We only know the tip of the iceberg regarding what the Cabal are capable of. In Destiny 2, they show their true power with the Red Legion.
The enemy race of the Cabal played only a minor role in Destiny 1. While the Guardians drove the Vex out of the Black Garden and the Glass Vault, toppled Taken gods, and repeatedly held back the Fallen, the Cabal had no major appearances in the first three years of Destiny.
In Destiny 2, that changes. Now we learn the true strength of the Cabal. Until now, we would only know the tip of the iceberg – of what the Cabal are capable of – said Combatants Design Lead Tomonori Kinoshita.
In a new, exclusive IGN video, he introduces the Red Legion of the Cabal:
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Ghaul attacks – and he brings his Red Legion with him
Ghaul is the new villain in the Destiny universe, who takes the Guardians’ Light and claims it for himself. However, Ghaul does not come alone into our solar system. He brings the Red Legion with him, of which he is the commander.
The Red Legion is said to be one of the most ruthless legions of the Cabal. It consists of several enemy types:
Legionnaire: This infantry unit makes up a large part of the Cabal enemies. Legionnaires can shoot from a distance, but they can also hit hard in close combat.
Phalanx: The “Destiny 2” version of the Phalanxes can embed their shield in the ground, creating a large barricade behind which other enemy units can take cover.
Incendior (Flamethrower): These are new units in Destiny 2 – the flamethrowers among the Cabal. The Incendior has a large tank on its back. If you destroy it, it explodes and deals damage in the immediate vicinity. When an Incendior is surrounded by enemies, it pays off particularly to let it explode. But beware: you can also get hurt by the explosion.
War Beasts: These are the dog-like creatures on four legs. Alone, they do not pose a great threat, but when they charge at you in packs, you should be cautious.
Concerning the Centurion (heavy Cabal unit) and the Colossus (even heavier unit), Kinoshita does not elaborate, instead he mentions the new unit Gladiator: This guy pummels you with two large blades. He is relentless in battle.
Psion: These relatively small Cabal units now possess sniper rifles with lasers. If you see a red glowing laser pointed at you, you should dodge quickly. The Psions no longer shoot Psion waves but rather a purple glowing sphere.
For Destiny 2, they looked at the weapons and abilities of the Cabal from Destiny 1 and expanded them. The Red Legion is now supposed to represent a Cabal legion that feels tougher and meaner than previous Cabal.
The comic of Doomfist from Overwatch clearly shows: the bearer of the glove will not be told by anyone. Especially not by former bosses.
In just a week, the new hero Doomfist joins Overwatch on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. On July 27, the new offensive character will appear and join the battlefields of Blizzard’s hero shooter.
In advance, a small “Origin” video was dedicated to him, which has significantly increased the interest in Overwatch anime.
Doomfist settles old acquaintances
But Blizzard has more story for Doomfist! Last night (July 19, 2017), the developers released the comic “Masquerade.” This is about the outbreak of Doomfist and his first acts after he has become part of Talon again.
However, if you are proficient in English and prefer a bit more atmosphere, then check out the Madefire comic. Here, everything is animated and accompanied by sound effects: Link to the English Madefire comic
In the comic, Doomfist tries to regain a foothold, but not all new leaders of Talon are comfortable with Doomfist’s return. However, he knows the perfect answer and simply eliminates problematic people. Furthermore, we experience Widowmaker, who, in keeping with the motto “bad luck in love, good luck in gaming,” leads her casino existence.
Especially cool is that we get to see some cool carnival skins, especially for Reaper, Doomfist, Widowmaker, and Sombra. In addition, there are some characters to see and named mentions that leave much room for speculation about new heroes.
What do you think of the comic about Doomfist? Exciting story and cool portrayal of the villains? Or way too clichéd? Let us know in the comments.
In Patch 7.3, players of World of Warcraft are faced with decisions again. The artifact weapons can be improved in new ways!
With Patch 7.3 of World of Warcraft, players not only land on the planet Argus, but also receive a new way to customize their characters and make small nuances. This is achieved with the new mechanics of the Netherlight Crucible – we will reveal to you what it’s all about.
Already for Patch 7.2, Blizzard had planned to introduce new relics that would bring more improvements – but that never materialized. On Argus, a different approach is taken, allowing players to further enhance the individual relics in the artifact weapons.
Once the Crucible is unlocked, you can customize your three relics to suit your needs. Each relic has a small “mini” talent tree with 3 rows. The first row has only one option (Tier 1), the second row has 2 (Tier 2), and the last has 3 (Tier 3).
Some examples have already been extracted from wowhead. These bonuses may appear when you choose the “Light” upgrade for a relic:
Light Speed: Increases speed by 650. Increases movement speed by 1000.
Embrace of the Light: When you take damage, there is a chance to be embraced by the Light. Stacks up to 5 times. Embrace of the Light heals 29,000 damage over 6 seconds.
The following bonuses are available for the “Shadow” side upgrade (as an example):
Shadowbound: Your spells and abilities have a chance to deal 166,000 shadow damage and heal you for the same amount.
Master of Shadows: Increases mastery by 650. Increases avoidance by 1000.
The various bonuses may vary by class and specialization. It is still unclear whether the type of relic also affects which bonuses can be selected.
Requirements for the Netherlight Crucible Bonuses
However, not every player will be able to unlock all ranks in the Netherlight Crucible immediately. The individual tiers of the relics have different requirements. For example, to upgrade the relic furthest left, you must have reached an artifact level of 61. Thus, it is necessary to invest more points in the Unity of the Legion Judicators.
Whether the individual ranks have additional costs – such as order resources, reputation requirements, or other materials – is still unclear.
Please note that the mechanics from the PTR may not necessarily appear the same in the live version. A lot can change before the release of Patch 7.3. The images shown come from wowhead (see sources).
What do you think about the artifact weapons receiving another level of upgrades? Good thing or is it getting a bit too much?
New Offers in the PlayStation Store! You can now secure discounts on your digital purchases.
The summer months are considered the “quietest” time in the gaming industry. After the hype of E3 in mid-June, press and fans await the major launches of top titles in the fall.
To ensure the summer isn’t too boring, you can now browse the PlayStation Store and get some new content for your PS4. The summer offers have started!
New Offers in the PlayStation Store – GTA 5, FIFA 17, Ghost Recon Wildlands
The summer offers started yesterday, on July 19, and are available until August 3 at 00:59 (some prices may be valid longer). You can save up to 70%!
Star Wars Battlefront Ultimate Edition – 9.99 Euros (75% discount)
Mass Effect: Andromeda Deluxe Edition – 39.99 Euros (50% discount)
For Honor – 34.99 Euros (50% discount)
Exclusive Discounts for PS Plus and “Total Digital” Discounts
If you are a “PS Plus” member, you can save additionally. There are exclusive discounts on games like Battlefield 1, Bloodborne, Mortal Kombat X, or some pre-orders. These offers end partially on August 3, partially on August 17.
Additionally, “Total Digital” offers are live until August 17. Here you can find discounts on games like Stardew Valley, The Witness, Limbo, Inside, Abzu, or Unravel.
Game of Thrones – Offers
In time for the start of season 7 of Game of Thrones, there’s about a 40% discount on all previous seasons in the PlayStation Store.
If you have PS Plus, you can currently download the Telltale game “Game of Thrones” for free on your PS4. It is part of the free games in July 2017.
You can find all offers in the PlayStation Store on your PS4 by opening the PlayStation Store and selecting the “Offers” tab on the left side. Here the featured discount promotions are listed.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
You can’t send berries to gym defenders? Niantic has disabled the feature in Pokémon GO to fix issues.
In the latest patch 0.69.0, which was just announced yesterday, there are apparently major issues. The update activated a new feature in Pokémon GO that allows you to send berries to gym defenders. Apparently, this feature is still so faulty that Niantic had to disable it again for the time being.
Some players report that they received a soft ban for sending berries.
Sending berries is not possible – feature disabled
The update 0.69.0 for Android and 1.39.0 for iOS brought some changes to the game. There are now new icons in the Pokémon info screen that indicate how you caught a Pokémon. However, another change caused serious problems in the game:
“From now on you can send berries to Pokémon that are defending a gym through the Pokémon info screen.”
The sending of berries strengthens the defending monsters without you having to be right in front of the gym. This feature was supposed to make your Pokémon adventures easier, but now there are severe problems with it.
After the update was already available to some players yesterday, many trainers complained about issues with the new feature. On Reddit and in our Pokémon GO Facebook group, players explained that they received a soft ban for sending berries. Is Niantic’s anti-spoofing system targeting the wrong players here?
On Twitter, Niantic explained last night that they would temporarily disable the feature to fix a bug.
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When the feature will be reactivated is currently unclear. We hope for a quick bug fix from Niantic.
Incorrect team leaders in Pokémon GO
Another bug from the last update is the incorrect display of team leaders. For example, team yellow no longer shows the usual team leader “Spark” when having their Pokémon evaluated. Instead, Candela from team red appears and evaluates the Pokémon of the players of the yellow team.
Source: Twitter @PKSparkxx
An unusual sight for many players who suddenly have a different “boss” who hasn’t even introduced themselves. However, this problem should also be fixed soon.
The Frost Festival in Hearthstone has begun – there are free card packs from “Knights of the Frozen Throne”. We reveal how you can get them.
Last night, on 19.07.2017, the Summer Solstice Festival in Hearthstone ended. The times when there were double gold rewards and Ragnaros always yelled at players upon logging in in the best Capslock manner are gone.
But there is no pause in Blizzard’s collectible card game! Immediately afterwards, the Frost Lord Ahune took over and declared the Frost Festival. This is of course “much cooler” than Ragnaros’ festival.
The main component of the festival is the arena. Every week (for a total of 3 weeks) all players receive a free entry to the arena. This is also necessary because it allows you to complete the event quest: Play 3 matches in the arena. Whether you win or lose does not matter. As a reward, a card pack from the upcoming expansion “Knights of the Frozen Throne” awaits!
Free victories and free arena rounds
But there is also an additional bonus. Each initiated arena round starts with already one victory on the account. Consequently, players have to win fewer matches to get the really good rewards. Now only 6 victories are enough to recoup the usual entry costs of 150 gold instead of the original 7 victories.
Furthermore, there is a card chaos where you have to destroy small fakes of Ragnaros to reduce the opponent’s health points. However, there is unfortunately only a classic card pack for this.
Those who want to optimally prepare for “Knights of the Frozen Throne” should take the opportunity to collect a few packs and gold coins in the arena right now.
As usual, the packs from the next expansion can only be opened with the release. Until then, they remain in your inventory.
How do PS4 and PS4 Pro perform in the “Destiny 2” beta in terms of image sharpness and FPS? A graphics comparison.
The upcoming MMO shooter Destiny 2 aims to deliver not only an engaging online experience, great gunplay, and impressive sounds, but also appealing graphics.
Currently, the beta phase of Destiny 2 is underway. In this phase, all Guardians with early access can see for themselves how close the developers are to achieving these goals. Our first impression of the beta shows: Most of our readers are thrilled with the graphics.
Candyland has taken a closer look at the graphics of the “Destiny 2” beta and created a comparison video between PS4 and PS4 Pro. See for yourself:
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Many PlayStation fans are still looking for reasons to purchase a PS4 Pro. This console was released in late 2016 and represents a more powerful variant of the PS4.
The framerate in Destiny 2, however, does not provide arguments for the PS4 Pro. Because the frame rate is limited to 30 FPS on all consoles. When this information became public two months ago, it was a setback for many PvP fans who were hoping for 60 FPS.
In the FPS comparison between PS4 and PS4 Pro, there are no discernible differences. Both consoles from Sony consistently achieve 30 FPS.
The sharpness in Destiny 2 – An initial graphics comparison
The PS4 Pro ran in 4K mode during the graphics comparison and therefore has a sharper resolution than the standard PS4. This is particularly noticeable when zoomed in on during the video.
In short: Destiny 2 looks great on both consoles. However, the PS4 Pro has advantages in terms of resolution and sharpness.
Keep in mind that these recordings are from the beta of Destiny 2. There may be further improvements before the launch of the main game.
Paladins‘ new champion Jenos received a teaser video at DreamHack in Valencia. Not much is known about the hero so far. In an interview with lead artist Thomas Holt, our author Leya learned that Jenos is a support character. Holt also explained what else the video reveals to us.
At DreamHack in Valencia, a small teaser video of Paladins’ new champion Jenos was unveiled. I was in Spain at DreamHack and spoke with some staff from Studio Hi-Rez. Among them was Paladins’ lead artist Thomas Holt. He and his artist team are responsible for the visual appearance of champions, skins, and maps.
After the teaser trailer for Jenos was released, I was curious about the new hero. I learned from Holt what the short film reveals about Jenos.
Paladins: Jenos “The Ascended” – Teaser Video
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Jenos will be a supporter who draws his power from the stars
The video does not reveal what type of champion Jenos could be. In the background, stars are visible, and Jenos himself has an elegant appearance. Thomas Holt did not want to reveal too much but still told me that Jenos will be a support and is male.
In the last part of the video, it can be seen that Jenos floats in the sky. This is a special feature of Jenos; he can float. Until now, only the female characters of Paladins could fly. Holt explained that champions like Ying and Willo are mystical beings who use magic to float. Jenos’s case is a bit different.
From Ying’s pointed ears, we can see that she is an elf. As a mystical being, she uses magic to float above the ground.
Therefore, Jenos will be the first male character in Paladins able to fly with the floating ladies. However, he does not draw his power from magic but from the stars. The new support in Paladins is structured around the theme of astrology and astronomy. That’s why the background of the teaser video looks like the universe.
Thomas Holt advised me to take a close look at the lotus flower in Jenos’s hand. It will likely play an important role. The blossom itself is a star constellation from which Jenos draws his power.
The lotus blossom from Jenos’s teaser video will play an important role.
Datamining reveals more about Jenos – Paladins’ new support is “Astro”
A while ago, I already wrote about a datamine from Paladins patch OB53. It contained hints about three champions named Princess, Astro, and Owl. Princess has already entered the MOBA shooter and is now known as Lian.
For “Astro,” initial skills and maps were already available. This strongly suggests that Astro is Jenos. It shows that Jenos heals allies and possesses extremely high mobility. There are skills that are described as light speed. Jenos also seems to work with gravity.
Is this Jenos’s weapon?
Leya thinks: I am already excited and looking forward to Jenos. In the interview, Thomas Holt seemed particularly proud that Jenos is able to float. This, together with the skills found in the datamine, indicates a galactically interesting champ.
I like the theme of the universe and star constellations for a champion. That’s something completely different from the fantasy-based heroes like knight Ash. In the teaser video, Jenos looks elegant and graceful, and I believe we can expect a delicate support character here.
This Friday, on July 21st, there will be a live stream at 10:00 PM, in which the developers will present the new patch and Jenos.
Studio Wildcard released an official statement detailing the current status of ARK Survival Evolved (PC, PS4, Xbox). It addresses questions such as: “When will Ragnarok be available on PS4 and Xbox One? Will there be a server wipe at release?”
ARK’s Community Manager Jat published a statement on the current status of the survival MMO. The statement addressed questions that players have been waiting for a long time. Studio Wildcard has been working hard over the past few weeks to complete the CD version of ARK Survival Evolved.
According to the developers, this has caused some things to shift. This step is now complete, and Studio Wildcard has time to focus on other “troubled projects”.
The brief version of the statement is as follows:
There will be no server wipe at release
A new “PvP cluster network” will be introduced
Consoles will receive PC dedicated servers
The new PS4 patch will be released on Friday, July 21
Ragnarok will come to PS4 and Xbox One on August 8
ARK Survival Evolved is ready to be burned onto CD
For modders: The new dev kit will be released today, July 19
Here comes the long version of the statement.
No server wipe at the launch of ARK Survival Evolved
In recent weeks, there has been hot discussion in the community about whether ARK Survival Evolved should have a server wipe at launch. This would mean that all dinos and structures would be deleted from the servers. The servers would be as if no survivor had ever set foot there.
Some were in favor of the wipe, while others opposed it. Studio Wildcard ultimately decided against the server wipe and instead will provide new servers. Originally, the wipe was even announced for ARK’s launch date on August 8, 2017.
Now there will be new official PvP multiplayer servers. The old early access servers will continue as legacy servers. Those who play on an old early access server can stay there even after release.
The legacy servers will continue to receive updates and will be maintained just like the new server cluster.
Additionally, Wildcard wants to remove the “ghost servers”. These are the servers where hardly any players are present. Approximately 10% of the servers with the lowest player counts will be repurposed by Wildcard. Once it is known which servers those are, the developers will secure and upload the save files. Those who wish can then use these for continuing gameplay.
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ARK’s DLC Ragnarok comes to PS4 and Xbox One on August 8
Ragnarok is a free DLC map for ARK Survival Evolved, where it is particularly hard to survive. There are harsh weather conditions and dangerous creatures. PC players have been able to enjoy it for quite some time.
However, the release of Ragnarok on PS4 and Xbox One has been delayed three times. Understandably, some frustration has built up among console players. The new release date for Ragnarok on consoles is August 8, 2017. Along with the full launch, the new map will be available on PS4 and Xbox One. So it will take a while longer.
Studio Wildcard provided the following points as reasons for the late release date:
The Ragnarok developers will be able to use the latest version of the dev kit. This allows them to implement the latest changes in ARK directly into Ragnarok.
Wildcard wants to focus first on other aspects of ARK, such as server stability or crash issues. They want to ensure better performance for Ragnarok before the DLC map comes to consoles.
Wildcard decided rather spontaneously not to conduct a server wipe. This also affects Ragnarok. The developers want to avoid that servers, which have only been online for a few weeks, become legacy servers.
Consoles will receive PC dedicated servers in ARK Survival Evolved
Also with the full launch of ARK Survival Evolved, consoles will receive PC dedicated servers. From August 8, 2017, the servers will be available to PS4 and Xbox One players.
The new PC servers for consoles offer the following advantages, according to Wildcard:
No second console is needed to start a private server
Players have access to all “configuration settings”, allowing customization of ARK
Cross-ARK clusters are enabled, allowing travel between maps
Backups of save files can be made
Servers will have better performance
Servers will support a higher player count, up to 100 users
The CD version of ARK Survival Evolved seems to have stirred things up quite a bit for Studio Wildcard. The chief developer was adamant about wanting the hard-copy version. You can find out why here.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds remains a massive success, captivating thousands of players daily. Therefore, Ubisoft aims to draw inspiration from the successful battle royale shooter in the future.
Meanwhile, publisher Ubisoft has also caught wind of the unbroken success of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and plans corresponding products.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – Inspiration for Future Ubisoft Add-ons
Therefore, Yves Guillemont, the CEO of Ubisoft, stated at the end of the first business quarter of 2017 that they do not perceive PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds as a threat. The in-house shooter giant Rainbow Six has not been affected by PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and will continue to grow.
Rather, at Ubisoft, they see the success of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds as a great opportunity to carve out their own piece of the battle royale pie. The game principle of “everyone against everyone and one survives” seems to be very well received. Therefore, Ubisoft plans to think about how such game modes could be integrated into future DLCs for Ubisoft games.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – Battle Royale is a Recipe for Success
However, Guillemont did not mention any titles that may soon receive a battle royale mode. Nevertheless, it is curious to see the waves PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is making, to the extent that even large companies like Ubisoft are taking notice and want to replicate the game principle. So, for those who enjoy battle royale in as many forms as possible, there is likely a lot to look forward to in the coming months.
The Crew 2 and Skull and Bones set beta sign-up records – There are high expectations for Far Cry 5. Players are excited about Ubisoft’s new titles.
During Ubisoft’s conference for the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2017, the officials spoke about the expectations for the open-world racing game The Crew 2, the pirate MMO Skull and Bones, and the first-person shooter Far Cry 5.
The Crew 2 and Skull and Bones with record sign-ups
A good forecast for future Ubisoft titles:
About The Crew 2, Yves Guillemot, President and CEO of Ubisoft, said that registrations for the upcoming beta phases have reached record levels compared to other Ubisoft titles. This is a “promising” sign for the open-world racing game. The transitions between car, boat, and airplane happen seamlessly there.
Financial Chief Alain Martinez added that The Crew 2 could perform similarly well to Steep according to Ubisoft’s expectations. Steep is an (extreme) winter sports game from Ubisoft, which scored 72 points on Metacritic.
Ubisoft expects that many players who registered for the first part of The Crew will also get the new part. The Crew 1 has 12 million registered players.
The pirate MMO “Skull and Bones” was also mentioned by Guillemot. It has already received “very positive” reactions from players at E3 2017. Furthermore, the sign-ups for the beta of Skull and Bones are at a record level for a new IP from Ubisoft.
Far Cry 5 could be bigger than Ghost Recon Wildlands
More information is also available about the first-person shooter Far Cry 5, where you have to deal with a fanatic cult. This cult is taking over the fictional city of Hope County, which is the setting of the game.
Ubisoft expects a “significantly higher potential” from Far Cry 5 than from its predecessor Far Cry Primal. According to Alain Martinez, it could potentially be similar to or even larger than Ghost Recon Wildlands, which has sold over 200,000 copies digitally in Germany for PS4 since its release in March more than 200,000 times.
Guillemot added that expectations for Far Cry 5 are similar to those for Far Cry 3 & 4.
Far Cry 5 will be released as the first of the three mentioned games on February 27, 2018.
The Elder Scrolls Online (PC, PS4, Xbox One) has a special event for PvP lovers in July. The Midyear Mayhem offers great bonuses for (almost) all PvP modes in the game.
In The Elder Scrolls Online, you can experience PvP in the open world of the central province of Cyrodiil, including in the contested Imperial City itself and on the battlefields. If the effort so far has been too great and the rewards too small, you can look forward to the new PvP event “Midyear Mayhem”.
The Elder Scrolls Online – More rewards in PvP in July
The Midyear Mayhem takes place from July 21 to July 31, an event in honor of the hero Pelinal Whitestrake, who once bravely defended the Bridge of Heldon. If you want to participate in the event, you must proceed as follows:
Open the Crown Shop, where you can obtain and activate a ticket named “Details on Midyear Mayhem”.
Travel via the Alliance War menu to your faction’s main gate in Cyrodiil
Speak to the quest giver “Predicant Maera” and get the quest “Midyear Mayhem”
Complete the quest to receive a scroll about “Pelinal’s Cruelty” and “Pelinal’s Midyear Gift”
Activate the scroll and enjoy two hours of 100%-bonus on Alliance points in the following PvP modes (duels are excluded):
Alliance War (Cyrodiil)
Imperial City (you need the DLC expansion Imperial City for this)
Battlegrounds (you need ESO: Morrowind for this)
Especially cool: The scroll “Pelinal’s Cruelty” can be used repeatedly for the duration of the event.
The Elder Scrolls Online – Laurel Wreath for Real PvP Pros
Those who complete all seven achievements for the Midyear Mayhem can now adorn themselves with a special Laurel Wreath Crown and appear as a PvP badass to everyone. From the chest “Pelinal’s Midyear Gift”, you will receive more useful stuff, like housing decorations, style materials, or PvP consumables.
Additionally, during the event, there is the Khajiit merchant Adhazabi Aba-daro, who sells you necklaces during the first event weekend and rings during the second weekend, which you can exchange for Alliance points and are otherwise only available as rewards in the Alliance War. You can find the merchant at the western gate to Elsweyr, at the northern gate to High Rock, or at the southern gate to Morrowind.
The wait is over. The “Destiny 2″- beta has been open since July 18th at 7 PM for all pre-orders on PS4. What has changed compared to its predecessor? Is the gunplay still as outstanding? And what actually happened to the ball from the Tower? Read it in the first part of our preview report on the PvE activities!
I also had to deal with the termite plague, but once I was in the game, it surprisingly ran smoothly. Some users reported client crashes and additional error codes, but I couldn’t notice any of that.
After selecting the class (I started the beta with the new Warlock class Dawnblade), the story was introduced through cutscenes. Following that, it went straight into the fray.
The character screen in the beta
My first official act as a Guardian supposed to save the Tower? Calmly opening the menu and taking a look around!
The character screen is very similar to that of its predecessor, so veterans should quickly find their way around. Bungie has reduced the number of available tabs in the selection menu to two for the beta. You have access to your character and game settings, nothing more. You have no access to side missions or your clan page.
A glance at the abilities of each class reveals the previously known layout. I preferred the selection of abilities in the first part, as I felt I could influence the direction my character developed, and I could see direct effects on the armor, recovery, and agility of my character with different skills. These three class traits are no longer present (at least at this stage).
Bungie has already unlocked several perks and abilities for the beta. All jumps, melee modifications, grenades, and special abilities are unlocked for the Dawnblade, which I can choose from. Also, all abilities in the upper right of the skill tree are already filled and active. The lower four-pack of perks cannot be tested in the beta.
The status values Intellect, Discipline, and Strength are gone. They are replaced by Resilience, Mobility, and Recovery. These values are influenced by the equipped armor. A look at the equipment shows that the values can vary.
Not well implemented is that I can see the value distribution for each item, but I have no overall view. I only get that when I leave the view of the equipment item.
I also could not find a way to reduce cooldowns or decrease weapon reload speed. Hopefully, these options will be added in the main game, as otherwise the armor serves only an aesthetic purpose.
The story mission “Homecoming”
Let’s get to the first and only playable story mission in the beta – Homecoming. There have been many reports and videos about this mission for weeks, and we finally get to try it out ourselves. I start with the auto rifle in the kinetic slot and a pulse rifle in the energy slot. As an old fusion rifle enthusiast, I am very pleased with my weapon in the power slot.
The mission is quite enjoyable. Linear sections alternate with open areas, there are entertaining cutscenes, and I suddenly had random players at my side helping me against smaller bosses. A welcome change.
There were also smaller puzzles and jumping passages to solve. The end was thrillingly staged and dramatic. Overall, a varied mission that makes you crave more. Whether Bungie can maintain this style throughout the main story remains to be seen. Still, it cannot be compared to the “story” of its predecessor. So far, I haven’t run into anyone who didn’t have time to explain to me why they can’t explain anything.
Where is the ball? And is the jukebox still playing?
Those who looked closely could even spot a few smaller Easter eggs. Indeed, the Cabal have let the air out of the popular ball in the Tower. Perhaps the main villain Ghaul watched old videos of Guardians balancing on the ball and tried to replicate that. He should have left it alone.
Anyone who has been eavesdropping in the hangar could even hear the jukebox singing. Bungie shows a sense of humor here, as Paul McCartney’s “Hope for the Future” plays on repeat. Veteran players will remember, the song was made specifically for Destiny and then disappeared into obscurity.
How is the gunplay?
The gunplay is characteristically outstanding for Bungie. The feedback from the weapons is individual and direct. I felt throughout that I was wielding real guns, not soft air pistols. Subjectively, the whole experience feels better than in its predecessor.
Bungie has also worked on the sounds of the respective weapons. It was loud and booming in my headphones, that I kept shooting even though the enemies were already on the ground. Bungie has really done a great job here.
Could this be the reason why I frequently had ammunition problems? Or was it due to my humble skills?
It feels like the game rewards hits on enemy weak spots more than in the predecessor; enemies seemed to drop faster with headshots.
The strike “The inverted spire”
After the story mission, you land in orbit. Via the navigator, you can select, among other things, the only playable strike in the beta. So invite friends and off you go!
The mechanics are enjoyable, especially the final boss is challenging and fun. Anyone who ignores the small enemies and only focuses on the boss will soon experience a nasty surprise.
At times we found ourselves in a kind of arena and were overwhelmed by dog-like enemies. Those who are not careful will quickly meet their demise.
Hopefully, Bungie will remain true to this line in the other strikes and bring varied mechanics to keep players entertained.
Will the Guardian become a chatterbox now?
A criticism from Destiny 1 was the fact that our Guardians were silent for long stretches. Bungie remains faithful to this line, at least in the beta. My Guardian has not said a word. Instead, my Ghost is now even more active.
I personally don’t like this, as I feel that Zavala, Ikora, and Amanda communicate only with my Ghost, and I amthe appendage trailing behind. I hope Bungie will address this and incorporate the Guardian more prominently into the storyline moving forward.
How has your first impression been so far? Have you discovered other points that excite or annoy you? Let us know in the comments.
Read tomorrow in the second part of our preview report how our author fares in the Crucible, and what adjustments Bungie has made here.
Studio Hi-Rez announced the Paladins “Global Series” at DreamHack Valencia. Here, competitive amateur players will showcase their skills. There are prizes worth up to $350,000. Leya had the opportunity to speak with CEO Todd Harris about the community event at DreamHack.
Studio Hi-Rez aims to provide Paladins players with an eSports tournament series where anyone can participate. With its new “Global Series”, the MOBA shooter is hosting the largest community eSports tournament worldwide to date. Everyone is allowed to sign up with their team. This offers competitive players a platform to find an easier entry into the professional scene.
Teams from around the world compete for cash and crystal prizes amounting to up to $350,000. This is approximately 300,600 euros. Crystals are Paladins’ premium in-game currency.
With this video, Hi-Rez announced the community eSports tournament for Paladins.
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Paladins Global Series – How the Community Tournament Works – Start is on August 1
Here is a list of how the community tournament is structured.
Regional tournaments for PC players take place every month
Players from the regions: Southeast Asia, Russia, North America, Brazil, Latin America, Europe, and Oceania can participate
Every month, in the first 3 weeks “Open Bracket” tournaments for amateurs will be held. Everyone can sign up for the tournament. Here you can win crystal prizes. Paladins’ premium in-game currency.
After the 3 weeks “Open Bracket” phase, there will be a monthly tournament. Winners will receive cash amounts worth several thousand dollars.
The Global Series starts on August 1 and will be held for 10 months. Every month there are prize payouts.
The games will receive a professional broadcast with shoutcasters from Monday to Friday.
There is a Facebook page for the Paladins Global Series. Here you can find other players to form a team. Link to the official Facebook page.
The Global Series is designed as a taster course into the professional scene
At DreamHack in Valencia, I had the opportunity to talk to Hi-Rez CEO Todd Harris. He revealed to me that Hi-Rez wants to strongly support amateur players. If anyone has trouble finding a permanent team for the tournament, they can contact staff for help. This will primarily be done through the Global Series Facebook page. Moderators from Hi-Rez Studio will be available to answer questions and provide support.
The Global Series is designed for competitive players from the community who want to enter the professional scene. Hi-Rez wants to support this with crystal and cash prizes. Additionally, Hi-Rez will provide resources to organize a broadcast for the final games.
This way, amateur players can feel like they are at an official eSports event and get a taste of the life of a professional player. The only difference will be that you play from home in the Global Series and not in a large hall.
Once you have formed a team, you can play on any of the participating servers. Therefore, you do not have to stay within Europe, but could play on an American server, for example. For the duration of the tournament, which lasts one month, you will remain on the server you have chosen.
Paladins wants to focus more on community projects
Todd Harris mentioned in the interview that Paladins wants to focus even more on community projects in the future. Players should have an impact on events in the MOBA shooter.
Recently, the Paladins Community Skin Project took place. Fans could first vote for a champion who should receive a new skin. Afterwards, the skin design was chosen from four possible proposals. At DreamHack in Valencia, the new skin “Demonic Seris” was unveiled.
According to Harris, this skin will come to Paladins in the fall. This is associated with a special Halloween event where the community will be included again. What exactly the community Halloween event will be, Harris did not want to reveal yet.
What do you think of such a community eSports tournament? Do you like the structure of the Global Series?
If you play on PS4 and Xbox One and are sad that the Global Series is only for PC players, in January 2018 there will again be a Paladins Console Wars.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Final Fantasy XIV presents you with new Primals boss fights in the Stormblood expansion. Among them is Lakshmi, which requires particularly effective resource management.
Primal enemies are particularly tough bosses in Final Fantasy 14, and after the raging Stormlord Susano it is now the goddess Lakshmi’s turn. How to defeat her on Extreme mode is detailed in our guide. We used a video from YouTuber and FF-14 expert Charles to explain the complex boss mechanics. Have fun!
Final Fantasy XIV – How to Defeat Lakshmi!
To defeat Lakshmi, you need discipline and organizational talent. The trick in the fight against the beautiful goddess is the so-called “Vril”, which you can never have enough of. Only with Vril can Lakshmi be effectively fought.
You will learn in detail how to obtain Vril and when to use it in Charles’ video about the boss fight. We have embedded the video here for you.
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Otherwise, the fight is challenging for all group members, as Lakshmi regularly calls adds and covers the relatively small battlefield with thick, colorful area attacks.
Here, precise movement is a must, and those who do not move will go down faster than they can say “Lakshmi Primal Raid”. Particularly towards the end of the fight, the fun really kicks off, and you will hardly have time to catch your breath from dodging area damage and collecting Vril.
However, if you and your group do everything right and follow Charles’ video, Lakshmi should soon be lying in the dust and you will collect the great loot for the epic battle. Have fun recreating!
Rating other players in World of Warcraft? A major WoW site is now trying out a “Karma” system.
After it became known a few days ago that Mythic Keystone dungeons will now become an eSports discipline, fans of timed runs can enjoy another – albeit unofficial – addition since yesterday.
Most players who frequent Mythic+ instances or cross-server raids will probably have heard of the website wowprogress. Here, not only raid guilds recruit new players with interesting information about their progress – group leaders looking for companions to complete keystones can also find collected information on individual characters regarding their achievements in this area.
So far, profiles have compiled which dungeons the character could complete at which level and in which time (which also calculates their so-called “Mythic+ Score”) as well as their simulated single-target damage, average item level, detailed gear, and raid progress.
All this even with nice numbers for comparison with the rest of the world (of Warcraft), to better assess where one stands.
Karma instead of DPS – how friendly is a player?
For several hours now, this information has been expanded with an additional info: the so-called “M+ Karma Score”. As site administrator Kernel writes in this post on wowprogress, this value is somewhat cosmetic. Roughly translated, it concerns the “likes” you want to give a person for their participation in a dungeon:
only players who participated together can rate each other
for each run, each person can be rated again
consecutive ratings from the same players reduce the amount of karma earned
the amount of karma earned depends on the level of the completed dungeon
the best method to collect karma is to complete high dungeons with many different groups
Khadgar probably would have received karma points deducted from Illidan.
Karma can be distributed by clicking the yellow “Like” button on the wowprogress page of each player, thus rating them for that dungeon. However, this is only possible for the past 14 days and not anonymously – you can track who rates whom and how well.
As Kernel particularly emphasizes, this tool is especially interesting for those who like to be rated by others. It is not meant to preferentially include or disadvantage certain players for a group (although of course nice people are preferred over rude ones).
The function has been tested for several weeks and may not yet be implemented in its final form on the website. Any karma value received is therefore provisional for the time being.
This article comes from our new author Benedict, whom we will welcome to the team soon.
Anyway. Stieglitz and ARK came under fire when the price for ARK Survival Evolved was significantly raised a month before the official release on August 8th.
Studio WildCard should have raised the price just before the release of ARK, not weeks earlier
In an interview with PC Gamer, it becomes clear that even Stieglitz did not want this early price increase. If it had been up to him, the price would have been raised only at launch, not weeks earlier. But the distribution partners did not want to go along with that. They wanted the “pre-order business,” and therefore the retail price could not be higher than the digital version, otherwise no one would have pre-ordered in stores, feared the retailers.
Without pre-orders, the distribution partners would not have taken ARK into their program.
Therefore, the developers were left with no choice. They had to go along with the deal. Stieglitz understands that this has annoyed some people. But the studio had no choice here. As a developer, you cannot control all variables.
The lead developer is not concerned about money, but about vanity
According to Stieglitz, ARK is worth the price being charged. They are confident that the features, fun, and gameplay justify this price.
They did not need to raise the price, but then ARK would not have made it to retail.
However, the path to retail is important to Stieglitz. It is not about money, but about vanity. Stieglitz apparently wants as many people as possible to play ARK. This is important from a “vanity standpoint”.
Release is important to reach half of the players who still buy in stores
For Stieglitz, it is important to get ARK into retail. There they reach the target audience that has nothing to do with digital commerce. They want to reach them and bring them to ARK. An influx of so many new players will benefit ARK, believes Stieglitz.
Stieglitz did not comment on the performance issues and bugs that ARK was accused of within the context of the price increase in the interview.
Mein MMO says: Lead developers are special people. That one says “It’s not about money for me, it’s about my ego and my vanity. I simply want as many people as possible to play my game” is not so rare. The head of Final Fantasy XIV, Naoki Yoshida, also seems to pursue the mission that the whole world can play his MMORPG.
The interesting thing about Stieglitz is that he was not allowed to tell anyone for years that ARK Survival Evolved was his, as he would have been sued otherwise. A weight must have been lifted from his shoulders once it was finally out. Being able to be so open about one’s vanity is a nice thing.
Much about ARK is different from the major studios – precisely because of this closeness to the fans, the game has also become such a hit.
In The Division 1.7 you should be able to target Classified Gear more effectively. With the PTS Phase 3, this will be adjusted.
Since yesterday, since the 18th of July, the third phase of the public test server is live on PC. Massive has rolled out some adjustments and bug fixes. When this PTS phase will come to the consoles PS4 and Xbox One is unknown.
Loot Changes to Classified Gear
On the PTS, you can get the Classified Gear for free from the special equipment vendor in the Terminal – so you can test the new items directly. Once update 1.7 is released, you will have to painstakingly gather the Classified Gear through Global Events.
During an event, you collect tokens that you can use to open “Global Event” containers. These can contain Classified Gear.
So far, the drop rate has been too low, many users complained. With PTS Phase 3, there have now been changes:
The Superior Caches now drop only one item: either a gear set piece, an exotic, or a classified set piece.
The chances of this item being exotic or classified have been increased.
However:
The price for a Superior Cache has been increased from 650 to 1500
and the price for a Regular Cache has been increased from 350 to 900.
In missions with Normal and Hard difficulty, the drop rates for the tokens have been increased to compensate for the price increases.
Cosmetic rewards are now available through leaderboard caches.
Further Changes – Patch Notes PTS 3 for Update 1.7
At the improvement station, you can now recalibrate the gear. This was previously disabled due to an issue. For testing purposes, recalibrating is currently completely free.
The EMP sticky grenades no longer stagger enemies.
All weapons now have a hard cap on fire rate. This cannot be exceeded.
The healing effect from the Striker set (6-set bonus) is being further adjusted. If you want a lot of healing, you will now have to focus more on stamina.
The Backup set now grants a significantly higher chance for the support station to be deployed again immediately if it has been destroyed by an enemy.
Additionally, there are further adjustments and bug fixes that you can all view in the Ubi Forum.
A new English patch causes excitement among the MHO community. At least currently, the English version works!
It is a long-time dream of the fans. The game Monster Hunter Online is not available in the European and American markets, but those who manage to create an account can play it here as well.
The problem: Monster Hunter Online exists only in the Chinese version.
In the past, there have been various attempts to translate the game into English. However, many hobby developers stopped their English patches and gradually threw in the towel. Tencent itself seemed to have no interest in an English translation.
Now a new attempt has been made – which at least currently works! On Reddit, the user kenma9123 explained that he, together with some other fans, has managed to get an English patch working. This translates most menus into English, so at least the game can be played and one can have a rough understanding of character values and menus.
We will tell you how to install the patch.
Download the English patch: Download link (As of 07/19/2017 – newer versions in Discord)
Extract the file
Run the MHO.exe as administrator
Point the program to your MHO installation path
If the game version is compatible, you should now be able to press “Start”
After “Start” you should receive the message “Patch hook is ready”.
Now start Monster Hunter Online and the game is partially in English – at least the menus, the story is still in Chinese! It is important that you do not close the patch launcher, as this will undo the changes.
Please note that after an update from the developers of Monster Hunter Online, you will also need a new patch. The latest version can be found in our sources or on the Discord server of the “Monster Hunter Online English Community”.
Hype creates mobility – in work and play. A Destiny 2 player overdid it and tried to log in to the yet unopened beta servers 500 times. The head of Destiny 2 feels pity.
Yesterday at 7 PM, the beta servers for Destiny 2 went live. However, the preload had already started earlier.
While most players were gritting their teeth, waiting for Tuesday at 7 PM, one player must have been trying to log in to the beta of Destiny 2 again and again since Saturday.
The fact that the servers were still down and kept throwing the same error message seemed to be irrelevant to the player: Maybe this time he would find a loophole and by some miracle get into the beta before everyone else!
This went so far that even the Game Director of Destiny 2, Luke Smith, noticed and told him before the actual beta start: “To the person who tried to log in to the beta 500 times over the weekend: Soon you will have succeeded. The wait is over.”
When it comes to quotes on the internet, one should be careful because they could all come from a kangaroo, but Albert Einstein is said to have once said: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
It could also be the definition of Destiny 2. In a game where blue items come from purple engrams, and Xur does what he wants, the factor of randomness is so powerful that anything is possible. I’m sure logging in for the 600th time would have worked for sure!
Read more about the beta of Destiny 2 and whether the many login attempts were really worth it in this article:
