Horns of the Reach im Test – Was steckt im neuen ESO-DLC?

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 5 minutes

The Elder Scrolls Online recently received a new DLC pack called “Horns of the Reach”. In the first expansion since Morrowind, the focus is not on Dark Elves, but on Minotaurs, Barbarians, and Nords. We explored the new dungeon “Falkenring” together with the developers and defeated the final boss.

ESO Falkenring01

The new add-on for The Elder Scrolls Online is called “Horns of the Reach” and primarily revolves around horns. Whether the antlers are on the helmets of grim Reikgarten or on the skulls of fully grown Minotaurs – there is no shortage of horned enemies!

But what is the DLC about? Horns of the Reach is – like “Shadows of the Hist” – a dungeon DLC, which besides some gameplay conveniences primarily brings two new instances. This time, it revolves around the siege of Falkenring and a detour into the Bloodwell Forge.

The Elder Scrolls Online – Skyrim nostalgia in Falkenring

ESO Falkenring02

To optimally familiarize ourselves with the Falkenring instance, the developers at Zenimax invited us for a little dungeon run. Together with Mike Finnigan (Dungeon Lead), Jeremy Sear (Lead Content Designer), and Rich Lambert (Creative Director) we set off to Skyrim to the city of Falkenring. The settlement is currently besieged by wild barbarians and gruesome Minotaurs.

Those who remember Falkenring from Skyrim will often encounter familiar locations. The developers have taken the original map from Skyrim as a template for the surroundings of Falkenring. Only the city itself is much larger in the ESO timeline. After all, the city was at the height of its power back then.

The Elder Scrolls Online – A mammoth task

ESO Falkenring03

But we don’t have much time to admire the architecture and landscape. The wicked Reikgarten and their horned comrades have formed a tight siege ring around the city that we must break through.

ESO Falkenring04

Along the way, we quickly encounter the first boss, who commands a catapult position. She is swiftly defeated, and we soon arrive at the gates of Falkenring, where a massive war mammoth is attempting to break through the gates.

We are already in the second boss fight, which is distinctly tougher than the duel with the commander earlier. The giant beast stomps around and swings its tusks wildly. Those who aren’t careful will quickly be done for. Cool detail: The defenders on the wall also join in and bombard the mammoth with arrows and set it on fire. This makes it even wilder and hits harder.

The Elder Scrolls Online – Little trash, but strong trash

ESO Falkenring05

However, there is still no peace in the city, as the enemies have broken through in another location and are marauding through the streets of Falkenring. There, we often encounter huge Minotaurs, all of which are tough opponents. In addition to the usual brawling Minotaurs, there are also some that use earth and fire magic, making them particularly dangerous.

Additionally, there are “Tramplers” who live up to their name and particularly enjoy toppling and hindering their opponents. Fortunately, not too many of the Minotaurs have broken through, and we quickly move on to the next boss. The design philosophy in “Horns of the Reach” clearly aims to present boss fights in rapid succession and even tackle trash mobs as small, yet fine challenges.

The Elder Scrolls Online – Undead bosses with a system

ESO Falkenring06

At the end of the city, we encounter a gigantic bone monster, which only reveals itself after we slay three of its minions and collect their souls. The souls must be purified in shrines for the boss to appear. If we are too slow, the boss does not come, and we will have to deal with the trash forever.

ESO Falkenring08

Hardly has the boss been defeated when a plethora of ghost souls rush into the nearby tombs. The survivors have also taken refuge there, and we rush to help. Deep in the caves, however, lurks an undead Jarl, who has been resurrected by the spirits.

Similar to a necromancer from Diablo 3, he constantly summons new undead, and their corpses explode regularly unless we cleanse them with a special effect beforehand. Especially in veteran mode, these corpse explosions can be a real party wiper.

The Elder Scrolls Online – Duel with the giant beef

ESO Falkenring09

Finally, the undead ruler is defeated, but that is by no means the end. We still need to check on the Jarl of Falkenring. And indeed, the hall of the Jarl seems to be in order. Inside, we meet the ruler, who complains about the siege.

While he is still grumbling, the developers point out to me to pay close attention. Suddenly, there is a loud crash and a gigantic Minotaur jumps through the wall and simply squashes the complaining Jarl!

The Elder Scrolls Online – My friend, the pillar

ESO Falkenring10

The giant beef is “Domihaus the Bloodhorned”, the leader of the Minotaurs, and a truly powerful endboss! Domihaus is not only a wild fighter, but he is also a powerful sorcerer who wields the powers of earth and fire.

ESO Falkenring13

Therefore, he regularly summons Atronachs and powerful fire attacks. This magic causes immense damage and can kill a hero instantly. Hence, one must seek protection behind the pillars in the hall in time.

Unfortunately, the pillars cannot withstand such an attack and there are only a limited number of them. Therefore, one should always position themselves as a group behind a pillar to save cover. But even if you master the pillar trick, the fight against Domihaus is a tough challenge, and once the beef finally lies in the dust, one has truly earned the loot.

The Elder Scrolls Online – The loot – Horned helmets, trophies, and cool emotes

The loot from Falkenring is impressive. There are three new armor sets: a light, a medium, and a heavy set. All armors are styled in the cool design of the Reikgarten and flaunt furs and horned helmets. Additionally, there is a trophy for housing.

ESO Falkenring11

If you like, you can stick Domihaus’ skull on the wall. On the other hand, if you prefer to become the wild beef yourself, spam the new emote ” /Bullhorns” and transform into a mini-bull.

“Horns of the Reach” is free to play for all ESO Plus subscribers during the subscription. Alternatively, you can also purchase the DLC for 1,500 crowns (12.99 euros) in the real-money shop in the game. This only applies to the PC version.

On the Xbox One and PS4, Horns of the Reach will be released on August 29, 2017.

Also interesting: The first new chapter add-on Morrowind in review

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

Conan Exiles kommt auf Xbox One und protzt mit Riesen-Update “Frozen North”

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 3 minutes

The survival barbarian MMO Conan Exiles is finally getting the long-awaited new ice biome. The update “Frozen North” will make the world 70 percent larger and will bring numerous changes and new features. Additionally, Conan Exiles will be available on Xbox One via “Xbox One Game Preview”.

Conan-Exiles-Black-Keep

Conan Exiles has been on the market as an early access version for several months now, and a lot has changed in the game. However, the biggest innovation is yet to come, as today, on August 16, the new ice biome will be released with the update “The Frozen North”.

Furthermore, Conan Exiles is now available on Xbox One as part of the Xbox One Game Preview. The Xbox version costs 35 euros and is 28 gigabytes in size.

You can obtain Conan Exiles for Xbox One through the provided link.

Conan Exiles – Frozen North Update – Ice Biome and More

The main highlight of Frozen North is, of course, the new ice biome in the northern part of the map. This will make the Conan Exiles world about 70 percent larger. Along with today’s major update come the following features.

Character and Content Rebalance

  • NPC camps are now more dangerous
  • Monsters are now more dangerous
  • Harvesting creatures at higher levels is now more rewarding
  • You can now find better loot from enemies and in chests
  • In single-player mode, you can now adjust the difficulty level
  • In the character creation menu, you can now set beards for men. Additionally, you can define your barbarian’s physique.
    Conan exiles highlands 05

Quest System

  • There is a new UI for the quest system called “Exiles Journey”
  • In it, you can fulfill predefined goals and earn rewards
  • Currently, the journey has only 5 chapters, but more will be added later

Combat System

  • Light and heavy attacks now have their own keys
  • Secondary attacks and shield blocks also have their own keys
  • You can no longer sprint while wielding a weapon
  • Dodging has new animations
  • Dodging costs more when wearing heavy armor
  • Dodging interrupts attack animations
  • There should be ways to break blocks

Temperature System

  • If you stay in areas that are too hot or too cold, you will gradually receive debuffs
  • If you get too cold, you will feel hungrier, have reduced health, can be knocked out more easily, and will take damage regularly in the end.
  • If you get too hot, your thirst increases faster, you carry less, and regenerate less stamina. In the end, you will also take regular damage.
  • Clothing and certain foods provide protection against cold or heat
  • The building style (highlands or desert) also provides protection against heat or cold

Server Changes and Clans

  • On official PvP servers, there is now the choice between “Fast”, “Normal”, and “Mayhem”. On fast servers, you level up faster, and buildings on fast and normal servers can only be attacked at certain times. On Mayhem servers, everything can be attacked at any time, and progress is also accelerated.
  • Clans may now contain a maximum of 10 members on official servers
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Also interesting: Conan Exiles – Is it already dead?

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Source(s):
  1. Conan Exiles

WoW: New scenario is under Ahn’Qiraj – Another “Old Gods” hint?

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

A clever player discovered a strange detail in the latest WoW scenario “Whispers of a Frightened World” – it takes place under Ahn’Qiraj!

Last night (08/15/2017), a new quest was launched in World of Warcraft. This quest urged players to visit the dwarf Magni Bronzebeard in Northrend, who has now become the “Speaker of Azeroth”.

Azeroth – the soul of the planet – had a message for Magni and the players were allowed to be part of it. This marks the beginning of Patch 7.3, which is expected to go live in a few weeks and takes players to the devastated world of Argus.

What is interesting and largely unknown is: the entire scenario is not located in Northrend, but beneath the ruins of Ahn’Qiraj!

Scenario in WoW at a Suspicious Location

On Reddit, the user Egyptiiaann discovered that the small “instance” was designed not somewhere in the wilderness, but beneath the ruins of Ahn’Qiraj. He used the spell Far Sight to look “through the walls” of the area. He found that the entire instance was built under a copy of Ahn’Qiraj – the resting place of the Old God C’thun.

WoW Ahn'Qiraj Scenario 1
Image source: Imgur

Additionally, there is a strange sentence from Magni that is difficult to place. While Azeroth’s warning at the end points to Sargeras, the phrase “Sands… soaked in suffering” does not make sense. But when thinking of Silithus (where Ahn’Qiraj is located) – an area full of sand where gigantic wars have taken place – everything comes together. Azeroth is likely afraid not only of the end brought by the dark titan Sargeras but also of the Old Gods, who are now stirring again.

WoW Ahn Qiraj Scenario 2
Image source: Imgur

It might just be a coincidence that Blizzard simply took the “template” of a raid instance to develop the scenario underneath. However, it is definitely suspicious that this specific location, which is connected to the Old Gods, was chosen.

Perhaps we will learn more at Gamescom.

Have you seen the new PvP rewards from Patch 7.3 yet?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. reddit.com/r/wow/

Pokémon GO: Nutzt Lockmodule und Eier für Shiny Pikachu und Pichu

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 2 minutes

Shiny Pikachu and Pichu are now available in Pokémon GO. The community is gathering ways to encounter these special monsters.

After the Pikachu event in Japan, some features from it have been released worldwide. Now we can also obtain the rare Shiny Pikachu and Pichu here in Germany. As it turns out, we can attract the monsters and find them in eggs.

Finding Shiny Pikachu with Lure Module

The Shiny monsters are both a curse and a blessing for many trainers. On one hand, they are excited that they made it into the game. On the other hand, they are unfortunately rarely seen in the game – the specimens are particularly rare.

The Shiny Magikarp were integrated into Pokémon GO back in March. To this day, many trainers have not seen a single golden fish in the game. And now the next Shiny monsters can appear in the game. How long Shiny Pikachu and Pichu can randomly appear is still unclear.

You can find a rare Shiny Pikachu in the wild. So don’t miss any Pikachu nests if you are looking for the shiny variant. It has also been clarified that these rare specimens can be attracted. Trainer Jazzooi21 confirms on Reddit that he found Shiny Pikachu with a Lure Module.

Pokémon GO Pokachu Shiny Lured
Source: Reddit user Jazzooi21

Shiny Pichu from 2km Eggs?

During the Pikachu event in Yokohama, trainers on site were able to find Shiny Pichu in the 2km eggs. Initially, it was unclear whether this feature would also spread to the world, or if we could only find Shiny Pikachu in the wild.

Trainer AJTSin confirms on Reddit that the special Shiny Pichu can now also hatch from 2km eggs outside Japan. Keep in mind that only eggs you found after August 15th are likely to qualify. This feature was not yet activated for us before.

Pokémon GO Pichu Shiny Lured
Source: Reddit user AJTSin

So if you are looking for a Shiny Pichu, you should diligently hatch (new) 2km eggs. After that, all you need is “luck”. And that can hide for a long time. AJTSin writes that he has already caught 1075 Magikarp and none of them were Shiny. He was therefore all the more pleased about the Shiny Pichu.

Have you had any luck with Shiny Pokémon?

The legendary birds: Articuno, Moltres, Zapdos, and Lugia are only available for a short time in Pokémon GO

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Source(s):
  1. Reddit
  2. Reddit

Destiny 2: PC Beta leads you to Io – Screenshots of the new PvP map

Tom Rothstein Tom Rothstein Reading time 3 minutes

In the PC beta of Destiny 2, Guardians can set foot on Io for the first time.

At the end of August, the “Destiny 2” beta for PC will start, which will have some improvements compared to the console beta, but also some new features. A new PvP map will be playable: Javelin-4. This was not available in the beta for PS4 and Xbox One.

Bungie has not revealed any information about Javelin-4 until yesterday. Because yesterday, a trailer for the “Destiny 2” beta on PC was released, in which the new map can be seen for a brief moment:

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Javelin-4 is set on Io, a moon of Jupiter

This screenshot comes from the trailer:

destiny-2-hüter-io

In the background, Jupiter is clearly visible, which is why these four Guardians must be on Io. The landscape design also resembles previous screenshots of Io.

Io is a sulfur moon of Jupiter. Ikora Rey retreated there after the Cabal attack because Io is a “sacred place” for the Warlocks. This moon is the last place in the solar system that the Traveler touched before the Collapse. There is said to be plenty of mythology, lore, and secrets to be found here.

Youtuber MoreConsole received additional screenshots of Javelin-4 from Activision, which we are embedding here for you:

destiny-2-io-map
destiny-2-io-map2
destiny-2-io-map3

There isn’t much information to be gleaned from these pictures. Apparently, there will be both an indoor and outdoor area. It is not known what kind of building this is.

More information from the trailer

If you take a closer look at the new PC beta trailer, there are still some other interesting things to discover.

destiny-schwert

Here is a new sword in the picture. You can read information about the swords in Destiny 2 in the link:

destiny-2-neue-monarchie

A Warlock with armor from the New Monarchy:

destiny-toter-orbit

A “Dead Orbit” weapon, probably an auto rifle:

suros-raketenwerfer

In the background, you can see a SUROS rocket launcher with a nice design:

Interesting:

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Qualität statt Quantität – PUBG wirft Update-Plan über den Haufen

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 2 minutes

Developer Bluehole explains that they want to move away from the guaranteed weekly and monthly updates. This is intended to improve the quality of work on PUBG .

Since the Early Access release of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds in March 2017, 14 different updates for the game have been released. These updates have followed the typical weekly and monthly update schedules, but that is set to change.

The patch strategy for PUBG is set to change in order to achieve higher quality in the game.

PUBG Patch Schedule Changes

As of today, August 16, 2017, the change in the patch plan takes effect.

Internally, the strategy has been discussed, and it has been concluded that strict deadlines often lead to more bugs than solutions. The short time for quality control between regular patches did not meet the team’s expectations. The team wants to provide you with the best quality and make PUBG even better with each update.

Although the “weekly patches” will no longer come every week, the team will extensively use the test servers. This will allow new features to be thoroughly tested by the community before they are activated on the live servers. This should eliminate many problems. Hotfixes and patches will still be provided.

On the live servers, the quality of the games is expected to improve, as there should be fewer bugs. The developers emphasize in their post again that this will not change the amount of content planned for PUBG.

The full statement from the developers can be read on the game’s Steam website: Here is the PUBG Steam page with the post about the changed update plans

PUBG Update 20

In the comments to the statement, there is a lot of positive feedback from the players:

  • “Glad to hear. I’d rather have a functioning update than a quick, buggy one.”
  • “While it’s nice to see new features almost every week, the updates also caused many problems. Reducing the frequency of patches is a good idea now.”

PUBG pushes aside the dominant LoL on Twitch – First Steam, now Stream!

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ARK Update v265: Titanoboas zähmen wird möglich – Patch-Notes

Leya Jankowski Leya Jankowski Reading time 3 minutes

ARK Survival Evolved (PC, PS4, Xbox) will receive a new patch v256 for PC today, August 16. The creature Titanoboa is a huge snake known for its highly aggressive behavior. Until now, it has been an untrainable beast in the survival MMO. This will change now, and survivors will soon be able to keep it as a pet.

Via Twitter, Jeremy Stieglitz announced a new patch for ARK Survival Evolved for PC. He is the lead designer of the survival MMO and revealed that the Titanoboa can now be tamed.

The PC patch v256 is expected to arrive in ARK today, August 16, throughout the day.

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Taming the Titanoboa – Strategy and Benefits Unknown

So far, it is still unknown what taming strategies survivors will need to use to turn the Titanoboa into a pet. Normally, players need the favorite kibble of the creatures for that. Kibble is a treat for dinos that they can eat during the taming process.

In addition to the kibble, survivors will also need a “KO strategy”. The creatures of ARK must be unconscious to be tamed. Since each animal behaves a bit differently, these strategies vary from dino to dino.

Community manager Jen revealed in a tweet two things about the Titanoboa and its taming process.

  • The Titanoboa cannot be bred further, as the giant snake has no gender.
  • The taming process will be completely different than with any creature before. The snake cannot be knocked unconscious.
ARK Titanoboa2

The Titanoboa is highly aggressive and unleashes its large fangs on anything that moves. The snakes can be found in caves and swamp areas and can even swim.

Patch Notes for Update v256: Bug Fixes, New Server Options & Expansion of Ragnarok

With PC patch v256 it will be possible to tame Titanoboas. Additionally, some bugs have been fixed and the servers offer new options.

ARK’s new server options:

  • A respawn of wild dinos can now be enforced when restarting the server. This is automatically enabled on official servers.
  • The sizes of tribes and alliances will have limits. The new tribe limit is set at 70 members, and the new alliance limit per tribe is now 10.

Excerpt of bug fixes and adjustments from patch v256:

  • Eggs no longer fall through structures while rendering
  • Baby Ovis no longer fall through structures when they are born
  • Towers now have a “Players Only” mode. This means that towers will first attack players riding on dinos before attacking the dino itself.
  • The structures limit is now displayed more clearly once the player has reached the limit
  • Storage boxes now indicate when they are full without players having to open them.

This is just a few examples of the fixes and adjustments. The complete list can be found in the official patch notes, which can be found in the references.

ark schaaf1

Additionally, the large DLC expansion Ragnarok will receive a major update for PC today, August 16. Console players will have to wait a bit longer before they can get Ragnarok for PS4 and Xbox One. The release of Ragnarok has been postponed for consoles until the end of August.

A completely new creature was recently revealed for the survival MMO: The cuddle otter makes ARK much cuter.

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

H1Z1: King of the Kill – Win Loot Crates! – Nomad, Frostbite and Nemesis

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time < 1 minutes

For the battle royale game H1Z1: King of the Kill, we have organized some powerful loot crates for you. How to win the boxes is explained in the following article.

H1Z1: King of the Kill is a battle royale PvP shooter in the style of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. Over 100 players bash and shoot each other until only one victor remains: The King of the Kill!

H1Z1-Unterhosen

To make the fun even more exciting, there are loot boxes in the game with useful items. And we are giving away a few of them here.

H1Z1: King of the Kill – 25 loot boxes to win

We received a batch of loot boxes from the developer Daybreak Games. In total, there are 25 loot crates of the type:

  • 10 x Nomad loot crate
  • 10 x Frostbite loot crate
  • 5 x Nemesis loot crate

Take part in our giveaway and perform the specified actions. With a bit of luck, you can win one of the boxes. Multiple actions increase your chances of winning!

H1Z1 – Nomad, Nemesis & Frostbite loot crates Giveaway

The giveaway ends on August 25 at 12:00 PM. A participant can only win one key. The exact type of box will be randomly determined for each winner. The legal process is excluded. Good luck with the giveaway and with H1Z1: King of the Kill!

Also interesting for key winners – H1Z1: King of the Kill – major update on maps and weapons

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

Overwatch: Kinderkrankheiten im neuen Deathmatch-Modus

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

The deathmatch mode in Overwatch is not working perfectly yet. Minor and major issues are spoiling the gameplay experience.

On the PTR for Patch 1.14 of Overwatch, players can currently try out a new map and two new game modes: Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch. These modes are only available in the Arcade, which is the area where things are a bit more relaxed and the rules of the actual game are not taken too seriously.

Kotaku reported on some flaws that are currently occurring in Deathmatch.

Overwatch Chateu Guillard Map
Kill steals – Worse than in other shooters

The first point is the kill steals. It doesn’t matter how much damage you’ve dealt to an opponent before their death. Only the killing blow counts and awards a victory point. This is also the case in most other shooters, however, the characters in Overwatch are much more agile and durable, so battles often aren’t decided in just two or three seconds.

These “kill steals” are particularly frustrating when they happen against extremely tough opponents – like the “new” Roadhog, who can now withstand longer in duels. If you have an intense duel for nearly 20 seconds and then a Pharah gets both kills joyfully laughing with a rocket, it feels unfair to many players.

Overwatch Chateau Guillard
Reinforcements in Deathmatches – Useless waste of time

A second point is the “reinforcement” system that still exists. Time and again, it happens that you join ongoing deathmatch games. While the best player is already leading with 15 or more points, you have no kills – so why should you even try? It feels like a waste of time. The result is that many players disconnect immediately, thereby maintaining the endless cycle of reinforcements.

However, the mode is still on the test server. It is quite possible that Blizzard will make improvements before the release.

Cortyn says: “Kill-stealing” has always been a fixed component of deathmatch for me and is part of what makes the mode appealing. I wouldn’t like a system that takes into account the percentage of damage, as that would take away a lot of the excitement. Then I would just stand somewhere on a hill with Junkrat and rain down grenades – though, isn’t that what I’m doing right now too …

We wanted to know from you whether Overwatch is a selfless game played by egoists. The reasons for our belief are detailed in this article…

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Source(s):
  1. kotaku.com

Black Desert: Mobile-Version kommt – Und sieht verdammt gut aus!

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time < 1 minutes

Black Desert Online is getting a mobile version for smartphones and tablets. The mobile version of the glossy sandbox MMO from Kakao Games looks fantastic just like the original.

Black Desert Sexy Underwear

Black Desert Online is a sandbox online role-playing game known for its fantastic graphics. The character editor is currently among the best in the MMORPG genre and is unparalleled. This kind of graphical splendor does not have to be the privilege of a powerful PC. The recently announced mobile version of Black Desert Online also looks quite impressive!

Black Desert Online – Glossy Graphics on the Smartphone

In a recently released video, publisher Kakao Games presented the mobile version of Black Desert Online. The game for smartphones and tablets aims to be a full-fledged MMO like the original, complete with PvP siege battles and world bosses. The controls are from an isometric view, similar to action RPGs like Diablo 3.

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However, those expecting a pixelated mini Black Desert will be pleasantly surprised. The mobile version looks extremely beautiful in the video and is hardly inferior to the original game. The characters are detailed, the animations are on point, and the effects are impressive.

Also interesting:

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Source(s):
  1. Dualshockers

Wild West Online: Those who play unfairly will have a bounty placed on them!

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 2 minutes

The upcoming western MMORPG Wild West Online fully focuses on PvP. However, player versus player combat should be as fair as possible.

PvP, especially open PvP, is always a double-edged sword. Many players enjoy the thrill of danger, being able to be attacked by other players at any time. However, this often leads to unfair situations.

Especially griefing and ganking is something that affects many online games heavily. When players make a sport out of continuously attacking weaker players to ruin their fun in the game, the operators of the title face a problem. After all, many frustrated players may then turn their backs on the MMO.

Wild West Online 1

PvP is important, but should remain fair

But how can you reconcile satisfying the PvP fans without making the others frustrated? In Wild West Online, the developers want to achieve this balance. The game itself practically screams for open PvP. After all, in the Wild West, things were not taken lightly. Bandits were everywhere, and the few lawmen had a hard time maintaining law and order. This game feel is what the developers of Wild West Online aim to convey.

However, they are aware that this fosters exactly the situation that is feared: griefing and ganking. Therefore, the team is working on a reputation system. Every act in the Wild West contributes to reputation or causes a loss of it. If you lose too much, you become an outlaw and a bandit, and a bounty is placed on you. Then law-abiding players set out to hunt you down to collect this bounty. Those who are deputies can recognize who acts lawfully and who does not.

Wild West Online_neu 2

Bandits have it tough

The developers of Wild West Online hope to find an in-game regulation this way that ensures not too many players become griefers, but also instills a bit of fear of being constantly hunted. Because those who kill another player just for fun won’t gain much. The player leaves no loot, and you will be hunted yourself. If a deputy shoots you as a bandit, you will lose all your items.

Nonetheless, it should be fun to play as a bandit, as that’s the only way you can rob banks or ambush gold mines or caravans. Whether all this really works, however, will soon be seen.

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More articles about Wild West Online:

Wild West Online: Internet detectives scent scandal

Wild West Online: Gameplay trailer shows mix of Skyrim and Red Dead Redemption

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

Fortnite receives hardcore survival mode – survive for 3.5 hours!

Jürgen Horn Jürgen Horn Reading time 2 minutes

In Fortnite, the lively survival co-op shooter from Epic Games, there will soon be an even tougher hardcore survival mode. In this mode, it is not enough to fend off just a few waves of zombies. Instead, you have to withstand the undead for hours and build a particularly large fortress.

Fortnite is still in early access – even though it costs a lot of money and is even available in stores as a box version. Therefore, a lot can change, and many contents in the game are not final yet. This includes the fiddly and cumbersome menu system.

fortnite-18

In a developer video, Epic Games employees Zak and Darren announced a new game mode aside from such adjustments and bug fixes. In this mode, the goal is to survive for as long as possible.

Fortnite – Survive in the game for days

Fortnite Todtenkopf

In this new “hardcore survival mode”, you must last particularly long against the waves of the undead. Until now, you only had to fend off the constantly charging zombies for a few minutes in Fortnite’s missions. In the new survival mode, this carnage should last much longer and span between 3 to 14 in-game days. This would correspond to a maximum of 3.5 hours in real time.

To last that long, you need to pull out all the stops of your building skills and construct a truly large fortress filled with traps and support structures. However, a specific release date for this new game mode is not yet known. But the update is expected for late summer 2017.

The announcement for the hardcore survival mode in Fortnite comes from Epic Games from a recently released Twitter video. We have embedded the Twitter post here for you. Enjoy watching!

Also interesting: Fortnite – 20 useful tips for beginners in the survival co-op game

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

The Division: Masken in 1.7 – Wer eine Maske will, muss sich anstrengen!

Tom Rothstein Tom Rothstein Reading time 2 minutes

A mask for the face in The Division? Update 1.7 finally introduced these new cosmetic items!

Although Update 1.7 lacks fresh activities, it brought many new cosmetic items to the shared-world shooter. Most of these, such as outfits, skins, or emotes, can be found in the Encrypted Containers at the premium vendor. However, if you want masks that cover your entire face, you must dive into the Global Events.

These cosmetic masks (not to be confused with the masks considered armor pieces) are the “biggest secret” of Update 1.7. Massive teased them but provided neither specific information nor screenshots.

division-mask

Now that Update 1.7 is live, many agents are wondering how to obtain the masks. Community Manager Yannick Banchereau provides the answer in the Reddit forum.

How to Get the Face Masks

You can get the masks only through “Global Event leaderboard rewards.” When you go to the Terminal, you’ll find a new section on the left dedicated solely to global events. There, you’ll see a laptop where you can view the leaderboard.

According to Banchereau, the more masks you get (up to 3), the higher your rank is. The first mask is available if you are among the top 85% of global event participants. Here are the rewards:

  • Top 85% – 31%: One Global Event Container and one mask
  • Top 30% – 11%: 2 Global Event Containers and 2 masks
  • Top 10%: 3 Global Event Containers and 3 masks

Global Events take place once a month and last for a week. This means you have to put in the effort during that week to earn masks! The hour in which you collected the most GE Credits counts in the end.

In direct response, Banchereau stated that this GE leaderboard is currently the only way to obtain masks. Once the event is over, you’ll have to wait until the next global event, which will bring new masks.

In this trailer, you can see some masks. We have marked the spot for you:

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Are you going mask hunting this week?

Interesting: The Division: Change Appearance – Adjust Character Retroactively in 1.7

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

Probiert die neuen Elite-Spezialisierungen in Guild Wars 2 selbst aus

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 2 minutes

With the upcoming addon Path of Fire, elite specializations find their way into the MMORPG Guild Wars 2. This weekend you can try them out for free.

The developers of the game have now talked about these specializations in a developer diary, which aim to better define the roles in the MMO. With the specializations, players can better tailor their heroes to their personal playstyle.

However, the developers also explain that the specializations are not a must, and there will be no content that requires a specialization.

guild wars 2 elite specialization

New ways to approach challenges

With the elite specializations, players will be able to approach challenges better and in different ways.

A pure warrior can attack a boss directly with strong attacks, but will not be able to do much against its powerful attacks. A warrior with the specialization Spellbreaker, on the other hand, can apply a debuff and thus weaken the boss’s powerful attacks, but deals less damage in return.

Veterans get more options

With the elite specializations, GW2 veterans also receive new opportunities to expand their heroes in new ways and solve situations differently. Therefore, this feature is an important part of Path of Fire. In the developer diary, the team of Guild Wars 2 reveals more about the elite specializations, and if you want to try them yourself, you can do so this weekend.

We have introduced the elite specializations of Path of Fire in this article.

Because the addon Path of Fire can be tested for free from Friday, August 18 to Sunday, August 20.

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More articles about Guild Wars 2:

Demo: Play the new Guild Wars 2 addon for free this weekend

Guild Wars 2: Addon Path of Fire focuses on new content

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

PUBG displaces the dominant LoL on Twitch – After Steam, now Stream!

Patrick Freese Patrick Freese Reading time 2 minutes

This is quite an achievement! Apparently, the PUBG viewers are a loyal community, as they have just surpassed League of Legends.

Livestreams are an important feature in today’s gaming community. Some watch instead of playing, while others follow livestreams even while they play themselves.

The broadcasts of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds are well-received on Twitch.TV. Viewers spent more time on PUBG streams than on the MOBA League of Legends, which has a huge community on Twitch.

16.9 million hours of PUBG watched

Last week, viewers watched PUBG streams longer than League of Legends streams.

This means something, as LoL has built a large community over the past years that tunes in daily to their favorite casters.

The DOTA 2 International also took place last week, attracting masses of people in front of their screens. Here, 30.6 million hours were watched, making DOTA 2 clearly in first place for the last week. PUBG and LoL had a close race, which the battle royale shooter was able to win.

As Gameloco explains, PUBG was watched for 16.9 million hours last week, while League of Legends reached “only” 15 million hours. Usually, the viewing times of League of Legends are only surpassed when there are major tournaments in other games.

“In more than three years of monitoring Twitch statistics, week 32 of 2017 was the first week in which League of Legends was surpassed by a game that was not pushed by a top-tier esports event,” writes Gameloco Founder Nicolas Cerrato.

PUBG Twitch viewer record LoL Dota 2

The report makes it clear that PUBG is the first game to achieve this leap. Not even the biggest AAA releases like Overwatch, which consistently attract many viewers on Twitch, could displace League of Legends in this category.

The growth of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is significant. Even on Steam, the game has now surpassed the popular shooter CS:GO and now stands in second place behind DOTA 2.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. VG247

Moaning Wednesday: Camper or Dumbass – Survivors always complain!

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 4 minutes

Killers are always the idiots in Dead by Daylight. No matter what they do, in the end, they will be insulted. Cortyn can sing a song about it.

In the last few months, I have been playing Dead by Daylight more frequently. A lot as a Survivor (with friends) but also plenty as a Killer. As a Survivor, I usually rank 1, and as a Killer somewhere between rank 6 and 4 – so not a “super pro,” but already in the upper region. And that’s when the game simply stops being fun.

Currently, there is a problem in the Dead by Daylight community – an acute lack of Killers. Although Killers were buffed some time ago, they are losing interest in the game. And that is not because of the game itself, but because of the Survivors.

Because Survivors complain about the Killer after every match. They say he played “unfairly.” Especially “camping” is frowned upon, where the Killer waits at the hook where a Survivor is already hanging nearby. However, many players forget that the Killer has earned this advantage. He now has a “hostage” on the hook and can patrol the surrounding generators – only this way can he ensure that the Survivors do not escape.

The YouTuber TydeTyme, known for his numerous streams and guide videos on Dead by Daylight, articulates the problem accurately. When he was called a “camper” by people from his stream in a video, he lost control. In a nearly 20-minute video, he passionately explains what he thinks of Survivors and their demands. (Bonus points for the girlfriend who has to hold back to avoid bursting into laughter.)

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While playing, he acts as the Survivors expect:

  • He immediately runs to the other end of the map once he hooks someone
  • He does not chase anyone who has just been rescued – because that would be “tunneling” and “not nice”
  • He gives the Survivors time to heal
  • He does not hook anyone who would then die

Excessive Altruism Leads to Swift Death

The Survivors behave excessively altruistically, throwing away their own lives far too quickly and then complaining to the Killer that he has caught them all. Instead of leaving a teammate on the meat hook for a few seconds so that the Killer can distance himself, they immediately run away – often right through the Killer’s field of vision.

The new perk “We’re Gonna Live Forever” only adds to the problem. Because it guarantees that a Survivor earns a lot of bonus points when rescuing someone from the hook – so everyone wants to be the first.

Dead by Daylight Cult of Dwight

Usually, it looks like this: You casually carry your first downed Survivor to the hook and already hear the footsteps of the others rushing in like a swarm.

Now I have the choice:

  • Should I simply run away from the hook, knowing that several of them are here? Then I give them the rescue, a lot of points, and throw my earned advantage overboard just so the Survivors can have fun.
  • Or do I stay and mow them down one by one because they are so greedy for the rescue points that they forget all caution.

Dead by Daylight Killer
Plague or Cholera – Survivors Always Have Something to Complain About the Killer

But no matter what I decide – at the end of the match, as a Killer, I’m always insulted. I am either a “camper” or a “piece of trash noob”.

  • If I left the hook immediately and the Survivors escaped because of that: “Lol, Killer is a noob, l2p”
  • If I knock them down one by one because they come at me like moths to a flame: “Killer is a camper faggot, enjoy your report” – Not to mention that you can’t be reported for camping because there are even perks that enhance this playstyle.
Dead by Daylight Camper

Surely not all Survivors are like that, but with 4 players per match, the probability is high that at least one will open their mouth. And the problem is so severe that many Killers have simply lost interest.

Dead by Daylight Left 4 Dead Characters

To put it mildly: I’m fed up with the whining of Survivors. I share TydeTyme’s view and no longer see it as my job to provide the Survivors with a game where they have fun by their standards while I don’t. I will still not be “face camping”. But when I see someone rushing in immediately? Oh, by the Nether, I will cheerfully throw an axe in that person’s back. Or ram a claw in their neck. Or stab a knife in their chest … You get what I mean.

My desired solution to the problem? Killers and Survivors should not be able to write in the same chat at the end of a round. This way, I would miss the 5% nice people who thank for an exciting game or discuss cool moments, but the 95% matches where I get scolded at the end would be spared.

Or to conclude with the words of TydeTyme: “You need me. Without Killers, you have no game. And my job is to kill the Survivors – not to ensure that you all go home with infinite points.”

Do you already know the latest Killer? The Huntress hums her cruel song…

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

3 community ideas to improve Trials in Destiny 2

Tom Rothstein Tom Rothstein Reading time 3 minutes

In Destiny 2, the Trials are returning. Here are 3 ideas on how Bungie could improve them.

Yesterday, on August 15, the last Trials of Osiris in Destiny 1 ended. After a few weeks of break, they will return in Destiny 2 – but in a new form.

Much is still unknown about the new Trials. Officially, we only know that these will be played in 4v4 format and that “will “floor” players, according to Bungie. Rumors suggest that the Trials in Destiny 2 will be called “Trials of the Nine”, but this is not confirmed. How this PvP event will look like in the future is currently still up for speculation.

destiny-trials-hueter

We present three suggestions from the community on how Bungie could improve the Trials in Destiny 2.

How can the Trials be improved?

In the last years of Destiny, the biggest discussions about the Trials – and PvP in general – revolved around the meta: Certain weapons dominated the Trials, and those who did not have these weapons were at a direct disadvantage. There is currently nothing to say about the meta in Destiny 2 – but we can hope that it will be diverse.

Improvements to the Trials mode itself can already be suggested – which do not completely overhaul the game mode (after all, the Trials should remain the Trials), but are still sensible.

The big goal is 9 wins – but these are not rewarded

Destiny expert Datto points out a major flaw in the Trials: This mode revolves around earning 9 wins in a fireteam, yet hardly anyone plays up to 9 wins.

destiny-trials-bruder-vance

To reach the Lighthouse and win the main prize, only 7 wins are needed. With passage coins, advantages can be purchased, so only 7 wins are necessary.

The problem is: Passage coins are easy to obtain. Just by playing, one can quickly acquire them, or they can be bought for light particles. Therefore, there is no reason not to use passage coins and set 7 wins as the new goal. Hardly any player who attempts “Flawless” does not use the passage coins.

To claim the big prize in the Trials, one only needs a flawless ticket. Nine wins earned are not even necessary. There is no specific “9-win” reward. In other words, the incentive to actually earn 9 wins, which is the purpose of the ticket, is lacking. The passage coins are too dominant, so everyone uses them, and the real target becomes the 7 wins.

Destiny-Snakeeye-auge

Therefore, a possible improvement could be: Completely remove the passage coins and directly set 7 wins as the new goal. Or Bungie rewards 9 actually earned wins with their own prize. 

Two more improvements mentioned by the community that received significant approval:

  • Once “Flawless” has been achieved, one should be put into a different “Trials class” for matchmaking that week. This way, weaker players have a higher chance of achieving Flawless since the best players are in a different matchmaking pool.
  • Additionally, it is often criticized that one loss on the ticket ruins the entire ticket for the main prize. Instead, a loss could just subtract one win. For example, if one has 5 wins on the ticket and loses, they would only have 4 wins left on the ticket. This should motivate them longer to achieve the 9 wins. Starting completely over after a loss is too frustrating.

Now it’s your turn: What improvement suggestions do you have for the Trials? How should they change to make the Trials more enjoyable for you?

Interesting: Destiny 2 in 4K and endless FPS – trailer for the open beta on PC

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

The Division: Change Appearance – Adjust Character Afterwards in 1.7

Tom Rothstein Tom Rothstein Reading time 2 minutes

In The Division 1.7 you can finally change the appearance. But where is this post-character customization possible? We will show you the location from the bathroom.

The new features of update 1.7 include not only the global events, the secret gear sets, or the commendations, but also a nice bathroom. However, this is not for when the agent needs to relieve himself – instead, you can use this room to change your agent’s appearance later.

Where is the bathroom in The Division?

The update 1.7 has only just gone live and many players are wondering where this place for character customization is located. Because it is hidden in a side room of the terminal, which can easily be overlooked.

If you run from the operations base up the large stairs towards the terminal, you will stand in front of this door. This is the entrance to the terminal:

division-terminal
The entrance to the terminal. For orientation: the special equipment trader is located on the left – but you need to go to the right
division-terminal

Immediately turn right after the door. There is now a hallway with a staircase and the sign “Restrooms”. Walk down this hallway:

division-terminal

The hallway leads you directly to the bathroom. Go to the sinks where you can start the character customization:

How to change the agent’s appearance

Interact with the sink. The camera will now zoom into your face. Before customization, you should click on “Hide Equipment” since otherwise a hat might block your view of your hair.

You have the same customization options available as at the start of the game when creating your character:

  • Hair: You can customize the hairstyle, facial hair, and hair color
  • Markings: Here you can find scars, war paint, and tattoos
  • Accessories: Piercings and glasses can be selected

Important: This post-character customization is completely free. You do not have to put any currencies on the table. You can change the appearance as often as you like.

Interesting: The Division: First Global Event is live, here are the secret gear sets

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

In just half a day – child spends 6,400 euros on mobile game

Leya Jankowski Leya Jankowski Reading time 2 minutes

A Chinese boy from the city of Wuchang spent nearly 6,400 euros on a mobile game in just half a day. The money actually belonged to his 67-year-old grandfather, who is now hoping to get the amount back from the game studio. 

The Asia-focused site 2p reports on an unusual spending spree in China. Yanyan is 8 years old and lives in the Chinese city of Wuchang. The little boy asked his grandfather on July 28 at 8:00 AM to give him his smartphone. Yanyan wanted to play a mobile game on it.

At the same time, the boy asked to spend a little money on the game. Yanyan agreed with his grandfather on an amount of 20 yuan, which is about 2.60 euros. This seemed like a small amount to the grandfather. He gave his grandson the password to his Alipay and thought nothing more of it. Alipay is a payment app in China that is used online.

When Yanyan returned the smartphone to his grandfather in the afternoon, he experienced a nasty surprise. Shocked, he realized that a whole series of Alipay payments had been made.

Smartphone invoice

In total, the grandfather found 30 transfers that had been made from his smartphone. In the morning, he still had 50,000 yuan (about 6,400 euros) in his account. Of the 50,000, only 1,000 yuan were left. The rest of the money had disappeared in a period of just 7 to 8 hours.

Yanyan bought 5 million crystals in the game, of which he barely used half.

The grandfather’s family relies on the money – hopes for a refund

The grandfather saved the money over many years along with his wife. His son is in poor health. The sudden loss of the money would put the family in a difficult situation.

Yanyan played the mobile game “Pokenmon VS,” which was developed by the Chinese studio Manatee Company. Yanyan’s mother contacted the customer service of the studio. She hopes that Manatee will refund the money. However, this has not happened yet.

Pokenmon

There can be problems when children and adolescents use online game services uncontrollably. Gaming addiction can be one of these problems. To protect minors from gaming addiction, the publisher Tencent has imposed strict protective measures for one of its mobile games.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. 2p

Hearthstone: Spieler meiden die Arena – Neue Regeln machen keinen Spaß!

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

The arena in Hearthstone is causing trouble. Frustration is brewing due to bugs and nonsensical card choices.

Although the current expansion of Hearthstone, Knights of the Frozen Throne, has been well received by most players, there is a major issue: the arena. Several bugs and inconsistencies currently mean that players have significantly less fun in the arena than before the update.

The first problem is that some cards from the new expansion simply do not appear in the arena. This includes some neutral cards, like the Spellweaver, as well as special legendary minions. For instance, all three princes of San’lain, as well as Arfus and Sindragosa. Paladins also have to forgo Bolvar, Fireblood and the Blackguard.

This is a bug that Blizzard aims to fix within this week. All new cards should be available in the arena, and – apart from the princes – there is no valid reason for their absence.

The second annoyance is a change to the arena that was also activated with the latest addon. The first two cards when forging an arena deck are always “synergy” cards. So, for example, elementals that trigger an additional effect, dragons, or even murlocs.

Hearthstone Arena New Cards

For most players, this means frustration. Those who are first offered a cool synergy card then feel annoyed that there might be no suitable counterparts in the following 28-29 cards. In other words: the game forces you to pick a synergy card first, but then denies you the synergy effects.

It was “different” before, and the first cards were completely random – many players wish for this to return. Others wish that these cards would only be offered at the end when the deck is already largely established. Then one could select the appropriate synergy instead of having to guess in the dark.

What do you think of the arena in Hearthstone? Should it be revamped and changed? Or is the current state perfectly fine?

Do you want to play good decks but have no ideas? Then try our 9 top decks from Knights of the Frozen Throne!

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. pcgamer.com
  2. pvplive.net