In EVE Online, spectacular battles occur repeatedly, which can actually have impacts on the players. Because the material battles indirectly cost real money.
On December 4th, a battle occurred at M-OEE8 involving around 4,400 ships. Essentially, it is about the Pandemic Legion and the Northern Coalition fighting against the Circle of Two. In the solar system, the Circle of Two possesses a so-called Keepstar, a massive space station whose construction costs about 10,000 US dollars – if one translates the in-game currency into real money.
Since the Circle of Two claimed the system, this went against the Pandemic Legion and the Northern Coalition, which led to the battle.
The Death Star fights bravely
Circle of Two was outmatched, although their Keepstar was equipped with a large weapon of destruction similar to the Death Star from Star Wars, capable of destroying entire squadrons of ships. Within minutes, many ships were destroyed.
The “damage” is currently estimated at around 7,000 dollars. However, the battle is not yet over. Since it is only possible to attack a Keepstar at certain times, the fighting must pause until the coming Saturday.
Revenge follows
This gives Circle of Two enough time to lick their wounds and prepare for revenge. However, players estimate that this Saturday will mark the first time in the history of EVE Online that a Keepstar meets its end. This is a historic event and will go down in the game’s history as the “Battle at the M-O Keepstar.”
The battle was, by the way, so immense that it led to massive slowdowns. In EVE, the action becomes increasingly prolonged the more players are involved. This is called Time Dilation. Some believe that the Keepstar could only take damage in the previous battle due to these anti-lag measures. How the war ends, we will find out on Saturday.
South Korea supports gamers and introduces an anti-cheat law. Is it effective?
With all the problems in the world, one might think that politics pays little attention to gaming. But that’s far from the truth. A new law comes into effect in South Korea that specifically addresses gaming. Essentially, it is “only” a reform of an existing law that makes the distribution of cheating software, such as bots and hacks, illegal. Anyone who still offers or disseminates such programs can face up to 5 years in prison or a fine of approximately 37,000 euros.
Especially Overwatch fans should be pleased about this, as many cheats and hacks for the hero shooter originate from South Korea.
Hacked – No more fun in South Korea.
The reason for the introduction of such a law is likely due to the fact that gaming holds a significantly higher social status in South Korea than, for example, in our country. The eSports scene is particularly large in South Korea and is followed by many, which is why the pressure and desire for a “level playing field” is especially strong.
Cortyn says: I never thought that there would be a concrete law “for fair gamers”, but one is pleasantly surprised time and again. This now gives various game manufacturers the power to act against the creators of such software. Whether the distribution of cheats and hacks will decrease or whether the offering of them will simply shift to another country remains to be seen.
Furthermore, it must first be shown what loopholes this law provides and how exactly a “hack” or “cheat” is defined. All of these are not easy points – but definitely a step in the right direction.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny, the weekly reset takes place today, December 6th. Additionally, the Iron Banner starts in December.
There’s a lot happening in Bungie’s MMO shooter right now. Information about the upcoming winter event “The Dawning” is pouring in, which includes new exotics, the SRL, and strike scoring. It starts in a week, on December 13th.
Until then, the guardians don’t have to count the tentacles on Xur’s face out of boredom, because the December Iron Banner starts tonight. There’s again some nice loot up to light level 400, which also attracts PvP fans to the crucible. The game mode is Rift. You can read more about the Iron Banner in December 2016 here.
Today at 10 AM the weekly reset takes place for the first time. What tasks and challenges does Bungie have for us on St. Nicholas Day?
This week the Nightfall is The Will of Crota! Omnigul is up.
Modifiers are:
Epic
Arc Burn
Small Arms: Primary weapon damage is favored.
Grounded: Players take more damage while in the air.
Shielded Fortresses: More enemies carry shields.
In the heroic SIVA crisis playlist, the modifiers are Heroic, Void Burn, Brawler, Shielded Fortresses.
The “Iron Lord” artifacts this week
Every week, Tyra Karn brings three artifacts to the Iron Temple, from which you can choose one per character, provided you perform noble deeds in the Plaguelands for her. This week, these “Iron Lord” artifacts are available:
Currently, the statements made by Russian politicians are making headlines about FIFA 17. They claim that FIFA 17 is propaganda for homosexuals.
Recently, some members of the Russian parliament wrote a letter to the “State Communications Oversight Agency”, accusing EA of FIFA 17 of supporting an LGBT initiative in England that violates the Russian “Gay Propaganda” law.
And it’s not about football players kissing. At least not directly.
Last month, a “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender” campaign took place in the Premier League, where players wore shoelaces in rainbow colors as a symbol against homophobia.
EA Sports supported this campaign and gifted every FUT player a free rainbow jersey on the “Black Friday” weekend.
Rainbow jersey angers Russian politicians
This jersey, which every FUT player received, has now angered some Russian politicians. The “Gay Propaganda” law from 2013 prohibits any propaganda of “non-traditional sexual relationships” that is accessible to minors.
Since FIFA 17 is a sports game that targets all age groups, the Russian politicians see a clear violation of their law here and are now demanding action. Deputy Irina Rodnina, a former Olympic gold medalist in figure skating, emphasized that every state has its internal laws and regulations that must be followed.
Another politician demanded changes from EA and an age rating for this “informational product”. Otherwise, FIFA 17 could be banned in Russia.
Whether EA Sports will make the demanded changes is rather unlikely. However, they indirectly responded to it. On the same day that the Russian politicians made these comments, EA announced that they were named one of the world’s best workplaces for LGBTQ employees by the “Human Rights Campaign”.
The private server Nostalrius starts again. The launch of the WoW Classic server will start later this month.
Ladies and gentlemen, buckle up and prepare for a new round of “Vanilla fans against Blizzard,” as the once-closed pirate server Nostalrius celebrates its new launch. The former operators of Nostalrius have teamed up with the “colleagues” from Elysium (also a classic server) to breathe new life into the closed server.
As the joint team of Nostalrius and Elysium announced, the new “Elysium Project” will launch on December 17, giving all fans of the original version of World of Warcraft a (legally questionable) home again. There is even a small announcement trailer:
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During the stress test of the servers, many players gathered to push the limits of capacity. More than 10,000 players were reportedly online at some times simultaneously.
Whether and how Blizzard will respond to the reopening is still uncertain. So far, Blizzard has not commented further on Nostalrius or Elysium.
The origin of the whole “back and forth” with Nostalrius was a community issue raised to Blizzard, asking them to provide vanilla servers. After no such announcement was made at the last BlizzCon, they simply revived the server, with the motto: If you won’t give the fans what they want, then we’ll do it ourselves.
Originally a march to death, now likely an exodus to the new servers.
Cortyn says: I believe I have said often enough by now that I do not support this kind of server. On one hand, it is nice that so many people can get excited about a project, but on the other hand, in my opinion, it is still Blizzard’s work and their decision about which servers they offer. I even hope that the operators “fall on their face” and that appropriate penalties come from this.
The studio Daybreak Games Company, formerly known as Sony Online Entertainment, now has an investor as president.
SOE is responsible as a publisher and studio for many MMORPG classics: such as Everquest, Star Wars Galaxies, or Vanguard. At the helm for many years was John Smedley, a quite controversial figure. But it was thoroughly an MMORPG studio with innovative ideas and concepts.
Many hopes were associated with the separation from Sony
Controversial figure: John Smedley led the studio for many years.
The studio was sold by Sony in February 2015 and continued as “Daybreak Game Company”. The studio found a place with the investment firm Columbus Nova, where it was meant to operate as an independent company. The change was sold at that time as the right decision under Smedley. At Sony, they would never have fit in anyway, they weren’t allowed to develop anything for Xbox, a serious drawback. Now they could really take off.
The new Daybreak Game Company seemed to pursue an austerity policy under Columbus Nova. Employees were laid off under Smedley because “the numbers no longer added up.” Some of the prominent faces and figureheads of the studio lost their jobs, such as EQ-Next guy David Georgeson or Planetside 2 Creative Director Matthew Higby.
Planetside 2 is not one of Daybreak’s assets.
Austerity policy under new investors costs creative minds
Some time later, in July 2015, John Smedley stepped down as president of the company – apparently due to disputes with a group of hackers. In retrospect, the impression arises: Perhaps there were other reasons behind it. Russel Shanks took over his position. But Smedley was not tired; he founded his own studio and brought colleagues from SOE along.
Now president Russel Shanks has also left the company. His job is taken over by Ji Ham, someone from the investor group Columbus Nova, who has been there for ten years. This no longer sounds like an “independent company” to many. Many fears after the sale from Sony seem to be coming true with a two-year delay now.
The hopes of MMORPG players rested on Everquest Next.
Where to now?
Daybreak Game Company, as SOE, was one of the studios that shaped the MMORPG genre. They did some things differently than everyone else. Many genre veterans still trusted them with ideas and innovations.
The current situation is probably not rosy.
Daybreak now primarily has older free-to-play titles in its program, such as Planetside 2, DC Universe Online, Everquest, and Everquest 2. Not much has happened in the last two years since the takeover. The only thing on the agenda is that they managed to bring DCUO to Xbox One in May 2016 without the Sony connections, which was a glimmer of hope. Sure, Everquest is still being fed with expansions like all the years before – but the games are not getting any younger.
Newer games like H1Z1, a favorite project of Smedley, seem to be stuck in development. The zombie MMO was split into two parts in February 2016, but they missed a release date in the summer for the action half. The last completed project was with “Landmark” probably a flop. A major project, as Everquest Next would have been, is not in sight.
H1Z1 has been lacking these updates in recent months…
In comments on Shanks’ departure on English news portals, users already scoff: It won’t be long before they start developing mobile games for Asia.
After the cancellation of EQ Next, developers of the game commented on the decision:
In Revelation Online, there is a lot of work for diligent players. Because you can earn an impressive 11,471 points for achievements and accomplishments. Additionally, six world bosses roam the botany.
Many hate them, but they are still made: Achievements. Because even those who actually have no desire for the many grind tasks in an MMO often do them anyway, as they are “just there”. The “completionist syndrome,” which many MMORPG players know, kicks in, and then it’s all about “catch them all.”
This can take a long time in Revelation, My.com’s new AAA MMO. The game offers an impressive 11,471 points for achievements that should keep even absolute achievement fans quite busy.
World bosses must die – time and again!
In addition to achievements, there is another constant in many online role-playing games: world bosses. These are big beasts that stand idly in the world waiting for a sufficiently large group of heroes to come along and slaughter them. In return, the bosses drop a lot of good loot.
Such challenges must certainly not be missing in Revelation Online, and so far there are already six of these world bosses waiting for the swords, cannons, and spells of your heroes. The bosses spawn at different times, and one particularly powerful creature is so mighty that entire guilds must first duel for the right to even attack the boss! The game is supposedly starting its second beta phase later this year.
In Destiny we look at the videos of the week. Featuring: The Mannequin Challenge.
The cool kids are doing it, the stars are doing it, even football teams are doing it in the locker room: The Mannequin Challenge is going viral on the internet, where people stand still like mannequins as a camera moves through the space capturing the scene. Usually, the song “Black Beatles” by Rae Sremmurd plays in the background. This is also the case in Destiny’s Mannequin Challenge.
This clip has been selected by Bungie as the video of the week. This officially confirms that the Guardians are also on trend when it comes to internet phenomena.
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Did you experience something great in Destiny? Are you skilled, creative, and can you make a video out of your ideas? Then send us your works via the Mein-MMO contact form or via FB as a private message. You will definitely get a click from us. However, we can’t promise if the video will make it into the next article.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
We present to you 3 decks from Hearthstone that benefit from the new Jade Golem mechanic.
With the Streets of Gadgetzan, a lot has changed in Hearthstone, and the meta of Blizzard’s card game is currently being shaken up. However, shortly after the release of the expansion, the first favorite decks are crystallizing, which are already enjoying great popularity.
A new mechanic is the Jade Golem, which can be used by different classes (Shaman, Druid, Rogue). Every time a Golem is summoned, it is +1/+1 stronger than its predecessor. We have selected 3 new decks for you that are based on this new mechanic – one for each class. Have fun with it!
The Jade Rogue with “Gang Up”
Click to enlarge.
For Rogues, the deck “Busted Jade GANG UP Rogue” by user 90x has proven to be particularly fun. Anyone who does not own any of the cards needs to spend 10840 Arcane Dust to craft all the cards.
Basically, the deck is based on the popular “Gang Up” card, which sends 3 copies of a minion back into the deck. This should always be done on minions that create a Jade Golem via Battlecry or Deathrattle. At the beginning of the game, the focus is solely on countering the opponent’s minions and paving the way for late-game by summoning one Jade Golem after another.
If a Jade Golem is created through a Battlecry while Barn Bronzebeard is on the board, you will get 2 Golems – the second one is already +1/+1 to the previous. Particularly, Barnes can prove to be useful, as you can increase your chances of summoning a targeted minion if you have previously multiplied it with “Gang Up”.
The Jade Shaman – the Plague 2.0?
The deck “Midrange Jade Lotus” by hydrox1de is a variation of the popular (and simultaneously hated) Midrange Shaman, which has dominated Hearthstone for several months now. With a cost of 5060 Arcane Dust, the deck is relatively inexpensive and is already popular.
The play style is basically comparable to the “old” Midrange Shaman, meaning: establish control early and overwhelm the opponent with totems and tokens while eliminating enemy minions with spells. The Jade Golems are merely an extension and a small “bonus” to get a bit more out of the deck.
Those who wish may also consider adding a Bloodlust card to the deck and possibly leaving out an Azure Drake in the collection.
The strategy behind the deck is, as with almost all Jade Golem decks, identical: bring Jade Golems onto the field as early as possible, even if they are quickly defeated. Gradually, they become more powerful until there is hardly any counter. Especially in combination with Fandral Staghelm, you can get a lot out of the Jade Idol: 3 new cards in the deck and a Jade Golem on the field.
The only real problem the Druid faces is against the current Pirate Warrior, which often wins in just a few turns. There, you should keep as many “Removal” cards (Swipe, Living Roots) in hand as possible. Also, an early Ancient of War with Innervate can make a difference.
Statisticians have researched in Pokémon GO whether different PokéStops house different KM Eggs. After extensive investigations, it seems that this is indeed the case.
The Pokémon mathematicians of the Silph Road have once again clarified matters in the Pokémon GO universe. They have already researched whether trainers can influence the movesets of Pokémon. This time, they have addressed the question:
“Do some PokéStops drop more 10 KM eggs than 2 KM eggs?”
Gathering the necessary data for this investigation was not easy, and the statisticians literally had to go the extra mile to answer this question. A few things remain uncertain, but the statisticians are confident that some PokéStops actually drop more 10 KM, 5 KM, or 2 KM eggs than others.
26 Silph scientists took on the challenge: The researchers collected 50 eggs each from the same PokéStop to analyze whether different PokéStops drop different eggs. Almost all 26 researchers managed to gather the required 50 eggs, with some even collecting up to 180. A total of 1,841 eggs were hatched for the study, and their contents were recorded and analyzed.
This is how the egg analysis was conducted
First, the distribution of egg distances (2 KM, 5 KM, 10 KM) for each egg from each individual PokéStop was examined. It was important to start with this analysis because the distance for hatching the eggs is already determined at the PokéStop, and the location of hatching consequently cannot have an impact. This graphic shows the distribution of eggs from each researcher:
After analyzing the data, the statisticians agreed that it is very likely that the distribution of egg KM distances does indeed differ among the various PokéStops.
To evaluate the data more accurately, the statisticians conducted a chi-squared test. In mathematical statistics, this can be used, among other things, to perform a test of independence. It was statistically calculated whether the KM distance distribution of the eggs is independent of the PokéStops. In this calculation, the 10 KM eggs were not included, as too few were collected.
The first step of the test was to calculate the expected number of 2 KM and 5 KM eggs from each researcher, based on the total number of hatchings and egg distribution. Then, it is checked whether the expected number significantly differs from the actually observed number. For the math enthusiasts among you, the exact calculation of the chi-squared test is located at the end of the post.
The result of the test: The assumption that the KM distribution of the eggs is independent of the PokéStops has been disproven!
Pokémon GO: There really are “better” PokéStops for stronger eggs
Conclusion: In fact, this investigation found that researchers received eggs at their respective PokéStops with different KM distributions. It could theoretically be the case that this is caused by other factors besides the location of the PokéStop. Factors to consider might include the timing of collection or the trainer’s level, etc. The Silph mathematicians will further investigate the correlations between KM eggs and PokéStops.
Because it is already a significant discovery that they can confirm that PokéStops drop different KM eggs.
What this means for Pokémon trainers: For trainers, it is worth visiting the PokéStop that previously gave them the desired KM egg more often.
Great respect to the researchers who may have walked a mile or two. If you are now getting the KM eggs you want, this guide to hatching eggs will certainly be helpful.
The calculation of the chi-squared test:
An example
Researcher jFarr hatched a total of 169 eggs (10 KM eggs are not included). The expected calculation is: 169 x 669 / 1715 = 65.925 2 KM eggs and 169 x 1046 / 1715 = 103.075 5 KM eggs. Next, the difference between the sum of the expected and observed numbers is squared and divided by the expected number. jFarr has 67 2 KM eggs and 102 5 KM eggs, so the values obtained are: (67 – 65.925)^2/65.925 = 0.0175 and (102 – 103.075)^2/103.075 = 0.0112
These values reflect how much the expected and observed numbers differ from each other.
The values of all trainers are added up to reach a total of 43.905. If the egg distribution were independent of the PokéStops, the total sum would yield a chi-squared distribution with 25 degrees of freedom.
The number of degrees of freedom is calculated as follows:
(#Researchers – 1) x (#Egg-KM-Type – 1) = 25 x 1 = 25
Now the p-value can be calculated. The smaller the p-value, the more reason there is to reject the null hypothesis.
p = 0.0111
This is less than the critical level of 0.05 significance, and therefore the hypothesis that KM eggs and PokéStops are independent of each other can be rejected. Thus, there is a correlation.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Blade & Soul you need a lot of gold to level up your gear and acquire the items needed for it. We will show you in a guide how to quickly and efficiently farm gold.
In Blade & Soul, gold is extremely important because without a lot of in-game currency, upgrades and the acquisition of rare materials are impossible. You will get the necessary gold if you follow our tips here.
Gold Farming in Blade and Soul – The Most Effective Methods
Gold is actually available in Blade & Soul at every turn, but not every method is equally effective. So, if you don’t want to crawl through the bushes for a few coins for hours, you should revise your farming methods. Good opportunities for gold farming are daily quests and dungeons. The preferred values in attack power have been indicated for each method:
Daily Challenges
If you complete four daily quests, you will receive a box with some upgrade items and gold. This task can be repeated every day, giving you a nice base income that you can acquire quickly and daily.
Misty Woods Daily
This area can be completed even without high-end game gear, but since it is located in a PvP zone, you need your faction outfit. There are seven daily quests in it, of which five can be completed quite quickly in 10 to 15 minutes. These will yield soul stones and money. A decent yield for a quarter of an hour’s work.
Mushin’s Tower (At least 380 Attack Power)
If you have enough power and know the game mechanics in Mushin’s Tower well, you can farm levels 1 to 8.3 to collect a significant amount of gold and rewards. The whole fun lasts – depending on skill and attack power – between 10 and 20 minutes. With a bit of luck, you will find a special ornament in levels 7 and 8 that is also worth a decent amount of gold.
Awakened Necropolis (At least 400 Attack Power)
This purple-level dungeon is quite easy to complete and can be done in a tight half hour if you know how to avoid enemies and master the boss mechanics. For this, you will receive over 3 gold as a base yield, and the treasures from the boss are definitely worth something too.
Hideout of the Frosty Fang (At least 420 Attack Power)
If you are well-equipped enough, you can venture into this dungeon, and skilled players can clear it in 10 to 20 minutes. For this, you will earn some gold and useful upgrade items.
Snowstorm Cave (At least 440 Attack Power)
This short but tough dungeon should be well mastered before you dive in. For this, you will be rewarded with gold and resources in less than 15 minutes. For experienced players in Blade & Soul, this instance is a good method for quick gold.
Cold Storage (At least 450 Attack Power)
The Cold Storage is very short and contains only one real boss and one bonus enemy. Therefore, you will be done in 5 minutes if you know what to do. However, the dungeon is quite tough and should only be attempted by experienced players.
The Lonely Bastion (At least 500 Attack Power)
In this tough dungeon, you will be on the move for up to 40 minutes, but it also offers very good loot. You can easily collect seven gold pieces plus additional treasures here. Therefore, you should farm this dungeon whenever you have the chance, provided you have good gear and a well-coordinated group.
PvP
A good method for gold farming is also PvP. The soul stones you receive in exchange for the bean rewards can be sold for good gold at the auction house.
With a Premium Pass for Battlefield 1, you get early access to multiplayer maps. What else this pass offers you is explained here.
You can upgrade your Battlefield 1 account with a Premium Pass to get additional content. This includes, for example, 14 Superior Battlepacks from which you can get cool skins. Additionally, you can play future expansions before other players who do not have a Premium Pass. These cool features, of course, come at a price. Based on the following features, you can decide for yourself whether the Premium Pass is worth the price.
Battlefield 1 Premium: Benefits and Price
You can get the Premium Pass for Battlefield 1 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC for €50 each. For this price, however, you will receive many advantages compared to players who do not own this Premium Pass.
You get 2 weeks of early access to new armies and multiplayer maps from 4 digital expansion packs. As early as March 2017, you can play in the They Shall Not Pass-DLCFrance. This will be the first major expansion for Battlefield 1. A next DLC will later bring the Russian Empire into the game.
The DLCs will also be available without a Premium Pass, but you will have to wait 2 weeks longer for them.
As Premium extras, there are new operations and game modes, new weapons and vehicles, as well as new elite classes. With the Battlefield 1 Premium Pass, you get 16 new multiplayer maps, 20 new weapons, 14 unique dog tags, and 14 Superior Battlepacks. The Superior Battlepacks have been distributed monthly since November.
If you want to buy a Premium Pass for Battlefield 1, you can do so for Xbox One in the Microsoft Store, for PS4 in the PlayStation Store, and for PC at Origin. Do you already have a Premium Pass or are you using the “normal” version of the game?
The tank MMO Armored Warfare will address the core mechanics again. However, over Christmas, they will let it explode again with bonuses.
Armored Warfare aims to work on the basic mechanics of the game with the balance patch 2.0. This isn’t much headline material, but more of a “roll up the sleeves and hard work.” The developers want to adjust the curves in which the individual tanks become stronger so that the tanks do not just “deal 10% more damage and take more damage per tier level” but distinguish themselves from one another more individually.
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A Tier-3 tank is expected to deal the same damage as a Tier-10 tank when firing the same gun, it is said. For those who want to dive deeper into the details of what exactly the developers want to change, should check out this page from my.com in German.
Now over Christmas, there are gifts first. From December 6th to December 8th, double XP for commanders, quadruple for the crew, and reputation is also doubled.
With “The Dawning”, two new exotic machine guns are coming to Destiny, which are variants of the Thunderlord.
Update: Here we present the quests that will allow you to obtain Abbadon and Nova Mortis.
The upcoming Winter Update “The Dawning” brings fresh exotics to Bungie’s MMO shooter. Alongside a “Year 3” version of the Icebreaker, two new exotic MGs are coming, which, however, are not completely “new”.
The answer to this question is short: Exactly the same as the “Standard Thunderlord”, but they deal Solar damage (Abbadon) or Void damage (Nova Mortis). The YouTuber Arekkz was able to test both weapons at the PlayStation Experience 2016 and confirmed that the perks are exactly the same except for one exception:
You have the choice between:
Extended Mag Magazine: Increased reload speed
Perfect Balance: Recoil is extremely low
Field Scout: Increased ammunition capacity
With Field Choke, Improved Ballistics, and Linear Compensator, you can influence range, impact, and recoil.
The exotic perks act the same for all, but are named differently on all three variants. For the Arc Thunderlord, they are Lightning Rounds, for Abbadon “Incendiary Rounds”, and for Nova Mortis “Negative Rounds”. The three perks ensure that the longer the trigger is held down, the faster and more accurately the weapon fires.
Note: The Thunderlord has a hidden perk that gives a chance for enemies to explode upon their death. Presumably, the two “brothers of the Thunderlord” will also have this hidden perk.
A Thunderlord for all occasions – Here’s how you get it
Once the “The Dawning” event goes live, two exotic quests should be available. It is still not known who will provide them or what requirements must be met. At the end of the quest lines, you can obtain Abbadon and Nova Mortis.
The Thunderlord machine gun is a solid heavy weapon, of which there are now three variants. No matter which kindling becomes active in the future, you can always rely on an exotic machine gun. Although there is often criticism in the forums of the global internet that the two exotics are not truly “new”, but merely old weapons with a fresh coat of paint – at least these two “lost exotics” will finally be in the game starting December 13.
In this video, you can see Abbadon and Nova Mortis in action:
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In WoW a second world boss has surprisingly become active. Na’zak the Horrible won’t last long.
Actually, in the expansion World of Warcraft: Legion, each week only one of the various world bosses was supposed to be available on the Broken Isles. But alongside the dragon Nithogg, a second world boss has now appeared that players can give a good beating to in order to receive fancy loot with an item level of 860.
Na’zak the Horrible is currently active in Suramar, the quest will last for another 3 days – at least until Thursday. You can find him in the Ruins of Faronaar, near the “Spider Elves” of Suramar.
Anyone who hasn’t defeated the boss yet should quickly look for a group in the group finder tool; there are almost always enough players looking for like-minded individuals.
The boss is definitely worth a special look for alchemists, as Na’zak the Horrible also drops the recipe for the Potion of Extended Power (Rank 3). With this recipe level, it is possible to create more than “just” 10 units of the potion, thereby drastically reducing the consumption of Blood of Sargeras once again. So, if you need to supply an entire raid group or just want to pull a bit more gold from the auction house, you should hastily instruct your feet (or hooves) to stand in Na’zak’s way.
Why Na’zak is currently active, no one knows for sure. It might be a bug, Blizzard may have increased the number of active world bosses, or Na’zak just has a completely random spawn timer.
Since September, the Wireless Headset “Stealth 520” from Turtle Beach has been on the market, designed specifically for gaming on the PS4. We took a closer look at it.
A headset that delivers crystal-clear and interference-free sound, gives you advantages in-game, and is wireless.
With these features, the “Stealth 520” advertises itself. This “Turtle Beach” headset aims to appeal to professional gamers with the motto “Hear everything. Defeat everyone”. But does the PS4 headset live up to its promise? We tested it.
What can the Stealth 520 do?
The Stealth 520 is a wireless gaming headset for the PS4 and PS3. Thanks to a new channel hopping technology, interference-free game and chat audio is said to be possible wirelessly. It features 50mm neodymium speakers and DTS Headphone:X 7.1 surround sound. This allows the Stealth 520 to create 3D soundscapes with depth and precision.
Additionally, the headset offers “Superhuman Hearing”, “Dynamic Chat Boost”, and other features. What’s behind these terms?
Superhuman Hearing: This is an exclusive feature from Turtle Beach, which becomes particularly interesting in shooters. It gives you advantages in combat by allowing you to hear quiet sounds in the distance, such as the footsteps of an approaching enemy or the reloading of a weapon. Thanks to 7.1 surround sound, you can pinpoint the danger precisely.
Dynamic Chat Boost: This feature regulates the chat volume when it gets loud in the game. Thus, the team chat remains clearly audible.
Additionally:
Mic Monitor: The Stealth 520 has a removable boom microphone. The “Mic Monitor” allows you to hear your own voice through the headset. An adaptive microphone gain monitors the pickup area of the microphone to ensure clear communication.
“DTS Surround Sound” modes and “Turtle Beach” audio presets.
Separate volume controls for chat and game.
Battery with 15 hours of operating time.
The headset is compatible with mobile devices.
How does the installation work?
The package includes six parts:
The headset
The removable boom microphone
A USB wireless transmitter
A USB charging cable
A “Digital Optical” cable
A cable for mobile devices with standard 3.5mm jack. This is not needed for use on the console.
The installation is simple. Unfortunately, the instructions are only in English and French, which shouldn’t be a big problem. The configuration steps are provided in image form. However, the necessary settings on the PS4 are listed in multiple languages, including German.
Here’s how it works: Insert the microphone into the headset, connect the wireless transmitter to the “Digital Out (Optical)” port on the console, and plug the transmitter into one of the USB ports. Now just check the audio settings on the PS4. Done. You can connect the headset to the PS4 using the included USB cable to charge it.
Important Note: The Stealth 520 is supported by the standard PS4 and the PS4 Pro, but compatibility with the PS4 Slim is compromised, as this stripped-down console does not have a “Digital Out (Optical)” port. What you need to be aware of is detailed on the “Turtle Beach” page.
Is the Stealth 520 worth it?
On Amazon, this wireless headset receives predominantly positive reviews. Customers have given the Stealth 520 four out of five stars. The impressive sound is beyond all doubt: it is described as “explosive” and “very good”. The bass is rich, and the three-dimensional soundscape of 360° is fantastic.
However, a frequently mentioned criticism is the wearing comfort. Some users write that the headset becomes uncomfortable during long gaming sessions, it is tight, and their ears become sweaty. Conversely, about the same number of users praise the comfort, stating it fits perfectly and is simply an optimal gaming headset.
Ttime thinks:
I’ve had the opportunity to try the headset for several days, and in short: Yes, I can recommend it. At just under 125 euros, it is a bit pricey, but you get a solid headset with excellent sound, which many PS4 gamers will likely appreciate when it’s under the Christmas tree.
Regarding comfort: On my head, the Stealth 520 sits pleasantly. Yes, it is tight, but the wearer can individually adjust it, so they should find a comfortable fit quickly. Nevertheless, I want to recommend: Try it for yourself! Everyone has a different head, and if the headset causes pain while gaming, you can easily return it.
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+ The headset is wireless. No annoying cables that get in the way while gaming.
+ Outstanding 3D sound: I’ve played Destiny and The Division with it. The headset provides a completely new sound experience in these MMO shooters. You hear things that you hadn’t noticed without a headset.
+ Microphone and team chat: My buddies said that the voice quality is clearer and more distinct than with the standard PS4 mic. Conversely, I can understand my teammates well with it. An advantage is that you can individually adjust the game sound and chat sound volume. There are two small dials on the right ear cup. By the way: The microphone can be muted at the push of a button.
+ Superhuman Hearing: This feature can be turned on and off at the push of a button. I think that without this function, the game sound sounds significantly “better”. With active Superhuman Hearing, the bass is subdued, but you hear the surroundings better. In my opinion, you can also hear the team chat a bit clearer with it.
+- Comfort: As mentioned, opinions differ here. I wouldn’t call the comfort “outstanding”, but it is completely sufficient. It’s best to put it on your head and judge for yourself.
+- Price: For 124.99 euros, you get a wireless headset with fantastic sound, but the wearing comfort could be a bit higher.
Alpha 2.6 of the space MMO Star Citizen was originally scheduled to be released on December 8, but there is a slight delay.
Cloud Imperium Games wants to be more transparent with players, so it is always clear what is currently being worked on and how far along each feature is. This transparency also includes timelines for updates. The Alpha 2.6 update was supposed to be released in just a few days, on December 8. However, the new date now indicates December 16 for the release. The developers need a bit more time for polishing and balancing.
Alpha 2.6 is already being tested
Some testers are already trying out the new version. The so-called “Evocati” is a small group of players who are granted access to the servers by the developers for early testing. The feedback from the Evocati team is used to further improve the update so that it can be made available to all other players. Once the update is in a stable and good condition, it will also be released.
Some adjustments to the game
Update 2.6 brings not only the highly anticipated module Star Marine, which enables shooter battles between players, but also numerous other changes to the game. This includes the flight behavior of the spacecraft. The speeds of the ships will be reduced by up to 50 percent in some cases, while the afterburner will receive greater thrust. Consequently, the battles should become more intense but less frantic.
Also interesting is a change to the asteroid fields. The rocks will have individual flight paths and the fields will be partially procedurally generated. Since there will also be manual adjustments, the asteroid fields are expected to be diverse and detailed.
Fans of Star Citizen will have to be a little more patient before they can dive into Alpha 2.6.
In The Division, we are looking at a scaling issue. The firearms value is becoming increasingly irrelevant.
With the equipment in The Division, you can influence numerous values, including the three main attributes “Firearms”, “Stamina”, and “Electronics”. The Redditor spydr101 has taken a closer look at these three values and was able to demonstrate what some agents are increasingly concerned about: The scaling of the firearms attribute is causing problems.
The problem can be briefly explained as follows:
The higher the gear score, the less impact firearms have on damage. In higher score ranges, it becomes increasingly less worthwhile to rely on this value. This graphic illustrates this:
You can see the effectiveness of firearms at various gear scores. The percentage increase applies to all weapon types. For example: A weapon with 163 GS benefits almost twice as much from 4000 firearms as a weapon with 256 GS.
The higher the gear score, the more important the stamina?
Even agents without advanced math noticed in-game that at 256, the firearms value loses significance. Therefore, many prefer stamina over firearms.
Here is another comparison from the Redditor that shows the drastic loss of significance for firearms. A green weapon at level 10 benefits tremendously from firearms:
The agents fully agree with these findings. There is only one reason to boost firearms at 256 GS: to unlock weapon talents.
What does this mean now?
Currently, the scaling leads agents to primarily focus on stamina rather than firearms. The fun becomes even more problematic when Massive raises the gear score further with future updates. Then, increasing firearms will have almost no relevant impact on damage – and will become insignificant.
One user emphasizes that this greatly affects build diversity. If there are to be tanks and damage dealers, firearms must regain value.
A Redditor suggests completely revamping the formula for calculating damage. In his Reddit post, you can see his ideas and formulas.
In Destiny, the new sparrows and tracks that will come with the winter event “The Dawning” are known.
In a week, it’s time: On 13.12., the SRL 2016, the second Sparrow Racing League in the history of Destiny, will kick off alongside the “The Dawning” event.
In the SRL, Guardians hop on their sparrows and engage in thrilling races, which will be less a “race” and more a “battle,” as DeeJ mentioned. The SRL 2016 features some new vehicles and two fresh tracks.
Note: Spoilers ahead!
The new tracks
The first track is located on Earth and is called “Haakon Precipice”. According to Bungie, it is a steep mountain pass once used by Iron Lords seeking thrill.
The other track is on Mercury. It’s called “Shining Sands” and takes place in an area shaped by the Vex. There are multiple paths and portals.
Note: The two tracks from last year will also be playable. They are on Venus and Mars.
New Sparrows
The screenshots and names of 11 fresh sparrows are known:
Bitfire:
Bitstorm:
Firefly:
Glimmergold:
King’s Torch:
Lavabird:
Mirage:
Phantasm:
Poison Apple:
Prismatica:
Sunstroke:
More info about the SRL:
Amanda Holliday will again be the contact person for this event. Once “The Dawning” goes live, you should head to her first. She has quests for you. If you still have the SRL book from last year, you can continue to complete it now.
However, there will also be a new record book for SRL 2016. If you complete the challenges within, you will receive rewards.
If you have little time for sparrow racing in the coming weeks, don’t worry: As soon as the event ends on 3.1., sparrow racing will be added to the private matches in the Crucible. When asked if this will remain “permanently,” DeeJ mentioned at the PS Experience that “permanently” is a tricky word with Destiny, but yes, you can still host sparrow races in private matches after the event.
Players without “Rise of Iron” do not have access to the two new tracks in private races, only to the old ones.
Warning Spoilers! Below you can already see both new tracks in full length. At the PlayStation Experience 2016, they could be played by the attendees:
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After the Foundation update, further improvements and expansion of the space online game No Man’s Sky are planned. And now Hello Games spoke about the things that will be introduced with the next two patches.
The positive feedback on the Foundation update has apparently ignited the enthusiasm of the developers of No Man’s Sky, as they have now stated that they are working on some new features – some of which are experimental. The team also wants to be more open with the community and has therefore announced plans for upcoming updates.
Things to look forward to
Players of No Man’s Sky can therefore look forward to the following:
There will be a detection of unsupported mods with a warning screen. Unsupported mods can lead to problems in the game.
There will be further adjustments, for example regarding key bindings in the menus.
A bug will be fixed that prevented NPCs from displaying quest dialogues.
A bug that made item transfer from the exosuit inventory to the starship inventory impossible has been resolved. If the problem has already occurred, it will be fixed with the next patch.
If you receive tech that you already know, it will be indicated.
Crashes will be fixed.
A fix for the detection of monitors and remote desktops as well as screen-sharing apps will be implemented.
If the game is started via the .exe, no more Steam-init error messages will appear.
A temporary fix for players with SLI issues will be introduced. Those using an SLI system should disable TAA. Hello Games is currently working on a permanent fix together with Nvidia.
A problem where underwater buildings spawned without doors, preventing NPC missions from being completed, will also be fixed.
Savegames with a bug that prevented exosuit technology from being removed from the starship inventory will be fixed.
A new method for installing mods will be introduced. You will find a file named DISABLEMODS.TXT in the folder GAMEDATAPCBANKS.
These fixes will be introduced into the space online game No Man’s Sky with the next two updates.
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