Shroud of the Avatar is to be released quickly – and is cutting features for that purpose

The selective multiplayer RPG Shroud of the Avatar is expected to be released sooner rather than later, which is why some features will not make it into Episode 1.

Shroud of the Avatar is somewhat of a troubled child among RPGs. It was successfully funded in 2013 as a hybrid between single-player RPGs and MMORPGs via Kickstarter. The release was supposed to be at the end of 2014. Now, we are in early 2016 and SotA is still in the pre-alpha phase. No wonder players are getting nervous and the developers need to do something to push forward the release.

Shroud of the Avatar combat
Too many features delay the launch

Shroud of the Avatar is a game that is being developed together with the fans. The developers maintain an open dialogue with the community. If a feature is poorly received, it will be changed. Additionally, many ideas are gathered and efforts are made to implement them. However, this leads to the problem of so-called “feature creep.”

There are so many cool features that the team wants to implement, causing the release of the game to be delayed further and further. Company founder Richard “Lord British” Garriott has recognized the problem and is now taking action. He plans to release the first episode of Shroud of the Avatar in the coming months. This means that it will happen sometime later this year.

SotA will be expanded gradually

Shroud of the Avatar world map

To adhere to this timeline, some of the planned features will not make it into the first episode. Garriott explains that fans do not need to worry that these features will not be seen in the game at all. However, the focus now is on creating a polished product that can be released “soon.”

All elements that are set aside now will be integrated into the game after the release of SotA. However, he did not reveal which features these will be, leading to much speculation in the forum.

One hope is that not too much will be cut from the offline mode, as it has received almost no love so far and is not even playable. Many fans are waiting for this mode to be able to play the story at their own pace before turning to the online mode. Therefore, the offline mode must meet expectations. Whether this can be accomplished in the few months remaining is another story…

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

Black Desert: The date for the second closed beta is set

The date for the second Closed Beta of the sandbox MMORPG Black Desert is now known. It is set to start in mid-February.

Black Desert is currently the most interesting MMORPG for many, which is “upcoming soon.” We participated in the first closed beta phase here in December. After that, fans eagerly awaited the second Closed Beta – access could already be purchased through a kind of “founder packages.”

Emma-Watson-Black-Desert

Now the date is known: On February 18, the second Closed Beta of Black Desert begins. This will be combined with character creation via an app. The character creation had already caused a stir in the first Closed Beta. We will deal with this offline character creation in a separate article.

The new information was provided a few hours ago via Twitter. In the last few days, there had already been information about the payment model, trade between players, and the PvP mode.


You can read our impression of the first closed beta of Black Desert here.

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

Escape from Tarkov – Termine für Alpha und Beta

When does the beta for the hardcore online shooter Escape from Tarkov start? When does the alpha begin?

The shooter MMORPG Escape from Tarkov addresses some issues found in other online shooters and MMORPGs.

First up, something that fans of the MMO are surely eager to know: The alpha launch date was set for February 2016, while the beta will start in the first quarter of 2016 – presumably at the end of March. We addressed signing up for the beta in this article.

However, there is more new information.

Escape from Tarkov
No Respawning!

In an online shooter, it is often the case that after dying, you respawn at certain points in the area. This will not be the case in Escape from Tarkov. If you die, you are dead.

But not forever, rather for the specific mission or raid you are in. This means that there will be no spawn camping, as there are no respawn points. Additionally, this should encourage players to be much more cautious during missions to avoid going down easily and leaving their team “in the lurch.” The equipment you carried when you died could be lost unless a team member picks it up.

Realistic Combat

Escape from Tarkov Screenshot

Moreover, the developers announced that there are currently no female characters planned. You will only be able to play as male characters. Interestingly, the impact of a bullet is calculated physically. Depending on the gear you wear and the body part hit by the bullet, it can either pass through, get lodged, or even shatter. By using a medkit, you can stop bleeding. Severe bleeding can also have side effects such as weakness seizures or headaches.

If you want to learn more about the MMORPG shooter Escape from Tarkov, you can read the – English – Q&A with the developers on Facebook.

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

World of Tanks: Heute geht es auf der PS4 los – Aber wann genau?

Today marks the release of World of Tanks on PlayStation 4. We tell you what time WoT starts.

At 6:00 PM our time, today on January 19th, World of Tanks will launch on PlayStation 4. The date has been known for a while, the time was mentioned in a forum thread yesterday.

The PlayStation 4 version of World of Tanks will be the fourth “console version” after the PC and ports to Xbox 360 and Xbox One, with “Blitz” being a mobile spin-off that is quite different.

How does the PS4 version of World of Tanks compare to the PC version?

The console versions are considered to be more action-oriented than the PC version, and the graphics have also undergone significant changes, so console players will feel right at home.

A recent screenshot comparison by dualshockers showed that the PS4 version and the Xbox One version look quite identical. There are differences compared to the PC: while the PC version offers advantages with tank models even in the garage, the consoles have a lot to offer in the open field with 3D objects. The landscape has more objects, and there’s more decoration. Additionally, there is a “night” mode on the consoles. The journalist from dualshockers (a site focused on consoles) prefers the PS4 and Xbox One versions over the PC.

This is probably because World of Tanks is also supposed to run on older PCs (the game is immensely popular in the former Eastern Bloc), while the console version can focus on a specific configuration.

You can find more articles about World of Tanks in its various versions on our dedicated WoT page.

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

FIFA 16: FUT Guide – this is the influence chemistry has on your game!

In FIFA 16: Ultimate Team, chemistry plays an extremely important role. Until now, one could only read: “In FIFA Ultimate Team, you need strong chemistry if you want to build the best possible team,” says EA Sports.

The widespread opinion among FIFA players is accordingly: The better the team chemistry, the stronger my team is. This is obvious and understandable. But unfortunately, that is not entirely true. We are looking at the exact numerical impact of chemistry on your Ultimate Team.

Team Chemistry and Player Chemistry

FIFA 16 FUT Chemistry Team

How much chemistry influences your players’ attributes has perhaps been the biggest secret in FIFA Ultimate Team. A team chemistry of 100 is good; anything below that is less good; everyone knows that by now. Essentially, this is true. However, it is not just the obvious team chemistry, which is displayed in the upper right during the lineup, that affects your players but especially the player chemistry. One must distinguish between:

1. Team Chemistry: is always visibly displayed in the upper right during the lineup. Team chemistry consists of all player chemistry values. It varies between 0 and the maximum value of 100.

Calculation: Team chemistry = Player chemistry 1 + Player chemistry 2 + … + Player chemistry 11

This formula allows for a total value of 110. However, theoretical values above 100 do not have a greater effect than the maximum value of 100.

2. Player Chemistry: you can check this when you “flip through” your active team with the right stick (in the web app this is done by scrolling). In the following image, the player chemistry values are displayed with blue bars below the player card. The maximum value is 10 per player.

Player chemistry consists of: position, connections with teammates (red, orange, green), manager bonus, and loyalty bonus. We will describe how it is calculated in detail later in this guide.

FIFA 16 FUT Player Chemistry

What is the relationship between Team Chemistry and Player Chemistry in the game?

Initially, it is important how the chemistry value is weighted in the game, that is, directly on the pitch. The average of all eleven player chemistry values is a remarkable 75%, with team chemistry contributing the remaining 25%. It is therefore significantly more important ‒ and this is indeed surprising ‒ to focus on strong player chemistry (ideally 10 per player) than to achieve team chemistry of 100.

How does this affect my players’ attributes?

The following equation shows how chemistry value is calculated for each individual player in the game:
Chemistry = (Player chemistry x 0.75) + (Team chemistry x 0.25)

An example: A player with an individual chemistry of 10, playing in a team with 90 team chemistry, will perform better than a player with player chemistry 9 and team chemistry 100 (as: 9.75 > 9.25). In short: player chemistry has a triple weighting on your players’ attributes, while team chemistry has only a single weighting. Therefore, pay particular attention to the individual chemistry of your players!

FIFA 16 Neuer

How is Player Chemistry composed exactly?

Here, the equation is:

Player Chemistry = Position/Connections + Manager Bonus + Loyalty Bonus

This is significantly more complicated to calculate than the equation for team chemistry. We will try to present the variables as clearly as possible.

Positions and Connections

This value is the trickiest to determine. It depends on the position a player occupies and the teammates in his environment. It is important that the nationality, league, and club match as much as possible.

The following table shows the relationship of connections (Links) and positions:

FIFA 16 Chemistry Positions

The colors of the positions indicate how well the player is positioned: red means completely wrong, orange means that this position has little to do with his natural position, yellow indicates a decent relationship to the position, and green shows the natural positioning.

The following table illustrates all possible combinations:

FIFA 16 Team Combinations Position

In the first table, the L (Links) must also be highlighted: this value measures the intensity of the relationship of the player with his teammates.

3 means: same nationality and club,
2 = same club but different nationality, or: same nationality and league but different clubs.
1 = same league but different nationality and club, or: same nationality but different league.
0 = no match.

Depending on how the connections and the position are combined, the maximum value of player chemistry 10 can already be achieved here. In short: just make sure that your players play in their positions and that nationality and club match as much as possible; then it cannot go wrong.

FIFA 16 Celebration

Manager Bonus

If the league or nation of the manager matches with a player, the player chemistry value increases by 1. However, the bonus cannot be higher than 1, thus one match is completely sufficient.

Loyalty Bonus

If a player is drawn from a pack by oneself or has completed 10 matches with a player bought on the transfer market, there is a loyalty bonus added to the chemistry value of 1. This value cannot be increased.

What about Legends on Xbox?

Legends also need good chemistry. However, since they are not assigned to any league or club, they behave a bit differently. Here, player chemistry is calculated as follows from the relationships with teammates:

FIFA 16 Legend Pele

3 = Legend of the same nationality (green)
2 = Legend, but different nationality, or: no legend, but the same nationality (also green)
1 = Neither a legend nor the same nationality (orange)
0 = Legends cannot have red connections with other players.

In total, player chemistry can theoretically reach the value of 12, but anything above 10 has no stronger effect on individual chemistry than the maximum value of 10.

Phew, that’s it for now. All in all, the conclusion remains that chemistry in FIFA 16: Ultimate Team is anything but easy to decipher.

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

Revelation: The largest mount in the (MMO) world?

Revelation claims the spot for the largest mount on the MMO market. See how many players can fit on it…

A guild meeting, even during the journey

NetEase is actually known for marketing Blizzard’s big games in China, but it also has some other “irons in the fire” and seems to be grabbing a rather unusual record this time. While in World of Warcraft, a maximum of three players can roam the colorful worlds on a mount, one can only laugh dryly about that in Revelation.

A staggering 50 players can fit on the gigantic mix of manta ray and whale. This allows for a major guild event to be held “on the fly”.

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.
Link to the YouTube content

The oversized, mobile contraption was the reward of an inter-server PvP tournament. Despite this record, it does not hide the fact that the game “Revelation” is doing relatively poorly – it complains about too few players, at least according to the Asia-focused site MMO-Culture. The operator is currently trying to breathe new life into the game and plans to offer an “open beta” for the update in the near future.

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

The Division: The base is your outpost with bank, crafting, missions, and much more

In the upcoming MMO shooter “The Division”, the player’s base is their personal refuge. We take a look at the new home.

The base in The Division is a new concept. It is located west of the large Dark Zone in Manhattan, making it a fixed building. It is also the only area in The Division that is “personal,” where the player cannot meet any other players. Essentially, it is like the “own house,” the private starting point, to which no one else has access.

The base changes with the agent’s decisions, with the path they take. Therefore, it looks a bit different for each player and is a personal instance.

This article is based on this video from YouTuber Arekkz. He visited the developers in Malmö and was able to play The Division there. The information refers to the current “not yet fully completed” version, so things might still change:

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.
Link to the YouTube content

The base for banking, crafting, and quests in The Division

Your base gives you access to some features that would typically be found in other games in “cities” or “the tower”:

In the base, there is a “chest.” This is basically your vault or your bank. Here you can store items that you do not currently need but want to keep. This is also where the items you successfully extracted from the Dark Zone end up.

Division chest

The crafting station is also located in the base. We have covered how crafting works in this article.

There are 3 vendors for weapons, equipment, and mods (those are the things that you can use to modify your equipment). At the moment, it seems that these vendors can only sell low-tier weapons – in the Dark Zone, there are vendors with a stronger selection.

In the base, there is also an NPC who provides a “status report.” When you talk to him (or click on an info board in the world), you receive an overview of missions to complete: from assignments for the three wings to bounties, to other tasks involving murder and mayhem in the service of civilization that are pending in The Division.

There is also a “restock chest.” There you can automatically replenish your supplies before leaving the base. It provides you with ammunition, med kits, and grenades. This way, you go out well-equipped every time. Such restock points can also be found in other locations.

Division supplies

The three wings – how to make base building nice in The Division

The most important way to advance the base (and also your skills) is the 3 wings of the instance – they represent medicine, infrastructure, and security, and thereby also the 3 skill lines.

The wings start at 0% and “offline,” can be unlocked and expanded through missions. Overall, there are 10 upgrade levels per wing. You unlock these gradually by collecting and investing the resource “supplies” – which likely counts for each wing, so you need “green supplies” for the medical wing in your base in The Division.

Division Medicine Skill

When upgrading, the first upgrade is mandatory; it is essentially the foundation for everything else that you will build on. After that, you can choose from the remaining offerings on how you want to improve the wing. This will in turn unlock special skills and attributes for your agent.

The upgrades can be found in your base. For example, the “dog squad,” which was recently speculated about, is simply an upgrade that will then be displayed to you: There will be a dog standing there, with which you cannot do anything in your base, but it symbolizes certain advantages that will then be available to you “in the field.”


This video in German provides an overview of The Division.

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

Overwatch: When is Beta again?

The developers of Overwatch made some announcements on Twitter regarding the resumption of the beta.

No new heroes in the beta

Since the beta of Overwatch was discontinued last year during the pre-Christmas period, it has been relatively quiet around Blizzard’s hero shooter. The only news in between was that they wanted to resume testing early in the new year – so far, however, that has been a no-show.

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.
Link to the YouTube content

Now the developers have spoken up on Twitter again and answered some questions from impatient fans. The plan is still to resume the beta sometime this month, but that is not a promise. Depending on how quickly development progresses, this could also be pushed to early February. More precise information will be provided only once there is a fixed date.

Additionally, it was once again confirmed that there will be no new heroes until the launch. Overwatch is, at least regarding the number of 21 heroes, already complete for release.

What fans can definitely look forward to is a new reward system that was promised back in December. This was one of the biggest demands and has also been announced several times by the developers. What exactly the various cosmetic rewards will be remains to be seen.

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

Destiny: Dawn Strike and Raid Challenge Golgoroth on January 19th.

The Nightfall Strike SABER is explained here by Nexxoss, who also gives some ideas for loadouts.

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.
Link to the YouTube content

Starting off is Oryx’s Court with Kagoor. If you need tips on how to deal with Kagoor, you can find them 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.
Link to the YouTube content

Tips for the raid challenge Golgoroth can be 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.
Link to the YouTube content

If you need friends to show the aliens who’s boss, check out our thread for finding players for Destiny.

In the MMO shooter Destiny the new week starts on January 19th with a weekly Nightfall strike and a raid challenge.

Things should start happening in Destiny again. On Thursday evening or late Thursday night, Bungie plans to break its holiday radio silence and release information about what to expect in February. One shouldn’t expect a huge “Everything will be different” patch, as Bungie announced that 2016 would start with something smaller. But after a month of “completely no information”, that will still be a welcome change.

Regardless, the week in Destiny starts on Tuesday, not Thursday. And we look at what the new rotation brings.

Destiny-Saber

Weekly Nightfall Strike is the SABER Strike

This week, the SABER Strike is the Nightfall. The beginning is regarded as one of the most difficult segments in the current Destiny.

The modifiers are:

  • Sidearms – Primary weapon damage is preferred
  • Grounded – Guardians take more damage in the air
  • Chaff – The radar is blocked
  • Trickle – Ability cooldowns are increased

This week, Dead Orbit wants Ghost Fragments, the New Monarchy wants Relic Iron, and the Future War Cult wants Ghost Fragments as well.

Golgoroth-Destiny

The Raid Challenge is Golgoroth

This week, Golgoroth is back. He is the raid challenge for the week starting January 19th. Outstanding raid 320 items are at stake if you can defeat the ogre in the intended way.

You can read how it all works in our article about the Challenge Mode for Golgoroth in the King’s Fall raid.

The T3 Boss in Oryx’s Court on January 19th – Ogre Week

In Oryx’s Court this week, Kagoor is waiting – the witch with her ogre accomplices.

Do you have tips, guides, or videos for the challenges in Destiny this week?

At this point, we will feature videos throughout the cold day that show successful Guardian teams in their Alien kill work.

The Nightfall Strike SABER is explained here by Nexxoss, who also gives some ideas for loadouts.

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.
Link to the YouTube content

Starting off is Oryx’s Court with Kagoor. If you need tips on how to deal with Kagoor, you can find them 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.
Link to the YouTube content

Tips for the raid challenge Golgoroth can be 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.
Link to the YouTube content

If you need friends to show the aliens who’s boss, check out our thread for finding players for Destiny.

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

SWTOR: Where is the new group content?

The players of SWTOR are complaining about the lack of group content. But is there actually something in the works?

No announcement – for now

Although the story of “Knights of the Fallen Empire” has been well received by fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic, the game is currently suffering from another deficiency: group content. For months, players have been pleading that BioWare’s MMORPG should finally do justice to the three letters MMO again. In the last producer’s livestream, this topic was addressed, and several questions from the community were answered.

The big goal planned for the remaining time of KotFE is to make the “old” group activities exciting and useful again, which has largely been achieved. This primarily included the hero missions, but new content included the star fortresses. Story and cutscenes remain the core aspect of the expansion, which is why unfortunately no new announcements can be made yet. However, discussions are ongoing internally that deal exactly with this topic.

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.
Link to the YouTube content

More loot in nightmare mode

At least there is a small ray of hope for all raiders who enjoy the nightmare modes of the various operations. With the introduction of patch 4.1 (Chapter X – “Anarchy in Paradise”), the loot in the corresponding instances will be slightly improved. This means that each final boss will drop at least one item with item level 224, which should provide new incentives to defeat these bosses. The other adversaries will still have a chance to drop the coveted items, but only the final bosses provide a guaranteed reward.


For more information, see our post on Chapter X: Anarchy in Paradise, or on our Star Wars: The Old Republic topic page.

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

Guild Wars 2 motzt den Weltboss Zerschmetterer auf

The world boss “Shatterer” from Guild Wars 2 will learn some new tricks with the upcoming update and attracts veterans back with new rewards.

Shatter me, oh mighty Shatterer!

The big January update of GW2 brings not only flying to Old Tyria and removes numerous bugs and issues, but also gives a long-established world boss new strength. The Shatterer will finally live up to his name again and will be unleashed with new fury on the player base!

Over the last three years, the Shatterer, a dragon boss at the end of an event series, has significantly lost his impressiveness. Players have taken the time to discover numerous safe zones during the battle, where the dragon poses little threat because his attacks never target these areas.

Guild Wars 2 Shatterer Artwork

This issue is now being addressed with full severity. The dragon’s attacks have been revised, enlarged, and improved, so there should no longer be any safe positions. To emphasize the dragon’s strength, a new Rage Bar has been implemented – numerous control effects (and some coordination) are now needed to prevent the dragon from executing his abilities. The numerous minions of the dragon, the Marked, have also received some upgrades and should blow out the life lights of the heroes significantly more often.

To compensate for this, the siege weapons have also been improved – one can now aim faster and keep allies on their feet with a whole rain of medkits.

The legendary weapons make it possible

One of the main reasons for the redesign of the fight is a bug that particularly affected players when acquiring their legendary weapon. As part of the quest line, it was necessary to be trapped in a crystal by the dragon to draw power for the weapon. Unfortunately, if the boss is blinded the entire time, he can never land a single hit with this ability.

Guild Wars 2 Shatterer Combat

In conjunction with these changes, there is also a new achievement category for the Shatterer, which contains 12 fresh achievements. The achievements are based on various mechanics, so participation in the fight is rewarded doubly. Those who complete the meta achievement can even look forward to a nice new back item.


We have even more information about the upcoming January update here for you. Otherwise, it’s also worth taking a look at our Guild Wars 2 topic page.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. guildwars2.com/de

The Division: Kein Spielerhandel

The upcoming MMO shooter The Division will not have player trading. At least, not at launch.

As reported by Gamesradar, The Division will not have player trading, even though it was once planned. According to a Massive employee speaking to the online site, “priorities on various features” are the reason for this decision. That is one of the truths of game production: Some features make it, others do not.

However, the idea that players can exchange gear and weapons among themselves is not completely dead. This is something that some value a lot, according to Massive. Maybe it will come in the future.

This is not the only feature that was announced and then scrapped. There was already a plan to allow a player to control a drone via a kind of “companion app”. The end of this idea was announced in the summer: they simply could not find a concept that was both fun and functional.

On the plus side: The Division has a pooping dog in the game. The clip is now circulating around The Division world.

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.
Link to the YouTube content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. GamesRadar

Destiny: Videos of the week are by you

In the MMO shooter Destiny , Guardians have once again achieved exceptional feats and captured them on video. This time, the videos of the week come from our Destiny community.

Bungie is still on strike regarding the selection of the videos of the week, and we presented two exceptional clips to you on Saturday and Sunday: a great montage and a “Bad Luck” Crucible match.

Therefore, we decided today to select only videos that come from our community. That is, videos that were sent to us by you in the last week.

The title “Our Video of the Week” goes to this clip – I would say this is the Messi of Destiny.

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.
Link to the YouTube content

This video montage to LORDE – “Everybody wants to rule the world” is a different vibe altogether. The YouTuber aimed to rediscover the magic in Destiny that sometimes seems to fade away.

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.
Link to the YouTube content

And in the last video, a player says: I’m not usually a PvP expert, but that was one really good round.

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.
Link to the YouTube content

Those were our videos today in a community edition. If you have videos that you think are worth watching, then send them to us via the Mein-MMO contact form! We’ll take a look at them.

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

Blade & Soul: Free Martial Arts MMORPG launches! All information about the game

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!

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.
Link to the YouTube content

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
Blade and Soul new Customisations
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.

Blade&Soul-ab-15
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.

Blade-and-Soul-Pic
How does the game rank in comparison?

If you want to look beyond the horizon and wonder how Blade & Soul compares to Black Desert, you might find it here as well.

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.

The Division will start without Brooklyn; will the area come later in a DLC?

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.

Division-Brooklyn
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.

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.
Link to the YouTube content

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.

The Division Artwork

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.

It could be possible with The Division that Brooklyn will be a place for the “endgame” and that they will bring it in a “later phase” to give the game a longer lifespan after the launch. This could then come in the form of a free patch. Ubisoft does not reveal anything about the DLC and endgame plans yet – except for one detail.

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

Diablo 3: Lags, black screen or the game crashes? Patch 2.4. is causing issues

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.

Diablo 3 is no longer responding

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.

Problem Solving:

To fix this problem, you should do the following.

  • Close Diablo 3 if it is running.
  • Follow the link in the first post of this forum thread under point 1. Here is the Guru3d Forum.
  • Select “Directx9” on the Mega website.
  • Select and download the driver “13.12.zip”.
  • 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.

Diablo 3 Xbox

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.
Source(s):
  1. Battle.Net Forum

H1Z1: The latest zombie is the scariest yet and a screamer

In the survival MMO H1Z1 players are now faced with a long-announced threat: the Screamer zombie.

As early as the summer of 2015, there were reports of the new zombie type “Screamer” that would soon join the undead hordes in H1Z1. However, the design policy changed and there was little news about the Screamer for a long time. Last month, players were able to catch a glimpse of it. Now the Screamer is officially introduced.

Screamer Zombie

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.
Source(s):
  1. Dev Blog

Skyforge is building – The Ontes Valley

The action MMORPG Skyforge presents a new hostile territory with “The Ontes Valley”.

Skyforge-Ontes

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.

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.
Link to the YouTube content

Read more about Skyforge, the game where the sky is just one of many limits, on our topic page.

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

Gigantic starts in permanent beta – cross-platform games and 24/7 servers

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.

Gigantic Heroes
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.
Source(s):
  1. dualshockers.com

Respec: A remake of RuneScape, body theft in Crowfall and more

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…

Molior RS
Shroud of the Avatar: Big announcement coming soon

Shroud of the Avatar

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!

Crowfall Gameplay Alpha
Wild Terra racing towards release

wild terra screenshot

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…

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.
Link to the YouTube content

FIVE: Guardians of David – Bible game excites fans

five guardians of david

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.