this video you will see some players up close – the “Player Faces” of Griezmann, Alli, or Neymar are shown. Some players from FC Bayern, like Renato Sanches, are also featured.

For years, EA Sports has been conducting so-called “Face Scans” to bring the players’ faces as realistically as possible into the football simulation. However, not all professional players have such scans, which repeatedly causes frustration but also laughter in the FIFA community. It is often criticized that there are far too few face scans from many leagues – only the Premier League is strongly represented with “real” player faces.

Are you convinced by the graphics of FIFA 18?


Interesting:

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This is why the Final Fantasy XIV director says to a woman “Step on me”

The head of Final Fantasy XIV shouted “Please step on me” to a young woman at Gamescom. Here’s what it’s about.

The game director and mastermind of Final Fantasy XIV, Naoki Yoshida, was at Gamescom in Cologne and served as a judge for a cosplay competition. To the winner, he then called out, “Please step on me.”

This situation needs to be explored further. The winner was a young woman dressed as Yotsuyu, who is a villainess from the latest “Final Fantasy XIV” expansion Stormblood.

Yotsuyu is the governor of Doma, has a troubled childhood behind her, is quite a beast, smokes like a chimney, and has the lovely demeanor of a dominatrix on a really bad day.

Yotsuyu was introduced to the community with this scene.

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This scene with a slight BDSM influence created a hype in the community. They then demanded “Step on me.”  This became a sort of internal Final Fantasy XIV meme.

The US site Kotaku believes this is because the “head-on-foot” gesture is perceived differently in Japanese culture than in the West. In Japan, it doesn’t carry the same stigma as it does here.

When the cosplay competition took place in Germany and Yoshida crowned the winner, he praised their outfit in Japanese, which corresponded to the details of the makeup from Final Fantasy XIV Stormblood.

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In the end, Yoshida added in English, “Please step on me.” The Twitch chat thoroughly enjoyed Yoshida’s statement.

The cosplayer stayed in character and relatively expressionless while being praised, although it was apparent that she was pleased. Whether she complied with Yoshida’s request is unknown.


In Australia, on the other side of the world, there’s something delicious about Final Fantasy XIV, they have pizza:

On the other side of the world, Final Fantasy XIV has its own pizza, kupo

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Source(s):
  1. kotaku

WoW: Noch mehr Realm-Vereinigungen? Das sagt der WoW-Chef

In World of Warcraft, poorly populated realms may soon rejoice. They might be connected with other servers.

World of Warcraft: Legion is still very popular among players. If you believe what people say on Reddit and in the official forum, many want to jump back into the game with the launch of Patch 7.3 Shadows of Argus.

However, despite the (presumably) solid player count, there is a recurring phenomenon among the realms of World of Warcraft:

Full realms become even fuller while underpopulated realms continue to lose players.

WoW Dalaran Stress Test Bosses2

This is only logical, as many players return during an expansion’s cycle, stay for a few weeks or months, form new friendships, and then stop playing again.

It is likely that more acquaintances are active on the fuller realms – and players will switch to those.

In the official forum, Community Manager Aerythlea once again quoted Ion Hazzikostas, the Game Director of WoW.

According to him, Blizzard plans to connect more realms in the future and is “actively working on it.”

However, there are some obstacles to implementing these plans. The last time realms were connected was around the release of Warlords of Draenor. Since then, however, the infrastructure of the WoW servers has changed so fundamentally that the old method no longer works. Therefore, “some issues need to be resolved” first. However, it is expected that the community will soon be informed about further steps.

WoW Paragon Lichking

Connecting realms would ensure that players from different servers could still find and see each other in the same game world. Blizzard can thus connect poorly populated realms with more lively servers and possibly even balance differences between factions, which would lead to more fairness in PvP.

Additionally, improvements to the guild system of World of Warcraft are planned. What exactly this means has not yet been disclosed.

We speculate and assume that it is about the possibility of cross-realm guilds. This has been discussed for a while in WoW and is desired by many players. The ability to be a member of multiple guilds – as seen in Guild Wars 2 – could also be considered.

Do you wish for more realm connections? Or does that take away more from the sense of belonging to the servers?


Do you know which class/race combo is currently the most popular in WoW? Here are the top 5!

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Hearthstone: Der Lichkönig ist verliebt – Lustige Frostthron-Interaktionen

The Lich King is a funny guy in Hearthstone . Among other things, he insults the developers of Hearthstone.

Meanwhile, all wings of the latest Hearthstone expansion Knights of the Frozen Throne are open, and many players have already tried their hand at the Lich King and his minions.

However, Blizzard has put in a lot of effort this time to properly capture the “soul” of the Lich King and give him many interactions. Players can experience these when they face the Lich King themselves and play the correct cards or perform the corresponding actions.

In total, there are 19 of these interactions (that have been discovered so far), and there may be a few more. The YouTuber Disguised Toast has created a video showcasing all the interactions he knows of.

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In the fight against priests, the Lich King uses a spell that prohibits the priest from using emotes in the future. However, if this spell is copied beforehand with Mind Vision or another card, the priest can also silence the Lich King.

And even though we have actually destroyed the heart of the Lich King in WoW, his fondness for animals seems to still exist today. If you summon the Snow Waddler (the 1/1 penguin chick for 0 Mana), the Lord of Northrend admits that he loves the cute creature.

But Arthas not only reacts “in character” to various cards but also criticizes the game’s developers or his former servants. When you play Kel’Thuzad, he asks him annoyed if he is not in the wrong adventure.

When mages counter the spell that reduces the opponent’s HP to 1, he loudly complains about how “this crap got past quality assurance” – many people are probably wondering the same.

Did you notice these interactions too? Which ones do you like the most?


Have you seen the new Hearthstone cinematic? It strongly resembles a Pixar film.

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Next WoW Expansion: Kul Tiras or Zandalar? Confused Data Miners

Who leads whom astray? Hints about Kul Tiras in WoW reappeared – but Troll objects are also gone.

For game developers, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep secrets until the announcement or release of a game. Especially when the game is constantly tested in the form of early patches and test realms. Data miners make life difficult for developers by uncovering even the smallest details hidden in the game data.

That’s why there was a leak a while ago that new armor sets were found in the files of World of Warcraft. These are named “kultirasquest” – just like there were previously “legionquest” and “draenorquest”.

WoW Kul Tiras Questset

For fans, it’s clear: A clear indication that the next WoW expansion takes place in Kul Tiras.

However, in the latest version of Patch 7.3 of the PTR for World of Warcraft, there was a turnaround. Some icons were removed from the list of all files that are extracted from the game data during unpacking. Among them are not only “Kul Tiras” files but also “Zandalari” files. It’s possible that Blizzard intentionally included the “Kul Tiras” information earlier to mislead the data miners.

WoW Shadows of Kul Tiras Title

The Red Shirt Guy, Ian Bates, however, has a different theory. He believes that the first leak regarding the implementation of the Kul Tiras armor was real. After all, the textures of the armor meet current standards and are of high quality. He argues that Blizzard is now trying to lead data miners on a false trail by simply removing a few Zandalari icons from the unpacked data.

Which addon will ultimately really come our way, we will likely find out only at BlizzCon in November. Both trolls and Kul Tiras are suitable settings for the next big chapter of WoW with Patch 8.0 – what do you think?


More about the possibility of the next expansion can be found in this article – after all, Jaina is on the key art!

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Upon Release: Trailer of ARK shows a mix of Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Dinosaurs

ARK Survival Evolved (PC, PS4, Xbox One) will soon leave Early Access and go into Full Release. Studio Wildcard celebrates this with a launch trailer that showcases a colorful mix of sci-fi, fantasy, and dinosaurs. 

ARK Survival Evolved was released in 2015 on Steam for PC and thus started its Early Access two years ago. Back then, the survival MMO began as a prehistoric adventure. Almost naked, one was stranded on a piece of land and had to secure their survival among dangerous dinosaurs.

This principle has not changed. However, ARK Survival Evolved has massively evolved since its release. Besides the dinosaurs, there are now mystical creatures like the unicorn or cute, little mammals like the otter.

Also, the methods of survival have experienced a change. The modern survivor uses Tek technologies, which allow loyal dinosaur pets to be equipped with lasers. 

ARK TekDino

Last year in December 2016, ARK Survival Evolved also came to PS4.

ARK has long been more than just the dinosaur MMO and offers players a colorful mix of sci-fi and fantasy in a prehistoric world.

ARK Survival Evolved goes into full release on August 29, 2017 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One

On August 29, 2017, ARK Survival Evolved will leave Early Access and enter the status of a “finished” game. Along with the full release, the survival MMO will also be available in physical form on CD.

To celebrate the full release, Studio Wildcard released a launch trailer that gives a pretty good impression of the game.

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Even if ARK Survival Evolved is considered a finished game after the full release, the title is far from completed. Studio Wildcard continues to plan a lot of new content and more expansions like Ragnarok.

What happens with ARK after the full release? Wildcard provides answers

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WoW: Die 5 häufigsten und seltensten Klassen/Rassen-Kombinationen

Which classes really make it to level 110 in WoW? A new table reveals which heroes are popular – and which no one plays.

With World of Warcraft: Legion, the balance of power among the various class and race combinations has shifted significantly. But which characters have actually reached level 110? Which class/race combinations are the most common and which oddballs are hardly seen?

The 5 most popular race and class combinations in WoW

We start with the top 5 most popular combinations of race and class that have reached the maximum level of 110.

5th place: Human Paladins

Wow Paladin Ashbringer

5th place goes to Human Paladins with a player count of 345,000. Since the early days of the Warcraft story, human Paladins have been iconic characters in the Warcraft setting, hardly surpassed by any other class.

4th place: Blood Elf Paladins

WoW Artwork Blood Knight Blood Elf Paladin

… unless, of course, you can call your Paladin “Blood Knight” and force the Light to bend to your will rather than asking it politely. Then you are one of 384,000 Blood Elf Paladins who are still stuck in the lore of The Burning Crusade. Ah, the good old days. 4th place.

3rd place: Night Elf Druids

WoW Fanart Druid

Kaldorei are all tree-huggers, and who would cuddle more with the big plants than a Druid? Apparently, many players prefer the Night Elf Druid, as they secure the 3rd place with 433,000 players from Teldrassil.

2nd & 1st place: Demon Hunters

Wow Demon Hunter 3

1st and 2nd place go to the blind protectors of both factions, who have sacrificed everything and are firmly convinced that “Lord Illidan knows the way” – even though he has spent most of his life in prison. Blood Elf Demon Hunters take the lead with 629,000 characters, followed closely by Night Elf Demon Hunters with 563,000 characters.

The 5 least popular race and class combinations in WoW

Where there are popular combinations, there are, of course, those that are rarely played. We present the 5 combinations of race and class that have particularly rarely reached the maximum level of 110 in World of Warcraft.

5th place: Dwarf Monks

WoW Fishing dwarf

5th place among the rarest combinations goes to the Dwarf Monk. Only 12,537 specimens run around through Azeroth. Not surprising, as fiery dwarves rarely achieve calm.

4th place: Troll Monks

WoW Troll Concept Art

Trolls are known for voodoo, strange sorcery, troll grass, and an “interesting” love life. They are rarely heard of in meditation and chi. Therefore, 4th place among the rarest combinations goes to the Troll Monks, with only 12,001 characters wandering about with this vocation.

3rd place: Dwarf Mages

WoW Dwarf Mage Artwork

Even rarer are the Dwarf Mages in 3rd place. No wonder, alcohol, long beards and fireballs simply don’t go well together when you want to live long. Only 11,701 players think differently.

2nd place: Goblin Warriors

WOW Goblin Warrior Artwork

Goblins are known to be calculating, a bit crazy and always fixated on money. It’s not surprising that hardly anyone sees the green guys as a brawler. Therefore, Goblin Warriors land in 2nd place among the rarest combinations with a population of 11,385 characters.

1st place: Tauren Priests

At the top of the endangered combinations list is the Tauren Priest. Most players probably don’t even know that this class is playable. Only 10,203 players have brought a priest with a pom-pom tail and horns to the maximum level. This should prompt everyone to whip out the S.E.L.F.I.E. camera as soon as they spot such a Tauren.

Note from the editor: Here we would like to have a picture of a Tauren priest. But good luck finding one, that’s not so easy.

The results are based on an analysis by Reddit user Krainz, who used data from realmpop.com for European and American realms as a basis. The data may therefore vary slightly from the actual numbers, as only Blizzard likely knows those.

Which of these combinations do you actively play? Are you more mainstream (Demon Hunters) or a total hip outsider and a Tauren Priest with a tote bag?


With patch 7.3, there are also some class changes – this could change the most popular classes again!

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Source(s):
  1. reddit.com/r/wow/

First place in the Steam fight – PUBG overtakes Dota 2!

The Hunger Games are popular and mean that PUBG is now overtaking Dota 2. Will the shooter soon break the first million?

Currently, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is one of the most popular video games on the market. Even though it is still in Early Access, the battle royale shooter already has a large fan community, which keeps setting new records.

Now Battlegrounds has even surpassed the incumbent Dota 2 in terms of simultaneous players on Steam!

PUBG on the way to player record

With this achievement, many gamers did not expect it to happen “so quickly”. PUBG leaves Dota 2 behind and takes the number 1 spot on the weekend for games with the most simultaneous players.

This is special because Dota 2 is a free-to-play game owned by the platform holder Steam, Valve. In contrast, PUBG is in Early Access, and players have to pay for access to the game.

With over 800,000 simultaneous players, PUBG is at the top this weekend. Two weeks ago, Battlegrounds had about 600,000 simultaneous players and has increased so significantly in just a few days.

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The next big goal for the battle royale shooter is likely to be the step to the first million. Do you believe PUBG can reach one million simultaneous players? If so, how much time do you give the game?

Constant Increase

The numbers for PUBG continue to climb, and many players are getting into the survival game. This is clearly reflected in the statistics on SteamSpy. In the following image, we show you the peak numbers of simultaneous daily PUBG players. The list starts with 186,700 simultaneous players at the end of May and goes up to August 26 with over 810,600 simultaneous players. A solid performance.

PUBG Steamspy Zahlen

New content on the way

To ensure that the numbers continue to rise and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds does not become boring, new content is already planned. The developers have provided first impressions of a new map that we can expect soon. It features a lot of sand and many facing houses that invite to fights from window to window. More about the new PUBG map can be found here.

PUBG Desert Map
Source: Polygon

At the big Gamescom event, there were some discussions about the winner’s tactics. He hid instead of participating in large fights and won $15,000

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Source(s):
  1. Gamespot

The Division: Are all enemies uniting against us? – New puzzle hints

Massive is currently playing a game with the community. Mysterious clues could point to future content in The Division.

What are the developers of The Division up to? Since Friday evening, they have been posting strange tweets every few hours through the official Twitter account. These tweets feature images of enemy factions, mysterious codes, or strange quotes. What does it all mean?

We reported on this “puzzle” yesterday, on August 27. The community speculated that the released codes could refer to Central Park. There might be a map expansion to the north in the future, possibly with update 1.8. It was also curious that the title image on the Twitter account displayed the logo of the Rioters – an enemy faction in the game.

Now there are new clues and speculations.

division-rioters
Here you see the symbols of all factions

Not only the Rioters, but all factions play a role

Last night, the title image was changed: The symbol of the Rikers, an X, was visible. This afternoon, on August 27, the logo of the Cleaners is displayed. It is likely to switch to the LMB symbol tonight or tomorrow.

New codes and new quotes have also been revealed in the last few hours.

On Reddit and also in the comments under our article yesterday, many agents suspect that the codes could be coordinates for story missions. Currently, the code is 1517-857/1844-3057. In the game, these two coordinates are near the Lincoln Tunnel and the General Assembly. If these codes point to story missions, it could indicate that the story will be advanced in the near future.

In March 2017, however, Massive announced that there would be no new story missions in Year 2. But they know that players are eager for a continuation of the story. Therefore, Massive is trying to incorporate as many narrative elements as possible in Year 2. The second expansion, update 1.8, is supposed to deliver this content.

What could happen in these narrative elements is likely hinted at by the quotes that Massive is currently tweeting. A popular speculation is: The enemy factions are teaming up to destroy the Division agents.

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There are several reasons for this speculation. Massive posted these quotes:

  • “We were busy with our own affairs” – Could hint that the factions have been pursuing their own goals so far and that this will now change.
  • “It is time to show the Division who truly rules New York. We.” – An image of the Rikers was posted with this.
  • “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” – The factions have a common enemy, namely the agents.
  • “It is the Division that keeps us from success”
    division-codes

In addition, Massive is currently focusing on the factions with the various title images. Something will surely happen with them in the future.

By the way: The community developer Hamish Bode shares all these tweets and always writes a question mark above them. He was already asked yesterday if even he did not know what was going on. In response, he only wrote a winking smiley.

When Massive will reveal what they are teasing here remains to be seen. Presumably, it concerns update 1.8. We will see.


Here you can find our first article about this puzzle: The Division is about to make a big announcement! – What is Massive teasing?

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Still 2017? Royal Blood could change the way you play your MMORPGs

Royal Blood sets sail and is heading full steam ahead towards release in the West. This AAA MMORPG for mobile devices aims to launch before Lineage 2 Revolution this year and usher in a new era.

Gamevil promises a full-fledged MMORPG that is supposed to be much closer to a PC MMORPG than anything the market has offered so far. Particularly interesting for us: They want to pioneer with Royal Blood in the West. Aiming to be the first to release a NextGen mobile MMO in Europe and America. A clear challenge to the competition.

In Asia, mobile MMOs like Lineage 2 Revolution and Lineage M are causing quite a stir, regularly announcing revenue and player records. TERA M and Black Desert Mobile are also in the starting blocks. The mobile market for MMOs is booming in Asia, and online role-playing games are experiencing a second spring.

This is also changing the orientation of some MMO companies and the way we play MMORPGs. The gaming landscape is changing: NCSoft is losing significant revenue with PC MMOs, while mobile games are gaining.

Royal Blood Character

An impressive turn for the dusty MMORPG genre. Can the trend also continue in Europe and America? Given the local smartphone usage, this is quite conceivable, even if the MMO culture in Asia is different (and the internet in Germany is supposed to be getting better slowly). The mobile giants like Tencent are still hesitant with release announcements for the West. Only with Lineage 2 Revolution was “late 2017” targeted. With Royal Blood, they may already be a step ahead.

Full-fledged MMORPGs with everything that comes with it – Release likely end of 2017

In a conversation, David Mohr, the Europe head of Gamevil, told us that around 100 developers are currently working on the title. The game has been in development for nearly 3 years. These are AAA dimensions, not like some comment sections claim, “cheap productions with a few employees looking for quick money.” But when will the fun begin? “Hopefully this year (…) end of 2017,” David Mohr revealed to us in the interview.

Royal Blood Graphics

But what sets Royal Blood apart from previous representatives like Order & Chaos Online, which with their simplistic gameplay mechanics and lackluster graphics are still far from being a full-fledged mobile supplement to a conventional PC MMORPG? The skepticism among core gamers is still large. The following points should reassure the critics:

  • “Massive MMO” with hundreds of players in an instance
  • Raids with dozens of players and powerful loot
  • Deeper classes, greater progression
  • Realm vs. Realm PvP with 200 players and 3 vs 3 arena PvP
  • High-quality graphics and an open world with public events, crafting, and additional occurrences
  • Side activities like fishing

Will that work? We asked the creators some critical questions from the community in the following video interview. And there are fresh gameplay scenes regarding the mentioned features.

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By the way: You only need a Samsung S4 to enjoy Royal Blood.

Are you currently bored? 5 recipes for MMORPG fans.

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Total War Arena: Anspielbericht von „Total War trifft World of Tanks“

Total War Arena combines the gameplay of a Total War game with that of World of Tanks. But does that work? Jürgen took a closer look at the latest game from Wargaming and Creative Assembly at Gamescom 2017. Read here whether it’s worth it.

The Total War series of games is mainly known for the following things:

  • Complex strategy, turn-based on the world map, real-time in battles
  • Accurately portrayed historical settings such as the Middle Ages in Europe or Japan, antiquity, or the colonial era
  • Extensive unit lists
  • Long sandbox campaigns
Total War Arena Screens 07

What one does not expect from a game with “Total War” in the name is a free-to-play online game in the style of World of Tanks, where you engage in brief skirmishes with dozens of other players. But that is exactly what Total War Arena is.

Total War Arena: What is it really about?

Unlike the major Total War games like Rome II or Empire, Total War Arena is not a grand strategy game, but an online game where 10 players on a team face off against an equally sized opposing team. Each player chooses one of currently three factions before the battle begins. There are:

  • Romans, who primarily score with infantry and artillery
  • Greeks, who rely on strong but immobile hoplites
  • Barbarians (currently Germans and Celts), who excel with light units and high mobility
Total War Arena Screens 08

Each faction has several leaders, from which you also choose one. The commanders are historical figures such as Germanicus, Julius Caesar, King Leonidas of Sparta, or the Celtic chieftains Vercingetorix and Boudica. Each leader has their own special skills, such as a particularly strong infantry attack or improved artillery.

Total War Arena: The Units – From Legionnaires to War Dogs

In addition to the leader, you can assemble a squad of three units, which are divided into 10 levels, called “tiers.” At Tier 1, you face unwashed barbarian scum, Roman militias, and poorly armed citizens. If you fight often with a unit, it gains experience points and you can finally unlock the next tier.

Total War Arena Screens 11

With each tier, the troops become stronger and better, so at the mid-levels you уже get usable troops like Legionnaires, tribal warriors, and hoplites. In the end, there are really tough soldiers like the famous Spartan Royal Guard. Especially cool: You can further upgrade your existing troops, for example with better helmets or stronger weapons.

Each unit is also assigned to a type. There are:

  • Infantry in various forms, from light skirmishers to heavy hoplites, who are particularly good at holding positions.
  • Cavalry, which is particularly mobile and performs devastating flank attacks.
  • Archers who fight from a distance and can hide well.
  • Artillery, which fires devastating volleys from a distance and thus puts even well-fortified units in distress.
Total War Arena Screens 06

Additionally, there are all sorts of special gimmicks, such as the new war dogs of the barbarians. If you have these martial dogs with you, you can send them against the enemy before an attack to break formations and make them vulnerable for later attacks.

Total War Arena – A Celebration for Team Players

Once you have chosen your units, the battle can begin. Together with your 9 teammates, there are 30 units per team in play (which means about 3,000 men!) and you must wipe out the opponent or seize their base. For all this to succeed, you must feel like part of a large army and not like a single fighter.

Total War Arena Screens 01

It’s useless if you charge blindly ahead with your cavalry only to be ambushed by a better-coordinated opponent. This mistake was made by an enemy in our test game at Gamescom 2017, who completely overlooked that we had plenty of archers and our own cavalry hidden, allowing us to take a valuable unit from the enemy with little effort.

Total War Arena – Gameplay for Multitaskers

Total War Arena Screens 10

To avoid making such a mistake yourself, you must always keep an overview. Not only of your own three troops but also all the other 27 units in the team and the currently visible enemies.

So if you have a problem with multitasking, you should better keep your hands off Total War Arena, because unlike in the previous games in the series, you cannot conveniently activate the pause function and study the battlefield in peace.

Total War Arena rewards daring, attention, and tactical skill.

Total War Arena Screens 04

In terms of controls, Total War Arena plays like a typical Total War game. Your units march to where you click and attack opponents if necessary. It is also important in which direction they look. A thick phalanx is of no use if the opponent attacks your hoplites from the back. However, if he attacks from the front, the long spears effectively diminish the first row of enemies.

Total War Arena: Closed Beta Nights Already in September

If you want to get a picture of Total War Arena, you can play as much as you want starting September 1st for eight weeks.

Here you can sign up for the Closed Beta of Total War Arena.

Jürgen’s Conclusion on Total War Arena

Total War Arena Screens 03

I love Total War and I love World of Tanks and similar games. Therefore, Total War Arena should actually appeal to me a lot. And it does, I love the setting of antiquity and I look forward to leveling my wild barbarians and sturdy hoplites until I can eventually play 300 (the Thermopylae map is already available).

But then I dread the wildly assembled random matches, in which I have to struggle with 9 other clowns who all think they are the new Caesar but are only fit to be straggling Varus (whose nemesis Arminius is also available).

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The colossal chaos that arises when 30 uncoordinated troops flounder aimlessly on the battlefield seems quite frustrating to me. Even the worst chaos rounds in World of Tanks should be harmless compared to that. On the other hand, Total War Arena could be a lot of fun with a well-rehearsed team. So I should probably start drumming up support for the game with my pals.

Also interesting: Total War Arena: Free2Play spin-off is an addition, not a replacement

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Destiny 2: So ist es in einem Lost Sector! – Verlorener Sektor Gameplay

Gameplay of a Destiny 2 Lost Sector has been released. Here is what it looks like!

Lost Sectors are new open-world activities in Destiny 2. Already during the gameplay premiere in May 2017, when Bungie presented the four new worlds, Lost Sectors were introduced as enemy dungeons featuring unique bosses that guard treasures.

To enter a Lost Sector, you do not need to load a new instance, as is the case with strikes or story missions. Instead, you can access these activities without loading times when you encounter them during your open-world exploration. They are optional activities – similar to public events. You can tackle them, or you can simply walk past them.

The site Dualshockers was able to extensively play Destiny 2 in the European Dead Zone. The author stumbled upon a Lost Sector. Here is some gameplay material from it. But beware – spoilers!

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What to Expect in this Lost Sector

The idea behind a Lost Sector is already known: You discover a sign in the open world that indicates a Lost Sector. When you see this symbol, you know that something is nearby.

destiny lost sector
Sign of a Lost Sector

Then you search the area for the entrance that leads you into this sector. Inside, you will encounter several enemies and a boss. Defeat the boss. He will drop a “Cache Code”, allowing you to loot the treasure chest. After that, you can leave the Lost Sector and continue exploring the world.

In the gameplay video, you can see a Lost Sector in the EDZ. It is located inside a building. The author states that he was just in a public event when he discovered the symbol for the Lost Sector. He went deeper into the building where Fallen awaited him.

destiny-2-calzar

The boss in the sector is named Calzar. He is a “Scarred Captain” who can take quite a beating. Once defeated, the fireteam received the Cache Code. In the chest was a blue armor piece, an EDZ token (which can increase the reputation with the new character Devrim Kay), as well as 700 Glimmer. “Lost Sector looted” appears on the left side of the screen.

Dualshockers concludes: Lost Sectors are “short and sweet”. The fights may not last long – depending on your level – but the Lost Sectors are satisfying because it is exciting to delve deeper and explore them. And there’s loot to be had.

According to Dualshockers, Lost Sectors are displayed on the target map, yet they are not easy to find. The entrance needs to be discovered first. It should also be possible to repeat them after a certain time.

Lost Sectors exist on all worlds – and there are numerous of them. In Destiny 2, you have plenty to discover.


Interesting: Destiny 2 PC Beta: Start, preload, keys, codes, open beta – All info

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Source(s):
  1. dualshocker

Verbesserungen für Dorf-Spieler in Pokémon GO geplant

Good news for Pokémon GO players in the countryside. Niantic has not forgotten you and continues to plan to improve your gaming experience.

Pokémon GO has a problem: the difference between rural and urban players.

Players looking to collect items like Poké Balls or potions visit PokéStops or Gyms. However, these are much more common in cities than in the countryside. This makes it easier for trainers in urban areas to access Gyms and items. A clear advantage in location for urban players.

But Niantic has not forgotten the trainers in rural areas. The big goal is to equalize the gaming experience in Pokémon GO for rural and urban players.

More Stops and Gyms in the Countryside in Pokémon GO

Rural players in Pokémon GO have long been frustrated by their disadvantage in the game. The game developers at Niantic also state that there are problems in this area of the game.

On Reddit, NianticGeorge provided information about the current issues and what improvements are planned for the future.

User Shinigami483 expressed a desire for more “love” from Niantic for rural players. To this, NianticGeorge responded:

“Shinigami, we have not forgotten you [rural players], and we are working on [improving the situation]. To understand what we are working on, we look at the history of Ingress.” Ingress is an app that Niantic developed before Pokémon GO and operates with a similar technology. There, players go to portals instead of PokéStops and Gyms.

Ingress Screenshots

“Ingress never had a problem with rural players like Pokémon GO does. This is partly because portal submissions were allowed for a long time, and players could create them in their surroundings if none existed.

This game mechanic required a lot of work, but that was okay for a game of Ingress’s scale,” writes NianticGeorge.

Pokemon Go Starter Pokémon Bulbasaur Squirtle and Charmander

“Pokémon GO installed players in many places where Ingress was never played. The number of players is so large that we couldn’t just activate portal submissions and hire a team to oversee them. Instead, we needed a solution suitable for such a large game as Pokémon GO. “Operation Portal Recon” was developed.

Many players reported the benefits of OPR in their communities. However, I would say that OPR is still in its infancy and could have even more influence on rural players.” So the developers at Niantic still see potential here.

pokemon go blastoise

“This sounds very optimistic now, but I would say that the game conditions for rural and urban trainers will equalize over time. We are already working on the problems of finding a raid team in rural areas. However, it’s still too early to announce anything more specific in this regard,” writes NianticGeorge on Reddit.

These are positive prospects for the future. The gaming experience in the countryside should not only be improved but raised to almost the same level as in the city.

Niantic cares about rural players and has already made improvements

In another Reddit thread, user vidoardes writes that Niantic doesn’t care about rural players, and Pokémon GO will probably never change in this area.

In response to this statement, NianticGeorge referred once again to the planned changes for finding raid teammates. He also writes

“I don’t share your opinion that Niantic does not care about rural players. We have already brought significant improvements to the game:

  • OPR has significantly improved access for rural players.
  • The sponsored locations have also improved the game for trainers in the countryside. (We know we still need more sponsors in these areas)
  • The ability to now also get items from Gyms has helped many rural players who complained about having too few Poké Balls.
  • The number of Gyms has increased so you can battle in more locations.
  • Additionally, changes have been made regarding the distribution of Pokémon.
Pokémon GO Anniversary Title

“That’s not to say that our work here is done,” says NianticGeorge. “On the contrary. I can’t emphasize enough that we still have a lot of work ahead of us. No matter how frustrating this situation is. Just because we don’t have an immediate solution doesn’t mean we aren’t working on it. Everything will get better.”

Banning wave – Spoofers are being kicked from Pokémon GO!

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WoW: Emissary Quests are reset – Claim rewards quickly!

In WoW, with Patch 7.3, the emissary quests will be reset. Those who want the rewards should hurry now.

The Patch 7.3 of World of Warcraft will be rolled out next week. This means not only a journey to Argus, but also many changes to the gameplay within the old mechanics.

WoW Argus Dalaran

The emissary quests are also affected by some changes. Community Manager Ornyx announced in the official forum that with Patch 7.3 Shadows of Argus on August 30, the emissary quests will be reset. In plain language, this means that all 3 quests from the previous days will disappear and there will be three completely new quests. Started and unsubmitted quests will be reset.

So, if you want to benefit as much as possible from the patch, you should complete all 3 emissary quests on Tuesday, August 29 to grab the reward chests and 1500 reputation points each.

With the patch on Wednesday, August 30, there will be 3 new emissary quests.

This reset was likely necessary because with Patch 7.3 Shadows of Argus, new factions are being implemented into the system, such as the Army of the Light on Argus. It is therefore possible that an emissary quest for the new factions will be available from the first day.

Will you prepare for the reset? Or have you long stopped caring about the emissary quests?


You can learn what Patch 7.3 brings in our post about the patch notes.

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A high-quality hero shooter for mobile? Paladins Strike is coming

Paladins is going mobile! At Gamescom, Hi-Rez Studio announced that the MOBA shooter will be available in a full version for Android and iOS. Here, too, you will be able to customize your champions individually and compete in a 5v5 arena match. You can already sign up for the alpha and test the mobile shooter.

Paladins is a hero shooter that heavily incorporates MOBA elements. With a sophisticated card system, champions can be customized and tailored. The cards adjust the abilities or weapons of the characters. This way, the heroes can be played slightly differently in each match, gaining more mobility or damage, for instance.

The customization system has also made its way to the mobile version, allowing the heroes to be individually designed in their abilities as well.

Paladins Strike1

Paladins is coming to Android & iOS – Top-Down gameplay adapted for mobile devices

This hero shooter is now being brought by Hi-Rez Studio to mobile devices as Paladins Strike. Paladins will be released as a full version for Android and iOS:

  • Real-time matches 5v5 in an arena
  • Champions can be customized
  • 15 champions known from Paladins can currently be played with exactly the same abilities as on PC and console.

For example, the crazy winter witch Evie can swing onto her weapon and hover over the heads of her opponents. Also, Bomb King has all his explosive toys with him and turns into a bomb with his ultimate ability – just like in “real” Paladins.

The controls have been adapted for mobile devices, but do not take away from the gunplay or abilities:

  • You control and move the champions with your thumb in the lower left corner of the screen
  • The abilities can be found in the lower right corner. Here, you just need to tap the icons of the abilities to activate the skills
  • Approximately in the middle area of the left half of the screen, you have the opportunity to adjust the champions’ abilities during the match.

Paladins Strike – Gameplay Impression – The Mobile Version is catching up to Console and PC

Leya says: At Gamescom, I had the opportunity to talk with Hi-Rez’s CEO “Lionheart” and let him show me Paladins Strike. I played the mobile version on the test map against bots but was able to try out all available champions. There are currently 15 heroes in the alpha version.

I was really amazed at how smoothly the gameplay ran and had fun competing against the bots with the heroes. Only a few changes were actually made to adapt Paladins for mobile devices:

  • The MOBA elements are somewhat more limited than on console and PC. However, this fits the mobile version, as Strike is more the quick shooter for on-the-go play, like on the bus or in the doctor’s waiting room.
  • It is played in a top-down view, instead of first-person. You look down upon the action from a bird’s eye view. Still, it feels like a full-fledged shooter. For mobile, this is nice because the control matches movements with the left thumb and hero actions.
Paladins Strike 5v5

Most of all, I was impressed by the graphics, which actually in some aspects look even better than on console or PC. The characters look better in some cases and their movements appear more realistic.

However, it should be noted that I have only played the test map against bots! So I cannot assess how smoothly Paladins Strike runs when engaging in 5v5 real-time matches against other players. I still need to explore how balancing works or what matches against real players feel like. But I will continue testing the current alpha version and report on it on Mein-MMO.

If you want to try the MOBA shooter for mobile yourself, you can find a link to the official Paladins Strike website here. Here you can register for the closed alpha.

Paladins Strike – Gameplay Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMgwYUt2uzc

Could you imagine playing a hero shooter like Paladins on your smartphone? More and more complex games are making their way to mobile devices. Maybe you will find something that interests you in our mobile hub. 

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Destiny 2: Liegt die europäische Todeszone in Deutschland?

Bungie has designed the largest Destiny map ever with the European Dead Zone region in Destiny 2. But where is the EDZ (European Dead Zone) located exactly? In Germany? A detective story.

Anyone who has carefully watched the recently released video footage may have experienced a sense of déjà vu. The extensive forays through the EDZ bear a great resemblance to the Destiny Crucible map Widow’s Court.

widows_court
Crucible map Widow’s Court from Destiny 1

In addition to the gothic architecture, as predominantly found in Central Europe, the signs placed in German script all over the map testify to the origin from Germany, Austria, or Switzerland.

What geographical features does the EDZ have?

The gameplay material for Destiny 2 clearly shows similarities to the map Widow’s Court. But what features really stand out?

  • The EDZ region is heavily forested – just a sign that nature has reclaimed lost terrain over the centuries? Or has the area always been heavily forested?
  • Ruins in the style of ancient buildings in Central Europe
  • Mountains!

To correctly geographically locate the EDZ, all these peculiarities must be considered. Additionally, a mysterious salt mine provides clues, which a Guardian passes by:

EDZ_Salzwerk
A salt mine in Central Europe

Where is the mysterious salt mine?

A screenshot shows the salt mine. But where is it located? We are looking for a forested area with gothic buildings and mountains. Our search leads us to southern Germany. In Baden-Württemberg, there is a salt mine near Stetten.

Salzbergwerk_Stetten
The salt mine in Stetten

Here there is plenty of greenery, but few mountains. A false lead. However, there is another salt mine in southern Germany. Our virtual tour takes us further into Bavaria, near the Austrian border – specifically to Berchtesgaden.

Here is one of the largest and most visited salt mines in Germany. A look at Google Maps reveals lots of nature – and a river that flows close to the salt mine:

salzbergwerk-berchtesgaden-2
Google Maps view of the salt mine Berchtesgaden

It is also mountainous. The area around Bad Reichenhall in the Berchtesgadener Land could indeed be the model for the EDZ in Destiny 2. So is the Guardian’s journey leading to southeastern Bavaria?

Possible, but this area is not the only option.

Austria – Home of the EDZ?

In Austria, I also find a match – in Hallein.

There is also a salt mine, mountains, and forests. Everything that was also shown in the EDZ gameplay sessions. We could also discover a few historical buildings.

salzbergwerk_hallein
The salt mine in Hallein

Conclusion:

  • If the EDZ in Destiny has a real counterpart, it is Bad Reichenhall in Bavaria or Hallein in Austria.
  • Alternatively: There is no true real counterpart to the EDZ, but it is a construct that is only inspired by the real world.

Update 27.08.2017, 19:30:

A new screenshot has surfaced showing a sign of the A5 motorway, reading Graubünden:

destiny-2-graubünden
A sign on the A5 motorway

Graubünden is located in Switzerland, relatively close to the Italian border. The A5 motorway itself leads up to just before Basel. Graubünden itself lies on the Swiss A13 motorway. For a sign on the A5 to mention Graubünden, one must be in Baden-Württemberg, as the motorway signs in Switzerland are green.

The fact that a place from Switzerland appears on a German motorway sign that is also a good 2.5 hours drive from the German border suggests that Bungie intended to depict a mountainous landscape in the DACH region. Similarities to real locations are probably just coincidences. We could not find any salt mines in the area in question (the well-known salt mine Bad Friedrichshall is quite far away).

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

WoW: Value contraction is coming – the next “Item Squish” is here

The next “Item Squish” is coming in World of Warcraft – the values in the game have become too high again.

The values in World of Warcraft have increased significantly with the last expansion Legion. It is not uncommon to encounter players with 10,000,000 hit points or to deal critical hits of a similar amount.

Have these values now become too high to really enhance gameplay? Yes, believes Ion Hazzikostas, the Game Director of World of Warcraft.

WoW Ion Hazzikostas Watcher

In an interview with the YouTubers from FatbossTV, Hazzikostas explained that a new Item Squish (“Stat Squish” or “Item Squish”) is “very likely.” The values have now reached proportions that make it difficult to get any sense of good performance. Too many zeros on a damage spell do not give the feeling of more power but trivialize the fights.

In the past, there had already been an “Item Squish” where the values of all items were drastically reduced. This was with the pre-patch of Warlords of Draenor, at the end of the expansion of Mists of Pandaria.

Old mistakes should be avoided

However, a lot has been learned from this first Item Squish and several mistakes are to be avoided. They want to take a closer look at the concept of item levels (item level), which is currently not consistent and leads to some absurd moments during the leveling phase.

WoW Illidan Cinematic

If, for example, the item level rises from 135 to 200 between Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King, that actually means only an increase of 2 points of intelligence on the equipment. That feels wrong, especially when an increase of just 5 item levels at maximum level results in several hundreds of points of intelligence (or other attributes).

The whole concept needs to be revised. Although Hazzikostas does not promise this directly, a fundamental revision with the next expansion seems very likely.

It is also likely that with the Item Squish, consideration will again be given to the fact that old raids can still be soloed. An additional system is active in all the “old” content that significantly increases character power.


Hazzikostas also believes that the RNG was much worse back then than it is today.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. wowhead.com

Overwatch: Junkrat Madness – 10 Kills in 10 Seconds! The PotGs

The most kills in just one Play of the Game – 10 death blows in 10 seconds are quite rare in Overwatch!

Every week, absurd, exciting, or simply funny moments happen in Overwatch which are often captured in a “Play of the Game”. We have searched social media and picked three special highlights for you. Enjoy our three “Play of the Game” moments of the week in Overwatch!

If you are not actively standing on the payload, you hinder your own team and do not care about winning. Or do you? A Roadhog was scolded by his team to not “throw the game” and to fight with the rest of his allies on the payload. However, Roadhog is the secret star of the team, saving all his friends from certain doom. We call that “Map Awareness” of the next level!

https://gfycat.com/HandyAliveBobwhite

We have often seen posts where a single ultimate takes out the entire opposing team – that is, 6 kills in quick succession. However, (still!) more kills are possible, thanks to Mercy’s resurrection. The player Khra shows on King’s Row how to immediately negate Mercy’s ultimate. After Zarya, Pharah, and Junkrat have taken out the opposing team, Mercy comes in and brings the frustrating resurrection with her. Unfortunately, Junkrat also has his ultimate ready. Three seconds later, the RIP-Tire is already rolling down the street …

https://gfycat.com/AncientDizzyLamprey

Our last clip is a small trick that is definitely recommended for imitation to completely throw the opposing team off balance. On the map Oasis, Blitzet as Reinhardt demonstrates how to perfectly use the gravity and “slip mechanics” of the buildings to ambush the opponents. He uses his charge to storm over the pavilion from the jump pad and unexpectedly land behind the opponents. One or two ultimates later, the entire opposing team is safely in the respawn room.

https://gfycat.com/FortunateUnderstatedBlackandtancoonhound

Have you also experienced a particularly cool game scene that you captured on video? Then simply send us a link to the video (preferably on YouTube) and maybe you will find your clip in this post next week!


A character is currently making all the PotGs alone on the PTR – Mercy is really going off with her rework!

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.