WoW: Patch 6.2.2 brings easier Legendaries, new toys and a possible release date for Legion

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 3 minutes

The previous World of Warcraft Patch 6.2.1 has been renamed to 6.2.2 and now brings not only flying but also some new features …

Actually, the patch 6.2.1 was supposed to be released a few weeks ago and allow players to fly in Draenor. However, the patch has been delayed a bit longer and some new content has been added, which can be tried out under the name 6.2.2 on the test realm. We take a look at the new changes.

Easier Legendary Quest Line

WoW Khadgar Legendary Ring
Those who have previously avoided the legendary quest line may have a new incentive to start it with 6.2.2.

Those who have not yet started the quest line for the legendary ring might want to wait for the next patch, because then the initial steps can be significantly accelerated. Once per week, Apex crystals can be exchanged to progress faster in the early stages of the legendary quest line. For 14958 Apex crystals, you get 5 Dominance Geodes, and 20,000 Apex crystals yield 75 Elemental Runes. This approximately doubles the rate, and you can at least complete these two quest steps early and thus work towards the legendary ring even as a latecomer.

New Rewards for Timewalking

The timewalking feature is to be made a bit more attractive. For this reason, a new currency is being introduced, which will strongly remind WoW veterans of the justice points from previous expansions. The Time-Warped Badges will be dropped by bosses in all timewalking dungeons and can be exchanged for various rewards at a new NPC in Dalaran.

Ironbound Wrathcharger
The Ironbound Wraithcharger awaits exclusively for visitors of the timewalking dungeons.

Of course, there are the standard items, such as new weapons and armor of item level 675, which could help some to reach the required item level for a raid. The highlight of these rewards are the two new mounts, namely a new dragonhawk and the Ironbound Wraithcharger, which was originally supposed to come to the real money shop.

But even more can be done with the badges: You can buy reputation tokens for old factions, snag a few new toys with which you can temporarily transform into a broken Draenei. Pet collectors can complete their zoo and have new chances for various crocodile pets, and twinkers can look forward to the upgrading options for their heirlooms.

New Items for the Events

Can we soon walk around as Deathwing?
Can we soon walk around as Deathwing?

Finally, the patch contains some changes to the annual events. The Hallow’s End will receive a new quest line that will lead us to the Shadowmoon Valley of the shattered world. As new rewards, there will be items you can use to festively decorate the guards of your garrison. The real gems, however, are probably the costumes of Deathwing and VanCleef – last year there was the Lich King. The exact prices of the costumes are still unknown, but they will probably be very high, judging by last year’s model.

The Winter Veil has also been updated, and it also receives a small new quest line and, of course, a new gift – as every year.

Release Date of Legion – already in Spring?

From the revision of these two events, some people want to draw even more conclusions. Especially a user on Reddit, who has correctly predicted some content of Legion (and claims to have contacts at Blizzard) is sure that the patch 7.0 and thus the introductory event of “Legion” will be rolled out before the end of the year. A release of the next WOW expansion is expected to be in the first quarter of 2016 – that would definitely beMuch earlier than feared.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. mmo-champion.com
  2. reddit.com

The Division: There is only one Dark Zone and PvP only takes place there

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the upcoming MMO shooter “Tom Clancy’s The Division”, there is more information about the player-versus-player combat.

It has been surprisingly quiet around “The Division” since the launch date was set for 2016. At E3, the “Dark Zones”, the PvP areas of the game, were presented. At Gamescom, The Division essentially only offered a presentation of what was already seen at E3.

But the concept has substance and seems to be one of the central points of The Division: The Dark Zone is a mixed zone. Here, there are both computer-controlled opponents and other players. They can attack each other. The twist: In the Dark Zone, strong loot can be found, which can also be taken from other players until it is secured.

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Recently, the developers at Massive answered some questions about the “Dark Zones”:

  • there are actually no “Dark Zones” (plural), but only one central, which is supposed to be very large, much larger than what has been seen in the demo build so far
    outside the Dark Zone, there is no player-versus-player combat
  • if a player attacks others in the Dark Zone, he becomes a “Rogue Agent”, with a bounty on his head. The Rogue Agent is specially marked so that other players can recognize him on the map.
http://youtu.be/xfioc47j-Cc
  • the more players the Rogue Agent kills, the higher his rank rises, and with it the bounty placed on him; if the Rogue Agent survives for a while without killing new opponents, his status slowly expires, he becomes a regular agent, and he receives his own bounty; at the lowest rank, this period lasts 2 minutes, at the highest 5
  • this Rogue status is also tied to a lot of “Dark Zone experience points”, which Rogue Agents can lose if they are killed, and players who take them down can gain them; thus, Rogue Agents live so dangerously
  • there is no friendly fire in the game; to attack your own allies, you must first leave the group – they will be warned and given a “grace period” to adjust to the new situation
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  • in the demo scenarios, there was a 3-vs-3-vs-3 scenario; the actual Dark Zone will be able to host many more players at the same time, how many exactly will be determined in beta tests
  • both in the Dark Zone and outside of it, “Best-in-Slot” gear can be found, the best items in the game; however, it is somewhat more likely to secure these coveted items within the Dark Zone.

Tom Clancy’s The Division is set to be released in March 2016 for PC, Playstation 4, and Xbox One. More information about the multiplayer shooter can be found on our topic page.

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

My MMO asks: What was the best drop you ever received in an MMO?

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 3 minutes

Today we are dealing with the question of which drop has pleased you the most in an MMO. Was it a powerful weapon? An elegant outfit? A particularly stylish hat?

A central theme in almost every well-known MMO is loot. No matter if it’s about new weapons in Destiny, new armor sets in World of Warcraft, or that one color crystal in SWTOR, loot is essentially indispensable in today’s game systems.

But not always is the sole purpose of improving the character; often it’s also just about visual upgrades that make the character look a bit more epic than before. Particularly MMORPGs often offer a variety of different designs to keep players searching for exactly the clothing they ultimately want. Systems like transmogrification ensure that you can also apply this clothing to your current gear to show off.

There’s plenty of loot waiting in Hearthstone - maybe your favorite card?
There’s plenty of loot waiting in Hearthstone – maybe your favorite card?

But loot can also be important in other ways: Often you associate an item with a specific raid night, a particularly exciting fight, or simply the people you played it with? Or how challenging the hunt for the loot was? How much bad luck you had to endure before you finally defeated it and could take the trophy home.

We ask considering all these aspects: What was the best drop you’ve ever received in a game?

Cortyn says: I can’t decide on just one item for my favorite drop. I’ve thought about it for a long time. Was it my first epic item? Completing the T2 mage set? No, for me, two items stand out personally. Both are from World of Warcraft.

Still not thrown away today!
Still not thrown away today!

With my mage, I received the item “Neltharion’s Tear” after our first Nefarian kill (that was a months-long effort). I didn’t know about this item until that point, but I was thrilled. Not only because of its stats (which were outstanding at that time), but also because it was an item that referenced Deathwing and had a golden “flavor text” that spanned multiple lines – an absolute rarity in the WoW of that time.

One of my favorite RP items ... connected with a lot of farming work.
One of my favorite RP items … connected with a lot of farming work.

The second item would probably be “Mark of the Dragon Lord”, also from the Blizzard game. I associate it with a lot in roleplay, as it could wonderfully be used as a summoned protective spell that dutifully circles around its owner – almost a predecessor to the shadow orbs, and with a drop rate of 1% from a boss at the very end of an instance, a considerable effort.

But now it’s your turn: Which item drop has particularly stuck in your memory? What made it unique and why is it important to you? Let us know in the comments!

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

Final Fantasy XIV hints at a new 24-player raid, soldiers for the Grand Companies

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The fantasy MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV will receive a new 24-player raid in Patch 3.1. Additionally, a new feature for the Grand Companies will be introduced.

In an interview with PcGamesN, the mastermind of Final Fantasy XIV, Naoki Yoshida, hinted that with Patch 3.1, a new raid will also be introduced. It is said to be a 24-player activity about the same size as the Crystal Tower. However, it will not be a traditional raid but will involve airships. Players will land on floating islands and explore them. Anyone can join as long as the 24-player limit is not exceeded.

For the “Grand Companies,” powerful factions in the game that players join, Yoshida also envisions a new feature: here, players will be able to recruit soldiers for the Grand Companies. This will be a new element that expands players’ possibilities.

Final Fantasy XIV Machinist

Mein MMO says: Certainly two interesting pieces of information that will be elaborated on in the coming months. Especially the aspect regarding “soldiers for the Grand Companies” is already sparking discussions. Whether it would be possible to assemble your own NPC party instead of bringing companions from other players and traveling with them.

Whether the new 24-player activity moves away from the classic raid concept and offers an alternative endgame is also being hotly discussed by fans.

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

Destiny: Xur, Agent of the Nine, Offer and Location on 14.8.

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny on August 14th, Xur, the Agent of the Nine, will be in the Tower or the Reef. What exotic armor pieces and weapons does he have? And what is the “Three of Coins?”

New Item for Xur Confirmed with The Taken King: Three of Coins

There is initial information about Xur, whom we can expect from September 18th, because with the new expansion “The Taken King” changes are also coming to our friend Xur, to his old “That’s not stuck, that’s grown” face.

At Game Informer, they briefly introduced a new item for him. It’s called “Three of Coins.” The item will be available for purchase from Xur and increases the chance for an exotic drop from the next boss you fight.

But that is still in the future, let’s focus on the current Xur.

Destiny Player
Xur has many fans … including actor Zach Braff, known as JD from the series Scrubs.

All about Xur, the Agent of the Nine, on August 14th, 15th, and 16th in Destiny

When does Xur arrive at the Tower and when does he leave again?

Xur arrives on Friday, August 14th at 11:00 AM at the Tower. He will leave again on Sunday, August 16th at 11:00 AM. Until then, you can shop with him.

Where is Xur located?

Xur is celebrating the day in the bar at the Tower.

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What do the numbers on the armor pieces mean?

These are the values of the items in Strength, Intellect, or Discipline. You can find out more about the topic in our article about the values.

What does Xur have this week?

Xur is selling this week the exotic rocket launcher Gjallarhorn for 17 strange coins. No idea why the excitement.

Schwarzenegger-Gjallarhorn

Joking aside: The Gjallarhorn is probably the most dominant weapon in the first year of Destiny, it was only sold by Xur once, in the second week, when many hadn’t grasped the game mechanics yet. Back then it was said: Who fills their exotic slot with a stupid rocket launcher for which they find hardly any ammunition? Today we know: Almost everyone. In the meantime, the cult around the Gjallarhorn has taken on absurd proportions.

Destiny-Gjallarhorn
Destiny-Unueberwindbare-Scahedelfeste-148
Destiny-Licht-hinter-nemesis-148
Destiny-Achylophagen-Symbion-148

For Titans, he has the helmet “An Unyielding Skullfort” (perfect 127/135). The helmet costs like all armor pieces 13 strange coins.

For Warlocks, the helmet “Light Behind Nemesis.” (super strong 126/133)

For Hunters, the helmet “Achylophage Symbiote.” (extremely strong 125/131)

And an exotic glove engram.

Xur not only has the Gjallarhorn, the most coveted item in the entire Destiny universe, but the three helmets also have truly outstanding stats.

“Three of Coins” sounds like something interesting. Currently, a lot of information about Destiny and the expansion “The Taken King” is swirling around, if you’re interested, check out our Destiny theme page , where you will surely find more. If you want to stay updated, take a look at our Mein-MMO Facebook page or follow our author Schuhmann on Twitter.

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

WoW: The Illidan among the Murlocs and 5 more mounts and pets are coming

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

In the coming months, there will be some new pets and mounts in World of Warcraft . We’ve listed how you can obtain the new companions here for you.

Traitor Murlocs and a Moose in the Shop

Although a lot of time will pass before World of Warcraft: Legion is released, at least in the coming months we can expect some newcomers among the battle pets and mounts.

Murkidan, the cute Murloc designed after Illidan Stormrage, will be available for all BlizzCon attendees. As in recent years, both physical and digital tickets count.

WoW Grove Warden

The adorable, purple kitten Leuchtpfötchen with a scroll on its back (perhaps a messenger of love letters?) will be available for purchase in the shop, the same goes for the large Grove Warden, which will serve as a mount.

WoW Demon Duo

The demon duo, consisting of the small but always hungry Pet Knurps and the rideable Illidari Demon Hunter will be available with the purchase of the Collector’s Edition of World of Warcraft: Legion.

Lastly, the Archon pet Zeradar will be credited to all buyers of the Collector’s Edition of StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void.

WoW Zeradar

Some users have already noticed that all new companions and mounts that were presented on the website are hidden behind a paywall in one way or another. Whether Blizzard has shot itself in the foot with this announcement remains to be seen. A few “free” alternatives would have definitely been a more elegant solution.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. eu.battle.net

Star Wars Battlefront: EA believes players want a single-player campaign, but actually don’t need it

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The upcoming multiplayer shooter Star Wars Battlefront will launch without a single-player campaign. Peter Moore from Electronic Arts talks about the reasons.

Gamespot had the opportunity for an interview with one of the heads of Electronic Arts, Peter Moore, during Gamescom. He takes care of the operational business, being something like a Chief Operating Officer, a manager.

Battlefront-Bullseye

He was asked whether EA does not regret delivering Star Wars Battlefront without a story campaign.

According to Moore, one never regrets such decisions. They are always a product of the time. When they developed the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic, the preferred payment model in the genre was the subscription model. However, by launch, that was no longer the case. So SWTOR had to be relaunched as a free-to-play title.

“Yes, but,” the interviewer interjects, “the statistics clearly show that games like Star Wars Battlefront sell better when they launch with a single-player campaign.”

“Yes, that’s true,” says Moore. “That may indeed be correct. But the statistics also show that such a single-player campaign is barely played.”

At developer DICE, they have already complained in the past that the press is doing them wrong. While they may not have a single-player campaign, they do have missions that fulfill that purpose.

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

Destiny: Calendar out – Livestream data for the presentation of King of the Possessed

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny, the dates for 3 live streams have been announced. On three Wednesdays, they will present the expansion The Taken King.

You should see this if you want to stay updated on The Taken King

The Weekly Update brings good news: The dates for the announced live streams are known. On three Wednesdays, they will present the expansion “The Taken King”.

  • On Wednesday, August 19, at 20:00 our time, they will tackle Year Two in Destiny: What will daily life in the Tower be like? What are the mechanics? How will the Guardian become a unique, significantly stronger snowflake? It’s advised not to dismantle any items before watching the live stream
  • On Wednesday, August 26, at 20:00, there will be action. They will take a look at the new zone, the Dreadnaught and will also go into a strike.
  • And on Wednesday, September 2, the event “Court of Oryx” will take place. We already reported on this recently. Here, Guardians should choose which bosses to fight under what circumstances in The Taken King. It will also start at 20:00 on September 2.
Destiny-Molag-Oryx

Then, there is one Wednesday free (September 9) and on the following Tuesday, The Taken King in Destiny will already begin.

So, in the next five Wednesday evenings, there will be 3 streams, one will be early to bed, and by the fifth, Oryx will already be a few hours on the loose.

On a personal note: We will cover the live streams in articles at Mein MMO and provide a German commentary in the form of a live ticker. It went quite well before “House of Wolves”. Let’s see if we can do it again and whether you find our offer this time as interesting as it was before House of Wolves. A small disappointment: It looks like Professor Broman won’t be there this time, but Mr. Fruit (a humorous YouTuber) and the streamer Laced Up Lauren will represent the community in the streams.

Warning for Cheaters: Bungie sees everything

Destiny-Trials-of-Osiris

For cheaters in the Crucible, there was a warning this time. There are two options for punishment in Destiny: “Restrictios”, which are temporary, exclude cheaters from certain activities. They are intended as a warning shot for cheaters to improve. For first-time offenders, these could last one to two weeks. For repeat offenders, they could extend over months.

The second punishment is “Bans”, which are permanent and apply to the entire game. This is only issued if you don’t want to see someone in Destiny anymore.

Destiny Special Weapons

If you feel that a teammate is cheating, you should be careful. It may happen that you get caught in the “Web of Evil” and get punished as well. Players should be especially careful if they pay someone to “guarantee” their access to Mercury. Because guaranteed success isn’t possible even for top players. You should be extremely vigilant to ensure everything is done “by the book”.

If you have an unreliable internet connection, you may be considered an “undignified challenger” and excluded from Crucible activities until your connection improves. But this only applies to the “most extreme cases” and not to the usual, sporadic lag that everyone sometimes struggles with.

At Bungie, the servers provided data on all players every second. Bans or punishments, however, are carried out manually.

The next Wednesday evenings are thus planned. On Friday, August 14, Xur appears at 11:00 in the Tower or Reef. That date at least matters for our calendar – we will welcome Xur and report on his inventory.

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

Why I am excited about Overwatch

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 4 minutes

With Overwatch, we can soon expect Blizzard’s first shooter. Will Overwatch revolutionize the shooter genre? Read here my thoughts on the upcoming multiplayer action game.

Disillusionment at the start: Can Blizzard make shooters?

Overwatch Blizzard
At the beginning, I was quite doubtful. Can Blizzard even make good shooters?

When the first cinematic for Overwatch was shown just over a year ago, I was hyped from the very first moment. Blizzard is developing a new world, a new story, and thus also a new universe. The hype lasted about as long as the cinematic, because shortly after came the revelation: Overwatch will be a shooter. I was really skeptical. Why not a new MMO? Can Blizzard even make shooters? Isn’t everything too cute for a shooter?

The rest of BlizzCon only reinforced my doubts: There will be no campaign, and story will be outsourced and told through websites, books, and potential videos. Since a captivating story is one of the main arguments for a new game for me, my anticipation reached a low point – there could hardly be talk of joy anymore. More of a: “Maybe it will be better than feared.”

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The dismantling of doubt …

At the beginning, there were only two aspects that spoke for Overwatch. The first was the fan reactions from those who could try the game at BlizzCon – they were all enthusiastic. There were hardly any skeptical voices, and almost every statement contained at its core a sentence like “I didn’t expect it to be so much fun.”

Doubts about the game were only slowly resolved.
Doubts about the game were only slowly resolved.

The second point was simply the fact that Overwatch comes from Blizzard. Blizzard is still a guarantee for a good game for me, I will not debate that much. A game studio that cancels games they themselves don’t believe in or that don’t meet their own standards (Thralls Adventure, StarCraft: Ghost, Project Titan) I trust to develop a good game.

Would those alone have been reasons for me to be excited about the game? No. It only lessened the doubt that Overwatch would flop and be quite boring.

… and the build-up of anticipation

My interest in the game was gradually increased because I – just for the site – naturally had to stay informed about what was happening in Overwatch.

The developers were also very clever in regularly releasing new information about the characters and gameplay videos, so there was never a long break where you heard nothing about the game. Each video pulled me in more.

The highlight was this year’s Gamescom because a roommate thought it was a great idea to completely fill our apartment with friends who all wanted to play Overwatch at Gamescom. And absolutely everyone was enthusiastic. And what motivates more than the opinion of people from your immediate surroundings? No article, preview video, or developer promise can compare to that. I can hardly wait to finally get my hands on the game and will exert every earthly effort to somehow sneak into the beta.

Overwatch Widowmaker Screenshot
Especially with and against friends, Overwatch is a huge fun.

A colorful shooter – Can this work?

Again and again, you read comments like “The comic style puts me off” or “It’s way too cute for a shooter“. For me, the graphic style triggered the exact opposite. I have played enough serious and brutal shooters, like Left 4 Dead 2, Evolve, or Call of Duty. A relaxed, light approach to a shooter is very appealing to me.

Of course, there are already comparable games that also have a more comic-like graphic (like Team Fortress or Borderlands 2), but these still rely on a high degree of violence and a lot of dark humor. That has its justification, and I certainly don’t want to portray it negatively – especially I liked the Borderlands series a lot.

Widowmaker Overwatch Closeup
The world is colorful, relaxed, positive and yet harmoniously coherent.

But since Blizzard is aiming for a large target audience again, the violence is largely omitted, at least in terms of the depiction of atrocities. Does that bother me? No. I like the relaxed approach.

I like the consistently positive basic atmosphere that resonates in the design of the characters and the whole game. Although some characters have quite dramatic backstories, the game remains heartfelt, almost loving. The characters just radiate joy and are the idealized idols of heroes that one wishes around the world. And that is relatively new for a shooter – even if someone can surely name a counterexample now.

Overwatch – Easy to learn, hard to master

Overwatch Mercy
Even if you’re not a good shooter player, you can still have fun in Overwatch.

Blizzard has set itself the motto “Easy to learn and hard to master” for all its games, and Overwatch will be no exception. For those who have little experience – or simply no talent – for first-person shooters, Overwatch can still be a lot of fun, as some characters do not require pixel-perfect aiming and function more as supporters or tanks who protect the team with portable shields

It is precisely this fact that makes Overwatch a game for the entire friend circle. While shooter veterans grab precision-focused heroes like Widowmaker and McCree, inexperienced players can access characters where timing and positioning are at the forefront, such as Torbjörn or Mercy.

The crucial point

And that’s the crucial point that makes Overwatch already great for me. It brings together groups that have spread over the years to other MMORPGs or MOBAs. At least in my case, the game will stronger reunite old friend circles, as it is a game for everyone and likely the only one in this genre that can really achieve that for a while.

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

War Thunder: The Tank as Demolition Pear

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The military MMO War Thunder aims for a fully destructible environment.

In a dev blog, the developers of War Thunder talk about their “Appetite for Destruction,” their desire for destruction. Soon, they will fulfill the promise of a completely destructible environment on the maps for ground forces.

Until now, destructive War Thunder players could only roll over smaller objects like bushes, statues, or hedges. Soon, this will also be possible with buildings and ruins.

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This is how they plan to implement a new destruction mechanic. With this, buildings will be able to shatter into fragments. This mechanic will first come for the map “Berlin”, and later it should be expanded to more tank maps.

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

Destiny: Are bad news for cheaters in the Crucible coming soon?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny, cheating in the Crucible, the game’s PvP mode, continues to be a sensitive topic.

Cheating in Destiny often occurs through lagswitches. The game is susceptible to this since it does not use dedicated servers. With the introduction of the new mode Trials of Osiris and the overall enhancement of PvP in the latest DLC, the problem has become increasingly prominent in recent months. Cheaters gained unfair advantages, causing frustration and a toxic atmosphere.

There have already been two ban waves, but these were mostly just a slap on the wrist, temporary in nature, and limited to the PvP mode.

Since dedicated servers have been put on hold, this issue is likely to remain significant.

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The community manager DeeJ has now reported that he has been in discussions with the “Bungie Security Team” for a longer period. Fans can expect more information about “Crucible Justice” in the next weekly update. The weekly update is scheduled to be released on the night from Thursday to Friday.

What do you think? Is there going to be a third ban wave? Is Bungie serious this time? Or is it just information?

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

WildStar: The best housing in the MMORPG genre?

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time < 1 minutes

The housing of WildStar currently ranks as the best of its kind. Why players love it is again shown in a short video clip.

Many Ideas – Is Housing the Best?

WildStar Housing Bar
Especially roleplayers are fully engaged in the housing feature.

WildStar made a strong impression at its launch, especially with fresh ideas like the extensive housing system. The idea for it came quite early in development, as they wanted to give players the opportunity to distinguish themselves from others and create their own unique things: Individualization has always been one of the core aspects of WildStar. Although housing also offers some gameplay advantages, such as recovery bonuses, additional crafting resources, and portals to all corners of the world, it is primarily the possibility of creative expression that players celebrate.

In the meantime, a quite impressive fanbase has formed around the feature, and roleplayers are also fully engaged in building exciting backdrops. An example of this is The Villa, which we reported on some time ago.

For this reason, Carbine has continued to expand housing in recent patches and also plans to introduce communes in the future to provide players with exactly what they want.

The YouTuber WildStar Core has created a video that showcases some housing creations – ranging from simple (but really pretty) houses to dark ruins and laboratories.

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WildStar will switch to Free2Play this autumn and can then be tested by all building-happy players.

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

Star Citizen can be tested for free for a week

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

As part of Gamescom, Star Citizen opens its doors for a test flight.

We have experienced this several times already: At trade fairs, Star Citizen releases a code that allows players to install the client even if they are not at the fair.

However, it is always just a relatively limited version of the game, a kind of “demo.” But to take a look at what so many are talking about, it might be worth a try. The playable version is the beta version of the “Arena Commander.” This is the space shooter module of the massive project Star Citizen.

The code you can use to start the test flight is called “GAMESCOM2015” this time. You need to go to this page of Roberts Space Industry, create a new account, and enter the code.

You can fly and shoot until August 19.

Here’s what it’s supposed to be like when it’s finished:

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Hearthstone: Rhonin and Varian present themselves with these new cards!

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

Slowly but surely, we are heading towards the final stretch of the card reveals for Hearthstone. The special abilities of the 4 new additions do not lag behind their colleagues, and especially Warriors receive a powerful expansion for their late-game decks.

Two Strong Men on a Destruction Tour

All classes can look forward to the neutral minion Light’s Champion, which has solid stats of 4/3 for 3 mana and has the battle cry of silencing a demon. Since there are currently relatively few neutral demons, it seems to be named as a direct counter against Warlock decks—though it may also gain usefulness in a later expansion.

Hunters receive the rare minion Ram Wrangler, which initially seems a bit weak with its stats of 3/3 for a proud 5 mana crystals, but it can shine with its battle cry: If you have a beast, summon a random beast. This could be anything from a small forest wolf to King Krush. It definitely promises to create exciting gameplay moments.

Mages experience true prominence on the board, as they receive the legendary minion Rhonin, who once led the Kirin Tor of Dalaran. For 8 mana, he has relatively weak stats of 7/7, but upon his death rattle, he releases a lot of magic in the form of arcane missiles – you will receive them in triplicate upon his death!

Lastly, Warriors can look forward to a real blockbuster. They receive Varian Wrynn, the king of Stormwind himself. For 10 mana, he also has stats of 7/7, but an exceptional battle cry: Draw 3 cards. All minions you draw will be summoned directly to the battlefield. The effect will also occur even if your hand is already full. And even better, if the board is already full, excess minions will remain in your hand.

Slowly, the ranks of the new cards are filling up – was your favorite among them today?

You can find more about the already revealed cards on our Hearthstone topic page.

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

Skyforge: How I Clicked 45 Euros in 20 Seconds

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

The new MMORPG Skyforge is keeping our author Schuhmann busy. He has searched for the catch in the payment model… and found it.

Since the closed beta, I’ve been trying to figure out what these Argents are for. This is the premium currency in Skyforge. You get them if you’ve purchased a founder’s package, for example. Well, I admit that as a privileged press guy I didn’t really buy that, but it was provided as a press package. But still!

Where is the Pay2Win element hidden in Skyforge?

Back to the Argents. I quickly found out: You can also exchange them for “Credits,” the regular in-game currency, and then buy items on the marketplace to get enhancement stones, for example. They can therefore be indirectly used as a “character boost” to improve item slots.

My pride ... and yes, the chest slider is all the way to the right.
My pride … and yes, the chest slider is all the way to the right.

But I was convinced that this couldn’t be all there is. So since the closed beta, I’ve been looking for the catch: Where exactly is the “Pay2Win” element that pulls so many of these Argents out of your pocket that your credit card works overtime? Where is the point where someone tells me: It would be better if you bought the premium currency for euros now.?

Yesterday, I found it, BUT: out of sheer stupidity. Or, to put it more heroically, I as a heroic test subject tracked down the insidious pitfalls of the system (!) and got stuck in them, so that you don’t have to.

About Aether Slots and Argents in Skyforge

In the huge atlas, the progression system of Skyforge, there are certain nodes called “Aether Slot.” There are various types of these. When you unlock a Sun-Aether Slot, nothing happens yet. Here, suitable stones must then be placed. You usually obtain these quite sparingly in the open quest zones. When you place these stones, a relatively small amount of Argents is deducted. That’s around 40 Argents. If you have 40,000, that’s nearly nothing. In return, the node gets stronger and increases the base values slightly.

I’ve gotten into the habit of going to the atlas after combing through an open quest zone and just mass placing the Aether Stones without looking too closely. 2 there, 2 here, nothing happens.

Skyforge Aether Point
If your atlas looks like this … you’ve done something wrong.

Yesterday, I did PvP with the new patch and found 65 of these stones in a backpack (probably a bug). So I snatched an Aether Slot and just hammered the button until all the stones were in. And that was the big mistake! Don’t do that!

45 euros clicked away in 20 seconds

Credit-Skyforge

Because the costs to place a stone increase massively later on. This means the more stones of one type I place into an Aether Slot, the greater the costs become. So in the end, I invested the entire supply of Argents I had gained from the founder package. Instead of thinking, “Well, 65 stones, maybe it costs 3000 Argents,” I ended up wasting 36,000 of them. If I were to buy as many Argents as I clicked away, it would be about 45 euros (okay, there would be a few thousand Argents left).
It would have been much wiser to spread the 65 stones over several “Sun” Aether Slots. Or to not do it at all, because the prestige increase and also the extra power that these invested 45 euros brought me are completely ridiculous. It would only make sense if my character were otherwise at the efficiency limit and these Aether Stones were so to speak “the icing on the cake.” The last little bit that one can get out with a lot of effort. If I really wanted to convert my Argents into prestige, it would have been more effective to exchange them for credits and then invest them on the marketplace.

Let my pain be a lesson to you. Just because the first click costs 45 Argents, it doesn’t mean that the 60th click is also that cheap.

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

Runes of Magic: New Addon Announced – Miracles Still Happen

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 2 minutes

Probably hardly anyone expected this, but Gameforge and developer Runewaker are actually working on a new chapter in the story of the MMORPG Runes of Magic.

Runes of Magic Dwarf

It has been very quiet around Runes of Magic for a long time, but it is now certain that a new expansion will be released next year. Not much is known about it yet, except that Gameforge was on-site with the developers to discuss the future of the MMORPG. It turned out that they want to develop another chapter. Gameforge plans to reveal more about it in due time. However, they aim to release the addon in the first half of 2016. The last chapter, “Chapter V: Fires of Shadowforge,” was released on June 12, 2012 – that was more than 3 years ago. Fans had almost given up hope for an expansion.

Runes of Magic will make a comeback

Until then, fans of Runes of Magic won’t have to wait for new content, as Runewaker is currently working on completing the siege war feature. This has been in beta status for a long time, but now the final version is being tackled. Currently, some bugs still need to be fixed. When it will be ready for you to participate in the sieges is not yet known.

RoM F2P MMO

However, it is clear that this year the Runes of Magic shop will be replaced by the new Gameforge shop. According to the publisher, this allows for offering new content in the shop more dynamically and effectively. Additionally, the release of the Mirror World is planned for the end of the year. This is a high-level area full of mini-dungeons, where many rewards await the players.

It seems that the MMORPG Runes of Magic is going to experience a kind of renaissance. Perhaps Gameforge and Runewaker hope that the new chapter will create a similar effect to that of expansions for World of Warcraft – namely, that many former players will want to return and experience the new content. Whether that will be the case will be revealed next year when the expansion is released.

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Source(s):
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Destiny: Is the Taken King really worth 40 euros?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny , the expansion “King of the Possessed” will bring far more quests than just the story missions. But is the game really worth 40 Euros?

In a large interview with IGN, the community figures from Bungie, David “DeeJ” Dague and Eric “Urk” Osborne, discussed the expansion “King of the Possessed.” As a Destiny player, it was an unusual sight: Urk hardly let DeeJ speak and took control.

Is Destiny worth 40 Euros? “Significantly more than twice the amount of game content as Darkness Falls”

SUROS-Scout-Destiny

In the interview, they discussed whether the game is really worth the 40 Euros that are being asked. This was already hotly debated over E3, when Game Director Luke Smith found himself in hot water with an interview.

Osborne explained that “King of the Possessed” offers more than twice the amount of game content as the 20-Euro DLC “Darkness Falls” does. This includes:

  • Full campaign with cinematics, characters, and missions
  • The Dreadnought, Phobos, and “Colony” ships as new locations – (although it’s already known that on Phobos only the first story mission takes place)
  • 7 new Crucible maps (an eighth for PlayStation)
  • 3 new Strikes and they are the best that have ever been made (a fourth is coming for the PlayStation)
  • 3 revised Strikes with the Possessed
  • More gear, exotics, quests, quest logs, puzzles and hints
  • The raid
  • And a lot more endgame content that is not yet being discussed.
Destiny-Jetzt-gehts-rund

Osborne stated that he did not want to raise too many expectations, but in his view, the price is justified.

After the End of the Story Quests, the Quests Begin

As an example of the new approach, the “Taken War” was mentioned. It begins after the story mission is completed.

After confronting Oryx in the story missions, a lot of fresh quests open up, leading players into the new world.

My MMO believes: Basically, the question cannot be answered because 40€ is worth different amounts to each individual. And everyone will be able to derive different value from the expansion. For example, if a player doesn’t care about PvP, they will derive less “value” from the game than someone who loves both PvE and PvP.

Destiny-Sleeper-Simulant2

And at the moment, one has to rely on the developers’ word. Numbers like “8 story missions” say little until one has played them.

However: Right now, there are many signs indicating that “King of the Possessed” could be a significant step for the Destiny franchise after the two rather mediocre DLCs.

Journalists from Game Informer, who have already been able to play “King of the Possessed”, are raving about their hours spent. They were able to move freely in an early version. For them, it is a sign that Bungie trusts its own product. This is rather uncommon in the industry. They also believe that significantly more than twice the amount of game content is offered compared to the first DLCs.

In any case, there are currently hardly any warning signs. However, much is still unclear. We will surely know more, when the Twitch streams go live. They are expected to present the expansion in more detail.

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

H1Z1 wants to be more beautiful, not bigger – map expansion postponed for now

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The survival MMO H1Z1 has put its plans for a larger map on hold for now. First, they want to fix the existing world.

Before the Early Access, the developers of (back then still) SOE had grand plans and excitedly spoke about what would be possible in the zombie sandbox. The “biggest dream” perhaps: to create a huge map with different climate zones, a gigantic area of over 16,000 square kilometers.

When H1Z1 went into Early Access, they pursued a rapid strategy, trying to quickly bring H1Z1 closer to this vision. The team released about a dozen new features per month. There were always quite a few bugs, Early Access was shaky, patches were needed, and there were problems.

H1Z1-Street

In the summer, they at (now) DGC reflected, saying: We want to first get what we have clean and smooth before we start more new things quickly.

This, as is now clear, extends to the grand plans they had for the map. Both the 16,000 square kilometers are on hold for now, as well as a “city zone.” At the moment, the map is to remain as large as it is; they want to work with the existing one to make it more exciting and beautiful and polish everything first.

From the huge map, players will not hear anything for a while, it is said from developer circles. Extensions of the maps are not to be expected at all. They believe it is better for the game to first properly finish what has been started.

H1Z1-Hill

The map is not to become larger, but more beautiful and exciting

This does not mean, however, that they are doing nothing to the map. They want to revise the existing map. The new version of the zombie world has been dubbed “Z2.”

They aim to:

  • revise and finish designing the forests
  • beautify hills, mountains, and the terrain
  • enlarge the three villages to create the impression of a city scenario
  • add new shaders to the important points of interest
  • improve the overall layout of the map
  • put up street signs so players can meet up with their friends
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. reddit

Hearthstone spielt mehr als DOTA 2 ein, ist das WoW unter den Sammelkartenspielen

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The market for online collectible card games (CCG) is dominated by Hearthstone . Blizzard’s success story sets the tone for the genre.

The market research institute Superdata has looked into the market for collectible card games. They have concluded that Blizzard’s Hearthstone generates 20 million USD monthly. This is more than DOTA 2, Valve’s MOBA, which made 18 million USD in March.

According to the market research institute, Hearthstone’s dominance lies in Blizzard applying the old WoW tactic again. 10 to 15 years ago, Blizzard took a genre that was only popular in a niche, closely examined the then industry leader (Everquest), and designed a mainstream version that was much more accessible than all previous MMORPGs: World of Warcraft.

This time, Blizzard drew inspiration from the conventional CCG Magic: The Gathering to develop Hearthstone. It features “deep game mechanics” but appears accessible at first glance and is suitable for the mainstream.

Screenshot-Collectible-Card-Games

Larger displays on mobile devices suit Hearthstone

Additionally, smartphones and tablets with larger displays are on the rise. Until now, mobile players preferred “simple” games on their small screen devices that had little to do with traditional collectible card games. Rounds only took one or two minutes.

Hearthstone is successful with the same game concept on both PC and mobile and sets a high standard that other digital games must adapt to. The free-to-play version of Magic, Duels, will also focus on being beginner-friendly and will have a mobile version.

With a series of humorous commercials, Hearthstone promoted its mobile transition in the USA:

http://youtu.be/I3KpSFHoBo4
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Superdata
  2. Gamespot

Destiny: Chaos in the Post Office – random gift packages, absurd absurdity

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes
Destiny-Tess
Held everything together in the Tower: Tess Everis.

Chaos reigns in the Post Office of Destiny. Players are apparently receiving random packages.

Since Tess Everis left the Tower at the urging of her enemies (some suspect the Cryptarch is behind this) and was replaced by a soulless machine, something has gone wrong in Bungie’s mail system. Players report receiving packages from the benefactor containing 3 strange coins, legendary weapons, or the Red Bull exp boosts.

There is also a post from Bungie about these Red Bull exp boosts Bundled Light stating that they would be sent to players. However, there is a problem, and not everyone is receiving the codes. Perhaps the EXP code is causing this strange behavior at the Post Office.

At the moment, there has been no comment from Bungie on whether this is all intended, as to what exactly is happening. However, the community believes that this is a mysterious bug. Some players receive something, others do not, and there doesn’t really seem to be a pattern. Players were supposed to receive three packages with three strange coins each when they verified their email addresses. However, these codes were meant to be sent out on Fridays. And no one can explain where the weapons are coming from.

Meanwhile, the abandoned post by Tess Everis is being abused by ruthless guardians for target practice.

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