The struggling MMORPG The Black Death has been expanded with a new update that allows you to have servants work for you.
In the land of Mercia, it is now possible to acquire new estates. These give you the option to hire servants who will manage the farm for you, run your tavern, or do tailoring work for you. Each servant has their own bed and a chest to store their personal belongings. You can indeed loot this chest whenever you wish and keep the loot for yourself. Moreover, it is always possible to fire servants or hire new ones.
New navigation system and much more
To help you find your way better in the wilderness of the MMORPG, a navigation system has been introduced with the update. The compass now shows you certain locations.
Additionally, the durability system for items has been revised. Higher quality items are now significantly more durable. A number of fixes and balancing adjustments are also part of the Industry update of The Black Death.
However, the player numbers of the online game still look quite bleak. According to Steamcharts, a maximum of 60 players are online at the same time. The developers still have a lot to do to turn the tide.
However, the recent reviews on Steam are quite positive.
The online shooter Lawbreakers will not be released for Xbox One. Designer Cliff Bleszinski has now explained why this is the case.
When it was announced that the online shooter Lawbreakers would be released on August 8 for PC and PS4, Xbox One owners were angry.
Designer Cliff Bleszinski explained that he was accused of neglecting the platform that had brought him much success through the “Gears of War” series. However, Bleszinski sees it a bit differently.
No capacity for two console versions
He explains that he has a primary responsibility to his 65 employees. Many of them have families, and Bleszinski has to ensure that the lights in the company do not go out, so he can pay his employees and they can support their families.
Since he runs only a small development studio, he does not have the means to support more than one console. Because the PlayStation 4 has a larger player base than the Xbox One, he had to choose this platform to offer Lawbreakers to a larger number of players.
Beta is coming soon
This does not mean that Lawbreakers will never appear for Xbox One. Cliff Bleszinski does not rule out that such a version may follow at some point. However, the release of the game for PC and PS4 is currently the priority.
On June 28, a closed beta will start on PC, which will transition into an open beta on June 30, which will also take place on PS4. The beta will then end on July 3. The team intends to use the time afterward to evaluate player feedback and implement it if necessary before the release on August 8.
We show you how the new raid battles in Pokémon GO work. All the information about raid levels, finding raids, joining a raid, and defeating the raid boss.
The new raid battles in Pokémon GO are set to become one of the highlights of the summer. The cooperative features include some new functionalities that we will explain to you here. How do you find a raid battle, how do you join a raid, how do you fight, and how do you actually defeat the raid boss?
Finding a raid battle – What are raids?
Raid battles are the new cooperative factor in Pokémon GO. Up to 20 players fight together against a powerful raid boss. First, however, you need to find a raid. This is not difficult, as the game will notify you of such an occurrence.
You will receive a notification in-game when a raid battle is happening nearby. The “Nearby” overview will also show you the raids in your vicinity in a “Raid” selection. If you miss a battle, that’s okay, as they will occur regularly.
Before a raid starts, an egg will be displayed above the arena in the game. A countdown runs there, indicating when the raid boss will hatch and be ready for battle.
Joining a raid, participating in the fight
Select “Battle” to group with other players. “Private Group” to join an existing group with a code
Once the mentioned egg has hatched, the raid begins. You then have one hour to defeat the boss. Groups of up to 20 players can join the raid. Those who prefer to play with their friends can join the raid in a private group. Those who participate without a private group will be grouped with other nearby players.
To join a raid, you need a Raid Pass. There are two types of passes: Raid Passes and Premium Raid Passes. You get a Raid Pass by spinning the photo disc of an arena. However, you can only hold one of these passes at a time and can only receive one per day.
If you have already used your Raid Pass, you can purchase a Premium Raid Pass from the shop.
As in an arena battle, you then select six Pokémon to challenge into the raid. The group code that your friends need to join the group can be found in the upper right corner of the lobby screen. In the following image, you can see it with the three Bulbasaur:
Fighting in a raid, attacking and using abilities
Once you participate in a battle, you have three different action options: Fast Attack, Charged Attack, and Dodge. You probably already know this selection from arena battles.
Fast Attack: Tap on the screen to perform a fast attack. These attacks charge your Charged Attack.
Charged Attack: Once the Charged Attack gauge is full, hold your finger on the display to perform this attack. This deals a lot of damage.
Dodge: Swipe left or right to dodge attacks from the raid boss.
Healing Pokémon during a raid battle: You can escape from the battle at any time to heal your Pokémon with potions or revives. After that, you can re-enter the battle.
If you are unable to defeat a boss during a battle, you can rejoin the raid and try your luck in a new fight. You do not need a new Raid Pass for this, as they grant you access to matches for the entire duration of a raid. You can join as many times as you want before the raid ends.
Defeating and catching the raid boss – Rewards await you
Defeating a raid boss in Pokémon GO rewards you with special items for your account. These include golden razz berries, TMs for fast and charged attacks, and rare candies. Additionally, after a successful battle, you have the chance to catch the raid boss.
Rare candies are mysterious candies that become the candy of the Pokémon they are given to.
Golden razz berries significantly increase the catch chance of a wild Pokémon or restore the full motivation of an arena defender.
Two types of TMs (fast and charged) can permanently teach your Pokémon a fast or charged attack.
Furthermore, there are special Raid Poké Balls that you can use to catch the raid boss. If trainers from your team contributed significantly to the victory against the raid boss, the members of your team will be rewarded with additional raid balls.
Ultra Ball or Hyper Ball to catch raid bosses
You cannot use Ultra Balls or Hyper Balls to catch a raid boss. Only the mentioned raid balls can capture the strong boss Pokémon. However, you can use berries to increase your catch chance.
Take your time to aim: If your raid balls run out, the boss Pokémon will flee.
No access to arena after raid
If you have defeated the boss with your group, you cannot access the arena during the duration of the raids. Only when the raid battle is over will the arena reset to its original state (as it was just before the raid). All Pokémon that were stationed as defenders before the raid will return to their defender position.
Raid Level – Initially only Beta
The raid battles will be integrated into the game according to Niantic over the coming weeks. Initially, however, only as a beta (testing phase), in which only high-level players can participate. The level that these players must have is not yet determined. These beta battles will then take place at sponsored locations.
Over several days, more players will be invited and can participate in further arenas worldwide in raid battles. Via social networks, Niantic will announce when you can participate in raid battles. It’s also worth keeping an eye on our Pokémon GO Facebook group as well as the Pokémon GO Facebook page. News will appear there quickly.
Black Desert Online is quickly catching up to the Korea version. Just recently, the Awakening of the Fighter came out in the Far East, and now he has awakened here as well. With his battle armor, the Fighter and his clones beat opponents even more effectively, and every hero can loot more rewards to celebrate the day.
Black Desert Online recently received a new class with the cool Fighter, who uses his bare hands and feet to smash enemies, while other heroes wield powerful magic or heavy melee weapons.
Black Desert Online – Battle Armor – A Fighter rarely comes alone
Like all awakened heroes, the Fighter receives his Awakening weapon starting at level 56. Then he gets his battle armor, which not only makes him look cool but allows him to pummel opponents even more effectively. Certain moves are particularly strong, creating additional clone images of the Fighter.
https://youtu.be/fYJxgTeM1Fo
These doppelgangers made of liquid metal joyfully join the fight, providing even higher DPS numbers, as they double the Fighter’s damage. Also cool: Due to the molten metal, he gains entirely new fire skills, such as “Hellbreaker” or “Infernal Destruction”. You can see how the Fighter tests his new abilities on a horde of fire monsters in the embedded trailer below.
Black Desert Online – Patch Notes for the Fighter Update – Karma causes trouble
As always, a new awakened hero comes with a new patch that fixes bugs and initiates events. Among other things, the following changes are coming to the game:
From June 21 to July 12, the drop rate for black stones will be increased
A new combat arena will be available on Iliya Island starting at level 50
The animations of the sorceress and wizard during thunder strike have been revamped
The catchable “Giant Fox” now always reacts when attacked
Many monsters in Mediah have been revamped and now have less HP, but provide more XP
Young sorceresses now correctly wear colored underwear
The karma loss for killing players with PvP activated has been increased from 60,000 to 120,000
The karma loss in PvP is currently causing some trouble for many players, who see the open PvP being jeopardized.
The developers of Pokémon GO are against unfair play and are taking action against cheating Pokémon with this fun initiative.
In recent months, the Niantic team has repeatedly shown that they are against cheaters in Pokémon GO. Cheaters, for example, can no longer find items in the shop. These players include spoofers and other specific fraudsters who manipulate experience points and acquire new Pokémon in various ways.
Through the latest actions, Pokémon caught through cheats exhibit “strange behavior” and do not behave as expected. Players are very pleased with this new form of punishment and there is great schadenfreude.
Pokémon from cheaters behave “strangely”
The fight against fraudsters in Pokémon GO is welcomed by the “fair” players. Because players who have obtained their monsters through third-party software have long been a thorn in the side of a large part of the community.
With the new initiative against cheaters, Niantic is receiving digital applause on social media. Instead of simply banning cheaters, they are taking the fun out of the game and rendering their Pokémon useless.
On Reddit, NianticGeorge explains how the feature works: “With the announcement of raid battles and the new battle features, we remain committed to providing every trainer with a fair experience full of fun in Pokémon GO. That’s why starting today: Pokémon caught through third-party software (thus bypassing normal gameplay) will be marked in your collection.“
“Additionally, these monsters may not behave as one would expect.”
The Reddit community received this announcement very well. Players are pleased that cheating YouTubers are likely particularly upset about this and that their Pokémon will now be clearly marked as “unfair”. Furthermore, the monsters will be useless for the cheaters when they no longer obey or do “not behave as one would expect.”
There is already much speculation in the comments on this topic about the abnormal behavior. It would be funny, for example, if the attacks of the affected Pokémon were changed to Splash or Struggle.
How exactly this abnormal behavior will affect the game is still unclear. Perhaps some affected cheaters will soon show what unusual traits their monsters have since the update.
Update: 21.06. – First screenshots show how the cheating Pokémon now appear in the collection. This screenshot is from Reddit user KERL0N:
The Pokémon that were caught unfairly have been marked with stripes.
The Midsummer Festival in World of Warcraft is active again. We will tell you what has changed in 2017!
In line with the longest day of the year, the Midsummer Festival also begins in World of Warcraft. The days will become shorter again, and rewards become more numerous! Every year, a few minor details about the celebrations change. We provide you with a brief overview of what to look out for this year and how the festival proceeds.
As is customary with the Midsummer Festival, there is a special currency that can only be collected and used in World of Warcraft from June 21, 2017, to July 5, 2017: Brandblüten. You will find the corresponding vendors in all major cities of your faction.
Collecting Brandblüten at the Midsummer Festival in WoW
Brandblüten can be earned in various ways. Some of them are found in daily quests near the vendors. Tasks there include hitting the marked fire bowl during a torch toss or catching a torch multiple times while juggling – just pay attention to the shadow of the torch on the ground.
However, you will earn the majority of Brandblüten by traveling across the world and honoring or extinguishing the various fires in the game’s areas that belong to the opposing faction. Almost every area has two fires, making it take several hours to cover all points.
The rewards include a stylish set for transmogification, which can only be transmogged during the event. Additionally, there are numerous pets and toys.
New in 2017 is the toy Matchbox and the pet Fiery Flamekin. Together they cost 850 Brandblüten, so extensive farming work is likely required.
Frost Lord Ahune scales with player level
You should also check in with Frost Lord Ahune daily – a special event boss. Just register through the dungeon browser. This year he has cloaks with an item level of 850 in his loot! Those particularly lucky might receive the cool Frostsense, suitable for many transmogifications. Ahune can now be visited starting from level 70 – you no longer need to have reached the maximum level! You can also earn some Brandblüten for the daily kill.
In FIFA 17 FUT, TOTW 40 (Team of the Week 40) is known. These players will receive Inform cards today in Ultimate Team.
For hardcore FIFA fans, the time of FIFA 17 is slowly coming to an end. One now calmly looks at the last teams of the season and mentally prepares for FIFA 18, for which many details will be released in the coming weeks.
The Team of the Weeks (TOTW) have lost a lot of interest since the end of the seasons of the major European leagues. However, they are still published by EA Sports and many players are still interested in seeing which new Inform cards are entering the game.
TOTW 40 is coming this week. Highlights are scarce. David Villa has a strong overall rating of 87, and Piatti is solid with 83. Here is the Team of the Week 40:
These players are available in the sets from 7 PM.
FUT 17 – Player Ratings of Team of the Week 40
Starting XI:
Substitutes:
FUT 17 – These were the Predictions for Team of the Week 40
These predictions come from the futhead site. Keep in mind that these are merely forecasts:
Dani Hernandez – GK
Lee Jae-sung – CB
Hannu Patronen – CB
Mauricio Romero – CB
Macnelly Torres – CAM
Fernando Gago – CM
Blerim Dzemaili – CM
Matias Perez Garcia – RM
David Villa – ST
Ignacio Piatti – ST
Bradley Wright-Phillips – ST
Substitutes:
Kim Yong-dae – GK
Christoffer Remmer – RB
Fabian Sambueza – RM
Romain Alessandrini – CAM
David McMillan – ST
Mariano Pavone – ST
Jorge Molina – ST
What is TOTW in FIFA 17 Ultimate Team?
Every Wednesday, EA Sports reveals the Team of the Week in the “Ultimate Team” mode of their annual football simulation. This is also true for FIFA 17. Players who performed outstandingly in real football the previous week are rewarded with special cards that have improved attributes.
You can draw the TOTW cards within a week from those sets that may contain Rare (Gold) players. However, the chance of doing so is assessed as low. Additionally, it is possible to buy them on the transfer market if they are offered by other players. However, prices are usually extremely high.
The MMO shooter Destiny 2 is not supposed to be as big a time sink as the first part. Destiny 2 should be able to be reconciled with real life.
The Game Director Luke Smith has outlined a difference between Destiny 2 and Destiny 1 in an interview with the site Gamesradar. According to Smith, Bungie broadly knew what they wanted with Destiny but did not implement it correctly.
Destiny 1 is not compatible with real life
Destiny 1 was supposed to:
be a game that players return to each week
and be a game that is compatible with real life.
According to Smith, Bungie failed with the second goal with Destiny 1.
Destiny 1 became a game that turned into a commitment. If you gave someone Destiny, they received an engagement ring, not a CD. You were giving them a relationship, something that required work.
If players wanted to reach the highest level, they had to invest a lot of time in the game.
With Destiny 2, Bungie is building something that should still keep players coming back every week, but a game that should be compatible with real life.
“If players only had two hours in Destiny 1, then you had to go on Reddit. If you only have two hours in Destiny 2, then you can press a button on the controller and the game will tell you exactly where to go.”
It sounds like the leveling progress is modeled after late Destiny
My MMO thinks: Smith’s statement aligns with the goal of increasing the accessibility of Destiny 2 further. This causes some hardcore players to fear that Destiny 2 will become “too casual,” too trivial. The fear: It goes too fast, there’s too little to do.
In any case, it looks like the progress system is more modeled after “late Destiny,” where everyone relatively easily reached the highest light level, and less like early Destiny, where a lot of luck was needed to reach the maximum level. Currently, there are no indications of the progress system in Destiny 2.
For more differences between Destiny 2 and Destiny 1 and what is supposed to improve in the game, read here:
If you want the best loot in WoW, you should do something this week. Because high-level items are waiting!
There was confusion among players of World of Warcraft. The “Mythic+” dungeons were supposed to drop new and better loot with the opening of the Tomb of Sargeras – but that didn’t happen. The rewards from “Mythic+” dungeons still only scale up to level 10. Those who complete a harder variant will not see their rewards increase further.
Only with the start of the next week will the maximum rewards be raised. Then the item level in “Mythic+” dungeons will increase and scale up to a difficulty of “+15”.
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But even this week, you can already benefit from a higher difficulty level! If you finish a dungeon with “+15”, you can immediately grab a more powerful item from the reward chest in the class hall at the beginning of next week. Because this will follow the “new” rules that are valid from the release of the Mythic Tomb of Sargeras on Wednesday, June 28, 2017.
Guild Wars 2, the online role-playing game by Arenanet and NCSoft, has been blessed with a major PvP update. Now there are cool 2vs2 deathmatch battles and automated tournaments where you can score particularly good loot.
June 2017 is all about PvP for Guild Wars 2. After the world versus world battles were significantly improved and excited masses of players at the beginning of the month, the structured PvP battles in the Heart of the Mists were next in line on June 20.
With the update, automated tournaments, an improved lobby, and a new 2vs2 map await you.
Guild Wars 2: PvP Update – Automated Tournaments for Everyone
For the new PvP updates in Guild Wars 2, we not only studied the usual press releases, but also managed to secure an interview with the two developers Benjamin Phongluangtham (PvP Game Designer) and Grant Gertz (Producer PvP and WvW). According to them, the automated tournaments are the new highlights of structured PvP in Guild Wars 2.
Three such tournaments take place every day, and 15 minutes before the tournament starts, you can register with your 5-player team. After that, the knockout process continues until one has won. Winners receive not only gold but also qualification tokens for the big monthly tournament. There, big prizes like mystical coins, mini llamas, or even the new “Glorious Hero Armor Set” await. The armor can only be obtained by positions 1 to 4 at the end of the monthly tournament.
Guild Wars 2: Statues and VIP Troll Lounge for the Pros!
The winners of the tournament will even be set up as statues in front of the entrance to the PvP lobby. There they will wait for the challengers of the next month. In addition, the top 25 players are allowed to enter the new VIP area in the lobby. There, they have access to crafting, the Mystic Forge, the bank slot, and the trading post.
Especially cool: The lounge is located directly above the arena where you can duel in the lobby. Using three consoles, you can play all sorts of trollish tricks on the fighters from the lounge:
Summon a beast from the Niflhel forest
Create a lava field in the arena
Knock all players back with a knockback wave
However, to ensure that the trolling does not get out of hand, the consoles each have cooldowns.
Guild Wars 2: New Lobby and 2vs2 Deathmatch Map
The normal lobby in PvP mode has also been redesigned. You still have access to all the services that existed before, but additionally there are shattered islands, mysterious ruins, and hidden surprises.
Also new: The patch brings a 2vs2 map into the game, where wild deathmatches are held on a small scale. With this, ArenaNet aims to cater especially to players who enjoy organizing the popular private 2vs2 tournaments.
In Monster Hunter World, it will not be possible to hunt underwater. However, there will be many maps that are supposed to feature some unique characteristics. Read here about more fan questions that were answered by producer Ryozo Fujimoto.
Yesterday, on June 20, we saw the first official gameplay footage of Monster Hunter World during a live stream from Japan. After the stream, producer Ryozo Fujimoto answered some fan questions that were asked during the stream. These reveal a little more about the multiplayer hunting game.
The maps will be unique – Seamless transition between the maps
In the gameplay stream, we already saw the Ancient Forest, which resembles a jungle. There were vines, a tropical climate, and deep cave systems. However, there will be more than just one map. Fujimoto revealed that the developers are preparing some unique maps that are supposed to showcase many special features.
The transition between the maps is supposed to be seamless. In the old “Monster Hunter” titles, the transition between maps was interrupted by a loading screen. This gave a feeling of a limited world. That will be different in Monster Hunter World, and hunters can smoothly switch between areas.
No underwater hunting – Monsters will be hunted on land
There will be water areas as usual, but here hunters can only swim through. Monsters will primarily be hunted on land. Whether it will be possible to gather fish as food is still unclear.
Help calls can be sent – Drop-in multiplayer
We already know that there will be a drop-in multiplayer. This means that hunters can join ongoing quests of other players at any time. Anyone who realizes they can’t progress alone can send a help call. One shoots a type of flare and other players can follow. How the help call and following it works in detail has not yet been revealed. Additionally, there will be voice chat and text chat and it is possible to complete a quest with up to 4 players.
New equipment and damage display toggle
In the stream, we already saw a camouflage suit that activates a stealth mode. Fujimoto revealed that there will be much more new and special equipment. Monster Hunter World has a complete category of “Special Equipment” that grants special abilities. Some of these will be useful when a monster attacks.
There will be a “damage display toggle”. Players can thus turn the damage display on and off.
The gameplay stream did not have the best quality, and we could mainly follow the game pixelated. However, community manager Joshua Dahdrai announced on Twitter that high-quality material is expected very soon. Additionally, we should learn more about the structure of quests shortly.
Final Fantasy 14 Stormblood is finally live for all players. With the release of the expansion, all buyers can experience new adventures in the East. Returning players and new subscribers also receive special bonuses!
Stormblood, the new expansion for Final Fantasy XIV, has finally been released. If you have purchased the expansion and have a subscription for Final Fantasy XIV, you can explore the new regions in the East with the new classes Red Mage and Samurai.
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Additionally, bugs have been fixed and there are promo events for returnees and long-term subscribers.
Final Fantasy XIV Stormblood – Fewer bugs than in early access
Unlike the early access, which started last Friday, the final version of the expansion runs smoother. The developers have made substantial improvements and have, among other things, fixed the issue that caused many players difficulties when trying to enter instanced areas.
To ensure that as many players as possible enjoy the new features of Stormblood, two useful events for returnees and subscribers have been introduced:
“Welcome Back Campaign”: Those who have not played Final Fantasy XIV for a long time and are now returning for Stormblood will receive 10 silver Chocobo feathers, which can be exchanged for gear at item level 260. However, they must have had a subscription before January 15 and must NOT have logged in between January 16 and June 11, 2017. The campaign is valid from June 19 to July 20, 2017. Additionally, you can earn another 10 golden feathers if you voluntarily transfer from a full realm to a preferred server.
Subscription Bonus Event “The Falcon”: From July 1 to October 1, players who have purchased Stormblood along with a 90-day subscription can get a special “mount”. The “Falcon” is a type of airship that also zooms around underwater and on land. Note: Free game time is excluded! To fly with the Falcon, you need Aether sources.
Don’t miss our previous information and guides about Stormblood:
A new discount campaign has started in the PlayStation Store. Many games are currently reduced, and “PS Plus” members receive double discounts.
Right now, it is really worth browsing the PlayStation Store. Today, on June 21st, the “Days of Play” offers are running, which will end tomorrow at 0:59 AM. Additionally, there are plenty of discount campaigns on digital content.
Since today, there is another campaign: PS Plus members receive double discounts.
Numerous top games are now reduced, and if you have a “PlayStation Plus” membership, you can secure discounts of up to 80%.
Double Discounts in the PlayStation Store
Here is a selection of games that are available at double discounts:
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Game of the Year Edition): 24.99 Euro (50% discount)
BioShock: The Collection: 24.99 Euro (50% discount)
Call of Duty: Black Ops III – Gold Edition: 27.99 Euro (60% discount)
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition: 8.99 Euro (70% discount)
Dishonored 2: 23.79 Euro (66% discount)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2017: 11.99 Euro (70% discount)
Destiny The Collection: 23.99 Euro (60% discount)
Battlefield Hardline Ultimate Edition: 13.99 Euro (80% discount)
Far Cry 4: 15.99 Euro (60% discount)
Far Cry Primal: 18.39 Euro (54% discount)
The Crew: 9.99 Euro (60% discount)
You can find these offers in the PlayStation Store on your console by opening the store, selecting “PS Plus” on the left side, and clicking on the “Double Discounts” campaign on the first page on the right.
This campaign will last for two weeks. The prices are valid from June 21st to July 6th at 0:59 AM.
If you don’t have PlayStation Plus, these games are also available at a discount. However, only at “half price” as specified above. You can find all offers from the “Double Discounts” campaign in the PlayStation Store, which we link for you here.
It is time: The first closed beta of the promising MMORPG Dark and Light has begun!
According to the developers, the demand was extremely high. However, not all players could be included in this first beta phase. The team has decided to launch a second beta in the near future and allow significantly more players to participate. So, for those who did not receive access this time, there is still hope. All who participated in the survey on the official website are still in the pool and may be selected for the next testing phase.
You can still register for the beta
If you have not registered yet but would like to join, you still have the opportunity to fill out the survey and thus be included in the selection for the next potential testers. Then you will also have the chance to experience the adventures of Dark and Light.
The MMORPG places you in a very large fantasy world. However, there are not thousands of players, but only about 100 per server. Because survival plays an important role, it should always be exciting and interesting to encounter another player. In the game world, you have a lot of freedoms. You must survive, gather resources, build a house, hunt, and explore the world. Together with other players, it is possible to create entire cities and kingdoms, which you then also have to defend.
FIFA 18 will set new standards in gameplay. Players should react faster to your input.
A new engine, a new story mode – FIFA 17 introduced major innovations in the FIFA series. FIFA 18 is unlikely to match these innovations. Instead, this year’s FIFA installment aims to build on the foundation of FIFA 17 and improve the most important aspect: What happens on the pitch.
According to EA Sports, FIFA 18 makes the biggest leap in gameplay innovation. Thanks to “Real Player Motion Technology,” there is a new animation system in the game that aims to achieve a new level of “responsiveness.” In German, this term is translated as “Reaktionstempo.” It means that players react more directly and immediately to what you input on your controller.
vg247 spoke with Matt Prior, the producer of FIFA 18, about this innovation regarding responsiveness.
Every step is an opportunity for a new action
This is a wish that many FIFA fans have high on their wishlist: “When I press the pass button, the player should pass!”
The phrase “I pressed the button!” has surely been shouted by every FIFA player at some point.
With FIFA 18, this responsiveness should improve. Players are promised to react faster to your input, according to Prior. Every step represents an opportunity to change direction and execute a new action. You no longer have to rely on predetermined animations that start and finish.
Because when such an animation is running, as a player you have no control over the character. You have to wait until it has finished before the player can react.
According to Prior, everything has been done for FIFA 18 to improve player movements. They should react directly and not first trigger animations.
In theory, players in FIFA 18 react faster than before when you press a button. However, the size of the players on the pitch is also taken into account: Tall players with long legs take larger steps and therefore take longer to react. A Messi or a Griezmann, on the other hand, are “more responsive.”
How “noticeably” this new feature actually improves gameplay will be revealed to us at the latest with the demo launch of FIFA 18. Then we can test the new mechanics in detail.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The legendary items from World of Warcraft can be upgraded with Whispering Essences. We will show you how this works in Patch 7.2.5.
As of today (21.06.2017), the Tomb of Sargeras is finally open in World of Warcraft. At least on normal and heroic difficulty, players are already roaming the catacombs of the tomb, sending Naga, demons, and titan constructs to the ground.
Along with this, the maximum item level has increased, which means that the legendary items can be upgraded again. We will show you how the upgrading works.
Gathering Whispering Essences
Anyone who has upgraded legendary items in the past will already know the procedure. A total of 50 Whispering Essences must be collected, which are then combined by Vridiel in Dalaran into a Titan Essence, which in turn upgrades your desired Legendary.
Vridiel is – once again – the quest giver for the upgrade.
The Whispering Essences come from many different sources, so collecting 50 units goes quickly if you play various types of content. Otherwise, you may need to wait a while. Upon receiving the first essences, there is a quest starter that leads you to the blacksmith Vridiel in Dalaran.
All bosses in the Tomb of Sargeras – but only once per week and boss. Different difficulty levels do not grant essences multiple times.
The daily envoy chests
The weekly PvP quests for rated PvP
The loot chest in the class hall for completing “Mythic+” dungeons
However, other expected sources do not give Whispering Essences as a reward. Neither Paragon chests nor the chests for exchanging War Supplies from Legion Vanguards provide the essences, so you can disregard these.
The reward is a Stabilized Titan Essence, which directly boosts a Legendary of your choice to item level 970 – regardless of whether it was previously at level 910 or 940.
Contrary to some assumptions from PTR, this quest must be completed again for each item. So if you have a variety of legendary items and want to upgrade them all, you will be busy for several weeks or months. Therefore, focus on upgrading the most important items first.
By the way, no upgrade is needed for “new” legendary items. These drop already with an item level of 970, so they are at the maximum of their power right away.
In The Division, the PTS, the public test servers for Update 1.7, are also coming to PS4 and Xbox One. Are you in?
The first PTS phase for The Division took place in autumn 2016. The major Update 1.4 was to be thoroughly tested on these servers so that errors and issues could be resolved early.
However, there was already criticism back then about the public test servers: These were exclusively available for PC agents. Console players, who form a large part of the community, could only watch while PC players got to play the new content.
After further PTS phases, all of which were PC-exclusive, there is now a new development: For Update 1.7, PTS will be held on all platforms. Massive announced months ago that they were working on a way to bring the PTS to consoles as well. A few days ago, confirmation came: Yes, PTS for Update 1.7 are confirmed for PS4 and Xbox One.
PTS on all platforms – A good sign for 1.7?
There is still no specific date for the PTS phase. Developers are expected to release concrete information on this in the coming days or weeks.
Opinions in the community about the PTS on PS4 and Xbox One are divided:
Some are glad that Massive is fulfilling this promise and can meet a request from the player base.
However, skepticism is also spreading: The PTS have never been able to prevent numerous new problems from arising with an update release. PTS on consoles would not change this, many doubt.
In itself, the PTS is a sensible thing. However, they need to become more effective for The Division:
Massive must provide concrete instructions and lead the testing phase. Because the PTS should focus more on testing and less on “Yay, I can play the content early.”
The number of players on the PTS must increase. For Update 1.7, Massive is heading in the right direction here. Because the console versions have their own problems and needs. To discover all the bugs, agents on PS4 and Xbox One need to be integrated into the testing phase.
For Update 1.7, this is a good sign: More players who can uncover and report problems. More data that developers can collect.Does this lead to a better Update 1.7?
It remains to be seen how the PTS on consoles will ultimately run. So far, Massive justified the PC exclusivity of the PTS by stating that they can roll out updates faster on PC and thus respond more quickly to community feedback. On PS4 and Xbox One, each update must first go through a certification process.
How “effective” the PTS on consoles will be remains to be seen in the future. Many agents express skepticism in the forums, recalling the rocky past and doubting that the test servers on PS4 and Xbox One can contribute to a “better” Update 1.7.
What do you think about it? Are you on the PTS on consoles and helping to uncover the issues?
Finally, owners of a Playstation 4 and an Xbox One can dive into the new adventures of the expansion Shroud of Souls of the MMORPG Neverwinter.
While PC players are eagerly awaiting the release of the expansion Tomb of Annihilation on July 25, console players can first enjoy Shroud of Souls. This continues the events that began in the adventure module The Cloaked Ascendancy. The heroes face the insane wizard Lukan, who has freed a kind of evil presence in a vault beneath the River District.
Face the spirits!
Now dark spirits are invading the city, and only you can stop this threat. However, you will be confronted with something new. A power like you have never felt before, and its source might be found in a place other than Neverwinter. The adventure will then continue in the upcoming expansion Tomb of Annihilation, which will take you to the jungle of Chult.
More decorations for the guild hall and a new fortress siege
But first, you will face the threat in Shroud of Souls. The expansion brings not only a new story and new areas but also a famous interior designer for your guild hall who will assist you in setting up and decorating. Moreover, there is a new fortress siege! The dwarves of Delzoun have sent a tribute in the form of supplies to your fortress, but bandits want to steal it, which means you must protect the delivery. This and much more is now expected with Shroud of Souls on the PS4 and Xbox One.
Today, on June 21st, is Weapon Day in Destiny. We also provide recommendations for this week’s vendor offerings.
If you don’t know what to do with all the Legendary Shards, you can now take them to the faction vendors in the Tower. They have a fresh offering since the weekly reset.
Recommended Weapons This Week
The Crucible Quartermaster has several strong offers. The Palindrome is not bad this week, but there have been better rolls before.
You can visit the weapons master Banshee-44 to acquire telemetry, synthesis, weapon parts, and armor materials. He also accepts forging orders. He will bring your orders on Wednesdays.
This week you can order these weapons:
The auto rifle from Suros is ARI-45. High impact of 28.
The scout rifle SUROS DIS-43 is on offer. Impact 48. Grab it!
Häkke delivers the pulse rifle Lyudmila-D. High impact of 30.
Players who intentionally let themselves be killed (feeding) will face harsher penalties in League of Legends. Riot is planning an improved system against trolls.
Good news for fans of fair play in League of Legends. Trolls or feeders are expected to be better recognized by the system in the future and receive harsh penalties.
The so-called feeders intentionally die in the game to give the enemy an advantage, causing frustration in their own team.
Penalties for Feeders in LoL
In the League of Legends subreddit, Comms Director Ben “draggles” Forbes spoke out. There, a thread reported a feeder who, despite multiple reports, continues to wreak havoc in League of Legends and ruins games for summoners.
Draggles explained to the frustrated players that there will soon be some changes regarding this issue in LoL. He wrote that Riot itself is not satisfied with the current system that is supposed to recognize intentional feeders. Flamers are already being recognized better than before. However, trolls are not stopped quickly enough.
In the coming weeks, there should be changes to this system, which keeps the trolls in check:
There will be changes to the automated system that Riot hopes will allow for quicker detection of intentional feeders. While it will never work “perfectly,” the team expects to catch more intentional feeders this way. The rate of reported innocentplayersshouldn’t increase.
Until the improved system is in place, more manual reviews and bans will be conducted.
In the long run, they want to change the system more profoundly to make trolling harder. However, this all still needs to be developed and won’t happen in the coming weeks.
Riot understands the players’ frustration and takes the issue very seriously: “We haven’t said anything about this topic for a long time. It’s unacceptable that players ruin matches by intentionally dying. We are taking the planned improvements to the system very seriously and hope that we can better stop this behavior.
