Cloud Pirates is a tactical MMO where you take command of a flying ship in a steampunk style. To play the game for free in Early Access, we have 50 founder packs for you.
Cloud Pirates by My.com is a colorful and dynamic tactical MMO with flying ships. It somewhat resembles Wargaming’s naval spectacle World of Warships, only you can also move vertically. Each ship is assigned to a class and can therefore do different things. For example, you can heal other players with support corvettes, while sniper galleons fire accurately from a distance. Heavily armored battleships, on the other hand, hold the line and unleash devastating broadside attacks. Your skill with the chosen ship, alongside teamwork, leads to victory.
Cloud Pirates – Win Free Access
If all of this has made you wildly excited about Cloud Pirates, then rejoice! Normally, access to the Early Access of Cloud Pirates on Steam costs 8.99 Euros. But with the navigator founder packs that we are raffling here, you can get in for free. In addition to early access, the packs also include:
An invitation code for a friend
7 days of premium playtime (for more in-game currency and experience)
750 rubies
A unique flag
Unique frames and portraits
The “Founder Title” in the forum
To win one of the 50 navigator founder packs, you only need to register via the embedded form here, and with a bit of luck, you’ll win one of the codes. Those who unlock multiple entries increase their chances of winning. The participation in the raffle is possible until March 28th, 2017, 12 PM, and the lucky winners will be notified as soon as possible via the provided addresses. Good luck!
In The Division, a fatal glitch is causing chaos: agents are running invisible through PvP and shooting down helpless players.
For a few days now, a new glitch has been circulating on Reddit and YouTube that significantly affects the gameplay in “Last Stand” and the Dark Zone. This game-breaking glitch is referred to as the “Invisible Man Glitch” or “Invincible Glitch” in the English-speaking community, allowing agents to become invisible and hunt down unsuspecting players.
In this video, you can see an agent who fell victim to this glitch:
https://youtu.be/SIHVoC9vd0o
Agents Demand the Banhammer
There are already numerous tutorials about this glitch on YouTube, which is why it is spreading extremely quickly at the moment. We will refrain from providing a guide here – those looking for one will easily find it with just a few clicks. However, it doesn’t take much to reproduce this. A swift response from Massive is therefore urgently needed.
Some agents are now calling for the banhammer for everyone who uses this glitch. Whether Massive will take action is still unknown. As an exploit that would incur penalties, it is not marked in the Ubi forum.
Other agents are already giving tips on how to counter these glitchers. Apparently, seeker mines and turrets can locate the invisible enemies and “break” the glitch. Grenades are also said to be helpful. Still: You are at a disadvantage against invisible agents.
What does Massive say about this?
This glitch has already been reported in the Ubi forum, and community manager Ubi-gabelikes has issued a statement about it:
We are aware of it and are trying to deploy a fix during maintenance on Thursday.
The issue won’t be resolved until at least March 23rd. Until then, you should avoid “Last Stand” or the Dark Zone – or prepare for frustration.
Cloud Pirates, the airship MMO from My.com, has been available in Early Access on Steam for PC since February. We played the game, which feels like a World of Warships with flying steampunk airships. Read here to find out if it’s worth it.
The world of Sarnaut shattered many years ago into its individual pieces, and since then the fragments float freely through the air. But these skies are not safe, as pirates lurk everywhere. In Cloud Pirates, they do not sail on water, but have built curious steampunk vessels. These race through the sky with energy sails and jet drives, blasting each other out of the air with cannons, torpedoes, and ray guns.
https://youtu.be/AExys8SLWgY
Cloud Pirates – Flying Ships and Wild Pirates
In Cloud Pirates, the air combat MMO from My.com (Skyforge, Revelation Online), we command such a steampunk pirate ship. You can choose between various ship types, each with different abilities as well as individual strengths and weaknesses.
There are light corvettes and clippers that act as torpedo boats, unleashing their full firepower in a devastating torpedo attack. Support ships can heal other ships, sniper galleons shoot from high distances, cruisers are great all-rounders, and battleships are rocks against enemy fire.
Cloud Pirates – Naval Battles in Vertical
Once you have chosen a ship, you join a battle and are assigned to a team of nine other players. Together with your comrades, you fight against an enemy team of equal size. The goal is to capture strategic points and hold them until you have enough victory points. To do this, you shoot down enemy players and capture their points. Alternatively, there is also a game mode where you have to intercept an NPC ship.
If a ship sinks, the victim is entitled to a respawn after a certain waiting time. The battles in Cloud Pirates are similar to those in World of Warships from Wargaming. However, the aerial battles with sailing ships are more dynamic, as you can not only sail straight but also brake and turn at any time. Since your ships fly, you can also adjust the altitude at any time.
Full Broadside!
With the light and fast maneuvering – even large battleships are surprisingly agile – there is plenty of speed in the game. The battles are no exception.
You have mounted your weapons for broadside and as bow armament. You can only fire one section at a time, and depending on where the enemy is, you have different weapons to choose from.
Most ships use their numerous cannons on the broadsides as their main armament, but certain ships – such as the torpedo clipper – only fire their powerful torpedoes forward. To always have the optimal firing solution, you need to constantly turn your ship and show the enemy your strongest side. By the way, every shot heats up your guns, and if they are too hot, they must painfully cool down for long seconds before you can fire again.
If you take damage yourself, it is first deducted from your shields. Only when they are gone does the damage affect the hull, and if that reaches zero, your ship will explode.
Since the shields recharge when not being fired at, it is essential to turn a damaged section away from the enemy and show them a less battered side. By constantly turning the ships to maximize firepower and reduce damage, the battles in Cloud Pirates resemble an elegant waltz of flying steampunk ships.
Cloud Pirates – Ship Building Kit
You can upgrade your ships after the battle using the experience points and gold pieces gained in it. For example, by installing different and better weapons or mounting other special abilities. Ships can – depending on the equipment – then also perform additional torpedo attacks, repair themselves, execute short dimensional jumps, or cloak.
If you have had enough of a ship and want a better one, you can also unlock entirely new vessels and thus rise higher in the tiers (so-called “tiers”: from the English “Tier” = level). Of course, the battles are more challenging in higher tiers, as both more experienced players and more complex ships are at play.
Currently, Cloud Pirates is still in Early Access on Steam. Access is only possible with Founder Packs, the cheapest of which costs only 8.99 euros.
We are raffling off 50 Navigator Founder Packs for Cloud Pirates until March 28th. Good luck participating!
Jürgen says: I already thought World of Warships was great, but Cloud Pirates fascinates me even more thanks to the unusual setting and fast gameplay. In Warships, I often have to take a long time to find the enemy and set my course early, here I can float freely through the skies and happily shoot!
However, Cloud Pirates is not lacking in depth and challenge. The game with the steampunk pirates is by no means a trivial arcade shooter. Rather, you have to use your ship’s abilities well and position it optimally. Together with teamwork, this is the key to success!
Overwatch says goodbye to the concept of “draw” matches. This has upset the community.
Besides Hanzo mains, draw matches are among the most frustrating things in Overwatch, at least according to the community on Reddit and the official forums. Many players would rather lose with dignity than turn a long game into a draw, as both sides feel they have wasted their time.
Blizzard shares this view and believes that there are still too many “draw” matches in Overwatch. For this reason, they are now testing a new regulation on the PTR that aims to make draws nearly impossible – though there is still a small chance.
Above all, the changes focus on control point maps (Anubis, Volskaya) as well as “hybrid” control/payload maps (King’s Row, Numbani, Hollywood, Eichenwalde). Now, it is no longer only “fully” captured points that count. Even individual percentages of progress can determine victory and defeat.
An example: Team 1 manages to capture the first control point A on the map Temple of Anubis, but they have no luck at B. They only briefly reach the point and can fill the capture circle up to 20% before being pushed back and the circle completely empties. In the return round, Team 2 does not need to capture both control points to achieve a clear victory. Instead, it suffices for them to capture point A and subsequently capture point B to at least 21% (which is 1% more than the other team).
A draw is then only possible if both teams could indeed capture 0 percent of a point, which requires permanent, perfect defense.
The new rule opens a “backdoor”
The community views this change with mixed feelings. Some fans cheer that draws will now be much rarer. Others have concerns that may quickly come true. An invisible Sombra could sneak through, for example, and undetected capture the decisive percentage when no defender is present, as in this example:
https://gfycat.com/FlippantRequiredCormorant
This change is currently only on the PTR. Whether it will also go to the live servers remains to be seen.
What do you think of these changes? Cool thing or does it completely shake up competitive play?
The seventh title update for FIFA 17 is approaching. This is expected to carry the version number 1.08. Here are the patch notes for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Update: 1.08 is now available on PS4 and Xbox One as of March 21st. It weighs 885 MB.
A new update has recently gone live for PC. This is now the seventh title update released by EA Sports for FIFA 17. The release for consoles is still pending – the previous updates also came to PS4 and Xbox One only a few days later. The patch notes are always identical. Since the last update had the version number 1.07, we assume that the current one will be 1.08.
FIFA 17 – Patch notes for the 7th title update
Changes in “Ultimate Team” mode:
The number of knockout tournaments a player can win in FUT Champions has been limited.
In FUT Champions matches, the ability to limit attribute items has been added.
Team restrictions options, such as player type, have been added to FUT Champions.
Additionally, there are visual adjustments: A bug with the display of player overall ratings is fixed, and the latency display is standardized across all online modes. Previously, there was an incorrect goalkeeper animation on a back pass. Finally, the penalty kick indicator and FIFA trainer will be disabled in all FUT Champions matches.
Here are the complete original patch notes
FUT:
Limited the number of times a player can win a weekday knockout tournament in FUT Champions
Added the ability to limit attribute items for FUT Champions Matches
Added new squad restriction options for FUT Champions, such as player type
Added games remaining to the FUT Champions leaderboard
Visual changes:
Updated a club crest and player photo in the database
Addressed an issue where a player’s overall rating is displayed incorrectly
Standardized the latency bar graphic across all online modes
Gameplay changes:
Addressed an issue where the goalkeeper would play the wrong animation on a pass back
Disabled the penalty kick indicator and FIFA trainer from all FUT Champions matches
EA Sports thanks all players who provided feedback. More updates will come in the future.
In Destiny, the Guardians demand an end to the time exclusivity for the content currently available only on PlayStation.
“With the release of Age of Triumph, can Xbox users finally get the overdue PS4 content they’ve been waiting for?”
A Guardian posed this question in the Reddit forum and received agreement and thousands of upvotes from other Guardians.
Since the launch of Destiny in September 2014, there have been PlayStation-exclusive content that Xbox Guardians only gained access to later. The Year 1 PS Exclusives, like the Hawkmoon, came to Xbox with the release of TTK, but this expansion also introduced new PS-exclusive content that still isn’t available to all Guardians.
The April update in 2016 and Rise of Iron in Fall 2016 brought more PS-exclusive content.
What content is PlayStation-exclusive?
With The Taken King, exclusive armor pieces, the strike “Echo Chamber”, the Crucible map “Sector 618”, and the scout rifle The Jade Rabbit were introduced.
The April update introduced the sniper rifle Zen Meteor, the Velumbra Sparrow, armor pieces, and an exclusive quest.
With The Iron Lords’ Awakening, there was an exclusive quest, a PvP map (Icarus), and the ship “Timeless Tereshkova”.
Especially the weapons Zen Meteor and The Jade Rabbit, as well as the strike and PvP maps, are coveted by Xbox players, who are still waiting impatiently.
If not now, when?
Many Guardians view the upcoming content update “Age of Triumph” as the last chance to make these time-exclusive contents available to all Guardians. Because AoT will be the last big thing in Destiny 1 – after that, it’s over. Then the era of Destiny 2 begins. After that, no one will want these contents that they waited 2 years for. If they came with AoT, Xbox players could enjoy them for a few months.
As Bungie moves forward with AoT with the “Now it doesn’t matter”-line, these long-awaited items and game content could finally come to Xbox One, as many users wish. In the days and weeks following the reveal of AoT, dozens of threads on Reddit were opened with this topic. But how realistic is it that the time exclusivity will end in a week, on March 28?
“At least until Fall 2017”
A look at the Destiny page with the PlayStation exclusives gives little hope that this wish of the community will be fulfilled. It states:
Timed exclusive until at least Fall of 2017
This means, not before Fall 2017 can these contents be expected on Xbox. It is not ruled out that Bungie will deviate from this plan, but we have no statements on this. It seems that Xbox Guardians will not gain access to PS-exclusive content before Destiny 2.
NC Soft announces a new expansion for the martial arts MMORPG Blade and Soul, titled Secret of Stratus. It has also been announced that over 4 million players have registered for the MMO.
NC Soft is proud to have four million players for the MMORPG Blade and Soul. Furthermore, it is confirmed that many updates will be released this year, which will appear at larger intervals but will be more impactful.
The team intends to focus especially on the PvP mode. Additionally, it has been announced that the latest expansion “Secret of Stratus” will be released on April 12.
The story continues
The addon includes Act VII of the story, in which the student Jinsoyun is kidnapped by the villainous Zulia, and you must set out to rescue her. Additionally, a new distribution system for skill points is being introduced in the online game. This will make it easier to allocate skill points, resulting in the skills tree being removed and replaced by a simpler, streamlined selection. This will also simplify the assignment of skills.
Also new are the three PvE areas: ▪ Naryu Sanctum (heroic dungeon) – The most challenging heroic dungeon for six players offers great rewards, such as a new legendary bracelet. ▪ Celestial Basin (PvE open world area) – The new open world area for solo/casual players offers new Mystic Badges. ▪ Tower of Mushin, Floors 16 – 20 (single-player dungeon) – The deadly boss Yunsang awaits players! There is also a brand new leaderboard for those seeking the fastest kill.
Level up to 50!
In the new Hongmoon training room, you will test your combos on practice dummies and bosses. With the addon, you can also purchase a voucher that allows you to instantly raise your hero to level 50. A skill balance patch, new legendary items, new cosmetic items, new companions, and more are also included in the addon.
New class planned
For the future, a new class, Act VIII of the story, an increase in the maximum level, ultimate skills, and a stronger focus on competitive PvP in the MMORPG Blade and Soul are planned.
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Those who are looking for a new MOBA that plays significantly more action-oriented and active than other genre representatives can look forward to the soon-to-start closed beta of Master X Master in Europe and Germany .
Master X Master wants to let you experience exciting MOBA battles that differ from those of other genre representatives. You control your heroes like in an action game using the W,A,S,D keys, giving you control over which movements they make and when. You can roll, jump into cover, and even actively fire your weapons. This is meant to bring a whole new gaming experience.
Founder packs give you a time advantage
If you want to try it out yourself, you can register on the official website for the soon-to-start closed beta. As NC Soft announced, it will take place from April 6 to April 27. Additionally, it is confirmed that almost everyone who signs up will also gain access.
If you want to dive right in, you can purchase one of the founder packs. Everything you find in it can also be earned in the game; you are only buying a time advantage. All items in the founder packs can be used during the beta as well as in the release version after the wipe.
A hero from City of Heroes
In the game, you will not only be able to embody the already known heroes but also Statesman, whom players may recognize from City of Heroes. He utilizes the abilities “Dull Pain” and “Flying Haymaker,” making him a rock in the surf. “Zeus’ Bolts” and “Foot Stomp” make him nearly unstoppable and with the ultimate skill “Heroism,” he can act faster and more agile for eight seconds while enhancing his other skills.
Curious scenes in China: A League of Legends player reportedly rammed his head through the monitor. What was the reason?
In many current multiplayer games, players have the opportunity to compete online against others and test their skills. Winning feels good and motivates players to continue. Frequent defeats can quickly turn the mood negative.
In League of Legends, two teams compete against each other on a map. Players can team up with friends and take on other teams together.
In China, apparently poor LoL skills of teammates led a player to ram his head through the monitor.
The website Chinapress.com reports on an incident that occurred in a Chinese internet café. From the translation, the following reason for the incident arises:
A player had a high ranking in the League of Legends leaderboard that he probably fought hard to achieve. After losing four rounds in a row with his team, his ranking declined and he fell down the leaderboard. The frustration about dropping in ranking was so great that he rammed his head through the computer monitor that was on the table.
This was said to be a case of “uncontrollable rage.”
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During the incident, he injured himself, as can be seen in the pictures. After the “accident,” the internet café staff ensured that the player was quickly taken to the hospital.
Online, users take the displayed pictures of the incident with humor:
“One can absolutely understand the frustration with bad allies in League of Legends.”
“In the future, LoL players should wear helmets while gaming.”
However, some LoL fans view such reports from the East with a certain skepticism. Apparently, some have even tried to ram their heads through the monitor and therefore doubt the authenticity of the pictures. Monitors are said to be too stable for that. One cannot achieve such a nicely shaped hole with a headbutt. The story is thus considered a fake.
Others counter: Maybe Chinese monitors aren’t as sturdy as ours? Anyone who has ever played League of Legends probably doubts that defeats can trigger such rage.
The major XDK update v751 caused issues for ARK Survival Evolved on Xbox One. A hotfix is expected today. Studio Wildcard is still waiting for Microsoft’s certification.
Since patch v751 was installed on Xbox, players have been complaining about various issues. Studio Wildcard has already announced a hotfix patch and submitted it to Microsoft for the certification process. Each patch undergoes thorough review and must pass a certification process.
Studio Wildcard is now waiting for the “Okay” from Microsoft to install the hotfix for Ark on Xbox. They hope the patch will be installed later today in US time. Due to our 6-hour delay to the US East Coast, the patch would arrive at the earliest tonight. Provided the patch makes it through certification today.
These Issues Should Be Fixed by the Hotfix on Xbox
These issues are known to Studio Wildcard and are expected to be resolved by the hotfix:
Controllers are shutting down (shut down kills application).
Dedicated and Non-Dedicated servers are only shown individually.
Servers are not listed in the “Cluster Session List” under the “Travel to another ARK” option.
Inviting or joining a password-protected Dedicated server does not work.
It is not possible to invite someone to an ongoing game or join it on official servers.
Now it’s a waiting game for Studio Wildcard and Xbox players. The hotfix may possibly get through the review today. Then everything should run better again by tomorrow.
The XDK update v751 brought new dinos and Tek structures to Ark Survival Evolved for Xbox players. You can find the complete patch notes here:
On March 24, the NDA of the online shooter Escape from Tarkov ends. From then on, everyone may publish videos from the current version, post screenshots, and hold livestreams.
Escape from Tarkov is rapidly approaching beta. In preparation for this next major testing phase, the NDA will fall on March 24, which has so far prevented the posting of videos and screenshots from the alpha. However, there have been some exceptions for certain YouTubers. But from March 24, everyone can stream as they please.
Videos and screenshots may only be published without watermark
However, everyone has to start from scratch. It is not allowed to publish previously recorded videos or created screenshots. These currently still display a watermark, which will be removed with an update on March 24. Only material without this watermark may be published. This is quite frustrating for some YouTubers. Nevertheless, we will likely see many videos about the game soon, as well as follow streams and read reports.
Beta seems to be not far away
The reactions to the decision are mostly positive so far. The streamers and YouTubers are happy that they can finally show material from the game, even if it means that everything recorded so far was for nothing. While some are annoyed about it, the joy of finally being allowed to stream seems to prevail.
Moreover, with the lifting of the NDA, beta is not far away, which many fans of Escape from Tarkov are looking forward to. However, the date for the beta is not yet set.
In Ghost Recon Wildlands you will be most successful if you act tactically and quietly. However, for ideal stealth gameplay, you need weapons that can take out opponents without a sound. Here we present the best silent weapons in Ghost Recon Wildlands that are almost silent with a silencer.
Ghost Recon Wildlands contains a ton of weapons, from the small pistol to the heavy machine gun. Each of these weapons has different strengths and weaknesses and is better suited for one situation than another. For fans of stealth and silent operations, we have gathered some of the best silent weapons here.
GRW – The Quietest Assault Rifles, Sniper Rifles, Pistols, LMGs, MPs, and Shotguns
On the following pages, we will present some weapons that have particularly good values in sound reduction and are therefore ideal for any stealth operation.
Ghost Recon Wildlands – The Quietest Pistols
Pistols are ideal weapons for sneaking in Ghost Recon Wildlands because they are small, handy, make little noise, and cause enough damage at close range to easily take out patrolling Sicarios and Unidad soldiers. Most pistols can be equipped with a silencer, but the following models are particularly quiet.
Quiet Pistols – 5.7 USG – Equipment and Location
This handy pistol achieves maximum noise suppression with the silencer. It is also accurate, handy, and fires quite quickly. However, its projectiles are not very strong, but they penetrate armor well. Therefore, you should shoot multiple times for safety.
You can find this magnificent weapon in the Ocoro Province at the Ocoro Base of the same name. The exact location can be seen in a video by YouTuber StreamerHouse, which we have embedded here for you.
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The German pistol type H&K P12 also achieves phenomenal silence values thanks to the silencer and is a real killer. The weapon inflicts quite a bit of damage and is also decent in terms of accuracy and handling. However, its penetration power could be a bit better. So aim well and get a little closer to the enemy.
You will find the pistol in the Tabacal Province at the SNPC Freight Yards in the north. The exact location can be seen in a video by YouTuber StreamerHouse, which we have embedded here for you.
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Lady-Killer, on the other hand, is a powerful pistol with decent damage, top values in silence, accuracy, and handling, an appropriate range, and good fire rate. Its penetration power is also impressive. So anyone who likes to sneak around with pistols should quickly get Lady-Killer.
In The Division, agents hate the exotic backpack “NinjaBike Messenger Bag.” Why is that?
The exotic NinjaBike backpack has been a topic of discussion in the Division subreddit for months. Currently, there are two threads about it on the homepage, but even in the weeks and months prior, it was a subject of heated debates. Not because agents sing praises for the backpack – but because it is terribly bad.
If you die in the Dark Zone, you lose less loot (1 public item less) and 20% less Dark Zone XP.
Even with 1.5, numerous agents demanded a rework. Given all the damage boosts that other named gear items provide, the Ninja Bag is by far the worst of them. It is useless, and no one can dispute this statement, according to a Reddit user. Even memes were created about the Ninja backpack:
No one expected this in 1.5, but with 1.6, this backpack actually got even worse. Because the latest update introduced the feature that you no longer lose Dark Zone experience or currency when you are killed in the DZ and are not rogue. In other words, the effect that you lose 20% less DZ XP is completely pointless.
“The Ninja Bag drops way too often!”
As a result, following 1.6, the community’s calls grew louder for Massive to finally adjust this exotic and make it useful. At the moment, it is only suitable for dismantling.
Ninja Bag as a reward? The agent looks grim.
Now users are demanding that this unpopular backpack be completely removed from the loot pool. When one struggles through a legendary mission or works hard to earn weekly supply containers, it is a huge disappointment if the NinjaBike backpack is the reward. Then better to get the Golden Rhino again, as one user said.
Every few days, suggestions from the community pop up in the forums on how to rework this exotic. For example, the backpack should reduce or even remove the stagger effect. But how and when Massive will adjust the NinjaBike Bag is still unclear. In the recent “State of the Game” streams, it was mentioned briefly, but there were no concrete details.
Patch 1.9 will soon be activated in Overwatch and is responsible for the Orisa release. However, you won’t find her in ranked matches initially.
Today we expect the new Patch 1.9, which unlocks Overwatch’s 24th hero. You can try the new hero Orisa in Quick Play mode and test her various abilities. However, this will not be available in Ranked Mode, as the developers want to give players enough time to get to know the character.
Before the new hero determines the outcome of ranked games, a certain adjustment period should first take place.
Orisa Release – When?
In a few hours it will be time, and Patch 1.9 will be activated in Overwatch. Although there is currently no official time for the patch, it is expected that Patch 1.9 will be activated for Overwatch around 8:00 PM local time.
Not in Ranked Matches
In the official Battle.Net forums, Scott Mercer (Principal Designer at Overwatch) wrote:
After the release of Patch 1.9 tomorrow, Orisa will not be immediately available for ranked matches. We want to give players time to learn how to play Orisa before she can join ranked matches. She will be playable for Quick Play, Arcade (including custom games with competitive rules), and Play vs. AI for testing. It is assumed that Orisa will be available in ranked matches a week later, on March 28.
This is likely to please many players, as new heroes in Overwatch can cause a lot of frustration in ranked matches. Without great experience, many players try their luck with new heroes directly in ranked play. Teammates of the new hero often find this unfair because it is obvious that the player lacks experience. This automatically creates a handicap in the team with the new hero.
The Sombra-Flut ruined ranked matches, as many players were not yet able to handle her and “learned” slowly in these important matches how to deal with her.
The evolution items in Pokémon GO are particularly rare. Some trainers have several, others none at all. Is it related to the time of day?
Since the release of the 2nd generation, there are special evolution items in Pokémon GO. These are needed for the evolution of certain monsters. For instance, a Porygon needs an Up-Grade to evolve into Porygon2.
Because these special items drop so rarely at PokéStops, trainers are now trying to decipher the drop system. A current theory suggests that the items are only distributed at certain times at stops. How true is this?
The right time for Sun Stone, King’s Rock, Metal Coat, and others?
Recently, the folks at PokémonGOHub discovered that the drop rate of these evolution items is less than 1%. The reactions of trainers to this observation vary. While many trainers agree and say they haven’t received any of these evolution items, others report that they have already received several in quick succession.
The latter statement supports the latest theory that many trainers from the TheSilphRoad community are currently testing: Special items have a high chance of dropping at a specific time – and even multiple times!
Reddit user shermlock shared this screenshot with the trainer community. He claims that the special items really do drop at a specific time, or his daughter just got very lucky. Because she received two of the three evolution items at 11:01 PM, and the third one at 11:02 PM:
Another trainer reports that he has received four evolution items so far. The first was a Metal Coat, which he received during a 7-day streak. Then he got a Sun Stone, a King’s Rock, and a Dragon Scale. So far, this doesn’t sound unusual, but: Sun Stone, King’s Rock, and Dragon Scale were all dropped from different stops, but at the same time. For this trainer, it was at 4:50 PM.
At what time to receive evolution items?
Currently, this phenomenon is being investigated to understand how it occurs at these specific times. The fact that it is not “the one time” when every trainer receives their special items is already shown by the screenshots.
The experts from TheSilphRoad suspect a correlation between these evolution items and the trainers’ account IDs. However, there is no evidence to support this yet.
In Destiny, a new week begins today, on March 21st. It is Weekly Reset. A fresh Nightfall strike is coming.
Today is the last weekly reset before the “Age of Triumph” update, which will be released on March 28th. Then, the final content will be delivered in Destiny 1. This content update brings some changes to the weekly rituals – our Weekly Reset article will change accordingly.
By the way: Next Sunday is the switch to daylight saving time. Then the reset will take place at 11 AM.
Tomorrow, on March 22nd, the last livestream for Age of Triumph will take place. It will cover the weapons, armor, and ornaments that you can obtain with the return of the old raids. We will accompany this stream with live updates.
But today is still the Weekly Reset. Here is what to do.
Nightfall on March 21st on PS4 and Xbox One
This week, the Nightfall is The Shadow Thief. Defeat Taniks.
The modifiers are:
Epic
Fresh Troops: Some enemies come with reinforcements.
Puzzle Game: Enemy shields are resistant to mismatched elemental damage.
Catapult: Grenade recharge speed is significantly increased.
Exposed: Guardian shields are enhanced but recover slowly.
In the heroic SIVA Crisis Strike playlist, the modifiers are Heroic, Arc Burn, Chaff, and Catapult.
The “Iron Lord” artifacts for the reset
You can choose one “Iron Lord” artifact per character from Tyra Karn each week by completing noble deeds in the Plagued Lands. The offer this week:
Lord Shaxx wants to see your skills in Crucible matches. Commander Zavala has the bounties Strike Elite, Sunrise, and Just Perfect (No fireteam member can die) available.
New cards from the Un’Goro expansion for Hearthstone have been revealed. There are some minions with crazy stats.
Next month, the new expansion of Hearthstone will be released. “Journey to Un’Goro” contains over 130 new cards that will be introduced in the weeks leading up to the release. Last weekend, there was another handful of new cards whose effects are impressive.
Priests get an inexpensive elemental with 1/1 stats for only 1 mana, which copies a card from the opponent’s deck to the player’s hand upon death – the Crystalline Oracle.
If you like elementals, you will be happy with Fire Fly. For just 1 mana, you get a 1/2 minion that also brings another 1/2 minion to the player’s hand.
The Stone Sentinel benefits from this, a 4/4 Shaman card for 7 mana. The Battlecry summons two additional 2/3 elementals with Taunt if you played at least one elemental in the previous turn.
New spells are available for Mages and Priests.
Mages get Flame Geyser for 2 mana, which deals 2 damage to a chosen target and additionally gives the Mage a 1/2 elemental in hand (which costs 1 mana).
Priests gain more control over their deck with Shadow Visions. For 2 mana, they receive a Discover effect that copies a spell from their own deck. This allows them to effectively bypass the limit of “2 cards per deck”.
A total of 3 new legendary minions have been presented.
Warlocks get Clutchmother Zavas. The winged beetle lady costs 2 mana for 2/2 stats. The catch: Every time you would discard her, you get her back in hand and she becomes stronger by +2/+2!
Paladins grab Sunkeeper Tarim for 6 mana. With stats of 3/7 and Taunt, he seems unassuming, but his Battlecry sets the health and attack of all other minions to 3.
Finally, Ozruk awaits, a legendary neutral elemental for 9 mana. Normally, he only has stats of 5/5 and Taunt, but he gains +5 health for each elemental you played in the last turn. This makes Ozruk potentially one of the strongest tanks in the game, as he can, when played wisely, have 30 or even 40 health points.
What do you think about the new cards and the elemental mechanic?
The game has not yet been released and BioWare is already pushing a patch to fix bugs in Mass Effect: Andromeda .
For several days, members of the press and customers of “Origin/EA Access” have already been able to try out Mass Effect: Andromeda. While the feedback on the game is mixed, there is a lot of criticism regarding the facial animations and some bugs. In particular, some achievements cannot be completed. Users of the Corsair Utility Engine and associated headsets and keyboards have also caused issues while playing Mass Effect. All of this is now a thing of the past.
The multiplayer mode was also affected. Many players found that the F-keys could not be correctly assigned. Additionally, sound effects in multiplayer caused issues as they often came from directions where no enemies were visible. Conversely, enemies occasionally sneaked up whose footsteps and other sounds one should have actually heard.
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However, the community is eagerly waiting for a patch that improves the game’s facial animations. These have garnered mockery and derision on the internet. However, BioWare has already stated that there will be no patch for this at release. Strictly speaking, they haven’t explained whether there will even be a “fix” for it.
A whole series of patches before the launch of Mass Effect: Andromeda
In recent days, there have continually been patches delivering between 2 GB and 300 MB of data to fix the most pressing issues before release. One can only hope that everything goes smoothly at launch.
Mass Effect: Andromeda is released on Thursday, March 23, 2017, for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in Europe. Americans can already play the game today.
We tested the full version of Mass Effect: Andromeda thoroughly. Did BioWare create a masterpiece? Or is it all just smoke and mirrors? We answer all questions in our review of Mass Effect: Andromeda.
For the last 3, 4 days, you haven’t read much from me on the website, which is because I spent every spare minute in Mass Effect: Andromeda. Now I can finally speak about it publicly and present you my review of BioWare’s latest role-playing game. Does ME:A live up to its legendary predecessors? Does BioWare manage to create another really good game? Or is it just one big hype train without substance? I hope to provide you with some answers in this review.
Spoiler alert: The review will contain some story spoilers. However, these only cover the first few hours of gameplay or explain the “setting”. Additionally, there are minor details about individual characters. I have tried to ensure that no one’s enjoyment of the game is spoiled by spoilers.
The arks have disappeared – one of our main goals is to find and rescue the 20,000 inhabitants.
The “tutorial” really has all the clichéd ingredients of a Hollywood action movie such as “Independence Day”.
Drama of the “I sacrifice myself so that you can live” scene
Aliens that are evil and ruthless murderers
Main character who has “chosen one” powers to operate ancient mechanisms
No, the first hours do not present ME:A in a good light at all. Several times I thought, “Let it go, Cortyn. Remember parts 1-3 fondly. BioWare has messed up.” But I am glad I pushed through the tedious beginning and can provide reassurances for all who had similar thoughts as I did: It gets better and better.
The Basic Scenario – Journey to a New Galaxy
ME:A takes place between the events of Mass Effect 2 and 3. Commander Shepard is a well-known hero of humanity who saved the Citadel from a Geth attack. Except for a few conspiracy theorists, no one really believes in the Reapers, and the galaxy is doing well.
However, the resources of the Milky Way are limited, and there are many alien galaxies waiting to be explored. Through scanners, scientists detect seven “golden worlds” in the distant Andromeda Galaxy, where humans could settle – leading to the establishment of the Andromeda Initiative.
Shortly after arrival, this scene tells us: We don’t want you.
The journey to the Andromeda Galaxy takes more than 600 years, so the volunteers are placed in cryo-sleep. A total of 5 ships set out: the Nexus, a hub that is meant to act as a “new citadel” in Andromeda, and four arks each housing 20,000 members of a species: humans, Asari, Salarians, and Turians.
Allow me? Ryder, Pathfinder of the Initiative
640 years later, we wake up from cryo-sleep on the humans’ ark and stand before nothingness. The “golden world” is devastated and uninhabitable. In addition, there is a huge space anomaly called the “Scourge”, which destroys a large part of the technology upon contact (and of course we crashed into it head-on).
The “Pathfinder” team of the ark is awakened. Pathfinders serve as scouts and representatives of the Initiative. They are to find planets suitable for settlement and, in the event of contact with alien species, approach in a friendly and diplomatic manner to minimize conflicts and enable trade. Depending on whether we play as a male or female character, we are Sara or Scott Ryder – son or daughter of the current leading Pathfinders of the humans.
SAM – The Artificial Intelligence in Our Head
All members of the Pathfinder team have technology implanted in their bodies, driven by an artificial intelligence. SAM assists in analyzing problems, providing solutions and ensuring that all our discoveries are sent directly back to the ark and the Nexus. The fact that SAM can read each of our thoughts makes him a little creepy as well.
Paragon by Epic Games is a MOBA game that is achieving great success despite high competition. In an interview, Creative Director Donald Mustard revealed why they are happy about the competition from Blizzard and Riot instead of losing heart.
Epic Games is primarily known for the Unreal series, the Unreal Engine, and Gears of War. However, for some time now, the studio has been venturing into mobile games like Infinity Blade, earning royalties from the Unreal Engine, and has ceded the Gears of War license to Microsoft. They also developed a MOBA called Paragon. What were the reasons for this shift, and was the studio successful with it?
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Answers to these questions are provided by Donald Mustard, Creative Director of Epic Games, in an interview with Gamesindustry.biz at GDC last month. According to Mustard, a shift in the developer landscape has been noticeable for five years now. The development moved away from the classic boxed product that is finished at release. Instead, games have become “Games as a Service”, products designed for long-term success that are constantly being developed.
This development was not to be missed by Epic, and they set out to develop products based on the Games-as-a-Service idea. The first fruit of these efforts was Paragon, which launched last spring, currently celebrating its anniversary and has been continually developed since the first Early Access.
Paragon – No Fear of Blizzard
Paragon was released at the same time as Blizzard’s Overwatch and Gearbox’s Battleborn. Overwatch, in particular, has proven to be a real hit, and the hero shooter was supposed to sweep the competition away (Mustard sees Overwatch’s gameplay as closely related to a MOBA).
However, this is not the case. Mustard says: “Paragon is doing fantastic! We couldn’t be happier with Paragon!”
The great success of Blizzard and Riot (League of Legends) is good news for Mustard:
“We see the success of League [of Legends] and DOTA and Overwatch, and instead of saying, “Oh no!” we say, “That’s the most encouraging news we’ve ever had!” This shows how great the interest of customers in this genre and market segment is.
Games as a Service – A Golden Age for Gaming
Mustard sees the current time as particularly good for games:
“I believe we are in a golden age of gaming because there is such a wide audience that wants to play video games. If you make a game for a target audience, they will come, they will play it, they will love it, and they will stay. I couldn’t be happier about the success of Overwatch, because it shows us what a lucrative genre we are in.”
Unlike in the past, there is no longer a need for a big launch, where the entire power of the product must take effect from the beginning. Rather, a game is launched, feedback is listened to, and it is then developed according to what the players want. This way, long-term hits can be built.
In English, there is the term “Sleeper Hit” for a film that was launched without much fanfare but was able to establish itself long-term through word of mouth and could celebrate great success over time. Movies like Memento or District 9, Forrest Gump or The Shawshank Redemption, The Big Lebowski or The Sixth Sense are considered sleeper hits.
Developing Games Like Series, Not Like Movies
As another example for his statements, Mustard cited film and television productions. In the past, games were developed like cinema blockbusters: A movie is made, and if it’s good, a sequel is produced, then if that is good, another one is made, and so on.
However, games are now being developed more like series. In this respect, Mustard notes, nobody says after the completion of the first season, “Well, this will go well for 10 episodes, and then we’re done!” Rather, such projects are planned as products with a long lifespan that are meant to entertain their target audience over years.
Competition in the Present and the Past
With this new approach to games, however, one competes not only with the current hit title but also with the top games of previous years. Thus, it is important to keep players engaged with one’s own product and lure them away from the competition.
This is easier, according to Mustard, if one does something differently rather than just repeating the same. For example, he himself plays a lot of Destiny.
What would pull him away from Bungie’s game would be less another Sci-Fi shooter, but rather Red Dead Redemption 2.
Therefore, companies must move away from the idea of only addressing a single game or genre if they want to remain successful. Only those who are versatile, according to Mustard, can stay in the business long term and be successful.
