Another developer of World of Warcraft is leaving the game. Tomorrow, Azeroth will lose its leading PvP designer.
In recent months and years, leadership figures from various areas of World of Warcraft have been reassigned. Some have left Blizzard completely, while others have been placed into different teams – and now the same is happening with the PvP chief at World of Warcraft.
Brian Holinka, the Lead PvP Designer of WoW, announced on the official forum that he will no longer be working on World of Warcraft. He states that the past five years have been the fulfillment of a dream and that World of Warcraft will “always be his favorite game” and thanks the team for the great time and all the things he has learned and experienced.
“A few weeks ago, a new opportunity opened up for me at Blizzard, and I am really excited about it. Tomorrow is my last day working on World of Warcraft.”
However, not much will change in the work of the PvP team. They are still working hard to satisfy fans and are confident that the future will bring “the best PvP years of World of Warcraft ever.”
Holinka was considered one of the most controversial developers, largely due to the fact that PvP is a hot topic. He has polarized opinions, as for example, the removal of PvP gear and the balancing of stats in Legion was celebrated as a huge advancement by one half of the community, while others lost their motivation.
What Holinka is now working on has not been disclosed. Speculation suggests that it may involve the ominous “First Person Shooter.” What his responsibilities will be there – such as possibly returning to PvP – is also not yet known. In recent months, several Blizzard leaders have been reassigned from their actual games to this “new position.”
In the MMO shooter Destiny, the Trials of Osiris begin today, on June 16th. On which map will they take place?
In Destiny 2, several changes will be made to the Trials of Osiris. It is already known that they will not be available directly at the launch of Destiny 2, but shortly after (even before the first DLC). Additionally, they will be played in a 4v4 mode – like all PvP modes in Destiny 2.
Some Guardians have speculated that there would be more information about the Trials in Destiny 2 at E3. However, that was not the case. This will be discussed in the future.
Interestingly, the developers never referred to the “Trials of Osiris” concerning Destiny 2, but always called them the “Trials.” A leak a few weeks ago suggested that the Trials in Destiny 2 would be the “Trials of the Nine.” However, this has not been confirmed yet. In the coming weeks and months, we will surely know more.
In any case, the Trials of Osiris begin today. It will be played on the map The Burning Shrine.
What are the Trials of Osiris?
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. If the opposing team is completely defeated, you win a round. Fallen team members can be revived. Here, it’s not only about having strong equipment, but also about communication among the Guardians. A good knowledge of the map is advantageous.
At 5 and 7 wins, you receive random rewards from Osiris’ pool. Additionally, you should keep an eye on Brother Vance’s bounties for extra rewards. If you’re in top form, you can reach Mercury with a “Flawless” ticket and loot the chest with the fine loot there.
The MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV and the cult mini-game Blitzball. It has the makings of an endless story.
Apparently, journalists and many fans are into Final Fantasy X (2001). Its mini-game “Blitzball” enjoys cult status, and the FF14 head Naoki Yoshida is often asked about it or brings the topic up himself: This Blitzball would fit perfectly into your Final Fantasy MMORPG.
Underwater Football with Unique Traits
Blitzball is a kind of underwater football, except that you can also poison opponents. Blitzball is a mini-game and a central plot point of the PlayStation 2 game Final Fantasy X.
Yoshida has been thinking since at least May 2015 about how to incorporate this Blitzball into his MMORPG. It would fit excellently with the other mini-games in the Gold Saucer: Triple Triad (from Final Fantasy VIII) is already in the MMORPG. Now, in a conversation with Kotaku, Yoshida describes his Blitzball dilemma on the sidelines of E3.
Yoshida Likes the Idea That You Can Coach Your Blitzball Team Yourself – Probably Better from an MMORPG Perspective
According to Yoshida, there are two possibilities for Blitzball to bring it to Final Fantasy XIV.
On one hand, it could be implemented as much as possible like in Final Fantasy X in the MMORPG, as a sport game, exactly what the fans expect. However, Yoshida fears that the appeal of the newness might wear off quickly. As an element in an MMORPG, players might try it once and then never touch it again.
In the second idea, Blitzball wouldn’t really exist as a sport, but the player would become a Blitzball manager, having their own teams that they own and shape. This sounds much more interesting to Yoshida as an MMORPG element. You could recruit NPCs, expand your team, famous NPCs could become part of the team – similar systems already exist with squads in Final Fantasy XIV, and WoW has that with follower missions. But of course, such a Blitzball wouldn’t be the Blitzball that fans demand.
According to Yoshida, the team still hasn’t decided how Blitzball will return to Final Fantasy XIV. Once they know, they’ll announce it officially.
Today, a lot is happening in Final Fantasy XIV – the new expansion Stormblood has launched and is causing issues:
In the MMORPG Lord of the Rings Online, players are on a riddle fever. An anniversary scavenger hunt put the patience of players to a tough test.
Riddle quests are apparently in vogue. In WoW, developers keep hiding brain teasers in their MMORPG. Players put their heads together on Discord and crack the sometimes absurdly complicated riddles. It seems that a riddle has also been hiding in Lord of the Rings Online over the past few weeks.
Attention – Spoiler warning: If you want to find out the solution to the riddle in Lord of the Rings Online by yourself, then you might want to stop reading now.
On each of these pieces of paper, there should have been a piece of information: Collecting and piecing them together yielded map coordinates. The players tried these coordinates at different locations.
If the quest is this far progressed, players then probably have to complete a series of emotes and then finish the quest. Here you can watch a YouTuber as he finally solves the riddle after consulting the crowd intelligence.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The Mechanoid War is starting soon on the Playstation 4! The Allods team has announced that an additional expansion for the MMORPG Skyforge is on the way.
On June 27th, the major content update will be released, where Playstation 4 owners will have to face the invasion of the Mechanoids. They are attacking the world of Aelion, and you must try to stop them! Along the way, you will face numerous challenges.
The Mechanoid Legion has an insatiable thirst for knowledge and is always eager to increase its computing power.
New Zones, Bosses, Items, and More
The planet Aelion is now on the list of robots, and only the immortals can stand against them. New invasion zones are available to you, where you must endure challenging boss fights. In addition, you will venture into a new raid for ten players. As a reward, powerful second-generation items await you. Moreover, you can unlock another divine form and prepare to master the “Godhood Quest.”
PS4 Version Catches Up to PC Version
The update will be available to all Playstation 4 owners as a free download starting June 27th. With this, the developers of the MMORPG Skyforge are catching up to the PC version of the MMORPG, which already has a bit more content. With a new trailer, you can already prepare for the invasion of the Mechanoids.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The E3 2017 was also open to visitors this time. The Bungie booth with Destiny 2 was flooded with players, the rush was immense. The line for Destiny 2 is said to have broken all dimensions just three minutes in.
As PCGamer reports, the fascination for Destiny 2 at the E3 fair was great. This is not just a PR beacon – people want to play the game, and they are willing to endure long waits in line, along with all the associated inconveniences: especially the smells.
Destiny 2 has the potential to become the big media event, the game of the year 2017.
After 3 minutes, the line was full for the day
This year, E3 was open to the public for the first time – just like Gamescom in Cologne.
After the rise of live streaming shifted the actual highlights of E3 to the publishers’ press conferences, E3 gave significance back to the actual trade fair operations: as an attraction for the audience.
When the gates finally opened on the first day, the Destiny 2 booth was completely booked out for the whole day after three minutes, and registrations had to be closed.
Bungie’s PR chief Eric “UrkMcGurk” Osborne tweeted: Please don’t eat us, Osborne lamented. Three minutes after the start, the booth was already fully booked for the entire day, the maximum capacity had been reached.
Fans happily waited, the line for Destiny 2 broke all dimensions
As PC Gamer reports, while long lines are common at E3, the line for Destiny 2 broke all dimensions. Apparently, Destiny 2 fans were in a good mood while waiting. Many of them had come to Los Angeles just for Destiny 2 and expected to wait that long, it is said.
On social media, some pictures of the massive crowds at E3 were posted, such as from the PvP weapon guru Jon Weisnewski.
If there were any doubts after the reveal stream for Destiny, which was watched by over 400,000 people at times, those should have been cleared. Destiny 2 generates enormous interest and has a relatively large core of super fans who are eagerly waiting to get their hands on the game as one of the first.
The interesting question will be how many people outside this core Destiny 2 will excite. We will surely learn more when the first beta phases for Destiny 2 start.
Maybe there will then be new “So many players have never participated in a beta – really not. This is truly the largest ever” PR announcements. After all, it is necessary to reclaim this title from Ubisoft.
Is there momentum in FIFA 17? A developer comments on an alleged proof in the Reddit forum.
Half a year ago, the FIFA community in the Reddit forum was in an uproar. A user discovered a code snippet in the game files of FIFA 17, which directly refers to the momentum.
In the “Origin Game” folder, the sentence “//— team chemistry (0-100) (used in momentum)” appears. Users scoured the data further and found lines that could also refer to a momentum, such as:
// WHEN BallOOP IF user has greater than 70% of possession and after 20 minutes DO increase difficulty by 0.25 RULE4_PARAM1 = 70
So: If you have more than 70% possession in the first 20 minutes of the game, the game becomes 0.25 harder.
So far, there has been no solid proof of momentum, and these code lines cannot be considered definitive evidence since it is unknown what they ultimately affect in the game. Thus, users called on EA Sports with the hashtag #ExplainMomentum to comment on this. But the developers remained silent. Until now.
Momentum – What is it?
Within the community, the term momentum refers to “scripted games” – a mysterious and controversial algorithm that is said to manipulate the games. When momentum intervenes, many players believe they have no chance of winning the game anymore. Balls would suddenly bounce unpredictably, defenders would not mark players, and no shots would go in.
Numerous gamers are convinced that there has been such a “secret” mechanic in FIFA for years. Others argue that momentum is just an excuse for bad losers. Heated discussions about this have already been held in droves.
There is no clear answer as to whether momentum exists or not. However, a developer recently commented on the momentum.
Developer speaks out on momentum proof
In an interview with GameStar, Lead Gameplay Producer Sam Rivera was asked about momentum and the alleged Reddit proof.
Rivera admits that it sometimes drives him to despair when he loses the game in the last minute, but it is nonsense to blame a secret gameplay mechanic for it. Here’s the quote:
“We have nothing to do with momentum! […] Why would we hide such a secret feature in our game? There is simply no reason for that. All we want to do is take the mechanics of real football and turn them into an authentic game.”
Regarding the proofs, Rivera responded that there is adaptive AI in the game. If you win by too many goals, the game notices this and suggests increasing the difficulty level. These code lines could refer to that, according to the developer. However, they have nothing to do with the actual gameplay.
As in real football, there are also numerous factors in FIFA 17 that determine whether a ball goes in or not. A perfectly struck ball will never randomly fly uselessly sideways in FIFA.
What is your opinion on momentum? Are you convinced that it exists? Or is it, like Rivera suggests, nonsense?
A new weapon type for the Power slot has been discovered in Destiny 2. However, it is not completely “new”.
Two new weapon types were spotted during the gameplay premiere in May: The SMGs and the grenade launchers. At E3 2017, the Guardians found another new weapon type during gameplay sessions: The “Linear Fusion Rifle”:
The linear fusion rifle that was playable is called Tarantula-3 FR, belongs to the legendary quality, and deals Arc damage.
New weapon type strongly resembles Sleeper Simulant
The special thing about this new fusion rifle: It fires not multiple projectiles per shot like the “normal” fusion rifles, but only a compact laser beam. This is supposed to be precise even at long range.
In this video, you can see this weapon briefly in action. Two shots are fired with it. We have marked the spot:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
If you’re now thinking: “This seems familiar to me!”, then you are absolutely right. With “The Taken King”, a unique fusion rifle was introduced: The Sleeper Simulant, a fusion rifle that does not use the special weapon slot like any other fusion rifle in Destiny 1, but in the heavy weapon slot. So it is a heavy fusion rifle.
The Sleeper Simulant also fires only a bundled laser beam. This property seems to be transferred to a separate weapon type in Destiny 2: The linear fusion rifle.
By the way, they are considered Power weapons (so something similar to Heavy weapons). In Destiny 2, there is a distinction made between kinetic, solar, and power weapons, where the power weapons include all those weapon types that can kill with just one shot in PvP.
The Sleeper Simulant is still used today to deal significant damage to bosses in Destiny 1 raids, such as Atheon. The fact that linear fusion rifles are now establishing their own weapon type can be interesting for your playstyle. Because while you had to sacrifice your exotic slot for the “Sleeper Simulant”, the new fusion rifles are also available in legendary.
The weekend is coming up and invites you to game. Which games are on your list and will be played this weekend?
Many of you are coming home from work today and can directly start the weekend – or you were clever and took a bridge day off. Since we all share the passion for gaming here at Mein-MMO.de, “gaming” is on the to-do list for readers and editorial staff for the next two days. We want to know from you, which games you will play this weekend.
Events for the Weekend
In various online games, you can snag cool rewards or take advantage of bonuses this weekend.
In our editorial team, the games for the weekend are once again mixed. Some are drawn to the fresh air, while others dive completely into the digital adventure.
Schuhmann is fully into Final Fantasy XIV. He is already in early access and has no other game planned for the weekend. On June 20, the new expansion Stormblood for Final Fantasy XIV is released and the roadmap for the first month is already known.
Ttime uses the weekend to immerse himself in the story of Life Is Strange. The game is currently free through the PS Plus membership. He has also planned to raid in Destiny again this weekend.
I plan to take advantage of the good weather this weekend, but not miss out on games. This time, I won’t be running through the woods with a laptop and internet stick playing The Forest, but completing my PokéDex in Pokémon GO. The mentioned Fire and Ice event could help me finally catch a houndoom! Also high on the list is GTA 5 Online. The new Gunrunning DLC is now active and features interesting new content like a flying rocket bike that I want to try out.
What are your games for the weekend? Do you perhaps have some insider tips for us?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Another riddle in World of Warcraft has been solved. Those who are quick can now make a fortune!
When a new patch of World of Warcraft brings a fresh secret, it usually doesn’t take long before the guys and girls from the Discord server “WoW Secret Finding” get to work. This was also the case this time with the World of Warcraft Patch 7.2.5 and the new pet “Young Solar Flare”. This pet had not been found by anyone yet, which immediately raised suspicion.
After only a few days, players discovered a new cave, way up in the North of Kalimdor, on the northern coast of Winterjewel. This cave bears the suspicious name Caverns of Consumption – roughly translated as “Caves of Consumption”. And that’s exactly what this riddle is about: Lots of consumables!
The way into the cave is restricted by various blockades and riddles. To bypass the different protection mechanisms, players must use a lot of consumables. We explain step by step, which items you need to get past the barriers.
How to get the pet “Young Solar Flare” in WoW
The first barrier is a wall of fire. To pass it, one must consume a Significant Fire Protection Potion.
The entrance is not well hidden.
The second wall is already trickier and blazes in green fel fire. Lore experts know that fel is the purest of all magics and is essentially a combination of all other schools. Consequently, all the following potions must be consumed simultaneously:
Significant Fire Protection Potion
Significant Arcane Protection Potion
Significant Frost Protection Potion
Significant Holy Protection Potion
Significant Nature Protection Potion
Significant Shadow Protection Potion
All these potions can be made by alchemists who farmed the recipes during “The Burning Crusade”.
Various protection mechanisms block the way.
Next, you will encounter a gargoyle as a grim guardian. To get past him, you need to have a very special disguise. For this, you need the world-famous Noggenfogger’s Elixir, which you can buy in Gadgetzan from Noggenfogger. It has several effects, and you must have the “Skeleton” buff to pass the gargoyle.
You will then reach a wall made of vines and thorns. To penetrate the wall, you need to assume the appearance of a forest spirit. This can only be done with the item Scotty’s Lucky Coin, which you get from the rare enemy Scotty in Pandaria. He is located in the Tonlong Steppe on the island of Sra’vess in a cave.
In the room behind the thorn wall, go to the small water puddle and loot the Water Stone – you need it for the next part of the riddle, to cross the following blue wall.
Behind the wall, you will find a golem that you can deceive with the following drink:
Dark Brew (found in the instance Blackrock Depths in the inn)
Now there are 3 paths you can follow. Choose the path with the translucent purple wall. To pass it, use the following item:
Astral Oil (could be made by alchemists in Wrath of the Lich King)
If you follow the path, you will find a “strange stone” with an opening – but your hand seems not to fit. To reach inside, you need to wear or use a very specific combination of items:
Gordok Ogre Suit (found in the instance Darkbreak from a goblin)
Firewater of the Winter Fur (drops from Furbolgs in Winterjewel)
Now you will receive a buff that allows you to go back and take the path with the gate (do NOT enter the last path yet, even if it seems to be open – you will be teleported outside and have to start over).
To pass the gate, you need to drink 10 units of the following potion to transform into a gnome:
Pygmy Oil (can be made by alchemists)
The last steps become more fun and absurd. To gain the blessing of the Knowledge Cube, you need the pet Chubby Stray – which you get for completing random dungeons with randomly assigned players. Decorate the stray with the costume “Little Princess”, which you can buy from pet vendors in Dalaran or your garrison. Choose the dialogue “Place your hand under the cube” and leave the room.
In the last room, you must click away the firewater of the Winter Fur and use a Scroll of Intelligence. These can be made by scribes. Now go towards the water and enter it until you reach the egg. According to reports, you must not “jump” into the water, as this will also teleport you outside. Loot the egg and the Young Solar Flare is yours!
The solution to the riddle is thanks to the many people on the Discord “Secret Finding WoW” server. We have only translated the solution to the riddle.
Alchemists can make a fortune with the protection potions in the coming hours – because those who want the pet need the potions. And those, depending on the server, are currently selling for 20,000 gold per potion – at least the protection potions.
The early access to Final Fantasy XIV Stormblood has started. So far, it is running fairly well. Players cannot enter instances for now.
Those who were eager and had early access could start their adventure in Stormblood, the new expansion of Final Fantasy XIV, today at 11:00 AM.
Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood – You can’t get in here
There are two announcements regarding the launch:
The good news: Logging in works, the servers are holding, and everything is stable.
The bad news: The content search is heavily overloaded. It has been disabled – quests that require entering instanced areas are currently struggling as well.
Error messages in Final Fantasy XIV Stormblood
When signing up for content, the message appears: “You cannot participate in any content at the moment. Please try again later.”
When signing up for an instanced quest, one can see the cutscenes but gets kicked out later. Error message in Rort: The location could not be changed due to a system error or because the destination is overcrowded.
Square Enix says: Just have patience
Square Enix has already responded and says: This is currently a problem. We apologize. Please wait a while before signing up for content.
The background of the message could be that with Stormblood, people are now catching up on the leftover content from Final Fantasy XIV Heavensward. The 260 gear items can now be obtained relatively easily, which reduces the item requirements for instances, and they are being stormed. Everyone wants to be ready to set out after Stormblood.
Finally space – FF14 players will be happy about this image!
Large inventory, 260 gear available, new bars
I experienced the same; I logged out just before the Heavensward merchants and was able to significantly increase my gear level in just a few minutes.
I had 2000 of “Allagan Stone of Poetry.” They were quite useless before, but now they are enough for 260 gear, and with that, you can enter all Heavensward instances – and you need to do those to be allowed into Stormblood.
With the new gear, it was quick to reach the endgame instance “Baelsar’s Wall” with three random players. We were all a bit nervous: We didn’t know the instance and skills had changed significantly.
But after two wipes and with a boss guide, we defeated the end boss in the instance – but the next quest could not proceed: Instance access denied due to overload.
Interesting now: The changed gameplay is noticeable with the first shots – and the inventory is visibly much larger. Now everything just needs to run smoothly, and then it’s on with Stormblood. What do you think?
More information about FF14 Stormblood can be found here:
The community wants to know: What does Blizzard actually think about Smurfs and Boosting in Overwatch? They get clear answers.
In the Overwatch community, there are a handful of topics that repeatedly come up in the official forum. These mainly revolve around the actions against players who do not adhere to the rules of fair play.
What is Blizzard’s opinion on “boosters” – that is, people who get “boosted” for money to have a better skill rating?
What does Blizzard think about smurfs – second accounts from pros who mow down newcomers with them?
How does Blizzard feel about “throwers” – players who give up directly and no longer play properly?
All these questions come up repeatedly, and Blizzard’s answers have often been vague. Therefore, the user Argos wanted to receive a clear line from the developers in the official forum. As so often, Jeff Kaplan, the Game Director of Overwatch, responded to this request.
According to him, “smurfing” is completely fine. Having a second account and playing with it does not contradict any rules. Moreover, the skill rating (or the MMR) would adjust very quickly, so a good player would be matched against equally strong opponents after just a few matches.
However, anything that manipulates the internal MMR (Match Making Rating) or skill rating (such as “boosting” or “giving up”) is not okay. For this reason, penalties for boosting and intentional giving up will soon “dramatically increase.”
Kaplan urges players to continue using the reporting function to report disruptive behavior, and then actions will be taken.
On the PS4 and Xbox One, the reporting function is still pending – the developers have been working on it for several months.
However, what exact penalties there are for these offenses is still unclear.
What penalties would you like to see for people who ruin the game through boosting or “giving up”?
There will also be a kind of housing system in the online shooter Escape from Tarkov. The developers have now presented the “Hideouts”.
A hideout is important in the fiercely contested city of Tarkov. There, you store your loot and can take a moment to breathe and recover your strength. Additionally, you can re-equip yourself for the next mission.
Your “Hideout” is nothing more than an abandoned bomb shelter at the beginning. Now you start to set it up according to your ideas.
Expand your hideout
You will provide a power generator, a water treatment system, air supply, and a way to tend to your wounds. A heating system is also useful, as well as a bathroom and more. All these modules that you can use to expand your hideout ensure that certain aspects of your character improve. For example, health points, to prevent dehydration and to regain energy faster. Moreover, you will have options in the hideout to craft medicine and ammunition as well as other items from resources.
Through a trading station, you trade with other players and the Scavs. Each of the 13 modules that the developers of Escape from Tarkov are currently working on offers you certain bonuses. To build a module, you first need to find the blueprint and the necessary resources. Additionally, certain skills are required, which you must train beforehand. The hideout must also be maintained. The power generator, for example, needs gasoline to provide energy, which means that you will have to set out repeatedly to find gasoline.
Premium modules for even more options
Over time, you will expand your hideout with premium modules that allow you to craft high-quality items or further improve your skills. What and how many modules you can build depends on the overall size of the bunker you occupy.
The hideout system is expected to be available in a basic form during the beta of the online shooter Escape from Tarkov.
Today’s “Mein-MMO asks” is about loadouts in The Division. Do you use them? How would you improve them?
For about three weeks, a long-awaited feature has been in The Division: Loadouts. This allows agents to create up to six different builds, save them, and switch between them at will. There is no longer a need to change each piece of gear and each skill individually. This saves time and nerves.
But – do you even use the loadouts? Are you creative, always tinkering with new builds, and happy to be able to save them? Or do you continue playing with your build that has served you well for months?
Loadouts – The Best of Update 1.6.1
Many agents who use the loadout feature agree: The loadouts were by far the best part of Update 1.6.1. It was supposed to be a “Quality of Life” update that resolves many issues and makes players’ lives in The Division more enjoyable. However, it also brought many new annoyances. The only thing that was not criticized was basically the loadouts.
Are loadouts simply too late?
However, there are two problems with the loadouts:
Agents wished for this feature at launch over a year ago. Numerous players have long since moved on to other games or only rarely check in on The Division. They currently have no motivation to use the loadouts.
Nothing has changed in the meta for months. Why should one create new builds when one has already optimized their build for quite some time? Therefore, loadouts do not appeal to many agents at all, but only to those who like to try new things and have fun experimenting.
The developers at Massive apparently plan changes. They put up a survey about the loadouts asking what you would improve about them. So if you have ideas for the loadouts or just want to voice your opinion about them, you can do this not only in our comments but also in the survey.
First, you should provide general information: On which platform do you play, how many hours do you invest, which activities do you enjoy playing the most in The Division?
Then come questions specifically about loadouts. Do you use them? Do you like using them? Do you even understand the loadout mechanics? Should there be different versions of loadouts so that one can only save skills, for example?
Next, there will be questions about the inventory, loot, and crafting.
In Anthem : The gaming community is divided into two halves, our author Schuhmann believes. And satisfying both sides will be almost impossible.
When I think of my childhood, there are two streams in gaming:
One is singleplayer. Me with my Sega Master System and an RPG. Hours spent alone with the first Phantasy Star or Shining Force. Later, thick role-playing games like Knights of the Old Republic or Vampire: The Masquerade.
And the second is multiplayer. Me and a buddy together in front of the C64, each with a joystick in hand, playing Katakis. One controls the spaceship, the other the satellite. Or hours of Double Dragon.
Even back then, there were noticeable differences between these two types of gaming. In Double Dragon, the gameplay mattered to me – I didn’t care about the story at all. Playing alone makes these games only half as fun. The enjoyment came from the situation, from playing with my friend.
In Phantasy Star, however, I was immersed in the world, reading every line of text and learning English that way. There was no room for a second player.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The experience I had back then has shaped the gaming socialization of everyone and led to different expectations.
This is evident in the announcement of Anthem, the new game from BioWare. Because BioWare is actually known for its singleplayer games, but now they are focusing on multiplayer with Anthem. Some feel almost as if a friend has left them.
Singleplayer games have evolved into game experiences that are like reading a good book. Many players, especially on PC, have their memories of role-playing highlights from the last decade when they think of BioWare. They want the next Knights of the Old Republic, the next Mass Effect. They want a cinematic story in which they can lose themselves. Story is central; there must be satisfying progression.
On the other hand, multiplayer players, often at home on consoles, seek the opportunity to have fun with their friends in a game like Anthem. The co-op idea is at the center; the story takes a back seat. It’s about finding enjoyable gameplay that remains fun after countless hours and seeing a fascinating world that serves as the backdrop for the adventures shared with friends.
The problem is: In multiplayer co-op, the same missions are played over and over again – a story can only be experienced once. It becomes annoying the second time and gets skipped.
Both communities have different expectations of a game – and that is also reflected in the reactions. While we on the multiplayer side are receiving more positive reactions to Anthem – the gameplay trailer is going viral on Facebook – there is criticism of the new BioWare game from other quarters.
Singleplayer fans do not understand the fascination of “co-op”
If you want to know how solo players think, you need to look at PC communities that have developed over years.
On the GameStar site, which lives from PC gamers, the disappointment over Anthem seems to be great. Author Maurice Weber complains in an article: “That’s not enough, BioWare!”
The message is: BioWare means story. They have never stood out for gameplay or multiplayer. There was no story to be seen in the trailer, so alarm bells are ringing.
In the comments on the article, the death of BioWare in particular and the death of singleplayer games in general are lamented.
This is a development that has long been observable on GameStar. In live streams, the editors try to explain to the GameStar audience why this Destiny should even matter. Why people spend thousands of hours on it. The aversion to Destiny is large among many readers of the site.
This co-op experience: a game where the fun arises from playing with others, seems to be incomprehensible to the classic GameStar reader.
Destiny has turned necessity into virtue: We have no story – So what?
GameStar is not alone in this. Traditional game journalism has a problem with “co-op.”
When Destiny was released, it received low ratings from editors worldwide because they played it like a singleplayer game, and the single-player experience is only worth a “6 out of 10.” The editor alone in his quiet chamber simply cannot grasp the fascination of Destiny – because it only emerges in a group with others.
In hindsight, this turned out to be a misjudgment. When “The Division” was released two years later, it received a “This will be fun in co-op” advantage in ratings from the start: The Metacritic score of The Division (80%) is actually higher than that of Destiny (76%).
The US site Polygon gave Destiny an infamous 6/10, and the creators of the hit game proudly wore that on their chests.
In Destiny, they made a virtue out of necessity – the story was nonsense – Game Director Luke Smith once explained: In Destiny, you shoot aliens in the face while discussing the Oscars with your friends. The main characters in Destiny are not NPCs, but the players themselves. Their stories should replace a story in the game.
With Anthem, BioWare is trying to achieve this PR balancing act. They say: “We have a BioWare story,” but we also give you space to experience your own stories.”
I believe: This will be difficult to pull off.
But this is not how to “be like Destiny”
This balancing act between multiplayer and singleplayer is currently being attempted by many studios: They want to “be like Destiny,” keeping players engaged with co-op gameplay for years and making a lot of money, but they don’t want to lose their “existing customers” from the past. They want to provide them with a singleplayer experience so as not to alienate them.
This strategy is also being pursued by other “big singleplayer franchises” that now want to transition to co-op.
But: Being “like Destiny” doesn’t work that way. Being “like Destiny” means: We have outstanding gameplay and a great world. The story? Uh, I’m hearing blaster noises in the background, I need to take care of that urgently; I don’t even have the time to explain why I don’t have time for explanations.
Everyone wants to be like Destiny
The question is:
Do we focus on gameplay, game mechanics, and a fantastic world in which players feel comfortable and can find their own stories?
Or do we give them a story to experience?
Currently, studios are trying to give players both: First, they should experience a great story and then transition into a co-op endgame multiplayer part. That is a dream scenario with tremendous difficulty: Just satisfying one of the two goals is already a mammoth task. Achieving both successfully seems almost impossible. Those who attempt it should rather orient themselves towards MMORPGs and not Destiny.
“Being like Destiny – but with a BioWare story” – how that is supposed to work, BioWare still has to show. GameStar is rightly skeptical: BioWare has not distinguished itself with multiplayer spectacles until now.
Ironically: Bungie is also planning something similar for Destiny 2, aiming to create a decent campaign with a cohesive story while connecting it with a strong co-op multiplayer component. Even Bungie no longer wants to be completely “like Destiny,” but better. And Bungie has a lot of experience with how to be like Destiny.
SharkyMarky wanted to apologize for his behavior and contacted Blizzard customer service. The customer service representative allowed him to formulate an apology and explanation and forward it to Kaplan. He provided detailed feedback on Widowmaker, with whom he was currently quite dissatisfied, and apologized for his provocative, thoughtless forum post.
Shortly after, SharkyMarky received an email from Jeff Kaplan himself!
Troll receives email from the Overwatch head
Kaplan also politely apologized and stated:
“First of all, I apologize for confronting you publicly in the forum. That was unprofessional and a lack of judgment on my part. To explain (and not make excuses for it), I was just exhausted at that point. My team and my company care a lot about feedback. So much so that it’s one of our core values, which is written on the campus in bronze around the orc statue – “Every voice matters”.
We continuously take critical feedback – and we should. Personally, however, I get frustrated and annoyed when people just attack us without really saying what their problem is.”
The orc statue at Blizzard – surrounded by values that are important to Blizzard.
He went on to say that he loves critical feedback, as it makes the game better. However, the feedback must also contain something that can be acted upon.
Additionally, he thanked for the feedback on Widowmaker and added:
“Anyway, SharkyMarky, I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have used an engaged player to make my own point clear. You didn’t deserve that.”
Blizzard trolled, received a year subscription as a reward
As another sign of apology, SharkyMarky received a year subscription for World of Warcraft from Kaplan. He thanked for it but said he had no interest in the game – and then received the “Noire” skin for Widowmaker unlocked.
SharkyMarky has indeed recognized his mistake (otherwise he wouldn’t have written the apology) and came to the conclusion: Blizzard cares about the community and values the feedback greatly. And they likely play their own games too.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
It’s probably one of the rare cases where trolls ultimately got rewarded. And the worst part? Jeff Kaplan is now even more likable than before. We thought that wasn’t even possible.
Not long now, and “Founders” will be able to experience the adventures in the “Monster Hunter”-like action RPG Dauntless in an initial alpha.
Dauntless has captured the attention of many players, as the gameplay mix of Monster Hunter, cooperative action RPG with a touch of Dark Souls and World of Warcraft seems to be well received. At least that was the case until last week; now, as Monster Hunter World comes to the West, the situation for Dauntless might change.
In Dauntless, you are called Slayers, setting out from the city of Ramsgate to defeat the Behemoths on the floating islands of the world, so that humanity can live in peace again. You assemble a team of up to four players and go on the hunt for the monsters.
Hunt the Behemoths!
If you defeat them, you will receive valuable resources, which you can craft into special equipment in the city, giving you better chances against the even more powerful Behemoths. Each monster also requires its own strategy to defeat. Teamwork is important, as the synergy of the different classes allows for unique tactics.
Become a Founder and join the Alpha
How exactly it plays out will be revealed starting August 18th. On that day, the Founder’s Alpha will begin. If you are a “Founder”, you can participate in this testing phase.
How do you become a Founder? By purchasing the largest founder’s package on the game’s official website. The alpha will not be subject to any NDA, and streamers are allowed to post videos of the game online. This means that we can expect a lot of information and gameplay material from the alpha starting August 18th. Later in the year, the beta phase of Dauntless is set to begin.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Today, Xur comes to Destiny. Where is Xur on June 16th and what items does he have for sale? Location and inventory.
The exotic vendor Xur appears every Friday at 11 AM. He brings his exotic goods and sells them to you for Strange Coins. On Sunday, June 18th, Xur will pack up at 11 AM and disappear again.
All information about Xur in Destiny on June 16th, 17th, and 18th on PS4 and Xbox One
Where is Xur? Location today
Xur has specific positions at the Tower and the Reef where he likes to stay. This time, he is at the Reef, in the Vestian Outpost. Nexxoss Gaming will guide you there:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Legacy Engram: Primary weapon for 31 Strange Coins
Which items are you picking up this weekend?
News from E3 about Destiny 2
In the past few days, E3 took place in Los Angeles. During this gaming fair, a lot of information about Destiny 2 came in. To make sure you don’t miss any news, you can subscribe to us on Facebook. There we have a dedicated page just for Destiny: Destiny 2 – Mein MMO
Even at Blizzard, you can’t just accept everything. The head of Overwatch shows a forum troll where Reinhardt’s hammer hangs.
Those who are active in Blizzard’s forums are used to some posts being pure provocation. Many players want to vent their frustration over a game or simply disparage one game to cast another in a better light. Developers are often accused of not knowing their own game at all.
This also happened again in the Overwatch forum. The player SharkyMarky created the provocative post with the title “Does Blizzard even play their own game???????” and only the statement “Enough said” – the title speaks for itself.
Normally, such posts are ignored, but Jeff Kaplan, the Game Director of Overwatch, didn’t seem to be in the mood for that. He countered with arguments and explained:
“We play the game a lot. Looking at your profile, I notice that I’ve won about 800 more games than you. And I’m not even counting all the games I played during our daily testing phases and in Alpha and Beta.”
To maintain at least a bit of politeness, he added:
“Do you have a specific question or are you just here to troll?” – The question really doesn’t need an answer. Well, those who want to dish it out must also be able to take it. And the developers of Overwatch do not have to tolerate every nonsense.
Or to put it in the words of a legendary YouTuber: Wrestle with Jeff, prepare for death!
What do you think about it? Should developers engage in such discussions and posts at all? Or would it be wiser to simply ignore and block them?
In the shared-world shooter The Division, a new event is live. Over the weekend, there are additional rewards.
One cannot really complain about loot scarcity in The Division. But if you have been searching for that one item for weeks that just won’t drop, you should try your luck this weekend. Because a new event with additional rewards is running.
From June 16 at 2 AM to June 19 at 2 AM, a “Special Event Weekend” is being held in The Division.
You need to defeat named bosses. They drop additional rewards for you.
The event is already underway. If you have a day off today on Friday, you can start right away.
Such weekend events have occurred from time to time in the past – always with different requirements. This time, it’s the named bosses’ turn.
Weekend events are set to occur more frequently with 1.7
The biggest new feature of update 1.7 will be the global events. These will be more extensive than these weekend events and are intended to make the previous PvE activities more attractive with modifiers.
Global events will, however, only be held once a month and last for a week. In other words, in the weeks following an event, the biggest new feature of update 1.7 will not be available.
Massive has already stated that between these global events, smaller events in the “double rewards weekend style” will occur more frequently. They want to keep player motivation high so that players log in regularly – there should always be something to do.
Are you participating in the event this weekend? Are you specifically hunting the named bosses, or just taking out the ones that cross your path?
