The upcoming MMO shooter The Division is already receiving a lot of praise for its PC version ahead of time. It will also feature a text chat.
Recently, some videos from demo events have been seen, but they all showed the console versions. Now, one of the many embargoes that exist has been lifted, and first YouTubers and gaming magazines can report on the PC version.
On the PC-oriented site Rock Paper Shotgun, they are full of praise for the beta PC version they were allowed to play: They have rarely noticed such a difference between a console and a PC version, they say.
There is excellent control with mouse and keyboard, making inventory management significantly easier than with the controller. The interface can be freely moved, and it supports multiple monitors and graphics cards.
In an interview with RPS, a Massive employee explains how important the PC version is for everyone involved in the project. Both studios, Massive and Red Storm, started on the PC. It is a matter of pride, heritage, and reputation. They would be ashamed to make a weak PC version.
Regarding the judgment “Looks better than on console; might not look as fantastic as in the earlier trailers,” the frequently quoted YouTuber Arekkz comes to The Division. He, too, can only show console material.
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Other PC-oriented sites echo this sentiment. There really isn’t a catch.
PC Version Gets Classic MMO Chat, but Not Everywhere
In this area: This is what PC players expect but rarely receive because ports to PC are not done thoroughly, the news that The Division will feature a “classic MMO chat” system on PC fits as well. PC players will get this in addition to the proximity-based voice chat, which console players will have exclusively.
This chat will only be active in the “Social Hubs,” in public spaces. Here, players should be able to find groups. In other areas, especially in the Dark Zone, there will be no ability to write or “yell at strangers.” Otherwise, there could be some unpleasant cursing, as seen in other games like H1Z1.
Players will be able to see the quality of the PC version themselves by the end of the month in a beta. The Division will be released on March 8 for PC; PS4 and Xbox One. We have also founded a group on Facebook for The Division: If you have questions about the game, you’ll find help there.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The hero shooter Battleborn is gaining new content again, with two new videos showing what Deande and Ghalt are capable of.
With Grappling Hooks and Death Fans
With the rise of the wave of hero shooters, Battleborn also regularly releases new information. While the game from the creators of the quirky “Borderlands” is still in beta, more and more content is being added to the game and new characters are being revealed.
Deande uses her attacks quickly and agilely to take out opponents swiftly and unexpectedly– preferably from behind -. Because swords are simply way too boring and old-fashioned, she uses fans equipped with blades instead. Who says that women can’t handle technology!
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Ghalt, on the other hand, prefers a more brutal approach, loves thick battle suits and large shotguns – men are just easier to please. Like a battle machine, he strides across the battlefield and pulls enemies towards him with his energy hook, only to deal some deadly blows in close combat.
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According to 2K, both characters will play a “central role” in the story, because – you read that right – Battleborn comes with an exciting campaign that tells the story of the war for one of the last remaining planets. Battleborn will be released on May 3, 2016, for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
The space MMO Elite Dangerous has caused a stir in the virtual reality scene with an announcement.
2016 is set to be the year of virtual reality. Various systems are positioning themselves. In addition to Oculus Rift and Playstation VR, SteamVR is also in the race. Potential buyers are closely watching the market. Nobody wants to buy a system that is inferior and may go under, like in the “VHS-Video 2000” format war or with later editions in the console war. The older ones will remember.
Last week, eurogamer reported that Frontier, the developers behind Elite: Dangerous, are focusing on Steam’s VR solution. They have switched from Oculus Rift to Valve’s solution as the preferred VR platform, as Valve has released more stable drivers than Oculus.
According to Frontier, Elite Dangerous is likely the leading game that is set to support virtual reality right from the start. They want to offer players the best VR experience, which means they will focus on one solution. And for the best solution, they have chosen SteamVR. However, this is not an exclusive deal, as they are also working on supporting Oculus Rift.
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In the ears of Oculus Rift fans, this sounded alarmingly like a pre-decision. Especially when other sites picked up the report with the perspective “Steam VR is better than Oculus Rift, says Frontier”.
To dispel such impressions, Frontier has once again stated that they are actively working with Oculus to find a solution.
Mein MMO says: From the outside, it seems like there is a lot of strategy at play. It is already known that Oculus Rift has a deal with EVE: Valkyrie and will launch in a bundle with the space game. This might have played a role in the tactical considerations for Elite: Dangerous. While Elite and EVE: Valkyrie are not really in direct competition, perhaps Frontier fears they might only play second fiddle in the virtual space for Oculus Rift.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Bandai Namco, the publisher of hits like Dark Souls, recently unexpectedly revealed the golf MMO Winning Putt. Immediately afterwards, the open beta for Winning Putt, developed by Webzen Onnet, was launched. We tested the game, which, according to official sources, is already nearly completed.
This is how your virtual golfing life begins
First, it is necessary to download over 3 GB before the open beta can be started. Once this hurdle is overcome, you create a nickname and off you go.
At the beginning, you create a male or female golfer. There are surprisingly many customization options available. Not only can the appearance be designed in detail, but you can also choose your clothing and even your voice.
Of course, Winning Putt cannot compete with the customization options of The Sims series, nor the graphics of Fallout 4, but this character customization feature is quite convincing for a golf game. At the end, you decide whether your golfer should focus more on power or accuracy (the option “Balance” could not yet be selected) and off you go to the green.
After a brief intro, where beautifully designed golf courses and happy golfers are shown to you in stunning graphics, you enter the “Golf Academy.” Here, you can learn the rules of the sport and the game controls through some challenges. They even try to make this somewhat entertaining, as the academy director Christina is always trying to offer funny remarks. However, most of the time it just remains an attempt.
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But back to the game mechanics: In the image on the right, you can see a bar at the bottom of the screen that fills from left to right when you press the shot button. When the bar reaches the turquoise square, you must click the shot button a second time with the mouse to set 100% power for the shot. If you click too early or too late, the ball will fly significantly shorter.
Without pause, the bar now fills from right to left; here you must click a third time when the bar is at the height of the green marking, just above the shot button. This controls your accuracy. If you press before or after the green area, the ball will be deflected left or right. Essentially, it relies heavily on reaction and precision.
One thing that I really enjoy about Winning Putt is putting, which means getting the ball to drop into the hole only by rolling it, without it going through a flight phase. Here, precise accuracy, and probably also experience, is necessary.
As can be seen in the picture, the grass in front of you is divided into a grid pattern; the white markings on the green lines indicate the slope of the surface accurately. The white markings move in the direction of the slope. This indicates whether you need to put more or less force into the shot and how to aim for the hole.
If the slope goes from the top right to the bottom left, you need to aim significantly to the right of the hole. The grass is rarely uniformly shaped, making it a real challenge to predict the ball’s trajectory and ultimately sink it.
Here you can meet other golfers!
The place you come to next is both a meeting point and the main menu. In this golf campus, you will meet other human golfers, can play some games with them or just chat. There is also the possibility to form guilds. However, this function was not available to me during the open beta.
Non-playable characters (NPCs) must be approached to play certain modes or to access the shop. They essentially form a living main menu.
Basically, aside from the Golf Academy, I could only play friendly matches offline and online, as the other functions are not yet available or require a much higher level than I have currently reached. As can be seen in the picture, many other online golfers are in the same boat, which is why there is usually a crowd present during friendly matches.
This golf campus area is actually quite spacious. Here, I am far outside the main area. While you can admire the sea and check out cars outside, there’s not much more to do at the moment. However, you can also find golf caddies, which are small golf carts that you might be able to drive around in later. At the moment, this is still not possible.
How is the online experience?
So far, I have completed some games against three other golfers. Sometimes in a free-for-all mode, sometimes in a two-person team mode. At first, I found it quite slow, as each player has 30 seconds (this time can be individually adjusted; sometimes everyone had 45 seconds) to make their shot. You find yourself waiting quite a while until it’s your turn again. However, I quickly discovered one thing that can make the whole experience much more enjoyable: the chat window at the bottom left.
If you know other online games where you are continuously insulted by teenagers, Winning Putt is a true paradise. So far, I have only encountered decent golfers, with whom I had a lot of fun. I particularly fondly remember a game against a Canadian, an English teenager, and Dirk from Niedersachsen. None of us was particularly good at the game, but we had a blast!
What remains in the end?
Winning Putt is a really good golf MMO that gently introduces beginner golfers like me to the sport: you have to pay attention to the slope of the grass, always keep an eye on the wind markers, and make intelligent shots with various golf clubs.
Furthermore, you gain experience points with every shot, allowing you to level up continuously, unlock new skills, and earn clothing and equipment for your virtual athlete. It should be possible to progress successfully and grow into a professional golfer also without investing money, but rather with a lot of time. The community that has already formed has been positively noticeable, although there is no guarantee that this will remain so.
I noticed some audio issues negatively. Occasionally, there are rustling and crashing sounds in the background. The background music somewhat resembles the build menu music from Sims. The controls on the golf campus were not always smooth, but everything on the golf course itself ran smoothly; I can’t complain there.
I believe Winning Putt provides entertainment for golf newcomers, at least in the short term, and can be a genuine alternative for avid golf fans. However, it remains to be seen how the final game will turn out. So far, I’ve had fun with it!
The action MMORPG Skyforge will receive its next patch, March of Knowledge, on February 10. Here’s what’s included.
Skyforge’s next update is set to arrive in about two weeks. “March of Knowledge” is likely to be a smaller update that brings some so-called “Quality of Life” improvements, making the game more enjoyable overall.
This Invasion System will receive an update. Each invasion will require only one resistance.
The items “Legendary Ancient Rings” are being introduced into the game and will surpass the bonuses of current rings. They can be upgraded through the Order system.
And the “Photo Mode” is making its way to Skyforge, allowing you to move the camera freely and take screenshots just like the Skyforge team does.
Additionally, there will be new features for classes, the interface, and bug fixes.
Anyone who likes Collector’s Editions and loves pre-order bonuses quickly finds themselves in a conflict with World of Warcraft…
Replacement Code for Double Buyers
Anyone who decides to buy a Collector’s Edition of the current World of Warcraft expansion has had to grit their teeth for a few years now. Since Blizzard introduced digital goods, they also offer purely digital versions of the game that often entice with pre-order bonuses, leaving players torn.
Should you jump in early and just get a Digital Deluxe Edition? Or should you wait until release day and pick up your Collector’s Edition from the retailer?
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Already with Warlords of Draenor, there was a solution for these fans by refunding the purchase price; now a similar procedure is being introduced for “Legion”: If you first buy a digital version and later also get the physical Collector’s Edition, you will be refunded an access key for Legion. This is how to proceed:
Secure a digital version of Legion in pre-sale (and benefit from the bonuses).
Buy a physical Collector’s Edition as soon as it is released.
Enter the code for the Collector’s Edition on your Battle.net management page
Contact customer support, explain your case, and request a replacement code.
The second code can then be wonderfully gifted to a friend who managed to keep their hands off until release day. Alternatively, you can use it later to potentially lead others back into addiction…
What do you think of this system? A lot of effort or is it actually a nice gesture that this is possible?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , matchmaking has been changed over the past months without informing players.
In the last Weekly Update from Bungie, the developers admitted that since The Taken King they have been relying more on skill-based matchmaking in the Crucible. This results in more challenging and balanced matches, but it also affects connection quality. As the skill level becomes more important in match creation, the connection quality between players becomes less significant.
Because this was not communicated properly, but rather admitted only afterwards, many PvP players are quite upset with Bungie.
That’s why so many are outraged with Bungie right now
It was easy to overlook in the Weekly Update. In the “internal interview” between Community Manager DeeJ and PvP designer Lars Bakken, it was as cozy as a foam party in Taka-Tuka-Land. Both made sure not to use harsh words in their answers.
For example, DeeJ didn’t ask: “Hey, there’s a lot of lag in the Crucible lately and people are losing their minds, do you want to address that?“, instead, DeeJ chatted: “Hey, how are you? Rumor has it that the situation in the Crucible has been a bit tense lately.“
No one really admitted to problems or spoke – heaven forbid – plainly. Instead, they promised solutions for issues that they didn’t even fully acknowledge. As a reader, you had to know exactly what was going on to understand what they were really talking about.
Here players expect tough matches, otherwise not so much.
Stressful matches with more lag or sometimes one-sided matches with less lag – Bungie has decided for you
Bakken said: We had many problems with one-sided matches in the first year, that’s why we introduced a new system with The Taken King to provide Guardians with “tighter games”.
The system was gradually extended to more areas until it was finally applied everywhere in December. Players were not informed to avoid manipulation of the system.
Translated, this means: The increasing lag that you’ve all noticed is because we are matching you with opponents who match your skill level. We’ve been doing this for four months now. But we didn’t tell you so you wouldn’t exploit it.
Less lag, more transparency in the future
Players have indeed noticed in recent months, that lag has significantly increased. Questions to Bungie designers like Derek Carol about whether any changes were made were denied. They simply didn’t know. All these changes happened behind the scenes. Players felt that PvP in Destiny was simply becoming pointlessly terrible and getting worse.
Now Bungie has at least stated that they want to reduce the “lag” caused by the new matchmaking method and that soon. Furthermore, they want to be more transparent the next time they adjust the Crucible.
http://youtu.be/Rlm5lsqRi2g
Top PvP player says: You are killing the game
Well-known PvP players like tripleWRECK are extremely disappointed with the development. Not only is transparency terrible, but a “skill-based matchmaking” where each match hangs by a thread is also absolute nonsense. Such systems have ruined other games. Certain modes in Destiny could have skill-based matchmaking, but that should be optional: players should have the choice of whether to compete “normally” or “hard” against equally matched players.
Bungie is trying to solve a non-existent problem here and is killing Destiny, as tripleWRECK states in a video.
Most of the time, players just want to relax and have fun in the Crucible of Destiny. One-sided matches are not a problem; they just happen. Sometimes you dominate, sometimes you get dominated, sometimes it’s close, sometimes it’s clear – that’s how games are. As long as the lag goes away and it’s fun again, that’s the opinion of tripleWRECK, which is surely shared by many players.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The 9th class of Blade & Soul will be the Soul Fighter – but only a few races can learn this profession.
The Soul Fighter
Blade & Soul just launched a few weeks ago, and players are speculating about when the next content, especially the 8th class “Warlock”, will be available. In Korea, they are already much further along and are about to release the 9th class, which is known so far as the “Soul Fighter”.
The Soul Fighter will play like a mix between a Force Master and a Kung Fu Master. Depending on the situation, he can freely switch between his two stances, thus either brawling with enemies up close or pounding the enemies’ health points down from a distance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UslO33006oo
Furthermore, a Chinese MMO site has now revealed that only two races can choose the “Soul Fighter” class: the Gon and the Yun. Since the Yun consist solely of women, a relatively large number of Gon players are traditionally expected to dive into adventures with the new class.
In the fantasy MMORPG Blade and Soul , there will be a login emblem on the evening of January 23rd. After being kicked from the server, players are having trouble logging in again.
Not only have you just been kicked from the European servers, everyone has experienced this. The writer of these lines has too: so it is not your problem, but the servers were unreachable for a brief moment.
In the meantime, while logging in worked again, there are issues with the “eternally long intro.” Or the error message “This is an incorrect server address. Please restart the launcher” is displayed.
We will keep you updated should NCSoft say anything about the server problems. Hopefully, it’s just a short hiccup.
A half hour later, they tweeted that the servers were back up. Logging in is slower than usual, you need to wait about 5 minutes after entering the 6-digit PIN.
#BladeandSoul servers are now back online. Logging back on may be slower than usual (~5 minutes wait after entering your PIN).
Last week, patch 17.2 was released. It added new quests in Minas Tirith . Additionally, it brought the long-anticipated “Emote collection.” With this, players get an overview of which emotes they already have, which ones they still need, and what they need to do to obtain these missing emotes.
In this video by YouTuber Eikoweis Lautenreißer, the new emote list is presented in German, especially regarding its relevance for role players.
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Fans hope to decipher the mystery of how to obtain the legendary /fart emote. It is in the game but locked. Strangely, Turbine believes someone might abuse it.
In a few days, Evolve will receive new support – and the lady has had monster DNA applied.
“I am the nightmare behind your eyes!”
After a few months have passed for Evolve, a new hunter will be released next week. The Support “Kala” joins Cabot’s team and will look after things on Shear in the future. Although that might be too much of a good thing, because Kala has a dark past herself. In order to master the monsters, she implanted the DNA of the creatures into herself to be able to use parts of their powers.
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This creates a pretty interesting set of abilities:
The Siren Missiles are directly stolen from the Kraken and are her primary weapon. She fires small electric projectiles. Alternatively, they can be placed on the ground, making them slower, seeking targets, and stronger.
Teleport Pads are already the nightmare of every monster. Once placed, they connect any two points on the entire map. Yes, this also works as an escape from the arena and will ruin the day for some monsters.
The Armor Reducer also comes from the category of “The Monster’s Nightmare,” as the weapon can disable the monster’s armor as long as it is being channeled, allowing the rest of the team to attack the vulnerable hit points directly. If the beam is interrupted, the armor regenerates quickly.
Finally, like every support in the game, Kala also has the Invisibility Cloak for the whole team.
Kala is sad. Maybe a manicure will help?
With these abilities, Kala definitely has the chance to become one of the strongest supports in the game. Whether it plays as powerfully as it seems in the trailer remains to be tested.
Kala will be released on January 27 on all platforms and is part of the “Hunting Season Pass 2”. Those who own the “Monster Race Edition” of the game will also get her for free.
Find more information about the 4v1 shooter on our Evolve topic page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Heroes of the Storm (HotS) gets new heroes, stylish skins, and fresh mounts – the Moon Festival is just around the corner!
Prince Arthas invites to the Blood Dance
Because World of Warcraft has quite a significant influence on the Nexus of Heroes of the Storm, the next “event” is soon on the agenda. The Moon Festival of the Night Elves is making its way into the Nexus and dresses many of the old and new heroes like the two Diablo newcomers Li Ming and Xul in the noble garments of the festivities.
The most impressive outfit is “Crimson Count Arthas“, turning the former Prince of Lordaeron into a bloodthirsty dragon knight vampire. Because vampires understandably do not ride mounts, this form even comes with its own mount – a gargoyle transformation!
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If you prefer something more flashy and can’t get enough of Japanese pop culture, grab the “Star Princess Li Ming” costume for the sorceress from Diablo 3. As befitting a Japanese “idol”, it comes with plenty of frills in the form of flying stars and hearts.
Loads of love and positive energy is brought to the game by the “Love Doctor Lt. Morales“, who loves lots of pink hearts with which she heals, explodes, and lets her patients fly across the map.
If you’re into noble ladies, you can get “Lunar Jaina“, who appears in a traditional Japanese outfit and has dressed her water elemental in a dragon costume.
The “Star Chariot” mount makes you a superstar.
Three new mounts, including a flying platform for aspiring superstars, the Egyptian-esque Cloud Serpent, and an Asian party dragon.
Whether the Moon Festival, aside from all the visual aspects, will also be associated with quests and other celebrations is not yet known. Perhaps at least new profile pictures or one of the mounts await diligent players.
In the upcoming online shooter The Division, updates and DLCs are currently being worked on. The aim is to avoid the impression that something has been cut from the game.
In an interview with Gamespot, Ubisoft Massive’s Creative Director, Magnus Jansen, spoke about the plans for the game. The questions aimed at: “When you lift such a franchise off the ground, you surely have many plans for the future. Do you have stuff ready that you want to bring out later?”
The Creative Director was rather defensive in his responses. He stated that whether planning a franchise or a single game is the same. The goal is always to create a living world. If that is achieved, ideas for further parts come as if by themselves. And with The Division, that has been accomplished.
The Creative Director wants to dispel concerns that The Division has been fragmented to have material for sequels. With The Division, nothing is held back. Everything that is available goes into the first game.
So far, everything has been given for the base game, only recently did paid DLCs begin
Only now, as the base game is completed, has there been an increased focus on working on updates and the DLCs. Everything is not yet set in stone to be able to respond to player feedback. Until very, very recently, all of this had only been ideas. Only when the development of the main game was nearing completion did the focus shift more towards the DLCs and updates.
As a distinction between updates and DLCs, the Massive guy says: Updates mean “free game content”; DLC refers to paid content. They are working on both.
Does that mean nothing comes shortly after launch? Well …
My MMO believes:It is interesting how cautiously The Division must step to avoid every pitfall that lurks along the way.
Two years ago, when The Elder Scrolls Online was released as an MMORPG with a subscription model, it was entirely logical that the developers already had entire zones and contents ready and held them back to bring them into the game after a month or later. Those who wanted to play had to have a subscription in the second and third month as well. With World of Warcraft one goes the same way and makes no secret of it. No player is upset that the second raid tier does not come at the launch of an expansion, but only half a year later.
In MMORPGs, it is undisputed how important it is to keep feeding the game with updates after release, providing players with new activities for the maximum level. If developers started programming and creating these only shortly before the deadline, a boring phase without new content would be inevitable shortly after release.
A first “So, did you cut that out?” controversy revolved around Brooklyn.
With the much younger Destiny , it was quickly clear that quite a bit was already in the drawer and more or less finished – it would have been impossible to launch the thing between release and the first DLC in such a short time. But exactly this behavior, where Destiny had content “on the disc” but not “unlocked yet,” brought the MMO shooter bad press and cast it in a negative light. The word “rip-off” circulated. There are rumors that have not been dispelled to this day.
In Star Wars Battlefront , fans threw their hands over their heads when EA spoke of “4 DLCs in the first year”: So those are the features we miss in the base game – such was the tenor.
Apparently, they want to avoid all these troubles with The Division.
Trained by the controversy of single-player titles “You exclude this and that and sell us that extra for additional money,” they seem to want to avoid this impression at all costs with The Division. It should not look like they already have something in the drawer. If it is indeed true that they have only recently started working on “updates and DLCs,” that could mean for The Division: After the release, there will be a while with nothing.
The scenario seems quite unlikely to us. After all, they are already selling a season pass. They surely wouldn’t refund the money if they couldn’t deliver after all…
More about The Division can be read in about this article:
The Free2Play MMORPG Age of Conan has a new Game Director: the Lead Designer of The Secret World.
The Conan franchise plays a larger role in Funcom’s future plans. At least one new title is set to be released in 2016. However, the MMORPG “Age of Conan” recently experienced a departure: Game Director Matthew Bennet left the project.
The solution presented by Funcom is in-house: Romain Amiel, the Lead Designer of Funcom’s latest MMORPG The Secret World, is taking over the vacant position at Age of Conan. Since there is no information suggesting that Amiel is leaving The Secret World, he is likely doing both jobs simultaneously. The situation is somewhat unclear.
At The Secret World, Amiel became the key figure in March 2015 when the previous Game Director of TSW, Joel Bylos, moved on to another job within the company for the single-player game “The Park“. Since then, the position of “Game Director” at The Secret World has likely been vacant, but Amiel effectively filled it as Lead Designer.
In his letter to the fans of Age of Conan, Amiel now promises no major changes, but reflects a bit nostalgically on his time in the development of Age of Conan. In 2007, when he joined the team, he worked as a game designer for levels 1 to 20 and later contributed significantly to “Rise of the Godslayer”.
Amiel now states that he is getting up to speed. Then he plans to present Funcom’s plans for Age of Conan in 2016.
The “dual job for Amiel” could be seen as a cost-cutting measure. Game Director and Lead Designer are typically high-level positions in an MMORPG, and they command significant salaries. However, there may be promotions or restructuring coming in the future, and this unusual situation might just be a temporary solution.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny, they changed matchmaking in the Crucible, causing more lag. The plans were apparently so secret that not even one of the key PvP designers knew about it.
It is quite difficult to see through the patterns of people and names to understand who is actually responsible for what in Destiny. Luke Smith, who was a lead contributor to The Taken King, has stepped back into the background in recent months.
Derek Carol has been the “PvP guy” in recent months; active on Twitter and rather extroverted, he was one of the talkative designers. Carol’s pet project is the Trials of Osiris, where he tweets every Friday about which map was selected and faces criticism. In such a position, he gets a lot of questions and occasionally answers some.
In December, he apparently said on Twitter: Nothing will change with matchmaking. At that time, they had already internally switched to skill-based matchmaking.
Information Gap Among Bungie’s Designers
Now, in the last Weekly Update, there was an announcement from Lars Bakken, a lead designer: We have changed matchmaking. We have been collecting data for months, have progressively expanded the new skill-based matchmaking, and told you nothing so that you wouldn’t feel influenced by it.
Oh, hey, Destiny Twitter. So, about that thing I said about “nothing changing” wrt matchmaking in December: I was wrong, plain and simple.
Carol then reached out to the fans and said: “Do you remember when I told you we were changing nothing about matchmaking? I was wrong.” In the background, plans had changed, and Carol had no knowledge of it.
Changes were made behind the scenes that I wasn’t aware of at the time. Now you guys have the official word from Lars in the BWU.
Carol adds that while much is kept secret, and they are also closed-lipped, he can rarely tell the WHOLE story (for business reasons), but he doesn’t want to mislead anyone with his statements. He just didn’t know.
Community Manager DeeJ Feels the Fans’ Mockery
The Community Manager DeeJ currently puts up with a lot for revealing so little about the plans. He is actually only there to say, “We are working on it,” as it is said in the heart of the Destiny community on Reddit. The now almost ritualized “Weekly Updates” shine with many words and very little content.
As if the position of a Community Manager wasn’t already hard enough:
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DeeJ understands the fans; he knows all of this. Still, it sounds a bit desperate in the Reddit forum when he says: Lars Bakken has now promised to help me keep you updated on the Crucible.
Allegedly in possession of Lars Bakken! – Wait, who is Lars Bakken?
This comes a few weeks after the community was fed false patch notes, because the PvP designers had overlooked double-checking the information they provided to the players. And the misinformation went unnoticed for a long time until the players had the changed weapons and realized: Wait, something is wrong here.
In this climate, an article from Kotaku appeared yesterday, which mentions that the “higher powers” at Bungie often decide on changes at short notice, and it takes a while for everyone on the team to be aware of the current state of affairs and the plan. With that part of the article, they are definitely correct.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Armored Warfare, players can now give their tanks camouflage paint thanks to a new patch.
Armored Warfare is on track. Development there is really progressing quickly. There is also a lot to catch up on: After all, the leading tank game World of Tanks has several years of head start, more tanks, more features, and Obsidian wants to hurry up.
The latest patch weighs 573 MB and brings not only balance changes but also a color and camouflage system. This has been sorely missed; although players could stick some stickers and flags on their favorite colossus, there was more to it.
What you need to camouflage and color your tanks in Armored Warfare
The color is unlocked through achievements in the game – achievements that you have already earned also count. However, you need to complete a battle to receive the colors you earned. They can then be chosen for all tanks.
The camouflage works either through gold or the in-game currency credits. It provides a small 3% buff to the camouflage value. Depending on the type of environment, a tank with a camouflage net will automatically select the appropriate camouflage pattern for the map (forest, desert, and snow)
Here in the trailer you can see more details:
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In Star Wars Battlefront the planned update in January will not bring a map to Tatooine after all. To be precise: No new map will be released.
We reported that a video on EA Brazil’s channel announced a new update for January. According to the video, the Battlefront patch should also include a map on Tatooine. The developers have since denied that. The video from EA Brazil contained some misinformation. Therefore, no new map is coming. Nevertheless, it should be a great patch.
Developers are frustrated about false information from EA Brazil
The developers are frustrated about the blunder. It raises expectations. Then players are disappointed, even though they have worked so hard to make them happy. That’s what the “Lead Lighting Artist” Oscar Carlen told Videogamer.
Carlen also tweeted: The hype is strong for the patch. Better manage your expectations.
January patch hype is strong. Manage your expectations please! #battlefront
There is still no new official information on what will actually be included in the January patch. The Brazil video mentioned private matches, daily challenges, and some other great things.
But an announcement should come soon; there isn’t much January left.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the Free2Play martial arts MMORPG Blade and Soul the rush continues. More new servers are coming.
Many Free2Play titles burst at the seams at launch. But a rush like the one on Blade and Soul is still rare. NCSoft is pleased with this success. A few days ago, they launched with 22 servers. There was an overwhelming response. The 22 servers were quickly filled, they say in a statement on the B&S forum.
Iron reserve increases server count to 32 – NCSoft has already ordered new servers
4 more servers will be going online soon. That was the “iron” reserve. After that, they have nothing left in reserve. But NCSoft has already ordered new hardware. It will take a while before they can deploy that as well.
With the 4 servers coming now, they will be at 32. The two newest EU servers are called Twin Wagons and Spirit’s Reset.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
When Blizzard tinkers with the ship missions of WoW, a little pet gets its big revenge: The abandoned shark floods the inventories.
Shark, Shark, Left Shark
Not too long ago, Blizzard significantly altered the ship missions in World of Warcraft. Previously, players rarely experienced so-called “rare” missions, which could offer a lot of gold, Apex crystals, pets, or heirlooms. However, since the special quests were as rare as an A’lar drop from Kael’thas, they listened to fans’ complaints and increased the spawn rate for rare missions.
The winner of this change is not only the players, but also the abandoned shark, originally known as “Left Shark”, which was a reference to the dance performance during a Katy Perry song. Instead of seeing the little pet about once a month as before, the shark is now virtually always available. Many players complain that it often appears immediately after completing the mission. This would not be particularly dramatic, but it also blocks the valuable spawn spot of another rare mission.
What was once a cool prestige item is now the cheapest pet in the auction houses on almost all servers. The price has been in free fall since the change – where around 50,000 gold were initially paid, there are now only a few silver coins. That’s barely enough to drown one’s frustration in a dwarven stout.
However, those who are into fish have been able to build a whole collection of these gluttonous creatures, like imgur user Aryssal.
One can only hope that the developers will show mercy and send the shark back to its limits (or rather, its swimming pool).
Hardly a week after the release, Blade & Soul is already teasing the new content for 2016. A new teaser trailer helps with that.
Hot Enemies and Cool Mountains
The action MMORPG Blade & Soul has not even been out for a week, yet the creators at NCsoft are pulling out all the stops and flooding fans with fresh material. At least in the form of a new teaser trailer, they show players what more to expect throughout this year.
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Alongside some sexy adversaries that players wouldn’t really want to beat up, new areas, solo instances, and raids will be added, expanding the already wide variety of endgame content. In particular, the Tower of Mushin will offer exciting challenges for solo players, and the new class “Warlock” should draw hardcore players back into the MMO.
