A startup company’s bot has defeated a “Dota 2” professional. Despite this, the bot doesn’t even know the rules of Dota!
At the eSports tournament The International 2017 (TI7), it wasn’t just about fair matches between humans, but also about the presentation of a very special bot. The startup company OpenAI showcased its artificial intelligence and aimed to demonstrate the capabilities of their AI by competing against some of the best Dota 2 players in the world.
“You haven’t played against something like this bot before,” says Greg from OpenAI. “We didn’t design it to understand the rules of Dota.”
Instead, a different approach was taken, as the researchers describe:
“We simply let it play nearly endless 1vs1 matches against itself and then told it what good and bad behavior was. And now we wanted to see how well the bot can perform against the best players in the world.”
At TI7, the bot then faced Danylo Ishutin, better known in the scene as Dendi. You can watch the live match here.
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Ultimately, the bot was successful and managed to take down one of the best Dota 2 players. Dendi himself commented on his defeat with “[The bot] feels a bit human, but also a bit like something else” – it’s hard to describe that any more creepily.
However, it should be noted that the developer’s website states that the bot was “developed in collaboration with Valve.” It is quite possible that the AI has a bit more insider knowledge than a player could ever have. The developers claim that the bot acts in many ways, such as the APM (Actions/Clicks per minute), like an average player.
The online melee game Absolver showcases its stylish character customization system.
If you are fans of melee games and enjoy roaming in online worlds, you should keep an eye on Absolver. At E3 2016, it surprised the press and was among the biggest surprises.
Absolver is developed by the indie studio Slocap and represents an online melee action game where you play as a masked fighter. Your goal: you must prove yourself worthy in an open world to become an Absolver. This is a mysterious elite unit.
In a new teaser video, the developers now introduce character customization. There are said to be thousands of customization options:
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According to the trailer, the masked fighters come from many different cultures. You can choose between several skin tones, hairstyles, and hair colors in addition to gender to create your character.
The customization with armor pieces is particularly interesting. There are various items available, such as gloves, pants, shirts, shoes, belts, or protectors for the chest and shoulders.
Each item has a specific weight and individual protection values. Generally, the rule is: The heavier an item, the better the protection. However, heavier armor pieces also mean you will become slower. You need to find a balance between protection and mobility – thousands of combinations are possible.
Some attacks are apparently more effective when executed in combination with specific armor pieces. You acquire new armor pieces by engaging in fights and defeating other masked fighters.
Interestingly, there seem to be two protection values against incoming damage: one against “blunt” damage (likely fist attacks) and one against cuts (presumably against sword attacks).
In Absolver, you don’t just punch each other; you can also occasionally attack with weapons. You can read detailed information about the combat system here:
The closed beta of FIFA 18 is currently running. Selected players from North America and Great Britain can test the upcoming football simulation and provide feedback to EA Sports.
FIFA fans in Germany are missing out: they cannot participate in the testing phase nor watch live streams of the beta – as EA Sports prohibits all beta participants from releasing footage.
While most testers adhere to EA’s rules, some leaks from players have surfaced who seem to take these rules a little more loosely. We summarize the leaks.
New Information on FIFA 18
The English-language site fifauteam has so far confirmed these leaks that have appeared online as “true”:
You can display more statistics on player cards in FUT 18:
When you start FUT 18, you receive a starter pack. You can choose the nationality. More players from that country will then be included:
When you assign player roles in FUT 18, relevant stats will be shown directly.
At the start of FUT 18, you can choose a loan player. In the leaked footage, you can choose between Chiellini, Hummels, Godin, Boateng, and Pepe.
When you choose the crest and the jersey, you can see in real-time how they will look:
Other confirmed leaks for FIFA 18:
From some leagues (the Premier League, La Liga, and MLS are known from the beta), there are official graphics and presentations in the game. Here is the official “presentation package” for the Premier League released by EA Sports:
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If you press the pause button during an online match, you will only enter the pause menu once there is a game interruption (for example: the ball goes out of play).
Pro Clubs in FIFA 18 – New Features Leaks
There is a new game mode: “Pro Clubs Championship”. No further details have been provided.
According to further unconfirmed leaks in the reddit forum, players will now be able to create, save, and quickly switch between three player setups in Pro Clubs. When you change your position, you will no longer have to extensively rebuild the entire pro. Tattoos will still not be available. However, it is said that you can already determine in the lobby before a match who will take corners, free kicks, or penalties. The penalties are reportedly going to be just like in FIFA 16. Additionally, “emotes” are coming – you will be able to clap your hands on the field by pressing the up arrow key.
Keep in mind that all these leaks have not yet been officially confirmed by EA Sports. The developers have not talked about Pro Clubs at all so far. The future will show what FIFA 18 will bring.
Those who watch others open Supply Drops in Call of Duty: WW II receive rewards for it. This feature is part of the social hub in the game.
In many current titles, you receive additional loot from so-called loot boxes. In CS:GO, for example, these are weapon skins, while in Overwatch you get emotes, spray logos, or skins for heroes.
In COD WW2, the loot boxes are called “Supply Drops” – and they even offer rewards for those players who watch you open the crates.
Call of Duty WW2 – Opening loot boxes brings more
An interesting change will take place in the next installment of the “Call of Duty” series. In COD: WW2, you open the Supply Drops at the Headquarters, the social hub of the shooter. Up to 48 players can gather there simultaneously to spend time between matches. The Headquarters symbolize the gathering points of the large allied troops.
As Gameinformer reports, not only will you receive cosmetic items, but also “Social Score” when you open the Supply Drops in front of other people at the Headquarters. These social score points should be available for both spectators and the owner of the opened crate. How this score can be converted into rewards is still unclear.
At the Headquarters, you can not only open crates, but also do much more.
The following activities are available to you at the Headquarters:
There are daily and weekly quests for you to complete for rewards
Players participating in social elements receive more Supply Drops
You can view leaderboards, watch other players, or even watch streams in a virtual theater
In the Pit, you can engage in 1v1 battles with other players
Through voice chat, you can easily chat with other gamers
Those wanting to test their weapons can go to a shooting range
With this strategy, you can defeat the Templar in Destiny in under 11 seconds. Impressive!
The MMO shooter Destiny is currently on its final stretch. In less than a month, the sequel Destiny 2 will be released, and most Guardians will likely leave Destiny 1 behind at launch.
What can be done in these final days of Destiny? Relive some nostalgia and play through a few activities one more time? Try out weapons that have always been avoided? Or you can do it like GShark and set a new record!
If it takes longer to read the strategy than to execute it
GShark and his fireteam went into the Glass Vault to heat things up with the Templar at 390. They aimed to defeat this boss as quickly as possible, which they accomplished in 10.43 seconds:
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When browsing through YouTube, you can find Templar kills with times under one minute, under 40 seconds, under 30 seconds, and even under 15 seconds. The 11 seconds are now, as the user also states, a new record.
For the 11-second run, GShark and team devised a new strategy primarily focused on preparation.
First, generate Spheres of Light near the relic so that the relic carrier immediately has their Super filled when they pick up the relic again.
Equip a Found Verdict (shotgun from the Glass Vault with high impact), along with gloves that increase shotgun reload speed, and a chest piece with extra shotgun ammo.
Empty the magazine of the shotgun until there is only one round (one shot) left in the weapon. Then use special ammo synthesis or pick up special ammo.
Set up a Bubble with Weapons of Light where the Templar spawns.
All Guardians except the relic carrier then stand in the Bubble.
When the relic carrier picks up the relic, three Hunters in the Bubble activate the Golden Gun (with Celestial Nighthawk for bonus damage) and step out of the Bubble, but remain on the stairs. The Defender Titan also steps out of the Bubble and onto the stairs.
The relic carrier now shoots the Templar, destroying its shield. Simultaneously, a Sunbreaker Titan attacks the boss with their melee (with the Melting Point perk). After 4 seconds, they repeat this.
When the shield is down, the Hunters shoot with their Golden Guns and then switch to the shotgun. The relic carrier briefly drops their relic, also shoots with the Golden Gun and with Gjallarhorn, and picks up the relic again.
The shotgun that the Guardians are now firing at the boss has the perk “Last Round,” which increases precision damage from the last round of a magazine. They then hold down the fire button (R2, RT) and spam the reload button. With this trick, only “Last Rounds” are fired, dealing significant damage.
Gaming this time does not make you aggressive, but forgetful and sick. A new study examines action games.
Video games, like almost all new media, are repeatedly criticized. Sometimes they are the cause of a rampage, then they make you aggressive or stupid. However, there is little scientific proof of this so far, as long-term studies are scarce, although their number is slowly increasing.
A new investigation at the University of Montreal claims to have found that the consumption of action games has dramatic consequences for the development of a part of the brain.
According to this, playing action games (such as Call of Duty, Killzone, or Borderlands 2) can lead to less gray matter in the hippocampus. Initially, the researchers only found that gamers have less mass, but could not definitely attribute this to video games. However, this was then confirmed by the researchers in a longer test: Playing (action games) leads to less gray matter in the hippocampus.
Action games lead to less mass in an important brain area
But what effects can this have?
According to the researchers, this can lead to an increased risk of psychological and cognitive illnesses. As an example, the researchers mentioned increased dangers for schizophrenia, PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), as well as Alzheimer’s and depression.
Generally, more mass in the hippocampus is a sign of a “much healthier” brain, and less of it can lead to serious problems.
Interestingly, playing other games, in this case the study of “3D games” like Mario without much action, where learning ability and skill are more required, led to more gray matter in the hippocampus.
The researchers’ appeal to game manufacturers is to incorporate more beneficial aspects into action games that challenge and promote areas of the hippocampus. Possible examples mentioned include “removing GPS systems in the game or maps that show everything exactly” – then players would have to orient themselves and “learn” the environments, which would be beneficial.
Other studies have already found that video games can also be beneficial – for example, in hand-eye coordination, short-term memory, or problem-solving. This study also acknowledges that, but expresses concern that “the disadvantages may outweigh the advantages”.
What do you think of such studies? Is this an exciting field that still has a lot to explore? Or does it all leave you cold and gaming is just a hobby, and every hobby has disadvantages?
More female class combinations are exactly what Tera needs. Or not? Elin can soon become Gunners!
The MMORPG Tera has faced criticism for many reasons. In recent months, there have been repeated calls that there would only be female characters – particularly because they are receiving so many new class combinations. Even traditionally “masculine” classes like the Brawler were a purely female class.
Elin can become Gunners
However, the developers at Bluehole have the appropriate response to all the criticism, especially from Europe – they are bringing even more female classes!
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The developers have now announced that the Elin race can also choose Gunner as a class in the future. The Elin are a purely female race.
Although it may be somewhat difficult for the little ladies to lift the heavy guns of a Gunner, and they would probably be swept away by the recoil from the smallest shot… but in TERA, other things are also possible.
Men swing their fists as Brawlers
But there is good news for all players who prefer a male avatar. The Brawler will also be available for male characters in the future. There are no specific dates for these changes yet, but everyone can already be happy that class diversity is increasing – for both genders.
In The Division, the big vendor reset (Vendor Reset) takes place today, on 12.8. These items are particularly worth it this week.
On the night from Friday to Saturday, the big vendor reset in The Division regularly occurs. If you’re looking for specific items, you can now visit all the vendors in the post-apocalypse and browse their inventories.
Next week, on 15.8., Update 1.7 will be released. Perhaps there are some items for sale that you want to test extensively. These items are now recommended.
Recommended weapons for the vendor reset
Advanced weapons vendor: Converted USC with Brutal, Responsive, and Ambush; Improved G36 with Responsive, Prepared, and Concentrated
Dark Zone equipment vendor at the base: M44 – Special Edition with Painful, Agile, and Determined
DZ03 safe room: LVOA-C with Destructive, Malevolent, and Competent
E 53rd St: LVOA-C (with increased enemy armor damage) and the talents Thieving, Deadly, and Competent
The mods for the vendor reset on 12.8.
Dark Zone equipment vendor at the base: Weapon mod with health points
Autumn’s Hope Safehouse: Stamina mod with health points
5th Ave Safehouse: Stamina mod with health points (the one in Autumn’s Hope has even better stats)
W 31st St: Weapon mod with skill power
W 34th St: Electronics mod with health points
DZ09 safe room: Rifle suppressor Omega with headshot damage, Crit Damage, and Crit Chance
The offer of the special blueprint vendor
The blueprint vendor in the terminal has blueprints for these items available:
M9 – Military version (pistol)
SASG-12 (shotgun)
Holster
Stamina knee pads
Rifle suppressor Omega – Ochre with bonuses on Reduced Threat, Headshot Damage, and two additional bonuses
Mk4-M5A2 sight (15x) with Optimal Range and two additional bonuses
Weapon equipment mod
Electronics equipment mod
Have you discovered any other strong items? Then write them in the comments.
Blizzard focuses on female empowerment and more representation of marginalized groups – targeted attention should be paid to new hires.
No matter how you turn it, the video game industry is still largely dominated by men. This is no different at Blizzard, where only 21% of all employees are women – about one in five employees.
Blizzard now wants to take a leading role and has sent an internal letter to employees to pursue a “global initiative for diversity and inclusion.”
Kotaku has gained insight into this letter, which comes from Mike Morhaime (CEO of Blizzard) and addresses several points that Blizzard wants to implement at all its locations.
Women still have a hard time at Blizzard
Women leave Blizzard more often than men. This is currently the normal state in the industry, but Blizzard wants to change that.
Blizzard aims for greater diversity and inclusion. “Underrepresented minorities” make up only about 14% at Blizzard, leaving room for improvement.
While they do not want to commit to fixed quotas, employees conducting interviews are encouraged to allow more women to apply for open positions.
Additionally, planned collaborations with organizations such as “Girls Who Code” or advertising programs aim to reach potential applicants directly at the academies.
The letter also states that Blizzard is already doing quite a lot for equality and diversity. According to it, there is already an “LGBTQ Council” and a similar council made up of women from various levels of Blizzard. The purpose of these groups is to plan ideas that make Blizzard more attractive to women and a more rewarding workplace.
What do you think of Blizzard’s approach? Is it good to take a leading role here, or do you think that “women don’t belong in such companies anyway”?
In the MMO shooter Destiny, the final Trials of Osiris start today, August 11. On which map do the Trials take place?
Today is the last date of the “last dates” in Destiny 1: The seal book for “Age of Triumph” expired on August 1, the last Iron Banner ended on August 8, and today, August 11, the final whistle for the Trials of Osiris will sound.
The Trials of Osiris are a weekly PvP event that was first held with the “House of Wolves” DLC in May 2015. Since then, it has been considered a celebration for the sweats in Destiny, meaning the ambitious hardcore PvP players, against whom the Crucible casuals have little chance.
Therefore, Guardians will reflect on the last years of Trials with various feelings: Some completely avoided this mode, while for others, it was the reason to log in weekly to the MMO shooter.
Now, about two years after the first Trials, the event takes place for the last time. It starts on August 11 at 7 PM and ends on August 15 at 11 AM. The final Trials of Osiris will be played on all maps:
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If you haven’t played the Trials for a while but want to participate this time:
In the Trials, you engage in PvP battles in the “Elimination” mode. You compete against each other in teams of three and try to fill your scorecard with wins. When the opposing team is completely defeated, you win a round. Fallen team members can be revived. Here, not only strong gear matters, but also communication among the Guardians. A thorough knowledge of the map is advantageous.
At 5 and 7 wins, there are random rewards from Osiris’s stash. Additionally, you should keep an eye on Brother Vance’s bounty for extra rewards. If you’re in top form, you can reach Mercury with a “flawless” ticket and loot the chest with the great loot there.
The Game Director reveals the numbers and shares which hero from Overwatch is played the most frequently.
Surely every player has their personal nemesis in Overwatch. For some, it’s the Hanzo, who is in their team every round, or the Widowmaker, who precisely lands every headshot on their avatar. But which heroes are actually the most popular in terms of pure playtime?
In the official forum, players were enthusiastically discussing which hero is the most annoying, as they appear in every single match. After some wild speculation, Jeff Kaplan stepped in and released the ranking of playtime for all heroes. Although he did not mention the exact numbers, the order is correct.
Most Popular Overwatch Heroes in Quick Play
For “Quick Play” between 02.08 and 09.08, the heroes’ playtime is as follows (highest playtime first):
Genji (with a large margin)
Doomfist
Hanzo
McCree
Soldier: 76
Mercy
Widowmaker
Junkrat
D.Va
Pharah
Tracer
Ana
Reaper
Lucio
Zenyatta
Torbjorn
Winston
Mei
Symmetra
Bastion
Sombra
Reinhardt
Zarya
Roadhog
Orisa
Most Popular Overwatch Heroes in Competitive Mode
In response to the community’s inquiry, Kaplan then also released the ranking for competitive matches:
Mercy (by a HUGE margin)
D.Va
Lucio
Genji
Soldier: 76
Winston
Ana
Zarya
Reinhardt
McCree
Zenyatta
Reaper
Doomfist
Pharah
Tracer
Hanzo
Junkrat
Mei
Symmetra
Widowmaker
Torbjorn
Roadhog
Orisa
Bastion
Sombra
Overall, the playtimes of the heroes are quite satisfactory. Although Genji and Mercy are particularly popular, there doesn’t seem to be a great need for action – at least not for Kaplan personally.
Do these lists match your own experiences? Or do you perceive it quite differently?
The MMORPG from Germany, Albion Online, is currently being extorted by DDOS attackers and is more Albion Offline. An extortion letter is now public. It states the demands of the extortionists and is written in such a self-assured tone that it borders on arrogance.
We have already reported twice that Albion Online is currently suffering from DDOS attacks. One of the extortion letters has now been published in the forum (we got it via Massively Overpowered). Only the data in the letter has been redacted.
DDOS attacks plague Albion Online – Here are the demands of the extortionists
Here is the letter:
Dissolute extortionists: We are happy to reveal our client and you won’t find us anyway
The text is written in a self-assured “You can’t do anything to us, but we are willing to negotiate and we mean well with you” tone. Allegedly, gold sellers have paid the DDOS attackers to ensure a week of downtime for Albion Online.
The extortionists are not too loyal, though. Because they are players themselves and hate gold sellers (of course). They are more than willing to betray their clients. However, their betrayal comes at a cost: If Albion Online pays out six bitcoins, the attacks will stop. They are players themselves, they jovially state, but of course, one must think of the business.
Six bitcoins are approximately €18,000.
If Albion does not pay this, they will continue the attacks and the price will be doubled.
You won’t catch us anyway. Just pay, it’s for your own good
Furthermore, it is stated that they are hidden behind so many VPN routes and are thus so secure that there is hardly a chance of being caught. And even if they are caught, it will not happen within a week.
It would only be sensible and logical to pay. The DDOS attack negatively impacts the reputation of Albion Online, and then the losses… Albion Online is kindly asked to pay so that they can tell the gold sellers to shove off.
A response to the email is not welcome, as the email address will soon cease to exist. Albion Online should simply do as they are told; it is for their own good.
The company behind Albion Online has already announced that they will not enter into any deals and will work with experts to strengthen security. They will also do everything to apprehend the DDOS attackers and will pursue legal actions to the fullest extent.
Invasion is the new game mode that is set to be activated in League of Legends. Together with four other players, you have to survive six difficulty levels consisting of various mini-games.
A new game mode is set to bring new life to League of Legends. The mode is called Invasion and will also be released with new Star Guardian skins. You can expect a new map, a new announcer, and a lot of nasty enemies.
Invasion Mode in League of Legends
To succeed in Invasion, you must complete a match with six difficulty levels and win a boss fight. The six levels are divided into three different mini-games:
Survival: Defeat all enemy waves
Escape: Fight your way to the end of the level step by step
Defense: Fend off attackers from a protective shield
Between each level, there is a fixed sum of gold and experience points. You then have the chance to buy items and upgrade them. If you make it to the end of the six levels, a tough boss fight awaits you. You can imagine it similarly to the nasty Teemo that appears in the Doom Bots of Doom.
To win, you must defeat the nasty boss.
Harsh Enemies Await You
The monsters that await you in Invasion are buffed versions of Void champions. On the list are Cho’Gath, Vel’Koz, Kog’Maw, Rek’Sai, and Kha’Zix. Additionally, Skarner will make an appearance. Many of the enemies can be further strengthened and then gain even more powerful attacks.
Source: Surrenderat20
Event for the Star Guardian Skins in LoL? Last year, Riot released Star Guardian skins for Lux, Jinx, Lulu, Poppy, and Janna. This year, there will be Star Guardian skins for Ahri, Ezreal, Syndra, Soraka, and Miss Fortune. All ten of these champions will be available for you to choose from in the Invasion mode. The new mode and skins are expected to be released in patch 7.17, which is set to come out in August.
Source: Surrenderat20
How do you like the prospect of the new mode? Would you play Invasion?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
What is frowned upon in other games becomes a new feature in Black Desert: AFK leveling. We show what Black Desert has planned for 2017.
Black Desert has presented its plans for the near future: what will still happen in the MMORPG in South Korea in 2017. Some of this will surely come to Europe soon.
An English translation from the original Korean is now available, beginning with flattering words. Jae-Hee Kim, the Executive Producer of Pearl Abyss, sings the praises of his game’s success.
Since March 2016, it has practically only gone uphill. Starting with 36 servers, there are now 49, and everything is great thanks to the community.
For the super-rich, “Luxury Auctions” will find their way into the game. Rare items will be sold there, bidding against other players – a classic gold sink
and players will be able to set up their tents and take a break on the way.
Some things may take a little longer
All of this is planned for the second half of 2017 in South Korea. Interestingly, neither the port of Black Desert on PS4 and Xbox One nor the graphic update is really mentioned in the text. This could mean that it will take a bit longer. Airship and climbing, for example, have been postponed to “later”.
The graphic update is mentioned only in passing. It is said that a “Sound and Graphic Remastery” could come, but it’s mentioned in the same breath as a donkey upgrade … a bit strange.
It is said, they regret that they will not be able to implement all the plans they presented in spring by 2017, but promise that they will do their best to work on it.
AFK Leveling as a Feature: Training of Black Spirit
A feature that is supposed to come in 2017 is particularly interesting for us in the West. The producer introduces it with: “I’m too busy to play” and “I even want to level up while I sleep.”
It is the “Training of Black Spirit” – which has already been active in South Korea during special events, but is now supposed to be available constantly. Here, you look for a trainer, buy a coupon, and beat up a straw dummy. This starts the “automatic training and gathers experience points.”
The method is supposed to be slower than the “normal” grinding, but it will help players still gain experience even after completing their grinding quota.
AFK playing is an element that Black Desert enjoys. Fishing and riding also function AFK, and player characters or their mounts will gain strength while doing so.
The prologue of the latest Hearthstone expansion is what fans wanted. Story, gameplay, and plenty of humor.
The latest expansion of Hearthstone went live this morning (August 11, 2017) and players can not only grab all 135 new cards, but also play the prologue and the first wing of the free story missions.
Blizzard’s goal with Knights of the Frozen Throne was not to completely parody the Lich King Arthas, as had been done with Kel’Thuzad and other villains. They ended up being more of a parody in terms of their character. But the Lich King was meant to be cruel while still fitting into the casual setting of Hearthstone – and that has been accomplished brilliantly!
Just the prologue drips with jokes and simultaneous cruelty. Players must face the Lich King as Jaina Proudmoore. In the background, you can hear the Paladin Tirion Fordring calling out, giving you a time limit – in 3 turns, he and his heroes will be ready to support Jaina.
Jaina dies – but not for long
To spoil a bit: It is not possible to survive three rounds with the pre-made deck. As the best possible taunt, you even play a Magmaw, which perfects the wrath.
The Lich King then wins the match or at least is supposed to give that impression. However, you do not simply die, but are resurrected as a Death Knight!
Afterward, Tirion arrives and throws Jaina his “heroes.” Among them are really funny ideas, like the “overzealous tank” (who has no taunt) or A. F. Karla, who could deal 5 damage but cannot attack at all. Or how about the inattentive Raider, who has 7 attack but only 1 health and deals fire damage to herself at the end of the round (because she was standing in fire – what else?). At the same time, we now have some really powerful cards in hand as Jaina, all from the new expansion. Tirion’s foolish crew doesn’t stand a chance.
Blizzard has managed to incorporate almost all important information of the expansion in this first mission. What is “Knights of the Frozen Throne” about? What are the heroes in their Death Knight form? What new cards are there? Everything could be tried and tested.
Ultimately, the prologue was also a “Free Win,” meant to set the stage – the upcoming battles will be much tougher.
How did you like the prologue and the first wing? Are the battles fun for you? Or is the Lich King still too silly for you?
Bungie has since responded to all complaints more or less satisfactorily:
Regarding PvE, the statement was made that the beta build is already outdated and players will definitely feel more powerful in “Guardian vs. Alien” battles.
In response to the slow PvP, they released a fast-paced, action-packed PvP trailer that still raises questions. Will PvP in Destiny be faster now?
And regarding the glitches and further points of criticism from the beta, there is now more information available.
These adjustments are already available in the PC beta
The sandbox designer Josh Hamrick talks about adjustments and bug fixes that will already be available in the PC beta of Destiny 2. First, he thanks everyone for the feedback from the console beta: Some problems that were discovered and reported during the beta have now been fixed.
Warlocks now have the same melee range as the other classes. However, there will still be perks that can increase this range.
In general, the cooldown for the Supers has been reduced. Bungie agrees with all the user feedback that it took too long for Supers to charge in the beta.
Grenade damage in PvE has been increased. Grenades are supposed to feel powerful again. Compared to Destiny 1, abilities will be somewhat rarer but then more valuable.
More power ammunition in PvE. In PvE, there will be “much more” ammunition for power weapons. The ammo can be farmed directly from enemies with yellow health bars.
The PC beta will be a few steps closer to the launch version of Destiny 2 than the console beta, Hamrick shares.
An MMORPG in the Pokémon universe would likely be the gaming dream for many trainers. A fan product on Roblox makes this fantasy a reality. “Pokémon Brick Bronze” is a full-fledged MMORPG with social networking features. Here, you set out into the colorful world of pocket monsters together with your friends to become the very best trainer.
Since my childhood, I have been breathing in everything that is Pokémon and have been dreaming for ages of a game that lets me dive deeper into the universe of pocket monsters.
Making friendships, training together, trading, and collecting are at the core of Pokémon. MMORPGs provide us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in another reality together with friends or strangers and forget about everyday life for a moment. Pokémon simply fits an MMORPG, and there would be plenty of material for an exciting story and interesting gameplay.
However, there is still no high-quality professionally produced MMORPG from Pokémon.
Pokémon Brick Bronze fulfills the dream of a Pokémon MMORPG
It is not an official version but a fan product. But Pokémon Brick Bronze fulfills the dream of a full-fledged MMO in the universe of pocket monsters.
This is a free-to-play Pokémon MMORPG that you can play on PC, Mac, iOS, Android, and Xbox. Pokémon Brick Bronze has been in development since 2015.
In Pokémon Brick Bronze, there are the same things to do as you would expect from a “normal” Pokémon game: Go on adventure journeys, catch, train, trade, and battle Pokémon. Many of the original Pokémon from the franchise are represented with their known models, alongside the classic gameplay and unique elements.
On the day you enter the game, you wake up in your parent’s house, just like in the handheld games. Then you go to the professor to choose your first Pokémon. In the Roblox version, there are all 18 starters. The adventure can begin, and you stroll through tall grass, battle trainers, criminals like Team Rocket, and gym leaders. In the Roblox version, your parents are archaeologists who have discovered a dark secret of the Pokémon world and are therefore being chased by criminals.
The biggest difference between Pokémon Brick Bronze and the original games is that you – as is customary for an MMORPG – experience the adventure together with other players.
The Roblox platform makes the Pokémon MMORPG in Lego style possible
The Roblox platform allows for the creation of virtual worlds. These worlds have an angular style and resemble Lego productions. Roblox has approximately 56 million active players.
Playing a Roblox game is super easy. You only need to download the client, design your character, and press the big “Play” button. And the game starts. Roblox is simple but also offers a lot of creative freedom.
Most Roblox games are free. However, many of the games offer upgrades that can be purchased with Robux. Robux is the premium currency of the platform and can be purchased with real money.
On Roblox, there are even more Pokémon fan games, many of which use the official models of the franchise. Pokémon Brick Bronze is by far the most popular Pokémon game on the platform and even appears under the “Games” section on the homepage.
Is such a copy of the Pokémon franchise even legal?
One should not completely ignore that Pokémon Brick Bronze has “borrowed” many of the original elements of the franchise.
The models of the Pokémon are exactly copied, and the gameplay or even the official logo has been adopted. This makes fans feel right at home and allows them to dive deeper into this universe. Nevertheless, one must ask whether there is no copyright infringement – Even if the story of Pokémon Brick Bronze is largely original and self-made.
Fan products are not bad in themselves and help the community and the game to grow. It only becomes problematic when money comes into play. Through the DevEx program, developers can earn money through Roblox games. The developers can exchange Robux, which they earn, for real money.
There have already been cases where the copyright of Pokémon games has been contested. Pokémon Uranium and Pokémon Prism both did not come from Nintendo and received a DMCA notice from The Pokémon Company. DMCA stands for “Digital Millennium Copyright Act” and is a US law that deals with copyright issues.
Where there is no plaintiff, there is no judge
However, different rules apply to Pokémon Brick Bronze as it was developed via the Roblox platform. Roblox is comparable to YouTube in this case. The developers are users of the platform and use Roblox tools to create content that can be consumed by fans.
Roblox states about itself that they strongly believe in protecting intellectual property. They claim that they remove content from Roblox as soon as the intellectual property owner comes forward. In this case, that would be Nintendo.
The DMCA law states that operators of user-generated content need a “safe harbor” to protect themselves. As long as Roblox provides a way to accept DMCA notices, they are in the legal area. An email address is sufficient.
As long as Nintendo does not assert copyrights against Pokémon Brick Bronze, everything is in the (gray) green area.
Pokémon Brick Bronze – Gameplay video
In the video below, you can take a look at the gameplay of Pokémon Brick Bronze. Here, the YouTuber Foey battles against the creator of Brick Bronze. His alias is Lando64000, and he is considered an absolute legend in the community – explaining the excitement of the player in the video.
Every Friday, we ask our Mein-MMO community what their plans are for the weekend. Which games do you want to play? Are they the classic games that you have been grinding for a long time, or do you like to try something new on the weekend? We will show you what our editorial team is playing and ask for your gaming tips.
In just a few hours, the well-deserved weekend begins for most of you. It’s time to relax and recover from the stressful week while gaming. You have many trendy games to choose from.
Summer Games in Overwatch have started
In Overwatch, the Summer Games await you in the coming days. An event where there are special skins for Reaper, Soldier 76, Junkrat, and other heroes. You can also prove your ball skills with the supporter in Lúcioball.
If you are on consoles, you can now test Ghost Recon Wildlands for free in a demo version. This is available for PS4 and Xbox One and lasts for five hours. During this time, all content of the game is available and you have the possibility to explore the entire map.
We have a wide range of games planned for the weekend. Hero shooters and MMOs are just as much included as survival games.
Here are our games for the weekend:
Benedict is taking advantage of the summer party in Overwatch this weekend and hopefully securing some cool skins. Recently, the Copa Lúcioball mode caused issues. The World Cup is also taking place this weekend, which he plans to follow.
Tom is going to play as Captain Adéwalé this weekend and raid slave trader ships in Assassin’s Creed: Freedom Cry. The game is available for free download in the PS Plus offer for August 2017.
Schuhmann is making good progress in Fortnite and hunting husks.
Cortyn is searching for survivors again in the coming days. In Dead by Daylight, there was a patch that reworked the most hated killer.
I will use the weekend to play the low-gravity shooter Lawbreakers. It has already received many positive reviews, but has issues with its player count. If the weather is nice, I will also go outside to search for a legendary bird in Pokémon GO. Zapdos is still active as a raid boss for a few more days.
What are your games for the weekend? Do you have any recommendations for us and the community that we should definitely try?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The “Atlas Rises” update finally brings the long-awaited multiplayer to No Man’s Sky.
No Man’s Sky was one of the most exciting games on the gaming market in the summer of 2016. Nobody quite knew what would be possible in this space simulation and what would not.
Because Sean Murray, the founder of Hello Games, was quite vague about his statements regarding the promising title – which led to expectations and hype skyrocketing, only to end in massive disappointment shortly after launch.
One reason was the missing multiplayer: Murray promised that one could meet other players in the gigantic universe. However, the chance of that was so slim that he did not refer to it as “multiplayer”.
Some players managed to be in the same place at the same time – and yet they did not encounter each other. Because it was indeed not possible to meet other players. This frustrated fans, and many angrily abandoned the game.
For the anniversary, a “real” multiplayer is coming
The release of No Man’s Sky is now one year ago – and a lot has happened in this year. The simulation has been expanded with many meaningful features, and numerous bugs have been fixed.
Recently, the anniversary update “Atlas Rises” (Update 1.3) was announced, which is supposed to be released soon. As reported by Eurogamer, a list of the innovations of this update appeared for a short time, but was taken offline immediately. Update: The page is now back online!
Accordingly, Atlas Rises introduces, in addition to a new and revised story and portals for fast travel, also “joint exploration”. In other words: “joint exploration”.
Here, up to 16 players can see each other and communicate with one another (via voice chat), thus exploring the universe together. The interaction with other players is currently very limited, but it is still an important first step towards cooperative multiplayer in No Man’s Sky, according to Hello Games. Other players are displayed as strange, floating orbs:
Further innovations that update 1.3 brings can be seen in this video:
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Those who exploit glitches in PUBG to gain advantages are not welcome there. Even streamers are not spared from punishment. The popular streamer “Destiny” has now been banned in Battlegrounds for exploiting a game error.
The streamer “Destiny” has been active on Twitch.TV for a long time, streaming titles like League of Legends or PUBG. However, he now has to take a forced break from PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, as he has been banned from the battle royale shooter. Why? A glitch caused missing textures and allowed him to drive through houses with a car.
“This is why I am banned”
Destiny has a large community of over 200,000 followers who regularly watch him play. Recently, he has often streamed PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and entertained his fans. However, this entertainment is now interrupted by a forced break.
He joked, “This is why I am banned,” while running over other players with his jeep. Killing other players with vehicles is actually a common option in PUBG, but the players Destiny ran over were inside houses. A glitch caused the houses to not render properly – Destiny could simply drive through the walls and squash opponents inside. He made several kills and has now been banned for it.
In the video, you can see how Destiny discovers the glitch with a lot of fun and takes out several people who were supposed to be safe inside buildings. After mentioning it several times during the stream, he was actually banned shortly after the action.
The issue was that the textures of the buildings were not loading. Many players in PUBG experience this bug. However, one should behave differently when something like this occurs.
According to the rules of PUBG, it states: “Do not exploit bugs or glitches. If you find a bug or glitch in the game that gives unfair advantages, please let us know instead of exploiting it for your own gain.”
Apparently, Destiny should have restarted his game to check if the bug persisted.
Community divided – Is the ban unfair?
This ban is hotly debated within the PUBG community. The issue many see: The game failed to load the textures, and Destiny is being punished for it. That is unfair.
In fact, many users are on the streamer’s side: “What was he supposed to do? Pretend he couldn’t see players in invisible buildings? Leave the game? Sit around and wait until the textures might eventually appear?”
Others refer to the game’s rules and say “Those who exploit glitches to their advantage should also be punished for it.”
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By the way, Destiny is now allowed back into the game; his ban is reportedly temporary. And already, he’s facing an old acquaintance in one of his games:
