We conducted an interview with Thomas Foss, Lead Designer of the MMORPG Neverwinter, discussing the new add-on The Cloaked Ascendancy and the renaissance of MMORPGs on consoles.
Mein-MMO:In “The Cloaked Ascendancy,” players return to Neverwinter, where they are welcomed as heroes. How important is it for players to feel like heroes, and how challenging is it to implement this in an MMORPG where players of different levels play in the same areas and encounter the same NPCs?
Thomas Foss: We believe it is extremely important at all times. Because being a heroic adventurer is exactly what Dungeons & Dragons is about!
Even the role-playing villain is more of an “anti-hero” than truly evil. The player’s role in the world changes. Over time, you surpass the individuals who give you quests or instructions. In Neverwinter, players should feel like “the good hero next door.”
Sergeant Knox is actually more of a drinking buddy and trusted figure than a quest giver. Lord Neverember and his new court wizard Kavatos (to whom you have proven your skills in the Icewind Dale) are now asking for your help again, this time you are even to become their bodyguard. The Cloaked Ascendancy brings players back to places where they may not have been since level 4 and connects them again with NPCs they might “remember from before.”
Some of these contacts have also developed since then. The opening of a new area of Neverwinter is also a great opportunity to show that the world continues to evolve with the storylines.
The implementation is not extremely difficult as long as you have a good story and know where you want to go. The team has debated these ideas for a long time, and now we are excited to be able to implement them.
Mein-MMO:Visible and permanent consequences are something that is difficult to implement in MMOs. For example, when important characters die or a village is destroyed because the player made a specific decision. However, this is very important if you want to tell exciting stories. You have done such things in the past, can we expect more visible and permanent consequences in the future, triggered by our actions, for example in The Cloaked Ascendancy?
Thomas Foss: You are right; it can indeed be a challenge. We have ways to mitigate this or give it a grand stage. We can design a story or an adventure for players where “something big” happens in the world. If it is important for the overall growth of the game, such as the opening of a new area like the River District, then this will be a permanent change.
Other things, such as rescuing someone from a burning building or the explosion of the Plague Tower, can be narrated in instances. Just think of it as visiting the Disneyland ride “Pirates of the Caribbean” (my absolute favorite!). Each time it is a great adventure, but then everything is reset for the next group. Does that make you not want to go on it again, or do you get back in line right away?
Away from linear campaigns
Mein-MMO:How does the new area of The Cloaked Ascendancy differ from the previous areas? I have read that you want to give players more freedom and do something against the rather linear and “tunnel-like” design of the adventures. How does this manifest in the River District?
Thomas Foss:The Cloaked Ascendancy is not only a turning point in the story of Neverwinter but also for the role of players in this world. It marks a turning point in design as well. Something that has been somewhat lacking in the game recently is the feeling of really being an adventurer who makes their own choices.
This expansion (partially tried this in the Icewind Dale) was specifically designed to give players more choice in how they want to experience the story and in what order. Instead of a linear campaign, players can choose which wizard they want to attend to first. To reach the tombs and advance the story, players must help secure areas and set up outposts. It was fantastic to see how players came together to secure an area so they could retrieve treasures from the tombs.
Another aspect is the ability to replay things. Our new encounter “The Illusionist’s Gambit” is a perfect example. Every time you play it, it is a different experience. And let’s not forget about the rewards. Plenty of choices. We have an amazing four artifact weapons that can be earned in this campaign. We call them the Ascended Sets. Our goal here was less to emphasize class roles, but rather to focus on different builds for the classes. This benefits not only your main character but also the side characters on your account.
The feedback we have received from you regarding the changes has been truly positive, and in the future, we will see these changes and features in further adventures!
Mein-MMO:MMORPGs are very successful on consoles. Could one say that the interest in this genre has been revived now that they are playable on PS4 and Xbox One? Could we also say that the interest in MMORPGs on consoles surpasses that on PC?
Thomas Foss: I think it’s more about being visible as a genre. It’s more a rekindling of interest than a revival. It’s always a great thing when you can present your game to a broader audience on more platforms that may have different tastes. Neverwinter has definitely received a lot of positive attention from players on console.
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Mein-MMO:How difficult is it to make an MMORPG that works on console? What do you have to consider when working on a new expansion to be released on different platforms? Are there things that work better on PC or console?
Thomas Foss: Well, it takes some time to port a game to console. With Neverwinter and now Star Trek Online on Xbox One and PS4, we feel that we are getting better at it. As for the content, the only difference on consoles is that we have to build the user interface differently. It has to fit the console controller and also accommodate the fact that players usually play on a TV, where they typically sit further away than at a PC monitor. There are also a few contextual buttons (instead of pressing “F” on PC, you have to press “X” on console), but that’s pretty much it. The game itself is still the same.
Mein-MMO:Do players play an MMO on console differently than on PC? I could imagine that players, as they get older, might prefer to play on a large TV while sitting on a couch rather than on a PC… Would you agree with that? And is there any necessity to adapt to this type of player?
Thomas Foss: Players on PC and console are more similar than you might think. It has nothing to do with age or growing older. If anything, we have a wider range of ages on consoles. We also have players who go on adventures on both PC and console.
One of the things I love about working on MMOs for Cryptic is the fact that our games evolve based on the things that players enjoy. With more and more players playing the game on console, we are constantly learning more about what it means to play the game with a controller rather than a keyboard, and how we need to implement dialogues, screen division, and of course the user interface. The cool thing is that this streamlining process benefits not only console players, but also improves the game overall.
Mein-MMO: Speaking of the future, can you tell us more about the upcoming adventures as The Cloaked Ascendancy will be released on console in a few weeks?
Thomas Foss: The River District was part of old Neverwinter and known for its wealthy merchants, nobles, and wizards. This district has withstood the spellplague relatively unscathed, but was heavily affected by the outbreak of Mount Hotenow. After that, it became a hive for monsters and daring adventurers seeking riches.
Lord Dagult Neverember, the protector of Neverwinter, is dedicated to the River District, where he hopes to recover the lost riches. But suddenly, four wizards appear who not only claim the River District but also want to seize the crown of Neverwinter!
A large part of the story of The Cloaked Ascendancy revolves around learning more about these wizards and holding them accountable. During this detective work, you will need to talk to many people in the city, from sages and oracles in the Protector’s Enclave to Nasher rebels in the Blacklake District. In the end, you will find yourself in the place where your journey in Neverwinter once began!
The adventure module The Cloaked Ascendancy will be released on April 11 for Playstation 4 and Xbox One.
Today, on April 4th, is the Weekly Reset in Destiny. The weekly activities are reset, including the Nightfall strike and the Featured raid. The Vault of Glass is back!
A week ago, the Age of Triumph began. This brought some changes to the weekly activities, which is why our article on the Weekly Reset will be more extensive from now on.
Most Guardians are just waiting for one thing today: The return of the Vault of Glass! Last week, the Crota raid had its turn with the new 390 light level version, and now the Vault of Glass is the weekly Featured raid. This means that the new raid challenges are active in this raid and you can collect the Adept weapons and ornament tokens in the Vault of Glass.
In one week, the Vault of Glass will be replaced by the King’s Fall raid for the weekly reset. While the raid challenges in the Vault of Glass will be disabled, you can still play it at 390.
Nightfall Strike on April 4th on PS4 and Xbox One
This week, the Nightfall is The Nexus.
The modifiers are:
Epic
Arc Burn
Specialist: Special weapon damage is increased
Juggler: No ammo drops for the equipped weapon
Armored: More enemies carry shields
In the heroic SIVA Crisis strike playlist, the modifiers are Heroic, Solar Burn, Brawler, and Match Game.
Challenge of the Elders and Story Playlist
In the weekly story playlist, it involves missions on Mars and Venus. The modifiers are Heroic, Solar Burn, and Catapult.
In the Challenge of the Elders, there are bonus points for Precision Kills. The modifiers are Solar Burn and Chaff. You’ll fight against the Fallen Captain, Noru’usk, and Sylok.
The Raid Challenges starting from April 4th
The raid challenges will also be updated with the weekly reset. This week it is the Vault of Glass. According to Senior Raid Designer Joe Blackburn, this will be the toughest challenge Bungie has ever made. We expect to publish a guide to the challenges in the Vault of Glass today. The challenges are for the Templar and Atheon.
The Equus is the new horse in ARK Survival Evolved. It can also appear as a unicorn mutation. Here’s how to tame a unicorn.
Since patch v256, unicorns exist in ARK Survival Evolved! The unicorn is actually a mutation of the mount “Equus”. The unicorn mutation is extremely rare, pure white, and has a horn on its head. There are already dragons in ARK, so why not unicorns?
Many players are now eager to tame a unicorn. The unicorn is tamed just like a regular Equus. Taming the prehistoric horses works differently than with most creatures in Ark. Stealth skills are required.
Ark: Taming the Unicorn – Taming Strategy for the Equus
Unicorns, or rather the Equus, are extremely skittish and will flee as soon as they notice you. You need to give the animals their favorite food and then try to jump on their backs right after. Here’s how it works:
Approach the Equus
Place the Equus’s favorite food in the last slot of your “action bar”
Once you are close enough, feed the animal with “E”
Press “E” again to jump on the back of the Equus.
Watch the bottom left corner of your screen
If the prompt appears, press “E” again and feed the Equus to calm it down
Repeat this action until the Equus trusts you and is tamed
It can happen that the Equus throws you off during the taming process. In that case, you need to sneak up again and repeat the whole process.
Ark: Unicorn Kibble – What the Equus Likes Most
The Equus may have a completely different taming strategy than most creatures in Ark. However, there is one big similarity: It is just like nearly all dinos crazy about kibbles! The Equus prefers the Troodon kibble.
The Equus’s second favorite is pure Rockcarrots (carrots). With these, you can also try to tame the Equus. However, it is always recommended to use the kibble.
Where to Find the Equus and the Unicorn?
The Equus has not been in ARK for long. Its locations are not yet known. However, it has already been found in “The Island” and “Scorched Earth”. The Equus is especially common in “The Island”. The unicorn mutation, however, is extremely rare. There is only one at a time on the map.
The new teaser for League of Legends introduces two new champions that apparently work as a team. What is behind the double team?
With this new champion teaser, the developers of League of Legends have come up with something very special. When the profile picture of LoL’s social media channels changed yesterday, many players already realized that a new champion is waiting for them. However, the developers surprised everyone with the latest video, as it showcases two new characters.
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There is currently no detailed information about the two champions. The image teaser, which first showed a kind of bird with a golden aura, has now been expanded into a video. The golden glow surrounding the bird fades away, revealing two new characters hidden behind it. A female and a male champion are said to be the new additions to League of Legends.
“She fights for the cause. He fights for her.”, are the words that Riot says about this teaser. Possibly, we can expect a team that harmonizes well together on a lane. Introducing Support and AD Carry with a simultaneous release would be something new for League of Legends that would surely please some duo bot lane players.
Why are the characters so connected? “He fights for her” – are they perhaps a couple? It is possible that the new heroes are siblings. In social networks, players from the LoL community speculate that these champions do not necessarily have to play together on a lane, but generally harmonize well and that having both parties on a team is advantageous.
A new event seems to be in the works for Overwatch . A first teaser on Twitter has excited the fans.
Many Overwatch fans were quite disappointed when Blizzard confirmed that there would be no Easter event in the hero shooter. The newest hero, Orisa, has been in the game for a while now, and the last major in-game event is slowly fading from the players’ memories.
But now Blizzard has reignited the curiosity of fans on Twitter, where a new video was released that mentions “classified information” that will be released on April 11 (or April 12 in our timezone).
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The files are about the “King’s Row Uprising” – an uprising that took place in London 7 years ago. In London, the relationships between Omnics and humans have always been very tense, and while players are escorting a payload, they are even executing quite a terrorist plan: They bring an EMP bomb into the heart of an Omnic habitation, which, if successful, deactivates all machines in a large radius – effectively meaning death for the Omnics.
The fans’ theories regarding the reveal next week are diverse and range from the announcement of a new hero to the implementation of a fresh PvE mode, as was the case during Halloween with “Junkenstein’s Revenge.” This would fit particularly well, as small changes have been made to the map King’s Row on the PTR of Overwatch that were not explained in the patch notes.
What do you think Blizzard will pull out of the hat next for Overwatch? A new annual event with fresh skins and cosmetic items? Or even another new hero?
This weapon was actually supposed to be just decoration in Mass Effect: Andromeda, but now fans are demanding its implementation as a full-fledged gun.
The weapon selection in Mass Effect: Andromeda is already relatively large and allows for a lot of customization through modifications and augmentations. However, players have noticed that there are some weapons that are not available, which keep appearing in cutscenes. After some players asked the developers directly on Twitter where they could find the weapons from the cutscenes and certain blueprints used in menus, it quickly became clear: nowhere.
This seems strange to the players, as why shouldn’t the weapons from the cutscenes, which make the characters look particularly cool, also be available in the game?
Ian S. Frazier, one of the developers at BioWare, has now explained that the weapon depicted is the X5 Ghost, or the AAX5. A weapon that only serves an aesthetic purpose in cutscenes and lies around as “decoration” in the game world.
But that doesn’t end the topic. Because many players desire exactly this weapon, it could be the case that in a future patch, the X5 Ghost is made available in the game.
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BioWare can relatively easily add new weapons in patches, as demonstrated on the weekend after the game launch with a character and a weapon in multiplayer mode. The weapon was then also available in the single-player campaign.
Generally, there are still many weapons from the “Mass Effect” series that are not present in Andromeda. The story reason for this is probably that they simply weren’t exported to the Heleus Cluster. However, maybe in the future, there will be the occasional crate from smugglers bringing back special favorites to the game.
Battlepacks, weapon skins, medals, and new private games. The developers have now announced the content for the upcoming days of the Battlefield 1 Battlefest.
Currently, Battlefield 1 is celebrating Battlefest in honor of DICE’s 25th anniversary. The developers of the shooter are celebrating with the community and have planned many bonuses and cool events for you. The team has now announced what to expect in the coming days during this festival. In addition to weapon skins, you can also look forward to a new game mode for private games.
Battlefest from April 4
So far, you have already benefited from double experience points and cool medals during the current Battlefest. The next days are also expected to be rewarding for you if you play Battlefield 1.
Battlepack for free!
April 4, 12:00 UTC (14:00 in Germany), until April 9, 23:59 UTC (April 10 – 01:59 in Germany)
Reward: Log in to Battlefield 1 between April 4 and April 9 and receive a free Battlepack of the Battlefest Battlepack version
Community Mission
From April 4 to April 9
Play during the above-mentioned times on one of the maps from the Battlefield 1 DLC They Shall Not Pass with a Premium Pass or through Premium Friends and get a total of 25 kills.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is extremely popular on Steam and continues to break record numbers. It has now surpassed the survival competitor ARK and is approaching the market leader H1Z1 – King of the Kill.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, the battle royale MMO shooter from Bluehole, the creators of TERA, and the pro modder “PlayerUnknown,” achieved phenomenal sales numbers shortly after its launch on Steam. However, these numbers are less valuable than the long-term concurrent user counts.
These are also numerous in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and are what keeps the battle royale shooter game steadily climbing the charts on Steam.
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PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – More players than ARK, H1Z1 still King!
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has only been on the market for a week and already has around 34,000 concurrent players (as of this news on April 3, 2017). Enough to create many exciting online battles in battle royale style. This slightly surpasses the indirect competitor ARK: Survival Evolved.
The dino survival game has only about 30,000 players on average concurrently hunting dinosaurs. However, both games together do not even gather as many players as the “King of the Kill” H1Z1 has, which regularly attracts around 75,000 players for bloody battle royale rounds.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – Potential for a big hit!
Yet, even though PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is still behind H1Z1, the good numbers speak for themselves, especially since PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is still in an early access state. If the game can maintain and further grow its high player count, it is likely to have a bright future ahead.
Are you also playing PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and what do you think of it? Do you believe it is the new H1Z1? Or do you find Battlegrounds completely overhyped? Let us know in the comments!
The developers of the MMORPG The Black Death want to attract more players and have released a new trailer to coincide with the release of a major update.
With the trailer, the developers want to showcase the grim world where everyone is out for themselves. A fruit vendor coughs as he passes a bystander to offer his goods at the market. But the people of the Middle Ages fear the plague, which leads to the vendor being attacked and fleeing the city in wounded state. There he must survive in the wilderness, ultimately causing him to murder a farmer and take over his house. He slowly expands it until a group of strangers approaches who apparently do not have good intentions.
The Plague Spreads
The Black Death will give you many freedoms in the dark Middle Ages. Whether you are a merchant, bard, soldier, or bandit is up to you. Above all hangs the sword of Damocles called “Plague”. Players can get infected and even die from the disease. Survival is therefore paramount, which is not so easy in the grim Middle Ages.
A New Update Aims to Make the Game More Interesting
No matter how interesting the premise of the game sounds, the current player numbers on Steam show that it is not yet well received. At the time this news was written, there were only eleven players online at the same time, as Steamcharts apparently shows. That is far too few for an MMORPG.
Therefore, the developers have released a major update that overhauls the combat system, introduces new respawn points, integrates daily rewards, and adds new areas where the plague rages. There, players can find the best loot, but it is extremely dangerous to stay there.
It should also be noted that The Black Death is still in an early access phase and will continue to evolve. Hopefully, more players will take an interest in the MMORPG and it can reach its full potential.
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Destiny is celebrated in the current Video of the Week – Boom De Yada!
It’s Monday evening – that also means in the Age of Triumph, it’s time for the Videos of the Week. For most Guardians, the Reveal Trailer for Destiny 2 was likely the video highlight of the week, but the community has also created impressive works that we present here. The creators of all videos selected by Bungie receive this badge:
This week’s MOTW title could be claimed by a video that has the motto: “Destiny is Just Awesome!” – “Destiny is Just Awesome!” The music is from the advertising campaign of the Discovery Channel “I Love the World”, and the footage is from the MMO shooter. By the way, the original slogan is “The World is Just … Awesome”. Here’s the Destiny version – at the end, thanks are given to Bungie and the Destiny community for three amazing years:
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Finally, Bungie has a strong performance to offer in the 390 light level version of the Crota Raid: Guardians managed to defeat Crota with just one sword:
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Paladins new patch OB 47 brings adjustments to the interface. Kinessa and Makoa get new skins. Read the OB 47 patch highlights here.
Recently, Hi-Rez Studio presented the new patch OB 47. The update includes a few adjustments to the interface. Additionally, Kinessa and Makoa receive new skins. With Kinessa’s skin, there are special quests that allow you to unlock more parts of the skin.
Paladins Patch OB47 – Interface Adjustments
The interface is getting a revamp and is now more organized in several areas.
The Mastery Page receives an update. Rewards available for each mastery level of the respective champions are displayed more prominently.
Anyone who wishes to dismantle a card will receive a warning before the card is destroyed.
Dismantled cards will be removed from the loadout deck. It will be indicated that the loadout deck is no longer usable.
Additional sound effects: When entering a queue, selecting a champion, or a cosmetic adjustment.
New card design for 100 cards.
Kinessa’s new skin “Nova Strike”
Champion Adjustments – New Skins for Makoa and Kinessa
Makoa and Kinessa receive new skins with patch OB 47. Makoa gets a fiery skin that makes the turtle look like a volcano. By unlocking Kinessa’s new skin, you can complete quests to unlock even more skin parts for free.
Makoa Skin: “Vulcan Makoa”
“Vulcan Makoa” will be unlocked for free upon reaching level 30 in the Open Beta. Anyone who has already reached level 30 will also unlock the skin.
Kinessa Skin: “Supernova”-Kinessa
Kinessa’s new skin “Supernova” comes with a new feature. Upon unlocking the skin, players have the opportunity to complete quests. If you complete the item quests, you will receive even more skin parts. In the image, you can see the quests to be completed. Players who win many matches with Kinessa will receive the additional parts.
“Q&A Session” on Patch OB 47
Hi-Rez Studio introduced the new patch OB 47 via livestream. During this, there was a “Q&A session” where the following things were revealed:
Skins/Champion Adjustments: More skins that significantly deviate from the standard design of the champions will be available soon. “Recolours” are intended to simply add more color to the game in the future. Recently, more designers have been hired at Hi-Rez, who are working intensively on epic and rare skins.
Maps: New maps are currently in production. A new “Siege” map is expected to be released soon, featuring a new art design. The goal is to release a new map every few months.
Rank Reset/Ranked Matches: At this point, it is still uncertain when the ranks of the ranked matches will be reset. How exactly this will be carried out is also not yet determined. A livestream will be coming soon in which Hi-Rez will share its ideas on this. The community will then have the opportunity to provide feedback.
Additionally, there is a new PvE challenge, Cave of the Hunter. In this challenge, players face off against enhanced Drogoz bots. Some champions have been adjusted, with Maeve and Inara receiving a buff, for example.
You can find the complete patch notes in our sources.
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In Marvel Heroes, the legendary S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury is a new hero. Additionally, Medusa is introduced as a new team-up option.
The already robust selection of heroes in Marvel Heroes is getting even bigger. In addition to legends such as the Hulk, Captain America, Thor, or even the talking raccoon Rocket Raccoon, Nick Fury enters the game as hero number 62!
Marvel Heroes – Nick Fury – Rifles and Pistols as Skills
The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. can do more than just boss around the Avengers and deliver cool one-liners. As a former elite agent, he is a pro with firearms and grenades. He shoots with pistols, assault rifles, machine guns, and sniper rifles, throws bombs of all kinds, and even carries a bazooka.
Alternatively, you can play Nick Fury as a sneaky assassin who can become invisible and take out enemies from behind without being seen. As the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., he can also call in airstrikes from the Helicarrier and buff his allies.
As a special ability, Fury can use an energy weapon as a channeled attack, which heavily damages everything in a cone in front of him. Nick Fury is available in a trench coat like in the Avengers movie or as a comic version with a combat suit.
Marvel Heroes – Medusa – Killer Rapunzel as a Sidekick
Nick Fury is a playable hero, but as support, you can also get Medusa as a team-up option. Medusa is a bizarre heroine who fights with her hair. The heroine’s red, razor-sharp mane is her primary weapon, which she uses to dismantle her opponents. The hair is very nicely animated, but from certain perspectives, she looks like a walking hair monster.
Destiny 2 is going to be big – just take a look at the preliminary download size. Upon release, nearly 70 GB of free hard drive space is required.
The upcoming MMO shooter Destiny 2 will be available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Pre-orders are already underway. If you want to jump in with your legend on the release day, September 8, you’ll need not only a copy of the game but also plenty of hard drive space.
According to the PlayStation Store and the notes from certain retailers, Destiny 2 will take up a hefty 68 GB. This also applies to the PC version, if we are to believe the product description from Best Buy. However, these are just preliminary figures. There might be slight adjustments before the release.
Destiny 2 – The main game is larger than Destiny with all DLCs
Currently, you can purchase “Destiny – The Collection”. This is a bundle that includes the main game of Destiny along with all released expansions. According to the PlayStation Store, you will need at least 60 GB of free space for this. This means: Destiny 2 will be nearly 10 GB larger at launch than everything that has been released for Destiny 1 combined.
It should be noted that two expansions for Destiny 2 have already been announced. These will further increase the storage requirements.
Expansion I and Expansion II will introduce new story missions, co-op activities, a competitive multiplayer mode, and tons of new weapons, armor pieces, and other items. They are expected to be released in Winter 2017 and Spring 2018. You can read more about the expansions for Destiny 2 here.
Do you need to clear space on your hard drive before you can start with your legend?
The fantasy MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV is known for its cross-promotions. But what does it have to do with Wrestlemania 33?
Final Fantasy XIV enjoys engaging in cross-promotions. These are marketing campaigns where one brand collaborates with another to mutually strengthen each other.
Unusual cross-promotion for Stormblood
The Japanese MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV has historically made such deals primarily with Japanese television series or franchises. Collaborations have been made with Phantasy Star Online 2, Yo-Kai Watch, or Garo.
During the massive wrestling festival WrestleMania 33 of WWE, the trio tag team “The New Day” appeared in Final Fantasy outfits. They wore costumes inspired by Monk, Samurai, and Red Mage. The Samurai and the Red Mage are two of the new classes that are set to be added to Final Fantasy XIV in the “Stormblood” expansion in June. Square Enix apparently used WrestleMania as a showcase.
The New Day served as “hosts” for WrestleMania 33. They wore the crazy outfits.
The New Day known for its affinity for video games
The team “New Day” is known for its affinity for nerd culture and video games. Especially Xavier Woods is an avid gamer. He has his own YouTube channel called “UpUpDownDown.” In recent weeks, he played For Honor or Horizon: Zero Dawn.
However, it may be doubted whether Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, and Big E are really fans of the hardcore MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV and truly know what they are promoting.
The announcers certainly don’t sound incredibly credible when they talk about “Chocobos, Moogles and I love Final Fantasy XIV – everyone knows that.”
Another big gaming fan in wrestling is the giant “The Big Show,” who is fond of Destiny.
Mass Effect: Andromeda has very strange faces. However, it seems that this is not the fault of the developers at BioWare.
Hardly any other topic has caused as much mockery and derision regarding Mass Effect: Andromeda as the botched facial animations of most characters in the game. Although BioWare has repeatedly confirmed that they themselves are not satisfied, it has not yet been confirmed whether the faces will actually be “fixed.” However, it might be possible that the blame does not lie with the staff at BioWare, but with other teams!
The YouTuber Liam Robertson, who regularly uncovers various details about video games on his YouTube channel “Game History Guy,” recently had the opportunity to speak with some developers from BioWare. Although he did not want to discuss the facial animations himself, the topic was brought up by the developers. According to their statements, the core team at BioWare was not responsible for the facial animations of most human characters!
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When creating the faces, they relied—according to Robertson’s sources—mainly on a cyberscan technology, where real objects are scanned and then turned into digital images. To make faces appear realistic, however, a lot of manual work from the developers is still required. This work, however, was outsourced and distributed to other teams.
It is even claimed that the management of BioWare rejected the developers’ offers to manually refine the work because they did not consider it important enough.
That tasks are outsourced to other teams within the same publisher is not new; for example, the multiplayer of Mass Effect 3 was developed by a different team than the campaign.
If the story is true, then the fault probably lies with the management of BioWare, which did not find it necessary to have the core team refine the faces again.
In the coming weeks, more details are sure to be revealed.
This mod brings Crysis to GTA 5 – Put on the Nanosuit and enjoy speed, strength, or even invisibility in Los Santos.
Have you ever wondered how easy some things in GTA 5 would be if you wore a crazy power suit? The Nanosuit from Crysis is the perfect opportunity to explore this question. With a mod, you can activate this powerful piece in the game that enhances your character with strength, speed, armor, and many other gimmicks.
Crysis Mod in GTA 5
The centerpiece of the mod is the aforementioned Nanosuit from Crysis. The game was originally released in 2007 and is now making a small comeback in GTA 5 for its tenth anniversary.
The modder JulioNIB has developed this modification, which also overhauls the in-game interface and activates weapon customization. According to your taste, you can equip weapons with scopes or simply attach other parts to the HUD. Of course, the powerful super jump must not be missed, allowing you to challenge the stability of some cars. In the video, you can see what the mod has to offer and decide for yourself whether it’s suitable for your offline adventures.
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The barbarian survival MMO Conan Exiles received a new device with update 23 that truly makes sieges possible: Trebuchet catapults! With these throwing machines, you can now effectively and physically accurately dismantle enemy fortifications!
Trebuchets, also known as “trebuchet” in German, were fearsome throwing machines in the late Middle Ages that hurled heavy stone balls hundreds of meters using a counterweight and a long throwing arm.
Historically, trebuchets are documented only around the 13th century, but apparently the complex siege devices existed in the prehistoric Hyborian Age in Conan Exiles!
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Until now, you could only destroy enemy fortifications using explosive containers that you had to carry by hand to the target. This changes with the trebuchet, which was introduced in update 23 as the second new content after dyes in the game. The trebuchet is a complex machine that you need to securely install at a carefully selected location.
To do this, you need level 15 and the talent “Engineer”. Then you will build a trebuchet base for 200 wood, 13 iron reinforcements, 25 bricks, and 30 wooden boards. There, you will further construct the frame of the throwing machine with another 200 wood and 13 iron reinforcements, as well as the throwing arm with counterweight using 200 wood, 13 iron reinforcements, and 25 ropes. Your trebuchet is ready!
Conan Exiles – Sieges – Trebuchet – Physics vs. Forts
Once the trebuchet is finished, it will stay there. The device is not movable and is therefore only effective when it is within firing range of an enemy fortification. You can fire the already known explosive containers with the trebuchet or produce ammunition directly in the machine from 25 stones and ten ropes. Load stones and other heavy items into the counterweight and adjust the range and projectile trajectory.
The trebuchet itself cannot be moved, but you can rotate it left and right by walking against the respective levers to turn the device. Just be careful not to let any enemy player disturb you while besieging and dismantling your expensive throwing machine. Large sieges should therefore always be team efforts where you should bring your friends or clan along.
Have you already tried the trebuchet? What were your experiences? Let us know in the comments!
The Elder Scrolls Online is getting an interim patch. Maintenance work will cause offline servers. Find out here how long the maintenance will approximately last and what is stated in the patch notes.
The Elder Scrolls Online is being updated with a patch, which is why the servers are offline. This affects the PC version on April 3rd starting at 10:00 AM, while the Xbox One on April 4th and the PS4 on April 5th are scheduled for 12:00 PM respectively. The update mainly fixes issues with certain abilities and destruction staffs, as well as a few bugs in the raid “Slough of Lorkhaj” and in the user interface.
The Elder Scrolls Online – Patch v2.7.11 Maintenance – Here are the patch notes
The update changes the following things in all versions of The Elder Scrolls Online:
Down into the Abyss: This quest can no longer be shared, aligning it with the other trial quests.
After defeating Rakkhat, the ancient Moon Talisman will once again be available in the chest for all who killed him, without having accepted “Down into the Abyss” beforehand.
The message window will no longer close if you open it shortly after switching areas.
A problem has been fixed where certain alchemy reagents did not appear in the reagent search results of guild traders.
A problem has been fixed where the enchantment bonus of a Maelstrom destruction staff did not work for more than one player if multiple players applied “elemental wall” to the same target.
A rare issue has been fixed where the Hlaalu furnishing document could sometimes be empty after opening.
Daedric Summon – Explosive Companion: A problem with ranks I to III of this ability has been fixed, where the pulse damage of the explosive companion was increased by other players’ “daedric loot”.
The maintenance on PC is expected to be completed by 4:00 PM according to ZeniMax.
The maintenance for the PC version was completed earlier than expected. Since 3:00 PM, the servers of The Elder Scrolls Online are active again.
The updates for Xbox One and Playstation 4 will only be deployed starting at 12:00 PM. If they take as long as the PC version, they are expected to be deployed around 5 PM.
In Warframe , the community manager Rebecca Ford is also the voice of the AI Lotus. This helps in everyday life.
Gameindustry.biz conducted a long interview with Rebecca Ford. She explains how challenging and diverse the job of a community manager is today. Fans of a game like Warframe no longer only want to receive information. They also want a “spectacle” around it: such as a live stream from the developers that entertains the player base.
A shitstorm should not hinder the creativity of the developers
On the other hand, it is difficult to tell the developers what the community is currently thinking and feeling. Especially when one of the “pitchfork” moments is approaching, when the community threatens to destroy everything because they are dissatisfied with a developer decision.
It does not help the developers to pass this pressure directly onto them and stress them out, because then they tend to question everything, believes Ford. Therefore, it is the job of the community manager to put such moments into context: “People are upset, but they have been here for 4 years. So not everything can have gone wrong. If we were as terrible as they say we are, we would never have come this far.”
You have to deal with player feedback, filter and sort it, but you must not let it hinder creativity in the office.
You have to make it clear that Warframe belongs to the developers and they want to realize their visions. On the other hand, you must never lose respect for the players who have their own expectations.
The community manager also voices the AI Lotus
Rebecca Ford has a special advantage at Warframe. As the game came together at a difficult time for the studio, they saved on voice actors back then. So Ford took on the role of the intelligence “Lotus”, a Cortana-like figure that guides players. She is also called “Space Mom”.
According to Ford, she is respected as a community manager and enjoys a presumption of competence.
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The players knew that Ford understands the game because she was an important part of Warframe. She was there in every mission at all times. This gave Ford a presumption of competence that has grown over time. As advice for other developers, Ford suggests: Not all community managers have to be voice actors, but they need to build a bridge of trust with the players. This must succeed for games-as-a-service.
Mein MMO says: It is interesting to study Warframe to understand what exactly this underdog does better than many others to be such a success. Good community management is obviously extremely important for such “surprise successes”. Here are parallels to ARK: Survival Evolved. Studio Wildcard has also emphasized how important it is to have top people here.
Also, the new Warframe Octavia has a beautiful voice:
In the MMO shooter Destiny, the Guardians discovered an Easter egg: Dinklebot is back with his notorious voice line.
For Peter Dinklage, things have been going well for a few years now: He got the role of Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones and made it his own. This brought him worldwide fame.
The fact that he once held the voice acting role of the Ghost in Destiny almost falls into oblivion. With the success of GoT came full schedules, making it difficult for the creators behind Destiny to engage Dinklage for new recordings. Therefore, the Ghost remained silent in the two DLCs in Year 1.
For this reason, they decided to recast the Ghost role with professional voice actor Nolan North. In the German version, the original voice of Claus-Peter Damitz remained, who incidentally also lends his voice to Dinklage in Game of Thrones.
That Wizard came from the Moon!
The Ghost with Dinklage’s voice was affectionately called Dinklebot by the English-speaking community. Even before the launch of Destiny, in the alpha phase, he caused a stir:
In the mission “The Dark Within”, the Ghost points out that the witch to be defeated comes from the moon. In English, this is: “The Wizard came from the Moon!” However, Dinklage read this line so emotionlessly that it became a running gag. Here is the original voice recording:
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Bungie showed humor and even released a T-shirt with this line. However, since Nolan North not only voiced the new Ghost recordings but also re-recorded the old ones, this notorious voice line disappeared from Destiny.
Until now! Because the Age of Triumph brought this sentence back from Dinklebot. In the following video, you can hear Dinklebot’s return. Immediately after, the Ghost clears his throat and switches back to the “Nolan North” voice:
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In the German-speaking world, this may not be a big deal for many Guardians, but the English-speaking community celebrated this discovery in recent days with a good dose of nostalgia.
