In The Division, Ubisoft Germany has released a documentary series where experts comment on the catastrophe in The Division.
In less than a week, the launch of The Division will occur. Just before that, Ubisoft Germany wants to shed light on the disaster scenario in the game and question how it is possible for a smallpox virus to spread so quickly and bring entire cities to the brink of annihilation in a very short time.
The developers of The Division have spoken with experts and tried to create the most realistic setting for a pandemic. In The Division, the consequences are dramatic: public life and healthcare have collapsed in New York, the streets are deserted, electricity is only available sporadically – chaos reigns.
In the first part of the documentary series titled “The Collapse“, scientists investigate whether such a pandemic scenario is also possible for us and discuss what countermeasures governments are taking. How prepared is Germany for such a catastrophe?
Is a pandemic scenario conceivable for us?
In principle: a similar disaster scenario as in The Division cannot be excluded in reality. You can never prevent a catastrophe; you can only prepare for it.
There are only a handful of disasters that can take on global dimensions. Examples include an asteroid impact, a global nuclear war, or indeed a pandemic.
On May 8, 1980, the WHO announced that the smallpox virus, which is also addressed in The Division, had been eradicated worldwide. There are only two places where smallpox viruses are stored: in the USA and in Russia, in specialized high-security laboratories.
The smallpox virus should not be completely eradicated so that materials can be available for any re-emerging smallpox outbreaks, and vaccines can be produced – or to take countermeasures, should smallpox be used as a biological weapon.
It is not unthinkable that these smallpox viruses could fall into the wrong hands. An infected person only needs to sit on a tram for a while, and many other people could be infected. The virus would spread quickly, especially since no one is vaccinated against smallpox anymore. After all, the virus is considered eradicated worldwide.
How are we prepared for a pandemic?
Since 2005, following the outbreak of avian influenza, the WHO has called for all countries to prepare for a pandemic. Recommendations and measures have been forwarded to hospitals and doctors. Businesses have also been involved to ensure, for example, that food supply chains remain intact.
A scenario like that in The Division would declare a state of emergency in Germany, and the federal government could deploy armed forces. However, whether the Bundeswehr would be able to maintain order in the country cannot be said: controlling and possibly quarantining entire cities seems impossible. One could slow down the speed of spread, but not stop it completely. Difficult decisions must be made.
Germany is indeed prepared against smallpox, as there is a smallpox alert plan in place. We have smallpox vaccines in stock that can be quickly accessed. In addition, there are already antiviral medications in Germany that prevent the virus from spreading in the body.
It can be stated: We are prepared, but whether these protective measures would really work can only be shown in a real emergency.
In The Division, the apocalypse has broken out. But even there, there is hope, thanks to antibodies from survivors and dedicated scientists working on a vaccine. Humanity is resisting the plague.
You can watch the documentary, with all background information, in the following video:
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In the second part of the documentary, an outbreak of a deadly virus is simulated. To prevent its spread, the area must be sealed off. People, especially those who are not infected, create conflict potential in quarantine. There are no laws here; it is the law of the stronger.
The following video sheds light on the issues of containment and crisis management as an individual.
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In the third part of the documentary series, human society is examined. Humans need rules that provide them with safety and stability. In the apocalypse, a power vacuum has arisen that must be filled. Groups are forming, factions that want to enforce common interests by any means available.
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We spent some “intense hours” with the Overwatch character Roadhog. You’ll learn why it’s so much fun in this report.
Roadhog – The likable big guy with breathing problems
In the coming days and weeks, we want to report a bit more intensively on Overwatch and focus on individual characters from Blizzard’s upcoming hero shooter. Because instead of just being able to introduce the heroes through a video, we’ve now gotten a taste for it ourselves. We start with the tank Roadhog.
Roadhog, the big guy, doesn’t look like much, and I would trade him for Widowmaker or Mei at the next street corner. Still, he has become my absolute favorite. After all, it’s the inner values that count, right?
To refresh our memory, let’s take a quick look at Roadhog’s abilities:
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The shotgun has a wide spread but causes (for a tank) very high damage in close combat. In the alternative fire mode, the spread only kicks in after a few meters, making him effective at medium range as well.
The Take a Breather ability allows Roadhog to regenerate a whopping 300 hit points over 2 seconds – that’s half of his max HP!
The Chain Hook is thrown at a target. If it hits, the target is briefly stunned and pulled right in front of Roadhog’s gun.
The ultimate ability Whole Hog allows Roadhog to fire a “minigun” for 9 seconds, damaging and knocking back enemies with each hit.
The tank that doesn’t want to tank
Even though Roadhog is actually described as a tank, he lacks truly defensive abilities (aside from his self-healing). He is hardly suited to charging into enemies. If you charge in with Roadhog like with Winston or Reinhardt, you often find yourself in the respawn area. No, Roadhog is best when played cautiously and sneaks up – which is not so easy given his size.
If he has you on the hook, the game is over in most cases.
But the most satisfying moment of any match is when the Chain Hook hits. It’s that half a second when you realize that the opponent is “on the line” and the opponent knows, “Damn.” For that very brief moment, it feels as if you could look through the screen at the other player. Because what happens next is the same for almost all characters. A well-aimed hook almost always results in a precise headshot and a direct hit to the face. That takes out all offensive and support characters in 99% of cases.
The excitement about these moments is hard to put into words when you finally pull the annoying Widowmaker off her roof with the hook or drag the lousy Bastion out of his supposedly safe hideout to shoot a nice load of scrap between their eyes. The best part: You can counter almost all ultimates with it! McCree whispers again, “It’s high noon…”? Reaper rages with his “DIE! DIE! DIE!”? A hook to the face and the troublemakers are quiet. Is it brutal? A little. Is it fun? You bet!
Roadhog is fun. If you’re struggling with the fast, fragile characters like Tracer but still don’t want to be carted off to the retirement home together with Reinhardt, you should keep this character in mind or better yet, give him a chance.
Yes, Roadhog may not be the rendezvous of the century in terms of looks. But that isn’t too important because one thing you can be sure of with this big guy: He will hook you.
The MOBA Paragon gives newcomers in the MOBA genre 8 tips. These can serve as a small beginner’s guide not only for Paragon.
A MOBA requires a lot of prior knowledge and follows its own rules, which experienced players in the genre have absorbed along the way and may not even be fully conscious of, as they have become second nature to them.
But what should beginners pay attention to in a MOBA? What should they definitely know?
Epic Games now provides 8 tips for the new MOBA Paragon (PC, PS4) that can also be used as a basic guide for all MOBAs. Games like LoL or HotS largely follow the same design principles as Paragon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjTW8TmRWOc
Do not tank the tower
Tip 1. Push your lane. To win, you need to master one of the 3 lanes, take down the towers, and destroy the enemy core. It is called “pushing” a lane when you support your minions in taking out the enemy minions and destroying the towers and ultimately the core. This is the objective in a MOBA.
Tip 2: Towers are important and powerful – your own should be protected and used as a defense against enemies. Enemy towers should be taken down cautiously.
Always last-hit
Tip 3: Let your minions do the work. Especially at the beginning of the game, you should stay behind the minions and let them absorb the enemy’s hits. Also, the tower’s hits should go to minions, not to the heroes themselves. When battling enemy minions, you should definitely try to deal the final blow to them, as this grants gold and EXP.
Tip 4: Always upgrade. At the beginning, all heroes are relatively weak, but they become stronger as the game progresses, provided they remember to buy cards and upgrade abilities.
Paragon is a MOBA, not a shooter
Tip 5: Know your range. Paragon is a MOBA, not a shooter. Range is therefore important. You can tell if a skill still deals damage by checking whether the crosshair turns red or not. Red means “It still does damage.”
Tip 6: Stay alive. Better to flee cowardly than to die heroically. Because each death strengthens the enemy champions, which should be avoided.
Tip 7: It’s faster in travel mode. If you want to move a longer distance, switch to travel mode. You can recognize it by the blue “Woosh” movements around you. However, this is not a mode suitable for combat.
To bring some fresh air into Diablo 3, Blizzard’s developers have now launched a fun event.
Since today, you can use the immortal throne in the ruins of Sescheron. In the past, this throne would only give you a message stating that the time has not yet come. However, if you visit the immortal throne now, the torches there will begin to burn, and none other than Elder Kanai will rise to open a portal to his hunting grounds for you.
Muh muh …. muh?
In this portal, you will find particularly many…
… cows. Yes, it is a cow level. But not in the way you know it. In this cow level, there are no shrines, no queen, and no chests. Instead, there are plenty of cows. Additionally, Kanai will show you that he is still very good at fighting and what tricks he has learned from his barbarian friends.
It is unclear how long the event will be active – so try it out quickly before it’s too late!
Employees Wanted for Secret Diablo Project
While we’re on the topic of Diablo. On Blizzard’s career page, positions as “Senior Concept Artist”, “Senior Character Artist”, and “Lighting Artist” for a unannounced project in the Diablo universe have appeared. Looking at these job postings, it quickly becomes apparent that this new project is still far from release.
What do you think? Is it Diablo 4 that is being developed there or something completely different, but with references to Diablo?
Here is an excerpt from the job description
As is customary with Blizzard, we will probably have to wait a long time for more detailed information. Nevertheless, we are excited about what the next “hit” Blizzard has in store for us.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny the developers will examine the Grave Ship in a live stream today.
The new policy of Destiny is: Twitch! It’s a friendly approach and provides a more personal connection to the viewers. They have now set up a dedicated streaming studio, and the wild ride of the live broadcast is set to start tonight at 20:00 our time. In German, they chose the catchy name “Grave Ship Carpool“. Now, that rolls off the tongue.
The topic of the evening will be the Grave Ship, Oryx’s “impenetrable, loot-filled fortress.” Senior Artist Andrew Hopps will explain how the concept vision for the Dreadnaught became pixel reality. How from the picture above, practically the whole area was created. Senior Designer Brian Frank will talk about gameplay and loot. There is certainly a lot to discuss, as in the first weeks after “The Taken King,” almost everything was centered around the Dreadnaught and the many quests.
With a bit of luck, it will be hosted by DeeJ.
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If you want to check that out, you can do so here. We have linked the stream above. For those who opt out, we have somewhat mediocre news: We will probably summarize the most important things in a separate article.
In our own interest: This time without a German live ticker, that will come when they present new content
At some point in the coming weeks, there should also be “concrete information” about the content expansions they are planning through the stream and the magic of the internet. They are currently keeping that under wraps.
We will accompany the “content live streams” as we did in the past, with a live ticker in German, making bad jokes and missing crucial Champions League games again. We always look forward to that here in the editorial team.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Asia MMORPG Blade & Soul is offline for maintenance on March 2nd.
Today, on March 2nd, the second major patch for Blade and Soul is here, accompanied by server downtime.
The maintenance work started at 1:00 PM. The servers will be down for the next few hours. If you try to log in after downloading a patch, you will get “You cannot start the game. When the usage time begins, restart the launcher.”
By around 5:00 PM, at least that’s the plan, the update should be complete, and Blade and Soul and its servers should be running again, after which the usage time, which the cool kids on the street always talk about, will resume.
All [#B&S] servers will be down for maintenance. Expected duration is 3.7 hours. https://t.co/65JMVToY2v
In The Division, the skills play an important role in your character development. We present all skills, talents, and perks clearly and compactly.
Ubisoft’s MMO shooter is much more than just a simple third-person shooter: Like an RPG, The Division offers numerous skills that allow you to customize and enhance your character. To not lose track of all these customization options, we present them as clearly as possible below.
What different skills are there?
First, one must be aware of what skills actually exist and how they can be categorized. The skills include skills, talents, and perks.
Skills: The skills support you diligently in combat. However, you must use them yourself in order to benefit from the abilities. You can choose offensive or defensive skills, depending on your personal playstyle. Skills also have modifications that you can unlock to improve them. There are a total of 12 skills.
Talents: These are passive abilities that activate automatically in certain situations and support your agent. You can select up to four talents at the same time once you have unlocked the slots for them. There are a total of 24 talents.
Perks: Unlike skills and talents, perks are permanently available to you once they have been unlocked. So you don’t have to choose between them. This leads to a higher-level agent always having advantages over a lower-level agent. There are a total of 40 unlockable perks.
All these abilities can be assigned to specific areas: theMedical, Technology, and Security trees.
Here you will find all skills.
Now we want to present ALL skills sorted by these areas.
These are all skills in The Division
Medical Tree Skills
Pulse: You activate a scanning pulse that allows you to detect your enemies. Both friend and foe become visible even through walls.
First Aid: This is a first-aid kit that heals you and your allies within a small radius. Can also be thrown.
Support Station: You place a device that can heal and revive allies.
Recovery Link (Signature Skill): Heals you and your nearby allies. Revives downed allies within range. It can even restore more than the maximum health (“Overheal”).
Technology Tree Skills
Sticky Bomb: This is a sticky grenade that is detonated remotely.
Turret: You place a small turret that attacks nearby enemies autonomously. However, this turret has a time limit if it is destroyed beforehand.
Seeker Mine: This is a mobile mine that targets enemies and detonates near them.
Tactical Link (Signature Skill): Increases your agent’s damage and chance for critical hits. This also applies to your allies.
Security Tree Skills
Ballistic Shield: You activate a shield for defense. However, you can only use the sidearm while using it.
Smart Cover: The cover is reinforced. Increases the damage of the user while reducing the damage taken by all allies behind the cover.
Mobile Cover: You create a temporary cover that provides you with protection.
Survivor Link: Reduces damage taken and increases movement speed. Nearby allies also receive the same ability.
Adrenaline: Use a medkit when you are not at full health to receive an “Overheal”. This temporarily increases your maximum health.
Shock and Awe: Suppresses an enemy to increase your speed by 25% for 10 seconds. This is useful for quickly escaping a fight.
Critical Save: Use a medkit when at low health to increase damage resistance by 40% for 10 seconds.
Combat Medic: When you use a medkit, you heal your teammates and other allies within 20 meters by 40%.
Strike Back: At low health, you reduce the active skill cooldown time by 20%.
Shrapnel: When you inflict “bleeding” on an enemy, there is a 30% chance to transfer that effect to all enemies within 10 meters (Bleeding Wound).
Battle Buddy: When you revive a teammate, the damage taken by both agents is reduced by 50% for 10 seconds.
Triage: When you heal an ally with a skill, skill cooldowns are reduced by 15%.
Talents in the Technology Tree
Tactical Advance: This talent activates when you perform a cover-to-cover move, i.e., a move from one cover to another. For 10 seconds, your weapon damage increases by 2% per meter. Therefore, the benefit is greater the further the cover-to-cover move is.
Police Up: Kill an enemy with any skill for a 25% chance to fully refill all ammunition types.
Evasive Action: While performing a cover-to-cover move, damage taken is reduced by 30%.
Wildfire: Similar to “Shrapnel,” there is a 30% chance to inflict an effect on all enemies within 10 meters when you cause the effect on an enemy. However, this is not “bleeding,” but rather “burning” (On Fire).
Death by Proxy: If you prevent a skill used by an enemy, your skill power is increased by 20% for 30 seconds.
Tech Support: Kill an enemy while an active skill is present to extend the skill’s duration by 10%.
Fear Tactics: Similar to “Shrapnel” and “Wildfire.” Only this time with the effect “Shock.”
Demolition Expert: Kill an enemy with an explosion to increase explosion damage by 40%. This lasts for 15 seconds.
Talents in the Security Tree
Steady Hands: When you go into cover, the recoil is reduced by 25% for 10 seconds.
Precision: With a headshot, your enemy is marked for 10 seconds.
Desperate Times: At low health, shooting accuracy when firing uncontrollably from cover, “blind fire,” is increased by 20%.
Repo Reaper: Kill an enemy with your sidearm (handgun) to receive a full magazine (or 30 rounds) for your primary weapon.
One is None: If you hit an enemy with a headshot, there is a 50% chance that the bullet will not be consumed. It effectively bounces back into your magazine.
Stopping Power: Suppresses an enemy (suppressive fire) to increase headshot damage by 25% for 10 seconds.
Chain Reaction: If you damage multiple enemies with an explosion, the explosion damage increases by 40%.
On The Move: If you kill an enemy while moving, damage taken is reduced by 30% for 10 seconds.
Below are all perks in The Division
The perks in the Medical Tree of The Division:
Medkits (3x): Expands the medkit inventory by one slot (starting at 2, max: 5).
Protective Measures (3x): Increases the virus protection by 1 (thus allowing you to enter areas of greater contamination. Without these perks, you would die over time in these areas).
Canned Food: Increases the duration of canned food by ten seconds (canned food increases your healing).
Supplier: Once per hour, you can collect canned food, energy bar, water, and soda at the base.
Contamination Intel: Reveals all contaminated areas on the map.
Hazardous Materials: Expands the Dark Zone inventory by one slot.
Rigger: Once per hour, you can collect “Fabrics” in the medical wing, a crafting material.
Credit: Increases credit income by ten percent.
Talents: Unlocks an additional talent slot.
These are the perks in the Tech Tree
Inventory: Expands your inventory by 10 slots.
Hazardous Materials: Expands the Dark Zone inventory by another slot (see Medical Tree).
Division Tech Materials: Transforms division tech crafting materials into other materials at the crafting station.
Engineer: Once per hour, you can collect “Electronics” in the technology wing, another crafting material.
Soda: Increases the duration of the effect by 10 seconds (reduces the cooldown time of skills by 30%).
Water: Increases the duration of the effect by 10 seconds (increases damage dealt to enemies).
Craftsman: Once per hour, you can collect “Tools” in the technology wing, a crafting material.
Energy Bar: Increases the duration of the effect by 5 seconds (heals all negative status effects and protects against further effects for 5 seconds; with this perk, it’s 10 seconds).
Resource Assessment: Reveals all division tech crafting nodes on the Dark Zone map.
League of Legends developer RiotGames has been generous with teasers lately – there’s news about LoL again.
A few days ago, a video titled League of Legends featuring the title “He has returned” was released. Of course, our article about it sparked some speculation about what this video might signify.
Now there’s another new video – this time with voice! It is titled “Look to the Stars – ARAM Announcer”. Here you can listen to the video and ponder what this voice might be about.
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In the comments on YouTube and also on Reddit for LoL, speculation is already buzzing about what this voice might imply. Some are convinced that this will be the new voice of Taric, which he will receive after his announced rework, while others think the voice sounds like a dragon, and thus it could be a teaser for the new champion Aurelion Sol.
Connections are also being made to the release of the revised Gangplank, who also previously entered League of Legends as an announcer before this release. The video also states in essence: “Oh, you destroyed a tower? Wow. I destroy mountains – by the way, they are bigger.” Does that allow any conclusions to be drawn?
It should also be noted that the announcer only speaks 7 lines. That’s not enough for a full ARAM set, but just an addition. So it remains exciting! As soon as there are news, you will of course read about it here.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
This week Cortyn doesn’t taste what you can buy in full-priced titles. When you buy a reward, is it still a “reward”?
Let’s get straight to the important part. I currently don’t like how the gaming market is developing, at least in the multiplayer titles sector. More and more games are relying solely on brutal, fast action without narrative depth. Matches only last about 5-10 minutes and real rewards for “loyal players” who invest a lot of time can usually just be bought with a well-filled wallet.
Everything is getting shorter, faster, wilder. Or are we just getting old?
Where money flows, fun is throttled
The biggest aspect that bothers me immensely is the microtransactions. I explicitly do not mean free-to-play games, as they have to generate revenue somehow, and I understand that. No, what really bothers me is in full-priced titles, even if it’s just so-called “convenience” items. For me, this had a noticeable start back in Mass Effect 3, when you could buy reward crates for real money in the multiplayer – which, by the way, was incredibly good – that you otherwise had to earn over long, hard matches.
Here, developers have to walk a fine line, because on the one hand, it must be ensured that all players can somehow access the rewards, but on the other hand, it must be so inconvenient and time-consuming that a large part of the players say, “Oh, I’d rather just put another 20 euros on the table.” And exactly that is a philosophy that stands in stark contrast to what games should really be about: the fun.
Especially the ending of Mass Effect 3 frustrated many players – yet they were never promised 16 endings.
Because let’s be honest for a moment, put your hand on your virtual heart and speak plainly. If the game wants to lure us into buying things that could also be gained just through playing, then the thought behind it is: “Make it as annoying as possible, then money comes easier.”
That very point bothers me immensely. I don’t even want to blame the developers for it because nobody enjoys creating a game that should be fun, only to artificially trim it back so that fun is missing at certain points and can only be extracted through thick dollar signs.
This trend continues to grow. Even newer titles like Overwatch are considering such a system, which directly diminishes my initial joy in such games.
Or to end with the cabaret artist Jochen Malmsheimer: “Nothing was better back then. But back then there were things that were good. And they would still be today if we had left them alone.”
What do you think about it? Does this not bother you? Or have you already come to terms with the fact that it “only goes this way” in gaming?
P.S: If you have a topic that is suitable for Mecker Mittwoch, let me know. I like to get upset sometimes. Then I don’t have to take it out on Schuhmann all the time.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Soulbound Studios have announced a whole range of news for the upcoming MMORPG Chronicles of Elyria.
In an interview with Gaiscioch magazine, it was explained that they plan to start the closed alpha at the end of 2016, with early access expected in the first or second quarter of 2017. They are then expecting the official release in the third quarter of 2017. However, this will not work without funding.
Update 30.7.2017: A new roadmap has been published. The release date for Chronicles of Elyria is slated for the second half of 2019.
The developers state that they currently still have reserves, but they will soon run out. The team founder explains on the official website of the MMORPG that he had to sell a property on which he planned to build his dream house. He invested this money plus some savings into Chronicles of Elyria. Currently, the production of the MMO costs around 40,000 US dollars a month and they need to hire more team members.
This means that they are now launching a Kickstarter campaign. It is set to start on May 3. They aim to raise 900,000 dollars through it. They have gathered a lot of feedback from the community, which currently has around 30,000 members. 900,000 dollars is not too much to be off-putting but also not too little to run the risk of running out of money in the middle of development.
This is what the MMO looks like
The story of the MMO takes place in a medieval fantasy world where a catastrophe thousands of years ago caused the world to split into different planes of existence. Magic has long been forgotten and the gods seem to have abandoned the world. However, one can slowly sense their presence again and magic appears to be returning. This could be an indication that the planes of existence are slowly drifting back together to unite.
If you want to know how Chronicles of Elyria currently looks in motion, the developers have now released a first gameplay video. However, this is still a very early pre-alpha version.
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Regardless, you can place orders for weapons with him every week. He offers 5 to choose from. You can buy a preorder token for the weapon and carry it around for a week.
Next week in Destiny (on Wednesday), Banshee will bring these weapons – in various variants, with different attributes. You can take one variant per weapon for which you have a preorder token or say: No, nothing here, I’ll check back next week. I’ll keep the token for now.
These are the test weapons this week
A pulse rifle from Suros aims for precision hits.
A fusion rifle from Omolon prefers the Crucible.
A hand cannon from Häkke wants Crucible kills.
With a pulse rifle from Häkke, you should achieve precision hits.
And a shotgun from Häkke also wants Crucible kills. The weapons are pretty bloodthirsty this week in Destiny.
These 5 weapons you can order this week
There are the two rocket launchers JLB-42 and JLB-47. The 47 has better stats, you should choose that one. With good perks, it can be quite powerful.
The pulse rifle Herja-D is a decent weapon with high stability but relatively low range. Currently, pulse rifles aren’t really recommended, and if they were, there would be interesting alternatives like the Suros PDX-41.
The sniper rifle Aiofe Rua-D isn’t really impressing anyone except for people you shoot in the face with it. High range, low stability, medium impact. There are several sniper rifles of this kind. Most Guardians prefer snipers with high impact like Eirene RR4.
The highlight this week is clearly the scout rifle Suros Dis-47. It comes with relatively high fire rate and stability. The smaller brother, the Suros Dis-43, has been on sale several times as the “long-distance scout”, the 47 is more of a rapid-fire weapon. Some Guardians have been waiting forever for this thing, for them it’s like Christmas. They hope for a low “time to kill” with the Dis-47 because the shots come out quickly. It remains to be seen if the weapons live up to their expectations.
Recommendation:Clearly the Suros Dis-47, coming in second place is the JLB-47 rocket launcher.
These weapons this week have strong rolls
The scout rifle Tuonela SR4, a recommendation from Bungie, comes this week with the scope Torch HS2, Fireball, Life Support, and either Chambered Compensator or Extended Mag. For some, this is a god-roll.
The old lady Lyudmila-D, a pulse rifle, is getting an extremely strong roll today with Hand-Laid Stock, One-Man Army, and Balance Exchange. Delicious.
The pulse rifle Suros PDX-45 comes this week with Balance Exchange, Perfect Balance, and Fluted Barrel. This is probably categorized as a god-roll.
In this video, you can see the complete rolls of the weapons from last week: Arminius-D, Gaheris-D, Tuonela SR4, Strongbow-D, Uzume RR4.
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There should be several more strong rolls. Apparently, Banshee is doing well this week, making up for what he missed in the past weeks. When we have the exact details, we will update them.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
More movement and better health. This is what the Swopper from Aeris aims to achieve with 3D ergonomics. Will it succeed?
Those looking for a gaming chair typically expect the obvious things: back and armrests, a padded seat, and perhaps wheels instead of stable feet. Some may prefer executive chairs, oversized chairs filled with foam. However, their back may not appreciate that.
The Swopper from Aeris has none of these obvious features. It is a stool with a spring. The latter allows movement in all directions: left and right, front and back, up and down. The body has a lot to do to maintain balance, keeping the back muscles constantly engaged. Thus, several questions arise:
Is it comfortable to sit on? And also still? After all, some games require precision and a steady hand.
Or does it rather feel like you could fall off the chair at any moment?
Is the back muscle excessively strained so that sitting for prolonged periods does more harm than good?
These and other questions will be addressed in the following test.
My expectations
My expectations were not particularly high. I doubted I could sit still in the Swopper, after all, it advertises movement. My old office chair had to remain within reach. Nevertheless, I intended to use the Swopper as much as possible. I prepared to forgo drawing, as I probably wouldn’t be able to draw even a straight line. And I expected my back to protest.
Assembling the Swopper is extremely simple. It comes with three parts: base, spring, and seat. Nothing needs to be screwed; you just plug everything together. Once you sit on the chair, the components anchor themselves so firmly that they cannot be separated again. According to the manufacturer, this can only be done at the factory with special tools, which is why they offer special transport boxes for returns. Additionally, the spring has an adjustment option, allowing it to be adapted to one’s weight.
A new sitting experience
The Swopper is not a rigid office chair that can only move thanks to wheels on its feet. Rather, it can move in all directions. But nobody needs to worry about falling off the chair immediately—unless they want to lean back, as there is no backrest. After a period of adjustment, a suitable sitting position can be found.
However, those who want to remain in that position are poorly advised with the Swopper. Even small changes in position lead to the need to move and balance the chair again. Through the spring, the spine and intervertebral discs are pleasantly relieved. Nonetheless, a somewhat steady sitting posture is possible, even though it is not the intention of the chair.
The absent—but optionally purchasable—backrest seems a bit daunting at first. However, within a short time, one will no longer depend on it. Thanks to the regular activation of abdominal and back muscles, along with a not-so-rigid sitting position, one does not feel the need to lean back. After all, when walking or standing upright, you don’t have that urge either. Even after several hours of walking, your legs may feel slightly tired, but not your back.
Those sitting at a desk may have the habit of leaning slightly forward. Whether it’s to reach items at the opposite end of the workspace or because they prefer to rest their hands on the table rather than on armrests. This hunched posture is avoided by the Swopper. If you lean forward, the chair simply moves with you, allowing you to maintain an upright position.
Initial difficulties – my sitting experience with the Swopper
Love at first sit feels different. The first few minutes are still very pleasant. I playfully test how well it moves with the stool. It’s a lot of fun and varied. But shortly after, a disillusionment sets in. The seat is hard and uncomfortable. I still miss the back and armrests, and the feeling of potentially falling off the chair lingers. For the first while, I have to force myself to use the chair. This isn’t a matter of hours, but rather days or even weeks.
It does not make it easy for you. After all, the perseverance is not rewarded with a better sitting experience, but with more pain: a sore muscle. This is certainly not love, but more of a hate-love relationship.
Once I overcame these initial difficulties, the negative aspects were over. The sitting experience noticeably improved, and the fact that I experienced sore muscles even proves that the body is being challenged. While it does not serve as a replacement for exercise, it is an excellent complement, especially for those who sit a lot.
Additionally, it is said that back pain will be a thing of the past. Since I have fortunately remained spared from them so far, I could not verify this. However, the fact that almost every positive comment in the Amazon reviews mentions this positively can at least be seen as an indication of less pain.
Health
There is a lot of advertising with various information that sounds plausible to the layman and unfortunately cannot be verified for their accuracy. Here are two quotes from the manufacturer’s official FAQ.
Especially at the beginning, one may find the seat too hard. Eventually, you will get used to it, but the question remains why that is the case. This is because the chair is deliberately shaped in such a way. The reason is aptly stated:
The resulting pressure distribution on the sitting bones automatically leads to the spine slightly tilting forward in the lower area (lordosis), which corresponds to the natural shape of the spine when standing. Conventional seats, which often feature a seat hollow, do the opposite.
The advantages of vertical swaying are also explained further:
Swopping strengthens the back muscles and promotes the nourishment of the intervertebral discs. Additionally, there are no stagnations in the legs, and you feel fit and lively throughout the day. Sitting on the Swopper automatically puts you in the correct position and thus helps prevent back pain.
The problem here is that one must trust the accuracy of such statements. Intervertebral discs absorb nutrients like a sponge. Under load, they are compressed and release used fluid. During relief, they can then absorb new fluids again. For optimal nutrient supply, a constant alternation between loading and relieving is necessary. This is simply achieved through walking. Therefore, long periods of rest, like those one has while lying down, or prolonged loading, which occurs while sitting, are detrimental.
However, whether the movement enabled by the Swopper is sufficient to adequately relieve the intervertebral discs cannot be easily found out. Perhaps the intervertebral discs are not relieved at all, or perhaps they are somewhat relieved. But not enough to really promote nourishment. However, it may also be true as stated, and every intervertebral disc rejoices over this chair.
A medical verification, a check to see if the manufacturer’s claims are true, this test cannot provide. Unfortunately, science does not offer any rescue. There are studies showing that there is no difference between using a rigid office chair or a movable one. Of course, there are also opposing studies. It is therefore best to test the device yourself.
Configure and test yourself
And that is exactly possible. Thanks to the classic right of withdrawal, practically everything is testable for 14 days. Many vendors even offer 4 weeks right. As mentioned before, you need to take a little more time here. With 28 days, it’s okay to take a few days off due to muscle soreness without feeling pressured for time. Thus, everyone can decide for themselves whether the device meets their expectations or not. The manufacturer has published a few tips for getting started on its website.
One single chair can never be perfectly tailored to individual needs. For this reason, the Swopper is extremely variable; you can view the options in the product configurator.
In addition to color, numerous adjustments can be made. For example, regarding the cover, you can choose whether it should be made of microfiber, leather, or be more hygienic and anti-bacterial. The model can also be changed: the Swopper Air features softer seat comfort due to cushioning, and the Swopper Saddle has a saddle-like seat. Furthermore, there is the choice between gliders and wheels as a base ring, and a spring strength between 40-70kg and 60-120kg. A backrest can also be added. Overall, it is very extensive.
Conclusion
Fortunately, my initial fears did not come true. I didn’t even fall from the seat! And the sitting experience was very pleasant—after an appropriate adjustment period. Sitting quietly is possible, but it shouldn’t be done permanently because you bought the Swopper for the movement. However, I would only choose calm games. Something hectic, where precision and reaction are important, could become problematic. In such cases, you would have to remain tense and could not move, as that would be distracting.
In conclusion, I am satisfied with the device; however, I would not buy it for a price of over 500€. That is also due to the fact that I am quite satisfied with my old office chair. Anyone who is generally willing to pay that price can test the Swopper beforehand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukBqDmICtBQ
The chair was provided for testing by the manufacturer.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With Blade & Soul, the next content update is set to be deployed to the live servers today. We have the details for you.
Summoner live today
The highlight of the update is probably the new class “Summoner,” which most players will likely know as “Warlock.” As the name suggests, the Summoner harnesses dark powers and subjugates demons to fight in their name.
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To celebrate the release of the new class, a challenge is being announced for all players. Players have three weeks to level a fresh character to level 45. If successful, there are a whole range of rewards, here just a small selection:
The outfit “Temptation”
Warrior’s Mark x 30
Siren’s Emblem x 20
Pirate’s Emblem x 20
A complete list of rewards can be found in our sources.
The new character doesn’t necessarily have to be a Summoner – but that’s what we all want to play, right?
More content for endgame fans
Apart from the Summoner, there are also more contents that players can look forward to. On one side, the new dungeon “Naryuan Labyrinth” awaits for 4-man and 6-man groups facing the ever-changing challenge, as the labyrinth is configured slightly differently with each visit. There are thus many possible combinations and obstacles leading to the three bosses, which are intended to enhance long-term motivation and replay value.
Solo players, on the other hand, can look forward to a new level in the Tower of Mushin, where they must face the three manifestations of Mushin himself in order to obtain new equipment.
Duration of maintenance for Blade and Soul on March 2nd
Unfortunately, a new patch always comes with some server maintenance to deploy the new update. For this reason, the servers will not be available on March 2nd from 1:00 PM to approximately 5:00 PM.
In Korea, there is a large batch of new costumes for Black Desert. They are not only elegant and stylish but also quite detailed.
In the Korean version of Black Desert, the developers from Pearl Abyss have implemented some new costumes, which are presented by the YouTuber rendermax in his video. Especially impressive are the attention to detail and the (already known) possibility of giving the costumes a different “damage model”. The new garments clearly show in which respect the game can definitely score points: the aesthetics.
Jeff Kaplan talks about the upcoming competitive mode in Overwatch and the design philosophy behind it.
For as many as possible, but not for everyone
The Game Director of Overwatch, Jeff Kaplan, addresses the burning issues of the community in a new “Developer Update” and this time particularly focuses on the requested ranked mode. Finally, he briefly discusses the expectations that the beta has triggered in some fans.
The competitive mode of Overwatch is an important concern for many players. However, Kaplan mentions that the implementation is not so straightforward, as players’ expectations for such a mode differ. There are the competitive players who simply want to know who “the best player in the world” is, and on the other side, those who just want a little more order than in “Quick Play”.
It is impossible to please all players, which is why expectations are tempered: There is no concrete, detailed plan yet, but the goal is to address as many players as possible. Even those who will not be satisfied with the system should at least understand why Blizzard has taken these steps.
Another issue is the necessary organization that one would expect in competitive games. Should the competitive mode be open only to full groups of 6 players, or should there also be a matchmaking feature, similar to Quick Match? There are still no answers to all these questions. However, the intention is to keep players updated.
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The competitive mode is currently in development, but it will likely not be available at the game’s release; instead, it will be added in a later update – at least that was the last statement on this topic.
Will the beta get even bigger?
Kaplan emphasizes that the beta of Overwatch was intended to be a “traditional” beta from the beginning, which may have created false expectations that many players would join the beta. At this time, it is simply not possible to support all players who want to participate in the beta with the current server structure.
In the future, they want to “see what else can be done”, which raises hopes that perhaps many more players will be invited. In the worst-case scenario, they say fans will have to wait until the release in spring. The coming weeks will surely provide more information.
For more news and articles about the game, you can find them on our Overwatch topic page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The German launch trailer for Tom Clancy’s The Division has now been released.
On March 8, The Division is set to be released on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Now the launch trailer is available.
The trailer summarizes the scenario: In New York, civilization is on the brink of collapse after a terrorist attack. A virus attack hit New York unprepared and caused devastating damage. Now, rampaging gangs and criminals roam the streets. The infrastructure lies in ruins.
The last hope of humanity is “The Division,” sleeper agents who have been trained for such an event. Without special equipment, with whatever they can find, they are to face the threat and protect and save as many civilians as possible. The approaching wave of chaos and destruction must be halted.
The player takes on the role of one of these agents.
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Leonardo DiCaprio has finally won an Oscar, and even in World of Warcraft and Guild Wars 2, congratulations are being given.
A Greeting from Azeroth to Hollywood
The night of the Oscars is behind us. In the meantime, the event has become so big that it sends waves through the virtual game worlds of Azeroth and Tyria. The developers of Guild Wars 2 and World of Warcraft couldn’t resist congratulating Leonardo DiCaprio on his Oscar for the film “The Revenant“.
In the film, DiCaprio plays a frontiersman in the early 19th century who is abandoned by his companions to die in the wilderness from the wounds he suffered in a fight with a grizzly bear. It is a story full of revenge, hardship, and phenomenal landscapes that earned DiCaprio the long-awaited Oscar.
Guild Wars 2 extends its own “Revenant” greeting – after all, they are brothers in spirit.
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The Early Access phase of the dark survival MMO The Black Death was supposed to start in March, but that will not be happening now.
The developers of the intriguing survival MMORPG The Black Death announced in the Steam forum that they had to postpone the Early Access phase by one month. It is now set to begin in April. Specifically on April 19 – unless something comes up.
The developers present…
Currently, the team is focusing on reviewing some of the professions in the game and wants to present these in detail to the fans. Next up is the trader. The trader significantly influences the economy in the game. It must fit and be well balanced.
They are also looking at the mechanics of trade and its skill tree. After that, they will address the combat system. Following that, some of the areas in the game will be introduced, and there will be discussions about how the plague functions. Because in The Black Death, the plague plays an important role.
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The developers are already looking forward to showing their MMORPG to many interested players. They hope for constructive feedback to make The Black Death together with the players a very good survival MMORPG.
In The Black Death, you are wandering in the dark Middle Ages, where the plague is raging in Europe. You are trying to survive. How you do that is up to you.
Since you are in a sandbox, you determine your own path. Whether you collaborate with other players or attack them is also up to you. You will find out how it all plays out starting April 19, when the Early Access phase begins.
In Tom Clancy’s The Division, the map of the full version is said to be six times larger than that of the Open Beta. This result was reached by a user on reddit.
Ubisoft’s The Division, as an MMO shooter, also aims to keep players engaged in the long term. For this, an adequate map size is necessary so that agents can immerse themselves in a vast world where there is much to do.
In this article, we have already compared the map of The Division with the maps of GTA V and Fallout 4, with the result being that The Division does not need to hide in this discipline.
Now, a user on reddit has made precise calculations of the overall map and compared the result with the map available in the beta. The result: The final map is 6.04 times larger than the beta map.
For this, the user laid a grid over the map, used existing scales, and diligently made his calculations. Ignoring the Dark Zone, the map is even 7.74 times larger in comparison.
PvP enthusiasts can also look forward to a large playground in which they can let loose: the final Dark Zone will be three times (2.98x) larger than the PvP area of the Open Beta.
If the reddit user did not miscalculate, The Division will indeed provide ample space for agents to occupy.
The first information about the wizard update of Cassiopeia in League of Legends is now known.
Some time ago, RiotGames announced that they were dissatisfied with the status of some wizard heroes in League of Legends. For this reason, an update for the wizards, similar to the one for the marksmen, is planned for the middle of this year. Anyone who wants to learn more about this update or find out which wizards will be redesigned in the future should read our article on the wizard update.
She is not supposed to become a poison wizard:
In a thread on the official League of Legends forum, RiotRepertoir has now announced the plans for the update of Cassiopeia.
He says that when the decision was made to do a general wizard update in LoL, it was clear from the beginning that Cassiopeia had to be included. However, it was not entirely certain what exactly they wanted to achieve with her redesign. There is no general formula that can be applied to a hero that automatically brings out the best in them.
Many players wrote in the forum that they hope for a redesign of Cassiopeia to become a “poison wizard.” However, with her redesign, she will not be made into a poison wizard – at least not in the way players imagined. Because for that, changes would have to be made that ultimately would ensure that she no longer feels like Cassiopeia.
Nevertheless, she should still benefit from her poisons, which currently have too little impact. They want to take some power from the aspect of the snake (passive) and the twin fang (E) and transfer this power to other areas of her kit. So if you are among the players who found Cassiopeia’s playstyle one-dimensional due to the mechanics of twin fang, you will like this update. The developers at Riot have decided that twin fang is not important for Cassiopeia’s identity and the power behind this spell is far too strong.
The “new” Cassiopeia in League of Legends:
Characteristics of Cassiopeia that will most likely remain in the game:
Although the “facing” is not yet perfected – Petrifying Gaze (R) will be retained.
Casting Twin Fang at high speed should still be possible
Combining the power of Twin Fang with poisons.
Cassiopeia should still feel “fast and deadly”.
Characteristics that are currently unsatisfactory and will therefore be changed:
The aspect of the snake causes an unnatural power curve that feels bad.
Poison should have more functions to weaken or control opponents.
Due to the strength of Twin Fang, Cassiopeia feels one-dimensional.
The function of Contagion (Q) and Miasma (W) leads to a boring “place your circles here” gameplay.
The damage and slow from Miasma (W) is not particularly noteworthy and does not feel like poison.
This is how Cassiopeia should become through the update in LoL:
Cassiopeia should still feel like Cassiopeia after the redesign, not like a “brand new LoL poison wizard.” Changes here and there – but still Cassiopeia.
Her poison spells should now be strong individually, not just functioning as a base for Twin Fang.
Dodging her poison spells will still have the highest priority when playing against her.
Poison will feel less like normal “dots” (damage over time spells).
She will still play like a wizard with short to medium range.
When I read these changes, I already get a slight smile on my face. In my opinion, the developers are addressing the right points that need improvement. I am really curious to see how the new Cassiopeia will be. If you haven’t read it yet, you should check out the changes for Malzahar and Vel’Koz , which are for the two champs in League of Legends.
Are you currently playing Cassiopeia or would you play her with the announced changes (again)?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
