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.”
The first pre-alpha of the upcoming competitive MMO Crowfall has concluded, and the developers are reflecting on it in a post-mortem.
For the developers, the analysis of network connections and stability was, of course, very important. The measured ping times also played a significant role. In the beginning, average times were around 500ms with spikes in the 2000ms range (sometimes even up to 18,000ms). However, by the end, the average times were 50-150ms. On the official website, they provided more details about the technical progress in a blog post (crowfall.com). The most important finding was how long it takes for a command to arrive at the MMO server from the player and be sent back.
Furthermore, some interesting facts emerged. As seen in the following graphic, the Confessor was the most popular archetype of the beta.
And so, confessors fired approximately 52,385 fireballs between September 23 and October 4. However, this type of information is rather not usable. It became more interesting when analyzing other skills during the same period. Only 369 Hellfire spells were cast, and Knights and Legionnaires used Charge only 198 and 90 times, respectively, but their primary attacks with the left mouse button were used 22,981 and 18,457 times. This led the team to the following questions that now need to be resolved:
Do people not understand the alternative combo accessed with “E”?
If this is the case, is it because of the user interface?
Are QWERTZ players distorting the data?
Is the E key too cumbersome to press?
Would a new key assignment solve the problem?
Is the time window to press this key too small?
Are the alternative combos weaker than the primary attack?
The developers have learned a lot from this first pre-alpha of Crowfall, such as that the server controller is very sensitive to latency. The big advantage is that the team around Crowfall is clearly beginning to be transparent early on and working closely with players to ensure the best possible gaming experience in the end. Future alphas will provide further important information based on gameplay logs, including the impact of this and that archetype and how its powers are utilized. In the next alpha, which starts in November, players can look forward to a new archetype: The Champion.
Additionally, we are excited to exclusively show you the first artwork of the Druid class from the MMORPG Crowfall! This depicts the male Druid, who seems to be very connected to nature and the animal world.
By the way, you should take another look at Mein-MMO.de tonight. There’s something to win.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In World of Warcraft the Hallow’s End has begun, bringing numerous new rewards and changes this time …
Just don’t lose your head
If you have gotten used to the Hallow’s End in World of Warcraft in recent years, you might be surprised by all the changes this year. To help you keep your head, like a certain rider from the Scarlet Monastery, we have summarized the changes for you.
New Daily Quests in the Garrison
Players will notice the biggest changes in their garrisons. A new NPC offers 4 Daily Quests. The tasks are relatively easy, and the four mission objectives are very close together. By completing the quests, players receive Creepy Supplies. These can be exchanged for various rewards next to the quest giver, allowing you to decorate your garrison festively.
The various packages not only serve appearance purposes but also attract new battle pets to your land or even attackable spiders that may drop the toy Bag of Spectral Spiders with some luck.
Two expensive but impressive costumes
If you want to make an impression, you can once again buy the costume of the Lich King Arthas this year. It costs 200 Sweet and Sour, but has 50 charges, each lasting an hour. If you find the old Frost Throne invader outdated, you can alternatively secure a costume of Deathwing in human form for the same price. Especially players who have already collected all the other rewards from previous years may be interested in the costumes.
Another costume toy can be farmed in the area of the Daily Quests. The various enemies have a 1% chance to drop the Coin of Many Faces. This toy allows you to choose a different appearance once per day for an hour. According to the developers, there are hundreds of different possibilities!
… and don’t forget Pepe!
Achievement hunters should make a quick stop at their garrison, as it’s necessary to discover the little bird Pepe with his costume for a new Hallow’s End achievement. In the Alliance version of the garrison, he waits in the graveyard, on the grave of Ray D. Tear (a nod to the canceled raid that was originally planned for WoD). In the Horde garrison, Pepe waits behind the mines on some rocks.
With a Pepe on your head, the day is much more beautiful.
The Hallow’s End event is still active until the morning of November 1st, so there is plenty of time to collect all the rewards. If you don’t have enough Sweet and Sour for all the rewards, you might want to send a secondary character for collecting.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Whether gaming, image and video editing, office work, or watching videos. A monitor is essential for that. However, each application area has different requirements for the device.
TN, MVA, PVA, IPS, TFT, LED, and 4k or Ultra HD are just some of the terms one encounters when choosing a monitor. They are also often used as a substitute for televisions, as they now offer the same functions thanks to HDMI or Display Port. Special variants like 3D devices or curved monitors are also available. For better understanding, we explain relevant technical terms – for example, we also address the difference between Hertz and FPS. Finally, as usual, there are the purchase recommendations.
It is perfectly understandable that one eventually loses track of what all of this means. For this reason, this article will deal with exactly this topic.
[toc]
The Panel: TN, VA, and IPS
Left: TN panel in deactivated state Right: TN panel under voltage 1 – backlight 2 – separation layer 3 – polarizing filter 4 – color layer 5 – liquid crystal layer. Source: cyberport.de – Panel Technologies
The panel contains liquid crystals, which rearrange through electricity. Depending on the arrangement, they only let certain colors through. This creates the image we see. Many possible techniques are available, including: TN (twisted nematic), MVA (multi-domain vertical alignment), S-PVA (patterned vertical alignment), and S-IPS (in-plane switching).
TN is the most widespread, as it is both inexpensive to manufacture and has a very good response time. Furthermore, its power consumption is low. However, the downside is that one should only look at the device from the front. From the side, changes in contrast and color can be noticed.
Source: Marvin Raaijmakers [CC BY-SA 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
The panel consists of two crossed polarizers, with the liquid crystals in between. The incoming light from the backlight is now linearly polarized. This means: the direction and vibration of the light are largely constant. Thus, it can no longer pass through the second polarizer, as it is rotated by 90°.
Without voltage, the liquid crystals are arranged in a screw shape and “twist” the light. As a result, everything passes through the second polarizer, and the spot appears white. Under voltage, the crystals align vertically. The higher the voltage, the less light can escape, making the area increasingly darker. The only question remaining is how the colors are displayed. A pixel consists of 3 subpixels that use color filters for the basic colors red, green, and blue. Mixing these colors creates additional colors.
Source: LG Electronics
MVA panels offer a very good viewing angle and better contrast values. However, their response time is worse. Therefore, this variant is suitable for image editing but not for gaming. Furthermore, their power consumption is significantly higher as they require strong backlighting.
There are some technical similarities to the TN panels. There are still two polarizers and liquid crystals that twist when under voltage. However, their neutral position is already vertical. This means that without voltage, no light passes through, and the spot appears black. The second difference is that the pixels are subdivided into 3 more subpixels, achieving the advantages mentioned earlier. Additionally, there is S-MVA, which achieves a better response time through eight instead of three additional subpixels.
S-PVA has largely replaced regular PVA panels today. They represent a consistent further development of the (M)VA technology. They offer the same advantages, and their response time is significantly better. In return, their power consumption is even higher. Technically, there are hardly any differences.
Left: IPS panel under voltage Right: IPS panel in deactivated state 1 – backlight 2 – separation layer 3 – polarizing filter 4 – color layer 5 – liquid crystal layer 5 – electrodes. Source: cyberport.de – Panel Technologies.
S-IPS is superior to TN devices in many aspects. Colors are represented more intensely, and the viewing angle is wider. Their response time is slightly less but better than VA panels. In contrast, it is the other way around: better than TN, worse than VA. Their power consumption is higher than that of all other devices. The same applies to the price. In the mid-price range, S-IPS will be inferior to S-PVA panels. In the higher range, however, one can definitely consider them, depending on personal preferences.
As the name suggests, the liquid crystals are not screw-shaped but aligned in a plane. The polarizers are no longer crossed. Under voltage, the crystals lie parallel and horizontally, thus absorbing all light. The less power supply there is, the more the crystals rotate by 90° and allow more light to pass through.
The Backlight: LCD, TFT, LED, and OLED
When choosing a screen, one eventually confronts these three common abbreviations: LCD (liquid crystal display), TFT (thin-film transistor), and LED (light-emitting diode). Since LC stands for liquid crystals, only this method has been discussed in the previous text. TFT is a special variant of the LCD. They have now adapted so that there is no difference between them. In LED, light-emitting diodes are used instead of fluorescent tubes, which are smaller and more energy-efficient. However, since more modern LCD/TFT displays are equipped with light-emitting diodes, they are increasingly similar.
Thus, these three terms are usually only relevant for older devices. More important is the position of the lighting. If it is installed at the edge, this area shines particularly bright while it gets darker towards the center.
In the image: The OLED structure. Source: oled.at
In contrast, OLED (organic light-emitting diode) works differently. Between two electrodes lies a luminescent layer. Under voltage, electrons and defect electrons (positive charge carriers) move towards each other and recombine to form an exciton. This releases photons, generating light. For this to be visible, one of the electrodes must be transparent. Devices with OLED displays are more energy-efficient, have higher contrast, are cheaper to produce, and have significantly better response times. However, their greatest disadvantage is their short lifespan.
The Connection: VGA, DVI, HDMI, and Display Port
VGA is the analog connection and reduces image quality. The graphics card outputs a digital format, which has to be converted into analog because of VGA. The monitor then converts the analog back into the digital version. To save this trouble, DVI is more sensible, as it is a digital interface. This means that nothing needs to be converted.
HDMI can also be found on some devices. It is also a digital connection that additionally transmits audio signals, allowing these devices to have their own speakers. Accordingly, this connection is often found on modern televisions. The disadvantage of this connection is that it is very small and thus wears out more quickly.
Another option is Display Port. It offers the same functions as HDMI, and additionally allows USB signals to be transmitted. The speed is higher, production is cheaper, and it requires less electronics. This means that even flatter displays are needed. Apple’s Mini Display Port allows larger screens for notebooks.
When it comes to these connections, it is important to ensure the graphics card has such a connector. And one should be able to do without VGA by now.
3D and Curved Monitors
The 3D technology has existed for several years and has been very disappointing. Initially, one needed special glasses. Different images are displayed on the right and left eyes, from which the brain calculates a three-dimensional effect. Nowadays, there are variants without glasses, but these require an exact viewing angle, similar to Nintendo’s 3DS devices.
Currently, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Glasses absorb some light, the graphics card has to calculate everything twice, and the devices are very dependent on viewing angles. Problems may also arise in games, especially shooters. You see two crosshairs, and while software can generate a 3D crosshair from it, it may be considered cheating by the game, leading to bans. Additionally, the quality is not particularly good even with many devices. For this reason, 3D technology is currently just a gimmick.
Critically, curved monitors were received when they appeared. They are primarily aimed at relieving eye strain and improving spatial perception. You can find additional pros and cons in this article: Curved Technology: Is it Worth it to Invest in Curved PC Monitors?
On page 2, we will discuss response time, input lag, resolution, and refresh rate, among other things.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Final Fantasy XIV, the major relocation of the EU data center has been successful. The servers are reportedly located in Germany.
This went quite smoothly. Initially, 5-7 days were planned for the server relocation. Then it was estimated to take 34 hours. They finished a bit earlier. This morning, the servers in Europe came online.
Especially pleasing for us Germans: Initial tests show excellent pings. The servers are, if you can believe the tracers, located in Germany and are hosted by a company based in Düsseldorf, which has a branch in Frankfurt.
In Frankfurt, the servers of several providers are now located. The megaservers of The Elder Scrolls Online are also based here. Therefore, it could be that Final Fantasy chose this central location for Europe and Germany as well. Another popular location for Europe servers is, by the way, Amsterdam.
Until the Patch 3.1 at the beginning of November arrives, Final Fantasy XIV players will be able to enjoy the “Halloween” event. This is set to start on October 22.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , a new update is being released today following maintenance work. Therefore, you should also postpone the Weekly Nightfall Strike.
Bungie advises: Wait with the Nightfall Strike until the patch this evening
Today, on October 20th, at 7:00 PM our time, a patch for Destiny will be released for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. This patch is supposed to increase the rewards for the weekly Nightfall Strike. Therefore, Bungie advises against starting the week as usual with the Nightfall (to darken, as some say), but to wait until this evening when the patch has arrived.
Patch inbound! You’ll want to save your Nightfall until you download it. https://t.co/wrhxLFtISQ
Weekly Nightfall Strike on October 20th is Dust Palace
The weekly Nightfall Strike has been heavily criticized. It is considered too hard for the little loot it offers. Some have even (sacrilege!) suggested skipping it altogether. Let’s see if it will really be worth it with the patch this evening.
This week, it’s in the Dust Palace – which was previously only available for PlayStation players. Modifiers are:
Small Arms – Damage from primary weapons is increased
Chaff – Radar does not work
Berserk – This is the new Angry, enemies cannot be stopped even by hit effects
This week, the witch Balwûr is wreaking havoc in Oryx’s Courtyard with her Ogres as T3 Boss.
In the fight against her, the ground is full of poison. A safe zone spawns. The trick is to go with the group into these safe zones, kill Acolytes, which spawn further safe zones, and deal damage to Balwûr. Only in the safe zone can you inflict damage on Balwûr and the Acolytes.
At this point, we show you videos on how to tackle the current challenges this week. Well, we can do without an exciting video of someone pulling the patch, tears in our eyes.
Our friend Nexxos has videos on the Nightfall Strike Dust Palace and on Balwûr in German:
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An impressive cinematic from Demon Seals shows how expensive the production of trailers is, how long it takes, and what purpose they serve.
The last piece is missing
In the last few decades, storytelling has become an incredibly important element of games. Understandably, because it allows players to emotionally engage with events and develop a greater interest in the game world and thus in the game itself, which can almost directly translate into financial gain for the developers. It makes perfect sense that a lot of money is spent on capturing the story when a greater success is anticipated from it.
Such investments often produce impressive trailers, as is the case with Demon Seals. The following trailer cost nearly 2 million dollars to produce:
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From the initial planning to the completion of such a video, it takes 2 years in this case. This probably also explains why many studios can rarely respond to the request for “more cutscenes”, like in World of Warcraft, as the costs and duration of production are simply immense.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Heart of Thorns is at the starting line and the developers of Guild Wars 2 are talking a bit about the difficulties and amusing things of development.
Who needs players when there are turrets?
The first major expansion to Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns is just around the corner for release. After the developers have tried to reveal their plans and goals for individual content in numerous blog posts over the past months, they have seemingly now moved on to discussing the more amusing aspects of development.
While the goal for the guild halls was obviously to create a retreat for all players where social content is the focus, the implementation of this goal was fraught with some difficulties.
Dara Potocska talks about a bug that caused turrets in the guild arenas to attack each other instead of the players. She filled the entire arena with turrets and waited to see what would happen. The summary: Nothing and no one survived.
Darren Mason reveals how much he immediately fell in love with the arena. “When I saw a fear turret pushing a player off the platform, I liked the arena instantly. It was hilarious.”
But it wasn’t always funny and easy. Link Hughes was under a lot of pressure from fans’ expectations after the guild hall feature was announced at PAX South. “The audience cheered for almost eight seconds. I was really excited and nervous myself.”
Whether all this excitement was worth it and whether the guild halls are now the feature that fans have been wishing for a long time, you can find out for yourself in three days, as the expansion Heart of Thorns will be released on October 23.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The action MMORPG Marvel Heroes 2015 is undergoing a rebranding in December, becoming Marvel Heroes 2016 and gaining numerous new features.
Who wants to still be called 2015 in 2016, that would be totally off! In December, Marvel Heroes 2015 will become Marvel Heroes 2016, the game of the future so to speak. But you don’t just hire a graphic designer to slap a logo on, rather there are numerous additional features planned.
The most notable is an “optical update” of the really old heroes that have been around since the release. Then, they fulfill the community’s biggest wish and roll out controller support. They are introducing new arch-enemies with the Skrulls in the “Secret Invasion” storyline and the titan Thanos. And then they also have Steam achievements, leaderboards, and much more.
They seem well-equipped for the time in December and beyond at the superhero MMO creators Gazillion.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Do you like Bungie’s selection? Do you like ours? Or do you have your own favorites? Maybe the Engram shower? Let us know in the comments. And if you have a great video that we should check out, send it to us via the Mein MMO contact form. It’s like the Bat-Signal … just very different. I better stop before the guy with the slow clapping comes back!
One more to close:
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But that’s not all: Controller support for the PC is coming, especially for X-Input controllers (i.e. Xbox gamepads). To do this, you connect the controller, switch to gamepad mode in the menu, and then have the same interface on PC as console players.
Heavy armor in the new Orc style.
An astonishingly frequently requested feature has also made it into the update: With the patch, TESO players can dye their shields.
Only 501 points can be spent, but newcomers receive them faster
The most important change with the Orsinium patch concerns the Champion Points. The cap is set at 501. If you have more Champion Points, you can no longer spend them. You will receive a respec, can then distribute 501 points, but no more. Currently, less than one percent of all TESO players are said to have reached this cap. Champion Points can be earned beyond 501, but not spent. Earning them becomes increasingly difficult the more you have achieved.
This much EXP is needed for a Champion Point. The blue line counts, the orange one has been abandoned, it was significantly harder for players above the cap.
For players who have significantly fewer Champion Points, it will be faster. Fresh veterans can now earn their first points up to 10 times faster than before. Later, this bonus will diminish.
In the future, the plan is to raise the “Champion Points” cap via patch and adjust the curves accordingly.
PvP arenas requested, next trials promised
This new information was shared during an ESO Live show. In the Twitch chat, fans consistently and vehemently demanded the introduction of “PvP Arenas.” This seemed to be a coordinated action. No information was provided regarding this.
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In the realm of MMORPGs, and also in indie games, changes happen from time to time. Last week, some things were revealed that not all players might approve of, as changes are often viewed skeptically.
Darkfall Online
What is going on with the hardcore sandbox MMORPG Darkfall Online? Two companies are vying for the rights to the game. Big Picture Games and Ub3rgame want to secure the license – but it is for the old version. Adventurine will continue to manage the current game Darkfall: Unholy Wars. Big Picture Games aims to revive the old Darkfall via a new version called Darkfall: Rise of Agon. They plan to gather the costs for the licensing fees through a Kickstarter campaign.
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Ub3rgames’ version of the MMO will be called Darkfall: New Dawn and will be developed by a team of MMO experts. Who ultimately gets the license is uncertain. The background is that many Darkfall fans want the original version back, but the developer Adventurine can’t manage two versions and therefore wants to focus on Unholy Wars. By awarding the license of the first Darkfall version to another studio, they could hit two birds with one stone.
EVE Online
A change that some fans might not be happy about could be looming for the space MMO EVE Online. CCP Games is aware of the problem that newcomers are struggling to keep up with veterans and can hardly catch up at all. Therefore, they are currently considering whether veterans could sell unnecessary skill points to newcomers. This could allow newcomers to level up faster, and veterans could make productive use of the skill points they aren’t using. However, criticism of this system is already on the rise, as many players fear it could evolve into a Pay2Win system.
The announcement of the transneural skill packages, through which players can buy skill points for money, was met with even more negative reactions. Here, too, the term Pay2Win is in the air. However, it is already possible to buy a fully trained character for EVE Online on the bazaar. Such changes are always difficult to sell to a tightly-knit community like that of EVE Online…
Gloria Victis
The sandbox MMORPG Gloria Victis received a major update that introduces several changes to improve immersion in the game. For instance, rain affects equipment. Bowstrings that get wet lose their elasticity, making it less effective to shoot with the bow in the rain. Additionally, a hunger and thirst system is being introduced. This will also elevate the status of craftsmen who prepare meals for other players so they can strengthen themselves for their adventures.
Speaking of adventure, the new Spirit system will have a high significance, as in such a dark and brutal world as that of Gloria Victis, only the true heroes who have the necessary “spirit” to confront the atrocities in the world can survive. The more spirit a hero possesses, the more it helps their nation gain power. Because the more true heroes a nation has, the more powerful it is. This positively affects the players belonging to that nation, for example, by finding more resources or gaining more experience points.
Camelot Unchained
This change will likely please many fans of the MMORPG Camelot Unchained. By reaching a stretch goal during the ongoing crowdfunding campaign, stealth skills are now making their way into the game. However, they want to integrate the stealth skills carefully into the game. They should not be overpowered, so there shouldn’t be a “stunlock” and players cannot be constantly hidden. It will also not be possible to remain “invisible” all the time. For archers, there will be a sort of camouflage mode that must be used wisely.
Scouts are invisible, but they do not kill in this mode. Instead, there are Veilwalker/Veilstalker, which represent more of an assassin type. They want to work together with the community to integrate stealth into Camelot Unchained in a way that is fun and not frustrating, and always remains part of the overall concept. However, how far they go with this also depends on the further funding of the game.
Albion Online
The lore of the upcoming sandbox MMORPG Albion Online has been slightly rewritten, as author Peter Newman joined the team. The backstory now tells that the king of the Old World launched an expedition to the newly discovered land of Albion to establish a foothold there. Unlike the Old World, mythical creatures and magic exist in Albion.
A second expedition was sent after the first failed. This consisted of the Royal Army, which was more loyal to the king than the criminals from the first expedition. The Royal Army reached Albion five years before you arrive there in the game, so you will see their achievements. The backstory of Albion Online will also be released in novel form. The author Peter Newman is currently working on a first book.
Another MMO from Korea is making its way to the western world. HeroWarz is planning a release in Europe and America.
Lots of Explosions
In recent weeks and months, more and more MMOs have been making their way from Korea to the West, and HeroWarz is taking that step next. At first glance, HeroWarz looks like a Diablo 3 with significantly more explosions. In South Korea, it was briefly in the Top 10 of game hits.
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Players can choose from several classes that significantly differ in their abilities. The game offers numerous PvP opportunities alongside PvE aspects and regularly receives fresh content updates.
According to the Publisher KOG Games, they are very excited about the Western release, because “the game was a huge success in Korea. (…) We know that the game will appeal to the western market, and we can’t wait to share more details with you.”
One of those details would likely be a release date, as there is none yet.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The western version of the Korean MMORPG Echo of Soul has received new game content with the Occultist and Patch 1.5.
Last week it happened: The Occultist, the new class for Echo of Soul, was released. This is the Warlock in English. He comes with his own starting area, Kardilla. From level 7-8, he will join the other players in Memoa.
Anyone who has leveled an Occultist to level 60 by October 31 will receive the exclusive costume “Red Set of Vengeance (right).” A small hint from Aeria Games: Play him.
The two dungeons Destroyed Kardilla and Crimson Fortress also came new to EoS. Additionally, new levels are being added to the Infinity dungeons, the next PvP season is starting, and some new items and vendors are being introduced.
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In the upcoming MMO shooter “Tom Clancy’s The Division“, solo players should be able to survive if they are willing to adapt their playstyle.
In a video interview from South Africa, Community Manager Hamish Bode answers questions. When asked about the commitment to release DLCs for The Division, he did not make any promises, stating only that they plan to support The Division for a long time.
Players could also go solo if they wanted to. It would probably be advisable to adapt the playstyle a bit, focusing more on long range and becoming a multi-tasker. In groups of up to 4 agents, everyone can specialize more.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , the raid designer revealed some secrets from the development period of the raid “The Vault of Glass”.
The story of the raid “The Vault of Glass”, the vanilla raid of Destiny, has now been extensively discussed in a podcast. It turns out that it was originally supposed to be called “The Glass Throne”, but that was quickly vetoed: Glass Throne sounded too much like a toilet.
In this early phase, the small team agreed on other things: It became clear where the raid was located, at a key point on Venus. This also made the main enemies, the Vex, clear. And they agreed on the overarching theme of the raid “Descent”.
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At first, outside of the raid team, they only knew about the entrance
Initially, “The Vault of Glass” was a big secret even within the studio. A small team within Bungie worked in isolation on it, telling “outsiders” only as much as was absolutely necessary. When they then needed a video, they told the video department: We will only show the entrance! And in the end, the door opens, and that’s it!
Understandably, they reacted with raised eyebrows. This door, the entrance to the raid “The Vault of Glass”, also played a role in the next step. When they first went public, at least “internally”, and introduced the rest of the Destiny team, they only showed the beginning and said: Find out how it works.
Here they slowly noticed that they had something special when the Destiny employees passionately tinkered with how the damn door opened.
Not just action, but also quiet moments for Guardians to bond
As a special feature in raid design, the head of the whole thing, Luke Smith himself, sees the transition from action to quiet moments. After very action-packed boss fights with many adds, they would then include a “quiet passage”, like a jump puzzle. This provides players with laid-back moments where everyone laughs at the one who just can’t get it right.
These passages then served for relaxation. The Guardians talked to each other, grew closer, and here friendships and bonds formed among the raid teams. As special design moments in “The Vault of Glass”, Smith describes the “Leap into the Void” or the “Gorgon maze” – both moments where he was considered crazy when he first suggested them, but which turned out to be effective in practice.
After an action-packed battle, you suddenly find yourself at an abyss, without a clear idea of where to go next. Smith and the team hoped that in every raid group, there would be one person who would take the leap into the unknown, the “Leap of Faith”.
Speaking of leaps of faith:
http://youtu.be/9ZyQK6kUdWQ
The Gorgon maze is not just a change in the speed of the raid, but also in its mechanics. After teaching players to operate in teams the whole time, it was crucial to stay together here. And for the developers, it was also important to prove that you can create an exciting moment with silence and tension, completely without gunfire.
Weird: As inspiration for certain spots in the raid, Smith cites various influences such as “Machinegun Willy” from Double Dragon, the console classics Megaman I or Megaman II. No question, Smith has played a lot as a kid and teenager.
Is the inspiration for Oryx? Machinegun Willy from Double Dragon – at least the way to him.
For Smith, the different raids are like Golden Retrievers
Smith sees the different raids like the Golden Retrievers in his family while he was growing up. They all have similarities but are also distinct. In the second raid, “Crota’s End”, they tried to convey a dense and packed experience, skipping the quieter passages. They continually work on the formula of what makes the raids in Destiny unique.
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By the way, Smith debunked a rumor: There was never a serious plan for a raid in “House of Wolves”. They knew after “Crota’s End” that they needed more time for the next major raid and went straight to “King’s Fall”. And here they continued the story from Crota’s End.
There was never more than a placeholder graphic for a raid in “House of Wolves”.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
