In Tom Clancy’s The Division, we take a closer look at the exotic weapon set consisting of Liberator and Centurion.
The contents of Update 1.6 are currently being extensively tested on the PTS. Among the new features that are being particularly discussed are the weapon sets. The reason for this is primarily the new Valkyria set, which consists of the two weapons Eir and Hildr and was completely “overpowered” and “broken” during the first PTS phase.
But what about the second exotic weapon set? What can the combination of Liberator and Centurion do?
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How Assault Rifle and Pistol Benefit from Each Other
Weapon sets in 1.6 function similarly to gear sets: the unique talent only activates when the required number of items is equipped. In this case, you need to equip the assault rifle Liberator and the pistol Centurion.
By the way: Although both weapons are exotics, they do not have unique talents on their own. All three talents are random and can also be recalibrated. Only when both weapons are equipped will the special talent be unlocked.
For Liberator and Centurion, the set talent is “Free Republic”: Each shot with the Liberator grants +5% damage to the next headshot with the Centurion. The maximum is 200%. Kills with the Centurion grant +10% rate of fire for all weapons for 10 seconds.
In practice, this bonus appears as a symbol with a number under the grenades, counting up to a maximum of 200. This shows you how strong the buff you are building with Liberator is.
Both buffs benefit from each other: If you kill an enemy with the Centurion, you can shoot faster with the Liberator. This means you can build the buff up to 200 faster and land the next strong headshot.
The question now is: Is this weapon set worth it at all? Why should I switch to the Centurion when I can defeat the opponent directly with the Liberator – a significantly better weapon? Therefore, many agents are not yet convinced by this set. The constant weapon switching is also not a playstyle that many agents want to engage in. By the way, the talent from the “Lone Wolf” set would be excellent for this.
In short: Liberator and Centurion are currently an interesting weapon set, but will not be able to establish themselves in this form. The buffs should be higher so that agents in the endgame of 1.6 can rely on them. How strong the set will be when the update is released for the live game remains to be seen.
The Closed Beta of Ghost Recon Wildlands takes place this weekend. We have summarized the most important information for you.
In March, the release of Ghost Recon Wildlands is already scheduled. In this tactical shooter, you can complete missions in co-op mode with up to three other players. You fight against the Santa Blanca drug cartel, which has gained significant power in Bolivia.
This weekend, you can try out Ghost Recon Wildlands in the Closed Beta.
Ghost Recon Wildlands Beta Keys – Here’s How to Join
Registration does not guarantee participation but gives you a chance to receive a Beta Key for yourself and your friends. Notifications about participation in this test phase will be sent to you via your Ubisoft account by email.
If selected, you will receive a Beta Code for yourself and can invite three other players on the same platform to this beta phase. This way, you can test the co-op mode with four players on the respective platform and try out different tactics and strategies.
The Closed Beta of Ghost Recon Wildlands runs from February 3 to February 6 on PC, Xbox One, and PS4. If you are one of the lucky ones who can participate in this test phase, you can download the game starting tomorrow (February 1). The download will be available from 8:00 AM in the morning. This is particularly important for players with slower internet, as the game is about 25GB in size.
With the pre-download you won’t waste beta gameplay time, but can load the files onto your computer in advance. Is your computer “fit” enough for the game? The system requirements for Ghost Recon Wildlands can be found here.
Boredom in World of Warcraft? A goofy Orc is going his own way and gaining many fans.
No matter how big a new expansion for World of Warcraft may be, sooner or later daily life always takes over. You farm artifact power, visit one or two dungeons, and pass the time until the next raid. Variety quickly becomes the routine.
Sometimes it can be worth starting completely over and viewing World of Warcraft from a totally different perspective.
Not from the player’s perspective, but from the character’s perspective. That’s what the person behind the Twitter account of Gromogg thought. As a somewhat goofy Orc, he tweets every day from the Orc’s perspective about what he has experienced in World of Warcraft today. As befits an Orc, he makes extensive use of capital letters, and his grammar doesn’t exactly come from the school of elite Thralls.
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“BRING DEVIL AMMUNITION TO DRAAKA, SHE WANTS GENERAL TO KNOW. GROMMOG SEES HOW HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF. ASHAMED.”
Experiencing WoW from a completely new perspective seems to appeal to many players, as Gromogg is slowly gathering more and more followers and is already getting visits from fans in the game. Anyone looking for a “fresh” look at Azeroth should browse through Gromogg’s tweets. Sometimes a lot of beauty lies in the small things.
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Cortyn says: I’m sure I’m repeating myself, but all players who find World of Warcraft boring in the traditional way should simply experience the game as role-players. You can then spend much, much more time in Azeroth without getting bored.
From the perspective of an NPC, WoW can also be quite interesting – at least in Suramar “The Last Layer”.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The latest skin of Ana causes a lot of disturbance. The “Tal” outfit gives players in Overwatch moments of horror.
If you want to put Overwatch and “horror” or “creepy” in a sentence, you really need to try hard. The creepiest part is probably Reaper’s bad “edgelord” quotes. But there is a new queen of horror that surpasses all others: Ana.
Meanwhile, there are numerous players complaining about the latest patch “Year of the Rooster”. In this patch, Ana got her new “Tal” skin, which depicts her wearing a traditional Korean Talchum mask often used in performances.
Many players find the skin uninspired and simply creepy. Especially in combination with her “Shh…” highlight intro, she appears particularly eerie. Not at all like a friendly healer, but rather a cruel killer who is going to take her victim to the torture chamber – just for fun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L4TSWgBtVc
The reactions on Twitter are consequently mixed. Many players fear the new skin and swear, “If this ever comes together with the highlight intro, I will throw my PC out of the window.”
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Some players even pray fervently that they do not pull the skin from a loot box, because then it would be “forever in their account.” Some even want to pay money to have the skin removed.
What do you think of Ana’s new skin? Cool? Creepy? Or are the reactions just silly?
Cortyn says: My first thought about the skin was that it is indeed somewhat creepy. Maybe because I’ve played too much Dead by Daylight lately or watched anime with crazies wearing exactly those kinds of masks. I belong to the folks who hope not to draw this skin from a loot box. Because then it would linger eternally in the hero gallery waiting for its opportunity…
There are indications in Destiny that an attack from the Cabal is imminent in the sequel Destiny 2.
A possible leak is currently circulating on reddit and Youtube that could preview Destiny 2. This relates to Mega Bloks, a manufacturer of action figures and collectibles that already supplies “Mega Bloks” figures for the MMO shooter. With these, you can bring the Destiny universe into your living room.
Mega Bloks has now listed Destiny sets on Amazon, describing enemies and scenes that do not currently exist in Destiny.
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The leak initially spread in the Bungie forum. There, it referred to another forum that lists upcoming “Mega Bloks” building sets. These are sets from Pokemon, HALO, Call of Duty, and also Destiny.
Supposedly, these sets were found on Amazon, where they were listed prematurely – unfortunately without images, only with a description text. In the meantime, they have been removed by Amazon, making this leak unverifiable.
Therefore, a note at this point that none of this information is officially confirmed.
What does the leak state? Red Guard and Cleaver
Three sets are listed:
Destiny Cabal Goliath Tank Building Set: This includes a Goliath tank with Commander Zavala, a Cabal phalanx, and two Psions. Additionally, there are weapons and armor pieces.
Cabal Bruiser Battle Building Set: The description states that a legendary warrior must fight his greatest battle in the tower hangar. Lord Shaxx swings his exotic sword, the Cleaver, to stop the furious Cleavers of the “Red Guard” of the Cabal.
Aspect Of Glass Building Set: This features a jump ship and a Hunter with Spectar armor and the “Lord of Wolves” shotgun.
The second set is particularly interesting: Why must Lord Shaxx fight in the Tower hangar? Who are the Cleavers and who is the “Red Guard” of the Cabal?
Destiny does not provide answers to these questions. So why would Mega Bloks create such a scenario?
It is assumed that Activision sent this (possible) future story already to Mega Bloks, so that a set is available right at the launch of Destiny 2. However, this can only be speculated.
Cabal in Destiny 2? This leak is not new
This possible leak strengthens indications that the Cabal will play an important role in the sequel and are seemingly attacking Earth and the Last City:
As early as late 2015, Kotaku learned from anonymous sources that Destiny 2 is supposed to partially take place on Mars – complete with a raid. Highmoon Studios are said to be working on it. Back then, it was speculated that the Cabal would finally get their raid. The “European Dead Zone” on Earth was also mentioned as possible content.
In the summer of 2016, Bungie developers said that we still have no idea about the true power of the Cabal.
Additionally, “discarded concept art” leaked in the summer that shows the Last City in flames. Some of the concept drawings can be found in this article.
With the current information, this picture of Destiny 2 emerges: The Cabal Empire comes into our solar system and attacks the Last City. Lord Shaxx grabs the Cleaver and defends the tower. A new enemy unit appears, the “Cleavers”, who fight in the “Red Guard” of the Cabal.
However: Nothing of this is officially confirmed. The leak cannot be attributed the attribute “absolutely trustworthy”. It is also possible that these contents are not for Destiny 2, but for a content update that is meant to bridge the time until the sequel. The future will tell.
What do you think? Will the Cabal attack the Last City in Destiny 2?
Both games came out in spring, an unusual release window – ESO on April 4, 2014, The Division on March 8, 2016
Both games are part of a larger franchise, which brings them early acclaim but also incurs high expectations.
Both games face mixed reviews and reactions upon release – both games praise the atmosphere and story but criticize technical issues and wonder whether an endgame is present.
Both games have genre giants in WoW and Destiny ahead of them, with which they are compared while trying to distance themselves and find their own identity.
Both games functioned excellently as single-player games but struggle in the multiplayer aspect
Both games have a clear story to the maximum level, but the transition to the game afterwards, when the respective end boss is defeated, is problematic and many players drop off.
Both games experienced extreme technical problems with bugs and balancing in the initial phase – ESO faced a dupe bug, while The Division had a backpack bug that excluded players – in ESO, vampires run amok, while in The Division players can exploit game mechanics left and right – in both games, it appears that the mechanics are too complex to control.
Both games rely exclusively on an open PvP system that never fully works. ESO promised structured PvP early on but has not delivered it until today. The Division is set to introduce “structured” PvP with the next Patch 1.6.
Both games fall into a deep pit some months after release. Hardly anyone cares about ESO and The Division anymore, even though both games continuously provide new content in the form of DLCs and updates.
Both games call fans for a meeting where they lay their cards on the table to save the game. This happens for both games about 6 or 7 months after their release. For ESO in October 2014, for The Division in September 2016. This point has later been described as healing and important. For ESO, it was called the “Guild Summit”, for The Division “Elite Task Force.”
After the meeting, ESO separates from some old concepts like veteran points, introducing new gameplay systems. Later, it adopts scaling with One Tamriel. Massive completely overhauls the endgame with world ranks, also implementing scaling.
Here the paths diverge – The Division is at the point of developing and introducing new concepts. The Elder Scrolls Online was ahead of this more than 2 years ago.
After that, ESO underwent a quieter phase in which the game was revamped. The Free2Play transition in March 2015 and the console release in June 2015 marked a turning point. Since then, there have been hardly any negative news from Tamriel. However, it took a long time for the changes decided in the first year to be implemented.
A significant point like the console launch is still missing for The Division. They are already out on consoles. However, the news in the months after the meeting with fans have also become significantly more positive for The Division.
The Division: Hope for a turnaround is there, but it requires patience
Perhaps these parallels to ESO can give fans of The Division hope that the second year of the shooter will be better, just like it was for the MMORPG. But: Even The Elder Scrolls Online required quite a bit of patience. Games of this size are battleships, not nimble boats. Course changes take several months and a lot of work to show effect.
Also interesting: In this article, we explore the differences in post-release development between The Division and Destiny:
With a Critical Catch, the chance to catch a Pokémon increases. Hints about this feature have now been found in Pokémon GO.
Recently, Niantic announced the release of the new Pokémon GO update 0.55.0. This patch reduced the loading time on Android devices and integrated wheelchair support in combination with the Apple Watch.
In data mining from TheSilphRoad, further changes were noticed that were not mentioned in the patch notes. Among other things, there are hints of a Critical Catch feature that could enhance the catching chances of wild Pokémon.
What is the Critical Catch?
Since Generation 5 (Black Edition and White Edition), this special mechanic has existed in Pokémon games. A Critical Catch occurs randomly and is recognizable by a throwing sound similar to a hissing noise. Subsequently, the PokéBall does not fall directly to the ground but shakes in the air first. This shaking already gives the Pokémon a chance to escape from the ball.
Once it lands on the ground, the ball shakes only one more time until you can see the catch result. A Critical Catch does not have to be successful, as the Pokémon still has a chance to escape. However, the chance of a catch is increased since the Pokémon can only shake one more time.
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The chance to achieve a Critical Catch increases with the number of your registered Pokémon in the PokéDex. This catch is not limited to a specific type of PokéBall.
Data Mining Results
In the Pokémon GO code from the latest update 0.55.0, the term “Critical Catch” was found, which is called Schnäppchenfang in the German versions. We may soon see this catching mechanic in Pokémon GO. However, it is still unclear if it will be implemented as described above. The current information on how the Critical Catch works comes from PokeWiki.
New candies could soon be available for Buddy Pokémon achievements. A new item type “Candy Award” has been discovered, which may be associated with Buddy Pokémon and their achievements. However, this, like the Critical Catch, is not confirmed by Niantic and is just speculation based on changes in the game code.
This morning at 6 AM, the early access phase of the survival RPG Conan Exiles started – and the servers are already full with more than 200 reviews.
As soon as the official servers were online, they were full. Accordingly, complaints from players who would like to play on the official servers are currently increasing. There are too few servers, and Funcom needs to quickly roll out more.
Of course, fans have already opened unofficial servers, but the official ones are the most popular. However, there are still further issues due to overcrowding at the moment. The pings are bad for some players, and there are frequent disconnections. But this is considered “normal” for newly launched online games these days.
Reviews – already?
Of course, many players don’t wait long to share their opinions. Therefore, more than 200 reviews for Conan Exiles have already appeared on Steam. The ratio of positive to negative reports is currently “balanced”. The few servers and the frequent disconnections are particularly criticized. The rather difficult start is also a point of criticism. Right at the beginning, players face invincible enemies completely naked and without weapons.
The respawn without a bed can also lead to precarious situations. Without a sleeping spot, players don’t know where they will respawn and may face enemies immediately. The entry into the game is a bit bumpy.
A solid foundation
However, positive reviews praise that the game runs so smoothly even in this early phase. Although players need to get used to it at first, as there is little explanation, they find their way in very quickly. The scattered story elements with diaries and letters that can be read create an interesting atmosphere. The survival aspect is also well presented.
For many, the early access version of Conan Exiles provides a solid foundation for an interesting survival RPG. However, Funcom still needs to work on the servers.
A new trailer was also released at launch to introduce the game.
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The neglected profession of archaeology is becoming valuable again in World of Warcraft – a lot of artifact power is on the horizon in Patch 7.2.
Of all the professions in World of Warcraft, the secondary profession archaeology has perhaps been the most “overlooked” in Legion. Every 2 weeks, a small quest can be completed, which often ends in very long farming sessions and provides little benefit. However, this pool of quests is now exhausted: those who have been digging diligently since the launch of Legion will complete their last mission next Wednesday.
Digging in old ruins is worthwhile again!
Apparently, Blizzard does not want to leave archaeologists completely out in the rain, as there will be some changes with Patch 7.2.
For successfully unearthing fragments and completing excavation sites, there is now a chance that the player will receive artifact power. There are several items that grant between 85 – 750 artifact power.
With an artifact knowledge of level 25, that corresponds to a total of 187,500 artifact power – a fairly solid number for a “secondary profession”. However, how frequently the corresponding items appear is still unknown.
Furthermore, some excavation sites will now be considered “elite” – such as those that are already filled with elite opponents (like in Azsuna).
Also new are tomes that can appear when digging. Clicking on the tome summons the spirit of a highborne, who currently serves no recognizable purpose.
The information comes from the current build of Patch 7.2 – this is not final yet, so everything should be taken with caution.
The images used are from wowhead (see source).
Cortyn says: I can’t really warm up to archaeology anymore. Back in Cataclysm, it was a cool profession to kill some time, make decent gold (projects could often be sold for several hundred gold pieces), and gather some new lore information. In Legion, archaeology is boring and – aside from the quests – relatively devoid of rewards. New incentives, like the ever-present carrot of artifact power, could at least bring some momentum back to the profession in the medium term if you want a break from dungeons and world quests.
In Destiny, the weekly reset takes place today, on January 31st. In addition to a new Nightfall strike, more fresh activities are coming.
Tomorrow marks the beginning of February, the month in which the next update for Destiny is supposed to be released. Although it is already dated for “mid-February”, we currently know shockingly little about it. It comes with a balance patch that will buff primary weapons and provide competition for shotguns. Information about the content update and new game features is still in the dark unknown.
We are expected to find out next Thursday when Bungie will drop the curtain and share concrete details. Until then, we can focus on this week’s tasks. It is Weekly Reset.
Nightfall on January 31st on PS4 and Xbox One
This week, the Nightfall is Winter Storm.
The modifiers are:
Epic
Berserker: Dark minions do not retreat, even if they suffer massive damage.
Small Arms: Primary weapon damage is increased.
Grain: Player radar is disabled.
Arms Dealer: Enemy shields are resistant to mismatched elemental damage.
In the Heroic SIVA Crisis Strike Playlist, the modifiers are Heroic, Small Arms, Grain, and Airborne.
The “Iron Lord” Artifacts This Week
Tyra Karn has been reliably waiting in the Iron Temple since the launch of “Rise of Iron,” bringing fresh artifacts weekly for you. There are a total of eight different “Iron Lord” artifacts, of which she randomly brings three. Many Guardians may have already completed their collection, but perhaps Tyra has a better roll available. Here are this week’s artifacts:
Last night, the survival MMO Conan Exiles entered Early Access. And during character creation, one thing stood out.
PC Gamer extensively examined the “lower half” of character creation in Conan Exiles. In character creation, the player can already decide how much nudity they can handle in the game. They can choose between:
no nudity at all
topless only
or fully naked, including down below
If the player chooses a female character, they can, as is customary in the genre, adjust the breast size using a slider. But – equality – this applies to men and their penis as well. Moving left and right makes it bigger and smaller. Hopefully, we’ll get a statistic sometime on what size players choose on average.
Additionally, the penis is not rigid and stiff in the game, but subject to the laws of gravity and physics. PC Gamer has posted a series of interesting gifs that illustrate this. We’re happy to show them to you.
You can leave the article now if this is too much for you.
Warning, there are penises from here on
NSFW but Conan Exiles has an endowment slider. Big dong, little dong, big dong, little dong pic.twitter.com/MNgGsmlv32
The omnic with the bird voice from Overwatch will soon receive some improvements. We will reveal the buffs for Bastion.
Bastion is probably one of the most polarizing Overwatch heroes. Either you hate the stationary omnic because he traumatized you during the game’s launch, when you didn’t know how to counter him, or you love him… well, because you’ve traumatized others.
But a lot of time has passed since the launch of Overwatch, and almost all heroes have received reworks – except for Bastion.
Meanwhile, many players have complained in forums that Bastion has been neglected. He is now the weakest and most immobile character, who is only really useful in a few situations.
Geoff Goodman has spoken out in the official forum and introduced some changes that will likely be tested on the next PTR:
Configuration: Recon will receive a larger magazine and lower spread, making this mode stronger.
Configuration: Sentry is set to become more of a “tank and barrier destroyer,” and the transformation should feel less like a suicide mission. Therefore, we are testing a higher spread and removing headshots [that he inflicts], but he will take less damage than a sentry.
Reconfigure will be significantly revamped. In the internal test version, Bastion can use the ability while moving, and it will no longer be interrupted by damage taken. To compensate, there will now be a “resource system” like D.Va’s Defense Matrix, which limits the use of the ability.
Blizzard hopes that these changes will lead to Bastion being played more and especially being useful in multiple situations.
Before the release of For Honor, an open beta will take place. This is indicated in an email that mentions the launch date. Additionally, the beta received an update with version 1.02.
Just recently, the closed beta of For Honor ended. Those who had an access code were able to test the melee battles over the entire weekend and get an impression of the upcoming Ubisoft game.
Those who missed the closed beta are expected to get another chance to try For Honor before the release on 14.2. According to a “Twitch Prime” email, an open beta will be available, which will be accessible to all interested parties. The open beta for For Honor runs from 9.2. to 12.2.
A testing phase just before release
This “Twitch Prime” email was shared in the NeoGAF forum and outlines the benefits players will receive in For Honor if they are a “Twitch Prime” member. According to the email, Ubisoft and Twitch are entering into a partnership for For Honor.
Alongside the date for the closed beta, the date for the open beta is listed. Additionally, members receive in-game loot, 10 days of champion status, and an exclusive emblem.
Ubisoft has not yet officially announced an open beta, so these leaked details should be taken with a grain of caution. Nevertheless, they are considered likely. Ubisoft followed a similar plan at the launch of Rainbow Six Siege, where a beta started shortly before the release date.
Closed Beta – Update 1.02
Somewhat unexpectedly, an update for the closed beta appeared today. Although this is already over, update 1.02 has just gone live.
This update brings stability fixes, hero balancing, and bug fixes for matchmaking and the online experience.
The Battlefield 1 CTE offers the opportunity to try out patches before their release. Here you can register.
Battlefield 1 players will soon be able to test new content before it arrives on the live servers via a patch. CTE stands for Community Test Environment and should already be familiar to veterans of the series. This test environment is now also being activated for the latest installment of the series, but is currently only available for PC players.
Battlefield 1 Test Server
The CTE in Battlefield 1 is a test environment where new features, improved content, changes, and experiments are tested. The content is tested there before being released to players on the “normal” servers.
The developers use the CTE to receive feedback from the community for developments. Direct feedback on changes helps developers improve and adjust these new contents.
What is being tested there?
First of all, the developers want to test the new Battlefield 1 update to check its stability. Later on, additional content will be added. You might also be able to test content from the They Shall Not Pass DLC there. Maps, vehicles, and the new elite class from They Shall Not Pass
CTE Registration
The codes for access to the CTE are first distributed to selected members of the community, allowing veterans of the series to gain access. You can then redeem the codes on PC via Origin to activate access. The public registration for the test environment is done through the Battlefield Companion app.
Currently, only PC players have access to the CTE. However, PS4 and Xbox One players should soon be able to take advantage of this testing opportunity. A Battlefield 1 Premium Pass for the respective platform is also required for registration. If you meet the requirements, you need to click on “Home” in the Companion app and select CTE there.
Currently, there is no official release date for the Battlefield 1 CTE.
MOBA belongs on smartphones. This is the best platform for it, say the creators of Vainglory. Although they are still laughed at by many for this. However, success proves them right.
When we talk about eSports these days, next to the strong first-person shooters, there is mainly the genre of MOBAs, the Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas. The big money can especially be won in the PC titles League of Legends and Dota 2. The development studio Super Evil Megacorp, known for the mobile MOBA Vainglory, is convinced, however, that the genre belongs on smartphones.
Although almost everyone with a penchant for technology owns a smartphone nowadays, gaming on small screens has so far been limited to casual games. These are played in between while on the bus or train. Still, the eSports of the ‘Pocket PCs’ is a niche. It’s often laughed at even. If you ask players, you will get almost exclusively negative forecasts for the future.
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The American development studio Super Evil Megacorp fiercely defends against this opinion. The still young team is primarily responsible for the currently best mobile MOBA “Vainglory” and regularly organizes live finals in the regions of North America and Europe. These attract high interest via Twitch. Even now, they have managed to ensure that professional eSports organizations like SK Gaming, Team Secret, or Team SoloMid entered the game. Including numerous fans, their own merchandise, and considerable prize money.
What is Vainglory?
Vainglory came to life just over two years ago, initially exclusively for iOS, later also playable via Android.
With a clear focus on eSports, Vainglory quickly developed into a significant presence on Twitch and built its community with numerous rapid updates and a previously unknown playability for smartphones. The development studio consistently relies on close cooperation with the community, still hardly advertises the game, and prefers to use the funds to increase the prize pool within the tournaments.
Professional players from the organizations also have a significant voice when it comes to implementing innovations. Top priority is quality, followed by the balancing between the demands of eSports and acquiring new players.
At its core, Vainglory is a classic MOBA: Two teams compete against each other on a single available map. Players choose a hero for the match at the beginning, level him up as quickly as possible, and try together to destroy the opposing core, the main base.
Difference to PC
Although Vainglory sees itself as a fully-fledged MOBA, platform-related adjustments must be made. For the smaller screen, for instance, only one lane was chosen on the map instead of three like in its bigger brother. A team consists of only three heroes, and matches usually last no longer than 20 minutes – longer duels would contradict the mobile aspect.
A particular highlight in the game is provided by the so-called Kraken. This is by far the strongest monster on the entire map, located in the vast jungle of the map, and definitely requires all three team members to be defeated.
The team that can eliminate the Kraken wins the monster for themselves – as long as the Kraken is not killed again, it automatically attacks the opposing turrets. The tricky part: Who gains control of the monster is determined by who executes the Last Hit, or the killing blow. This has already turned numerous matches: Pure fighting power is not enough here; only a well-thought-out tactic promises success.
“Smartphones are the best platform for MOBAs”
At a tournament in Berlin, we had the opportunity to talk with one of the lead developers about Vainglory. Q Wang, nicknamed Q, told us that Vainglory was developed to leverage the seemingly unlimited potential of smartphones. There are far more people with smartphones than with PCs, so the market is definitely there and just needs to be tapped. While they know that this will take time, Super Evil Megacorp likes to see itself as a pioneer in this regard and does not want to rest on its laurels.
If the argument arises that smartphones are not meant for gaming, Q counters that the computer was not originally invented for play either. Society is slowly ripe for engaging in serious eSports on small screens – thanks to virtually unlimited Wi-Fi connections, the device can be used anywhere for a quick game, so the future picture suggests that this is already beginning. Once the infrastructure is at a higher global standard, with new generations of gaming finally reaching the core of society and smartphones generating another technical advance, the mobile market will be able to make a huge leap again.
More important than the availability of smartphones, in the developer’s view, is the fact that MOBAs are much better playable on smartphones. It is significantly easier to control the heroes on the mobile device, one can use the fingers for control more precisely, and ideally, one sits directly across from their teammates, which improves communication.
To every skeptic who is either a supporter of PC-MOBA or has generally refrained from the genre, Q recommends to simply give Vainglory a try. As is common in the genre, the game can be downloaded for free – only skins or heroes outside the free rotation need to be purchased.
Bold theses – success justifies it
As mentioned: mobile eSports are laughed at. The acceptance is relatively low; statements like those from Q are quickly dismissed as nonsense – and yet hard facts prove the development studio right and reward it for its courage. Last year, a multi-million dollar deal with Twitch was concluded. The game streaming platform sees great potential in the MOBA, which was among the fastest-growing titles on the website in 2016. In the live finals, where the eight best teams of a region compete for the season crown, thousands of fans watch – with a clearly rising tendency.
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In December of last year, the first world championship in Vainglory took place in Hollywood and generated significant attention. From now on, it will be held every year and thus generate additional promotion in the Asian countries.
2017 an important year
Despite all the positive aspects of the MOBA, not everything that glitters is gold: Professional players repeatedly express concern that Super Evil Megacorp must take another step and cannot stagnate; otherwise, the momentum of the early days will be lost. Important decisions must be made now; a clear direction for the coming years is still lacking. If the team achieves its goal, one can continue to expect a fresh, mobile breeze in the eSports scene.
Our opinion on Vainglory
As a MOBA fan, I really enjoy the game. Especially on the larger tablet, Vainglory becomes a fun alternative when I’m not in the mood for League of Legends and/or Dota 2. I admit that I am one of the few supporters of mobile eSports and almost hope that the genre will grow larger in the coming years.
However, whether the smartphone is truly the best platform for it is a really bold statement. It is still the case that the PC is significantly more accepted, and only computer MOBAs are considered “fully-fledged”. The future will show whether the developers’ vision can hold up.
Survival-MMO ARK Survival Evolved is bringing Patch 254 online for PC tonight. We have patch notes and information.
Studio WildCard has announced and is presenting Patch 254 for PC. It is set to be rolled out tonight, in the night from Monday to Tuesday, at 2:00 AM if everything goes smoothly.
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254 is a major content patch and brings “Tek Tier” and numerous other features into the game.
TEK Tier is an endgame technology in the crafting system. With 254 comes the first wave of this technology. Additional elements are to follow. Players earn TEK Tier by defeating bosses and collecting their elements. It is also possible to equip TEK saddles on the most popular dinos. Even on a T-Rex.
Furthermore, the ability to change hairstyles in ARK Survival Evolved will be available today. You can dye your hair, grow hair and a beard. This hairy matter is also set to be expanded over time.
The sheep, Ovis Aries, is also coming to ARK. This was created as part of a Steam challenge. Players will be able to shear sheep. You can also ride on the sheep. That’s suitable for mountainous terrain.
What the new dinosaurs can do – Purlovia, Blasilosaurus and Baryonyx
Three additional dinosaurs are coming with the Basilosaurus, Baryonyx, and Purlovia.
The Basilosaurus Solatiumfect is a marine creature. As a powerful swimmer, it thrives in shallow waters. It possesses remarkable self-healing abilities. Other predators typically follow the Basilosaurus since it leaves behind usable remains after digestion. Survivors harvest the Basilosaurus for oil.
Purlovia Maxima is a carnivore that relies on the element of surprise. As a patient hunter, it is employed by tribes to prepare ambushes or protect a village. A pack of tamed Purlovia can serve as a sort of minefield of claws and fangs.
Baryonyx Aquafugur is one of the smaller large predators. It is a fast swimmer, quick enough to pose a threat on land as well. For survivors seeking to travel both in water and on land, it serves as the ideal mount for anyone preferring speed and agility over sheer strength. After consuming fresh fish, the Baryonyx can regenerate remarkably quickly.
Along with the other dinos, the Dino-Jousting makes its way to Ark. The lance serves as a new item.
When is the patch coming to PS4 and Xbox One? And what’s next?
On February 20, the next patch for PC ARK is set to appear. V255 will bring new gameplay content to ARK Survival Evolved. This includes TEK technology and these dinos:
In Destiny, we look at the videos of the week. Bungie provides three videos, which we complement with works from our community.
In the videos of the week, Bungie usually delivers a colorful selection of Crucible montages, funny PvE scenes, music videos, or other creative masterpieces. This week, there’s something different: two impressive PvE videos!
The first video is 53 minutes long. Therefore, we now know: In 53 minutes, one can defeat all four raid bosses consecutively – solo and without a wipe! This was achieved by YouTuber Sean Gallagher. He started with Oryx, then challenged Aksis, defeated Atheon, and finally made short work of Crota. The entire video is a “One Take.” If he had died once, he would have had to start over with Oryx:
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Finally, there’s a video in the category “How did you come up with this idea – and why execute it?” B-rabbit54 shows you how to defeat Valus Ta’aurc with his own minions:
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That concludes the videos chosen by Bungie. Now let’s see what our community has to offer. And it’s quite a bit! You sent us enough videos this week for an entire month! Unfortunately, we can’t show them all.
We start with a strong video from Lorenlyr, which tells several stories. According to the description, it took over 167 hours to create this work.
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Next Monday, you will have another chance to land in our article and be seen by numerous Guardians. Send us your videos via contact form or via Facebook as a private message. We will definitely take a look at them. We don’t promise more.
The work on the MMORPG Chronicles of Elyria is progressing, and the team plans to showcase a playable demo at PAX East in just a few weeks.
As the development team grows, having recently hired programmer Steve Hoelle from SWTOR, Vanguard, and Warhammer Online, the work on the promising MMORPG is advancing rapidly. PAX East will take place in Boston from March 10 to 12. The studio Soulbound will be present at this gaming convention and plans to showcase a playable demo of the MMO there.
Demo shows the base game
The demo will include some of the features planned for the offline prologue, the web-based game Kingdoms of Elyria, and the ElyriaMUD. However, the team emphasizes that Chronicles of Elyria is an online game despite the offline prologue.
However, the prologue is well-suited to demonstrate some of the features and basic mechanics of the game. The game is also making progress in terms of graphics, as shown by new screenshots released by the team.
Digging for treasures
It is also explained that a feature originally planned as a stretch goal for the Kickstarter campaign will now be implemented, even though that stretch goal was not achieved. This involves the ability to find treasure maps and subsequently dig up the treasures.
As can be seen, the development of the MMORPG Chronicles of Elyria is making significant progress. Especially exciting is the playable demo that will be shown during PAX East. A new video showcasing the progress through motion pictures is also expected to be released soon.
In The Division, we will take a look at the items that you can purchase with premium credits.
Update 1.6 introduces microtransactions and its own currency for this: Premium Credits. With these, you can buy exclusive vanity items – if you are willing to invest real money.
Once you have transferred the premium credits to your account, head to the terminal, where in the back corner the premium vendor stands. There you can spend the new currency.
Currently, these microtransactions can be tested on the public test servers (PTS). All premium items are available for free purchase here – how much these will cost at the launch of 1.6 is still unknown. But what items does the vendor actually offer? Is it worth spending real money?
The Offer of the Premium Vendor
All items offered by the premium vendor are new and exclusive. The cosmetic items that are already available in the game can still be earned. You will only be charged for the new vanity items. The offer includes weapon skins, backpack skins, clothing (cosmetic items), gestures (emotes), and bundles. You cannot buy advantages in combat.
YouTuber Disturbed Gaming has taken a look at all the objects on the PTS and presents them in the video. Below the video, you will find some highlights:
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For the backpack skins, a new category will be introduced in the inventory. These are on offer:
If you want to equip a skin, select the backpack and press Triangle (PS4), Y (Xbox), or G (PC) to choose a skin. These might look like this:
We have some screenshots of the new weapon skins for you:
The exclusive clothing items are not too spectacular. Here is the operator set:
Additionally, three gestures can be purchased: a silly chicken dance, a referee emote, and clenched fists:
All emotes can be found in the upper video starting at minute 4:30 with moving images.
What do you think of these premium items? Keep in mind that the inventory of the premium vendor is regularly updated. Some objects will be removed, new ones will be added.
In the Free2Play MMORPG Rift , patch 4.1 is coming. It brings the new hot stuff in MMORPGs – levelable weapons.
“Forged in Flame” is coming on March 1 to the F2Play MMORPG Rift. This is patch 4.1 – the first after the somewhat unsuccessful expansion Starfall Prophecy. The patch includes a raid with seven bosses for 10 players. It’s called Tartaric Depths. You can try out Rift’s new LFR tool right away.
Additionally, Rift is getting a type of weapon that has been around in MMORPGs for a while, but became popular with WoW’s artifact weapons: superweapons that players can keep and develop further. They are called “Eternal Weapons” in Rift. These are unique weapons that can be earned and then upgraded. Players receive them through a “Level 70” quest line. They will be the “Best in Slot” weapons. So the best you can get.
Rogues will receive two one-handed weapons, while the other four archetype classes will receive a two-handed weapon.
To develop the weapons, players will have to overcome rifts, solve jumping puzzles, and smash dangerous monsters, it is said. In addition to the weapons, there will be Eternal armor pieces and additional weapons that players can also enhance through an upgrade system. The patch 4.1 also brings improvements to the dye system. Fashion-conscious players will be pleased.
4.1 will be available to all who have purchased Starfall Prophecy.
