The year 2016 brings two major MMOs to Europe – we compare Black Desert and Blade & Soul with each other.
The end of MMORPGs is not yet reached
Although the MMORPG genre is prophesied to slowly die every year, new games are still hitting the market. In western regions, 2016 can look forward to Black Desert and Blade & Soul – two Asian games that seem similar at first glance. But is that true? We compare the two games and look at what distinguishes them and which title is ahead in different categories.
In 2016, big MMOs are coming to Europe once again – perhaps for the last time?
Graphics and Look – outdated vs. new
The direct comparison of the graphical splendor of both games is a bit unfair but still needs to be made. Blade and Soul is a game created with Unreal Engine 3, which is now also showing its age. Although the game and characters still look good, both have not been current for some time.
The graphics of Black Desert are outstanding – the latest state and incredibly impressive.
Black Desert, on the other hand, boasts modern graphics, takes advantage of the latest technological advancements, and thus allows for significantly more attractive effects, both in characters and environments and spell effects. Numerous NPCs roam the land, react to collisions with players, and give the world the impression of being truly alive.
On the next page, we will pit the combat systems of both games against each other.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In round three of their class presentations, City State Entertainment (CSE) introduces the archetype of the Shapeshifter and presents us with the three most extraordinary classes of Camelot Unchained (RvR-MMORPG).
The Shapeshifters are said to be one of the most complex class trios in the game, whose gameplay is not the most beginner-friendly, as it requires not only extensive knowledge of the combat system and gameplay skills but also a certain level of timing and foresight. The archetype of the Shapeshifter is divided into the following three different classes:
Black Rider
The Dullahan, commonly known as Black Rider (Tuatha Dé Danann), or headless knights, are considered feared harbingers of death. At first glance, they differ greatly from other shapeshifters, as they cannot transform into different beings. Rather, their power grows to the point where they can transform into increasingly horrific undead forms.
These forms allow them to become a weapon themselves, using their severed head as a powerful projectile, their spine as a spear, and their ribs as armor. Their abilities deal devastating death damage, which increases with the number of corpses of their victims nearby. At the peak of their power, they consume the energy of fallen enemies and bring death and destruction to anyone in their way. Once their energy is spent, the Dullahan require a period of recovery before they can return to role as a Skirmisher with massive burst damage.
Every race of the TDD can become a Black Rider, but the Bean Sidhe seem to be ‘born’ for it!
Enchanted Knight
The Enchanted Knights (Arthurian) were the first knights at the court of King Arthur and gained their shapeshifting ability through a life-threatening encounter with the Veilstorm. Unlike the undead Black Riders, the Enchanted Knights can transform into different mystical beings. In the form of a griffin, they have not only high melee damage (single-target damage) but also a fast attack speed, making them fierce opponents in battle – man against griffin. When facing multiple enemies, transforming into a basilisk allows them to attack several foes at once (AoE) and inflict many debuffs (Crippling, etc.).
The Veilstorm has also granted them the power to transform into a kind of demon that deals damage through magic, can buff itself, and harm and control opponents with curses (Crowd-Control). The longer an Enchanted Knight maintains its form, the stronger it becomes. However, if it changes form, it must rebuild its power anew. This makes them a versatile, but also somewhat inflexible class, whose role seems to be that of an ideal 1vs1 counter.
Child of Loki
A Child of Loki (Viking) is the epitome of transformation, illusion, and deception. Through the power of found runes, they gradually gain new forms into which they can transform. They are born assassins, choosing individual victims from the crowd, whom they take down in close combat using their abilities. In the form of a horse, they cover the distance to their opponent in a flash, leaving little time to react. During combat, their fearsome wolf form instills panic in every foe and drains life energy through their attacks.
If the opponent proves harder to crack than expected, their snake form helps them pierce the victim’s armor to slowly poison them. Unlike other shapeshifters, they cannot maintain the same form for long and suffer significant drawbacks if they try to do so. Their abilities scream for the role of the melee assassin, which, unlike their counterparts, makes them less versatile and adaptable.
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For those who have been looking forward to playing a Shapeshifter at release after the presentation, unfortunately, you will have to be a bit more patient:
Unfortunately, we will all have to wait a little longer for these guys, as they will not make it into the game in time for the ‘launch.’ As we mentioned during the presentation, we had actually hoped to make them (like the Spirit-Pet classes) a stretch goal, and you can imagine how tempting that was for us. But be that as it may… we have no right to publish such (content) stretch goals as long as the game is not ready for ‘launch.’
This keeps the team true to its line of not unnecessarily prolonging the development of Camelot Unchained with ever-new content promises, which, to the dismay of some fans, means that the Shapeshifters will only find their way into the game after the ‘stealth classes’ and ‘spirit-pet classes.’ According to Mark Jacobs, this also has its advantages, as the team now has the time needed to design the Shapeshifters so that they fit into the ‘post-launch’ class structure and do not completely disrupt the balancing.
Lastly, here’s a little video treat from Josh, the new art designer of the team, for fans of the Firbolg race (TDD) and all those interested in the game design process. The revision of the race design:
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In the MMO shooter Destiny , players have now found a Mac-Cannon from Halo in the Destiny raid.
Destiny players have a very special relationship with raids and the secrets within them. In the first “The Glass Chamber”, every little space was searched, in hopes of finding the sixth chest.
Now, a player has struck gold again. He glitched through the raid and entered a completely new zone. This is an area that was either cut from the raid or is still unfinished. Or some area where designers store their stuff.
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The special thing: A “Mac”, a Magnetic Accelerator Cannon, like the one known from Halo, can be found in an even more secluded spot in this new, inaccessible area.
If you want to check it out in the Destiny raid, you should bring agility gear like the MIDA Multi-Tool and maybe play a Titan. The jumping passages there look extremely difficult. It feels a bit like extreme climbing.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO trends in September, Guild Wars 2 and Diablo 3 are big winners. WoW and Final Fantasy XIV, on the other hand, lose ground.
As always, upfront: These are not “official, absolute” numbers. The publishers simply do not release those. The top 20 from “Ratpr” reflect the hours users of the PC program “Ratpr” spent in individual games. We try to read a trend from that.
Overall, there were 10% fewer hours spent on games in September than in August. Additionally, a relatively strong single-player game came in with “Metal Gear Solid V”.
Not running well at the moment.
WoW loses, Diablo 3 wins big
The top games are noticing this immediately. WoW loses 20% of its playtime compared to August.
For Heroes of the Storm and Hearthstone , the trend is pointing downwards. With 7 and 12, they are still strong in the race and underline Blizzard’s exceptional position in the PC market.
The action MOBA Smite, which has lost so much ground recently, has been able to gain significantly in September. Also, ARK, the surprise hit of summer, can hold its ground in the top 10, albeit narrowly.
Guild Wars 2 rises, Final Fantasy XIV falls
For Final Fantasy XIV , after an upward trend due to the expansion “Heavensward”, it is somewhat declining. It loses 3 places.
A MMORPG that benefits from this is Guild Wars 2. Ahead of the expansion “Heart of Thorns”, interest seems to finally be rising again. In summer, it dropped out of the top 20 on Raptr. Now Guild Wars 2 makes a spectacular comeback, rising 8 places from 21 to 13.
Otherwise, there is relatively little movement in the top-20 games on Ratpr. Warframe has slipped down. Maybe the free-to-play release of WildStar will be noticeable in October.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Munich game studio Fairytale Distillery has been working hard on its PvP MMO “The Valley” and is now ready to expand the alpha testing periods. As promised, the developers continue to develop the game, even though the funding via Kickstarter failed.
To celebrate, the development studio is now hosting a 200-hour event:
On October 31, we invite all our supporters, testers, and clans to experience the most intense version of the world of “The Valley” so far. We have been working hard on new features in recent months and have revised the existing ones. The end result? An open world with fully persistent conflict! No more 4-hour test servers! Life in “The Valley” will now be able to develop over the course of weeks.
The new mountain landscape provides more variety in the game
Win a key for the event
The start is now a 9-day event through which the developers want to familiarize players with the new world. The event ends on November 8. If you are not a backer but still want to take a look, you can still win one of 30 keys until October 29. How? You will find out at das-tal-game.com, the official website of the game.
A row of new skills are coming to the game with the update
Many new features are coming to the game
Clan wars, settlement construction & upgrades, sieges, and daily events with resource raids.
A new “Player Progression” system that allows more flexibility in character development.
More than twice as many weapon and armor skills.
Completely revamped crafting system, with many new materials to collect and strategic choices.
A new zone featuring mountain landscapes. Gray is the new orange!
Custom key bindings.
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In the fantasy MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV, the next patch 3.1 will be released on November 10 and will bring numerous new features.
New Primal Fight
There is a lot of new information about patch 3.1. The new Primal Fight will be “Knights of the Round EX”. The “Knights of the Round” have appeared in several Final Fantasy games before, they are inspired by the Knights of the Round Table, but with a distinctly more Asian flair. After their appearance in Heavensward, they are now making a return.
The fight is expected to be harder than the one against the Ultima Weapon (Hard) and Ravana Ex at their time. The fight is said to have 10 phases. The loot will be very good, according to the latest producer letter.
The new relic weapons will come in 3.15, before the end of the year, and they will be called “Anima Weapons”.
The trailer outlines patch 3.1 with a multitude of new details and yes … you also get to see the new hairstyles in detail:
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The perhaps most interesting new feature of the patch is the Exploration Missions with the Airship. They will be available in “easy, normal, and hard” modes. These missions cannot really be completed, but players can decide how long they want to stay there.
The airship must be level 10 to start the easy mode. It does not need to be much higher for normal. To undertake the “hard” mode, islands must be discovered.
After patch 3.1, it seems that Square Enix wants to revisit the crafting system. With patch 3.2, high-level crafted gear will become significantly stronger.
For more information about patch 3.1, check out these articles:
In the MMO shooter Destiny , Boolean Twin is considered a solid, exotic scout rifle. Here’s how to get it. Here are the quests for the weapon.
Boolean Twin is an exotic weapon, a scout rifle. It is only available as a quest reward from a lengthy quest. So it cannot be found with Xur, nor in an Engram or as a random drop. The Boolean Twin is what was recognized in House of Wolves as 347 Vesta-Dynasty in the database. The weapon didn’t make it into the game back then.
Warning: The quest is quite lengthy, and it requires a lot of diligence.
The Taken War: Petra
To get Boolean Twin, you need to accept the quest “The Taken War: Petra” from Petra Venj, the friendly Cyclops of the Reef. She will then send you on a killer tour across various planets where you need to take down Taken Lieutenants. It feels a bit like a “hit list” and you are the killer for a hard-hearted lady … better not think about it.
It’s not that simple. It’s advisable to take a Guardian buddy along for the champs. If you are, of course, armed to the teeth and equipped with exotic swords in Destiny , you might still manage it solo.
As a motivational boost to endure one of the most tedious quests in Destiny: Here is the Boolean Twin in action:
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Then you need to eliminate Taken on a patrol mission in the Cosmodrome until “Darnu, Horn of Oryx” appears. He must be taken down. Do this again until the second champion shows up.
Then back to the Reef for a chat, off again – and take down two champions on Venus. The same principle applies as in the Cosmodrome.
Yes, and anyone who knows Destiny knows: All good things are at least three. Once that’s done, we’ll drag our weary zombie bones to Mars. Here too, you have to kill a lot of enemies until two champs reveal themselves. They also need to be disposed of.
Lost and Found
To receive your next quest step, you need rank 3 with the Queen’s Wrath faction, that is, with Petra. If necessary, you may need to wait a day. Now you have to take out enemies on the Grave Ship. Do this multiple times and just follow the instructions.
Near the Court of Oryx, you must defeat enemies of the Hive or start a “Court of Oryx” event. You will have to do this anyway at the end to find the technology-witch brooch and complete that part of the event.
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Now you are done with Petra for a while. Now it’s time to please Variks. His remaining quest is called “The Wolves of Mars.” Only after you’ve completed his and Petra’s missions will you receive the Boolean Twin.
For Variks, you need to deal with Fallen on the Moon, Venus, and in the Cosmodrome. The quest is called “Thin the Pack.” If you kill particularly strong enemies, progress will be faster. For the Venus part of the quest, the mission “Winter’s Scourge” is recommended.
For “Hunt the Archon” in Destiny, you go on a patrol mission on Mars. In the Rubicon Desert, you will find the Archon Priest and can take him out. It’s best to refer to the video guide for directions. Once there, you’ll need to complete an event until the Archon Priest finally appears. The quest line from Variks continues from there, with always self-explanatory mission series.
Once all this is done, you finally get the coveted reward of the Boolean Twin.
Quite a bit of diligence for a scout, don’t you think? Is the weapon worth the effort? Are there any tricks or shortcuts to the gun?
If this guide to the Boolean Twin has helped you, then check out our articles on these topics:
In the MOBA League of Legends (LoL), the World Championships, the Worlds, are held in Berlin, but Europeans are not participating.
The Worlds in LoL seem to be a bit boring: The Korean machine SKTelecom T1, led by 19-year-old star player Faker, has dominated the Worlds so far, landing in the finals with a record of 12-0. The somewhat rebellious Europeans from Origen had no chance in the semifinals that took place over the weekend, also being swept 3-0. The favorite SKT dominates the Worlds, much like Bayern dominates the Bundesliga.
And the reactions to this are similar: Great to watch, but getting a bit boring. Excitement is something else.
Here, a player from Origen escapes a 2-man gank from SKT, this was the best play that Origen showed in the semifinals… but it achieved nothing.
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The Europeans from Fnatic, who were actually set to be the “ideal final opponents”, went under 3-0 after a strong tournament in their semifinal against the KOO Tigers, which is also a team from Korea. Their victory is regarded more as a surprise. But wishful thinking from the West might play a part in this.
These have been tough weeks for the Western LoL scene. Here in the West, “Team Solo Mid” is seen as the fan favorite. Their players like Bjergsen or Dyrus are stars on Twitch, they are followed and cheered for. Also an economic factor: Riot Gaming is making efforts to build a cult around their young players. Stars or not: In international competition, Team Solo Mid was without a chance. They were out in the group stage.
Now a change is imminent, Dyrus will end his professional career. At 23, he feels burnt out. Two more players will leave TSM.
US star Dyrus announced his retirement during the Worlds:
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But that is already water under the bridge. In the LoL finals, SKT and the KOO Tigers are now competing against each other, two Korean teams for the first time in the finals of a Worlds.
The event will take place on Saturday, October 31, in Berlin. There are parallels to the 2013 Champions League Final. Back then, the favorites from Munich and the underdogs from Dortmund both made it through and met in Wembley.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMORPG Black Desert launches with a variety of classes. We take a quick look at the game styles that have been announced so far…
A Brief Look at All Classes
Although it will still take a while before Black Desert officially makes its way to the Western market, that won’t stop us from taking a quick look at the different classes the game has to offer. After all, the first alpha test is already starting.
Most classes correspond to the genre’s standard but bring a little twist with them. Ultimately, all classes in Black Desert are “genderlocked”; while some of the males and females may differ only slightly, there are still important differences. In this post, we heavily rely on a forum post by cyndihio from 2p, many thanks for the effort.
Blader – Melee Assassin with Area Effects
Fast, hard melee action with the Blader.
The Blader represents a typical, fast variant of a melee fighter, most comparable to rogues in other games. Many of his abilities make use of the long sword, which he can split as needed to attack with two smaller blades.
He is not defenseless at range either; here he can grab a bow and harass his enemies from a distance. Nonetheless, one should not confuse the Blader with a classic warrior; his light armor does not absorb many hits, and high mobility is the only thing that keeps him from falling in battle.
In contrast to the female variant of this class, the Blader also possesses relatively solid AoE abilities, which offers him more options in grinding and group play.
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The female variant of the Blader is called Plum and shares many aspects with her male counterpart. While the Blader can deal acceptable group damage, the Plum is entirely focused on single target damage, making her a deadly encounter especially in PvP.
In many cases, she is able to eliminate single targets before they can recover from her numerous stun effects. However, her defensive abilities are weak as well. If she fails to evade enemy hits with her high mobility, she very quickly loses her life – like almost all classes wearing light armor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JKtRALt01g
Wizard and Witch – Healing Glass Cannons
Witch and Wizard have powerful area spells.
Apart from the different animations, there are no game-related differences between the spellcasting classes Wizard (male) and Witch (female). They are pure ranged fighters who specialize in devastating area spells and afflict their enemies with lightning, fireballs, and earthquakes.
Their strength lies in group combat and overcoming many enemies simultaneously, while their weakness is in fighting single targets. They should not be exposed to direct enemy contact for long, as their light armor absorbs only a few hits before these glass cannons perish.
Both in PvP and PvE, the wizards are welcome, as besides their sheer damage, they also provide healing and shields for group members, making them a perfect addition to any player group.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOSp0nVfQ68
On the next page, we will present three more exciting classes from Black Desert: including a dynamic duo!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The hack and slash Diablo 3 apparently has a bot problem. Well-known D3 players are demanding a tougher crackdown from Blizzard.
The bots are out of control in Diablo 3. That’s not just anyone saying this; it’s some pretty well-known Diablo 3 players from the community who write for fan sites and discuss on reddit. They are so-called influencers, streamers, and YouTubers. In an open letter, they addressed Blizzard.
Their criticism: Botting is getting out of hand and it distorts the competition for the leaderboard spots and poisons the community. Since some are online 24/7, they can “compete at the top.” Those who do not cheat cannot play enough to keep up.
Diablo 3 is incredibly grind-heavy, and besides the “attractive” things like “Greater Rifts,” you have to invest countless hours to farm the keys for normal rifts and much more.
And it shouldn’t be that hard to spot botters. If many are logged in for more than 20 hours a day, every day, that should stand out.
What particularly annoys the signatories of the open letter is that some of the well-known D3 streamers are reportedly botting “off-stream” to log in front of hundreds of viewers with key stones. Streamers have a role model function and are abusing it in this way. Such behavior sends the signal: To be on top, you just have to cheat.
They are asking Blizzard to take tougher action against bots and advocate for “fair play.” Blizzard hasn’t taken any action for a while. Season 3 was lost to “bots,” and they hope that if Blizzard acts against bots, it will be in a way that Season 4 can still be saved. They wish for a “big cleanup” before the end of the season.
This cannot go on as it is now. As it is now, the signatories will not continue, they state.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Fans of Heroes of the Storm should set aside some money. Halloween brings many special skins, mounts, and offers…
Vampire Countess Kerrigan grants XP bonus
Halloween is popular in almost all games these days, why should Heroes of the Storm be an exception? Starting October 27, Blizzards MOBA will host its Pumpkin Party event, thematically tied to the same event in World of Warcraft. In addition to hefty experience point bonuses, new skins and mounts, as well as a special portrait await.
For everyone who also enjoys free stuff…
Those who don’t want to spend a single cent in real money can benefit from the XP bonus for a week. All games grant 50% extra experience points, allowing newcomers to quickly level up their accounts to collect various gold rewards. Veterans can also elevate a few characters to the levels that yield elite skins or gold.
The special display image is only available for a few days.
Additionally, there is a special quest available until November 17: If players win 25 matches, they will receive the “Jack-O’-Lantern” portrait. 1-2 wins per day should be manageable for most players.
… and for everyone with a deep wallet
To stand out from fellow players and competitors in the game, having one or another special outfit can be beneficial. The Headless Horseman’s mount will be added to the shop, as well as Buccaneer Falstad – a pirate on a parrot, as known from Hearthstone.
All thematically appropriate characters have been grouped into a new bundle that will cost around $53 (probably about €45). While it sounds steep, it includes Countess Kerrigan, Skeleton Abathur, the Plagued Tychus, Buccaneer Falstad, the Headless Horseman’s mount as well as the standard version of the mentioned heroes much cheaper than purchasing individually. Skin and mount collectors should definitely take advantage.
In Funcom’s free-to-play MMORPG Age of Conan, a new 24-player raid is active called “The Palace of Cetriss” and with the creeping plague, there is a brand new Halloween event.
For about another week and a half, the “horrible” plague is spreading throughout Tarantia. Those who become afflicted by this mysterious plague transform into thoughtless shells.
Players of Age of Conan can fight through the noble and servant quarter of Tarantia in this “brand new Halloween event” and uncover the gruesome truth in the catacombs.
Additionally, there are new Halloween items. Also, the events from previous years “By the Light of the Moon” and “Sets Holiday” are available.
The loot in hard mode of Kingsfall, the Taken King raid in Destiny
Basically, the items available are the same as in the normal mode, just with a new look. The items are now called “Harrowed” and have a generally darker color scheme. Following the old Tarantino motto: “Black is simply the coolest color there is.”
The new items from the raid have an attack and defense value of 310 or higher. By the way: if you decrypt an exotic engram with 311, you get a 310 version of the exotic.
What happens if you have already completed the normal raid?
It is intended: Those who do hard mode without completing the “normal mode” on the Guardian that week will receive the loot from the normal mode. However, Crumbled Fragments do not play a role in hard mode anymore.
Why do some bosses in the Destiny raid drop nothing at all?
If you have already completed the normal raid that week, it can happen that you receive nothing from certain bosses. This is because the “consolation prize,” the Crumbled Fragments, only drop in the “normal mode” of the raid. If you have already claimed those, it is possible that you simply get nothing here—not even this consolation prize.
Crumpled Fragments, the consolation prize of Destiny
You get nothing because you missed the “actual loot roll” and also do not see the consolation prize. So if you receive nothing from a “boss,” it is because you missed the loot rolls behind the scenes—you simply had bad luck.
Those who have not completed the “normal mode” yet have significantly more chances (once for hard and once for normal equipment) and will at least receive the consolation prize in the worst case.
Are there Besonderheiten von Oryx?
If you complete the entire raid and defeat Oryx in hard mode, you will receive a special emblem. If you possess all 4 raid armor pieces in the “Harrowed” version and have them on one character, you unlock the special raid shader “Ascendant Plane” in the kiosk.
An Alpha is upcoming for Black Desert. Why is it so hard to get codes?
Black Desert has long been a big topic for MMO fans looking for something different: Great graphics, interesting game ideas, amazing character creation, cute avatars. Some have been watching the game for a long time and are eager to test it.
In the West, it’s set to start soon. An Alpha begins on Monday. The invitations will be distributed via fan sites, but the complaint is widespread: “I just can’t get a code, they are gone in no time, there must be bots involved!“ If you take a look at where these codes end up, you can find them on German eBay: 30 Euros, 4 already sold, 2 still available, someone casually made 110 Euros by securing keys in bulk and now selling them. This must frustrate every “honest player” wanting to test the game.
The Lesson: If companies want to reach players’ pockets through “founder packages” at inflated prices (a practice that is now common), resourceful “private individuals” will take over.
Everyone is urged not to fall for such “bargains”. As long as there is a market for it, automated code giveaways will be misused for personal gain.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
EA has released an interesting infographic that impressively shows how much has really happened in the weekend beta of Star Wars Battlefront …
9.5 Million Players United by the Force
Long infographics that can only be displayed on 3 portrait screens at the same time are currently on trend and reflect the spirit of the times.
The beta of Star Wars Battlefront has been a few days ago, but EA and Dice did not hold back and created a comprehensive list of events related to this occasion – after all, it was the largest beta that EA has ever had. It’s best to take a look at the various figures yourselves.
The Emperor would probably be disappointed that only about 1 in 4 Darth Vaders scored a kill with Force Choke. Good personnel is just hard to find …
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
How long fans have to wait for an Overwatch beta in Europe has been uncertain. Now it has been surprisingly clarified: It starts next week!
Faster than expected
A few days ago, when the start date for the Overwatch beta was announced, the excitement was high. At least for a few seconds, because the test was initially only to take place on the American servers, which led to disappointed faces among European fans. Although it was promised that the European version would start soon, there was no specific date yet.
Now Blizzard has followed up with a cheerful message: The Overwatch beta version will start in Europe simultaneously with the American version on October 27, so already next week!
From October 28, the joyful hero activities begin. Will you snag a key?
Blizzard states: “We were able to set up and test the servers in Europe significantly faster than originally expected. (…) As a result, we are pleased to announce that the closed beta of Overwatch will start simultaneously on October 27 in America and Europe.“
Study for your exams while you still can. Soon there will be no time for that.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny, a player achieved a round with the sniper rifle Void’s Watch that commands respect even from experts.
Today, it’s a classic video, the kind that’s “as old as the Destiny community itself”: a sniper video from the Crucible. This one is only a few hours old and has earned a lot of respect from the hardcore players on Reddit.
No fluff, no nonsense, no over-editing, just a really good round!
The veterans of World of Warcraft rejoice: The audio play Allimania has been completed after many years. Tonight, the final part will be presented!
The Horst runs one last time
A significant piece of German World of Warcraft culture comes to life once more today and celebrates its grand finale. The audio play “Allimania” by Steve Krömer and a large cast celebrates the release of the 20th episode today. For over 10 years, Allimania has been parodying events in World of Warcraft and tells the story of the guild of the same name, which has to deal with various problems in Azeroth.
Since morning, the 19 old episodes have been repeated in the livestream, before the big release party takes place at 8 PM, where many voice actors are guests and there are numerous prizes to win. The last episode is so extensive that it will be divided into two parts: The first half will be played at 9:30 PM, the second half – quite traditionally – at midnight. Here is the livestream.
The production of the 20th part was financed through a crowdfunding campaign, where the original goal of €7,500 was exceeded by more than double.
Cortyn says: For me personally, Allimania is a big piece of my childhood. I still remember how I used to secretly stay up late on weekends to listen to the latest episode. On one hand, I am sad that this era is ending, but on the other hand, I am enormously glad that this project finally finds a worthy end. Thank you, Steve, for 10 years of entertainment.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The heyday of MMORPGs seems to be over. At least in the AAA sector. Should the genre return to its roots in order to reconnect with its past successes?
The first online role-playing games from the 1990s are hardly comparable to what we understand today under the term MMORPG. Neverwinter Nights from 1991, for example, only allowed for a handful of players. Meridian 59 increased this to about 250 players in 1996 who could experience adventures together. It was really just about exploring the world, defeating monsters, improving heroes, and acquiring better equipment. PvP battles were already present.
Everquest is considered one of the forefathers of theme park MMOs. World of Warcraft was heavily inspired by it.
Ultima Online offered a sandbox world for the first time in 1997, where significantly more was possible. Interaction with the world allowed players to learn various professions such as blacksmith or baker, which led to an economic system within the game world. In 1999, the genre changed slightly with EverQuest, as quests began to play a more important role. This was taken to the extreme in 2004 with World of Warcraft. WoW succeeded in compressing and combining the most successful elements of previous genre representatives, opening the genre to new target groups. Many subsequent MMOs attempted to build on WoW’s success, but none succeeded.
Are MMORPGs still MMORPGs?
A change in thinking followed. If the success of World of Warcraft could not be repeated, then new ideas were needed. Ideas that changed the genre. Guild Wars, for example, tried to focus more on PvP, while other MMO developers believed they had to go even further in a casual direction to be successful. Ultimately, all of this led to MMORPGs losing relevance.
At the last game fairs, there was virtually nothing to see from the genre. When speaking with MMO fans who have been around for a long time, you always hear that the genre should return to its roots. MMORPGs need to become MMORPGs again and not casual games that can be played alone. Teamplay must come to the forefront again. Anyone visiting a dungeon should not be able to rush through alone but only succeed in a group.
Success cannot be predicted
Would this return to the old virtues really work and bring about a second spring in the genre?
Looking at the development of computer games, it is extremely difficult to predict what will be successful “next”. The attempt to copy WoW did not produce the desired success. And few would have expected the successes of games like FarmVille or Candy Crush Saga. Also, MOBA games were more or less a surprise.
It was said that games needed to be “smaller,” the scope was too high. However, a game like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or The Witcher 3 shows the opposite. Therefore, it is not possible to say with certainty that MMORPGs can reconnect with their past successes if new games return to how the genre was in its early days.
Recently, many sandbox titles have been announced. This includes the German MMORPG Albion Online, which has some parallels to Ultima Online.
The preferences of players are changing, and it is difficult to predict what will be liked and what won’t. Would it be worth a try? Sure, if a game studio wants to take the risk, why not? But one can never guarantee success.
Currently, some games are in development – whether Camelot Unchained, Albion Online, or Shroud of the Avatar – where developers are actively promoting popular features from the past. However, it is still unclear whether this nostalgic approach will be accepted in the release version.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
This is exactly where Ubisoft continues with the weather and the time of day. All of this is supposed to adapt dynamically and not just be a gimmick, but have an impact.
The weather effects will influence the gameplay: When there is roaring wind and rain, aiming becomes much more difficult. This also applies to the enemies – they will also struggle when a storm rages.
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The latest mini-video about the day/night cycle is particularly impressive. At night, even in a setting New York, the lights come on. The various light sources will attract the attention of the NPCs. Small islands of light in a sea of darkness offer: strategic advantages and disadvantages arise.
This dynamic change of light and weather is supposed to provide increased replayability for individual missions. Agents must reckon with wind and weather if they want to be successful. The same mission at night is supposed to play out differently than when approached during the day.
