With the new addon World of Warcraft: Legion, there are many new customization options for weapons. Especially Druids have cause for joy …
Of Frost Kittens and Flame Bears
All classes receive artifacts – which would not be seen by Druids in many forms. So far!
The appearance of one’s character has always been an important matter in World of Warcraft. At the latest since transmogification, WoW players can relatively freely determine the design of their avatars – except for Druids in animal form. No matter how stylish the clothing may be in the regular form, once the Druid switches to cat or bear form, nothing remains visible. While there are some customization options for the cat, nothing of the equipment is seen. This is of course logical, as what would a wildcat do with a large scythe in its mouth?
With WoW: Legion, this changes! There are artifact weapons for all classes that can be adjusted in both strength and appearance. Druids are catered to in that the weapons now have effects on their animal forms. As an example, the “Claws of the First Saber” were mentioned: In their normal form, they give the horde cat metallic front legs, while adjustments allow for a complete coloring of the cat, for instance.
In total, there should be as many Druid customizations as for all other artifact weapons as well – so we can look forward to fire, frost, and corrupted kittens, and Druids finally have a way to show off their equipment even in animal form.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The fantasy MMORPG Guild Wars 2 will receive three new legendary weapons with the “Heart of Thorns” expansion. The 7 new Mastery Lines will take a lot of time to complete, and with the Mentor comes a Mastery Line meant to serve the community and provide small advantages to individuals.
As IGN reports, three new legendary weapons are coming to Guild Wars 2 with the “Heart of Thorns” expansion. More are expected to follow as the story evolves.
One of the new “Mastery Lines” will make it easier to craft legendary weapons at all. 7 of these time-consuming Mastery Lines will be newly introduced to players giving them something to do long after reaching the maximum level.
7 Mastery Lines come with Heart of Thorns
Three will be set on the old continent:
Fractal Attunement Mastery will bring new dailies, new buffs, and challenge modes
Legendary Precursor Mastery will assist in crafting legendary weapons
Pact Commander Mastery will be created by helping new players, which will provide a speed boost in cities and “Auto-Loot” as well.
The four “Maguma” Mastery Lines revolve around gliding in the jungle, the lore of the new races there, and allow players to summon special bosses.
According to Colin Johanson, it is currently unclear how long it will take to reach all 39 Masteries. As it stands, it will take far longer than leveling from 1 to 80.
Mentors can run faster, auto-loot, and do much more
The “Pact Commander Mastery” was introduced in the latest Point of Interest. The mentor mode will be removed from PvE, and will function similarly to the Commander in PvP. The entire Mastery focuses mainly on giving players more opportunities to help, support, and be “helpful” to one another. This aims to reward players who are already so helpful and friendly to newcomers by giving them small advantages.
With this Mastery, the intention is not to make players “more effective”; there are other Masteries for that, but to make their lives a little more pleasant. ArenaNet hopes to strengthen the community with such a move by not only punishing bad behavior but also rewarding the good.
Benefits include a speed bonus, more EXP from crafting, access to a special vendor, faster revives for players below their level, and an auto-loot feature.
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In Heroes of the Storm, there will be some changes to the package offers in the shop in the near future – which will greatly benefit some buyers.
Reduced Price and Gold Credits
Those who intended to purchase some heroes with real money in Heroes of the Storm and wanted to rely on package offers had to plan long-term until now. If the bundle contained a hero or skin that had been purchased before, the full price was still charged.
This is set to change in the future: If you already own parts of a package, the price of the package will be correspondingly reduced. This means that even the “Starter Pack” or the “Savings Pack: Nexus” can still be worthwhile, even if you already own some of its content.
If you already own items from a package offer, you are still left empty-handed.
Those who have previously purchased some items twice can look forward to an email from Blizzard and a gold credit in the game in the coming days. The amount of this credit is not yet known. Nevertheless, this is a nice gesture, as it has previously been explicitly warned on the packages that parts of the package had already been purchased.
At gamescom, Cloud Imperium showcased three new demos of the upcoming space MMO Star Citizen. We will explain what exactly was shown.
Chris Roberts did not miss the opportunity to present the demos and was particularly proud that everything is slowly coming together. The “Social Module” was presented first. In Star Citizen, you will be able to land on planets to meet other players. This is particularly important if you want to assemble a crew for one of the larger ships. The worlds serve as hubs. The demo showcased one of these worlds.
Chris Roberts walked through the streets of a city with his character and met other game characters controlled by his colleagues. This city appeared bare and empty, but Roberts quickly explained that NPCs would be added later to bring life to the environment. These NPCs might even have malicious intentions and attack you – however, PvP is not supposed to exist in the hubs.
The Shooter Module Lives!
Next, the developers presented the Shooter Module “Star Marine”, which has been hotly debated recently. Several PvP battles were shown, where participants fought against each other. Everything looked great, and it was clear that the rumors about a cancellation of the module were unfounded, but it was also evident that there is still a lot of work ahead for the developers. There were recurring animation issues, and it was not clear when an enemy was hit and when not. Therefore, the team needs a bit more time before Star Citizen can be released.
Teamplay Will Be Important!
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The third demo left jaws dropping. Teamwork was the motto, as the demo revolved around multicrew ships. In Star Citizen, there are very large spacecraft that cannot be flown alone. Therefore, a crew must be assembled. Once enough players are found, each takes on specific tasks. It was shown how some players left the ship in space to investigate a wreck. Inside the ship, each player manned a specific station. One, for instance, takes the helm, while others man the guns. The developers finally showed a space battle and how it occurred with a crew and through teamwork.
Additionally, there was presentation of the size of the universe to expect in the finished game. A hyperdrive jump catapulted the ship several million kilometers into another solar system, and Chris Roberts casually mentioned that this distance could also be covered without a hyperdrive. However, Roberts also tempered fans’ expectations: not every solar system will have tasks for crews to complete, but the developers will ensure that players always have a lot of fun. They are already planning content in which multicrew ships will face off against single-man ships, which will also lead to exciting battles.
The Social Module of Star Citizen is set to be released in a few weeks, while we might have to wait until October for Star Marine. However, when the multicrew functionality will be released with Arena Commander 2.0 is still uncertain. If all goes well, fans can expect it later this year. You can watch the entire presentation here:
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In the MMO shooter Destiny there is currently one weapon dominating: the rocket launcher Gjallarhorn. But that won’t stay the same.
In an interview with IGN, Community Manager DeeJ spoke about “King of the Taken.” One of the main topics was the upcoming nerf of the cult rocket launcher Gjallarhorn. DeeJ explained that they don’t want a new Destiny game to come out and players to think first, “Great, more aliens I can take down with my Gjallarhorn!” Then they would certainly accuse the developers of sloppy design.
In Destiny, it’s about developing a character. Using the same weapons for 10 years doesn’t fit with that idea.
Gjallarhorn was too often the logically only right choice
The problem with Gjallarhorn right now is that it is often “the logically only right choice” for a specific activity. As developers, it is our task to always give players several equally valid options to choose from, to present them with decisions.
Players should match their weapons to the circumstances: Who am I fighting against, who is fighting by my side, what tactical scenario am I entering? What are the appropriate tools for that? And if the only answer to that is “Gjallarhorn,” then we want players to think about it. Darkness lurks, on 1/2, the command against Crota is: Gjallarhorns out!
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Destiny should not become the Gjallarhorn Simulator 4.0 in a few years, but players should say: “Hey, a new Destiny game is coming. What weapons will I use this time? What will be my favorite piece?”
Players in Destiny no longer thought about other weapons
There will still be missions where Gjallarhorn is the best option, but there will also be new weapons that players will like and catch their attention. Right now, Gjallarhorn casts too much of a shadow over the other weapons.
They didn’t even think about alternatives. Players didn’t give other weapons a chance because they spent the first year of Destiny blasting things with their Gjallarhorn.
In DC Universe Online Episode 15 is now online and is accompanied by two trailers.
DC Universe Online has switched to episodic content with this update, with Episode 15 being divided into 2 parts. Each has a trailer. In the first, “Bombshell Paradox“, 1940s versions of Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman, and Supergirl fight in a sort of World War II scenario.
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In the second trailer “Corrupted Zamaraon”, the War of Light, the somewhat esoteric storyline surrounding Green Lantern, continues. Here, heroes will be able to fight against Black Lanterns for the first time.
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At Gamescom, new maps for Blizzard’s team shooter Overwatch were revealed, where you can soon fight over the mission objectives.
Weapon Factories and Utopia
In addition to the reveal of Lúcio, there were several other innovations announced at Gamescom that await us in Overwatch. Two new locations were introduced where teams can soon compete for the respective map objective.
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The map Volskaya Industries takes place in futuristic Russia and appears to be a robot factory that produced weapons to defend against the Omnic crisis. The objective on the map is to capture several control points distributed across conference rooms and outdoor areas of the company premises.
The second map Numbani depicts the future vision of an African metropolis situated at the edge of the savannah. Here, humans and omnics live together in peace and have created a utopia that overflows with technology and prosperity. It is also the setting of the intro cinematics revealed last year at BlizzCon. The objective is not only to capture a control point but also to escort the glove of “Doomfist” – which is already known from the cinematic.
The Overwatch beta is still planned for this year. During the livestream, there was a joke regarding a date that it would begin on “10. Fall” – at least it seems that fall continues to be the targeted timeframe.
The monster game with the cute graphics “Dragomon Hunter” has already gained some fans in Germany, but now there is some bad news…
No Collecting in Germany?
Fans can be discouraged so quickly. In a brief presentation, Aeria Games announced that the upcoming MMORPG with the adorable anime graphics will not be released in Germany for the time being. For now, it will only launch in England and France in the European area, where they apparently expect the highest profit opportunities. If the game is successful there, Dragomon Hunter could possibly be released in Germany at a later date. Those who eagerly awaited the game will have to settle for an English or French version until a final decision about the German market has been made.
Whether the monster hunting will come to Germany is still uncertain.
The MMO shooter Destiny has sold over 20 million copies. Among the players are Xbox One chief Phil Spencer and actor Zach Braff from the cult series Scrubs.
20 million players play 2 billion hours of Destiny
This week Activision released its business figures, which also included Destiny. The game has sold 20 million copies by now. That’s the number of registered players. Together, they have spent over 2 billion hours in Destiny. This means an average buyer of the game has fought against the Darkness for more than 4 days, over 100 hours, collected items, idled in the Tower, got annoyed about something, and been happy about something.
For everyone who finished the story after 20 hours and put Destiny on the shelf, others have put in overtime.
Players include Phil Spencer and Zach Braff, Mike Tyson, and The Big Show
With so many players, there are also a few celebrities among them. Xbox chief Phil Spencer has spent over 300 hours playing Destiny. A colleague at Microsoft outed Spencer as a diligent Titan player (level 34!) on Twitter.
Zach Braff, known to the German audience primarily as the scatterbrained but lovable doctor JD from the comedy series “Scrubs,” is also a Destiny fan. In an interview during E3, he even jokingly set the goal of becoming the new voice of the Ghost. By now, we know that didn’t happen.
Braff primarily uses Destiny to spend time with his 15-year-old nephew.
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There are also some celebrities in the game itself in the form of well-known TV stars. Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) has been publicly replaced, as his somewhat lax performance as the Ghost became a running gag in the first year of Destiny. With the expansion “The Taken King,” he will completely disappear from the game. Apparently, he wasn’t available for the DLC either, and the Ghost remained silent. With the expansion The Taken King, we will hear a new Ghost, Dinklage’s role will be recast and re-voiced.
But Dinklage is not the only well-known voice. Nathan Fillion is considered a fan favorite in his role as Cayde-6. In his TV series Castle, as fans quickly recognized, he included a little nod to them:
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With actor Lance Reddick as Commander Zavala, there’s another US star in the game that is also known in Germany (for example, from Fringe). In the upcoming add-on “The Taken King,” his role is supposed to be expanded. The voices of Bill Nighy (Pirates of the Caribbean), Peter Stormare (Fargo), Lennie James (The Walking Dead), and James Remar (Dexter) are also featured in the game. Especially the faction and class vendors are prominently cast.
… and celebrity gamers
But back to the passive Destiny consumers, who could also be recognized on the street: In the past, several celebrities have identified themselves as Destiny fans, including heavyweight boxing legend Mike Tyson, wrestling superstar The Big Show, and Eminem, although … well, with Eminem, it’s somehow uncertain.
Oh, and there are also prominent Destiny fans in Germany: Footballer Lewis Holtby is among them. The photo (right) comes from his Facebook channel.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With World of Warcraft: Legion, we can expect a new hero class. In an interview with the developers, new details came to light.
Glaives – only for Demon Hunters
Unlike what is currently stated on the official website, Demon Hunters will only be able to wield a single type of weapon, which is glaives. Glaives are exclusively designed for the new hero class and come in pairs – it is therefore only one item that serves as both main hand and off hand. In future expansions, it might be reconsidered whether Demon Hunters can also wield other agility weapons, such as daggers or swords, but for now, this decision is satisfactory. The developers see absolutely no issue in the reduction to a single weapon type, as in “Legion” one is solely focused on their artifact weapon.
Another new leather class
Only elves can become Demon Hunters – and they will wear leather.
Moreover, Demon Hunters will rely on leather. In theory, they compete here with some other classes, but Blizzard sees no difficulty in this either. In the recent expansions, they have increased the emphasis on the personal loot system, leading to a significant reduction in disputes and disagreements over loot distribution.
As Blizzard also stated, there are no space issues: With Legion, a twelfth character slot will be available for every player.
In the SF-MMO Star Trek Online, Season 11: New Dawn is approaching. A new chapter begins and plans are in place to elevate players from Captain to Admiral.
The Iconian War, that Star Trek Online has been building up to for so long, is coming to an end. Now Cryptic has announced Season 11 “New Dawn”. Here, they intend to open a new story, where players will meet a traveler from another time. The focus of the story will be on hope and discovery. Not much will be revealed yet; that is still to come.
A logical step is being taken in the area of “mini-games” so to speak. In Star Trek Online, you could already send crew members on missions for a long time. This system has now also been adopted by World of Warcraft, Rift and Skyforge . With New Dawn, it will be possible not only to command crew members but also your own inactive ships. They will not only be “kept ready for switching”, but can also be sent out, receiving certain attributes depending on their type.
Thus, while World of Warcraft’s crew member system was “adopted” with Warlords of Draenor, they are now taking the second step back from World of Warcraft. There, since the last patch, ships can be sent out, although not spaceships.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Heroes of the Storm, there is soon going to be a new character coming from the StarCraft universe – unfortunately, this is not the hero many had wished for. Where is Fenix?
Artanis is a better fit than Fenix
Artanis has taken Fenix’s place for now.
Fans of the StarCraft lore have long anticipated Fenix as a playable character in Heroes of the Storm and have now been bitterly disappointed. The next hero from the StarCraft universe will be Artanis, who will play an important role in the new expansion “Legacy of the Void” and is therefore thematically more fitting.
At Blizzard, they are trying to smooth over the situation and assure: Fenix will still come. They have currently just pushed him further back in the schedule because he will have a comparable resurrection mechanic to Leoric, and they did not want to release two similar heroes in such a short time. This gives more time to refine Fenix and give him unique mechanics that do justice to the legendary Protoss.
The Iron Banner is in Destiny the chance for Etheric Light. But getting there isn’t that easy. Especially if you really don’t like PvP. A end-of-the-day Guardian reports.
Yes, I did it. I, the total noob in PvP, dared to venture into the Iron Banner. Somewhere on the internet (where could it have been?) I read that the Iron Banner is the easiest way to get Etheric Light. What would Gandalf say now? “Flee, you fools!” But no. Since I still find it hard to listen to older, wiser people, I brave it. Armed with Hawkmoon, some half-baked shotgun, and Ir Yûts song, I take off.
Greatness awaits, they said! Go to the Iron Banner, they said!
Everything went great! Then came the first match …
I must admit: So far, I’ve avoided PvP like the devil avoids holy water, and when I dared to talk about the Trials of Osiris in the party chat, I was just laughed at. I have done some exotic bounties and completed all those that don’t require PvP. The others have occupied (just like Urzok) bounty slots on my Warlock for ages – more out of sentimentality than with the justified hope of successfully completing these bounties someday.
This is how it is without Dorn in the Crucible. Great map. You can really jump nicely. Especially past the objective. Exactly… hop-hop!
Boom, boom, boom! Why isn’t he dying? Oh, he’s one of us
Completely free from all tactical constraints, I run through the map and shoot at everything that isn’t on the trees by three. Ha, someone comes around the corner. Boom, boom, boom. Three headshots with the Hawkmoon. WHY ISN’T HE DYING, THAT STUPID LAGGER???
Upon careful consideration, I conclude that it might also be due to the fact that “the stupid lagger” is actually on my team. Time to think, I actually have enough, because while I shot my own teammate, I was chopped up by some lousy, invisible hunter with his Arc Blade.
This is all happening too fast for me. While I finally take aim at an opponent and pull the trigger, I get sniped again by someone with the Dorn (alternately with Partycrasher, Efrideet’s Spear or any other conceivable weapon) from the left, right, behind, or above.
The fist is on! What?! Where is the bubble coming from?
But finally my super is full. Melee attack with the Titan – THE FIST OF CHAOS. I run through the map. Ha, there they are. Three reds in one spot. I will take you down. I take a run, jump off, land precisely, and activate my super. A beautiful, blue-glimmering “bubble” appears. Oh damn, wrong focus. But since the enemies are luckily even more confused by this action than I am, I still land a melee hit – before I die.
And so it continues. Another nice example is the story with the heavy ammunition. “Heavy ammo incoming,” echoes from my speakers. Uh, how? Where? What? By the time I get there, there’s either none left, or I’m of course where at least three opponents are waiting for me. The result should be known…
Well, eventually the game is over, and to my greatest surprise, my team actually won. Motivated by my glorious performance, I immediately start the next game. After a few games, I slowly realize that I’m not performing as badly anymore. Might also be because the opponents are not always equally skilled.
Interestingly, I lose most of the games in which I hit somewhat and vice versa. But I’m okay with that. At the end of the night, I am quite satisfied with myself for my standards.
Now it’s tactical playing!
I’m still not on rank 3. At least one Etheric Light should be there for all the effort. So we go into the Iron Banner as a three-man team on the last day. Then it gets wild. Now I’m told I also have to play tactically. While I still have to complete the “15 Zones capture bounty.” “DO NOT CAPTURE ZONE C!!!” Huh, why is that? “Because the enemies will spawn elsewhere!” Oh, is that how it is?
This is all too much for me. I’m just too static and standing too much in one spot. Unless I’m hopping in the wrong direction again. But still. On Monday night (Tuesday morning), sometime during the night, it is done. Two bounties completed and I fly to the Tower to turn them in. With the whole “last day bonus,” this should surely be enough for the 3700 points and rank 3. Of course, it’s not enough. I’m missing 13 points…
The call of the Etheric Light
That’s enough for me now. I don’t want it anymore. I’m tired and I want to go to bed. And I want that stupid Etheric Light. I want! I want! I want!!! So, one more game. And that’s when it goes really well. In the quarter-hour Iron Banner, I get two kills on some crappy map that I couldn’t remember the name of again. But I’ve learned: If I’m bad, my team wins. And so it is this time too.
Finally: I am on rank 3. My Hunter is at 34. And I’m tired.
The end-of-the-day Guardian is Bernd Mutschler. In two columns, he has already reported about his adventures in Destiny on our site:
In the dark fantasy MMORPG The Secret World, a major currency conversion is coming soon. Players are advised to buy what they want now, the developers recommend.
Don’t worry, The Secret World is not planning any equivalent of a “Grexit.” It is about virtual currencies, not Euros. And again: Don’t worry. Although Funcom is facing financial difficulties, The Secret World does not plan to close. The current currency conversion has very mundane reasons.
With the next update, Issue #12, they aim to revise and expand the MMO aspects in The Secret World and have decided to eliminate the current currency confusion. Essentially, all current currencies (except PAX) will be converted into “Black Bullion” at a certain ratio. With Issue #12, a second currency will also be introduced, Mark of the Pantheon, but that is irrelevant for now.
It is important:There is a cap on how much Black Bullion one can possess. For subscribers, it is 2400, for non-subscribers, it is 2000. If you have more Black Bullion than these limits after the conversion, you will receive 200 PAX for each Black Bullion above the cap.
So check out the conversion table on Funcom, take out a calculator, check if you would be over the limit, and if so: happy shopping!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Now at Gamescom, it has been announced that they will transition from Alpha to Closed Beta. It starts on August 28th. The Closed Beta will take place on weekends.
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From currently tens of thousands of testers, they aim to scale up to hundreds of thousands, are looking forward to the new feedback, are considering dropping the NDA, and are generally optimistic. The only thing they want from PC players: Windows 10 must be installed.
The interest in headsets remains unbroken. However, their price-performance ratio is catastrophic, as the industry speculates on the ignorance of buyers.
Who buys headphones and a microphone separately instead of the headset saves quite a bit of money with this combo. The statement that a €30 headphone can match the sound quality of a €150 headset is no exaggeration. For this reason, some devices will also be presented here.
[toc]
Headphones
Before some models are suggested, technical details must be clarified. Paragraphs related to headsets also apply to headphones.
The Surround Effect
Surround sound allows you to determine from which direction the sound is coming. This makes it easier to locate enemies in shooters. With headsets that have one speaker (also called a driver) per side, the effect will either not occur at all or be simulated. Surround or 5.1 headsets have multiple speakers per side and are of course more expensive.
As already mentioned, the industry speculates on ignorance, as there are no real surround headsets. In fact, the simulated effect, which may require a sound card, is better.
Source: bereviews.com
The ear itself does not perceive surround sound. However, our brain can calculate this effect. The sound usually does not arrive at the same time in the right and left ear. It is a matter of fractions of a second, but this is sufficient for the brain to determine the direction via this time difference. A 5.1 speaker system, which is distributed throughout the room, works accordingly.
The 5.1 headset with three speakers per side does not, however. Because they are only slightly offset and the distance between the speaker and ear is far too small. Thus, the brain cannot calculate the surround effect. However, if it is simulated, the sounds are played back with a delay in the left and right speakers.
USB Connection and Sound Card
You can choose between USB and jack connection. To understand the difference, it is important to know that a digital signal must be converted into an analog one. This conversion is either handled by the sound card, which requires the jack connection, or a processor built into the headset. The latter uses USB.
If you do not have a sound card or only have the onboard variant, a USB headset is the better choice. Those with a sound card installed should always prefer the jack connection. Because it cannot be used in conjunction with a USB headset.
If you have the budget, you can also buy a sound card with a new headset. It does optimize the sound and is important for headphones to enable a surround effect. However, the card only accounts for a comparatively small part of the sound quality. So if you have a limited budget, it’s better to invest it in better headphones.
Terms
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Impedance: Also called nominal resistance. The lower the impedance, the more sensitive the headphone is. This means that less power is required. For mobile and thus power-saving devices, a low value of e.g. 16 ohms is useful. However, the sound is less detailed compared to headphones with high impedance.
Headphone Amplifier: These are standalone devices or built into sound cards that amplify the signal. With high impedance, 80 ohms or more, the sound quality is also improved.
Sound Pressure: This value determines how loud the headphone can be at maximum. It is specified in decibels (dB). Sounds over 85 dB are harmful to health.
Total Harmonic Distortion: Also called distortion factor. It indicates the distortion caused by the headphone. The specification is given in percentage. The value should be kept as low as possible.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Closed: These are soundproof. Thus, sound hardly escapes, and the environment does not perceive the noises. A closed design leads to stronger bass.
(Semi-)Open: Sound penetrates outside through holes in the housing. This improves the surround effect and reduces bass.
On-Ear: The headphone rests on the ear. This makes the device smaller, but it also reduces wearing comfort.
Over-Ear: The headphone encloses the ear. It is larger and more comfortable to wear. Depending on the material, e.g. artificial leather, it can get very warm.
In-Ear: These are plugged into the ear. They have the best bass reproduction. However, the ear canal must be sealed airtight. For better wearing comfort, earpieces can be made by an audiologist. These are tailored precisely to the individual’s ears.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Dynamics: Also referred to as signal-to-noise ratio. It is given in decibels and represents the ratio between the loudest and quietest part of a music track. Titles require about 20 decibels, orchestras more than 80 for optimal sound.
Purchase Recommendations
Since everyone perceives sound differently, it makes sense to test these in a store beforehand. Only a few devices are mentioned here; the perfect one depends on many factors, such as which music one prefers. Many prefer a device that has a strong bass.
Superlux HD-681 (~€30)
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This is the previously mentioned €30 headphone with good sound quality. It is over-ear and semi-open. The materials are quite inferior, and the artificial leather leads to heat buildup when worn for extended periods.
There are several models available in approximately the same price range. HD-681 has a warm sound tuning, meaning higher bass and treble. HD-681 B leads to slightly nasal reproduction. HD-681 F has less bass. A sound card is not worth it for this device.
Creative Aurvana Live! (~€60)
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At around €60, this device is twice as expensive as the Superlux counterpart. However, it is the better choice in terms of quality. With an impedance of 32 ohms, it is also suitable for mobile devices. The biggest disadvantage of this closed headphone is its poor isolation. However, this only becomes a problem at high volumes. As a sound card, the Asus Xonar DG is recommended for €30.
Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro (~€150)
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With the open design, the surround effect improves. It has a warm sound tuning and thus a strong bass. The device is sold in various impedance variants. For 80 and 250 ohms, the sound card Asus Xonar DX for about €60 is recommended.
An alternative model is the Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro. It also has a warm sound tuning but has a closed design and thus even stronger bass.
The Big Three (over €200)
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The big three refer to AKG K701 (low bass, high treble), Beyerdynamic DT880 (largely neutral), and Sennheiser HD650 (focus on bass and fundamental). They are quite similar, so an audition is recommended. To achieve optimal sound experience, a headphone amplifier is necessary. This can be done by, for example, the Asus Xonar Essence STX sound card for €160.
On the next page, we will focus on microphones.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Gamescom in Cologne has a winner, at least when it comes to the awards: The Gamescom showers Star Wars Battlefront with pre-release praises, like one only distributes treats in Cologne.
Trade fairs like Gamescom are always a showcase of individual games, and in the end, awards are presented. These are not exactly the Oscars, because the games should at least be finished for that, but it makes clear which game a jury has the highest expectations for.
An expert jury has been able to agree on Star Wars Battlefront in no less than 4 categories. Awards are given for:
Best of Gamescom
Best Console Game Sony Playstation
Best PC Game
Best Online Multiplayer Game
and the audience award for the game that fans are most looking forward to, is also bagged.
No other game can keep up, maybe only “Metal Gear Solid V”, which the experts rate highest for the Xbox One.
This was the highlight of Battlefront’s appearance at the EA press conference:
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In MMOs, two expansions determine Gamescom, otherwise little surprises
From an MMO player’s perspective, Gamescom was not a revelation. Nevertheless, there was plenty to report: The WoW expansion Legion was announced and Destiny dropped many hints about the Taken King, although not really about Gamescom, but more in conjunction with it. Thus, the flood of details from Activision created a stir among fans and journalists.
However, both Legion and Taken King are “expansions” that fill pages like ours. That cannot disguise the fact that surprises were virtually absent. Currently, one can only report from Guild Wars 2 that the “Heart of Thorns” expansion will be released in 2015 – anything else would also be a huge disappointment, as the whole year has been dedicated to this expansion. The Elder Scrolls Online completely skipped Gamescom. Surprisingly, about upcoming titles like The Division, nothing was heard during the presentation for the Xbox One.
But maybe some stories are brewing in the background and will be unleashed on the world in the coming days. And there is still a day of Gamescom left .
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Days ago, in a more or less exciting presentation, the latest expansion of World of Warcraft was revealed. It is called “Legion” and mainly deals with the namesake burning legion, which attempts once again to destroy Azeroth. But what do we know so far and what does it mean? And how thought out does everything seem this time?
When the demons ring 3 times …
The burning legion gets new servants. What background do they have?
The burning legion is not only the name of the foes in the latest WoW addon but also a very important part of the existing Warcraft story. After the War of the Ancients (10,000 years ago) and the attack on Nordrassil (Warcraft 3), the demon brood under the leadership of the dark titan Sargeras is attempting for the third time to destroy Azeroth.
Gul’dan sets the stone rolling, who was banished from Draenor and travels to our Azeroth to make the former tomb of Sargeras a portal nexus of the burning legion. Meanwhile, he awakens the captured remains of Illidan and frees other dark creatures that the night elf guardians had kept sealed away from the world. The largest invasion of the burning legion so far begins – and this is a statement that raises high expectations.
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In general, the concepts of the different areas sound pretty exciting and the developers have once again managed to create quite a colorful mix. Suramar will probably satisfy the little lore freak in me, as the old elf city played an important role in the novel series and certainly offers plenty of information about the culture of the highborn night elves.
Val’Sharah offers insights into the emerald dream and thus forms a strong contrast between “healthy nature” and “corruption”. The other areas also sound promising, as they have different themes; from the original lore of the druids, the Vrykul, and the pure Valkyr.
Since Blizzard wants to place even more value on storytelling, I am optimistic that at least the leveling phase will captivate me, possibly for two nights without sleep.
Especially Suramar is highly anticipated, as it is a historic place in the Warcraft lore.
Demon Hunters and Artifact Weapons
Both the new hero class and the artifact weapons sound exciting, but the information is still sparse. I am particularly interested in the reason why the demon hunters are joining the Horde and Alliance, as they originally belonged to the Illidari – a loyal elite unit that also suffers from the thirst of magic that Illidan and Kael’thas quenched with fel magic.
Gameplay-wise, the class seems exciting, especially with new mechanics such as the double jump or the ability to see enemies even in invisibility and through walls. How much of this will be found in the final version remains to be seen, as usually some aspects are removed during the beta phase.
Artifacts accompany you throughout the entire addon.
The artifact weapons seem fantastic at first glance, as they combine many aspects that have long been requested. A weapon that gains power over time, is tied to exciting class missions, and can also be visually customized? At least the idea has already convinced me.
I am also pleased that they are adopting certain aspects of the garrison despite the criticism, such as the new champions in the class halls. While this is another step towards “We are the absolute superhero,” when even important characters like Lady Liadrin let us command them around, it is probably just a logical consequence after all the deeds we have already accomplished in World of Warcraft.
The website reveals even more …
The Banshee Queen plays a bigger role – but which one?
Some details from the official “Legion” website have remained unmentioned so far. Those who look carefully can indeed recognize some placeholders that Blizzard will surely fill in the coming months to maintain the hype and further increase anticipation. In addition to a four-part audio play series for the new addon, there will also be some comics and videos that hopefully reveal more of the story and shed light on the various main characters.
For we know that Sylvanas will play a bigger role, but no word has been said so far about her exact actions. I also have high expectations for the naga antagonist Tide Mistress Athissa. She should be more than just the typical “throwaway naga” and I am burning with curiosity as to why her fanatical devotion to Azshara even surpasses that of Lady Vashj – for she was at least in the books unmatched in “fangirlism” (and jealousy).
The nightmare distorts the areas. It definitely looks dark …
Logical gaps in the lore
As exciting as most of the presentation sounded, I am also confused about some aspects of the lore. A small point of criticism is Frostmourne, whose shards one must collect as a frost death knight to forge the artifact weapon. So far, it was said that the shards were securely locked away. And now they are just lying around in Icecrown? The shards of the most powerful death knight weapon ever? … Really?
This is what the isles looked like in Warcraft 3 – freshly lifted from the sea.
A second important aspect is the location of the addon. The “Broken Isles” do exist in the lore, but they were raised from the depths of the sea by Gul’dan (the “original”) only a relatively few years ago. So how can lush vegetation and even an entire world tree have formed in such a short time? In the case of the elves and their Nightwell, I can still understand that they may have lived under a magical dome, but how did the Vrykul manage it? Or are they completely new islands? Or – as I fear – has this detail been completely forgotten?
I am hyped! But …
As so often, the motto is: Wait and drink tea!
For many reasons, I am looking forward to the addon. It may not reinvent the wheel, but it gives me some incentives to return to Azeroth. Especially the lore surrounding the new elf race or various races of the legion intrigues me greatly, as well as all aspects related to the naga and Queen Azshara. I will probably also take a look at the PvP again, as the new system sounds much more motivating than the previous one.
At the same time, I am skeptical. None of the previous announcements sound like the big “game changer” that will long-term solve the motivational problems of World of Warcraft. Fairly, it must also be said that much remains unclear regarding “Legion”. A hasty judgment would not do justice to a game that has already managed to captivate me anew five times.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online, the Crown Store will be filled up generously again in August. A spotted Senche-Leopard is the highlight.
Otherwise, there will mainly be costumes in the summer month, which are more for festive occasions. Expect these outfits at the end of August:
And for those who find that too conservative:
For those wondering why it has been so quiet about The Elder Scrolls Online, while everything else is buzzing with gaming: The Elder Scrolls Online was not at Gamescom. The information that they had was released shortly before at Quakecon, when they explained what the future has in store for TESO. A visit to Cologne would not have been worth it.
Much more buzz is expected for The Elder Scrolls Online on Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC in September, when Update 7, the Imperial City arrives. It is set to launch on August 31 for PC, September 15 for Xbox One, and September 16 for Playstation. At the moment, the Imperial City is still on the test server.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , the level system will be adjusted with the expansion “The Taken King”. What level will veterans start at?
Currently, there is unrest among Destiny players. Because Destiny will change the level system. So far, players level up to level 20 through experience points, after which they must improve their four equipped armor pieces to reach level 34.
With “The Taken King”, players will only be able to level up through experience points. The players’ fear: “Then I’ll drop down to level 20!”
That’s not the case.
Players will be set to the level that corresponds to the light level they achieved with their Guardian. That means: If someone currently has a Guardian at light level 34, they will start at light level 34. However, if a Guardian has been at 34 but has sent the armor to a second character and is now down to level 20, they should also start at level 34 with this Guardian.
With the “Level Boost” for The Taken King, which we recently reported on, players will be able to increase the level of ONE Guardian to a value that allows them to start with the new game content.
The exact level is not yet known. However, players should not have to engage in Year 1 content anymore, but can start directly with Year 2 content. This is intended for both newcomers and players who want to create a second or third character but don’t want to start all over again.
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Light will be a type of gear score, a number that tells you how strong you are
The “light” will not completely disappear from Destiny, but it will become the new “gear score”, an indicator of how strong your equipment is. This was explained by Community Manager DeeJ to the US site IGN. To do this, the values of weapons, armor, and other items will be totaled. With The Taken King, ghost shells and class items will also have values in Destiny.
This way, players can be informed: You are at level 40 and have this gear, these or those activities are suitable for you. Currently, the “light level” affects the damage of players. It can be assumed that the new “light value” will not do that, but will really just be an abstract value to tell players how strong they are; it itself will have no influence on the game. However, confirmation from Bungie is still pending for this assumption.
The Sleeper Simulant will also contribute to your new “light”.
That’s why Destiny needs this “gear score” with the adjustment
Mein MMO believes: To explain the idea behind such a “gear score”: The height of the light is essentially the number that differentiates fresh level 40s from “experienced level 40s” who have already had the opportunity to collect equipment.
So far, Bungie had to assume that even players who had “long been in the game” had not necessarily reached level 34, as they were not playing in groups and thus lacked raid gear (base game), the upgrade materials (Darkness Awaits), or etheric light (House of Wolves). Because level 34 could only be reached through certain activities that required a fixed group – at least at the beginning of each section. So the level served as a sign of how well-equipped a Guardian was.
With the changes, it addresses the idea that every player will eventually reach level 40. Thus, the level no longer has the exact distinction it had in the first year. Therefore, a new distinction is needed: “This is for advanced players who have already collected strong items,” “This is for players who are just relatively new to level 40.”
Oryx is likely to be for level-40 players… but not for completely new level 40 players.
Never again: Forever 29
As an example: Very soon – with such a system – everyone will be at level 40. Even Guardians who are currently not at level 34 but at level 32 because they lack etheric light. Because simply playing, regardless of the content, gives experience points. Currently, level 32 Guardians will be recommended the Prison of Elders at level 32.
With “The Taken King”, all Guardians will be level 40, so a new way must be found to tell players: “This is suitable for you. For the other, you should first get stronger.” For this, there is the new “light” as a gear score.
This is the same system that MMORPGs like World of Warcraft use. One says: 100 is the current maximum level. Anyone who has progressed through the story will reach this. And those who continue to play will gradually find better items. And with the next major content patch, we will not increase the level cap, but rather introduce better items that allow players to “get stronger” and thus achieve a higher gear score.
In relation to Destiny, this could mean that in Year 2 of Destiny, players will remain at level 40. And Bungie will introduce “stronger items” with the upcoming DLCs to increase the gear score. This is currently pure speculation, but these changes would pave the way for it.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
