The Elder Scrolls Online: 40 warriors standing on a beer coaster, and the annoying AE cap

In the fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online , overlapping groups create an ugly problem.

Imperial Battlemage TESO

The Elder Scrolls Online relies on large-scale battles with Cyrodiil. The design-philosophical question here is: Should a small team be able to kill a large army? This only works if the small team uses “area abilities” that deal the same damage to all players hit.

However, this is where an “AE Cap” comes into play, which “caps” the damage from area abilities, so that an ability only deals damage to about 6 players, not to all 40.

If such an AE Cap is in play, small teams stand no chance against larger teams. If there is no AE Cap in play, they can win.

Current AE Cap leads to 40 players overlapping

teso-reborn-980x500

Among the fans, this is a controversial issue. Players in favor of the AE Cap desire “large battles” where tactics and numbers matter. Players against an AE Cap want smaller fights where individuals can make an impact.

The Elder Scrolls Online, as was clear early on, relies on such an AE Cap. The problem that arises: Large groups of players stack on top of each other, thus providing mass protection. When 40 players stand in one spot, it is of course far from the “chaotic dynamic battles” that developers want.

There has been little discussion around the AE Cap for a long time, but now it is back in focus with the “Thieves Guild”, as the entire combat system and balance is set to be fundamentally revised.

The Combat Lead Designer of TESO, Eric Wrobel, spoke about this topic on Friday during ESO Live.

Does the AE Cap fall with the Thieves Guild? No, but it is shaky

They definitely want to prevent the “turtle” tactic. This is where all players stack in one spot to reduce damage with an active AE Cap. This is the method “All to the Crown”; as seen in this video.

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The developer team rejects this tactic. However, there would also be problems with performance or PvE if AE Caps were to be completely removed.

  • The goal is to introduce more “strategy” into battles. Players should be mindful of their position on the battlefield.
  • Healing abilities should always affect a maximum of 6 players. They want groups, but no “oversized clusters.” They have also reduced the AE Cap from 20 to 6 for some support abilities.
  • As a measure against “stacking”, they will increase the damage of siege weapons and modify them to hit moving targets more easily. This way, the “rolling” group can also be caught.
  • They have also tweaked the ability “Proximity Detonation”, a type of bomb, increasing its damage. Additionally, they have adjusted many other abilities to address the issue of “clumped groups”.

Now, they want to see how everything affects with the Thieves Guild DLC before taking further steps. They definitely want to solve the problem. Changes to the AE Cap are not excluded, but they currently prefer a more individualized solution across various abilities.

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For more information about the Thieves Guild DLC and the patch that will come with it, read these articles:

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Tree of Savior: New information about the version in the West, but no release date yet

In the MMORPG Tree of Savior, there is new information about the Western release. However, it is not as good as fans hope. We have the details.

International Version in the Works

Tree of Savior

We occasionally report on Tree of Savior, the charming manga MMORPG for all fans of endless grinding. However, there is currently no Western version of the game – anyone who wants to enjoy this world must therefore learn some foreign languages. In the past, a Western release was already announced, but a concrete date is still pending. Some fans feared that it had been shelved and that they would have to completely forgo the game.

Now IMC Games has announced that the translation into an English version of the game is still in full swing and is progressing at a “good pace.” However, there is still no specific date for the Western release, but they aim to announce it “as soon as possible.” At the same time, they are trying to resolve the issues with the Steam servers to make them more reliable and, above all, more stable for a Western release.

Interested fans of Tree of Savior might also find the following articles interesting:

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Source(s):
  1. massivelyop.com

The Division is likely to soon come bundled with Nvidia graphics cards

The upcoming MMO shooter The Division could be a free bonus for graphics cards.

As the site videocardz claims to have learned, The Division will soon be bundled with Nvidia cards. Nvidia and Ubisoft are already connected (beware). Nvidia recently threw around Alpha keys like candy. Such deals are not uncommon. At the moment, there is a Tomb Raider title this way, just previously, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Syndicate was included with the graphics cards.

When the promotion starts (it is not yet known when), buyers of a desktop graphics card GTX 970, GTX 980, GTX 980 Ti or a notebook with GTX 970M or GTX 980M will receive a product key for The Division.

Division

These are already graphics cards in the high price segment. The cheapest of them is around 350€. However, the key for The Division will not be included with every graphics card, it will only work if the retailer participates in the program, so it means: keep your eyes open when buying graphics cards.

The Open Beta for The Division will start in a few days. You can find everything about it here:

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Source(s):
  1. videocardz

Destiny: Dusk Strike and Raid Challenge on 16.2.

In the MMO shooter Destiny , a new week starts on February 16th. There is a fresh Nightfall strike and Oryx as a raid challenge.

Ghosts-Destiny

Last week, the long-awaited roadmap from Bungie was released. They roughly hammered in three pillars for how the franchise will continue. This does relieve some pressure, although specific information on the individual points is still missing. Next, there should be a “Spring Update” bringing PvE content and new gear, and increasing the light level.

Today marks the end of the Crimson Week event. Next Tuesday there will be a 320 Ghost and the February Iron Banner will begin. But first, let’s get to the new week in Destiny. This time, nothing wild is planned.

Destiny-The-Undying-Mind-Zick

Nightfall strike on February 16th features The Undying Mind

This time we go to Mars in the earlier PlayStation-exclusive strike “The Undying Mind” (The Undying Ghost)

Modifiers are:

  • Solar-Engulf – Solar damage is significantly increased – also for the enemies
  • Brutalizer – Guardians deal increased melee damage
  • Grounded – Players take more damage when airborne
  • Match Game – Players should strive even more than usual to shoot shields with the correct damage type

These items are wanted by the reputation factions

The factions want this week:

  • Eris Morn wants Worm Spores
  • The Future War Cult wants Helium Filaments
  • The Dead Orbit wants Relic Iron
  • The New Monarchy is into Worm Spores
Destiny-Oryx

The raid challenge on February 16th is Oryx

After the past weeks the “Mc Ogros”, this week is all about the boss visit. Oryx initiates the challenge that Guardians are to face. How to take down Oryx to get the good loot, we explained in this article.

Tier-3-Boss in Oryx’s Courtyard

The Tier-3 boss in Oryx’s courtyard is Thalnok, also known as Mini-Crota.

Are there tips, tricks, videos on the challenges?

At this point, we will embed videos throughout the day showing successful runs against the minions of Darkness, specifically for those who want to know it again this week.

The poor Guardian is battling solo through the Undying Mind, the Nightfall strike this week. He also explains in a guide how The Undying Mind works solo, with positions, tips, and tricks.

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Our friend Nexxoss deals with the Oryx challenge in this video.

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Here’s a guide to Thalnok, the Fanatic of Crota, in Oryx’s courtyard.

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If you are looking for teammates to face the Darkness, take a look at our article on finding teammates in Destiny.

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Warhammer 40 Eternal Crusade: Die Eldar kommen bald ins Spiel!

Warhammer 40k Eternal Crusade reveals a new race that will soon join the game. The “Xenos Scum” of the Eldar are set to dominate the battlefields.

The Eldar are coming – and they only want war

Since Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade launched as an Early Access title on Steam, the developers at Behaviour Interactive have been hard at work. They are diligently creating new content to keep fans satisfied in the future. Currently in development are the Eldar, a faction that should already be well-known to fans of the 41st millennium. The Eldar are, broadly speaking, the elves of the sci-fi universe – a highly advanced, proud race.

Along with some concepts and sketches, the developers revealed how one of the 7 classes of Eldar is supposed to play.

Eternal Crusade Eldar Model

“The Howling Banshees are good at exactly one thing – and that is charging at the enemy to chop them up. We give them the tools to do exactly that, but only that. If they try anything else, it will create big problems for them.”

Eternal Crusade Eldar Weapon
Eternal Crusade Eldar Ship

The developers also face the fans’ fears that the game is doomed to fail sooner or later, but a certain calmness has settled in. According to Executive Producer Nathan Richardsson:

“Everyone is afraid that we will mess it up like other 40k games. But then we would have already messed it up. We have had so many opportunities to screw it up, but we are still here.”

Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade is currently available in Early Access on Steam. Right now, it plays like a lobby shooter. In the future (hopefully not in 40,000 years), significantly more MMO elements are set to be added, such as a game world that can be conquered by the various factions. They also plan to implement PvE elements – in the form of the hostile Tyranids – as challenges.

Eternal Crusade is set to release in 2016 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

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Source(s):
  1. massivelyop.com

FIFA 16: Momentum – Manipuliert ein Algorithmus die Spiele und lässt uns verlieren?

In FIFA 16, the term “Momentum” is on everyone’s lips. But what’s the truth behind this phenomenon? Is it fact or mystery?

Just yesterday I heard that word again: Momentum! I was playing a few matches with my buddies in Pro Clubs, and the term was shouted loudly into the headset.

Our team is dominating – of course – the match. After 12 shots, it’s still 0:0. Just before the 90th minute, the goal finally falls – but for the opponent. What can one say?! Exactly, Momentum!

Scripted games in FIFA 16?

The term Momentum is present in numerous forums, especially directly in the EA forum, and is used by the community to describe the occurrence of a negative, game-changing intervention in the game. The main suspect for this intervention is EA Sports, the studio behind FIFA 16.

FIFA 16 Tackle

When momentum takes the stage, you are helpless. Passes no longer connect, accurate strikers shoot the ball into the clouds, and goalkeepers suddenly show glaring weaknesses. Momentum is referred to as the scripting of the games. It is said that EA determines how the game will end before the match, meaning who wins.

One thing is clear: There are such games where everything is against you. And plenty of them. I have experienced many of them myself. No one can tell me otherwise. But is it just bad luck? Or a complete failure on my part? Or does EA really have its fingers in the pie – in the literal sense.

There is no momentum – at least not officially

A secret mechanism that changes the attributes of players and thus takes on game-changing proportions definitely exists according to many voices in the community. However, EA remains tight-lipped. This is not officially confirmed.

FIFA 16 Header

However, EA Sports would be shooting itself in the foot if it admitted that not skill, but rather the whim of EA determines the game events. It may sound unlikely that the games in FIFA 16 are scripted; but can countless users really be so mistaken?

Of course there is momentum!

There is a heated debate in many forums about whether momentum exists or not. Many users take the side that puts EA Sports in a bad light. You can also find “proof videos” on YouTube where the game events seem to go far beyond luck or bad luck. Users interpret that as clear evidence that in some games, things are not right. According to many, momentum is a fact.

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But why would EA do that? Here, too, users have come up with several theories: The Ultimate Team mode is extremely profitable for EA. Players can invest real money to purchase sets. However, if a player is not very good and loses too many games, it could frustrate them to the point of quitting and losing them as potential customers for microtransactions. Therefore, EA occasionally helps out a little and lets these players win intentionally, so that they, fueled by the feeling of success, remain loyal to the game. Just like the motto: Only an active customer is a paying customer.

FIFA 16 Referee

Even the FIFA professional Antonio “dawnsson” Sammarco said in an interview with Kicker that he definitely believes there is momentum in FIFA. He points out that lower-tier players often score goals with nonsensical actions. The defense suddenly is completely open or some balls go into the goal from incredible distances. If you play against the same player again and suddenly win 5:0, you wonder what exactly happened in the previous game.

Dawnsson has been in the eSports business since FIFA 12 and believes that the momentum of the FIFA series has even worsened. In FIFA 12, the better player usually won; since the introduction of many new features, such as “No Touch Control”, many more unrealistic situations occur. In his opinion, FIFA is characterized by momentum, even though it does not occur in every match.

He is not alone in this opinion. However, there are also voices that label momentum as a figment of the imagination. A rumor that has only spread like wildfire on the internet.

Of course there is no momentum!

The FIFA tactic coach Alexander “Bono” Rauch can only laugh at these unofficial, secret mechanics that are supposed to influence the game. He points out that the game is ultimately a computer program operating with various mathematical algorithms. Some of this is even directly visible to the player: namely the player stats.

Furthermore, some probability calculations can influence the game; however, while one can have bad luck in a game, the dimensions of a momentum, which is merely invoked by the community, do not align with his experiences.

FIFA 16 Kalou

Bono emphasizes that the introduction of such a mechanism would be completely illogical, not to mention the complexity of implementation. The Kicker also mentions in a comment that a functioning and subtle momentum is impossible. Based on what criteria should the mechanism be accessed?

We all saw what problem EA had with goalkeepers in FIFA 15 and how long it took for them to get it somewhat right. Therefore, it seems unrealistic that EA invests time and money in such interventions in game balance.

It is further pointed out that the outcry for momentum does not only affect the FIFA series. In major eSports titles like Dota 2 or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, these observations also exist. However, in these games, the phenomenon is referred to as “choking”. This term indicates that under high pressure, one’s own skills decline.

This can also be applied to FIFA 16: When a goal is conceded, you enter a pressure situation where automatic responses do not function anymore; you think longer and react slower. This leads to further goals against and a botched game.

That there are mechanics in these two Valve games that consciously intervene in the game events – similar to momentum – can be ruled out. Too many experts have already sifted through the code of the games.

FIFA 16 Müller Anger

There is no concrete evidence of momentum in FIFA 16. Bono ultimately points out that momentum serves as a great excuse, but nothing more. Players should look for the mistakes within themselves rather than blaming EA for every conceded goal. One should reflect on themselves.

Of course, the game operates on probabilities; therefore, one must rely on luck in addition to skill. That there are games where one has no luck at all does happen unfortunately. Also in reality, a sure-shot striker doesn’t score every ball into the goal. This actually speaks for the realism of the football simulation. But Bono definitely does not believe in momentum.

Then I might as well put on my tin foil hat before the next game.

Can the phenomenon be circumvented somehow?

Whether momentum is really just an excuse from gamers or if there is more behind it cannot be definitively clarified without a statement from EA Sports or solid evidence. But if you are firmly convinced of momentum and do not want to just follow the people who dismiss momentum as a conspiracy theory, the question arises: Can it be circumvented or even turned off?

FIFA 16 Ball

In online forums, some users write that the phenomenon occurs mainly online. In offline modes, such as the kickoff mode, it occurs much less frequently. Unfortunately, you cannot “turn it off”, especially since its existence is not even clarified. You can search for a long time in the options and settings.

Some of my buddies have recently mentioned how enjoyable the career mode is. In that mode, one gets significantly less upset than when continuously tackling stressful online matches. Whether this is ultimately due to momentum or if the online modes simply evoke more tensions and emotions – I won’t judge.

What is your opinion on the topic of momentum?


Have you ever wondered if it is worth opening Ultimate Team packs in FIFA 16? Here are the answers.

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Source(s):
  1. Kicker
  2. Kicker
  3. Kicker

Respec – the last MMO retrospective – post-apocalypse and Alphas

This issue of the Respec column is also the last one and discusses, among other things, Epocylipse: The Afterfall, Gloria Victis, Shards Online, and the online survival game The Culling.

Epocylipse: The Afterfall – New Post-Apocalyptic Online RPG

Epocylipse: The Afterfall is a post-apocalyptic online RPG, which, while not an MMORPG, offers a multiplayer mode where “numerous” players can interact in the same campaign. The exact number of players will be announced later.

Epocylipse Artwork

Epocylipse takes place about 60 years after a meteorite impact in 2169 devastated the Earth. The survivors formed small communities scattered across a large, open game world. You are an adventurer trying to survive in this post-apocalyptic world.

You are allowed to team up with other players to explore the devastated world, establish new settlements, procure food, or fight against the creatures of the world. Nothing is known yet about a possible PvP mode. However, the developers are targeting a hardcore player base. A wrong decision can lead to the hero’s death. Combat is turn-based against the ever-changing and mutating nature, and the hero improves through many skills. Development is still in the very early stages, with only concept art and initial 3D models available.

Gloria Victis – Dynamic Events Bring the Game World to Life

gloria victis waterfall

The developers of the MMORPG Gloria Victis are currently working to make the game world even more lively through dynamic events. These will not be fixed events, as seen in other MMOs, but rather occurrences that can change and develop. They should feel natural.

More info about Gloria Victis.

South of the places Dunfen and Mereley, you can see an initial such event in the current alpha version of the game. In addition, the developers are working on overhauling many areas to further improve the graphical quality of Gloria Victis.

Shards Online – Cluster Connections and Catacombs Coming

The Ultima Online-like MMORPG Shards Online is making great strides. The game world consists of so-called clusters, essentially islands where players can act and which players can partially manage themselves.

The development team is currently working on a way to connect the individual clusters so that players can travel from cluster to cluster. Each cluster has different rules. One may have quests and PvE, while another features open PvP.

Shards Online

Moreover, the development of the catacomb dungeons is progressing well, allowing them to be integrated into the pre-alpha of Shards Online soon. However, the developers have also announced that the alpha had to be postponed to spring.

More on the topic: My World, Your World: Shards Online Wants to Become an Ultima Online Successor

The Culling – Registration for Alpha Now Possible

the culling screenshot

If you’re into survival and looking for an online game that is somewhat inspired by the premise behind the “The Hunger Games” film series, you can check out the MMO The Culling. For the action-packed survival game, the registration phase for alpha has now started. This is set to begin later this month. The early access phase will then start on March 8, and interested players can purchase the game for $14.99 on Steam and join right away.

Interesting: Respec: Early Access Booms – With The Culling, Another Survival Massacre Begins

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Hero’s Song – John Smedley’s MMO Could Get New Crowdfunding Campaign

The Kickstarter campaign for John Smedley’s new MMORPG Hero’s Song was unsuccessful. Now they plan to raise money either through pre-orders on the game’s website or through an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. The decision is expected to be made in the coming months.

Smedley explains that they do not want to bind themselves to a publisher who might want to dictate the development of the game. So far, they are doing very well with the available financial resources and think they can release the game in October of this year.

heroes song 4

Dawid Hallmann
Chef says: That’s all for now with Respec.

Why is Respec not continuing? We are temporarily discontinuing the Respec format as the access numbers unfortunately fell short of our expectations. In the future, we will again focus on specific indie highlights. This means: we will focus on a single title for a day that has the most interesting story instead of trying to cover 5 titles at once. This approach is much better received by you and makes it easier for us to maintain a clear line.

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Kingdom under Fire 2 (PC, PS4): Two new classes announced – Ranger and Mage!

While there are finally some first images for the “Ranger” class in Kingdom under Fire 2, the magician has also been teased.

The Ladies Conquer the Battlefield

Piece by piece, more and more information about Kingdom under Fire 2 is being published. Just last month, the Ranger was briefly teased, and now there are finally meaningful images.

Kingdom under fire 2 Elf Ranger Combat 2

As the name “Ranger” suggests, this is an archer who can also resort to daggers in close combat to be effective. According to the developers, she is supposed to significantly change the pace of battles and force a rethinking of troop formations. Whether the elven beauty with the sharp arrows can fulfill these great words remains to be seen.

Kingdom under fire 2 Elf Ranger Combat 1

The 5th class is already in the works and is also supposed to be female. According to the announcement, she is a “devastating spellcaster”, which should delight all fans of traditional mages. It literally calls for large area spells and huge fireballs that she hurls at enemy commanders and opposing troops.


You can find more news about the game on our Kingdom under Fire 2 news page.

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Source(s):
  1. mmoculture.com

Destiny: Video of the Week is a pure Titan

In the MMO shooter Destiny , particularly valuable videos from the community have been honored. This time, the Titan class is in the spotlight.

Last week, there were several announcements in the Weekly Update for things that are planned for later, and a handful of videos of the week. We would like to show you these and complement them with our own finds.

After more than a year, the Bubble of the Titan remains a mystery for many opponents. Those who know how to master it, like this YouTuber, achieve excellent situations that work to their advantage.

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Lots of flames, lots of action, many deaths in this Destiny montage.

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A parody of the well-known Old Spice commercials in the USA can be found here. It’s probably only really funny if you know the original cult commercials.

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Once again, excellent timing please – this is our video of the week.

View post on imgur.com


Also an interesting tactic: The behavior of strange Guardians in raids.

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From our community, we received a surprise this week: a Crucible montage:

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… and we will add this montage from our community as well.

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These were Bungie’s and our videos of the week. If you have a video that you would like to see featured here, send it to us via the contact form. In the meantime, we have formed a prayer circle: Please let it not be a Crucible montage.


The title image is by a player with maximum talent in Photoshop. It is titled “Don’t take your chocolate ghost to Mercury.

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ArcheAge: Trion bannt Raidgilde, weil sie unbezwingbaren Leviathan unfair bezwang

Trion Worlds has imposed severe sanctions against the raid guild “Rage Quit” – after they used an exploit, their game accounts for ArcheAge are now banned.

The Leviathan remains unbeaten

In MMORPGs, issues such as bugs and other errors in game mechanics continually arise, and ArcheAge is no exception. By exploiting an exploit, the American guild “Rage Quit” could put the previously unbeaten world boss “Leviathan” in its place – or so they thought. Many players reported the exploitation of a bug, and Trion Worlds’ response was swift and harsh:

The guild “Rage Quit” has been disbanded, with a total of 53 accounts permanently banned.

Archeage Leviathan 2

Because this case also represents a “public interest” for the ArcheAge community, community manager Celestrata spoke up in the forum and explained the reasons for the harsh treatment. According to her, it is strictly prohibited in the terms of service to exploit game bugs for personal gain. Trion Worlds would have refrained from such a severe penalty if the guild had reached out to support to clarify the matter. However, only one player did that, and in a rather shameless manner (more on that shortly).

“If the guild had contacted us to let us know what happened without using the items for their own profit, we would still have deleted the items in their possession. However, we would not have had to resort to the other harsh measures that are now coming into effect.”

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Cheating doesn’t win … not always.

The player Collusion turned out to be particularly brazen. He was the only guild member who contacted Trion Worlds but demanded further “in-game bonuses” for informing the development team about the glitch and revealing its origins. In hindsight, Collusion tried to dismiss this as a “joke” and “harmless trolling” – in vain and too late.

In the official forum, Trion Worlds mostly receives approval. Players say things like “This time you did something really well, Trion” and “No matter what happened before, you have earned my respect for this.” It is kind of nice when guild names become a self-fulfilling prophecy.


For more information and news about the game, you can find it on our ArcheAge topic page.

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Black Desert: Hype nimmt zu – Spielern steht der Sinn nach Abwechslung

The Asia MMORPG Black Desert seems to be well received in the West. Even better than expected.

There aren’t precise figures for the pre-sales of Black Desert, but it seems that the game is generating a bigger buzz than one might assume. After all, publisher Daum is a newcomer here in the West, as the MMORPG genre has been considered declining here for years and Asia MMORPGs do not have the reputation of reaching the mainstream. Usually, they are yet another niche within the MMORPG niche and therefore rarely appear on gaming sites. Black Desert seems to defy this trend, which is due to, but not only, the strong graphics.

In the Black Desert forum, fans are trying to figure out how well the game is selling. They are posting invoice numbers and assuming that the increasing number of these numbers indicates how many “orders of the game or upgrades” Black Desert has sold.

In any case, the number exploded in the last week. After rising by about 20,000 in recent weeks, it increased by 80,000 between February 7 and 13. It now stands at 324,000. Although it is questionable whether all of these are pre-orders, the trend is real and understandable. After all, a closed beta is starting soon, where players can buy access through pre-orders.

http://youtu.be/v6rmBCMBJWs

The interest in Black Desert is high. As reported by 2p, 10,000 beta keys given out officially by the game via Facebook were gone within an hour.

Black Desert Siege Elephant

Just like with the sand park MMORPG ArcheAge , it could be seen that the West has an appetite for a different kind of MMORPG that still offers high spectacle. It will be interesting to see how Black Desert develops over the next weeks and where the game stands after release. Because Black Desert relies significantly less on PvE and quests than Western players are used to from theme park MMORPGs. The game requires a change in thinking.

Time and again, one hears that players are in the mood for “something different.” The actual success of Black Desert will show how serious such statements are.

In South Korea, the game has not yet seen great success compared to Blade and Soul or other “classic titles”.


Anyone who is interested in participating in the soon-to-start beta: We are currently raffling off 400 keys. We have dealt with the game in a preview.

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Source(s):
  1. BD Forum
  2. 2p

World of Warcraft: Legion – This is the new instance “Maw of Souls”

A group of players ventured into the new dungeon “Maw of Souls” from the Alpha of World of Warcraft: Legion. Check here how the run through the eerie ship of the Vrykul went and which bosses are waiting there.

The Maw of Souls – Short and Sweet

The closed Alpha of World of Warcraft: Legion is in full swing. More and more content is being brought to the test servers for the chosen players to try out. In addition to new areas (such as the elven metropolis Suramar), there are also dungeons that are particularly woven into the storyline of each zone this time.

The YouTubers from BellularGaming took a direct look into the dungeon “Maw of Souls”. After conquering the harbor, the players board a Vrykul ship and head out to the open sea. In addition to some cool boss fights, such as “Ymirion, the Fallen King,” which players might remember from “Wrath of the Lich King,” a huge sea monster awaits that gradually destroys the ship itself.

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Although the dungeon only lasts about 15 minutes, the YouTubers consider it the “most beautiful dungeon so far”; they particularly liked the effects of the ship on the sea. However, the bosses were too easy for the testers – Blizzard could increase the damage significantly to provide a real challenge even on normal difficulty.


Find more news about the game and the upcoming expansion “Legion” on our World of Warcraft theme page.

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Source(s):
  1. massivelyop.com

LoL: Wizard Update – Here is how Malzahar is changing

By mid-year, developer RiotGames plans to make some changes to mages like Malzahar for its MOBA League of Legends (LoL) 

As mentioned in the official LoL forum a few weeks ago, there are currently 6 mages on the “list” to be redesigned in order to better fit their playstyle into the current LoL . Even though it will take some time before the mage update appears, RiotRepertoire is already giving insights into the upcoming changes to the mages in LoL.

So far, there are no defined (damage) numbers for the new abilities, but there is a general idea of what to expect from the new Malzahar. The changes are based on player feedback, as players were asked in the forum to share their thoughts on the 6 announced champions. It was mainly about what defines the LoL champion and what differentiates them from other mages.

Malzahar: The burst should go

LoL Malzahar Skin

Currently, Malzahar is a champion that is more classified as a “burst champion”. This means you use a combination of all spells (as much as possible) on the opposing champion and watch them die. This is mainly because Malzahar has no spells to escape from other champions and is thus forced to “burst” someone. The champion designers now want to change Malzahar so that he does not have to play like an All-In champion, but instead gets more “breathing room” and adapts to the current play in LoL.

Traits likely to be retained:

  • Strong against mobility/assassins through Void Grip (R).
  • Unique farming opportunities through Malefic Visions (E).

Traits that are unsatisfactory and want to be improved:

  • A simple W>E>R combination makes an opponent disappear quickly without them having a chance to defend themselves.
  • Malzahar has little room for action.
  • The Voidlings are unique, but do not usually play a major role (except for AD Malzahar).

This is how Malzahar should look after the changes in LoL:

Snow Day Malzahar
  • Malzahar’s kit should play in a way that immediately recognizes the champion – many cool spells and visual effects.
  • He will feel less like a burst mage.
  • Low range and low mobility remain, but he will be less vulnerable.
  • AP Malzahar players will pay more attention to properly using their Voidlings.
  • AD Malzahar will still be an option.
  • His kit will make it clearer how one could have fought better or how opponents could fight better against him.
  • Playing Malzahar will still not be mechanically demanding in the future.

These are the first details about the rework of Malzahar. We are excited to see when there will be the first concrete contributions to his new abilities. What do you think the developers at Riot will do to make him “less vulnerable”?

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Destiny gets its own game and collectible figures

Mega Bloks is releasing a construction set for Destiny in 2016. With this building set, you can create your own Destiny universe in your living room.

The world of Destiny is colorful and diverse. Although the dangers of the Darkness lurk around every corner, this world still holds breathtaking beauty and splendor. Many Guardians have wished to dive into the Destiny universe and be a part of it.

While this wish may not come true anytime soon, you now have the chance to bring parts of the Destiny universe into your living room. The Canadian company Mega Bloks is launching a Destiny construction set in 2016. With their products, they aim to appeal to both children and passionate collectors, who can build authentic replicas with the sets.

Destiny-Mega-Bloks

Create Your Own Vision of the Destiny Universe

Mega Bloks claims to offer their most detailed micro-action figures yet in the Destiny set. In addition, vehicles and scenes directly from the game have been recreated that Destiny fans will recognize. This will allow gamers and construction fans to piece together their own interpretations of the legendary Destiny universe.

Mega Bloks adds that they could not be prouder to provide an entirely new experience to one of the greatest games of our generation with the Destiny set. This allows you to bring your legend into reality.

At the New York Toy Fair, a first look at this Destiny building set was possible. In the following video, you can get an impression for yourself.

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At the end of this year, the Destiny construction set should be available. Then everyone can decide whether they want to place Oryx and Co. on the mantelpiece. The price range for this fun has not yet been disclosed.

What do you think about it? Does it awaken the collector in you?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Mega Bloks
  2. kotaku

Doom: Dataminers find hints of a random boss system

In the shooter Doom, data miners have found hints that the classic has a lot in store.

Officially, there isn’t much about Doom yet. Players have now gotten their hands on an Alpha that ran in December. It was probably a small test, players only had access to a multiplayer map, but the files contained a lot that passionate tinkerers have now uncovered. However, this should be taken with caution: It is not certain that this will make it into the game.

The data miners found plenty of “old acquaintances” in the data such as The Spider Mastermind, Arch Vile, Zombies, Lost Souls, Hell Knights, Barons of Hell, Pinky Demons/Spectres, Revenants, Cyberdemons, Cacodemons, and Mancubi.

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While the enemies have indeed been changed, the Spider Mastermind is said to now have various laser attacks, crawling mines, and a form of telekinesis. There are also hints of new monsters.

The probably most interesting thing: The data contains hints that bosses can spawn at different locations. Until now, it was assumed that the campaign would be static. But the find indicates that the campaign has random elements and can adapt to the player’s performance.

There are also various leaks from the Doom Alpha showing different weapons:


Read more about Doom, the release date, and the team behind it here:

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. doomworld
  2. PcGamesN

SWTOR: Chapter 11 “Denial” – Release date known!

In Star Wars: The Old Republic, the release date for the next story chapter of Knights of the Fallen Empire has been revealed. We have the details for you.

Starting March 10, “Denial” begins

During the recent developer livestream for the SWTOR expansion “Knights of the Fallen Empire”, the creators of the game discussed the plans for the release of the 11th story chapter. This will be titled “Denial” and will be released on March 10, 2016, nearly one month after the release of Chapter 10 “Anarchy in Paradise”. Throughout the chapter, players will encounter Major Aric Jorgan, who was part of Havoc Squad – especially soldiers should still remember him, as he was one of their companions.

Female soldiers could even start a romance with Jorgan. Whether this love can be rekindled and what has happened to Jorgan in the past 5 years remains to be seen. The developers want to discuss this in one of the upcoming streams.

Swtor Aric Jorgan Romance

Apart from the new story chapter, there are also numerous quality-of-life improvements that are meant to make the gaming experience more enjoyable for players. Some of the highlights are:

  • You can have all 5 Galactic Strongholds active at the same time
  • A 50% higher decoration limit on the Guild Ship
  • The overall decoration limit will be raised to 999
  • Guilds can now have up to 1000 members
  • Numerous improvements to the Guild interface

Aside from these new features, there’s also the “Eternal Championship,” which was originally intended to be released with Chapter X “Anarchy in Paradise,” but was postponed at the last minute.


For more information about the game and the current expansion “Knights of the Fallen Empire”, you can visit our Star Wars: The Old Republic themed page.

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Bless: Neue High-Level-Zone verspricht PvP-Action und dicke Beute

The open beta of Bless introduces a new zone. Players must defeat a goblin army while also holding their own in PvP.

Between the Fronts Against a Third Enemy

The Korean MMORPG Bless is currently in open beta. However, instead of just fixing bugs and polishing the gameplay, Bless will release a new zone in the coming days. The fresh area is designed for players level 45 and is located exactly between the two warring factions “Union” and “Hieron”. The forested area is largely devastated by battles but has attracted many creatures and smaller world bosses to the region – which is why players should be in a group of at least 3 if they don’t want to meet their demise regularly.

Bless new zone Forest burning

Story-wise, the main goal of this zone is to prevent the goblins from creating a powerful army – and this is where player characters are called in as mercenaries. This also leads to more encounters with players from the opposing faction – while fighting the monsters, players might find themselves ambushed. Caution and awareness are more important than ever.

A few boss monsters have already been introduced. These include gigantic mantises and – as one would more commonly expect from a JRPG – the clichéd “slime”.

Bless is currently in open beta, but only in Korea. So far, there are no fixed plans for a Western release, though a fan site claims to know concrete goals for this.


For more news and information about the game, you can visit our Bless topic page.

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Source(s):
  1. 2p.com

The Division: Will it support splitscreen?

The Creative Director of Tom Clancy’s The Division, Magnus Jansén, speaks in an interview about The Division and the split-screen mode. Specifically: Why The Division will not support split-screen.

The Division is an MMO shooter with a strong focus on Coop. You can complete story missions together or explore the Dark Zone in a small group. However, this will only be available online – playing together on the couch in split-screen will not be possible.

The Division Pickup

Magnus Jansén explains in an interview with Finder why The Division has chosen against split-screen. It simply does not suit the nature of this game. You continuously improve your character in this game, allowing for seamless transitions between single and multiplayer. This is something that is best done alone, without split-screen.

The special thing about The Division is that the game world never pauses. There is always something to do in the open-world.

“You never stop playing.”

In a classic split-screen experience, there is a defined challenge that you can complete together and then finish. If your partner has to leave, you can go back to single-player and continue your game.

The Division, on the other hand, is a so constant, ongoing experience that it ruins the game to bind yourself to another person. That is why they opted out of split-screen. This allows you to freely immerse yourself in this world, where you can mess around alone or with online buddies.

Division Back

However, there are also evident technical reasons why this mode was discarded. In split-screen, there are always losses in frame rate, detail, and rendering. Especially in the Dark Zone, it is advantageous to have the entire screen available to maintain overview.

In the end, Magnus Jansén admits that he is a fan of split-screen. After all, gaming together on the couch can be incredibly fun. However, this mode was simply impossible for The Division.


In a few days, the Open Beta is upon us. This is what changes compared to the Closed Beta.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Finder

Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns – Sales fall short of expectations

In the fantasy MMORPG Guild Wars 2, the expansion “Heart of Thorns” seems to be underwhelming. Fewer games were sold than expected.

This week, NCSoft released its business figures. While the 4th quarter of 2015 saw a decent increase in revenue for Guild Wars 2, the numbers fell short of the expectations of Korean publisher NCSoft, although this was not communicated explicitly.

During the conference call, which was only available verbally, an analyst asked: The sales for GW2 seem to be rather weak; what is the reason for that?

NCSoft did not dispute the claim that sales were weak and stated that they see the problem in the transition from the regular “Free2Play” contents to the “Paid” expansion Heart of Thorns. Not as many players made the switch as expected.

Compared to the number of players, the amount of money spent in the shop is “still okay.” However, the sales of the paid expansion are a problem.

NCSoft-Finanzen
The upturn in GW2 is notable, but could have been even stronger.

They plan two strategies. First, they want to create more incentives for players to acquire Heart of Thorns, possibly through events or new systems. They are investigating: What prevents purchases, and what can we eliminate?

On the other hand, they want to take another close look at the expansion: What was actually available at the launch of Heart of Thorns, and what were the user expectations? They see a gap there and want to address it, fulfilling these expectations with faster updates.


So one can probably say: Something did not go as expected with Heart of Thorns.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. NCSoft
  2. reddit

Tree of Savior: Leveln wird einfacher und neue Gildenraids!

The latest patch of Tree of Savior makes leveling in a certain phase easier and presents new challenges for guilds. We have the details for you.

Bridging the drought around level 240

For the Korean version of the MMORPG “Tree of Savior,” a new update is coming soon, which aims to fix some issues during the (extremely long) leveling phase of the game. Around level 240, leveling becomes quite tough and is now going to be made more pleasant with a series of new daily tasks.

Tree of Savior Dungeon

Along with the new quests, there will also be guild raids, for which certain challenges must be met. To enter them, the guild must have at least a level 4 guild tower. Those who complete the challenges will be rewarded with rare mounts and pets.

Those who want to tackle exciting battles alone will enjoy the “Challenge Tower.” This will be delivered with the first 20 levels, with a boss waiting on every 5th floor that needs to be defeated. To make things even a bit tougher, there is a time limit of 4 minutes for each level – so speed and concentration are required.

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Source(s):
  1. 2p.com