For Blade & Soul, things are getting serious, the Western release is imminent. We are preparing you for a successful launch.
Final Check before the release – When does it start?
While privileged owners of founder packs have been swimming around in Blade & Soul for nearly three days, tomorrow morning, on January 19th, at 6 AM, the starting signal will finally sound for the rest of the Western player base. We have gathered all the important information for you so that you can start without any issues!
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How much does Blade and Soul cost? Where and how big is the download?
The most important answer right at the beginning: Blade & Soul is theoretically free. It is a free-to-play game, so everyone can download the 22 GB client from the official Blade and Soul website, create an account, and dive into the game world. However, since games are notoriously difficult to finance, there is an in-game shop where you can purchase some conveniences. These mainly include cosmetics, like fancy outfits, but also really useful things, like an extension of the inventory.
System Requirements
One essential question is, of course, whether your computer can handle the game and doesn’t create a choppy slideshow with 5 frames per second. This is also one of the biggest strengths of Blade & Soul. The game has been around for several years and has been optimized significantly during that time, so most current computers should handle the game without major issues. If you still have doubts, you should check whether the following minimum requirements are met:
Intel Dual Core or AMD Athlon 64X2
2 GB RAM (Windows XP) or 3 GB RAM (Windows 7)
nVidia GeForce 8600GT or AMD Radeon HD 4600
Still looks really nice despite its age!
First Impression of the Game
How Blade & Soul plays should be discovered by everyone for themselves. However, if you want a little impression from us, you should read Schuhmann’s first attempts in the free-to-play MMORPG. He goes into detail about the combat system, the story, and the overall “flow” of the game world. I won’t spoil his conclusion here.
Criticism of Censorship
However, there were not only positive reports about the game, as there was a lot of criticism regarding the Western localization, as some entire quest sections were removed or parts of the story rewritten. The accusations go as far as suggesting that complex characters have been reduced to one-dimensional villains and superheroes. Whether it really has become as bad as it seems will have to be judged by each player themselves.
The quests in Blade & Soul are quite tough and sometimes suggestive in the original – was there any cutting?
Unusual Loot Distribution
What may also seem strange to some players is the loot system used to distribute loot in dungeons. While this can be adjusted at will, the default setting is a bidding system. That’s right, you have to bid on items with gold, and the highest bidder receives the item. The twist: The winner’s gold is distributed among the other group members. So everyone leaves as a winner in some way.
The Group Content
When playing with other characters, Blade & Soul strikes a balance between tradition and new ideas. There is a “normal” mode for dungeons during the leveling phase, designed for 6 players and offering numerous assists. It gets tougher at the maximum level, as the group size shrinks to 4 players, the bosses show significantly less mercy and provide no tips on where they will strike next. You can find out how this works in the dungeon “Supply Base of the Black Ram” in this post.
If there are still unanswered questions, we recommend taking a look at our Blade & Soul theme page, where we have covered a wide range of topics in recent weeks and months. Have fun!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the online shooter The Division, there will be neither Brooklyn nor Queens – at least not in the base game. However, DLCs are announced. Fans sense a connection.
For the New York neighborhood of Brooklyn, there has been speculation among hardcore fans of The Division in recent months. In early versions of the game and on screenshots, buildings were seen, streets identified that were located not in Manhattan, but in the New York neighborhood of Brooklyn. However, the developers at Massive had not said anything about Brooklyn for a while.
Then a post appeared on Ubisoft’s French blog, announcing “Brooklyn and Manhattan” as areas of The Division. Later, they simply removed “Brooklyn” from the text. However, parts of Brooklyn could still be seen in the latest trailers of the Division. It was suspected: Well, maybe it is a tutorial area or there are only very limited missions taking place there, and they do not want to emphasize it too much to avoid giving a false impression.
Was seen in the latest trailer and is clearly located in Brooklyn.
Ubisoft clarifies: No Brooklyn
Now the developers made a clear statement in an interview: “We are only making Manhattan. That is where the pandemic broke out.” There is essentially “no music” playing there, as the resources have been taken from the neighborhood. Cars have no gas, and the players are on their own.
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This is where they want to set The Division. Since they remain so detail-oriented, going into buildings, also moving on rooftops, and being on foot, The Division will still be a “very large open world,” even without other areas. At least that was the impression journalists took from the presentations.
Fans speculate: Brooklyn will come later
On the other hand, the developers know that “An online game is not finished on release day.” They plan free updates, new game content, and fresh features – just like “regular DLCs,” meaning paid ones.
For some fans, the two news items are directly related. They believe that “Brooklyn” already exists in some form – otherwise, it wouldn’t be in the screenshots. But it will not be in the base game but will come in a DLC. A similar situation occurred with Destiny. Fans had also discovered objects and scenes in early trailers that only appeared in the game months or even years after the release.
For some doubters in Destiny, this is a clear sign: They had it all finished, just cut it out to sell it later at a high price. Even though the developers say something completely different.
A few days ago, season 5 started at Diablo 3 and since then many players have been complaining about the current patch 2.4. For PC players with AMD graphics cards, we may have a solution for crashes.
Among other things, there is a problem with various graphics cards (especially AMD seems to be affected here). When playing Diablo 3 with such a graphics card, there can be a black screen or Diablo 3 freezes at certain points in the game. In various cases, the sound continues to run in the background.
This error often occurs when teleporting to the zone “Desolate Sands” or “Guild Hideout”. Also in various Rifts, the game can crash when these problem zones are chosen as setting.
The two unpacked .dll files should then be copied into your Diablo 3 folder (where the D3.exe is located).
After that, you can start the game and should not experience any more crashes.
If this does not fix your errors in Diablo 3, you will find further solutions in the aforementioned forum thread.
Lags on Xbox One and Playstation 4
Also, Xbox and Playstation players have many reasons to complain. For some gamers, the game is barely playable due to significant frame drops and lags. Blizzard is aware of the issues. They state that they are already looking for a solution and ask that players who have these problems report the errors. This increases the chance that a hotfix will come soon to eliminate these lags.
Currently, there is no “Do it yourself” solution known for this. Or do you have an idea?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The zombie was modeled after photographs of inmates from an archaic mental institution, who had been placed in a full-body straitjacket.
At H1Z1, there is a joke (or maybe not?) that two interns, who were supposed to research this, ended up twisted and corrupted forever.
The zombie was kept in the jacket, and additionally, the lower jaw was removed. It should be clear: It can’t harm the players directly. It is dangerous due to its bone-chilling screams, which will attract other zombies.
http://youtu.be/xeRDdTJ3JhE
The particularly creepy gait of the new zombie was achieved by filming actors moving in slow motion. Then, the footage was sped up by 3 to 4 times and some frames were skipped. A technique commonly used in horror films.
When the Screamer will arrive is still unclear. It shouldn’t take too long.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The action MMORPG Skyforge presents a new hostile territory with “The Ontes Valley”.
Skyforge is a game that reaches heights like few others. The vertical progression seems to have no end. Ascension is just the beginning, after which prestige can be endlessly gathered, and the character can be continuously strengthened.
For players who have achieved everything, Skyforge presents a new hostile territory with “The Ontes Valley”. It is inhabited by Death Mowers and Gorgonids.
As a reward, trophies of higher epic quality are promised. The deeper one goes into the area, the stronger the monsters become and the higher the tactical sense requirements: 2500, 2600, 2800, and finally 3000 are needed here. The whole thing also has a second level with underground temples, which requires a tactical sense of 2700, 2900 up to 3100.
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In the shooter MOBA Gigantic, players will soon launch with cross-platform player lists and permanent servers.
Gaming Without Platform Barriers
Just a few weeks ago, Gigantic made bold statements when they presented their plans for 2016. Now, initial goals are already being implemented, as the shooter MOBA from Motiga prepares to realize one of its core aspects: cross-platform gaming.
With the next update, it will therefore be possible for players on Xbox One and PC to ruin each other’s day or battle together. However, it is necessary for the current version of the game to be approved by Microsoft first – a standard procedure on Xbox. The latest build is expected to be submitted on Wednesday, January 20, and they anticipate the corresponding approval shortly thereafter.
Another hero is joining – details are yet to come.
Frequent players can also look forward to more new features, as the servers will be permanently online from that point (excluding maintenance), allowing even more players to test the game.
Alongside this, a new hero will be introduced to further enhance the quirky crew. EU servers are also on the way.
In the future, updates are expected to occur much more frequently and not just once a month, as has been the case so far.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In this edition of Respec, we discuss a remake of RuneScape, a release schedule for Shroud of the Avatar, body theft in Crowfall, and more.
RuneScape: Fans want to revamp the game
The venerable MMORPG RuneScape has already received a facelift, but for some fans, that’s still not enough. Therefore, some players are currently working on porting the MMO to the engine of Neverwinter Nights 2. The project “Molior RS” aims not to replicate RuneScape 1:1 but to offer many original contents and changes. Whether the game will actually be released depends primarily on RuneScape developer Jagex…
Shroud of the Avatar: Big announcement coming soon
Fans of the selective multiplayer RPG Shroud of the Avatar can look forward to a big announcement. Maybe even this week, definitely before the end of the month, they will announce when to expect the final character wipe, when to reserve building plots for their houses, and the exact status of the game’s release.
Hopefully, the developers will take their time with this, as currently, SotA still appears unfinished and there is nothing to see yet of the story content. Additionally, the offline mode, according to producer Starr Long, is expected to differ significantly from the online mode of the game – but there is nothing to see of that so far.
Crowfall: Body thieves on the loose
The PvP-heavy MMORPG Crowfall is also progressing well and quickly in development. The developers have now introduced the so-called vessel system, which allows players to take over the bodies of fallen players. These “vessels” can even be crafted and sold. Players jump into “vessels” as bodies per game world that they can use for the duration they spend on that respective world. The vessel system adds another factor to open PvP. It will not only be possible to attack other players anywhere and take their equipment but also their bodies!
Wild Terra racing towards release
The 2D MMORPG Wild Terra, which is heavily inspired by Ultima Online, is also nearing release. A large update will be released this quarter, introducing mounts and dungeons. Moreover, it will then be possible to form clans and engage in wars over the resources of the game world. By the way, this world is expected to differ from server to server as the landscapes will always be randomly generated.
TheWorld: Lead designer missing
It seems that the MMO TheWorld will not make it to release. The online RPG, which was funded through crowdfunding, has been put on hold. The lead designer, who possesses all access credentials to everything related to the game, is rumored to have been missing since November – along with the $20,000 raised from the backers. Although they know where he is, whether he can still finish the game given his personal situation is doubtful…
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FIVE: Guardians of David – Bible game excites fans
A game that has already been released and that probably few people had on their radar is FIVE: Guardians of David. This is a hack-and-slash title that could be compared to Titan Quest or Diablo 3. The story is based on the Bible and the fight between David and Goliath. Currently, the game is only playable in single-player mode, but fans who are quite enthusiastic are already demanding a multiplayer mode.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The online shooter with RPG elements The Division (PS4, PC, Xbox One) is currently a hot topic. But what kind of game is it? A video provides an overview.
Some prepare meticulously in advance for every title that will eventually be released. Others care little about new games beforehand and only pay attention when they see a trailer or hear friends talk about it. While hardcore gamers often get well-informed, read lengthy preview articles, and absorb every detail, others have no interest in that. They just want to quickly watch a video that summarizes all the important points.
There is now a video from Ubisoft that answers the question “What is The Division” quite well and is available in German. In 3 minutes, you will learn the essentials about The Division. It gives insight into the genre, the gameplay, and how The Division will actually be played.
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Our author Ttime reflects on his first hours in Destiny and asks: How was your first time?
The MMO shooter Destiny is still in a deep winter sleep. Innovations have been few and far between since the Sparrow event. It will not be until next Thursday that Bungie starts to slowly rub the sand out of their eyes and get back to work. Since the beginning of this year, there has definitely still been some sand in the gears, considering the last Xur appearance or the nightfall strike in the sunless cell.
This has now motivated me to write this text, in which I want to tell how I got into Destiny and reflect on why I still enjoy bringing it out of the closet after more than 16 months.
It all started on September 9, 2014!
I was there from the beginning. Well, not quite from the start. At the release on 09.09.2014, I was in southern England and only returned home five days later. Until then, I had barely engaged with the game. I knew a few trailers, the TV spot for sure, but I hadn’t really followed Destiny. To be honest, I hadn’t even planned to buy the MMO shooter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJMHDm8WiRg
But then a flash of inspiration struck two of my friends: they got Destiny and were already playing it while I was still trudging through Dartmoor National Park. In the evening, I learned in the WhatsApp group: Destiny is awesome. The other friends in the group called it cheesy, a “weird planet hopping game” ‒ of course without having any idea. As long as they could chat. But I could hardly wait to finally be home and put Destiny in the console.
Just a few days after the official release, it was time for my first hours in Destiny, but ‒ to get ahead of myself ‒ I experienced a big letdown early on.
How the adventure in Destiny continues for our author will be revealed on the next page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Japanese MMORPG Phantasy Star Online 2 is set to come to PlayStation 4, and an expansion has also been announced. However, Sega remains silent about a planned Western port.
Phantasy Star Online 2 is the MMORPG for those who find “Final Fantasy XIV” way too Western and want the full Japan experience. This can be seen in the new trailer for a planned expansion, which gives an insight into how the game works:
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In Japan, the game will be released on April 20 on PlayStation 4 and will also receive a closed beta beforehand. Sega announced some time ago that it is bringing Phantasy Star Online 2 to the West. However, since then the promise has neither been retracted nor any steps taken to implement it. PSO 2 launched in Japan in 2012, was supposed to come out in the USA in 2013, and in September 2014 it was said that the plan was still in place, there would be delays, they were working on the Western port, and would get in touch as soon as they had something to say.
Currently, PSO 2 is running in an English version in Southeast Asia, but it is generally considered to be difficult. Hardcore fans have long found ways to play on the Japanese servers using tools and tricks. There is a comprehensive guide on how Western players can participate in Phantasy Star Online 2, available on the game’s reddit subforum.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On the Xbox version of ARK: Survival Evolved, a major update is coming – and 100 new servers are also on the way.
Lack of Space Due to Overcrowding
Those who have tried to play ARK on Xbox One in recent weeks have often found that it was basically only possible in offline mode. The 162 PvE servers of the game are completely full at certain times, and even on the 237 PvP servers, it takes patience to secure a spot – those wanting to play with friends have an even harder time.
For this reason, the developers have announced that they will soon launch over 100 new servers to better accommodate the player masses. This is also sorely needed, as Studio Wildcard claims that ARK has already been downloaded over 1 million times on Xbox.
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In addition, the first major patch for the console version is coming. This will bring the version just behind the current PC variant and introduces – alongside other things, like numerous bug fixes – the massive kangaroos that allow for easier hopping across the island. Also included are primitive cages and campfires, as well as the correction of some memory leaks that caused crashes on Xbox.
YouTuber Dong Huap has recorded a 3-minute video explaining the main points of Hextech Crafting. He also opened 100 of these boxes to get statistics on the chance of obtaining Legendary skins, for example.
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Every time you get an “S” rating with a champion in a game or reach a champion mastery milestone, you receive a box.
Boxes can be opened with keys that are randomly distributed after a game.
Each box gives you a shard after opening.
These shards can be transformed into a champion or a skin.
Shards can be destroyed (similar to Hearthstone, where you can turn cards into dust).
If you destroy 3 shards, you randomly receive a permanent skin (this includes EVERY skin that exists).
According to the video, there is a 42% chance of getting a skin shard worth 975 RP or less, a 30% chance for a champion shard, an 8% chance for a 1350 RP skin shard, a 5% chance for a ward skin, a 5% chance for a red shard (an extra box + key), a 4% chance for a legendary skin, a 3% chance for a summoner icon, a 2% chance for an ultimate skin, and a 1% chance for a Riot or championship skin.
What do the developers say?
In the forum, there was a Q&A thread about the Hextech Crafting system.
For example, it was asked:
Q: “Have you considered whether you could spend your IP/EP to buy keys or extra box slots?” That would be a nice feature for players who already own all champions.
A: Riot Wingfield replied that they want to make the system equally “valuable” for new and older players. Accordingly, players with a larger IP/EP pool should not have an advantage from this. They are aware of the issue with influence points and want to find a solution for it in 2016.
Q: “Is there a limit to the keys you can get in this system?”
A: “We can’t go into too much detail here, but there are security measures in place to thwart bots or grinders,” said Riot Socrates.
Q: Is it possible to get a box through a teammate if their game was rated with an S?
A: Riot Mirross: “Yes, that is correct. However, it must be a premade player, not just any random player. If one of your premade players receives an S rating (S-, S, or S+), and you, playing the champion you are, have not yet received a box, you will get one through this.”
Update 25.03.2016 – Hextech Crafting is now live on the EU-W servers
Star Trek Online (STO) calls all players for help to settle the losses of the war. Reputation rewards await!
Restoring the Quadrant
After the war is before the war. Or something like that. After the players of Star Trek Online have successfully dealt with the Iconians, extensive reconstruction work is now at hand. Now “extensive” in the sense of a two-week repair effort. From January 14 to January 28, all players can participate in the reconstruction efforts by completing fleet projects and collecting fleet credits.
Everyone must work together to earn a big bonus.
The contributions in the first week are especially important, as depending on how much support the player base can muster by January 21 at 18:00, there will be a significant bonus in the second week. Depending on the players’ performance, there are reputation marks with 25%, 50%, or even 75% bonus!
During the second week, there will be no collection event, but only a “reward event” will take place, the reveal of which we will probably have to wait for.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the upcoming MMO shooter Tom Clancy’s The Division, the crafting system has now become known and it looks solid, albeit a bit simple.
On Friday afternoon, an embargo for international press and YouTubers ended. Since then, information about The Division has been coming in constantly. After a long dry spell with little information, they are now making up for it with a container load of information.
Overall, the crafting system doesn’t bring any surprises; anyone who has played an MMORPG knows the general principle.
The crafting takes place in your base, where there is a special “Crafting Station” for it.
You can craft items in The Division for almost every slot and every variant of equipment – however, no cosmetic items.
To craft an item, you need the “recipe” or blueprint for it.
Each item requires certain “ingredients” and materials. As can be seen in the video, the materials for weapons are weapon parts, for armor items, it is fabric, and for other gimmicks, they are tools.
You can either find these 3 resources in the world or you can dismantle equipment for these materials. You do not need money to craft.
Items, like also items in the game, come in different quality levels. From white to green, blue, purple to orange. If you want to craft a higher quality item, you need materials of that quality.
However, there is a system with which you can exchange materials for other materials. For example, you need 5 purple fabrics to obtain one orange, i.e., legendary fabric.
So far, so good. It looks like a solid and clear system. In practice, we will see how what was shown to the YouTubers will be supplemented and expanded. So far, only green recipes have been visible.
As it is presented, it looks simple and clear. Similar to how crafting works in other Ubisoft games.
The Warhammer 40k MMO shooter “Eternal Crusade” is going into Early Access. Last chance for fans to become a founder!
The War Leads to Steam
In an open letter, the developers of the MMO shooter Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade thank everyone who has already supported the project by purchasing a founder’s pack and discuss plans for the immediate future. As of January 25, the founder program will be discontinued, as they prepare to offer the game on Steam in the form of “Early Access.” So, if you want to secure access to the game at a reduced price, you should act before then.
However, those who are still undecided don’t need to rush. The offers available on Steam will also grant full access to the game without requiring players to miss out on anything.
If you are already busy gaming, you don’t have to worry about anything – the servers will remain open continuously and will basically not be affected by the transition to Steam. Detailed information about this will be released in the coming weeks.
The developer’s letter also reveals that they are aiming for a lifespan of at least 10 years for Eternal Crusade, during which they will expand and improve the game to make it the best “Warhammer shooter ever.”
Originally, the release of “Eternal Crusade” was scheduled for 2015, but as is often the case in this genre, it didn’t happen.
In Black Desert, new plans have been unveiled regarding voice output, trading between players, and penalties for killing other players. Some of these can be tested in the upcoming beta event.
“Trading brings nothing to the game” – No trading system for Black Desert for now
Just yesterday we reported on the two premium shops in the western version of Black Desert, but further information has come to light. There has also been a lot of new input regarding the PvP system, trading among players, and the experience curve.
Although there were items that could be traded between players during the first beta test of BDO (the same ones as in the Russian version), the player trading will be removed for now, as it does not currently bring anything valuable to the game and is not designed for that purpose. However, they know how much western fans like such a feature and will consider something for the future – for now, it is disabled.
Karma and player killings: What happens to player killers?
Special attention was devoted to the karma system and the associated penalties for killing other players.
For the western version, many different ideas have been tried out and “actually” nothing new needs to be developed, because the already active Valencia update in Korea would solve many problems. However, they were not satisfied with that. While a final solution is still pending, the current thought process involves a bounty system that rewards players with karma. The idea is supposed to work like this:
Player 1 kills Player 2.
Player 2 is angry and puts a bounty on Player 1.
Player 3 is also a bad egg and needs to improve their karma, so they take on the mission to kill Player 1.
Player 3 now kills Player 1, which allows Player 3 to collect the karma, and Player 2 gets their satisfaction.
This is still just a rough idea, but this is the approach currently being pursued.
Those who beat others up have bad karma. Bounty missions could balance that out.
Localization and Accents: No German voice output, but many English accents
The localization of the game into English is progressing well, and to do justice to the over 1000 different characters, special accents for the voice output of the different races have been devised.
Balenos and Serenadia have a US accent
Calpheon has a British one
Mediah sounds australian
NPCs from ValenciaArabic
Elves from KamasylviaIrish
and DraganScottish.
By the way, the game will “only” have an English voice output, but German subtitles will also be offered.
In conclusion, the developers request not to condemn all planned changes right away or compare Black Desert to other games that you may have already played. They need time to establish “their own version” of Black Desert, and it will take some time before everything is as they envision it.
In Blade & Soul, it is explained how the different modes of the dungeons differ.
The Terrible Girl with the Cute Look
On the official website of Blade & Soul, there is a more detailed discussion about the endgame content of the game, citing the instance “Supply Depot of the Black Ram” as an example. The dungeon comes in three different difficulty levels and offers exciting rewards at different times of character progression.
The marauders of the so-called Black Ram have been responsible for countless conflicts in Stratus and Talus for many generations. Their seafaring skills are unique and have cost many a cargo ship owner their life. While the leader of the Ram, Hae Mujin, is out for his own goals, the marauders are under the control of his granddaughter Poharan.
Not only is she a bit short and could easily win in any Japanese idol casting show, but she also has a cunning mind. Those who do not believe this risk getting caught in the range of her minigun. Yes, Poharan does not do things by halves. And it is she, along with her subordinates, who must be defeated in a dungeon of Blade & Soul.
Three Different Modes
Already during leveling, the instance can be tackled on normal difficulty. It is designed for 6 players and offers numerous aids to successfully overcome the challenges. Dangerous boss abilities will display a target area where the attacks will hit. Additionally, a timer indicates the optimal moment to dodge. At certain locations, there is dragon blood, which fighters can use to heal themselves during a battle. In summary, this is the beginner experience to introduce players to the dungeons.
The chef Tae Jangum is also a boss – who wants seconds?
Things get significantly tougher on the high difficulty level. Characters must have reached the maximum level to enter the dungeon, and can only venture in as a party of four. The aids from the easy version are no longer available, and bosses have additional abilities. It is therefore essential to memorize the movement patterns to recognize which area will soon be deadly from the animations. Oh yes, that the bosses enter the “Enrage” mode earlier goes without saying, right?
As a trade-off, significantly better rewards await, such as the weapons of the various bosses.
True to the motto “The more, the better”, there is also the “Depot of the Black Ram” for up to 24 players. However, this has little to do with a classic raid difficulty; the challenge is by far the easiest. Enemies respawn after a few minutes, so there is always something to fight. This mode is particularly suitable for numerous daily missions that lure with larger amounts of gold.
On Diablo 3 Season 5 started on Friday. Our author Schuhmann shares his experiences.
The more I write about games, the harder it gets to find time to play them in peace. While I used to spend days with my guildmates in World of Warcraft, I now prefer small doses of Hearthstone, Armored Warfare, or checking out the latest game during beta or launch that we report on.
My old buddies, on the other hand, play one League of Legends match after another for hours, are engaged in team shooters like Payday 2, or suddenly fall victim to the Fallout virus.
The Diablo virus infected my friends
It’s rare that we play together anymore. For years, I was particularly envious of the Diablo 3 craze that seemed to infect them about three times a year. Then they would play like crazy for two weeks, shouting “Schnitzel! Schnitzel!” into TeamSpeak and were like hypnotized.
I hadn’t bought Diablo 3 back then. My last experiences with the Diablo franchise were a wonderful summer and incredibly high phone bills. My father still reminds me of that old Telekom bill.
Diablo 2 was my first “real” online game back then, and that was before there was flat-rate Internet here. Not a good combination.
In Season 4, they left me behind after a bathroom break!
In any case, I eventually gave in last year, bought Diablo 3 and the expansion. And I was ready when Season 4 started. A few old comrades and I leveled up in a trio. I could at least keep up with them for about 2 or 3 hours. Then they said: We’re taking a bathroom break, and while the other two crazy guys were back in 2 minutes, I thought: No, I’m getting too old for this. I need at least thirty minutes. And that wasn’t really up for discussion.
When I logged in the next day, one of them had played all night, the other had slept for 6 hours but was already back in at 5:00 in the morning. Both were completely out of reach, and I only found my footing again when they were leveling their twinks.
This time, it should be different! My goal: An intense Diablo session – right from the start!
Obstacle Number One: The Job.
Obstacle I: Getting out on time despite The Division
Now it happens that Season 5 for Diablo 3 started at 5:00 PM on a Friday. And that just happened to be the day we had more work in the office than usual.
In the morning, the beta data for The Division came in, Bungie had somehow arranged the vendor Xur in Destiny poorly again, and he had to be repositioned. Additionally, at 7:00 PM, the head start for Blade & Soul began – I really should check that out too. And those were just the highlights.
And I was supposed to play with this lady too!
My plan: To have everything done by 4:00 PM.
I somewhat organized the day, gave the succubus enough food so that news would still appear on the site after 4:00 PM, and wanted to make my escape when exactly then the worldwide embargo for “The Division” broke and my boss, despite the stress, just kept throwing links of articles at me that we absolutely had to do.
After my reasonable and composed response: “Dude, it’s 4:10 on a Friday! I want to play now!” we decided to postpone it to the next days.
Obstacle II – “Actually, we’re not planning anything, we’re just coincidentally online together”
However, it is impossible to coordinate any appointment with my online colleagues to play Diablo 3 together.
Because, according to their statements, they never plan to play together; they’re just online at the same time and then don’t log out for the next 16 hours.
When I landed with them around 4:40 PM, they were already “coincidentally” ready to get started again. I had actually planned to play a Crusader this season. But that was already taken by someone else – and since I assumed we would start together, I made myself a Barbarian.
Then, after some difficulties logging in, the surprise: They didn’t even want to play with me, those jerks. They had gotten some guide that said “Solo to level 70 in these handy 432 steps!” and had to play solo like crazy now.
The first 5 levels on “Master”, then lower the difficulty to Hard, then Nephalem Rifts, then craft this weapon, get that armor set, do this, do that. Well, nothing came of the shared journey again. I tried to struggle through on my own and pull a few pieces of information from the complicated mumbling the others were giving, which led to me biting my teeth on mobs at the completely wrong difficulty level and quickly being 20 levels behind.
When I finally reached level 70, 24 hours later, the others were already in triple-digit Paragon levels. Again, I couldn’t keep up.
Finally level 70 – the rest was already playing torment V and up.
It’s just Diablo
The funny thing is: In the end, it didn’t make a difference, it was a great evening. Because as a latecomer said, whom I hadn’t seen in months: Man, my whole Battle Friend list is online and everyone is playing Diablo 3.
The TeamSpeak filled up over the course of the evening, a lot of nonsense was talked, people were seen again whom you had missed, and in the end, you didn’t have to play together to have fun. Just exchanging in TeamSpeak was enough. The season start for Diablo is like a class reunion.
When I finally asked towards the end: “And how is the new season going?”, I hoped for some polished responses, but received a mumbled “It’s just Diablo.” in between hacks and clicks.
Upon further inquiry, there were a few details: The massacre bonus is cool, the speed bonus when destroying things feels cool too, and the displays are better now. They then raised it to “It’s just Diablo, but a bit more convenient.”
Oh yes, and that Kadala is a “bitch,” I should also pass that on.
How was your weekend with Diablo 3?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
As a round in the Trials of Osiris begins, two Guardians jump in to face the enemies. But one player is still missing… he remains afk, not at the controller. The opponents don’t know that he has just taken a short bathroom break. But what could possibly happen?
How this turns out, you can see in this video:
http://youtu.be/rgbT5PQqypI
Somewhere, a lesson is hidden… whoever finds it should come forward.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Instead of slowing down ranged combat, melee combat will be faster
A change that annoyed many players could have a positive long-term impact on The Secret World. In some ranged abilities that generate resources, a casting time was introduced to clearly differentiate ranged abilities from melee abilities.
This change was not well received by the players. Funcom acknowledged the complaints, gathered together, and decided to speed up melee combat instead of slowing down ranged combat.
Therefore, they plan to remove the casting time from all “Builder” abilities. Additionally, the charge abilities of melee characters will have shorter cooldowns so they can get into the action faster. This change is expected to happen soon.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
