In the MMO shooter Destiny , Bungie has once again selected the videos of the week, and they are quite something.
Since Cozmo, the new community manager who came from Reddit, has been handling the video selection in the Weekly Update, the videos have indeed been getting better, which surely has to do with the competition behind the scenes. In any case, this week features excellent videos from Destiny.
A YouTuber spent 36 hours on this impressive montage:
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And in this video, you can see how close Oryx and Crota once stood… a rather humorous take on the two enemies that explains why Oryx wants to take us down with the expansion.
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Did you spot any other videos of the week? Let us know in the comments. Or would you like your video to appear here? Then send us a link via the contact form, and we would be happy to take a look at the video.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
At Blizzard, they are of course aware of the problems, stating: There is a huge influx. We are working to resolve issues like login difficulties and in-game latency. It seems like patience is required until you can unpack the packages and start playing.
Happy #TGT day! Servers are getting hit pretty hard, so we’re looking into login issues and in-game latency.
Since the last major patch, Evolve has a new ranking system. While this has advantages, it also has some serious disadvantages.
A Brief Introduction to the New Ranking System
Since the major Content Patch 5.0, which brought not only a lot of balancing but also a new hunter, Evolve features a new ranking system. This no longer judges players by their level, but by their rating. After 10 placement matches, players are assigned to different categories and from there on, they collect points, or lose them in case of defeats. This resembles common systems from most MOBAs and is very well thought out in theory. But does it work in practice?
The Advantages of the System
After 10 matches, the rank should be appropriately assessed – at least in theory.
The numerous advantages are clear, as many demands from the community have been met. Those who only want to play monsters can now set this preference. Those who want to be hunters can also determine this. If they are then dissatisfied with their class, they can still leave the game without penalty – as the hunters agree on their classes before the search for an opponent begins.
If you abandon your team, you not only receive a defeat but also a penalty time.
At the same time, there are hardly any opportunities for cheating. Anyone who leaves a started game (for whatever reason) will receive a defeat and cannot join another game for several minutes – if they desert repeatedly, they may be unable to join for several hours.
Lastly, players are increasingly matched with others of the same skill level and are no longer solely measured by their account level – as everyone eventually reaches level 40, whether they are a pro or a casual hunter.
The Disadvantages of the System
What sounds very good in theory has some critical disadvantages in practice. Although phrases like “The game is dead” appear under almost every news article, this has never been really confirmed in the game. You were always able to find a group in a short time – sometimes a team of beginners, sometimes a professional clan that could take you down in a minute. That was okay.
Coordinated teams turn their enemies into scrap – and despite their ruthless superiority, this costs them many points.
With the new ranking system, this lack of players is noticeably evident, at least in the PC version. Although you can still find a match in a flash – the ranking system punishes more than it rewards. The loss of points is disproportionate to the gain! To give a few illustrative examples: If I win against a team whose average rank is just below mine, I gain 1 point. Just one point. If I lose to such a team, I can lose up to 50 points. This ultimately means that despite having a win rate of 75% after nearly 60 matches, my rank continues to deteriorate. This is neither fair nor particularly motivating, and it is currently one of the most controversial topics on the Turtle Rock forum.
Despite victory, your rank decreases – a frustrating system.
Especially disheartening is the following experience: You win a match and receive the message “Congratulations, you receive 1 point!” … only to watch your rank decrease despite the victory, as other players have overtaken you in the meantime. Getting worse despite wins feels wrong. Very wrong.
Overall, the new system puts me in a rather paradoxical situation. Even though I enjoy the changes and the games themselves are incredibly fun, my motivation decreases after every game session. Winning 8 out of 10 games and still having to watch my rank drop steadily causes frustration. A frustration that Turtle Rock hopefully will address soon.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the fantasy MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV, a census has been conducted, revealing numerous statistics.
For the two-year anniversary, Square Enix introduced Patch 3.1 (which we reported on yesterday) and released a plethora of more or less relevant statistics.
According to the English translation, Final Fantasy players have spent 11 million years in the game, or 96,809,761,442 hours, at least that’s what we are led to believe.
However, this number is quite puzzling. If it is accurate and one assumes 5 million accounts, each player would have had to spend an insane amount of time in the game to arrive at such a number. It seems more like there was a mix-up with commas in the translation, somewhere lost in translation.
Fortunately, there are charts and pie charts for the rest! The gender distribution among characters is 50:50 in Japan. In North America, players prefer male characters at 62%. In Europe, it’s the opposite: 64% play female characters.
Clear trend towards the “Human” races, Lalafell only popular in Japan
Surprisingly, there is a strong consensus across countries regarding race selection, with clear favorites. The human-like Hyur are on top (one in three is one of them), followed by the cat-like Miqo’te, who are actually even more popular than the Hyur in Europe at 36%, and are also quite liked in Japan and North America.
Such behavior is often observed in MMORPGs: Generally, the majority of players are drawn to “attractive,” human-like races. Most MMORPGs with multiple factions strive to provide attractive race options on “both sides,” so that no one realm dominates in numbers.
What does the role distribution look like?
The average character in FF 14 is 28, which is 2 levels higher than in 2014 – back then it was 26.
Interestingly, the role distribution of characters between levels 31 and 60 shows that 62% are damage dealers, while 19% are healers and tanks each. However, this should be taken with caution due to FF 14’s multiclass system.
Regarding the job distribution, Final Fantasy XIV is evidently doing a pretty good job. There are hardly any “unpopular classes,” at least among those that have been in the game longer. They range between 7 and 11%. The 4 relatively new jobs are between 3 and 5%. The most popular classes are the Black Mage and White Mage. Bard and Monk lag behind the “established” jobs with 7%.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , Bungie has revealed its plans on how to revise the Crucible in the second year with The Taken King.
In an interview with Game Informer, design lead Lars Bakken unveiled the plans for the Crucible. Two of the three new PvP modes are presented: Rift and Mayhem. Some plans are also laid out for what else is set to change. We have already introduced you to the 8 new Crucible maps.
Rift – not just any Capture-The-Flag, but a Destiny version of it
Rift will not be a standard “Capture the Flag” mode but the 6v6 Destiny version of it
It’s more of a “bomb” scenario where there is a “neutral object” that must be delivered to the enemy base
The normal “Capture the Flag” is too binary; you either manage to deliver the flag or you don’t – in the Rift mode, proximity is also rewarded; the closer you get to the goal with the Spark, the more points are awarded
Furthermore, they don’t want anyone to hide with the Spark; that’s why a time limit has been introduced: After 75 seconds, the Spark explodes, killing the carrier if they haven’t disposed of it
The video also shows a player handing off the Spark “backwards” for bonus points
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In Mayhem, the supers and special abilities like grenades or melee attacks will be almost always available
This originated as a spontaneous idea, they just tried it out and realized: It’s fun!
It’s more of a party game to blow off steam: You have 6 or 7 Nova Bombs in one round – nobody is really thinking; if you die, it’s not a big deal – just a fun mode
And what else is happening?
The game mode Elimination will be permanently available, active during times when there are no Trials of Osiris; Elimination has, in principle, the same rules as Trials of Osiris but without the special rewards
For the “Vehicle Mode” Combined Arms there are plans, and they frequently discuss it internally, but currently have nothing to show
Shaxx will start a quest line for the Crucible to draw in beginners – at Bungie, they want everyone to at least try the Crucible
There will be a series of easy bounty tracks and then there will be “more challenging bounty” lines to complete, at the end of which there are rewards at Nightfall level
Iron Banner and the Trials of Osiris will return, maybe something new will also be introduced
Due to the changes to the weapons , the Crucible will be additionally shaken up; Thorn is now much weaker, and the short-range teleport “Blink” will no longer be as effective
Not mentioned in the video but already known: In a third new mode, there will be no points for kills, only for holding and capturing specific locations on the map
It’s positive that there has been positive feedback regarding the new PvP mode from the events so far. This may also be due to the fact that new supers are being played, providing a new experience.
Two hours of gameplay footage from the new mode
By the way: Yesterday, a large “Red Bull” PvP event took place – they broadcast one and a half hours of PvP action with some top players like TripleWreck or Flamesword (that’s the guy on the cans):
http://youtu.be/X4OEWaE1_hQ
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Even though it doesn’t look as graphically opulent as AAA MMORPGs, Project: Gorgon has captured the interest of so many players that the Kickstarter campaign was successfully completed.
The developers aimed to raise $20,000 through crowdfunding for the further financing and completion of their MMO. However, the concept and playable alpha were received so well by gamers that at the end of the campaign on August 24, nearly $75,000 had been raised. As a result, the team also achieved some of the stretch goals. For example, dwarves will be introduced as a new player race, along with musical instruments, expanded guild features, and vampirism. The developers are thrilled with the support they have received from the community.
Do what you want
Project Gorgon lets players enter a vast fantasy world where they can shape their own path. The world is populated by NPCs who go about their own daily routines and pursue their own goals. This, combined with the freedoms players enjoy, is supposed to lead to unique adventures experienced together with others. Story elements will come into the game through live events, but those who are not interested in adventure can simply open their own shop and provide other players with items. Housing also plays an important role. There are currently still some open questions regarding PvP, as the developers have not yet discussed how this should look.
Project Gorgon can currently be played in an alpha state. During the last hours of the Kickstarter campaign, a massive party took place in the game. The MMO is expected to launch as a Buy2Play game with an optional VIP subscription in December 2016.
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Our reader “krieglich” already sees Project Gorgon as his new home. Do you want to learn more about what makes this MMORPG so special? Then take a look at this article: What is Project Gorgon?
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The trading of items for real money among players is prohibited in most games. That could change soon if the German Stock Exchange succeeds …
The gray area of trading
In almost every MMO today, items can be traded. For profit-oriented players and dubious companies, this has long become a source of income. Instead of selling their goods for gold or another in-game currency, they often demand real money. Even in Diablo 2, players farmed certain weapons for days to sell them on eBay.
Many of these trades come with risks: The game developers have no control over the transactions; buyers must accept certain risks. This can range from simple fraud and non-receipt of the virtual goods to the loss of one’s game access. Such trading contradicts the agreements that we all agree to and which we never really read in full.
Legal, safe, Swapster?
Swapster promises safety, legality, and control.
The German Stock Exchange has now established a subsidiary called “Swapster” and aims to provide a secure platform for traders and buyers of virtual gaming goods. Currently, they are in talks with over 140 game developers and publishers and have already received initial commitments. The special thing about Swapster is that you will not only use the know-how of the German Stock Exchange but also their infrastructure.
If the project succeeds, the dangers of fraud would be reduced, and a secure platform for virtual trading would be created. Developers would also likely have an interest in such a platform: They have not been involved in the money made with their virtual items until now. With Swapster keeping a share of the transactions, that could change.
Since this semi-legal trading already exists, there seems to be a demand for a legal platform. In other cultures, such as South Korea, the trading of virtual items is already part of the gaming everyday life.
What do you think of Swapster? An enrichment for the world of gaming or rather a step towards “milking players as much as possible”?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Skyforge , the developers warn about the danger from outer space and advise the immortals to prepare for the invasions.
The endgame content in Skyforge will kick off properly with the “invasions.” In a blog post, the developers now point out how young gods can prepare for the invasions.
It comes down to a guild membership in a pantheon, where the academy must be upgraded to level 3, unlocking the ether projector, and 1000 energy is required to use the basic functions.
With invasion talents, players can arm themselves and strengthen their resistance. Coordination is necessary during the actual action, otherwise failure is inevitable.
Housing is an integral part of many MMORPGs. If an MMO does not offer housing at launch, this is one of the first features that players demand. But how important is this element at all?
Let’s take Shroud of the Avatar as an example for this discussion. Currently, there is a heated discussion in the official forum about whether players can drop all the items they are carrying anywhere in the game world. Clearly, this feature would make the world more interactive and vibrant, but one problem is that these objects must be calculated, which negatively affects game performance. Therefore, not all players are in favor of introducing this game element, and there is a specific reason for that.
A feature like item drops anywhere takes about 2-3 programmers multiple weeks (if not months) to get working properly without killing performance.
– Starr Long, Sota Producer
Does having a home have greater significance for MMORPG players than the world outside?
Those who are against “item dropping” belong to the faction of players who place tremendous value on housing. They consider it more important to be able to place more decorative items in their home and on their property than to be able to drop items anywhere in the game world. A suggestion that the decoration of a house should only be displayed and calculated when someone enters the property was not well received. Showing how one has set up their house and property is clearly more important for some than increased interaction with the game world.
This refers to the game world outside of the properties. Moving barrels in a city, stacking firewood to hide a chest behind it, moving a crate to uncover a trapdoor, or laying a “breadcrumb trail” of items to lure other players into a trap in a forest. One might also want to place a handwritten note near a ruin to lure other players to a specific location. This would be possible with freely placeable and movable items in the open game world – outside of properties and houses.
For many players, however, it seems more important that others see what they have done with their house. Therefore, it is essential for these players that the houses are located in areas that can be accessed by any player. Instanced housing in special housing zones would not be an option. Players want to encounter houses built by other players during their adventures and be able to admire them.
For others, this focus on housing is hardly understandable. Being able to move, shift, and place objects freely makes the world livelier and distinguishes the game from other MMOs with rather static game worlds. One can see that there is a conflict between players, and housing is a feature that is enormously important for many. So important that they would even forego other game elements – even if these would enrich the game and the game world.
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In the zombie survival MMO H1Z1 the next months will bring a series of new features. These have been presented in a trailer, also to reassure fans who are complaining about a lack of new content.
Currently, a lot is revolving around H1Z1’s “Invitational”, a battle royale event that aims to make H1Z1 even more popular on Twitch and serve as a marketing action. At the moment, the prize pool is at $86,000. This will be contested in a 50-player battle royale at the Twitch Con. To participate in the lucrative battle, an invitation is required.
In addition to 4 “regular fans” who can qualify through especially good videos or other material, a lot of Twitch celebrities have been invited. Among them are some who have a connection to H1Z1 like CohhCarnage, Ellohime, or rhinoCrunch; but also numerous others like Reynad or Legendary Lea, who simply have a lot of reach. It is hoped that they will practice H1Z1 on their channels, their fans will see it, and their interest in the game will be piqued.
This advertising strategy of fully relying on Twitch has been evident at DGC for some time: The former president of DGC, John Smedley, has repeatedly emphasized how important he considers Twitch for the future. There, players can be reached directly and without detours. This is the new television.
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However, all the work on this event and the battle royale mode raises the feeling among fans of the “survival” mode, among regular players: You’re currently doing little for us and putting all resources into the battle royale promo event. And this, while H1Z1 is still in early access and needs substantial further development.
DGC wants to counter this impression, stating that while they are currently primarily working on the battle royale mode to resolve some issues, the work on it, particularly regarding server stability, also benefits survival fans. Additionally, it has been said that they want to stabilize the game first.
The Twitch event is very important for the team, and the invitational is gaining momentum, which could elevate “H1Z1” to the next level. Attracting many new players.
New game content for H1Z1 is expected in October and November
The Twitch Con event takes place at the end of September. For October and November, some plans have been presented. These are said to be important months:
A hospital is coming as a new “point of interest”
New zombie types are coming
A guild/clan system
Professions
And improvements in building
A video shows some assets that are supposed to come to H1Z1:
http://youtu.be/t6jO-gnOO6I
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , a lot changes with the expansion “The Taken King.” Will players still be able to obtain the Year 1 versions of the exotic weapons and armor?
Bungie has now given a clear answer: Yes, they will. There will still be “Year 1 exotics” in the “Year 1 activities.” This was tweeted by Producer Mark Noseworthy over the weekend.
For the collectors out there: In 2.0/TTK players can still find Year 1 exotics from Year 1 activities with exotic drops.
This should also answer the question of whether Bungie is doing something with the “old raids.” It doesn’t look like it. They will probably stay as they currently are and also provide the same rewards. Unless there is really another announcement. But that would be very surprising by now.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Players should not expect any gifts at the start of the Grand Tournament, by the way. Unlike some previous launches, nothing is planned this time, according to Blizzard. The expansion basically works by introducing a new type of “card pack” into the game, which contains 5 of the 132 new cards.
A “special offer” from Blizzard to purchase 50 card packs for €45 has already caused some excitement. That is quite a price tag that many find too high for “just a card game,” especially since there are no “smaller offers” available, just the jumbo pack.
In Allods Online, the Patch 6.0.2. Thunder of Victory is set to arrive in the near future. It will open five Allods, five zones.
In Allods Online, Patch 6.0.2 has been introduced with the Russian trailer, after all, in Mother Russia, the patch has been out for nearly half a year:
Particularly interesting sounds Dreierfeld, where (if that is the right word) werewolves and vampires live. There should be enough activities for a hero to find. In Quag Atoll, another new zone, things are rather idyllic, at least it looks like a beach vacation.
As the developer states, 6.0.2 will be released “soon”, and they plan to introduce more features of the patch in the coming weeks.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The action RPG Lost Ark impresses primarily with many classes – 7 of them are known so far, with 11 more to follow.
7 Monster Slayers on Duty
In total, there will be 18 different classes when the action MMORPG Lost Ark is finally released. So far, the first seven classes can be examined. We give you a brief insight into the playstyles of the first seven heroes – who are often only represented by a single gender. Gender-lock is just normal for many games from the East.
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The Battle Master looks like a female monk and also has their typical fighting style: Fast, devastating melee attacks and combos ensure massive damage spikes. Coupled with their high mobility, they can escape from tight situations and, in case of emergency, use their special elemental resource to unleash corresponding special abilities that bring them the final push towards victory.
Devil Hunter – Lots of weapons
The Devil Hunter is the dream of every action fan. Overall, the class has 3 different skillsets, each tied to one of the weapon sets: dual pistols, shotgun, and rifle. The abilities of the different weapon sets can be combined to trigger wild combinations and to have the best response ready depending on the distance to the enemy.
Arcana – Life is a card game
The Arcana is a character for those who enjoy random factors and never want to be entirely sure in advance what will actually happen. She is able to trigger a roulette, which will end with her receiving a random card. Using this card activates different effects. This can be a boost to her base stats, or even the exchange of a complete ability – not all effects have to be necessarily positive.
Warlord – melee tank-shooters
The Warlord is probably best categorized as “quite strange”. He swears by heavy armor, uses a shield, and wields, in the other hand – how could it be otherwise – a rifle. The various explosive bullets are his resource and are consumed when activating abilities. At least visually, they make a very imposing impression.
Infighter – the power of balance
The Infighter is also a melee fighter with powerful fists, but is otherwise much more revealing in clothing choice. She also unloads her attacks in powerful combos but does not use a mana bar like other classes; instead, she must use green and red energy for different abilities. The art will probably lie in always maintaining a certain balance between the two energies while still dealing a lot of damage.
Summoner – Endless monsters
The Summoner delivers what her name promises: she calls numerous creatures and monsters to her aid. Some stay for a certain duration and attack relentlessly, while others spells must be channeled to maintain the summon. The creatures can not only deal damage but also tank or buff the summoner. Particularly strong creatures cost “summoning orbs,” which regenerate only over time.
Berserker – Raw violence on the front
Finally, there is the Berserker, a melee fighter clad in plates, who specializes in large groups of enemies. Despite his heavy armor, his attacks are fast, devastating, and lead to large armies being overwhelmed in a matter of seconds. If that is not enough, he can switch to Berserker mode for a minute, which gives his attacks even more strength. If you enjoy plowing through the battlefield, this class is a good choice.
If you are now excited, you should also take a look at our Lost Ark Special!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the Korean MMORPG Black Desert , the latest patch introduced horse racing.
One thing that makes Black Desert special from a Western perspective, is the handling of your own mount. It is not meant to simply appear out of nowhere, do its job, and then be stowed away like in Western MMORPGs; instead, it is intended to become an important part of life as a trader, warrior, or traveler in Black Desert.
The individual mounts have different stats, levels, can be improved, cared for, and deployed, and they can be specialized for specific purposes: either as pack animals, as riding mounts, or as warhorses (or war elephants). You can even breed them.
With the latest patch, a feature came into play allowing players to participate in horse races against other players. These are cross-country races as seen in this fan video.
http://youtu.be/IPKwCIFILXs
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Sandpark MMO ArcheAge is planning an interesting new game system with the next patch 2.0: The ten most popular and hardworking players of a faction will henceforth become a “Hero” for 30 days.
This works by first having to earn enough points to be among the 20 ” selectable characters” of your faction (Nuia, Haranya, Pirates). For this, an aspiring hero needs “Leader Status.”
First, sweet-talk the colleagues to become a candidate
Players earn points for Leader Status by participating in open PvP, group, and raid quests, or by collecting fame points. Fame points, in turn, are given by other players who can evaluate teammates in groups or raids.
After three weeks, ArcheAge will then calculate which 20 players from each faction have collected the most “Leader Status” points and place those 20 names on a ballot. They can also decline the nomination.
Players level 30 or higher with 50 personal “Leader Status points” can then vote for one week on the 20 names starting from the first Wednesday of each month.
Trion Worlds already says: From our point of view, bribery is also completely okay here.
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This is what the 10 elected players per faction receive
The 10 winners will receive special capes with the following bonuses for 30 days (we quote):
Erenor-Hero: One hero will lead each faction and wear a shiny gold cape that reduces casting time and increases spell speed for all faction members within a 25m radius.
Ayanad-Heroes: Two faction heroes will be of Ayanad level. The fiery red aura of their capes increases skill damage for all faction members within a 25m radius.
Delphinad-Heroes: Three elected heroes will form the third level of the council. Their glowing blue capes will increase the movement speed of all faction members within a 25m radius.
Epherium-Heroes: Four faction heroes will earn the Epherium rank and their flawless white capes will help protect all faction members within a 25m radius from damage.
In Korea, the bonuses with the local Patch 1.8 were 2% each. The capes also provide a clearly visible visual effect (as seen in the video above).
The heroes also have the option to complete 9 daily quests to gather concentrated hero power. This can then activate faction-related quests. The hero can summon players from their faction to them via a mobilization banner. It would look something like this:
http://youtu.be/n6Y6PUMkpnI
The 2.0 patch will be further introduced in the coming weeks. Trion Worlds had indicated “the end of summer” as the date. The western patch 2.0 consolidates several Korean patches and is supposed to give ArcheAge a new boost here in the West.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMO shooter Destiny will likely influence the development of Dungeons and Dragons in the future. The lead designer of the fifth edition of the Pen&Paper classic is a fan.
Polygon reports on Mike Mearls, the lead designer of the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons, the cult game with the dice, the pens, the character sheets, and the extensive rules discussions.
Instead of taking place on a computer screen or the home television, the events of D&D today, just like 40 years ago, occur in the imagination of the players. From the roots of this role-playing game, a tree has grown over the decades, and from its countless branches hangs Destiny.
Destiny instead of Porsche
Mearls rationalizes his enthusiasm for Destiny: “I turned 40 this year. That’s my way of dealing with the midlife crisis. Others buy a sports car, I just want to make sure I’m still a decent shooter player. That has always been my genre in video games.”
Mearls is an enthusiastic and quite neat fusion player, and he is also quite proud of it, perhaps too proud, as he tweets himself.
I probably take too much pride in this, but I’m pretty happy that I’ve gotten half decent at Destiny PVP. pic.twitter.com/PWwDngIzct
But beyond mere relaxation from shooting, the MMO shooter inspires and stimulates him in his work on the cult RPG. It makes him think. This way, Mearls can simply adopt the perspective of a fan in Destiny and gain a completely different view of the events. He then asks himself: “How could Bungie make me happy as a fan here?” And next, he asks himself: “How can we transfer this to D&D?“
In any case, Mearls sees numerous parallels between the two franchises. Even in D&D, fans are often upset and passionately discuss individual decisions and versions. For Mearls, the numerous complaints from fans are a sign of how much they care about the game.
Mearls says there are two things he wants to steal for Dungeons and Dragons: “The world design is just so colorful and so vibrant. And of course the exotic weapons. When you look at the defining weapons of Destiny, like Red Death or Gjallarhorn – these things feel like artifacts, they have their own story. I would love to try something like that in D&D too.”
In the past, this was already attempted with the Dungeon’s Master Guide: What was typically a +1 sword for D&D suddenly became a sword with a story.
It seems that D&D fans also have Destiny to thank if this happens more often in the future.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
For the PC, the keyboard is an indispensable tool. Therefore, one should inform themselves about what exactly is needed before purchasing.
There is a lot to choose from. Mechanical and loud typing devices or rather notebook-like Rubberdome keyboards? Wireless or wired? USB or PS/2? Of course, advertising tries to influence the buying decision with not always quite honest methods. Especially the term Anti-Ghosting is often misused to advertise something that the keyboard does not actually offer.
And then there are ergonomic keyboards. These are unusual due to their design and are not really optimized for gaming. However, they are the healthier choice and therefore deserve mention in this guide article.
[toc]
Ergonomic Keyboards
Anyone who has always bought any keyboard may have looked at the price or appearance. The numeric keypad on the right side is taken for granted, so one hardly considers the thought of doing without it. However, that numeric keypad leads to two problems.
Image: Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 (Source: Amazon.de)
On one hand, one tends to position the device centrally. The consequence is that the actual typing is slightly shifted to the left, thus affecting the posture while typing. However, if the text area is placed centrally, the mouse for right-handers is pushed to the right. As a result, the arm has to be extended further, putting more strain on the elbow joint. Also not optimal. Therefore, it makes sense to separate the numeric keypad from the keyboard. This already takes the first step towards an ergonomic keyboard. But there’s a bit more to consider.
Angled and curved keyboards relieve the arms. However, they require a lot of acclimatization time. Ideally, the angle should be adjustable. Because it matters whether one has broader or narrower shoulders. Additionally, one should be able to type with all 10 fingers; otherwise, one will encounter some problems.
A high keyboard (medium key rows higher than 3 cm) leads to an unnatural bending of the hands. A wrist rest can prevent this posture. Furthermore, the input device should be slightly tilted, about 10°. This can be a positive tilt (rising to the back) or a negative tilt (falling to the back).
The color is also relevant. Black keyboards can cause the eyes to tire quickly due to the high contrast. Lighter devices are recommended. Additionally, the black plastic may contain PAK (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), which are considered harmful to health. Finally, it should be mentioned that due to bacteria, regular cleaning should be performed.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
For all fans of Blizzard’s Warcraft franchise, the next year will likely be a real blessing: Not only is the release of the new expansion World of Warcraft: Legion imminent, but also the film simply titled Warcraft. Many players have long been wondering whether Blizzard is planning a relatively simultaneous release of both works.
Jonathan Doyle from mmogames.com had the opportunity to speak with Ion Hazzikostas (Lead Game Designer) and Tom Chilton (Game Director) and ask them exactly that question. The answer to that is probably somewhat sobering for many: “We don’t know. The date of the movie has already been changed several times. Assuming it stays at the current date, [the release of the expansion] could also happen around that time, a bit earlier or later,” said Chilton.
Hazzikostas immediately downplayed this a bit and added “The game will be released when the time is right.“
That sounds like the typical “It’s done, when it’s done,” that we have been hearing from Blizzard for years – and it probably won’t change anytime soon.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Blizzard is open to the idea of bringing the seasons, the Seasons, of Diablo 3 to the consoles Playstation 4 and Xbox One.
It is not yet a promise that Blizzard makes in the interview with IGN, but at least a declaration of intent: The season mechanic could also come to the console.
The “season feature” brings movement into the hack-and-slash game: A new season comes along with a patch and provides incentives to dust off Diablo 3, to try out the latest version: With a new season, players can create fresh heroes, start from scratch, and earn unique rewards while playing with the new hero.
Initially, Blizzard thought that consoles were not suitable for the “seasons”, as players do not need to be online all the time, and players on consoles were more focused on a “couch experience with their buddies” rather than a global race.
Back then, it was believed that the seasons were more about “ranking”, the race against other players. However, Blizzard has now recognized that many use the seasons for a fresh start when the game has become a bit stale.
And console players could also benefit from this. The decision not to bring seasons to the Playstation 4 and Xbox One will be looked at again.
The Ashbringer was one of the legendary weapons that were newly introduced to the game in April and caused a stir:
PvP is probably no longer a topic
“PvP” in Diablo 3 is probably dead. The legendary items that were so much fun in PvE ruined PvP. Whenever one decided to focus more on “player versus player”, it felt like the functioning part, the PvE part, suffered.
Blizzard did not want to comment on a possible further expansion or big future plans even before the upcoming patch 2.3. A release date for patch 2.3 has not been finalized yet. However, that should happen in the next 3 or 4 days. The new season starts on August 28, and before that, there will certainly be some patching.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
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