In The Division, eye-tracking features will be available at launch. This allows you to target your enemies directly with your eyes on PC. Additionally, the first TV spot has been revealed.
Ubisoft recently announced that the final version of The Division will include eye-tracking features. However, these are only intended for PC. Players who own compatible sensors, such as Tobii’s EyeX or SteelSeries Sentry Eye Tracker, can utilize some gameplay features specifically tailored for eye-tracking technology.
This allows you to aim with your eyes, mark enemies, and browse the HUD.
This should enable PC gamers to make HUD elements, such as the mini-map, visible when you focus your gaze on them. It disappears transparently in the background by looking away.
Aim and mark enemies directly with your eyes
Probably more interesting are the features that come into play directly in combat: by simply looking at your opponent, they will be marked, allowing your teammates to see the enemy as well. Additionally, as expected, you can efficiently target and eliminate your opponents with this technology. This should work faster than aiming with a mouse or gamepad – at least when one gets used to eye-tracking.
Gamespot was able to test Tobii’s technology during a hands-on demo; apparently, it works just as promised. To calibrate the system, the tester had to sit in front of a laptop and target some points with their eyes without moving their head. This process took less than 30 seconds. A one-time calibration is saved for the future, allowing for a quick user switch.
The tester describes their eye-tracking experience as very intuitive. Aiming at enemies just with the eye not only worked excellently, but the reaction time was also faster than if they had to aim with the mouse first. Looking and aiming would merge into one action.
The eye-tracking features are now coming to The Division on PC. Whether this technology will be attractive to a wide audience remains to be seen. However, according to Tobii, it is on the rise: by the end of the year, over 100 games will include eye-tracking features.
First TV spot for The Division
To get the eagerly waiting agents hyped for the game, the first The Division TV spot has been released. It is titled “Yesterday.” In it, soldiers who were once just civilians speak about their time before the apocalypse. Watch for yourself:
What if Blizzard would recreate World of Warcraft with current graphics? A YouTuber shows impressive images from a possible implementation…
Less Comic, More Realism
With its proud lifespan of 11 years, World of Warcraft has certainly passed the peak of its subscriber count some time ago, but an end is still not in sight, as the latest expansion “Legion” is set to be released later this year.
What will not change, however, is the fundamental graphics of the game and the now more than outdated engine. In a beloved game like WoW, fans often engage in a little thought experiment: What would Azeroth look like with current graphics?
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
YouTuber Daniel L has asked the same question, but he didn’t just stop at daydreaming. Some time ago, he began creating various areas of Azeroth in Unreal Engine 4, primarily the Forest of Elwynn and Westfall. In the meantime, both zones have been diligently updated and enhanced with some visual tricks. It’s best to check both videos for yourselves; it’s worth it.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
According to Daniel L, most environments have been assembled from various materials. He either took models and textures directly from World of Warcraft or pieced them together from different Unreal demos.
What do you think of these “remakes” of the old areas? Nice to look at and desirable, or would you miss the comic style and the old, but familiar graphics?
The new patch 3.2 of SMITE is live on the server and brings the second Japanese god into the fresh season of the god MOBAs.
The Lord of Thunder – Raijin
Raijin is the second god of the Japanese pantheon and truly brings the “beat” into the game. He is the god of thunder and as such summons lightning with his drums to annihilate enemies. Let’s take a look at his abilities:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJo8GqSpJfc
His passive ability Static Crescendo gradually charges his 4 drums. Abilities and basic attacks grant a stack. At 4 stacks, the next ability deals damage as if the player had 30% additional magical power.
With Percussive Storm, Raijin strikes his drums three times and releases energy waves each time. The first two strikes release one wave, while the last wave releases two. The waves deal damage and stop at the first enemy hit.
With Raiju, Raijin sends a small spirit to the targeted enemy. It lingers there for a few seconds and reveals the god’s position as long as it slumbers within. Once Raijin attacks the affected god again, the spirit breaks free and deals moderate damage.
Thundercrash deals minor damage in a target area before Raijin teleports to the aimed location and deals damage again.
The Ultimate Taiko Drums allows Raijin to hit his drums rapidly up to 4 times. Each hit sends energy in one direction, deals damage, and grants one of three effects. 1: 100% damage of the ability | 2: 50% damage and 0.5 seconds taunt | 3: 50% damage and 0.5 seconds fear.
Besides that, the patch also included some new skins, but only “Tier 2” skins, which are minor adjustments of the existing models. Ratatoskr and Bastet can look forward to a polished appearance.
For more news and articles about the game, check out our SMITE theme page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In a new interview about The Division, there are more hints about a possible endgame.
An interview with the Guardian now brings new details to light about The Division. A lot is already known about The Division, but not everything. Especially the “endgame”, the gameplay from level 30, remains completely unclear.
The latest interview doesn’t change much either. It’s not as if Julian Gerighty, the Associate Creative Director, says anything outright, but there are only hints and suggestions about what he desires. For example, when asked if the game could expand beyond Manhattan, perhaps to Ellis Island or the Bronx, Gerighty says: “That is something we want to focus on.” There could be some surprises.
When asked about raids similar to Destiny, where multiple groups of players cooperate, he says: He would love for them to come.
Dark Zone is set to have special events – Balance patches are likely to come
A clear piece of information Gerighty shares: For the Dark Zone, they plan special events and various special occasions, including specific calendar actions. The Dark Zone will be part of the efforts to further develop The Division after launch.
Later, the interviewer brings a helicopter as a boss into play, so to speak, the real counterpoint to a dragon in a fantasy game. Would something like that be possible? Gerighty dodges the question but simultaneously agrees a bit: They already have many cool things in store with more exotic enemies that they haven’t shown yet.
Anyway, players haven’t seen many efforts yet. The Game Director has invested time to balance teams of 4 players at level 30 so it feels good to tackle events and to create a solid foundation for it. However, Gerighty believes that they will not stop balancing even once the game is released.
What is clear currently: There is still a lot for players to discover.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
This also applies to the developers. They have been closely watching the beta. How something experimental like the Dark Zone will be received can never be known in advance.
At the moment, Massive, the developers, are being flexible. That is something they learned from Destiny: One must be prepared to let go of the game one starts with and be able to develop it. Gerighty has also seen this with The Crew, the last game he worked on. Video game development today is a new world. In the past, it was: Release a game and take a few weeks off. Today, it never stops.
All about the open beta of The Division can be found in this article:
In the MMORPG Black Desert , the download for the beta is expected early in the evening.
Today, on February 16th, the download for the second Closed Beta of Black Desert should start. The client will weigh a little over 30 gigabytes. It is quite a package – especially since we don’t exactly live in the home of broadband coverage.
Many potential players got up early this morning, wanting to start the download in order to have the connection free during the day. But there was nothing yet. Even for breakfast and lunch, the servers remained cold. At 6:00 PM our time, it was tweeted: The download should start in the next three hours.
The alpha of the upcoming MOBA Atlas Reactor starts on February 18.
MOBA is not actually the right term for the online game, as the battles in Atlas Reactor are fought in rounds. However, many MOBA elements are also included. You can choose between different heroes with different abilities and team up on maps against other teams. However, the round-based battles offer significantly more tactical depth than the real-time battles of a regular MOBA.
MOBA and turn-based combat? Is that possible?
Turn-based combat in an online game is always a tricky thing. No one likes to wait until it’s their turn. Therefore, the actions for all players take place simultaneously, but they are divided into several phases. In the first phase, you assess the current situation and think about your next move. Phase 2 involves evasion actions, followed by the attack phase. Finally, all players move their characters to new positions on the map. The game principle is described as “chess with cannons” and “DotA meets XCOM”.
Join the alpha!
Everything seems a bit unusual. However, Trion Worlds wants to bring a lot of fun to the principle. If you want to see for yourself if this game principle works and if you want to try it out, then sign up for the alpha on the official website of Atlas Reactor. This will take place from February 18 to 24. You will have 14 characters available.
Additionally, Trion wants to test the shop system, which is why all players will receive some credits that they can spend in the in-game shop. There, it is possible to buy cosmetic items that give the heroes a new look. Maybe you will be lucky and be selected for the alpha.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfb1A9XBVJ0
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The dataminers have been diligent and have already extracted the German intro from the game files of Black Desert. Check out how the translation looks here.
The accident with the Elision Stone
The Closed Beta 2 (CBT2) of Black Desert begins on February 18, but the dataminers have already delved into the game files and uncovered some interesting things. Part of this is the introduction sequence that introduces you to the game world of Black Desert – this is now available with German subtitles. Some translations are still a bit questionable, and particularly with “Elision Stone” it sends a chill down the spine, but at least this whole thing is still in beta.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrXredTvtdQ
The intro provides a brief introduction to the game world and tells the story of the central trading city of Goma Naru. A lively place where trade and the hustle and bustle of everyday life prevail and where there is basically no danger – until now. An trading ship brought the so-called “Elision Stone” to the city, an ancient artifact with sinister powers. The inevitable happens: The power of the stone is unleashed and the locals are consumed by dark forces.
The dataminer Sweetdeal claims to have unearthed a few more details. The language of the game can be set in an additional menu, but the various chat channels are independent of that. Playing in German but hanging out in English chats is not a problem. He also suspects from the translation that there will be megaservers. All these statements should be taken with caution. Until there is an official statement from the developers, this is primarily one thing: speculation.
Update: Yep, it looks like this will be our intro. Daum has just released the English version as the official story intro on Youtube.
Thanks to Lauryll for the tip.
For more news and information about the game and the upcoming beta phase, visit our Black Desert topic page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Bungie has revealed some statistics about the Crucible in Destiny. This includes three “secret weapons” that PvP enthusiasts should check out at least once.
PvP fans are currently being treated to a wealth of content: numerous Crucible modes, the Trials of Osiris every week, and occasionally the Iron Banner – last week even featured a new 2v2 event for Valentine’s Day. Guardians preferring to battle computer opponents are left wanting. At least it was recently announced that PvE content will be coming soon.
In this article, we want to take a closer look at the Crucible: Bungie has revealed some interesting statistics and mentioned three “secret weapons“. Let’s take a look at them.
The best focuses – sorted by mode
First, we want to consider which focuses have caused the most ruckus in the Crucible. Bungie revealed these sorted by mode. Importantly: All this data comes from the end of 2015. So they are a bit aged.
Control: Sunbreaker According to Bungie, the Titan with the Sunbreaker focus dominates this 6v6 game mode. Swinging the hammer in Control doesn’t hurt – only the others.
Conflict: Gunslinger The Gunslingers are apparently the deadliest killers in Conflict, where there are no control points to capture.
Rift: Defender This is quite interesting: According to Bungie, defenders in Rift have nearly double the success rate of any other subclass across all game modes. The Bubble seems to shine particularly in Rift. Strong performance from the Defender!
Skirmish: Sunsinger, Striker In Skirmish, a smaller game mode, the Warlocks dominate, but the Strikers are close behind.
Elimination: Stormcaller, Gunslinger, Sunbreaker, Striker In this mode, no single focus stands out. Each class has its strengths here.
Rumble: Striker Here too, a Titan focus is dominant. Following the Striker in second place is the Stormcaller.
At this point, it is interesting to note that theTitan provides a strong focus in nearly all game modes.
Jon Weisnewski and Sage Merrill, two lead sandbox designers at Bungie, have some adjustments for the Warlock and Hunter in mind for the future. Additionally, they want to highlight the various playstyles more.
Jon also added that he would like to see Private Matches in the future. This wish has been frequently and emphatically expressed in the community. However, he could not say anything concrete about it yet.
Specifically, the following weapons stand out as statistical outliers from the mass. We will present these secret weapons in the Crucible on the following pages.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The YouTuber Refaser dedicates himself to Blade & Soul and examines it for an in-depth review. What is his conclusion? Check it out…
The action MMORPG Blade & Soul has been released “in the West” for a few weeks now and has since encouraged more than 2 million players to register and try the game. It’s time to take a closer look at the game. The YouTuber Refaser has gone to the effort of creating a comprehensive video review of the game, discussing both its strengths and its negative aspects. Check out his review of Blade & Soul here:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The strong points – Combat, Story, and Cool Options
Refaser is particularly taken with the game’s combat system. For the first time in an MMORPG, it doesn’t feel like the boring repetition of rotations that you practiced beforehand. Instead, you quickly get the feeling of being the protagonist in a martial arts movie. The attacks come fast, and you constantly have to adjust your fighting style to deal with even ordinary opponents. This offers PvP fans fast and dynamic battles that can keep you motivated for a long time.
An additional plus point for him is the staging of the story, as at least the main quest line is fully voiced, which would already be unusual for a Free2Play MMO. Although Blade & Soul is already three years old, Refaser also praises the beautiful visuals of the characters. While the game shows its age, it does not have to hide from other representatives of the genre.
The weak points – Monotonous leveling, Stupid quests, Too easy dungeons
However, not everything in Blade & Soul is pure gold. Especially leveling quickly becomes monotonous, and the combat system does not help with that. The rather confined world hardly invites exploration, and the quests are the usual MMO standard fare of “Kill 20 of these” or “Collect 7 of those”. The dungeons, the instances of the game, are interestingly designed but offer hardly any noteworthy challenge and are too easy during the leveling phase.
The Open Beta of The Division is coming our way quickly. We summarize the information you need to know for a smooth launch.
The official release of The Division on March 8, 2016, is approaching. It’s time to prepare for the apocalypse. With the Open Beta, all players on PC, PS4, and Xbox One now have the chance to see Ubisoft’s upcoming MMO shooter for themselves.
When does the Open Beta start?
The Beta starts for players on Xbox One on February 18 at 10 AM.
For players on PC and Playstation 4, it begins one day later, on February 19 at 1 PM. Update: The Open Beta ends on all platforms on Monday, February 22 at 1 PM. Until then, you have time to mess around in the Beta.
Do I need a key to participate?
No, you do not need a key to participate in the Open Beta. It is freely accessible to everyone. You just need to start the download.
Will there be a preload?
All gamers who suffer from a slow connection can breathe a sigh of relief: As with the Closed Beta, there will be a preload. This starts today, on February 16. This should be enough for you to jump right in at launch.
Update: The preload is now available on all platforms.
What size is the download if I still have the Closed Beta installed?
If you still have the Closed Beta installed on your platform, you only need to download a manageable update of 1.6 GB. Otherwise, you will need to download around 30 GB.
What happens to my progress from the Closed Beta?
This will no longer be available. You start completely from scratch. Weapons and gear will need to be earned again. The progress you make during the Open Beta will also not carry over to the main game.
Can I also play the Open Beta in German?
If you want to enjoy the beta experience in your native language, that’s not a problem. German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Japanese are available. Additional languages will be available at the release of the final version.
What is the maximum level I can reach in the Open Beta?
The maximum level you can reach in the beta is 8. In the Dark Zone, you can reach rank 12. However, keep in mind that these maximum levels only apply to the Beta. There will be significant differences in the main game.
By the way: You can reach the maximum level per character. You can create up to four different characters in the Open Beta.
https://youtu.be/P8U3RNY5Gpk
Do I need an Xbox Live Gold or Playstation Plus membership on the consoles?
To play The Division, you must always be online. After all, it is a persistent world. However, you do not need a membership for Xbox Live Gold or PSPlus to play single-player mode outside the Dark Zone. If you want to play in a group and enter the DZ, a membership is required.
What will the map of the Open Beta look like?
The map is the same as in the Alpha and the Closed Beta. Only minor changes have been made in the border areas to prevent access to locations that were often used for camping in the Closed Beta.
The following images show the map. They also depict new missions.
The newly introduced skill trading in the MMORPG EVE Online seems to be paying off for the developer studio CCP Games.
The player Stromgren, from the alliance Darkness, spent 437 billion ISK or 350 PLEX worth 6,982.50 USD on the newly introduced skill injectors to grant his character more than 100 million skill points overnight. In the game, it would take about 4.3 years to collect this amount of skill points. As a result, his character became the highest-skilled hero in the MMO – but only for a short time.
Then shortly after, a player named IronBank created a new character in the game. For this, he purchased skill injectors worth around 28,000 USD to bring all the skills he could acquire to level 5. He needed 2,846 injectors to administer 473,344,000 skill points to his character. To earn this, one would need more than 20 years.
Is skill trading good or bad for EVE Online?
This has led to some discussions within the EVE Online community. The newly introduced skill trading system was already controversial, and the mentioned examples further fuel the criticism. Some players believe that it diminishes their own success when someone can create a max-level character instantly by spending real money.
Others do not see it that way, as a character like this does not have any real advantages over those who earn their 30 to 50 million skill points themselves. Others were annoyed that IronBank did this live in a stream to promote his betting website, through which he earned the money he used to buy skill points in EVE Online.
The MMO shooter Destiny has once again enlisted support for the story. Since September, they have a new lead writer on board.
As it has just now become known, the author Chris Schlerf switched to Bungie as lead writer back in September. He had worked for two years at Bioware in Montreal and was the “lead writer” for the highly anticipated Mass Effect: Andromeda.
Before his time at Bioware, Chris Schlerf spent 4 years at Studio 343 and worked on Halo 4 there.
Destiny has often been criticized in the past for showing weaknesses particularly in story development, after the actual author John Staten left the development of the game or was let go. As it later leaked, Bungie was not satisfied with his work and had to tell the story actually without an author later on.
The authors’ team should now slowly be in place
With “The Taken King,” Bungie seemed to have gotten the narrative curve right, although there has been no new story content since then.
Back at the beginning of 2015, we reported that Destiny was still looking for a lead writer. By now, the position has been filled by Schlerf. Since Schlerf has been at Bungie since September, we could already recognize a new handwriting in the next content updates .
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
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
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.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
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.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
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
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:
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.
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:
In the MMO shooter Destiny , a new week starts on February 16th. There is a fresh Nightfall strike and Oryx as a raid challenge.
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.
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
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.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
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.
“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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
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.
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.
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.
![Black Desert: Wird so das Story-Intro in der deutschen Version? [Update: Ja, wird’s]](https://images.mein-mmo.de/medien/2016/02/Black-Desert-Opening-Elision-Stone.jpg)
