In The Division, the Last Stand PvP mode utilizes normalization. We explain how this works here.
The “Last Stand” DLC introduces the eponymous “Last Stand” PvP mode. In it, you engage in 8v8 battles, defeating some NPC enemies along the way, and try to collect data faster than the opposing team.
To prevent players with optimized builds from dominating in this enclosed PvP mode, Massive employs normalization. This is only active in “Last Stand”; the “normal Dark Zone” is not affected by this. The developers aim for skill, not gear, to determine victory.
How Normalization Works – The Division 1.6
During the PTS phase for 1.6 and “Last Stand,” normalization was tested and adjusted multiple times. When you enter a “Last Stand” match in The Division 1.6, your characters will be modified (normalized):
Gear: All equipped items (weapons and armor pieces) are set to a Gear Score of 256.
Armor:
Main attributes (firearms, stamina, electronics) are set to the maximum roll for the equipped armor pieces.
All bonuses on gear and performance mods are given the maximum roll.
Weapons:
Weapon talents are activated based on the normalized main attributes.
All weapon bonuses (including mod bonuses), weapon damage, and attributes are set to their respective maximum values.
Additionally:
All players are set to a 35% armor reduction. This armor reduction can, however, be influenced by talents and skills.
What is Not Affected by Normalization?
With all these adjustments, the question arises: What remains untouched by normalization? What features still make my agent unique?
You can freely choose the character talents
The gear set talents function in “Last Stand” the same as in the rest of the game
The weapon set bonuses and weapon talents remain normal
Furthermore, you can choose the bonuses on the armor pieces and mods. These will be maximized – but which bonuses get maximized is up to you.
Have you played “Last Stand” yet? What are your impressions?
You want to play SMITE Tactics, the fun mix of Hearthstone and a turn-based strategy game? Then you need a beta key. We have a whole bunch of them for you.
SMITE Tactics is a whimsical spin-off of the colorful MOBA title SMITE, where real gods fiercely battle over lanes, towers, and minions. If the hectic fighting in MOBA is too much for you, you can instead try SMITE Tactics. This game is a clever mix of a turn-based strategy game and the card spectacle Hearthstone.
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You control your supreme god turn by turn and summon better monsters, lesser gods of your chosen pantheon, servants, divine artifacts, and spells with mana crystals that increase each round. You have prepared this reinforcement as a card deck before the battle, just like in Blizzard’s card spectacle Hearthstone. By winning, you gain resources and acquire better cards with them.
SMITE Tactics – That sounds totally awesome! I want to play it!
The gameplay of SMITE Tactics sounds fun and is. However, if you’re already eager for the god tactical card battle, you need a beta key because the game has only recently entered closed beta. But don’t despair, dear readers! We have received a bunch of keys from the developers at Hi-Rez Studios and would love to give them away to you. To do so, you just need to sign up through the embedded form and perform 3 actions. As long as supplies last!
SMITE Tactics combines the gameplay of Blizzard’s card game Hearthstone with the tactical turn-based strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic. Additionally, it features all the cool deities from the MOBA SMITE, resulting in a game with hit potential! We tried the beta of SMITE Tactics and have some cool giveaways for you!
SMITE by Hi-Rez Studios lets you pit ancient deities against each other in a fast-paced MOBA. But what to do if you prefer a more relaxed strategy game or card battles but still love the gods and their designs?
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With the currently closed beta of SMITE Tactics, the folks at Hi-Rez have developed exactly the game that might appeal to more relaxed players and fans of the gods.
On one hand, it is a turn-based strategy game in a limited arena. This arena is divided into various rectangular game fields, with obstacles and dangerous terrain between them. You start with your main god on one side of the field, while the opponent starts with their leader on the other.
The goal of the game is to take down the enemy leader by reducing their health points to zero through attacks and spells. Each round you can make movements and attacks with your main god as well as your minions. Positioning is important since ranged fighters need a clear line of sight, and melee fighters need to be within reach of their opponents.
If you poorly position your figures and plan ineffectively, you could lose what you thought was a secure match because your strongest fighter can’t reach the enemy in the decisive round. Anyone familiar with the iconic strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic should get accustomed to SMITE Tactics quickly.
Card Battling like Hearthstone
If you’ve been paying attention, you’re probably wondering, “Yes, nice, you say there is a main god to start the game per side and nothing else. Where do the spells and minions come from?” Quite simple: You have a set of cards in your hand, and each card represents either minions, lesser gods from your pantheon, useful items, or spells. Each round you draw another card.
Each card requires mana to be played. This mana is gained each round. You start with two mana crystals and gain one crystal each round. If you want to summon particularly strong creatures like the Furies or the Ice Giant Ymir onto the battlefield, you’ll need to be patient. Cheap cannon fodder like archers or cursed Vikings, on the other hand, are available from round one for just 1 mana.
If this all sounds familiar: Yes, it is exactly the same gameplay as Blizzard’s card epic Hearthstone.
How Does SMITE Tactics Play?
Since both Hearthstone and Heroes of Might and Magic are turn-based strategy games, the two game concepts fit together perfectly. Additionally, there’s an important strategy aspect in play. Before each game, we choose a card deck built around our main god and their pantheon.
Currently, there are pre-made decks for Zeus (Greek Gods), Odin (Norse Religion), and Ra (Egyptian Mythology). Each deck has a different strategy:
Allfather Odin’s Vikings are a rough bunch and rely on strong melee fighters and direct damage spells
Main God Zeus and his Greek Gods are balanced fellows who feature strong ranged and melee fighters as well as many buffs
Sun God Ra from Egypt is a master of magic and nasty effects. He steals minions from enemies or simply kills them with magical power.
In addition to the above-mentioned main gods, there are currently alternate options available like Freya or Poseidon. Furthermore, there are the gods of ancient China that you can unlock. You earn more cards for your decks by winning many rounds and thereby unlocking resources for card purchases.
Additionally, a campaign mode is planned that will grant you further rare cards. Alternatively, you can buy cards for real money or dismantle excess copies to build new ones from the scraps – just like in Hearthstone!
Jürgen’s Conclusion on the SMITE Tactics Beta
I love Hearthstone, and I played the earlier Heroes of Might and Magic games to the utmost. And I am also a huge fan of ancient gods and myths. However, SMITE itself has never truly impressed me, but SMITE Tactics opens doors for me and captivated me from the very first turn. The blend of card game and turn-based strategy with tactical positioning on the battlefield works brilliantly and convinces.
However, the game still shows its beta state quite clearly. Many cards simply have some fantasy artwork as placeholders, often dead creatures just disappear without animation, and sometimes I couldn’t execute skills and properties despite the correct conditions. The balance also isn’t optimal yet, as I often win very quickly, and sometimes I have hardly any chances against the enemy’s strategy.
But I don’t want to be too critical as everything is still in beta, and some rough edges and issues are completely acceptable. However, if Hi-Rez puts as much effort into SMITE Tactics as it did with SMITE, then this could become the godly strategy game we are all waiting for!
Cortyn’s Take on SMITE Tactics
SMITE Tactics is a diamond in rough form. Unrefined and uncut, currently more like a piece of coal. But while playing, you can already see what this project could become in time. The tactical elements are already grand, and the mix of card game and strategic positioning of your units brings fresh air. This makes the game less “luck-based” than a pure card game, but at the same time less suited for chess masters compared to similar games.
I am most looking forward to the campaign mode, which is currently only seen as an empty menu item on the start screen. Just the tutorial missions have sparked my appetite for “more” absurd stories from the war of the gods’ pantheons. I will definitely check back into the game in a few months. If Hi-Rez does it right, there could be a little strategic gem awaiting us here that, like Paladins, could become a very solid free-to-play representative of its genre.
But until then, a lot of time and work needs to be poured into SMITE Tactics. Simply importing the models from the “real” SMITE won’t be enough to uncover the hidden diamond. Be sure to keep an eye on the project: In a few months, it could be on everyone’s lips.
MOBA Fan Leya Also Checked Out SMITE Tactics
The tutorial of SMITE Tactics already captivated me with a lot of atmosphere and gives hope for a promising narrative style. That’s why I’m especially excited about the planned campaign mode. The gameplay felt quite refined and rounded for an early beta. While the animations were still peppered with bugs here and there, they reminded me of one of my favorite games from back in the day: Battle Chess.
In SMITE Tactics, I had the feeling of being on a chessboard. It is crucial here to logically link each move in the correct sequence and be aware of your playing field. Especially the menu and card selection could still be embellished. But if SMITE Tactics continues in its current direction, it could become a true gem among strategy games.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the sandpark MMORPG ArcheAge , the February patch 3.0b brought a behemoth and a new underwear system.
The highest zone in ArcheAge so far was introduced last week: Reedswind. And high is meant literally here: The region consists of floating islands. The Thunderwing Titan, a powerful undead, rules there. We already introduced this recently.
However, it didn’t take long for the first adventurers to claim his scalp. Yesterday, ArcheAge announced its achievement: The guild FEMA managed to defeat the Thunderwing Titan. The “Version-First” kill goes to Kyrios, a US server.
With the February update 3.0b, a new “underwear system” was also introduced. Trion Worlds happily announces “Change Your Underwear, the power of underwear has now reached the next level.”
In ArcheAge, underwear is a complicated matter. Through Synthium and jewels, it can be enhanced to yield better stats.
Underwear is indeed a controversial topic in ArcheAge. It must be washed regularly to maintain its stats – every 30 days, “Synthium Soap” must be used to keep the stats intact.
Trion Worlds proud of its own underwear system
At Trion Worlds, they are proud of their underwear and say: We have our own system for our version, which is not as “RNG-heavy” as in other regions. We have underwear from various sources. In the past, Trion Worlds has repeatedly emphasized that they are negotiating with the Korean developer XLGames to make their version less “pay-to-win” than the original in Korea.
What the future holds for ArcheAge is already known. A glance at South Korea helps – they have come a good way up with the heroes, through an Alternate Advancement:
Today, on March 1st, the weapon day takes place at Destiny. These orders can be placed and picked up.
Every Wednesday, the Gunsmith brings the forge orders from the last week and willingly takes new orders. This week’s highlight of the forge orders is the scout rifle SUROS DIS-47. If you pick up this weapon with a strong roll, you will receive a powerful weapon for PvP.
The Gunsmith Banshee-44 is also good for quickly obtaining telemetry, syntheses, weapon parts, and armor materials. Additionally, from certain reputation ranks, he has exotic weapon quests for you.
Field test weapons starting March 1st
To increase your rank with Banshee-44, you can carry out his field test weapons in practice. Each week he brings five new test weapons:
A SUROS auto rifle is being drawn into the Crucible.
Another SUROS auto rifle is included: This one requires precision kills.
A Haakke hand cannon craves double kills.
A Haakke sniper rifle is also only satisfied with double kills.
Another Haakke sniper rifle likes to target Cabal Centurions.
5 weapons that can be ordered this week
For 2500 Glimmer, you can choose from these forge orders:
The first one is the scout rifle SUROS DIS-47. Impact 35. Highly recommended.
Omolon supplies the hand cannon Uffern HC4. Impact 87.
From Haakke comes the pulse rifle Herja-D. Impact 14.
Additionally, you can order the rocket launcher SUROS JLB-47.
The conclusion is the Haakke sniper rifle Tamar-D. Impact 22.
These weapons can be picked up with these rolls
The hand cannon Judith-D comes with small caliber rifle, targeting system, and hot swap.
The scout rifle Tuonela SR4 has no good perks.
The pulse rifle Herja-D provides hand-laid stock, feeding frenzy, and one-man army.
The pulse rifle Lyudmila-D comes with hand-laid stock, spraying and playing, and crowd control.
The sniper Aoife Rua-D has unwavering and injection molding.
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In GTA 5, you will soon be able to fly to the popular Vice City with the help of a mod. The entire map of Vice City will be playable offline.
It has been a few years since Vice City first captured the hearts of players. This part of the GTA series was released in 2002, where you control Tommy Vercetti in a fictional world based on Miami. Thanks to a mod, this world will soon be available in GTA 5.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuUO4SYqU04
A ticket to Vice City, please
Many associate Vice City with the first-class selection of music featuring Toto, Bryan Adams, Michael Jackson, Ozzy Osbourne, and Iron Maiden. While hits from these bands and artists played on the radio, driving around the map was twice as much fun. In the video from Crotainment Games, you can see the progress of the mod that will bring the Vice City map to GTA 5. Additionally, maps from Liberty City Stories and GTA III are planned to be imported into the latest part of the series.
Because the work on the modification is not yet completed, you cannot download it yet. In the finished version, there will be not only the lifeless map in the game but also pedestrians and cars that you will encounter on the streets.
For fans of the GTA series, this modification is almost a “must”, as it allows you to visit the Ocean View Hotel or take a round on the golf course, where you used to steal the golf caddies.
In the city of Tarkov in the online shooter Escape from Tarkov, you encounter several factions. Among them are the Scavengers, which have now been introduced in more detail.
The Scavengers are marauders who search the city for valuable items. They grab everything that the residents of Tarkov have left behind after the city was cordoned off by the government.
For Scavengers, there are no laws. They follow only their own rules and attack anyone who wants to restore order. Soon, you will be able to decide in the game to join the Scavengers.
Become a Scavenger
“As a Scavenger, it’s like playing the game without rules, leading to a completely different gaming experience that focuses on ruthlessness and ignorance,” explains Nikita Buyanov, COO of Battlestate Games and project lead for Escape from Tarkov. “Players of this faction start together with the AI-controlled Scavengers, for example, at a designated location on the map at a specific time to disrupt the mission of the USECs and BEARs. In doing so, they influence the decisions of the other two factions while also targeting other Scavenger groups.”
Opportunities to play as a Scavenger are rare
The new faction will soon be added to the game, allowing you to join a raid as a Scavenger. If you belong to this faction during a raid, you will receive a random player name, equipment, and weapons. Additionally, the spawn time for Scavengers will also be randomly set. It is possible to group up with up to four players.
If you survive the raid as a Scavenger, you can bring the collected loot back to your hideout. Opportunities to play as a Scavenger are limited, so you should take advantage of them when they arise.
The Scavenger gameplay will be part of the upcoming closed beta of the online shooter Escape from Tarkov, which will start after GDC 2017 – currently ongoing until March 3rd. On the official game website, you can already sign up for the testing phase.
In The Division 1.6 we show you how to get Premium Credits for free. Additionally, the agents are looking for the reward vendor.
Since February 28th, Update 1.6 is live on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. This update brought some new features, including microtransactions. A specific seller, the Premium Vendor, has been set up in the terminal, along with a new currency, Premium Credits.
How to get free Premium Credits
You cannot earn Premium Credits. If you want to stock up on them, you have no choice but to open your wallet. However, Massive provides you with a “starting capital” in the form of Free Premium Credits to browse the in-game store a bit.
Many users report that they found 170 Premium Credits in their inventory just by logging in after 1.6.
Claim Premium Credits in the Ubisoft Club: To do this, open the Ubisoft Club from the start menu and click on “More Rewards” for “Free Premium Credits.” This way, you can get another 170 Premium Credits.
In total, you now have 340 Premium Credits available. With these, you can unlock backpack skins (new items since 1.6), weapon skins, clothing, or the shrug emote at the Premium Vendor in the terminal. However, you cannot afford many other offers with them.
Information about Premium Credits
If you want to buy Premium Credits with real money, there are several packages ranging from 5 Euros (500 Premium Credits) to 50 Euros (5000 + 2200 Bonus Premium Credits). Many emotes or weapon skins cost 500 Premium Credits, thus having a value of just under 5 Euros.
Note the following about Premium Credits:
They are valid account-wide. If you purchase the currency, it is available to all your characters. However, they cannot be shared between accounts.
This does not give you advantages in combat. All “premium items” are cosmetic.
Massive does not rule out that more free Premium Credits may come in the future.
The offers from the Premium Vendor change regularly. If you are dissatisfied with the current offer, you can save your Premium Credits and see what he brings next time.
Where is the reward vendor after 1.6?
Currently, many agents are asking the question: Where is the reward vendor after 1.6? Previously, he was to the left of the entrance to the terminal. Now he has left that spot.
In short: He is now next to the weapon vendor and equipment vendor in the operations base. When you enter the base, go to the left. The third vendor on the left side is the reward vendor.
By the way: At the launch of 1.6, there were major startup issues on the Xbox. These were related to the Premium Credits. Massive decided to bring the servers online without Premium Credits until the issue is fixed. You can already buy the credits on Xbox, but you will only receive them once the problem is resolved.
In Destiny, the February Iron Banner 2017 is ongoing. What weapon rolls does Efrideet bring? Which armor pieces provide 100% for T12?
A look at the calendar reveals that we are already in March 2017 – yet the February Iron Banner in Destiny will continue for just under a week. The game mode is Domination. Efrideet arrived in the Tower on February 28th, took her usual position, and is now offering guardians her inventory and “Iron Banner” bounties.
This week, she has the Hand Cannon and the Sniper Rifle available. The armor pieces include the Helmet and the Chest Armor. These items come from Efrideet with fixed vendor rolls and can be purchased from certain Iron Banner ranks and with Legendary Marks.
With Iron Banner Gear to T12 – This is the 100% Armor
To reach T12, the “last frontier”, you need items that have an average of over 96% of the possible stat rolls. All armor pieces from Efrideet can easily surpass this value – the minimum this week is 98%. However, there are also three items that achieve a whopping 100%:
Titan: Legs – 56 Discipline, 56 Strength
Hunter: Legs – 56 Intellect, 56 Discipline
Warlock: Legs – 56 Intellect, 56 Discipline
You can purchase the gear from Iron Banner Rank 3 and with 25 Legendary Marks.
The Laughing Heart – Iron Banner Sniper Rifle
The Laughing Heart was forged in honor of Gheleon. The sniper has a base impact of 22 and a rate of fire of 26. Stability, reload speed, and aim assist are strong, while the range is below average.
You can buy the weapon from Rank 4 and with 50 Legendary Marks. The Laughing Heart comes with these fixed perks.
You have a choice of:
Hand-laid Stock: Increased stability, decreased range
Oiled Frame: Faster reload, reduced range
Choice between:
Quickdraw
One Point Sling: Faster weapon swaps, quicker movement while aiming
Choice between:
Fireball: Precision kills cause the target to explode
One-Man Army: Rapid kills without assists reduce melee and grenade cooldowns
With Linear Compensator, Improved Ballistics, and Field Choke, you can influence range, impact, and recoil.
This is a solid roll that has potential. If you are looking for a random roll, keep an eye out for perks like Injection Mold, Snapshot, Perfect Balance, Braced Frame, Hidden Hand, or Unyielding.
The Echoing Song – the Iron Banner Hand Cannon
The Echoing Song was forged in honor of Skorris and belongs to the archetype with a maximum impact of 94. Even after 2.5.0.2, hand cannons of the medium archetype (Hawkmoon) are more popular. The range of the Echoing Song is excellent, but it lacks stability, reload speed, magazine size, and aim assist.
From Efrideet, you can acquire the Echoing Song from Rank 5 and with 50 Marks. It comes with a roll that allows you to significantly increase the range.
Hand-laid Stock: Increased stability, decreased range
Choice between:
Lightweight: +2 character agility
Explosive Rounds: Round explodes on impact causing a portion of weapon damage
Choice between:
Third Eye: Radar remains active while aiming down sights
Fireball: Precision kills cause the target to explode
With Iron Lord’s Visor, Iron Warrior’s Visor, and Iron Will’s Visor, you can tweak the stats a bit.
Interesting perk combinations, especially Explosive Rounds and Fireball may remind some of the Fatebringer. However, the weapon would also benefit from Snapshot, Roulette, or Hammer Forged.
Note that you can also earn these items after Iron Banner matches with random rolls. Through the Iron Banner bounties, you can get all “Iron Banner” items.
How painful the “Risk vs. Reward” principle can be was recently experienced by some players of the space MMO EVE Online during a surprise attack.
Every year, the organization “The Imperium” organizes the event “Burn Jita”. During this event, players attack the supposedly safest areas of the galaxy, leaving nothing but scorched earth. It is advisable for players not to fly their most expensive ships during this event. Jita is one of the largest and most important hubs in the game, where most of the trading takes place, as players know they can buy almost anything there at fair prices.
Could such mass battles soon be history?
No Protection in the HighSec Areas
The group The Ministry of Love, a subgroup of the Imperium, enjoys attacking the supposedly safe HighSec areas. The players particularly target those freighters that are on their routes to Jita. These are attacked by destroyers, which pose little threat to a well-armored freighter. However, several hundred players make quick work of the freighters.
Last weekend, this year’s “Burn Jita” event kicked off, with more than 250 players participating. They attacked all freighters that came their way. According to current estimates, 159 freighters, 22 additional industrial haulers, and 19 jump freighters were destroyed, amounting to a value of about 700 billion ISK. This is roughly equivalent to 13,000 US dollars. This surely hits some players hard who have invested a lot of time, effort, and money into their ships.
Great Fun for the Attackers
Of course, the attackers also lose ships. Their losses are currently estimated at around 4 to 6 billion ISK. But the organization finds this fun worthwhile. The planning, heart and soul, and execution of the attacks bring great joy to the members of the group The Ministry of Love.
The whole process also plays a role. You need to figure out where most of the freighters are flying and then spread false information to lure the ships into a trap. However, this year’s “Burn Jita” is already over, and players have time to catch their breath again. But the next event will surely come…
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How rare are the special items in Pokémon GO? Trainers are not finding Sun Stones, Metal Coat, and other evolution items.
With the over 80 new Pokémon from the second generation that are now available in the game, there are also new evolutions. Not all of these evolutions work simply with candies, but require special items that enable evolution. However, these items are not found every day and require a lot of luck. It seems that the developers have also significantly reduced the chance of a drop at the 7th PokéStop in a row.
Pokémon GO Evolution Item chance below 1%
Recently, we reported that there is a particularly high chance of finding evolution items if a PokéStop is activated for seven consecutive days. Recent information indicates that this chance has now been significantly reduced. Trainers report that they received at least one of these items on the 7th day during the first week, but it no longer seems to work.
Regarding the drop chance of evolution items in Pokémon GO, the website PokemonGOHub conducted a survey that led to interesting results. Trainers previously assumed that the chance of receiving such a special item was around 1%. However, it turns out that in testing, based on over 23,000 item drops, the chance is even lower, at about 0.14%.
Source: PokemonGOHub
Of course, these 23,701 item drops are only a part of what trainers around the world receive every day. But it shows that these special items are indeed rare and test the patience of trainers.
Because anyone who wants to quickly have all the new Pokémon from the second generation might resort to evolving Porygon and Co. Since these items must first be obtained from PokéStops with a lot of luck, completing the PokéDex takes longer. Additionally, there are regional Pokémon that make collecting more difficult because they do not appear in certain countries. These monsters cannot be found in Pokémon GO in Germany.
Have you already been lucky with the evolution items and found at least one?
If the annoyed players chip in, then the PvP Lead Designer of World of Warcraft will quit. At least he’s “threatening” to do that on Twitter.
Since developers are no longer anonymous people behind a big development company because of social media like Twitter, they are constantly faced with confrontations from players. A large developer like Blizzard not only receives praise or constructive criticism but also a great deal of hostility.
Brian Holinka, who is largely responsible for PvP in World of Warcraft, received an unfriendly tweet in the past days: he should please announce his resignation.
Instead of ignoring the tweet, Holinka gave a humorous response:
“If you all chip in and raise the money so I can retire, then I’m in! Make it happen! I believe in you!”
One just has to ensure an income “for the next 30 years”, then it wouldn’t be a problem at all.
Josh Allen, the Community Manager, joined the conversation and immediately wanted to get in on the deal. That would then be the first “Stretch Goal”, if enough donors could be found.
It remains to be seen whether Holinka has pushed it too far. As much as the PvP of World of Warcraft currently polarizes (“It’s as good as it has ever been” or “It’s never been this bad!”), it is entirely possible that some fanatic players start a crowdfunding campaign.
But somehow it would also be amusing to see that grow further.
Cortyn says: I believe that such a humorous approach is the best way to deal with inappropriate criticism. Although there will be some experts again who will weigh Holinka’s words carefully, claiming later that Blizzard “would only be lying to them” – but hey. You can’t please all the weird people on the internet.
In the future, ARK modders will receive a scholarship of about €3780 (4,000 dollars) from Wildcard every month. This is intended to give modders more freedom to complete their mods.
As early as 2015, the discussion arose about paying modders for their work on games. Valve and Bethesda introduced a system at that time where modders sold their Skyrim mods directly to players through the Steam Workshop.
Valve wanted to keep 75 percent of the revenue from sold mods, while the developer received 25 percent. This triggered a real “shitstorm” and the system was quickly shut down.
Studio Wildcard wants to pay modders directly
Despite the problems at that time, the idea of paying mod developers has not died at Valve. Gabe Newell from Valve believes that modders must receive compensation for their work. However, not much is happening on Steam yet.
Studio Wildcard has come up with its own system for ARK Survival Evolved to compensate mod developers.
Studio Wildcard will now pay developers directly for creating mods in ARK. Jeremy Stieglitz is the lead designer, lead programmer, and co-creative director of ARK Survival Evolved. He explained how the payment program will work.
Every month, 15 modders receive a scholarship of 4,000 dollars
Studio Wildcard selects 15 modders each month and pays them a scholarship of 4,000 dollars (about €3780). The finished mods will be reviewed every month. Afterwards, Wildcard decides whether the development of the mods will be funded for another month. If the mods do not pass the review, they will be removed from the program. A new mod will be added instead.
According to Stieglitz, there is a possibility of expanding the program and adding more mods. This would be the case if all 15 mods are considered by Wildcard to be good enough to continue funding.
Hobby modders should be able to afford to finish mods
Many mod developers invest their free time into modding, which can often be difficult to manage alongside a job or studies. Studio Wildcard wants to give these developers the opportunity to afford modding and allow more time for development. The studio hopes that the mods can ultimately be completed and made available to the community as a complete product.
One of the best-known and most popular mods in ARK is “Primitive Plus”. The developer, Cedric Burkes, will now determine each month which mods make it into the sponsorship program and which will be removed. This could cause dissatisfaction in the community, as they will initially lose their say in the matter. However, Stieglitz does not want to exclude the community entirely and aims to introduce a community-friendly system. He is considering implementing a voting system.
Modders often do not work alone, which could lead to conflicts
Being paid for their hobby may sound like a dream for many. However, the scholarship system is coupled with a few difficulties. Usually, not just one developer works on a mod, but small teams often collaborate. Modders often depend on each other to get their mods running.
Models, skins, textures, or codes are borrowed from each other: “mutual inspiration” is common. This sometimes leads to conflicts within the modding community. Just recently, there was a case of two ARK modders who both worked on a Pokémon mod. In this case, the dinosaurs were replaced with Pokémon. One of the modders complained about copyright infringement and sent the other a DMCA notice.
Modders who join the program enter into a commitment
According to Stieglitz, modders who join the program enter into a kind of commitment. The studio expects modders to handle and resolve conflicts of this nature themselves. Once a modder joins the program, Studio Wildcard grants them rights to their work. Should disputes arise over copyright infringement, it is up to the modder how to address it.
A safety net ensures the longevity of mods
Anyone participating as a modder in the program is required to submit their source assets to the Wildcard development team. A game like ARK Survival Evolved often receives patches and updates that can render a mod unusable.
To keep the sponsored mods alive, Wildcard sees this safety net as necessary. The developers of ARK would only do this if the modder themselves is unable to perform the update on the mod.
Studio Wildcard will officially announce the sponsorship program for mods at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2017. On the same day, an update for ARK will be released that introduces a new menu into the game. Here, players can easily download the sponsored mods.
List of the first 15 sponsored ARK mods
These 15 mods have made it into the first round of the scholarship program.
The performance of the beta of Ghost Recon Wildlands on PS4 and Xbox One received criticism. The targeted 30 FPS could not be maintained consistently.
Last weekend you could play the open beta of Ghost Recon Wildlands. This is already the second beta of the tactical shooter, in which players could get an impression of the game. Players who tested the game on consoles experienced some performance issues. You can see how these problems manifested in the video from Digital Foundry, which compares the Ghost Recon Wildlands versions for PS4, Xbox One, and PS4 Pro.
Video Comparison Ghost Recon Wildlands
The video focuses on the frame rates as well as on visuals and blurry textures. Ghost Recon Wildlands attempts to achieve 30 FPS on consoles, which at times means a lower representation of the game. Blurry textures appear in certain situations to prevent the game from stuttering and to allow for smooth gameplay. However, this does not guarantee the targeted goal of 30 FPS on consoles. At times, these numbers drop to 25-26 FPS, as you can observe in the video:
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In the game opening, the PS4 version has higher frame rates in direct comparison with the Xbox One version. However, the PS4 version does not maintain the desired 30 FPS over time, also falling below this target. Overall, the PS4 performed better than the Xbox One and maintained the FPS target for a longer period. However, if you want an even better gaming experience with stable frame rates on the console, the PS4 Pro is the way to go.
Thanks to the constant 30 FPS achieved on the PS4 Pro, Ghost Recon Wildlands feels smoother there and is easier to play. This performance is maintained not only at 1080p but also excels in the 4K mode of this console.
The resolution on the Xbox One is 900p, the PS4 has a native 1080p resolution, and the PS4 Pro displays the game in 1440p. In summary, the PS4 Pro performed best in the Digital Foundry test. There is still work to be done on the performance of the Xbox One and PS4 versions to achieve more stable FPS without showing (too many) blurry textures.
Did you play the Ghost Recon Wildlands beta on consoles? What is your impression of the performance?
Today, on February 28th, the update 1.03 is coming to the For Honor on PC. The patch notes are already known.
On this Tuesday, the update 1.03 will be deployed to the PC. A short server downtime is necessary for this.
At 2 PM our time, the maintenance will begin. The servers are expected to be down for 15 minutes, so you can play again by 2:15 PM.
The update 1.03 has already been submitted to Microsoft and Sony for certification. Once they give the thumbs up, the update can also be deployed on PS4 and Xbox One. A specific date is still pending.
Patch Notes for Update 1.03
Gifts:
Shugoki: A bug has been fixed that caused players to lose the “Hard to Kill” gift upon death.
Orochi: Nail Bomb now deals damage as intended.
Berserker: Stun Trap now deals damage as intended.
Valkyrie: Bloodlust now works with all hero kills.
Berserker, War Lord, Valkyrie: Adjustment to Rush.
Attacks that are so fast they cannot be blocked will no longer display the “Unblockable Attack” feedback.
Camera issues during executions will be fixed.
Adjustments to the Peacekeeper:
Bleeding damage now deals a maximum of 36 damage (it was 45 in the beta) for three stabs
Stab range increased from 1 meter to 2 meters
Normal light attacks have increased range: from 2.75m to 3m.
Berserker and Conqueror: Light attacks and chain attacks recover faster after a block: From 900ms to 700ms.
Valkyrie: General buffs, her moves are faster, some attacks deal more damage (Hunter’s Strike and Raid Charge now deal 17 instead of 12 damage) and light attacks recover faster (by 100ms each)
Orochi: During the Flow Strike, he goes back a bit further than before: From 1.75m to 2m
Game Modes:
Duels, Brawls, Elimination: If players leave the game and are replaced by bots, the bots will be dead in this round. They will only fight as usual in the next round.
Additionally: Numerous bug fixes
For details and all bug fixes, you can find them in the Ubi Forum.
The grind in SWTOR shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. The developers are adding more levels to the Galactic Command.
The current expansion of Star Wars: The Old Republic has been well received by most players – at least the story part. However, for many players, the endgame consists only of tedious grinding to level up further in the Galactic Command. In Knights of the Eternal Throne, these level-ups are needed to access new and better rewards, as each level-up grants a new loot box.
BioWare has now announced on Twitter that the current system is not nearing an end yet. Instead, 100 more levels will soon be added to the Galactic Command.
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The game’s fans are reacting to this announcement rather disappointed and seem unimpressed, as most Jedi and Sith simply have no desire for more grinding. A few die-hard fans, however, welcome the change, as it gives them something to do for a few more weeks.
Currently, there is also a bonus active in SWTOR, allowing all players to earn massive experience points for the Galactic Command. Leveling up and cashing in on boxes is faster than ever before.
How do you feel about the system surrounding the Galactic Command? Is it just a mindless grind or exactly what is needed to ensure individualized progress for every player?
The games for March 2017 have not yet been officially revealed, which “PlayStation Plus” members can receive at no extra cost. However, a current leak points to the possible free PS4 games.
In the NeoGAF forum, a flyer from a French retail dealer is making the rounds. It advertises the “PS Plus” membership, showing the free games for March.
These are the PS4 games:
Tearaway: Unfolded – A remastered version of Tearaway, a “PS Vita” game where you dive into paper worlds.
Disc Jam – a fast-paced action sports game, a combination of tennis and air hockey.
At this point, a notice: This is a leak. These games for March 2017 are not officially confirmed. The reveal from Sony is expected tomorrow. We will report on that. The games for March will be available for download and installation starting March 7th.
What are the free games for PlayStation Plus?
Once a month, “PS Plus” members receive a delivery of free games that they can download from the PlayStation Store and add to their library. This game lineup is included in the subscription of the online service. PlayStation Plus costs about 50 euros per year.
Every month, online gamers on PS4, PS3, and PS Vita eagerly await which games they will receive from Sony this time. However, the games are often quite controversial in the community, as they can never meet the taste of all players.
Would you be satisfied with these games for March 2017?
The barbaric survival MMO Conan Exiles has already achieved its annual sales target in February alone. This makes the title a complete success for developer Funcom. There are no more obstacles for the versions on Xbox One and PS4.
The barbarian survival game Conan Exiles has already become a complete success for developer Funcom after just 28 days. They had projected a sales target of 487,000 copies sold in the first 12 months. As of February 28, the net sales already amount to 480,000!
Conan Exiles Roadmap 2017 – 7 major updates and a new biome
According to the developers, Conan Exiles is not expected to remain in Early Access for more than 12 months and is set to be completed as a release version in early 2018. Until then, the developers plan to deliver a large number of patches and major updates. The following updates are firmly scheduled:
Two to three major updates in the first half of 2017
Another two to three updates in the second half of the year
One major update in early 2018
A completely new biome is expected to be released in the third quarter of 2017
Conan Exiles is also set to be released on the consoles PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Since these will be full release versions, the console launch is planned for the first quarter of 2018.
A preview version for Xbox One is expected to be released in the third quarter of 2017.
Inspired by the great success, Funcom wants to invest more money in Conan Exiles and has increased the budget for technical and content updates. Additionally, they plan to spend more money on marketing and PR.
As there is little competition in the survival genre on consoles, the developers at Funcom also expect good sales figures among console players. The only survival games currently on PS4 and Xbox One are ARK Survival Evolved and 7 Days to Die.
In Destiny, the weekly reset is today, on 28.2. A new dawn begins.
As of today, the Crucible should start filling up again: The Iron Banner in February starts at 7 PM. Lord Efrideet travels to the Felwinter Peak, takes her position there, and offers you her inventory along with Iron Banner loot engrams. For many guardians, this is the chance to extensively test the new meta in PvP.
On the night from Thursday to Friday, we expect a roadmap from Bungie concerning what the future holds for Destiny – at least regarding what’s coming up in March. It’s high time that new content is delivered. We are curious about what Bungie has to say in “This Week at Bungie”.
But today is first the weekly reset. At 10 AM, new tasks will come in.
Dawn on 28.2. on PS4 and Xbox One
This week, the Nightfall is Fallen S.A.B.E.R.
The modifiers are:
Epic
Brute: Damage from guardian melee is increased
Grounded: You take more damage while in the air
Scrub: Radar is disabled
Fresh Troops: Some enemies come with reinforcements
In the heroic SIVA Crisis strike playlist, the modifiers are Heroic, Voidburn, Brute, and Tank.
The “Iron Lord” artifacts for the reset
Tyra Karn is waiting in the Iron Temple, patiently awaiting you to perform noble deeds in the Plaguelands. Then she rewards you with an “Iron Lord” artifact of your choice. This week, there are these three artifacts:
Lord Shaxx wants to see your skills in Control matches. Commander Zavala has Strike Elite, Sunrise, and Relentless (quickly 9 enemy kills for Rampage medals) in store.
In For Honor, the first round of the Faction War is over. The rewards are known. Additionally, there is the Champion status for a few days for free!
Last weekend, there were several hours of issues with Ubisoft servers. Games like For Honor, Ghost Recon Wildlands, or The Division were affected. This was due to a global outage of online services at Ubisoft, which prevented heroes from fighting on the battlefield for glory and honor.
Now, the officials have come up with compensation for this disruption: Every player who played For Honor between February 13 and February 26 will receive the Champion status for three days. This compensation will be active next weekend from March 3 to March 5. It is worth logging in over the weekend.
The Champion status gives you several advantages in the game: For example, you will receive 25% more experience after matches and get more end-match loot.
Additionally, a “Community Mission” starts next weekend. Participants will receive double the amount of Steel.
Faction War Round 1 – Rewards
Last night, the first round of the Faction War ended. This went to the Vikings. The Knights landed in 2nd place and the Samurai in 3rd place.
The main menu shows the emblem of the Vikings in the upper right corner, indicating that they won the first round. Now Round 2 is underway.
The rewards of the Faction War round are as follows, according to user reports:
Members of the Viking faction: 3 Remnant Collector Chests
Members of the Knight faction: 2 Remnant Collector Chests
Members of the Samurai faction: 1 Remnant Collector Chest
You can open these chests in the Heroes Menu.
Elimination and Skirmish are now separate
Since last night, the Deathmatch game modes are separated. This means you can search individually for Elimination and Skirmish. The developers are responding to community feedback. In the future, they may combine the modes again, but currently, the active player base is large enough for two separate game modes.
