Respec: Der MMO-Rückblick – Voxel-Welten und Shooter-Paradiese

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 3 minutes

It’s Monday again, and that means there’s a new Respec column. Once again, we look back at the past week and see what happened in the indie scene. And there was quite a bit …

Spatium

An MMO of a different kind is promised by naxcore with Spatium. This is a voxel-based sandbox where you travel from planet to planet within a solar system. On each world, you collect new resources to modify your spacesuit so that you can survive on the next world. You also team up with other players to fight for survival.

spatium

Additionally, it is possible to make a home on each world and construct your own fortress. Spatium is set to be funded through a Kickstarter campaign. The developers aim to raise 16,000 euros by December 23rd to release Spatium in early 2018.

The Repopulation

Problems with the sandbox MMORPG The Repopulation continue. The licensing issues surrounding the underlying Hero Engine are still unresolved, which could have further implications for the MMO. The developers informed players that there might be a longer downtime for the game until the licensing issues are resolved. They still hope for a quick solution and are already working on further plans in the background; however, nothing is finalized yet. Fans of the sandbox MMO must therefore remain patient and hopeful.

The Repopulation Combat

Otherland

The science fiction MMORPG based on the novels of author Tad Williams is currently being developed by the indie studio DRAGO Entertainment after it seemed like it would vanish when publisher gamigo withdrew. Now, the MMORPG is taking shape and is already playable in Early Access on Steam. A new major update has been released, introducing the game area Wood Isle with 70 new quests. Additionally, the combat system has been improved, and the level cap has been raised to 55.

Otherland Wood Isle

ARK – Survival Evolved

The dino MMO ARK – Survival Evolved is expanding with three new gameplay areas. These include an ice cave where players must solve nerve-wracking jumping puzzles and a swamp area where the “Broodmother” resides. Additionally, you explore several ruins related to the background story of ARK. The new areas are set to be introduced into the MMO in the coming weeks.

ARK Ruin

Pangea: New World

Freshly launched is the Kickstarter campaign for the post-apocalyptic MMORPG Pangea: New World. Earlier in the last issue of our column, we introduced the Unreal Engine 4 MMO. Now, the developers have started their funding campaign. They plan to gather $250,000 by December 25th.

The game is set to be a mix of an online shooter and MMORPG, where dynamic quests play an important role. This means that the missions you complete can lead to new quests that other players can undertake. Additionally, there will be a trading system that determines the economy in the game, as well as many skills to enhance your character. Pangea is expected to release in late 2016, provided the funding is successful.

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And so begins a new week full of interesting news from the indie MMO sector, which we will report on in the next issue of the Respec column.

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

Destiny: The Nothingness – Fatebringer junior?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny , the legendary hand cannon “The Nothing” is similarly represented as the cult weapon “Fatebringer” from Year 1. Can it keep up?

In the run-up to The Taken King, Luke Smith tweeted about the new way players would acquire weapons. Now players should be able to earn new weapons by obtaining them from enemies in the wild. But, Smith said back then, there are still great weapons in the Tower. A hand cannon with Firefly and Luck in the Chamber, for instance.

The parallels with “Fatebringer” took their origin there. The raid weapon from Year 1 also had Firefly, but also Arc damage, and today elemental damage is scarce.

Our friends from ProNDC took a closer look at this weapon from the Tower, which Smith raved about. It is the hand cannon “The Nothing” – available from the Future War Cult for 150 Marks.

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What Makes The Nothing Special?

The Nothing (Vanity) has a relatively strong stat distribution with 87 impact and surprisingly high stability of 70. Unfortunately, its range is low. The magazine comes standard with 8 rounds, and with the appropriate perk, it can go up to 9. It is a strong Omolon hand cannon in terms of stats, similar to the Uffern HC.

The kicker with The Nothing is that it comes with outstanding perks directly from the vendor. So you don’t have to hope for a good roll, you can buy it “almost perfect” right away.

Destiny-Fatebringer

With “Firefly”, it has the effect that precision kills cause enemies to explode and deal damage to other nearby enemies. This is the perk that distinguished Fatebringer back in the day, as it allows thinning out and disposing of hordes of enemies.

How Good is The Hand Cannon The Nothing?

The Nothing is a PvE weapon. In PvP, the all-important perk “Firefly” helps relatively little. Moreover, you need more power in the Crucible for mid-range – Guardians currently prefer using a pulse rifle. The low range clearly makes The Nothing a weapon for close-range.

Hand cannons are stylish, many players enjoy using this type of weapon – and The Nothing performs well in strikes or on patrols. For “the very highest challenges”, such as raids, there are probably stronger alternatives. One should maybe go for a weapon that deals bonus damage against the Taken. It is also not suited for sustained fire on a boss.

http://youtu.be/w_uw-RkFQqo

The sight takes some getting used to. With the low range, it is difficult to shine with The Nothing at a distance. With the December weapon patch, they want to increase the accuracy of hand cannons.

Opinions about The Nothing vary quite a bit: Some say, “I can’t live without this weapon in Destiny,” while others struggle with the hand cannon.

In terms of stats and perks, the “vendor” Nothing is possibly the best investment for 150 legendary marks after the scout rifle Dissonance. However, it cannot compete with the Fatebringer from Year 1.

Nichtigkeitvisier
The sight is not to everyone’s liking. In this screen, it is almost not visible.

A warning must be issued: There is still a bug in the game. When “last round” is triggered by a Firefly precision hit, Destiny crashes for some players in certain cases. The combination of Firefly and Luck in the Chamber does not mix well.

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

Skyforge: Nerfs and Buffs – Class balance will be shaken up this week

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

This week in the fantasy MMORPG Skyforge , some gods are going up while others are going down. The patch is shaking up the balance.

This Wednesday, the next major update for Skyforge, “War’s Onset,” will introduce Pantheon Wars and primarily focus on rebalancing the classes.

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They have looked at which classes are particularly popular and which are less appealing. This data will inform their balancing.
They want to capture the burst damage of some DPS classes (probably the kineticists) without reducing their DPS value. Classes without burst will receive a boost instead.

The two support classes Alchemist and Lightkeeper will undergo extensive revisions. This has already been revealed. Here, aura mechanics will increase the values of allies based on the spirit value of the supporter.

Alchemist-Skyforge

The team at Allods has not yet disclosed the exact details; players are urged to wait for the patch notes if they want to know whether their favorite class can still pack a powerful punch starting Wednesday or if it might be a bit weaker.

You can read our extensive review of Skyforge here.

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

ARK: Frost Caves, Swamp Arena and Ruins! 3 new environments are coming!

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

ARK: Survival Evolved provides a steady supply and introduces three new areas – there’s something for everyone!

Jumping Puzzles, Murky Swamp, and Ancient Ruins

When Studio Wildcard excels at something, it’s cranking out new content like it’s on a conveyor belt. In the coming weeks, ARK: Survival Evolved will receive updates that expand the game with three new area types, where players can compete for resources or be eaten by dinos. The new buildings and caves will be integrated into existing zones, thus expanding them rather than being completely new areas.

Beautiful and deadly - the new ice cave.
Beautiful and deadly – the new ice cave.

First, there is a new swamp area that resembles an arena and will be the new home of the Broodmother. If that’s too stuffy, players can get lost in the beautiful ice caves (located in the new snow area), which are filled with challenging (and extremely deadly) jumping puzzles that are sure to cause the demise of a tribe member or two. Lastly, numerous ruins can be found throughout the world, which according to the developers should be strongly linked to the game’s backstory. Will the island’s puzzles ever be completely unraveled?

Ark zone swamp

A specific date for the update has not yet been announced, but the screenshots already look quite advanced – at the pace Studio Wildcard is working, it can only be a few weeks.

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

WoW: Legion – Das grausame Schicksal der Nightfallen

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

The addon Legion brings a completely new elf species to World of Warcraft – and they have a dark fate.

Endless Magic, Endless Hunger

The shattered islands are home to many new cultures that have not been heard of in World of Warcraft before, and which will see the light of day for the first time with Legion. The possibly largest new faction are the Nightborne, a splinter group of the Night Elves that formed 10,000 years ago after the War of the Ancients. Back then, the Well of Eternity exploded due to Azshara’s greed for power, destroying the known world, separating the continents, and resulting in the division into Night Elves and High Elves.

The Nightborne - Mutated Night Elves, highly intelligent and magically gifted.
The Nightborne – Mutated Night Elves, highly intelligent and magically gifted.

Clearly, there was a third grouping that preserved part of the power of the original Well and has since existed on the fragmented islands (although these were only raised from the sea in the Warcraft games – I am very curious about the lore explanation).

The Creeping Zombiefication

Similar to the High or Blood Elves, the Nightborne draw from their own source of magic, the Nightwell. This supplies all elves within Suramar with arcane energy and thus allows them to become powerful mages. However, like their brothers and sisters, this source comes with a dependency on magic, which only becomes apparent when access to it is lost.

Once a Nightborne can no longer access the Nightwell, they begin to suffer from withdrawal symptoms. The body transforms, becomes frailer and weaker, until the creatures are clearly recognizable as “Nightfallen” – emaciated elves who still retain their personality and knowledge.

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If this condition persists for a longer period, the degeneration continues and the Nightfallen eventually become the “Withered”: burnt-out husks that have largely lost their personality and intelligence and only thirst for new magic. Clear parallels can be drawn to the Searing of the Blood Elves, but with the difference that the Withered arise from a lack of magic, while the Searing arise from excess.

The banishment from Suramar is considered the highest punishment - as it means the loss of the Nightwell.
The banishment from Suramar is considered the highest punishment – as it means the loss of the Nightwell.

Due to this gruesome process, banishment in the society of Suramar is considered the highest punishment for offenses, as it condemns the respective elf to a terrible fate.

This aspect of the people alone offers material for countless exciting stories. I would not even rule out that parts of the Nightborne might join the Alliance or the Horde in a later addon, once the Nightwell has been destroyed …

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

1. News nach der Krise: MMORPG Bless kriegt neue Rasse, startet mit weiteren Tests

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The MMORPG Bless, which had issues even before release, is starting a smaller test in December.

In Korea, the development of an MMORPG typically involves three “Closed Beta” phases, which are often spaced far apart; one often waits half a year in between. During that time, one hears nothing about the game.

The MMORPG Bless has completed its third Closed Beta phase. Normally, the next step in the process is the “Open Beta”, which is essentially the release. However, Bless has pulled the emergency brake, saying: No, it’s not ready yet, we need to revise numerous game systems again.

But they are not signing off and going silent. Instead of the release, Bless is starting with smaller steps: a further “focus group” test starts in Korea on December 9. Development continues.

Bless-New-Race

In addition, it is fitting that a new race, the Masku, has been introduced.

The start of the “Open Beta” is planned for early 2016.

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

Power Fantasies – The Success Secret of MMOs

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 8 minutes

Fulfilling a power fantasy is the secret recipe for success in online games like Destiny or Star Wars Battlefront.

When playing a hero and our idea of what it would be like to play them become one, then the power fantasy is fulfilled. But what does it actually mean?

The term “Power Fantasy”, or the fantasy of a character, has long passed me by. Recently, it came to my attention twice.

Once when Destiny explained, how to design the 3 new subclasses. Initially, one had an idea of a character in mind, some image from the pop culture universe (Thor, Legolas, and Emperor Palpatine), and then one would try out whether it would be fun to step into the shoes of such a character in Destiny.

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For some classes, there were initially other ideas. However, when trying to implement these power fantasies in the game, it became clear: A sniper who can see through walls, or a necromancer are “cool ideas” – but they just don’t work. The power fantasy did not function in the game.

Also, when WoW introduced class changes, they kept speaking of the “fantasy” behind a class. The ice mage should become even icier, while fire was taken away from him. The demon warlock should rather summon many demons than become a demon himself.

This fit somehow more into the fantasy, the power fantasy of his class. But what is that even?

WoW Legion Fire Mage
Soon with 48 percent more fire!

A Power Fantasy

A power fantasy is when we ourselves become the hero. Because in our idea of an MMORPG, we aren’t sitting at the keyboard, looking up tables, or talking on Teamspeak with our friends, but we are the hero, peeking around the corner with the blaster drawn or holding the shield overhead, so the claws of the giant demon smash against it. When we lie in bed and think about our hero and what we would do, we are thinking about this power fantasy.

Also interesting: The Robin Hood Problem – Everyone wants to be the hero.

We are not Dominic, stuttering under stress. We are not Phillip, out of breath when we have to carry a box of water up the stairs, or Melanie, who gets dizzy when we see a drop of blood.

Roleplayer

But we are Tyranox the warrior, upon whom all rely. We stand against the huge monster, preventing it from crushing our weak comrades. We must withstand as many of its blows, dodge its tricks and spells – and we can do this because we are tough guys.

We are Ravenclaw the mage, standing behind the front lines, fighting the opponent with our fireballs. Wherever we look, the enemies writhe under the power of our gaze. When we cast spells, our veins glow red-hot. It crackles, bubbles, our thoughts become real.

Or we are the gentle healer Seraphine, who has been able to decide many battles through patient and wise healing. We are the saviors of our friends, who receive us with grateful, open arms. We bring order to the world.

You’re not so naive to believe in power fantasies, are you? Then you might find yourself on the next page!

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
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Dragon’s Dogma Online in the Gold Rush: New Class and Fresh Areas!

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

In the coming weeks, a major patch is coming for Dragon’s Dogma Online – we have the details for you.

The Road to El Dorado

So far, the MMORPG Dragon’s Dogma Online is officially only available in Japan on PC and PS3/4, but it is becoming a solid contender. Just three months after the last patch, update 1.2 is set to arrive on December 15. Players can visit the floating city of El Dorado, where (what else?) everything revolves around gold.

In Bouto, everything revolves around gold - it is also a bit destroyed.
In Bouto, everything revolves around gold – it is also a bit destroyed.

The city is divided into two zones, Boutu and Goseiku, where a total of three bosses can be defeated in the former. Besides the “alchemized Griffin” (featured image) and a large Goliath, players will face a god-like creature named “awakening gold” – exact details on this are not yet known.

The Warrior – Something Classic

Dragons Dogma Warrior

The class of the warrior is also new with patch 1.2, which increases the number of playable hero variations to 8. As is common in the genre, the heavily armored fighters act as tanks and deal increased damage as long as they take hits themselves. As a special feature, they can throw enemies through the air and thus possess strong control abilities to keep whole hordes of opponents at bay.

Whether Dragon’s Dogma Online will ever come to the West is unknown – the great success in Japan at least gives some hope.

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

WildStar: What was that? The Free2Play hype seems to have pretty much fizzled out

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The shift to a Free2Play model seems to have only provided a brief boost for WildStar .

The “Google Trends” indicate how often a particular term has been searched over a period. For WildStar, the trends paint a bleak picture. Interest in WildStar has remained consistently low over the past 12 months. There was a spike at the end of May 2015. There, it was announced that WildStar would become Free2Play. Interest from Google users in the title doubled for a span of 2.3 weeks.

WildStar hoverboard 1

Then, about a month before the Free2Play launch, interest gradually began to rise, until it exploded at the “actual” launch. By the end of September, interest was 5 or 6 times higher than usual. Absolute peak values for the last year were reached. However, these peaks were relatively low compared to the release hype, reaching about 40% of the previous interest by the end of September.

The values in the statistics assume “100%” interest at the highest point in the last 12 months, at the Free2Play launch of WildStar, when the game was searched for the most on Google .


But interest in the release hype could not be maintained for long and declined week by week. In recent days, it had returned to the disappointing level pre-announcement.

Now, such Google trends are of course not ultimate and absolutely valid numbers, but they are still an indicator of interest in a game.

WildStar Free2Play

A dramatically rapid decline is noteworthy. While it is normal for interest to “normalize” after such hype, it typically lasts longer. And given the awful situation WildStar was in before the transition, the game might only have survived if it had landed at a significantly higher level after the transition than it was before.

In a few months, we will gain certainty about how the Free2Play switch of WildStar affected it both in terms of gameplay and financially. Then, NCSoft will disclose the business figures. They have been gloomy and getting gloomier in the quarters for WildStar.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like the Free2Play switch has turned the tide.

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

SMITE Giveaway: Get Chiron!

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

We have once again secured some SMITE codes for you and are giving away 3 times the new hunter Chiron – try your luck!

The great teacher descends from heaven

With its last major patch, SMITE has added Chiron, a Greek god and patron of all teachers. Like many before and after him, he was born from an illegitimate affair between a nymph and the unfaithful Cronus. To keep his son a secret, Cronus decided to disfigure his son – in the form of a centaur.

But that did not stop Chiron from achieving greatness in his life. He taught famous heroes like Achilles and Hercules, showing them how to handle various weapons and teaching them various sciences, although it is often the violent deeds for which they became known.

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How to win a code

Smite Chiron God Recolor

In SMITE, Chiron is a hunter, but he represents a hybrid form, as he has both minor healing, strong crowd control, and the ability to dispel negative effects from allies. He is therefore a perfect complement for aggressive teammates, while he can also deal considerable damage himself.

If you want to ride into battle with the demigod soon, just participate in the giveaway! We are giving away three codes for the new god, along with his alternate skin Sagittarius. Please remember that the keys are only compatible with the PC version of SMITE.

To participate, simply leave a comment under this post and you are in the running. Multiple entries will lead to disqualification from the giveaway. The deadline for participation is December 6, 2015, at 6 PM. Good luck!

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

Destiny: Diese 3 exotischen Waffen sind in der Datenbank, aber noch nicht im Spiel

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny , some exotic weapons are seen in trailers or the database but are not yet in the game. Could that change soon?

The last hidden weapons were found with the Sleeper Simulant and the “No Time to Explain“, but the community is wondering: Are there more? YouTuber “Unknown Player” believes so.

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Dubious Rocket Launcher Fires Energy Volleys

The weapon known as the “Dubious Rocket Launcher” has not been seen and only values from the database are known. According to Luke Smith, it was planned for “The Taken King”, but was later scrapped and is not in the game.

That doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. Other weapons like the 347 Vesta Dynasty (Boolean Twin) or the “Fate of All Fools” (Jade Rabbit) have made it into the game, albeit under different names.

Destiny-Dubiouser

The “Dubious Rocket Launcher” is said to fire energy volleys according to data miners. Kills grant an extra charge – it looks like a pretty powerful weapon – that might be why it was removed from the game.

Solar Thunderlord and Void Thunderlord Already Seen in Destiny Trailers

The other two exotics are two variants of the exotic machine gun Thunderlord. It is known to deal Arc damage. There are two Thunderlord variants being discussed. One deals Void damage, the other Solar damage. Otherwise, they do not differ from the original Thunderlord in terms of values, only in elemental damage.

Destiny-Thunderlord

The “Solar Thunderlord” is said to have been spotted in a short trailer by GameInformer, flames were coming from the magazine – it looked pretty cool.

The “Void Thunderlord” was briefly seen by Guardians with eagle eyes in one of the trailers for “The Taken King” (cover image). Both weapons have thus already been seen as weapons in the game.

Destiny-Donnerlord

So are they already in the game, but hidden like the Black Spindle, just needing to be found?  Or did Bungie say at short notice: “This is too boring, we’d better scrap it.” It could also be that the Thunderlord had a “I can change my elemental damage” ability that was removed. We know: These are weapons that Bungie invested time in and that were at some point in the game in early builds. However, we do not know if those are still current plans, if they have been scrapped, or if they might be revisited later like other exotic weapons in the past. The rocket launcher has been denied; it is not in the game.

Confirmed, on the other hand, are these 15 exotic weapons and armors that will be coming to Destiny in December.

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

The Secret World wird cooler – Shambhala, PvP-Arena in Tibet, kommt

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In the dark fantasy MMORPG The Secret World you turn the air conditioning to Tibet. Issue 13 will focus on PvP.

The Update 13 for The Secret World will likely be a PvP update, which is becoming apparent. There will also be PvE, but it seems more like a “farewell tour” through Kaidan. Issue 13 is supposed to mark the last stop there. Additionally, an update to the dungeon finder function for PvE is coming, allowing players to automatically find agents.

The Secret World in Tokyo

The main focus is on PvP: They want to revise the existing mechanics in Stonehenge and El Dorado. Additionally, a function to deal with AFK players will be introduced, improve the Fusang Project, bring new PvP rewards, and address power tuning.

A lot to do – the main attraction of the patch will be a new PvP arena. This will be Shambhala. In Buddhist mythology, this is a hidden kingdom. In The Secret World, it will become a cool PvP arena with temperatures below freezing.

A small insight into what makes The Secret World special can be found in this video – the storytelling is considered unique in the MMORPG genre:

http://youtu.be/2AbePdAV07g
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. TSW

SWTOR promises “big” announcement!

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time < 1 minutes

The creators of Star Wars: The Old Republic promise a big announcement – what could be behind it?

What does 2016 hold?

With SWTOR, one really can’t complain about a lack of attention lately, as there was recently a minor “scandal” regarding the nerfing of companions. However, it seems one likes to be in the spotlight, which is why they are once again practicing the “announcement of an announcement”.

Big novelty or
Big novelty or “just” fresh chapters?

According to this, all fans should keep an eye on the official SWTOR channel on Twitch next Tuesday, as something “big” will be announced there.

Additional excitement was promised by the recently returned to BioWare Drew Karpyshyn, who has since been working on the story of the MMORPG again. He immediately jumped on the bandwagon and announced:

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What exactly will be announced remains a mystery until Tuesday. Many players expect a release plan for the missing chapters of “Knights of the Fallen Empire,” which should continue the story of the latest expansion. Others suspect that this wouldn’t be important enough to be called a “big announcement,” as everyone is already expecting it. We will keep you updated.

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

Guild Wars 2: Free2Play hat Spielerzahl verdoppelt!

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

Guild Wars 2 is doing great – that’s why there is now a strong investment in eSports.

Doubling the Player Count and eSports Plans

Shortly before the release of “Heart of Thorns,” ArenaNet decided to make the base game of Guild Wars 2 free to play – essentially Free2Play. According to SuperData Research’s CEO, Joost van Dreunen, this had an outstanding effect on the player base of GW2. While there were “only” 1.5 million players roaming Tyria in August 2015, this number rose to 3.1 million by October 2015 – that’s more than a doubling!

ArenaNet wants to leverage this upswing and especially expand the area of eSports. That it has potential and is incredibly interesting for viewers is shown, for example, by the access figures on Twitch. Here, Guild Wars 2 consistently ranks in the top 20, with occasional surges upwards, such as at the announcement of Heart of Thorns.

Guild-Wars-2-Raids-
Guild Wars 2 has doubled the number of active players – thanks to Free2Play.

To establish Guild Wars 2 as an eSport, changes have also been made in the game. There are different leagues in which players can qualify. Similar to football, at the end of a season, the top 2 teams are promoted to the next higher league, while the two worst teams are relegated.

Whether this is just a brief upswing or can establish itself as a long-term success will be shown in the coming months and with the first major tournaments.

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

Destiny: Mit Kampfpreisen und diesem Trailer greift Destiny Weihnachten nochmal an

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The MMO shooter Destiny wants to know once more in the Christmas business. With a trailer and juicy discounts, they want to make an impact this Christmas season. They are selling Destiny at affordable prices – even in Germany.

40$ and excellent critic reviews, these are the arguments for Destiny in the Christmas business of 2015. The game, long derided by critics, now boasts a few press superlatives and argues: If you had bought the games like this, you would have paid 140€. That’s the value. We offer this to you for 40$.

http://youtu.be/NkYqttzX90M

40 US dollars – that is the price for the Legendary Edition with all previously released game content: The base game, the DLC The Dark Below, the DLC House of Wolves, and the expansion “The Taken King.” At the launch of “The Taken King,” Bungie wanted to sell the package for nearly 60 euros.

Bargain hunters beware: Destiny will also be available at particularly low prices in Germany

The trailer and pricing announcement seem to be part of a Christmas offensive from Bungie. Recently, they introduced a “Refer-a-friend” program and a patch is also in the pipeline for the next few days. It seems that Bungie wishes for one thing from Santa this Christmas: new players.

Prices for Destiny are also dropping significantly in Europe. The Legendary Edition is currently at 45€. On November 30th at 8:00 PM, shipping giant Amazon plans to lower the price again as part of its Cyber Week. But only as long as supplies last.

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

Camelot Unchained: Animal Enjoyment with the Spirit-Mages

Matthias Winter Matthias Winter Reading time 4 minutes

Due to the Thanksgiving holidays, City State Entertainment (CSE) is currently busy, and two class trios have been introduced in rapid succession: the Spirit Mages (pet class) and the Healers (healer class) for Camelot Unchained (RvR MMORPG).

We will take a look at the former here, while we will examine the Healers more closely in the coming days.

The Spirit Mages are divided into the following three distinct classes:

Slaughterwolves

The Slaughterwolves (Viking) are a group of mages capable of summoning the spirits of wolves while simultaneously controlling multiple elemental beings (ice, fire, etc.). Depending on the element of the wolves, they have different types of damage and debuffs. Each animal may possess a different element; however, multiple wolves of the same type can group together autonomously and act as a unit within the entire pack. The summoners can only give commands to the spirits when they simultaneously summon a new animal of the same element, whose command then applies to all animals of the elemental group.

Camelot Unchained Summoner Slaughterwolves
A summoner of the Slaughterwolves with his pack on the hunt

This enormous number of possible companions is both the strength of the Slaughterwolves and a significant challenge. The spirit wolves begin to disintegrate immediately after summoning, and this process can only be delayed by the spirit wolves feeding on the bodies of fallen enemies. However, only one wolf can feed at a time, making a large pack constantly reliant on new supplies. The summoners must also always monitor the individual animals of the group, similar to a pack leader, as the mental control over the wolves has a limited range. If this range is exceeded, the wolves will become autonomous until they either disintegrate or a new summoner of the Slaughterwolves is nearby, to whom they will then voluntarily join.

Like real wolves, the summons of the Slaughterwolves can hunt specific – chosen by the summoner – opponents. Generally, there is a close symbiosis between spirit wolves and real wolves, whose strength and energy can absorb the spirits when they meet. Considering all these points, the Spiritwolves, with their almost RTS-like gameplay (control of the wolves), seem to be one of the most skill-intensive and complex classes in the game.

Morrigan

Camelot Unchained Morrigan Spell

The Morrigan (Tuatha Dé Danann) are master summoners who can summon three different types of spirits: a wolf spirit, a raven spirit, and a bull spirit. Additionally, skilled Morrigan are capable of regularly changing the form of the spirit into that of another animal when needed.

Camelot Unchained Morrigan Portals
Through the portals of the Morrigan, opponents never know where the attack will come from in time

This and their ability to open portals, which the spirit can then use to quickly and unexpectedly attack, make the Morrigan dangerous opponents. Their victims usually only realize what is happening to them when it is too late. The spirits operate less as pets accompanying the Morrigan and more as a kind of magical projectile causing direct damage. Examples include the “Spectral Bull” spell, which causes significant ram damage and can interrupt enemies, as well as the “Spectral Crow” spell, which not only provides the Morrigan with a speed buff but also regenerates hit points through life leech.

The Morrigan must pay close attention to their energy pool (Blood / Stamina) during casting. Like the Wisps (scouts of the TDD), the time of day plays a vital role, as their energy regeneration at night is much better than during the day. Furthermore, the death of an opponent also temporarily positively affects the regeneration time of the Morrigan.

The Morrigan is thus the perfect complement to the Druid of the Tuatha Dé Danann, which we recently introduced to you. Whereas the Druid, in contrast to the mages of the two other realms, has hardly any direct spells with single target damage and focuses entirely on AoE damage, the powers of the Morrigan represent the complete opposite. The long range of their abilities, the element of surprise, and the fact that the spirits, thanks to the portals, are hard to stop before reaching their target, round off the overall package.

Camelot Unchained Spirit-Pets
Spirit pets come in various forms and elements

Dread Caller

The Dread Caller (Arthurian) stand out a bit, as they summon the spirits of deceased humans who have done something wrong in their lives, rather than animal spirits, similar to a necromancer. These damned souls of warriors, mages, and rogues can now pay their debt by bringing their special abilities to the service of the Dread Caller. Depending on the need, the summoners can summon a different spirit with suitable abilities.

Some of the companions of the Dread Caller include a “Traitorous Soldier” who can deal considerable damage with his two-handed weapons and a “Corrupted Cultist” who uses his mind and shadow magic against the enemies, as well as a heavily armored tank who protects his master from harm. The Dread Caller, similar to some of the scouts of Camelot Unchained, can gain control over the body of the summoned spirit while his own body remains in place.

But even without creatures, the Dread Caller makes a good impression. They love to be in the midst of the fray and therefore have a wide repertoire of melee skills. And to survive the battle at the front unscathed, they have suitable advantages (boons) available. One of these options, for example, ensures that the Dread Caller is healed by the damage dealt by the spirit. This, along with the fact that the summoned spirits remain in the fight even after the death of the Dread Caller, makes him and his creatures true nuisances.

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For more class introductions and information about the game, you can find it on our news overview of Camelot Unchained

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. camelotunchained.com Klassenseite des Magiers

World of Warcraft: All Class Halls in WoW Legion

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 6 minutes

There are fresh images and videos of the class or order halls from World of Warcraft: Legion – check out where your hero will soon spend their time!

What do the order halls bring?

With the upcoming expansion Legion for World of Warcraft, there are numerous new contents that all players can look forward to. Important components of daily gameplay are the order halls, which are supposed to be the counterpart to the garrison of Warlords of Draenor. Unlike before, however, the class halls are accessible to all players of both factions, allowing, for example, all mages to meet in the same place.

Here, the artifact weapon can be upgraded and various tasks accepted. The goal is to reduce the statics and loneliness of the garrisons and create a new sense of community for each class – with a sanctum where only members of their own class have access.

Check out the different class halls on the next pages!
Check out the different class halls on the next pages!

Although Blizzard has already roughly presented some class halls in the past, there are now fresh screenshots that convey a real impression of what the atmosphere in the respective halls looks like for the first time.

Unfortunately, we only have a short video for the Death Knight (Acherus) and Demon Hunter (Mardum). Both class halls are still in an early stage of development.

Check out how the different class halls in WoW: Legion look on the next pages, and let us know your opinion. Do you already feel at home in the halls? Or would you have wished for something different?

[toc]

Paladin – Sanctum of Light, Eastern Plaguelands

WoW Class Hall Paladin 1
WoW Class Hall Paladin 2
WoW Class Hall Paladin 3

The hall of all paladins is the Chapel of Hopeful Light in the Eastern Plaguelands. For a long time, it was the only remaining bastion against the Scourge in the Eastern Kingdoms. Here, the attacks on Naxxramas were coordinated, and the Lich King was repelled with his death knights. If there is a sign of hope in the darkest hour, then it is this little chapel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsd4d2YXouo
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. 2p.com
  2. reddit.com/r/wow/
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

The Elder Scrolls Online struggles with sins of the past, wants to finally get rid of veteran ranks

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

The fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online is struggling to transition from a veteran rank system to a more flexible champion point system.

The progress system in The Elder Scrolls Online continues to cause headaches for the developers.

Because the current system, the “veteran ranks” in The Elder Scrolls Online (the level after level), was supposed to serve only as a transitional solution until the champion point system was implemented.

However, it was then found that the veteran ranks are connected to so many systems that they could not be removed without risking “blowing up the whole game.” This was explained by Creative Director Rich Lambert of TESO in the stream show ESO Live.

TESO-Championsystem

Transitional solution has been replaced by transitional solution

When the champion point system was completed, another interim solution had to be found, and since then, champion points and veteran ranks have been active simultaneously. Quite complicated – and this system is also just a transition until they can finally get rid of the veteran ranks. However, this proves to be complicated.

In the latest patches, catch-up mechanics for champion points have been introduced. This aims to make it cleaner to get rid of the veteran ranks later on by getting the majority of players up to higher champion points.

The plan seems to be working: In Orsinium, Zenimax has now joyfully recorded that the average champion points achieved by all players have increased.

Final transition should be “slow and careful”

Lambert wants to ease the players’ fears about the transition, to reassure them.

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At the moment, not much concrete can be said because everything is in progress and could still change. But the champion points are no reason for concern. You won’t suddenly have 500 champion points to continue using the VR-18 gear. Just because the first cap is there, it doesn’t mean that the best gear will be hung there; rather, they will “take it slowly.”

This is Lambert’s current message: They intend to proceed very carefully and slowly until they can finally get rid of the veteran ranks.

The Elder Scrolls Online Armor

The Elder Scrolls Online would transition from a twink-unfriendly to a twink-friendly MMORPG

Mein MMO says: It sounds so trivial, but the transition frightens players and presents great challenges for developers, yet the potential is enormous.

An MMORPG faces problems when it switches to another system after (probably) two years.

The Elder Scrolls Online Frostmahr mount

The veteran ranks have always been nonsense in that form. Leveling to 50 felt good, but with the transition to veteran ranks, the gaming experience suddenly became sluggish; level-ups took forever and yielded little benefit. In retrospect, it was a nonsensical concept: They could have just gone to level 80 and kept the progress curve relatively constant, instead of building in such a steep “stair” increase. This decision, along with the Cadwell’s Silver/Gold story, likely dampened the enthusiasm for TESO for many players after the initial months.

The champion system, in contrast, has several advantages and sounds significantly better. Especially the idea that every character above level 50 “is as strong as the main character” and can wear equally strong gear is likely to make TESO a much more twink-friendly game. You can see how hard developers and games suffer under such “interim solutions.” If the champion system had been completed in 2014, a lot of anger could have been avoided.

More about the future of The Elder Scrolls Online can be read in this article on the big Q&A: Housing, 64-Bit Client and more – What 2016 brings for TESO

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

Evolve: 2 Skins zu gewinnen bei der Thanksgiving-Jagd!

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time < 1 minutes

Evolve is hosting a new weekend challenge and offers two skins that hunters and monsters can earn together.

United in Bird Hunting

Evolve is also joining the loudly steaming train of Thanksgiving events and is hosting a new community challenge this weekend. Since the turkey population on Shear is nonexistent, other birds must serve as victims.

On Shear, this likely corresponds to the Mammoth Birds, which have little to do with flying creatures, but electric shock tentacles are also something like wings, right? The goal of the challenge is to kill a total of 750,000 Mammoth Birds. It doesn’t matter whether you do this as a hunter or monster, you can basically play “as usual”, but you should focus a bit more on hunting the walking Tesla coils.

Evolve Thanksgiving Challenge

The challenge is active until noon on November 30th. Anyone who has taken down at least one of the quirky birds qualifies for the two skins “Goliath Poison Frog” and “Hyde Union Jack”.

For the first time, it is now possible to track progress live online, so that all players always have a rough idea of how far they have progressed in the challenge.

For more about the game and the new character “Blitz-Markov”, check out our Evolve topic page.

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

Need for Speed Edge: Neues Gameplay vom Racer

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The racing MMO Need for Speed Edge presents a new gameplay video and has entered closed beta.

Made for the Asian market, the new MMO from EA “Need for Speed” Edge impresses in gameplay videos. A closed beta has been running in South Korea for a few days.

In the PvP mode “Speed-Battle,” players can use a speed boost to catapult themselves in front of the other players’ vehicles when the energy is charged. In the video, however, you won’t see the typical sports cars, but rather cars that you might encounter on South Korean streets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zex-kjJG6NQ

In a second mode “Item Battle,” players can scrape items off the road and then use them.

“Need for Speed Edge” belongs to the MMO releases of well-known Western franchises like Civilization Online or Call of Duty Online, with which Western companies aim to conquer the market in Asia. Consoles are hardly prevalent there; everything is centered around PC or mobile. Need for Speed Edge runs on the Frostbite Engine 3, which is also used by Star Wars Battlefront.

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