In the action MMORPG Neverwinter , the next module, Underdark, takes you into the underworld. Everything that happens there will be introduced in a series of blog posts.
Thus, fans of artifact weapons will no longer have to wait for the special “Double Refinement Event” to take full advantage of their weapons. Artifact weapons of rank 15 or higher will gain the new feature “Always Double Refinement”, which also applies to existing weapons.
In another blog post, the development team discusses the new “Underdark Campaign”. The details on how players can gain advantages with Faerzress and Demon Blood are explained in an extensive blog post.
There is more to see with the “Demogorgon” (cover image), a demon that can swing its tentacles along the stalactites of the underworld and whose presence drives everyone insane; it has even corrupted the battlefield. What a nice guy!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Coinciding with the launch of KotFE, new items from the cartel market have been revealed at Star Wars: The Old Republic …
Barking Companions and Character Boost
Since yesterday, the Early Access for Knights of the Fallen Empire has begun, and the first players are already experiencing the new story in the universe of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Dulfy.net has already extracted some new icons that will be added to the game with the official launch of the expansion next week. Some of these symbols are definitely associated with the cartel market, while others will be awarded as rewards for active subscriptions. An exact attribution is not possible at this time, but it’s worth taking an initial look at the objects.
In addition to a new Accord Dog as a companion, it seems there will also be a completely new cartel package that may contain many new armors and mounts.
Also noteworthy is the Character Boost Icon – whether this represents a free option for subscribers or must be purchased each time from the cartel market remains to be seen.
Lastly, numerous other objects are also enticing, such as a dark emote and a … Relaxation Stump. You might want to ask why, but somehow this thing restores your health points. It’s said that exercising in nature is supposed to be relaxing.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The latest card chaos from Hearthstone grants players fantastic powers – become a boss yourself. Or even better: all the bosses!
Changing Powers with Each Turn
Since 5 PM, the new card chaos (October 21st) is live in Hearthstone. For a change, players can freely assemble their deck again (with cards from their own collection), but the special feature ensures amusing matches: Both players receive a random ability from the bosses of the various adventures. To create even more chaos, the ability can only be used once – then it is replaced by a new, random boss ability.
Chaos is once again pre-programmed.
Don’t forget that for the first victory in card chaos, there is this time also a free classic card pack to win. As usual, the acquired cards can be disenchanted and then crafted into new cards. A single victory is therefore worth almost 100 gold pieces, which no one should miss.
For more information on the current balancing changes and the game itself, check out our Hearthstone topic page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , there are now anonymous sources allegedly from the developers. They explain why the first story was so weak.
The website Kotaku claims to have spoken to 6 employees from Bungie, who wish to remain anonymous. Their statements explain why the story at release was so strangely weak.
The original story did not please the bosses, was too linear, was discarded
According to reports, Joe Staten, the “main writer”, and his team presented the entire story, cutscenes, and what they had up to that point in a two-hour “supercut” to the senior designers at Bungie in the summer of 2013. They simply did not like what they saw: too cheesy, too linear. And said: “Everything needs to go, we are starting over.”
While they kept the mythology, the alien races, and the Traveler, they decided to completely retell the “plot,” the framework of the story.
The treasure room of Charlemagne: Did not make it to release.
There are various statements regarding the story up to that point. One source says it was “confusing, esoteric nonsense,” another source mentions it contained “strong material.” Only the supercut did not account for that. Others state that the story by then had been changed so many times that it seemed like Frankenstein’s monster pieced together.
The important people at Bungie found the original story far too “linear.” During the first few missions, Guardians would have seen all the planets. This did not align with their visions. They parted ways with Staten under “not exactly friendly” circumstances and took matters into their own hands.
This image shows Rasputin.
Osiris, the Stranger, and the Queen’s Brother
What happened next is unusual: They took the parts for which they had spent millions and reassembled them under time pressure without the support of the original writers. They combined two completely different missions into one. They made use of existing cutscenes and character models.
In doing so, they excluded or repurposed some of the characters.
Osiris was originally intended to be a kind of “Obi Wan” mentor who would guide players on their journey, but was discarded – is currently only seen as “Trials of Osiris” in the game
Osiris had an assistant, whose appearance was modeled into the “Stranger“
Crow played a similar role as Cayde-6 as a daredevil who would lead the player to Osiris; this character was cut and the model was used as the brother of the Awakened Queen
Rasputin had a larger role in the origin, appearing as an “Exo” that you had to save from the Hive, who had abducted him onto their coffin ship. Later it was revealed that the character was only a “puppet” for the Warmind
Charlemagne (Charles the Great) another Warmind was completely discarded
Was not the brother of the Queen on the screen, but a completely different character.
Original authors were considered “outcasts”
This “redesign” of the existing parts into a new story was carried out by a small team with people like Luke Smith and Chris Barett, who last year received important roles in the development of the DLCs. This all occurred under time pressure, as the game had already been postponed twice.
The authors they had until then gradually left the studio. One source says they were considered “outcasts.” They rewrote the story without the authors.
While they were hastily reassembling the story without authors, they still thought that Destiny should be released in March 2014. When they achieved a delay to September 2014, they used the additional time and invested it in the gameplay of the game, not in the story.
The original story, before all these changes, was supposed to have a much stronger focus on the narrative. It would have had many more cutscenes at the beginning and end of each mission.
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The current sources, allegedly from Bungie employees, give the “known facts” a new spin. Many fans believed that Bungie had unnecessarily butchered a super story “under pressure from Activision.” They use concept art as evidence for their thesis that a lot was cut out.
If you believe the six employees here, the story was neither super nor was there pressure from Activision, but the original author team had gone astray, and the story disappointed the decision-makers at Bungie. Perhaps this is not as spectacular as a huge conspiracy theory, but it is quite plausible. Because such a drastic cut of “We’re starting from scratch with the story” certainly does not happen without reason.
We spoke with John Corpening, Game Director of Guild Wars 2 PvP and WvW and Steve Fowler, Head of Global Marketing about the eSports potential of the MMORPG Guild Wars 2.
Mein-MMO.de: You have been trying to enter the eSports realm with Guild Wars 2 for a while now. How hard is it to establish a foothold here? Isn’t the market already saturated?
John: We are very successful at creating a competitive landscape for our players and the growing community. That has always been our goal. The pro leagues are a natural next step for our community. This is based on the growth we see in PvP and the momentum we have gained from the World Tournament Series: our first tournament with large cash prizes that gave players the chance to travel to different places around the world and play for cash prizes.
“We are number one in our genre in competitive PvP”
John Corpening, PvP Game Director
Regarding market saturation, I think it’s one of the greatest strengths of Guild Wars 2 and also one of our greatest opportunities. We are number one in our genre in competitive PvP and have been in the leadership position for over a decade. It’s really not about getting a foot in the door, but rather about building on the growth we have seen since launching the Guild Wars brand. The first Guild Wars already had significant competitive PvP events when hardly anyone in the West was holding such events. And now PvP in Guild Wars is bigger, bigger than it has ever been in the history of the Guild Wars brand.
[pullquote]We are different from anything out there in the top scene of competitive games.[/pullquote]We are different from anything out there in the top scene of competitive games. Everyone in Guild Wars 2 is on the same level – you download the game for free, complete a quick tutorial, and then you can jump straight into PvP with a max character, max gear, and all unlocked abilities. You don’t have to grind to unlock stats, traits, or gear and you don’t have to spend a lot of money to keep up with everyone else.
The barrier to entry is very low. In Guild Wars 2, it’s only about who the best player is and having the best team to win – apart from that, everyone is equal. We are a team-based, competitive MMORPG – our games are super action-oriented, fast, and usually last no longer than 15 minutes. This allows you to quickly play a game during lunch or in the evening with a busy schedule.
If you are a spectator, there is always exciting action to watch. You can observe more games, and there are no lulls with moments where nothing happens between the action. When one team dominates, it ends quickly, so you can jump to the next match without having to endure a long game where the result is already clear, and you are just waiting for it to end. These are just some of the things that set Guild Wars 2 apart from other games.
Steve: Guild Wars 2 launched three years ago with a fully balanced PvP mode designed around skills and not item upgrades. Since then, the community has embraced this game mode and has organically organized its own competitive games. Over a year ago, we formalized a partnership with ESL and launched the Go4 Cups, weekly tournaments with cash prizes, as well as the World Tournament Series, our first tournament for Guild Wars 2 with big prize pools. Since the launch, and especially during the past twelve months, we have seen strong growth in PvP games. PvP is the fastest game segment in Guild Wars 2. The pro league strategy is a natural evolution and supports this organic growth.
“We offer an alternative in eSports to established genres like MOBAs and first-person shooters”
Regarding saturation, I think eSports has yet to unlock its full potential. The sky is the limit when it comes to the popularity of eSports. And this is not just my opinion – reputable research from institutions like Newzoo and Superdata has made predictions for growth in eSports. The numbers they have published indicate a massive explosion in this area. I believe Guild Wars 2 offers a unique approach to competitive gaming, as the combat is so fast and you need a maximum of 15 minutes for a match. We provide an alternative in eSports to established genres like MOBAs and first-person shooters.
On the next page, we confront John and Steve with why Guild Wars 2 has not yet made a breakthrough in eSports and whether MMORPGs are perhaps not suitable for this…
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the sandpark MMORPG ArcheAge the autumn festival is running with spooky versions of one’s own house.
Halloween also affects pirates, homeowners, and other people in ArcheAge. The “autumn festival” is active until November 3rd.
Since ArcheAge is so focused on housing, numerous decorative items have been newly patched into the game, some from 2014 like (Jack-o’-Lantern or a grave stone), but also new ones for 2015 like a special coffin that allows for better resting and regenerating more work points.
As is common with seasonal events, all this can be found in the game’s cash shop for “hard-earned” money. The “commercial” Halloween starts on October 23rd.
At the same time, an event is also occurring with the autumn festival. Here, one can search for sweets on the back of a snail, which can then be exchanged for seasonal prizes and much more. It was supposed to start yesterday, but it didn’t go smoothly. A planned “peace treaty” that was supposed to cover two areas didn’t seem to work properly. A hotfix has been released in the meantime.
Both the event and the festival have been introduced in blog posts that are also available in German. We have linked them in the sources.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the Russian version of Black Desert, there are difficulties. A promised subscription server did not arrive, although extra payment was made for it.
In Russia, they are somewhat ahead with the port of Black Desert compared to here in the West, but there are serious problems. The local publisher GameNet released three different founder packages, the most expensive of which was purchased for around 35 Euros by players who wanted to play on a “subscription server” (premium server), which meant one without a cash shop. Apparently, some Russian players longed for such a model, tired of cash shops and the typical practices that accompany them.
The money was paid, but then there was no word about a “subscription” server. After repeatedly assuring the community with “It’s coming – there are technical difficulties,” they are now offering players… not really their money back, but exchanging it for a smaller package and “1500” Gamenet points – or players can continue to wait for their subscription server.
New trailer for the West version:
http://youtu.be/xJcCxPNJkts
In the meantime, reports are circulating from the Russian free-to-play servers on reddit making serious accusations that the game is “pay-to-win” and players can buy significant advantages with real money.
In Star Trek Online, Season 11 will start in a week and it has some quirky plot twists in store.
The Mirror Universe is not only the place where everyone wears beards, but it also reveals unexpected traits in Star Trek characters. “Leeta” was a minor character from the TV series Deep Space Nine, a Dabo girl who took on a more important role as the story progressed. However, her mirror counterpart, “Mirror Leeta,” operates on a whole different level. There, she is an admiral and pursues even more power in an exciting story.
In the “main story” of Season 11, Star Trek Online will deal with the aftermath of the Iconian War. This has created a desire for new discoveries across all factions, ushering in an age of exploration. In Season 11, players will encounter a new species and explore the consequences of time travel during the great war.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , Banshee-44 has new test weapons and rewards for players. What legendary weapons are available?
On Wednesday mornings at 11 AM (next week at 10), Banshee-44 has new toys for the Guardians in Destiny. We present to you what you need to carry this week and what new rewards are available.
Those who have gathered a bit of reputation with Banshee-44 can order a weapon today, which Banshee will then deliver next week in various versions.
Can come with Roulette and Fireball: the Uffern HC4.
These legendary weapons can be ordered
Clicking on the name of the weapons opens the corresponding page in the official database.
Arminius-D, an automatic rifle by Häkke, low impact, large magazine, fast reload. Can be quite useful with perks like “Persistence” or “Spray and Play”, but generally not highly sought after.
SUROS-Dis-43, a scout rifle from Suros, decent scout rifle, nothing special, can come with perks like “Perfect Balance”, Snapshot or Roulette, but you need to be lucky. Relatively decent range and impact, but there are strong alternatives among scout rifles.
Judith-D, a hand cannon from Häkke, outstanding impact, terrible stability, a very interesting choice. The Judith-D can get perks like Snapshot or Zen Moment, and Spray and Play is possible as well, should definitely be checked out by friends of quality hand cannons.
Uffern HC4, a hand cannon from Omnolon, with decent impact and stability. A balanced elegant weapon from Omnolon, can get Fireball and Roulette, absolute killer perks. Definitely an interesting and elegant choice!
Lyudmila-D, an impulse rifle from Häkke, balanced stats, perks like Fully Automatic, Headseeker or Snapshot are possible. The Lydumilla is considered a strong, solid impulse rifle. Definitely worth taking.
With the two hand cannons or the impulse rifle, you can’t go wrong. Remember: You don’t have to redeem the weapon if you don’t like the perks next week; you can wait another week to see if they are stronger then.
Wednesday? Really? Didn’t I just write the last Complaining Wednesday? Where in the Nether has the time of the last week gone? Where was the weekend and the time I wanted to work on personal projects?
So many games, so little time
It is, without wanting to discuss it for long, surely a luxury problem. The last days have completely turned into playful stress. What once was a mere hobby for relaxation and allowed me to switch off more or less, has now often turned into pure stress. This is particularly evident during events, like the countless Halloween events that are currently waiting in almost every game.
Halloween events are currently waiting in every game. What should you start with?
It was different before. The decisive reason – at least for me – is probably that I managed with one game back then. There was World of Warcraft for me and then maybe occasionally a single-player RPG, but that was it. There was hardly any pressure; the games did not insist that you had to be effective to succeed. Perhaps it is not the games that have changed, but my attitude towards them. Or a mix of both. Efficiency is an important keyword today, even in leisure activities. I always think of the almost philosophical trailer for Ekko.
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“People waste so much time. And then they wish they had more of it. They want their days to have more hours; their years more days; their lives more years. (…) If you can’t make the best of every single moment, you don’t deserve a single extra second.”
And that’s exactly how I often feel in the past few days. I log into WildStar, trying to gather as many marks as possible to get the limited Halloween decorations. I rush over to WoW to collect a few Sweet and Sour for the fancy Deathwing costume that I won’t be able to get otherwise.
I could participate in the beta of Blade&Soul or try out the Early Access of Knights of the Fallen Empire. Heroes of the Storm got Artanis, whom I want to try out. And then the latest episode of Tales from the Borderlands came out, which I definitely want to see. Oh yes, and RP.
I need RP because that is my elixir of life.
The costumes want to be taken.
At the end of the day, I accomplished everything. But nothing really. It doesn’t feel satisfying. Did I use the time effectively? Certainly. Did I have fun doing it? I don’t know. And that probably equates to a “No.”
What am I actually complaining about here? That I have too much to game and can’t concentrate on any of it properly? A bit silly, one might say. Depressed Cortyn is depressed.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Another Protoss joins the battles of Heroes of the Storm . Artanis can now be selected by some players.
His Life for Aiur
Since the early hours of the morning, the newest hero in Heroes of the Storm is available. The Protoss warrior Artanis enters the battlefield and can now be selected – provided you have pre-ordered StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. The Hierarch of the Daelaam is exclusively in Early Access for all pre-orders of the strategy title.
In line with the release, Blizzard has presented a new spotlight video that showcases the strengths and weaknesses of Artanis:
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We have already taken a detailed look at his abilities. It will still be a while before he is available in the shop for the rest of the players.
A Small Patch for the Medic
A little sturdier: More HP and faster regeneration.
The newest patch has not only unlocked Artanis but also brought two small changes to Lt. Morales. The medic lady was dying in battle much too quickly and should now be a bit more resilient, as her hit points have been increased by about 17%. Along with this, her basic HP regeneration was raised from 1.46 per second to 1.75 per second. Her passive ability remains unaffected.
DICE speaks more in detail about additional heroes and villains that will soon be playable in Star Wars Battlefront.
Old Men and Young Princesses
Star Wars Battlefront will be released next month. While the beta could already be tried out by all interested parties a few days ago, many characters and game modes were still not available. Developer DICE now speaks a bit more fundamentally about those things that have been withheld from players so far.
First up is Leia Organa, a top-notch supporter. Although she can take out enemy soldiers with her shot “Troopers Bane” with just a single strike, she shines primarily in boosting her teammates. Players who are revived near her spawn as improved Alderaan honor guards.
At the same time, she can secure dangerous points by placing a strong shield that holds enemies off for a while. Lastly, she has supply packages that she can request to heal allies or provide them with other power-ups.
Han Solo, on the other hand, is a cold-blooded loner. He impresses with high mobility and strong firepower. For a few seconds, he can overload his blaster, allowing him to fire as many shots as he wants without risking overheating the weapons.
Because luck is always on the smuggler’s side, he can even disable vehicles and severely damage them with his “Lucky Shot”. But even in close combat, Han is anything but defenseless: his “Shoulder Charge” makes short work of all enemies who confront him in tight spaces.
Finally, the villain Palpatine has been introduced. The Sith Emperor embodies intrigue and raw power. His fragile appearance is meant to create the impression that he is defenseless and slow, but that is far from true. His lightning powers annihilate enemy soldiers in seconds, and his chain lightning can even take out entire groups at once.
Thanks to the Force, Palpatine can also dash in a straight line across the battlefield – suddenly frying rebels from close range. Like Leia, he also has support abilities and can provide allies with power-ups and healing.
New Game Modes
In addition to the new characters, there was also discussion about the previously unmentioned new game modes, hinting broadly at what players can expect:
In “Heroes vs. Villains“, 6 players play against each other, with half of the players taking on the role of heroes in the battle and the rest as regular soldiers. The goal is to eliminate all the heroes of the opposing team. If you die yourself, you respawn as a regular soldier. These matches are supposed to be “short and intense”, in contrast to the larger battles.
Epic 1v1 battles await in the Hero Battles.
The developers are particularly proud of Battles, a mode that was probably specifically developed with consoles in mind. Two players can openly duel their rivalries in split-screen and engage in exciting 1v1 shootouts with blaster fire. If that seems too monotonous, they can switch to the “Hero Battles” – the same game mode, but with heroes and villains. Who wouldn’t want to see Luke fight against the Emperor?
Finally, there are also Training Missions, but these are basically just extended tutorials that are meant to familiarize players with the controls and different abilities.
First, hand in Praedyth’s Ghost (from the bonus mission Paradox) – You probably had to hand in the Ghost last time. It seems that at least one day must pass in between, It was the same with the Sleeper Simulant. Players who just completed the Paradox mission with the bonus objectives today will start the quest tomorrow.
Join the Future War Cult
Gather reputation for them (about 50 Light particles should suffice)
Defeat a Major or Possessed Minotaur
Disassemble its core
Kill Atheon, the raid boss from “The Glass Vault”
Find a chest in the mission “Twilight Gap”, which is actually a PvP map. You can only enter solo, you have to regularly cleanse yourself in Light until you find the chest
And finally, in the mission in the Black Garden in Destiny, defeat the enemy “Groundskeeper” while its rage meter remains above 100. You achieve this by eliminating the smaller enemies, the Minotaurs, around him.
Here is a video guide in German on how to go through the individual steps. For much, you need a group.
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The “No Time to Explain” itself is a pulse rifle with kinetic damage. It is fully automatic, precision shots return to the magazine. It is very similar to the “The Stranger’s Rifle” from the first year of Destiny with further selection perks Soft Ballistics/Improved Ballistics/Targeting Adjustments and Quick Reload/Hand Loader/Custom Stock.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Today the early access to the latest expansion of Star Wars: The Old Republic began. Accordingly, a new trailer is waiting …
“All fall before the eternal throne!”
Since today, Knights of the Fallen Empire is available for all players in Early Access who bravely maintained their subscription for the last two months. Star Wars: The Old Republic is raising its level cap from 60 to 65 and expanding the game with an extensive story campaign, which will continue in the coming months.
If you are not lucky enough to access the new content right now, you will have to wait another week and can occupy yourself with the new trailer in the meantime.
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Honestly, I am a bit concerned about the quality of the synchronization in the trailer … but maybe it’s just the impression. Let’s see for ourselves next week if the game can deliver what BioWare has been promising for months.
Blade&Soul continues the series of class presentations and today provides a closer look at the furious Berserkers.
Are you ready to take me on?!
We are just before the beta phase of Blade & Soul in Europe and North America and the developers are regularly releasing new information about the classes. To better prepare players for the game, we now take a closer look at the Berserker, a tanking team player.
The Berserker not only benefits from the attention of its enemies, it is actually dependent on it. Only then can it unleash its most powerful combos and take down foes in no time. Particularly feared is its ability to simply lift opponents off their feet and hold them helplessly in its grasp, or to hurl fallen foes into the battle as projectiles.
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In group content, a Berserker is essential, as it allows other classes, such as the Force Master and Kung Fu Master, to achieve peak performance. However, only Gon can become Berserkers – those who wished for a raging Lyn are out of luck.
For more about the game, the beta, and the classes, check out our Blade&Soul theme page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny a patch will be deployed this evening, on 20.10. The update is supposed to increase the rewards of the Nightfall Strike.
This evening, a patch for Destiny is scheduled for 7:00 PM, a hotfix. If everything goes smoothly, players should not be kicked from activities. They only need to return to the title screen when they are in orbit, log back in, and load an update. Maintenance with a longer server downtime should not take place.
As soon as the patch notes are available, we will translate them and report on what has happened in Destiny on 20.10.
By the way: According to a new post from Bungie, it reveals how the loot should be in the raid. The post is also available in German. Basically, nothing changes compared to earlier. Those who tackle the heroic mode of the raid should also receive the loot they would have gotten had they tackled the “normal” mode.
Update: The patch is now reportedly live. It is 1.54 MB. And allegedly, a new quest from the Future War Cult is active… Hm. Some are already calling “No time for explanations!”, an exotic weapon that is still undiscovered. But at the moment, all this is still mysterious. Some believe, that you need to have done the special things in Paradox.
Patch Notes for 2.0.1.2.
Temporarily removed the extra shots of the Nightstalker talent “Quiver”. The talent will be restored later.
The Nightfall Strike now has a 10% higher chance for legendary items (from 50% to 60%). The base level of legendary items has increased by 10. There are now ghost shells in the Nightfall Strike, but no more antiquated runes. Legendary engrams can no longer drop from Nightfall bosses, but still the exclusive strike items. Additionally, there should be more Strange Coins and Three of Coins.
In the hard mode of the raid, Oryx is guaranteed to drop a raid itemalso without Broken Fragments. And the Broken Fragments only drop in hard mode if the player does not already have them from the normal raid.
The weekly crucible bounty also provides 10 points stronger legendary rewards, the number of Strange Coins has been increased, and ghost shells have been added to the rewards.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the Korean MMORPG Black Desert , the dates for the first alpha test are now known.
In Black Desert, things are supposed to move quickly with the Western launch. An alpha has now been scheduled for next week.
It starts on Monday morning, October 26th, and goes until the evening of November 1st. To get into the alpha, you should keep your eyes peeled. Some fan sites will be distributing keys through giveaways. There will likely also be a few available on Black Desert’s social media.
On reddit, the community has compiled a few international sites that players should keep an eye on if they are particularly eager for the alpha. It seems to be the best chance to get into the Black Desert alpha by checking these sites and participating in the respective giveaways.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In collaboration with Artcraft Entertainment, we are exclusively raffling a Collector’s Edition of the upcoming MMO Crowfall – as the world’s first magazine.
What is Crowfall?
Crowfall is the hope of MMO nostalgics who wish: There must be more than question marks over NPCs, than instanced battles, than portioned content. Described as a mix of “Game of Thrones” and “EVE Online,” Crowfall aims to provide an alternative to the MMO sameness of the post-WoW years. To achieve this, some ideas from real-time strategy games were looked at, so that an MMO game with “consequences” could flourish again. A strategy game where players compete for dominance using the means of an MMO.
But they simultaneously want to prevent the typical fundamental problem: early advantages trigger an avalanche, the strong players become permanently stronger and dominate. In the beginning, the world is still exciting and in turmoil; later, the structures solidify, and an advanced world stagnates.
Therefore, with Crowfall: The gameplay principle is constant, but the game world is not. Just like in a board game, a world has an “expiry date.” At first, the conditions become increasingly harsh, then it goes under – a new game on a new world begins. Players take their loot and move on. We have reported several times on the Kickstarter success; especially in the following posts, you can get an idea of it:
The physical edition with all contents will be sent to the winner when the game is released. However, the winner will receive the Alpha access right away, so they can also participate in the Alphas right away.
Last instructions from the Game Director are meant to ease the launch into the Guild Wars 2 expansion for all players.
Guild Missions in the First Week
Shortly before Guild Wars 2 is expanded by Heart of Thorns, Game Director Colin Johanson gives some tips in the official forum that players should keep in mind when logging back into the game after the update.
The first guild missions will be for PvPers.
The guild missions can be chosen freely with Heart of Thorns (between PvE, WvWvW, and PvP), but not in the first week. The settings will only take effect for the following week. After the launch, this option is set by default to “Mixed”, meaning a random mix of all options. In the first week, there will be 3 missions from PvP and WvWvW, this has already been verified on internal servers. Guilds should therefore be able to prepare for this already.
Changes to the Graphics
Particularly colorful effects will be toned down in Heart of Thorns. Many animations have been revised to not display as many particles during high player and/or enemy counts, which not only slowed down many computers but also significantly limited the overview of the battle scene.
More effects? Better not. That just costs clarity.
In conjunction with this, the symbol for engineers has been revised – it should now be more distinct from that of the elementalists and thus also contribute to better clarity.
Fractal Leaderboards Are on Hold
Although the developers wanted to introduce the new leaderboards for the Fractals of the Mists at launch, they were not finished in time for the release of Heart of Thorns. They will be added in a future patch. As a small consolation, it is promised that these leaderboards will be significantly more interesting than previously planned. The longer development time will definitely have positive effects on the players. However, it was not mentioned whether this will happen in the form of rewards.
For more information about the Heart of Thorns expansion, you can visit our Guild Wars 2 topic page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The two Korean MMORPG classics Lineage II and Aion will be coming to Steam in the West.
According to 2p.com, NCSoft plans to offer two of its somewhat aged games to a larger audience in the West via Steam. Lineage II is over 10 years old and is expected to shine on Steam once again. Aion is also quite old, and is also set to release on Steam this fall.
According to NCSoft, both titles are blessed with a strong and loyal fanbase. They want to introduce them to a larger audience through Steam. A Steam presence is the next logical step.
Fits into NCSoft’s strategy to expand its presence in the West
Recently, NCSoft has shifted its focus to the West, wanting to expand its presence after having been scarce for many years – the new president has a Western affinity. The upcoming release of Blade and Soul also supports this, and they’ve brought in a key employee for community work from rival Blizzard.
In the competing game Tera, the Steam launch caused a significant boom. However, they had to scale back shortly after and block Steam access for players in Europe. The EU publisher of Tera had issues with this so-called “new global version.”
