The servers will close on January 31, 2017. Anyone who still has an account can continue playing for free until then. However, new accounts cannot be created.
With a heavy heart, Asheron’s Call and Asheron’s Call 2 will close in January 2017
In the Asheron’s Call forum, players express their regret over the decision, stating that it was made with a heavy heart. They had a good run, one of the longest in MMORPG history. The team is proud to have worked on Asheron’s Call for almost 20 years for the community.
Asheron’s Call was released in 1999, a few months after Everquest, and has been in “standby” mode since 2014, meaning it was no longer developed. At its peak in the early 2000s, the game is said to have had around 120,000 players.
Asheron’s Call 2 was released in 2002, closed in December 2005 due to a lack of players, was reopened by Turbine in December 2012, and now announces its final closure in December 2016. It seems that December is the month of fate for the title.
The Christmas event at GTA 5 Online has started. Besides cool outfits, the fast Truffade Nero is now in the game.
In Los Santos, it is now time for Christmas spirit. If you logged into the game today, you probably noticed a Christmas tree in your apartment. The tree is not the only change for this event. There is a new vehicle and cool clothing that you can use to enhance your Christmas appearance in GTA Online. We will show you what’s new.
Truffade Nero – Now available
In Benny’s Workshop, you can now buy the Truffade Nero. It costs a sporty 1,440,000 GTA$ in its base model. You could already see the Nero in the leak of the 9 unreleased vehicles in GTA 5 Online. There you can also see which vehicles are likely to be included in the Import/Export DLC.
Free Christmas clothing
At Binco, you can pick up interesting clothing items for free. With these, you can showcase your Christmas spirit with an ugly sweater or other clothes. Besides shabby Santa outfits, there are also tops that look good. A visit to Binco is definitely worth it.
Interesting suits are another highlight in this store. However, these are not free but come at high prices. You can get these bodysuits for 100,000 GTA$ each. However, attention in this outfit is almost guaranteed.
GTA 5 Online: Snow 2016?
One of the biggest wishes of the GTA 5 Online community is probably the snow on the streets in the game. Last year, Rockstar activated this effect during the Christmas season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fim1lrbjMw
This year, it is said that there will be snow again, at least according to sources in the GTA forums that have previously announced unreleased content. It is said that the snow should be activated on December 24. However, this is just speculation for now. There is no official statement from Rockstar on this yet.
Today, on December 20th, there are issues with the servers for FIFA 17. The player search in FUT 17 is not working.
Currently, in the late afternoon of December 20th, matchmaking in FUT 17 is disabled. You can connect to the EA servers, but you receive the message: “Joining a match is temporarily disabled.”
Users on reddit report that all platforms are affected – PS4, PC, and Xbox One.
We currently have no information from EA Sports on when the issue will be resolved. However, in the past, this kind of disruption was usually fixed quickly.
Update: EA Sports has spoken out: Emergency maintenance is taking place, so the player search is not functioning.
Until everything is back up and running, you can browse through our guide collection for FUT 17. There you will find numerous tips and tricks for Ultimate Team.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In The Division, the launch of the Survival DLC on PS4 is not going smoothly. Some users are reporting issues.
Since 12:30 PM, the Survival mode is live on PlayStation 4. Curious agents dove straight into the game to see how long they can survive and if they can make it to the helicopter pick-up.
However, there is an immediate problem: How do you start the Survival mode? To do this, you need to go to the terminal. There is a door over which “Survival” is written large. However, many PS4 agents find underneath it: “DLC required.” Although the update with version 1.10 has already been downloaded and the season pass is in possession.
Massive addressed the issue via Twitter: You need to go to the PlayStation Store and download the Survival DLC first. Then it will be unlocked in-game. So open the store, type The Division in the search, scroll down, and download the expansion to the hard drive. This download is about 2.8 GB in size.
Delta errors haunt the agents – C-0-1243
Those who have successfully installed the DLC are still struggling with another problem: Delta error messages. Many agents are complaining on Reddit that this error is currently adversely affecting their gaming experience. Some cannot even log in as Delta appears, while others are kicked out in the middle of the game.
At the end of November, there were Delta issues on Xbox One and PC when the Survival DLC was released on those platforms. Community developer Yannick Banchereau commented back then: A problem with server stability would lead to Delta connection drops. Fixing this is the top priority.
We currently have no statements from Massive regarding the Delta errors on PS4.
Update 5:15 PM: Massive just tweeted that these connection issues should be resolved. However, there could still be “residual effects”. We just tried the login ourselves and continue to receive Delta errors.
The big Lapras event at Pokémon GO has borne fruit and brought a considerable sum to a crisis-stricken region of Japan.
From November 11 to 22, the big Lapras event took place in Tohoku (Japan). With the event the rare Pokémon Lapras appeared more frequently in Pokémon GO along part of the eastern coast of Japan. The areas of Iwate-Miyagi and Fukushima Prefecture were particularly highlighted. In March 2011, a tsunami caused significant damage here, from which these regions have yet to recover. Fukushima, especially with the nuclear disaster, made headlines around the world.
100,000 tourists spent 16.3 million euros
The event was intended to encourage trainers to visit these locations and, in the process, catch a lot of Lapras.
Now it appears that the plan succeeded and the event has benefited the locations financially.
The Lapras drew approximately 100,000 tourists to the city of Ishinomaki, who spent 2 billion yen, equivalent to 16.3 million euros. The figures come from the Miyagi Prefecture.
Pokémon tourists bring money, but also traffic jams
According to a report from a Redditor, the event was received with mixed feelings by the local residents. The influx of tourists was noticeable. People even came from overseas. This caused traffic jams and crowds for a week.
But there are also improvements to infrastructure taking place, such as replacing lights that had not worked for five years. Tourists have shown interest in the region’s history and visited the visitor center. There, pictures of the catastrophe in 2011 were displayed, as Reddit member shinjikun10 recounts.
Pokémon GO has managed with the Lapras event to pump a considerable amount of money into Ishinomaki’s coffers and to raise awareness of the tsunami and its aftermath.
Some speculate on Reddit that a region of Japan, which has been shaken by earthquakes, could benefit from such an event next.
In the MMO shooter Destiny, we take a closer look at the exotic machine gun Nemesis Star.
Since the “Rise of Iron” expansion, the exotic machine gun Nemesis Star has been in the game. It comes with interesting Exotic perks that are useful in many situations. The exciting part: The Nemesis Star allows for two playstyles.
How to Obtain the Nemesis Star
First, let’s cover the locations of this machine gun. If you own “Rise of Iron”, you have the following options:
Wrath of the Machine
King’s Fall Raid
Nightfall Strike
Trials of Osiris
Xur
The Cryptarch can decrypt the Nemesis Star from exotic engrams.
What Makes the Nemesis Star Stand Out in Destiny?
The Nemesis Star is, on paper, an archetype of the Thunderlord: its impact is increased, but the rate of fire is low. Compared to the Thunderlord, range and reload speed are extremely low, but stability is high. “Nemesis Star” deals Solar damage. Here are the stats:
However, the exotic perks make these base values … just base values. Here are the fixed perks:
Strange Gravity: If you hold the trigger, range and precision increase, but the fire rate decreases. Additionally, kills grant bonus grenade energy.
Cycle of Extinction: Upon pulling the trigger, the first salvo of this weapon has a high rate of fire.
Spray and Play: Increases reload speed when the magazine is empty.
Additionally, you have the choice between:
Long-barrel Magazine: Increased reload speed.
Perfect Balance: Recoil is extremely low.
Field Scout: Increased ammo capacity.
With Linear Compensator, Improved Ballistics, and Field Choke, you can adjust a bit on range, impact, and recoil.
The Nemesis Star has two significant disadvantages in base range and reload speed, which can be mitigated with Spray and Play and Strange Gravity. Among the selectable perks, Perfect Balance stands out. Field Scout is also worth considering.
How Good is the Nemesis Star in PvE and PvP?
Many Guardians are currently avoiding machine guns, especially the exotic ones. They prefer to opt for Truth, Gjallarhorn, or swords if they want to sacrifice the Exotic slot for a heavy weapon at all. However, until “Rise of Iron”, there were only two exotic MGs: the Thunderlord and the Extremely Good Advice. Now, with Nemesis Star, Abbadon, and Nova Mortis, three more have been added. And the Nemesis Star presents a strong alternative to the Thunderlord variants.
In both PvE and PvP, the exotic perks provide advantages:
If you are in close combat against adds or a Guardian rushes around the corner in the Crucible, Cycle of Extinction is handy: Don’t hold the trigger down, but tap the fire button repeatedly to use the Nemesis Star as a rapid-firing MG that pumps enemies full of bullets. If a Guardian rushes towards you in PvP, you will take them down before they can react.
At greater distances or if you need to deal damage to a boss over time in PvE, Strange Gravity is useful: While you shoot slower, range and precision increase.
With each kill, you also gain bonus grenade energy, which benefits you in both PvE and PvP.
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Conclusion: The Nemesis Star is a solid exotic weapon that you should definitely try out. You can use it as a rapid-firing or a slow-firing weapon. The problem at the moment is: there are many strong alternatives – for the Exotic slot and the “Heavy Weapon” slot.
By the way: With Meteor and Silver Bullet, the Nemesis Star has two cool ornaments available.
The first closed Korean beta of NCSoft’s great MMO hope Lineage Eternal is over, and testers are giving their opinions on the title. The result: Lineage Eternal is a typical, grindy Lineage game that offers a few fun deviations.
Lineage Eternal is NCSoft’s big hope and aims to combine the gameplay of action role-playing games like Diablo 3 with the mechanics of online RPGs like Guild Wars 2 or World of Warcraft. Additionally, the game is supposed to be part of the Lineage series, the first of which is still a tremendous success in Korea. But what can Lineage Eternal actually do?
Quest Hotline
According to the site 2P, Lineage Eternal is a typical Lineage game focused on monster killing and loot collecting. Grinding is therefore a significant part. However, according to 2P, the game is not per se boring. For example, you do not have to level each of your four heroes separately, as they share a common pool of experience points and thus always remain on the same level.
Furthermore, there are many quests that are declared as “urgent.” Such urgent tasks provide massive experience points. This way, you can level up and progress quickly without endlessly pounding creatures. Also useful: Completed quests can often be finished from a distance, and you do not have to trudge back to the quest giver each time.
Inspired by WildStar and Guild Wars 2
The system mentioned above somewhat resembles WildStar. In the MMORPG also distributed by NCSoft, you can complete your quests via radio from a distance and thus keep playing without being interrupted. The other major inspiration comes from Guild Wars 2, also from NCSoft.
In that game, instead of quests, you can experience massive dynamic events, for example, when a horde of enemies attacks a outpost or a festival takes place in a village. If you happen to be nearby, you can simply participate in the event and also earn rewards. Such events are also supposed to exist in Lineage Eternal, making the rather dull grinding more fun.
Lineage Eternal is also supposed to showcase fewer spectacular effects compared to its genre competitor Lost Ark. However, this is presumably due to the later siege battles. These battles would be overly cluttered with tons of “flashy” animations. Overall, Lineage Eternal is expected to be a fairly solid action MMO, where players beat monsters, collect loot, and finally participate in sieges.
Not like Lineage 1
Besides the review on 2P, numerous beta testers have also gathered on Reddit to share their experiences. Many have noted that Lineage Eternal is more accessible and less complex than the immensely popular Lineage 1 in Korea. Especially PvP fans complained that players can always see what level another player is.
In Lineage 1, it is different; there, players have to consider carefully whether to attack other players or not. In Lineage Eternal, however, gankers can plan their mischief more strategically. Moreover, many Lineage fans find it silly that items now follow a color code that defines the power level of weapons and armor. In the old Lineage, players had to figure out the worth of an item themselves.
Such simplifications are rather met with disdain among the Lineage fandom, just like the new system with the four heroes. However, other players believe that one must first get used to it. This system, in fact, offers unexpected possibilities, such as character combos. Some players also criticized that Lineage Eternal does not play very quickly. Other testers stated that the game picks up significantly after level 40. It remains exciting to see how Lineage Eternal develops in the further betas.
Jürgen says: The conclusion of the first Korea beta sounds rather unexciting and somewhat like a considerable grind. On the other hand, precisely such grinding and the eternal item treadmill is anyway a feature of action RPGs like Diablo. However, it remains to be seen if the slaughter and collection will motivate in the long run.
The restart of the WoW Classic project “Nostalrius” seems to not please some people. Several DDOS attacks occurred on the very first day.
After Blizzard ensured that the Classic server Nostalrius was shut down, the project has been restarted. The former operators of the Nostalrius server have teamed up with Team Elysium (also WoW Classic servers). Together they are Team Elysium and are taking care of the Classic World of Warcraft project. Right on launch day, there were serious problems. The servers were targeted by several DDOS attacks.
Using DDOS against Classic Servers
Apparently, not everyone agrees with the restart of the Classic server project. According to Team Elysium, there were six DDOS attacks on launch day that occurred simultaneously. But that was not the only problem. The Twitter account of Team Elysium announced that there would be rollbacks. The reason for this was incorrect items being assigned to players.
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Besides the haters fighting against the project, there is also positive news. As the team reports, nearly 80,000 accounts have already been created or transferred on the first day. More than half of these accounts belong to the original Nostalrius server.
Image source: Eurogamer
Servers back online
The DDOS attacks have since subsided and the servers are active again. The PvP server has been limited to 9,500 players after it had to be taken down due to unplanned maintenance. This means there may be queues when logging in.
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If someone has a disconnect, they do not have to immediately enter a queue to get back on the server. Space on the server is reserved for players for three minutes after a disconnect. If they reconnect within this time, they will be directly placed back on the server.
Since early November, Hori TAC Pro has been on the market, the slightly different “controller” for the PlayStation 4. We took a closer look at the licensed set consisting of a keyboard and mouse.
The “PC Master Race” likes to brag that their platform is superior to consoles, especially in FPS shooters. And the “console gamers” have no choice but to admit: Yes, controlling with a mouse and keyboard simply has advantages in shooters. You can react faster, aim more precisely, and move quicker. The controller cannot match this aim precision.
Appropriately for the shooter season of 2016, a product has now emerged that aims to address this injustice: An officially licensed set of keyboard and mouse for PS4 and PS3 – the “Tactical Assault Commander Pro”, or simply: TAC Pro.
This special “controller”, designed by Hori (Japan), boasts that it has been developed for “FPS Domination” and enables PC control on the PS4. But does the TAC Pro live up to its promises?
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With the TAC Pro, all PlayStation games can be easily operated. It consists of two components:
A keyboard with 20 mechanical keys: These keys are predominantly labeled with the symbols of a Dualshock controller, such as Square, Circle, L1, Options, and the Share button. Additionally, there is a PlayStation button and a touchpad built-in – just like you would find on a standard PS4 controller. On the left side of the keyboard, a headset can be plugged in, and on the right side, there is a stick, above it is the X button and an LED backlight display. Furthermore, several toggle switches for configuration are available. The wrist rest is adjustable.
An optical gaming mouse with 3200 DPI: The sensitivity can be adjusted with 8 levels (from 400 to 3200 DPI). The mouse has an angled cable, a scroll wheel, two sensitivity adjustment buttons, and two side buttons that correspond to L1 and R1. The left mouse button corresponds to R2 (fire), and the right mouse button corresponds to L2.
What features does the TAC Pro have?
The set is fully programmable. You can customize the keys and create up to three user profiles. These profiles store the key settings and sensitivity settings. To switch seamlessly between profiles, simply move a switch on the right side of the keyboard to 1, 2, or 3.
Snipe button: This decreases mouse sensitivity to increase precision.
Quick button: Increases mouse sensitivity for quick movements.
Walk button: Decreases movement speed. This aims to achieve a similar effect as when you slightly press the left stick on the controller in one direction.
With these three special buttons, you can influence the sensitivity during a game at the push of a button, without complicated configurations.
How is the installation and setup?
The installation is easy, even though the numerous keys and settings may initially be daunting. Plug the keyboard into the PlayStation 4 via the USB cable, plug the mouse into the keyboard via USB cable, and the hardware installation is complete.
Configuring the keys and mouse sensitivity is more complicated, but the manual clearly explains everything in German. On the right side of the keyboard, there is a switch that you can set to Off (for gaming), Assign or Adjust. With Assign, you allocate the keys; with Adjust, you set the sensitivities. Using the LED display and the stick on the keyboard, you can make the adjustments.
The first steps with the TAC Pro
I was able to test the TAC Pro for some time. I played Destiny, Battlefield 1, and Titanfall 2 on the PS4. It is indeed possible to play all other games with it that are not related to FPS. I even played a match in FIFA 17 – which is not recommended.
When I first unpacked the TAC Pro in front of me, doubts arose. At first glance, the device looks frighteningly complex – quite the opposite of my familiar PS4 controller. However, the installation, as described above, was child’s play, which quickly dispelled the initial concerns.
The second impression … was also not better. Without making any further adjustments, I dove into Destiny. The controls with the keyboard are not a problem after a brief acclimatization phase. The keys feel good and are pleasantly responsive. However: The mouse control was shockingly bad: it was sluggish, imprecise – simply terrible.
The realization came quickly: In-depth configuration settings are necessary. Here it takes some time and precise fine-tuning to find the perfect balance of mouse sensitivity, mouse acceleration, and in-game sensitivity. You have to take the time for that. Then it works. Then the overall impression fits.
What I like about the TAC Pro
TAC Pro does what it is supposed to: If you want a keyboard and mouse for the PS4, the TAC Pro is just what you are looking for. All games can be played with it. It is particularly suitable for first-person shooters.
Keyboard and mouse feel good in the hand. The keys are pleasant to use.
Interesting features: Especially the quick button can give you advantages in FPS, as it allows for extremely fast movements.
What I don’t like about it
The wrist rest is a bit wobbly: I don’t think this negatively affects game performance, but the wrist rest does not sit flat on the table. For the proud price of around 150 Euros, this seems “cheap” to me.
The TAC Pro is more cumbersome than a Dualshock controller. You always need a flat surface for the mouse. Therefore, it is difficult to play on the couch. Also, the keyboard can only be connected to the PS4 via cable. Wireless is not possible.
Many users find it strange that the TAC Pro is officially licensed. After all, it allows players who are willing to spend a lot of money to gain advantages over other players in PvP. Uniformity on consoles is something many console gamers value. And now the TAC Pro comes along boasting to dominate in shooters.
However: Movements are not as slick as on PC with the TAC Pro. I have not observed any sudden improvement in my FPS gameplay during this time. Features like the quick button are quite useful, but I don’t think the advantages become “unfair” with the TAC Pro. After all, PS4 games are designed for analog sticks – including auto-aim. In some games, auto-aim can be turned off, while in others, one cannot even achieve the necessary sensitivity to utilize the advantages of a mouse.
But yes, if you thoroughly engage with the settings and master the keyboard and mouse perfectly, there are certainly advantages in certain situations, but in my opinion, not to the extent that many PS4 players “dread”. Because the TAC Pro cannot match PC control.
A question worth considering: Who needs the TAC Pro? Anyone who absolutely wants to play with a mouse and keyboard probably already has a PC at home. Also, I think:
I like to lounge on the couch when gaming on PS4, put my feet up, and have a few relaxed rounds. The TAC Pro can also be used on the couch, but it’s not recommended. It is designed for gaming at a desk.
Furthermore: Many PS4 gamers play on console precisely because they want to use a controller. A Dualshock offers a special gaming experience that many do not want to miss. If one only wants to game with mouse and keyboard – why then a PS4?
Conclusion: The TAC Pro is likely interesting for gamers who already game at their desk and are looking for ways to optimize their FPS experience on console. It is definitely not for everyone, especially since it also costs around 150 Euros. It is a high-quality product that can meet expectations after a training period. But I, for my part, will stick to my trusty controller as a dedicated console gamer.
If you are interested in the TAC Pro, you can find an offer on Amazon here.
Funcom held a new live stream about the upcoming survival RPG Conan Exiles and showcased more about crafting, some battles, and the slave system.
What does a newly freed slave do in the world of Conan the Barbarian? Of course, he builds a settlement, takes his own slaves, makes them work for him, and meanwhile beheads wild men. This was clearly visible in the live stream hosted by Funcom. First, the developers guided through the self-built settlement, where the slaves kept watch on the ramparts, worked at workbenches, and turned the wheel of pain, which is meant to break their will.
Automated Crafting
The crafting in the game is more or less automatic. Essentially, most workbenches are machines. You fill them with the necessary raw materials, and the final product is automatically produced after a certain time. However, there are also specific crafting stations that must be staffed by NPCs, i.e., slaves. For example, by blacksmiths who can craft special weapons for you.
Get Slaves!
If you leave your settlement unattended, you expose it to dangers. Especially on PvP servers, raids are more likely to occur when other players attack your settlement. It is important to set your slaves as guards so they can defend your settlement while you are away. This means you need many slaves, which you can find while scouring the area. There are camps of wild men, which you can attack. You can kill the enemies in a fight, which ends quite bloody, or you try to capture the foes.
To do this, you just knock them out, tie them up, and drag them with a rope through the desert to your settlement, where you chain them to the wheel of pain to break their will. Once that happens, you can count on their loyalty and assign them to various tasks. However, you also need to provide food, as your slaves will otherwise starve. So you need to go hunting more often. You can place the workers freely in your settlement just like objects, for example, to occupy tactically important points on the wall.
Time to Sleep!
If you are defeated in a fight, you respawn in your settlement, as long as you have set up a bed there. However, you must return to your corpse to retrieve your equipment, unless you have spare gear that you can store in chests.
You can watch the entire video, which is over an hour long, about Conan Exiles right here. And if you want to play it yourself, you’ll have to wait until January 31, 2017, when the early access phase starts on PC. Xbox One owners will have to wait until spring, and PS4 owners until the final release of the game.
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Reinhardt in Overwatch is a daredevil. He also likes to storm through portals into an uncertain fate.
Every week, absurd, exciting, or just funny moments happen in Overwatch, often captured in a “Play of the Game”. We have searched through social media again and picked out three special highlights for you. Enjoy our 3 “Play of the Game” moments of the week!
Reinhardt is basically not someone who thinks through strategies for long or concocts complex plans. Is there a fight? Check. Is there honor? Check! And Reinhardt is already on his way. That’s exactly what the player Metalmagic did, blindly storming into a portal from Symmetra on the map Temple of Anubis – much to the surprise of the Reaper on the other side. But Reinhardt is not satisfied with that yet. See for yourself:
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Anyone who has played a few rounds as an attacker on Hanamura knows the basic rule: “As soon as Mei’s Ice Wall is gone, we storm in!” The player RedPonda takes this literally and enthusiastically presses the charge button. With pinpoint accuracy, he takes the opposing tank with him, hurls him over the edge, and survives himself. Shortly after, the rest of the enemies must also give in. A worthy “Play of the Game”.
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Finally, we have a rather amusing contribution than one really based on skill. After the payload pushing on the map Route 66 progressed rather slowly, the D.Va player CodenameZeus decided to simply trigger the self-destruct. This lands precisely – as if it had been planned – on a flying Pharah, who is just firing her ultimate. Yes, Pharah “carries” the complete mech of D.Va for a few seconds.
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Have you also experienced a particularly cool gaming scene that you captured on video? Then just send us a link to the video and maybe you will find your clip in this post next week!
In For Honor, players can purchase the in-game currency “Steel” with real money. Can this give them an advantage?
After every match you play in For Honor, you earn “Steel”. This is the currency that allows you to purchase various items in the virtual in-game store. What specific items will be available, Ubisoft plans to reveal at a later date.
The game director Damie Kieken already revealed that players can increase their Steel supply by using real money through microtransactions. PCGamesN directly asked Ubisoft if they could provide more information about the microtransactions. Ubisoft responded.
Everything related to gameplay can be earned
A spokesperson for Ubisoft confirmed that all items related to gameplay (such as new features, new gear items) can be unlocked by playing For Honor. Players are not forced to open their wallets. We previously reported that all future maps and game modes will be available at no additional cost after launch. With this DLC policy, Ubisoft aims to prevent the community from being split.
Ubisoft also stated that the items unlockable with Steel depend on your level. You cannot purchase all endgame items directly at the beginning – such shortcuts are prevented. You must progress in the game first.
Furthermore, there will be optionally purchasable items that grant more damage or more armor, but always at the cost of other stats. For Honor has a “gear stat system” that allows players to test various play styles – and not to create an overpowered hero. The game balance is not supposed to be compromised.
Therefore: By investing real money, you will not become stronger, but gain more options to play For Honor.
The trial of valor in WoW will become significantly easier. We have the changes to the current raid for you.
The current raid of World of Warcraft: Legion, the trial of valor, is particularly tough for players on heroic and mythic difficulty levels. “Too difficult” most players found it, and Blizzard agrees – the balancing of the bosses was not quite refined, and with the current equipment level, hardly any progress can be made without a “perfect group composition.”
The upcoming hotfix will provide relief. In detail, the following things will change:
Odyn
The damage from Shatter has been reduced by 25% on all difficulty levels.
The damage that tanks take from Stormforged Spear has been reduced by 25%.
Odyn’s health points have been reduced by 10% on all difficulty levels.
The health points of Hyrja and Hymdall have been reduced by 20% on all difficulty levels.
Hymdall and Hyrja leave the fight (as before) at 85% of their health points in Phase 2 of the heroic fight.
Guarm
Health points reduced by 10% on all difficulties.
The damage from Swift Charge has been reduced by 10% on all difficulty levels.
The initial damage from Flame Slashing has been reduced by 5% on “Mythic”.
Helya
Helya, Corrupted Water Slimes, and the Sailor’s Nightwatch have 10% fewer health points on all difficulty levels.
The Dirt Lord has 15% fewer health points on all difficulty levels.
Contagion of the Seas now affects one less player on Mythic difficulty.
The damage from Corrupted Explosion has been reduced on all difficulty levels.
The hotfix will be applied in the coming night (December 20, 2016) in Europe and will be available after server maintenance. With the fresh raid ID, all raiders of the trial can visit again and perhaps make further progress now.
Revelation Online starts today with the second closed beta. Anyone who played in the first beta does not need a new client or character.
There are games that require completely new game clients after each beta phase and need endless megabytes of downloads. And then there is Revelation Online, which only requires 102 MB to start the second closed beta and continues to use the old client from the first beta.
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Also cool: If you have grown fond of your hero from the first beta, you can look forward to a reunion. Your characters and their progress have not been deleted and are already waiting to experience more adventures in the Revelation Online world. However, if you want to fully utilize the story and the many contents of Revelation Online, you should create a new hero, as the second beta will be 95 percent playable in English.
The entire beta fun goes from today, 12 PM until January 3 at also 12 PM. During this time, you can follow the story up to level 49, and thanks to the now available translation, you will finally understand what is happening. Furthermore, all players who log in before December 23 will receive a cute Christmas costume as a gift.
If you want guaranteed access to the beta, you can purchase a founder pack via the link provided. This will definitely get you into the testing phase and provide goodies in the game’s release version. These have also recently been upgraded at no extra cost and include a better mount and nicer wings.
You still have the chance to win a key in our competition until 4:30 PM!
In The Division, the DLC “Survival” is live on the PS4. The update must be downloaded with version 1.10.
Since this morning, on December 20th, the update 1.10 can be downloaded on the PS4. This brings the Survival mode, a fix for the CE error, and “PS4 Pro” support.
The patch size is a hefty 2.8GB. This hurdle must be overcome before you can show how good you are at surviving.
This is what the PS4 Pro support for The Division brings
Massive has only released a few official details regarding the PlayStation 4 Pro support for The Division. For a long time, the developers were silent about it. Last week, it was mentioned in the State of the Game: “Guys, the support is coming on December 20th.”
However, the specific changes that the Pro support brings were not mentioned. Now, this information can be found in the changelog of update 1.10:
The user interface, the UI, will be rendered in 4K and the game in 1080p.
Improved graphics settings for better shadows and reflections.
With this update, all agents are back on the same page. Every agent can download update 1.5 and all players with a season pass have access to the latest DLCs. The announced time exclusivity for the DLC is now over.
What’s next? There will definitely be no “Christmas event” as you know it from many other online games. Instead, the focus is on update 1.6 and “Last Stand,” the final expansion for the “Year 1” plan.
The year 2016 saw new MMORPGs, especially the Korea imports Black Desert and Blade and Soul. How did the year go for the two newcomers?
In 2014, the last major AAA MMORPGs from the West, The Elder Scrolls Online and WildStar, were released. Since then, fans of the genre who want to play new titles have been relying on smaller games or resorting to snacks from the East. In 2016, two imports from Korea came here with Blade and Soul and Black Desert.
We look at Google Trends to see how the year 2016 went for both titles. Google Trends measures user search interest, indicating how often a term was googled. These are not exact numbers, but in our experience, they align quite closely with the “interest” in a title. The trends show how hot a title is right now. Exact player numbers for MMORPGs are rare to nonexistent.
Blade and Soul – huge release hype – in January on par with WoW
Many had been waiting for Blade & Soul in Europe for years. The first trailers of the then fantastically looking game came when World of Warcraft was still at the peak of Wrath of the Lich King here in Europe. WoW looked graphically quite outdated compared to Blade and Soul at that time. The young beauty from South Korea was ready to conquer the MMORPG market. But then something got in the way. B&S was released in Korea in June 2012, but we in Europe had to wait until January 2016.
The release hype was indeed enormous. In January, nearly as many people in Germany were interested in Blade and Soul as in World of Warcraft. However, this big hype only lasted two weeks. Then it gradually faded. This is normal for a release.
Hardly anyone was interested in the updates thereafter
Especially at the beginning, a lot of new content was released for Blade and Soul. No wonder, the Korean version had a four-year head start, but interest in Germany remained quite low, and the announcements did not lead to an upswing. Interest significantly declined by April and May. From early June through the rest of the year, it remained only at four to seven percent compared to the huge release hype.
Blade and Soul compared to other Free2Play MMOs
This is a “typical” curve for new Free2Play games. Free titles have started extremely front-loaded in recent years, when everyone takes a look at the game. After a while, the core player base crystallizes, which is interested in the game long-term. Only a few Free2Play titles manage to be successful in the long run, as evidenced by this trend.
Runes of Magic (yellow) managed to hold on for a long time, then flattened out. TERA (green) experienced two boom phases. Only World of Tanks (purple) remained consistently relevant. The two newer titles ArcheAge (red) and Blade and Soul (blue) saw a gradual decline.
The assessment of Blade and Soul’s development also aligns with the official numbers from NCSoft. They celebrated the first quarter with champagne bottles popping: The Western release of Blade and Soul boosted global revenues above Guild Wars 2. However, NCSoft did not observe any significant swings in Blade and Soul’s earnings thereafter. On the contrary: In the second and third quarters of 2016, Blade and Soul’s global revenues declined significantly – yet remained ahead of Guild Wars 2, which also flattened out.
Black Desert – not so deep a valley
With Black Desert, the release hype was also significantly greater than anything achieved during the “ongoing program”. This is, however, nothing unusual; it is the norm.
The release hype, the peak, is therefore 100. The Buy2Play title was still able to maintain half of the interest over the first five weeks. By the end of May, they held a quarter of the release hype.
Black Desert did not fall much deeper throughout the year. Between summer and autumn, it remained between 12 and 18%.
At the beginning of the curve, many “important updates” were released for Black Desert; here again, the Korean version had a head start that they wanted to catch up with. In recent months, however, the flow of content has significantly slowed down. Even in Korea, schedules have shifted.
In direct comparison of both titles, clear parallels can be seen. Blade and Soul (red) had a significantly higher peak: Black Desert generated only 69% of the Google interest at its release compared to Blade and Soul at its launch. However, throughout the year, more people in the “core player base” became interested in Black Desert than its rival Blade and Soul.
Compared to established MMORPGs among us, Black Desert is about on par with Final Fantasy XIV and well below that of Guild Wars 2. Blade and Soul is approximately at the level of Tera in Germany.
Here we compare the two MMO shooters Destiny and The Division in a similar way:
Gifts indicate a Christmas event in Pokémon GO. Are there further changes in the game’s code?
Last night, the developers of Pokémon GO announced that the new update 0.51.0 is rolling out. Gradually, this patch will be released for different regions and countries. Data miners have already taken a close look at the new version of the game and noticed interesting changes in the code. Among other things, there are now graphics for gift boxes in the game. This indicates an upcoming Christmas event.
Gifts, there are gifts!
In the code of the new update, data miners from TheSilphRoad have made interesting discoveries. In the current version, the developers added new graphics to the game.
Source: Reddit.com/u/dronpes
There are only a few new lines in the code that reference these gifts. The file names of the gifts are categorized from Bronze to Gold. There are special, great, and ultra variants.
There are hardly any hints about how these gifts will be integrated into the game. A small clue was found that could be related to the packages. Regarding the in-game shop, there is the label “HasHolidayItems“.
A new shop button has also been added. The data miners from TheSilphRoad suspect that this new graphic replaces the standard shop button.
Conclusion of the Data Mining on Patch 0.51.0 for Pokémon GO
These gifts might be a type of Christmas items that can be obtained through the shop. However, there are not currently any lines in the code stating that these items need to be purchased.
These gifts could contain free items for Pokémon GO players who are active during the Christmas season. However, these are just speculations. There is currently no official confirmation for such an event. We will inform you about news on this topic as soon as possible.
It has already been stated that more events are planned for December:
Before long, the hot shooter battles of the space MMO Star Citizen will be open to you in the Star Marine module.
With Star Marine, you can fight against each other on two maps, which essentially serves as a kind of test of the shooter feature. What is particularly interesting about the battles is that you can shoot out windows of space stations.
This blows the air out of the room, taking all opponents in it with them. This represents a first glimpse of the upcoming alpha version 3.0 of Star Citizen. Because in this, pressure equalization plays an important role. Those who wear space suits will be able to survive, while everyone else will die from the pressure and cold of space.
The shooter feature will be implemented carefully
Chris Roberts, founder of the developer studio Cloud Imperium Games, explained that care must be taken when implementing the shooter feature into the MMO Star Citizen and the persistent universe. It is not fun for anyone to get out of their ship and immediately get shot down by a player. Finding the balance between what players can do and what they are allowed to do is hard to grasp. One does not want to overly restrict player freedoms, but the game must not end in chaos.
Initially, however, the release of the pre-alpha version 2.6 is on the agenda, and with it, the shooter module Star Marine will also be introduced. You can watch a new trailer to see how the battles will take place and what you can expect. A precise release date for version 2.6 has not yet been set. However, the first players have been invited to the test server.
In the trailer, you can see the map “Echo Eleven”, which offers space for 12v12 player battles.
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SWTOR is hungry for new players and returnees – the first chapter of KotET is now available to play for free.
The latest expansion of Star Wars: The Old Republic has only been accessible for a few weeks, but in line with Christmas, BioWare wants to attract even more fans to the game. A new offer targets former veterans – specifically everyone who has a “preferred” status for their account. This includes former subscribers, buyers of the base game, and anyone who has ever purchased Cartel Coins.
Until January 3, all players with preferred status have the opportunity to play the first story chapter of Knights of the Fallen Empire for free. Additionally, one must agree to receive SWTOR emails – only then can they access the chapter.
To make the entry particularly easy, all preferred players who accept the offer will even receive a character token, allowing them to set a character directly to level 65. This way, the hero is immediately at the right level to play the chapter “Wrath and Ruin”.
Those who decide to become a premium player (i.e., subscribe) after trying the first chapter will also receive an additional 500 Cartel Coins on top – plus the “regular” 500 that subscribers earn every month anyway. As a subscriber, the remaining 8 chapters – and all other game content – will also be available. Additionally, there is a second character boost, allowing them to dive into another class right away.
Anyone who has nothing to do during the holidays and wanted to dive back into SWTOR now receives the perfect incentive.
Today, on December 20, 2016, there will be a server downtime on all Battlefield 1 platforms (PS4, Xbox One, PC).
The Battlefield 1 developers confirmed in the forums that there will be scheduled maintenance today. This maintenance is needed to release the new Giant’s Shadow DLC. For about an hour, the servers of each platform PS4, Xbox One, and PC will be unavailable.
Battlefield 1 Server offline PS4, Xbox One, PC
Starting today, the Giant’s Shadow DLC will be available for all players. Players with a Premium Pass have been able to play the map since December 13. The developers stated that the multiplayer servers of the various Battlefield 1 platforms will be offline for about an hour. The servers may not be offline for exactly one hour. So expect the servers to be unavailable for at least 1 hour.
The maintenance will occur at the following times:
Battlefield 1 PC downtime on December 13: The PC servers will be offline from 12:00 PM for about one hour.
Battlefield 1 PS4 downtime on December 13: The PS4 servers will be offline from 12:30 PM for about one hour.
Battlefield 1 Xbox One downtime on December 13: The Xbox One servers will be offline from 1:00 PM for about one hour.
What to expect in Giant’s Shadow?
The battles on this map take place in the shadow of a crashed giant. This map is set in the context of the Battle of the Selle (1918). British troops broke through the Hindenburg Line and are on their way to an important railway hub. You will fight along riverbanks and open fields between the railway tracks from Le Cateau to Wassigny.
This map will feature an armored train that can turn the tide at any moment.
