Important times are ahead for Star Trek Online. The transition to console comes with the next expansion.
The Past Haunts the Future
There are some changes coming soon to Star Trek Online. Not only will there be a transition to a console version of the game, but the next expansion “Agents of Yesterday” will also be released.
Thematically, as the name suggests, Agents of Yesterday revolves around time travel to the past. All players with a Gold status or a lifetime subscription can test two of the new missions in advance, “Tangled Webs” and “Battle of Calev IV”. In the “Battle of Caleb IV”, Klingon ships have attacked the Federation’s communication network – players must negotiate and, if necessary, resort to violence to resolve this conflict.
Fans of the series will find many references to it, as the new expansion deals with numerous episodes from Star Trek.
A major challenge for the developers was adapting the interface to make the game fit for console. Unlike on PC, console players have only a few input options available, and the individual elements of the interface had to be larger – after all, one usually sits further away from the TV than from the PC monitor.
In the MMO shooter Destiny, the Trials of Osiris begin on Friday, May 27th. On which map will they take place?
Last week, the Trials of Osiris were canceled. The cause was the “Rocket Crisis” in Destiny. It was feared that Guardians would blast their way to Mercury with rockets.
Last Wednesday, a patch arrived, which means this crisis is now over. The Trials of Osiris are back on track this week. They start today at 7:00 PM and end on Tuesday, the last day of May this year, at 11:00 AM with the Weekly Reset.
The map Exodus Blue will be played. In the Trials of Osiris, you compete in the “Elimination” mode: you participate in 3-player teams and try to fill the scorecard with victories. When the opposing team is completely defeated, you win a round. Fallen teammates can be revived. Here, it not only depends on strong equipment but also on communication among the Guardians.
For 5 and 7 victories, there are random rewards from the loot of Osiris. Additionally, you should keep an eye on the bounties from Brother Vance. If you’re in top form, you can reach Mercury with a “flawless” ticket and loot the chest with the great loot there.
Good luck in the Trials, Guardians.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Tonight a hotfix is available for download for the PC in The Division.
Massive is currently very focused on maintenance and fixes: After the update 1.2, which went live last Tuesday, a lot of issues and bugs have occurred that the developers want to address quickly.
A hotfix is now available for download for the PC. However, no further server downtime is necessary. You just need to restart the client, download the patch, and you can go back to hunting shady factions.
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This hotfix addresses an issue with the user interface: The UI is generated double and overlaps for many agents from time to time, which significantly affects the quality of the player experience.
The UI problem for PS4 and Xbox One will be addressed next week
Fixes are also in progress for the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One. These are expected to be available next week.
The American version of Aion will soon receive the major Patch 5.0. This brings a new level cap and new areas.
Aion level cap increases to 75
The Daeva of Aion can soon reach new heights, as Patch 5.0 will raise the level cap – at least in the North American version of the game. The expansion titled “Echoes of Eternity” raises the game’s level cap to 75 and introduces the dungeon “Archives of Eternity” where players can finally ascend the Tower of Eternity. The expansion is also accompanied by the new (but ancient) zones Norsvold and Iluma at the foot of the tower, which have long been frozen in time. Additionally, the patch will bring “many more” changes that will be announced in the coming days.
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If you want to stay updated on Overwatch, you have to keep track of a lot of news. To make this a little easier for you, we have compiled the most important articles and guides for you in an overview. We will update this post as new articles and news are published.
Information about the Heroes
With 21 heroes, Overwatch has a broad lineup at launch. We will tell you everything you need to know about the heroes.
The gameplay mechanics of Overwatch are easy to learn but hard to master. To make it a little easier for you to get started, we have prepared several guides and tips for beginners.
The most powerful abilities of the characters are also in Overwatch the “Ultimates”, which are already powerful on their own. However, if used correctly in combination, they can wipe out entire teams.
Before starting the game, you should first be aware of whether your PC can actually handle the game. You can find further information about Overwatch in these articles.
Cortyn watched the Warcraft movie – Warcraft: The Beginning – directly. The conclusion from our demon? The movie review probably won’t surprise anyone.
Let’s keep it short and painless: If you’re expecting me to tear the movie apart, you will be bitterly disappointed. I love the film. I have let the film sink in for a few hours now and discussed various points of the movie at length – and I am positively surprised by most elements. I will try to spoil as little story as possible, but I can’t completely avoid it – there will certainly be “minor spoilers”. Continue reading at your own risk!
“The CGI looks totally cheap!”
Everything but cheap – Cortyn is thrilled with the Orcs.
One of the most common criticisms I heard beforehand was that the “CGI looks really bad.” To be honest? Just no. When we saw the Orc Durotan in close-up early on, and his face was portrayed in all its detailed richness, we almost dropped our popcorn; it looked unbelievably good. Not just the Orcs, but also the dwarves, elves, and especially the effects of the spells convinced. The icing on the cake, though, were the fantastic environments that make every WoW player’s heart race. Whether it’s Elwynn, Westfall, Stormwind, or Ironforge, the environments looked wonderful and immediately evoked nostalgic feelings.
I was particularly excited about Khadgar, the young mage who plays a pivotal role in the film. Magic (through CGI) and acting go hand in hand here – it just fits. This is magic in Warcraft. This is exactly how I have always imagined it.
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The film is bursting with references to World of Warcraft, without these points being glaringly obvious if one does not know Azeroth. A murloc by the lake, some harvest golems in Westfall, and even NPCs like “Moroes”, the servant of Medivh and boss in Karazhan, can be found in the film. Also, the music of the various locations immediately reminds one of their counterparts in the MMORPG – even with closed eyes, you can immediately tell when a scene in Stormwind begins.
What About the “Plotholes”?
First of all: The movie does some things differently than the official Warcraft lore. Some of these adjustments are definitely just for visual effect, like the detail that Dalaran is already flying – which happens in the games only years later. Other things, like Thrall’s green skin tone, which was rather questionable in the game, are wonderfully explained.
The concern that Garona appears illogical as a “half-orc half-human” has been circumvented by simply never explaining what exactly her other half is (which would logically have to be Draenei). In the original story, Garona was a hybrid born from the rape of a Draenei by an Orc; however, in the film, she has an orcish mother, which largely avoids the problematic drama of the rape – probably just a change to avoid a “16+” rating in America. Does this harm the film? Definitely not.
A Bit of Criticism in Conclusion
However, I can’t end without criticism. It is just a small point, and because I don’t want to spoil the story, I will describe it a bit: The “resolution” surrounding Garona’s role seemed a bit boring and very “cheesy,” as they say. There seems to be an effort to build a character for a second film instead of making her what she once was in the original lore (a dark villain).
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A little more runtime would have done the film good – at just under 2 hours, the rather extensive story with many characters is told very quickly, and some developments happen too fast. But these are both points for “complaining at a high level”.
Conclusion – A Must-See for Every Fan
Warcraft – The Beginning is exactly the film I have waited years for. Although there are some laughs, like the Polymorph spell that randomly lasts “about a minute” and turns someone into a sheep, the film is significantly more serious than one would expect from World of Warcraft. The world is harsh, brutal, and in some scenes, I was surprised that the film still received a “12+” rating – I had not seen crushed heads and mass executions of defenseless victims before.
My role-player heart raced every second of the film, and anyone who can immerse themselves in getting to know Azeroth from a “different” side will not regret the cinema visit.
Is it the best movie of all time? No, there is room for improvement. Is it a good movie for Warcraft fans? Definitely.
P.S: 3D works very well for the film. If you have the chance, you should check it out.
Do you want to read more opinions on the Warcraft film? And how is it from the perspective of a non-WoW player?
In FIFA 16, the teams of the season from France and Italy are available starting today. Especially exciting: Zlatan Ibrahimović and Gonzalo Higuaín!
The TOTS weeks in FIFA 16 are slowly coming to an end. So far, we have welcomed numerous upgraded cards of the best league players from last season in the “Ultimate Team” mode, which we present all in our FIFA 16 TOTS overview.
Today, two more TOTS make their debut in EA’s soccer simulation: the French Ligue 1 and the Italian Serie A each receive a Team of the Season.
This is the “Ligue 1” TOTS in FIFA 16
In this team, Zlatan Ibrahimović stands out with an overall rating of 98 and a shooting value of 99. Di María (94) and Thiago Silva (93) also have fantastic values.
Starting XI
GK: Vincent Enyeama – LOSC Lille
LB: Djibril Sidibé – LOSC Lille
CB: Thiago Silva – Paris Saint-Germain
CB: David Luiz – Paris Saint-Germain
CDM: Lassana Diarra – Olympique de Marseille
CM: Blaise Matuidi – Paris Saint-Germain
CAM: Hatem Ben Arfa – OGC Nice
LW: Sofiane Boufal – LOSC Lille
RW: Ángel Di María – Paris Saint-Germain
ST: Alexandre Lacazette – Olympique Lyonnais
ST: Zlatan Ibrahimović – Paris Saint-Germain
Substitutes
GK: Stéphane Ruffier – AS Saint-Étienne
CB: Samuel Umtiti – Olympique Lyonnais
RB: Sébastien Corchia – LOSC Lille
LB: Maxwell – Paris Saint-Germain
CM: Vincent Koziello – OGC Nice
CAM: Thomas Lemar – AS Monaco
RM: Bernardo Silva – AS Monaco
Reserves
GK: Steve Mandanda – Olympique de Marseille
RB: Fabinho – AS Monaco
CM: Cheikh N’Doye – Angers SCO
RW: Rachid Ghezzal – Olympique Lyonnais
ST: Wissam Ben Yedder – Toulouse FC
This is the “Serie A” TOTS in FIFA 16
In the Serie A TOTS, Gonzalo Higuaín with 95 is the outstanding player card. In goal, Gianluigi Buffon impressed the developers last season with an overall rating of 93.
Starting XI
GK: Gianluigi Buffon – Juventus
CB: Andrea Barzagli – Juventus
CB: Kalidou Koulibaly – Napoli
CB: Miranda – Inter
CM: Paul Pogba – Juventus
CM: Radja Nainggolan – Roma
CM: Miralem Pjanić – Roma
RW: Mohamed Salah – Roma
SS: Josip Iličić – Fiorentina
ST: Gonzalo Higuaín – Napoli
ST: Paulo Dybala – Juventus
Substitutes
GK: Emiliano Viviano – Sampdoria
CB: Francesco Acerbi – Sassuolo
CB: Gonazalo Rodríguez – Fiorentina
CM: Claudio Marchisio – Juventus
CAM: Riccardo Saponara – Empoli
ST: Mauro Icardi – Inter
LW: Lorenzo Insigne – Napoli
Reserves
GK: Stefano Sorrentino – Palermo
LB: Alex Sandro – Juventus
LB: Ansaldi Cristian – Genoa
CAM: Marek Hamšik – Napoli
LM: Giacomo Bonaventura – Milan
These teams are available from today, 7 PM, until June 3rd, also at 7 PM, in the sets.
In The Division, we explore the question: Is it worth buying the named sniper Historian?
The Historian is a new high-end sniper rifle, introduced with update 1.2 in The Division. Currently, the special equipment vendor in the base of operations has it available. If you have the required Phoenix Credits, you can purchase it there. But is it worth buying at all? Or are the Phoenix Credits better spent elsewhere?
What makes the Historian special in The Division
The Historian is based on the Classic M1A sniper rifle (not the First Wave M1A, currently the best sniper in The Division) and has an elegant appearance with its dark wood design and gold-silver highlights. Since it is a named weapon, you cannot apply any other skin to it.
The Historian has a fire rate of 300 and a magazine size that holds 10 rounds. Following are the stats (with mods!):
Additionally, the sniper has a damage bonus on critical hits of 157%.
For the mods, YouTuber Arekkz Gaming recommends increasing the magazine size. This way, you can reach 20 rounds. Since the Historian is an M1A, it falls under the category of rapid-fire sniper rifles that benefit from extended magazines.
Overall, the Historian only has three mod slots: you can only modify the magazine, the scope, and the muzzle.
As a named weapon, the Historian comes with fixed talents. These are always:
Prepared: At a distance of over 40 meters from the target, damage is increased by 13.5% (Requirement: 2579 firearms). This is a useful talent for sniper rifles, but there are better alternatives.
Intensive: The first round of a magazine has a 13% chance to ignite the target (Requirement: 1547 firearms, 2579 electronics).
Painful: Every hit has a 13.5% chance to leave a bleeding wound on the target. This talent is always active.
In short: The Historian is a sniper rifle with the ability to inflict both bleeding and burning status effects on enemies. And as Arekkz states: Unfortunately, that’s just not good enough! The Historian is another named weapon that should be discarded.
With sniper rifles, most agents are looking for different talents, and the Historian is strictly fixed on these average benefits. It has no chance against M1A snipers with strong rolls.
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Additionally, it currently costs you 886 Phoenix Credits at the special equipment vendor. If you already have a strong sniper and want to be frugal with the Phoenix Credits, it’s better to invest them elsewhere: for example, you can purchase parts of the new gear sets in The Division.
But the decision is entirely up to you as to what to do with your credits. The Historian is probably not an OP weapon. Even in the comments, users are skeptical about this named weapon. Therefore, at this time, due to better alternatives, no purchase can be recommended. A detailed weapon review is still pending.
Overwatch is finally here, and especially for newcomers, Blizzard’s hero shooter is particularly well-suited. Therefore, we present you with 10 tips in our Overwatch beginner guide.
Blizzard’s hero shooter Overwatch is primarily aimed at newcomers to the shooter genre, as nowhere else is the entry made so easy. However, there are a few things to consider if you want to make the perfect start in the game.
Tip # 1 – Play a simple character
Overwatch offers you a selection of currently 21 heroes, but not all of them are suitable for beginners. The following seven heroes are particularly beginner-friendly:
Soldier: 76
Soldier: 76 is THE typical shooter character. Those familiar with other games from the FPS genre will feel right at home here, as he can shoot, sprint, and fire rockets. Additionally, he can heal himself and his buddies a bit and has a temporary aimbot as his ultimate skill. This allows even the biggest novice to score kills.
Bastion
The combat robot Bastion is the dream of all campers. For while he is a plain shooter hero in standard mode, he can transform at the press of a button into a stationary turret that can wipe out entire enemy teams with a Gatling gun. And as an ultimate, Bastion turns into a tank that can deal massive damage with an extra powerful weapon!
The Swabian knight Reinhardt is one of the strongest tanks in the game, as he can absorb a lot of damage and create a huge shield in front of him that protects the entire team. In this cover, everyone can safely advance and even overrun heavily fortified positions. Reinhardt is therefore optimal for players who may not be good at shooting but enjoy protecting their team.
Mercy
The healer Mercy is very easy to play but also an extremely effective support. She hovers behind her team and can bring half-dead heroes back to full strength within seconds using her healing beam. And thanks to her ultimate, even completely dead teammates come back to life!
Pharah
Pharah is perfect for all players who love rocket jumps! The Egyptian soldier has a jetpack for short flights and a semi-automatic rocket launcher. She hovers above the battlefield and rains down death-dealing rockets. Her ultimate tops all this by unleashing a devastating barrage of explosives that can decimate entire areas!
Are you constantly getting shot? Then play Roadhog, as the hefty brute in pig-like appearance can absorb a lot of damage and plays very offensively despite being a tank. With his “scrap gun” (yes, that is its real name!), he sweeps away everything at close range and uses his hook to pull opponents into his optimal range. He can also heal himself and has plenty of hit points!
McCree
The cowboy McCree is a true gunslinger and can deal serious damage with his revolver. He also stuns his opponents with flashbangs and deftly rolls out of the line of fire. But the coolest part is his ultimate “High Noon”. After a brief preparation, he delivers fatal headshots to up to 6 nearby opponents!
In Overwatch, all team members can technically play the same hero if necessary. But whether an army of Widows is really a good idea is another story. Fortunately, Overwatch itself immediately complains if you select an unfavorable combination, for example by displaying “no tanks!” or “too little damage!” on the right side of the screen. So pay attention to ensure that nothing appears there, and you will have the perfect team!
Tip # 3 – Follow the signs
Are you getting lost in the sometimes quite winding maps? Then pay attention to the red and blue lines on the ground, as they lead along the main path to the mission objective. Additionally, your team is shown as blue icons in the field of view when they are not currently in sight. This way, you always know where your teammates are and avoid running into the crossfire alone.
Tip # 4 – Teamwork leads to victory!
Overwatch is not a Rambo run-and-gun shooter where you storm in like a lone wolf and take out everyone. Those who do this will quickly die and have to watch the killcam, feeling ashamed. Much more sensible in this game is good teamwork. Especially since many heroes complement each other perfectly and can produce real killer combos.
Tip # 5 – Eavesdropping
Your heroes are not silent and comment on every event on the field. So if someone shouts, “Watch out, sniper!”, it is likely that a nasty Hanzo or a Widowmaker is lurking somewhere. Also, Torbjörn’s turrets will be announced in time, so please do not run blindly ahead and get flattered! Moreover, ultimates are usually announced by some kind of call. In our guide to recognizing ultimates, you can see how to identify them.
Tip # 6 – Kills are not everything
Overwatch does not (yet) have a deathmatch mode. Instead, you need to capture points, defend, or escort payloads. This can theoretically be done without a single kill. Therefore, it’s pointless if everyone on the team runs around like crazy shooting everything, as long as they don’t do it at the objective. So always pay attention to the mission objective and use your destructive potential effectively!
Tip # 7 – Don’t hesitate to switch heroes
In Overwatch, you can switch heroes at any time, and multiple copies of the same character are allowed on the same side. Use this! Because if you’re not getting any opponents in front of your gun as a sniper like Widowmaker on a map, maybe you should switch to the brawler Roadhog and dive into the fray. Or if you find that your attacking team is brutally failing against the enemy’s defense? Then grab tank Reinhardt and storm the position with shield and team in tow! But be careful! You lose all progress on your ultimate when you switch heroes, so make sure to use it effectively before switching.
Tip # 8 – Healers must die
Support heroes are worth their weight in gold in Overwatch, as they can keep a team alive almost indefinitely. Especially in defensive positions, such teams can be very hard to crack. Therefore, when advancing, you should definitely take out the healers first, otherwise you’ll keep banging your head against the wall, and the enemy team won’t be weakened at all, while you may be completely wiped out and lose valuable time.
Tip # 9 – Don’t run around aimlessly
As already mentioned, teamwork is everything, and solo actions are rarely rewarded. And despite the high pace, Overwatch is surprisingly tactical. It comes down more to skillful use of positions and your own positioning rather than run-and-gun. So play carefully, rely on your team, and don’t run around like a startled chicken.
Tip # 10 – Know your enemy
Even if you have a handful of heroes that you really love, do not hesitate to try out every other hero as well. Because only then will you recognize their strengths and weaknesses. Especially if a certain character keeps wiping you out, you should play that character a few times yourself. Then you’ll quickly see what they can really do and where they have real problems. You should exploit these the next time you meet!
Together with our partners from ProNDC, we present to you in video form information about the new sets and patch notes of the Dark Brotherhood of the MMO The Elder Scrolls Online.
For testing, the new DLC “Dark Brotherhood” from The Elder Scrolls Online is already available, so you can see in the first video what new sets await you. After all, you want to have all the sets to utilize all bonuses, and collecting sets is part of many MMORPGs. So check out the video from ProNDC, where it is explained and shown what sets you can expect in the new DLC.
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The Patch Notes in the Video – Changes to the Classes
In the second video, the patch notes are discussed. The approximately one-hour video explains the patch notes posted in the official forum of The Elder Scrolls Online in great detail. Furthermore, class balance and skills are discussed. You should watch this video if you really want to know exactly what changes with the patch and how this affects the classes.
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The Dark Brotherhood DLC will officially be released on May 31 for PC and Mac and on June 14 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. You will experience a lot of new and interesting missions that you will undertake for the Dark Brotherhood. Of course, you will use new skills during the quests that an assassin needs to perform his tasks effectively without being caught.In addition, you will explore many new areas that await you on the Gold Coast.
So, prepare yourselves with the two videos for the Dark Brotherhood DLC, so that you can jump right in at release and grab the best sets! You can play the DLC as an active ESO Plus member or by purchasing it for 2000 crowns.
A hotfix has made some adjustments to the low-level content of World of Warcraft to make these areas a bit more exciting.
Quests in the low-level areas will be more interesting
With the first hotfix, Blizzard finally addressed some issues in the starting areas of the game on May 24 to improve the experience for new players. To alleviate the crowding during peak times in the new areas, the following changes have been implemented:
Quest bosses can now be attacked by multiple players and their health points scale with the number of players.
The respawn in the areas up to level 20 is now dynamic; with high player numbers, enemies respawn shortly after being defeated.
Overall, the damage of enemies up to level 10 has also been slightly increased.
On the other hand, the damage dealt by players has been reduced, so that enemies no longer fall after a single attack. This reduction affects classes benefiting from agility and strength more than spell classes. However, from level 40, the damage is back to what it was before for all.
For the “little” heroes, it will be a bit more exciting again.
Lastly, there are some quality of life improvements: Outside of combat, players up to level 20 now regenerate health points much faster. Additionally, releasing your spirit in a low-level dungeon now sends you directly to the entrance of the instance – similar to how it works in newer dungeons.
In conclusion, it is emphasized that these changes are only the first step and that efforts to make the “legacy” content of World of Warcraft more exciting will continue far into the Legion and beyond. WoW should be fun at all levels of play, not just in the latest content.
Microtransactions are an accepted practice in Free2Play games nowadays, but what about full-price titles? Is it okay to spend more money for a game that has already been paid for?
Overwatch by Blizzard is the latest example of a development that concerns many gamers. It is about microtransactions. But not in Free2Play games, rather in full-price titles. So games that already cost between 30 and 60 Euros and should ideally be complete.
Where is the problem?
This development is worrisome because the main argument for a Buy2Play game like Overwatch should actually be: “Buy me once and play me without restrictions!” Unlike a Free2Play game, which is naturally free at the outset, classic full-price games rely solely on the purchase price for their funding. “Pay once, play forever” is the motto.
If you want the cool Bundeswehr skin for Knight Reinhardt, you may have to open a lot of loot boxes, as the skin is very rare.
However, if suddenly a cash shop is offering various goodies for just a few euros, this argument becomes absurd. Because apparently, I am not getting the complete game even for my purchase price! If I really want everything, I will probably have to pay again.
It’s just cosmetic stuff?
Well, especially with Overwatch, only the loot boxes are affected by microtransactions, and they only contain skins, emotes, lines, and spray logos , which are just harmless cosmetic items. Nevertheless, there is a bitter aftertaste, because even if I also receive loot boxes through level-ups, it could take me a very long time to get exactly the one skin or line of my choice. This makes reaching for the credit card increasingly tempting. At the same time, it often leads to frustration because the randomness of loot boxes means anything could be inside.
In Black Desert Online, you can find nice outfits only for real money, while the outfits in the game are often less appealing. The costumes also provide bonuses!
But well, you don’t really need the cosmetic items. The situation is different for games like Black Desert Online. This sandbox MMO is also a Buy2Play game, which you have to purchase before playing. And yet it has a huge cash shop with outrageously high prices. However, that alone is not the problem; rather, the elaborately designed costumes provide real bonuses in the game, and pets that act as auto-loot functions are also only available for real money. The unpleasant smell of Pay2Win is in the air…
Season Pass instead of microtransactions?
Another approach is taken by Battleborn. The hero shooter from Gearbox explicitly offers no microtransactions (so far), but rather a Season Pass that is supposed to provide plenty of new heroes, maps, and PvE missions in the coming months. The thing costs 20 euros once, which now – after the massive price reduction – almost matches the value of the original game.
Battleborn offers all costumes and taunts – like Orendi’s eye-picking – only through gameplay progress.
So how do you see it? Are small transactions in full-price games okay as long as they don’t promise advantages in the game? Or is it simply outrageous to be asked to pay twice? Let us know in the comments!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On the weekend, a well-known yet refreshed game mode starts in League of Legends – Here’s how to play the revamped Dominion!
The original Dominion game mode was designed to be permanently available in LoL. Unfortunately, the mode was received so poorly by players that it was removed as a permanent mode. For the game mode rotation, changes have now been made to the mode so that it sets itself apart more from the “old” Dominion, while still remaining a point-capture mode.
This is “definitely not Dominion” in LoL
Changed Map: The two bottom towers have been removed – this now gives a total of 3 capture points on the map. Additionally, each team constantly has at least 1 tower from which the minions spawn due to this change.
Changed map with 2 immune towers
The Storm Altar: The runes in the middle of the map have been removed and replaced with an altar that can be captured. Once you capture the altar, you gain a Nimbus Storm Buff. With this buff, you have 3 charges that deal 4%/5%/6% of the target’s maximum health as additional true damage. While you control the altar, your teammates also generate a Nimbus Storm charge every 4 seconds (in combat).
Nimbus Storm Buff / Altar
Ultra Minions: Near the 2 protected towers at the bottom of the map, there are 2 points for Ultra Minion relics – 1 for each team. If you capture this relic from the opponents, an Ultra Minion will appear in your next minion wave. An Ultra Minion captures points faster than a single player, hits hard and can absorb a lot of damage!
An Ultra Minion in action!
Here “backdooring” plays a big role again, as you gain a significant advantage with an Ultra Minion. However, this point does not need to be reclaimed, as it is not an altar being captured but a buff that reappears after a short time.
Capturing the relic buff for the Ultra Minion
Item Changes: Each player now has a “Seer Stone” that reveals a target area for a short time (similar to the blue item in the Summoner’s Rift). Since the Crystal Scar has many bushes to hide in and face-checking usually hurts, these items provide more safety.
Seer Stone
Minion Spawn and their Pathways: In the old Dominion mode, it was often frustrating to “push” because the minions disappeared after capturing a point. Minions now spawn exclusively from the bottom 2 towers and move clockwise or counterclockwise across the map. After they capture a point, they continue on to the next point. This makes pushing much more relaxed and less frustrating.
When does “Definitely not Dominion” start?
The game mode weekend usually starts today on Friday afternoon, between 1:30 PM and 3:00 PM. You then have until Monday morning to play the game mode.
What do you think of the changes? Would the mode have been more popular had these changes been implemented earlier?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In The Division, the developers discuss some new issues following update 1.2.
With the “Conflict” update, a new Dark Zone class for agents with a Gear Score of 201+ has been introduced. However, many players with a lower equipment value are currently wondering why they are also being classified in this class. How can that be?
According to Yannick Banchereau, the community developer at Massive, the assignment works as intended. However, there is currently a lack of transparency: There are actually two Gear Scores:
One is the value that is always visible to you. This is determined by your equipped items.
Additionally, there is the “theoretical Gear Score”: This is the best possible score you could achieve with all your items; even those in storage are taken into account. This is responsible for the assignment in the Dark Zone class.
With this, they want to prevent agents with a high score from entering lower DZ classes and “terrorizing” other, seemingly weaker agents. In the future, however, Massive intends to make the theoretical Gear Score more transparent to agents.
Current Issue Report After Update 1.2
During the last maintenance, the issue with the missing daily missions was resolved. However, there are still many other bugs that Massive is aware of and is currently investigating. These are presented in a list in the Ubi forum. The following issues currently have the highest priority:
Double User Interface: The UI is currently causing problems for many agents: it is generated twice and overlaps, disrupting the gaming experience. A client patch is already in progress for this: it is expected to be deployed this week on PS4 and PC, and early next week on Xbox One. No server downtime is expected. You just need to download the patch and can restart immediately.
The marking of items to destroy them is not functioning for some agents. This issue is being investigated.
At the merchants in the Dark Zone, some items are only available starting from a DZ rank of 80. This is a bug. They should be available from level 50.
One is None: The previous issue with this talent has been fixed. However, a new bug has occurred: if you reload exactly when the effect of the talent is triggered, the weapon still blocks. The issue is being further investigated.
DZ06 Teleport: If you enter a specific spot in the DZ06 underground, you will be teleported to a checkpoint. A server fix for this is coming in 1-2 weeks.
Search and Destroy: The critical areas of the “Search and Destroy” missions occasionally are missing. This issue seems to be very random and requires further investigation.
Daily High-Ranked Targets: If a “new” daily target is available on a day that was already part of the mission the previous day and you completed it the day before, you cannot undertake this mission. It will be displayed as already “completed”.
In the MMO shooter Destiny, Xur, the Agent of the Nine, arrives on May 27. What does he have this weekend?
Phew! Last week was quite eventful in Destiny. The “Rocket Crisis” wreaked havoc, leading to the complete cancellation of Osiris and the temporary suspension of the Iron Banner. On Wednesday, a hotfix addressed this issue, the Iron Banner was spontaneously activated, and a livestream about the Crucible took place. Yesterday’s “This Week at Bungie” discussed these events and was titled: “When everything happens at once”.
Otherwise, after these turbulent days, we can cautiously look towards the middle of next month: the E3 will take place then, where we expect official information and announcements about the fall expansion of Destiny. Perhaps we will also see the poster of the leak for “Rise of Iron” again.
But today is first Xur Day. What does this vendor have?
All about Xur in Destiny on May 27, 28, and 29 on PS4, PS3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360
When does Xur come and when does he leave again?
Xur, the Agent of the Nine, arrives on Friday, May 27, at 11:00 AM for the Guardians. He will be around for 48 hours until he departs again on Sunday, May 29, at 11:00 AM.
Where is Xur? What is his position this weekend?
Xur is located today at the Vestian Outpost, in the Reef. Our friends from ProNDC show you the exact way there:
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In an interview with us, Battlestate Games, the developers of Escape from Tarkov, contradict a comparison with the MMO shooter The Division. They claim to be much more realistic.
Our author Andreas Bertits had the opportunity for an interview with Battlestate Games. He also asked:
Some people start comparing Escape from Tarkov (EFT) with The Division. Can these two games even be compared? What do you think are the biggest differences?
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It makes no sense to compare EFT and The Division. They are completely different games. The Division is an arcade-like MMO action RPG without realistic hardcore elements. There are neither advanced weapon mechanics, their customizations, nor an extensive inventory. However, the game offers a solid quest system, but EFT also has enough to offer in this area.
The Russian developers of the shooter seem to be confident. They have clearly stated “hardcore” and “realism” as their goals.
Maintenance work is taking place today, May 27, in The Division. The servers on PS4, Xbox One, and PC will be offline during this time. A hotfix is coming.
After update 1.2, numerous new features have been integrated into the game, but also a few annoying bugs and issues. But: Massive is reacting quickly!
Today marks the third server downtime of the week. At 11 AM our time, the servers will be shut down. The maintenance work is expected to last two hours, so you can get back to gaming at 1 PM.
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As part of the work, the following issue will be fixed: Some agents received rewards from High-Ranking Targets even though they could not complete the mission successfully. This should no longer happen once the servers are back online.
One detail that stood out in the patch notes: Not only was the rocket glitch fixed, but a bug that gave players “infinite Supers” was also fixed. This one had not been known before.
Community manager DeeJ writes satisfied: We fixed this before it became public. You will never find out which class missed a chance to initiate a reign of terror. Thanks are extended to players who alerted us to the bug through non-public channels. They are the true heroes.
On Friday, the Trials of Osiris are supposed to start normally. And Xur is coming too. We will be there on Friday, May 27th, to report on all of this.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
“Netcode” and “Tickrate” are two important terms for shooters – but many players have a problem with Overwatch, as it is better managed in other games.
Low Hz rates affect the responsiveness of Overwatch
Have you ever died in Overwatch even though you thought a protective ability was still activated? If so, you are not alone. According to gamespot, this is due to the low tickrate at which information from clients is synchronized with those on the server. While shooters like Counter Strike have a tickrate of 60 Hz, Overwatch has “only” a tickrate of 20.8 Hz, significantly lower. This can lead to minimal delays and the feeling that players are shot “around corners”.
The YouTuber battle(non)sense analyzed the problem in his video a few months ago.
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This issue was already known during the beta, and Blizzard discussed in a detailed video changes for the future about how to improve the tickrate and also how to reduce the annoying “shooting around corners”.
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So far, these changes have not been implemented in the game; according to gamespot, the Hz rate remains at 20.8 – however, there is an option to increase the tickrate to 60 in “custom games”.
Meanwhile, gamespot also received a somewhat vague response from Blizzard that reveals little about the future:
“The tickrate is a very important topic for the team. We introduced a 60Hz rate in the “custom games” mode late during the beta. We continue to monitor the feature closely and would like to receive more feedback from players. We encourage players to try this feature themselves so that we can gather more data and continue to improve it.”
You can find more news and articles about Blizzard’s hero shooter on our Overwatch game page.
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In Destiny the developers shared background information about the Crucible in a livestream and presented some concept arts.
Yesterday the last livestream in May took place. In these Twitch broadcasts, various officials along with the community manager DeeJ discussed the development of the game and provided insights into early sketches and designs.
The last livestream focused on the creation of the Crucible maps. For this, the “World Artists” Mick Buckmiller, Coolie Calihan, and Adam Williams were present and had fun with DeeJ in the Crucible.
Ideas and Concepts for the Crucible in Destiny
To ensure that the “Crucible ride” did not become stressful, the developers played in a developer area – that is, without other Guardians. They specifically addressed three PvP maps.
Designs for the “Rusted Lands”
The map “Rusted Lands” was one of the first designs in Destiny. According to DeeJ, this map was one of the first things he saw from Destiny. The setting is supposed to represent an old factory in Russia and allow various playstyles: both melee fighters and snipers will find what they need here. This map is therefore excellent as a “test area” for sandbox tests.
What Guardians cannot see in the Rusted Lands: The map has been changed many times in layout. Numerous revision processes must take place before a PvP map takes its final form.
Sketch of the “Rusted Lands” factory
A major problem was: When the landscape was designed, it was not known exactly how the gameplay mechanics of Destiny would ultimately look. How high can the Guardians jump? Can they even jump? What types of weapons will there be? These are all factors that significantly influence map design.
If you simply place an object in open space, the game changes completely. Can the item be used as cover? Can you jump onto it? The following structure was, for example, integrated late into the Rusted Lands:
This rust pillar was not initially planned
The map must not only allow specific gameplay mechanics but also feel good: The atmosphere must fit. The map must not become boring quickly. Therefore, care was always taken to ensure that it allows many possibilities for how it can be played.
Furthermore, an important aspect of landscape design is the creation of landmarks. Guardians must be able to orient themselves by certain objects and communicate these clearly to their team members. After all, communication is essential in various game modes. Another presented map is The Anomaly. This map has a clear structure with a pronounced center. It is mainly a map for close combat – for shotgun battles. Here you will find a variety of technologies from the Golden Age: In developing a PvP map, there is initially a detail-poor concept. Subsequently, the artists think about design elements. Now, many revision steps follow. Bungie has several testers available who intensely test the maps and provide improvement suggestions. In the following image, for example, you can see the note that there are no options to take cover:
The Twilight is a map that has also been revised often. An early concept looked like this: On this map, your parkour skills are put to the test: Those Guardians who can move skillfully have advantages here, for example, to escape enemies. The maps must also take such demands into account.
The number 1 priority for all maps is: They must feel great.
You can see more concept arts below. We embed the entire stream:
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