In Blizzard’s online card game , a nasty trick is currently circulating that leaves the opponent defenseless.
It’s similar to playing an endless series of “8s” in Mau-Mau that keep forcing the opponent to skip their turn.
With the legendary card Nozdormu on the board, a turn only lasts 15 seconds instead of 45. If you also hold two Young Brewmasters in your hand, you can always play one, bring it back with the next one, and so on.
Because the animations are shown one after the other, it’s possible to attack with the dragon, then apply as many Brewmasters as you can until your mana runs out, and finally end your turn.
This means that the “Brewmaster-switch” animation takes up the rest of your shortened turn and even reaches into the opponent’s turn, leaving the opponent no time to do anything during their round.
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Fans are debating whether this is okay or not. Some say: Clearly an exploitation of game mechanics. Others say: It’s just a combo that is hard to achieve and leads to victory; there are others like it.
In any case, you should keep an eye on Nozdormu in opponent decks until Blizzard does something about the play (if ever). The deck is running as “Drunken Dragon” on Hearthpwn.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online achieved strong sales figures in the USA in June. This is indicated by data from market research institutes and analysts.
The analysts from Superdata provide figures for the gaming market. They are not undisputed, especially the source citations are sometimes vague. Furthermore, they also lump MOBAs and online card games into the MMO category, which hardcore fans do not appreciate. Nevertheless, their data is adopted by most media – there are very few alternatives.
As with the current player counts, the sales figures are also strictly confidential in many cases, and you only get clues and approximations – as it suits the PR personnel and heads of the publishers.
The majority of statistics and figures from Superdata paint a clear picture: Free2Play MMOs with microtransactions are on the rise. Anyone who still wants to make money off their customers for the game itself or for a subscription is targeting a market that continues to shrink.
The Elder Scrolls Online “saves” the paid MMO market single-handedly
According to Superdata, June 2015 offers an interesting picture. Because it is very rare that the paid MMO market experiences growth again. In June 2015, however, this was the case compared to June 2014. In the USA, the market for paid MMOs on PC and consoles grew by 30% compared to the previous year. And there is a reason for this: “The Elder Scrolls Online.”
The Elder Scrolls Online has significantly revitalized the struggling paid MMO market according to numerous reports.
It operates on a “Buy2Play” model: Players must purchase the base game and then have the option to buy a quasi-subscription called “TESO Plus” or acquire new game content or items (like EXP Boosters or mounts) from the cash shop, the crown store.
Anyone who purchased this nice mount will be reflected in the following statistics:
Allegedly sold 138,000 digital units in the USA
It is alleged that The Elder Scrolls Online sold 138,000 digital units alone in the USA.
In statistics revolving around “Digital Earnings”, this includes microtransactions and other purchases, The Elder Scrolls Online ranked 3rd in the USA in June, behind Call of Duty and GTA V. In Germany it ranked 5th (Fifa 15 is ranked 1st), and in the UK it ranked 4th. These are the figures from Superdata:
Other sources also confirm the sales success of The Elder Scrolls Online
Other figures also confirm that The Elder Scrolls Online has sold very well in the USA. In June, it ranked 2nd in “Retail Sales”, meaning the boxes that sold over the counter, across all platforms, just behind Arkham Knight. This was reported by the market research institute NPD Group.
How players make progress in their games often varies. In some online worlds, one is lured by constantly improving equipment, while other games rely purely on the skill of the respective player. We ask: Which of these systems do you prefer?
And the spiral turns …
Every patch of WoW brings new equipment – and thus new upper limits of character strength.
In every MMO, there are different incentives to play as much as possible. In some, the social component is particularly decisive, others enjoy the graphics especially, and yet others appreciate small details, such as the options for character creation. However, no feature seems to attract as many players as the improvement of their own hero. Whether through new talents or increased attribute points, when the character deals a little more damage or heals more effectively, the gaming heart beats faster.
The best examples of this are probably classic MMORPGs like World of Warcraft or SWTOR. Through regular patches and expansions, characters are continually improved and never reach a “perfect” state – at least not for longer than a few weeks.
A duel of pure skill
Other games rely entirely on fair, competitive gameplay, meaning: All characters have the same values and the same number of improvement options, creating an objective fairness. Who wins in a duel is solely determined by the skill of the respective player. Such games include Guild Wars 2 (at least in mist PvP) and most MOBAs like Smite and Heroes of the Storm also fall into this category. No matter how much time someone invests in these games, the character will never improve – only the player.
In Guild Wars 2, the players’ skill mainly determines victory and defeat.
Cortyn says: I am now displeased with the endless item spiral. A few years ago, I enjoyed collecting new items and dealing a bit more damage than during the last dungeon visit, but now I find this mechanic boring. I certainly see its usefulness and necessity in classic MMORPGs – but not in the PvP area. Much too often, while playing, I have the suspicion: “My opponent just barely won because he already has the equipment from season 26336.” It shifts my focus, more or less consciously, onto the items and not on what I can actively improve.
Guild Wars 2 offered Cortyn the most exciting PvP.
In the PvP of Guild Wars 2, I knew with every defeat: “The guy was simply better” or “I used my ability incorrectly”. Furthermore, the “skill” acquired in a game is hard to lose, whereas long-farmed equipment ends up at the enchanter within a month.
And so we come to the question for you: What type of game do you prefer and why? Do you enjoy being able to endlessly improve your character through new items? Or do you prefer to constantly learn as a player and compete against enemies that, based on starting values, are on the same level as you?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The new patch is now live in RIFT and can be played by everyone. Some issues caused hiccups on patch day in America.
Beginning of the Nightmare Saga
On July 15, the major Patch 3.3 for RIFT was released and caused some difficulties in the first hours in America. Several bugs led to servers being shut down and maintained multiple times within a few hours while the causes were frantically searched for. The issues have now been fixed, and European players are also enjoying the new features.
Dimensional craftsmen will have plenty to do over the summer.
Among other things, the first chapter of the Nightmare Saga is playable, which will delight fans of the lore. This chapter will reveal the origins of Lord Arak during the storyline. Chapter 2 will follow in July, while Chapter 3 is due in August. But also, dimensional craftsmen can obtain many new resources and blueprints as they battle through rifts and the Tarken Glacier to craft new gear. The glacier also hosts a completely new Instant Adventure where the resurrected dragon Shigoroth must be defeated.
But these are just a few highlights of the patch. The list of new features and improvements is long; those wanting to learn every detail should take a look at the full patch notes.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
On social media, the first jokes appeared: “Xur finds new ways to disappoint the Guardians,” they said.
Others, not averse to a good conspiracy theory, suspected he had a Gjallarhorn and it was snatched from his hands at the last moment. There are also screenshots, and people swear it was exactly like that… (because screenshots on the internet are always true).
Many thought Bungie would deliver another weapon. Now the definitive answer is here: No, they will not. They have determined that there is no “safe way” to add a weapon. Xur will return next week. Then with a full inventory.
We’ve determined we can’t safely alter Xur at this time. He’ll be back next week with a full inventory, including an Exotic weapon. — Bungie (@Bungie) July 17, 2015
July 17, 2015, will likely go down in Destiny history as “Pacifist Friday.” The day when Xur had neither a bad nor a good weapon, but none at all.
Of course, the very optimistic ones hope: Bungie will make up for this next week, delivering two weapons or those whose names superstitious Guardians are so reluctant to say.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Many players criticized the immature matchmaking in Heroes of the Storm. Blizzard has now implemented initial changes that should lead to a better gaming experience for newcomers and veterans.
“Quick Match” no longer quite so quick – but better!
Especially the game mode “Quick Match” was a thorn in the side of many players. It often happened that veterans and newcomers were mixed together. This led to tensions on both sides: the seasoned experts panicked trying to compensate for their inexperienced teammates, while the newcomers naturally could not meet the demands due to a lack of practical experience.
The number of completed games now determines the teammates.
A new rule has now been implemented in the system, which ensures that players are matched based on the number of games they have already played. Those who can present 500 games on their account will therefore very rarely encounter players who are only playing their second or third round.
A disadvantage of this new rule is that players now have to wait longer for a match, as the pool of potential teammates and opponents has shrunk. However, Blizzard assumes that the longer wait times are bearable if they lead to an improvement in player experience and more exciting matches.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
This weekend there is a new Weekend Challenge for the players of Evolve. As Behemoth, many hits must be scored to claim a free skin.
Bowling in a different way
The challenge from last week was completed without issues, allowing players to enjoy the Predator Skin of Maggie. However, this weekend Turtle Rock Studios significantly increases the difficulty of the requirements: The monster players must land at least 200,000 hits as Behemoth while moving in its ball form. Since the ball form quickly depletes the monster’s stamina bar, it will not be easy to land that many hits – especially since the damage of this ability is minimal and thus presents a great risk.
As usual, the challenge runs from Friday to Sunday (July 17 – 19) and players across all platforms work together towards the goal. It is not necessary to play as Behemoth yourself, it is sufficient for one to participate in the match. If the challenge is successfully completed, all participants will receive the red Behemoth Blood Rock skin, which will be distributed to all participants by Thursday at the latest. May the great bowling begin!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , the balance of weapon classes is being adjusted. Whether shotguns, automatic rifles, or handguns – all classes are affected.
In MMORPGs, it is the abilities of the classes that must constantly be balanced against each other. Sometimes one is too strong, the other too weak, and then everything is somewhat balanced: new equipment comes out, and the game starts over.
On the class balance front, Destiny is relatively secure with “only” three classes, as not much changes. However, there is a battle with the weapons, and it seems they are willing to do so. At E3, they announced the philosophy that weapons should come in and out of fashion. Initially, automatic rifles were strong, but no one talks about them anymore. In the Crucible, shotguns and handguns are currently favored.
With the expansion “King of the Taken” coming in mid-September, Patch 2.0 will significantly adjust the balance of weapon classes.
Automatic rifles and scout rifles will be strengthened, handguns weakened
For automatic rifles
the base damage will be increased,
but they will deal less damage at longer ranges.
Additionally, the developers will reduce the stability in such a way that it becomes difficult to land precision shots at great distances.
Furthermore, Bungie will increase the damage of automatic rifles in PvE by 10%.
They are supposed to become stronger again, but not make scout rifles redundant.
but they will be adjusted to make it harder to achieve multiple precision hits reliably.
Therefore, they will lower the stability,
but increase the magazine size.
Pulse rifles with medium fire rates will deal about 2.5% less damage.
They are satisfied with pulse rifles, aiming for a bit more diversity in the sub-types.
Scout rifles are seen as the ideal choice for long-range primary weapons:
Scout rifles will deal 5% more damage in PvE.
Additionally, they will further increase the damage of scout rifles with medium or high fire rates, but this should not affect the kill speed of the weapon in PvP against a healthy Guardian.
Scout rifles will receive a larger magazine.
Their precision when aiming from the hip will be reduced.
Scout rifles are supposed to become stronger in PvP, as they are supposed to resemble snipers a bit more.
Handguns will be severely restricted in their range, as they want to distinguish them more clearly from scout rifles:
They will deal less damage at long distances,
it will be harder to aim with them,
even when fired from the hip, they will be less precise than before.
Furthermore, the magazine size will be reduced
and the sights will be changed so that they look less far but provide a wider view.
There is little good news for handguns.
Last-Round Snipers, Shotguns, and Fusion Rifles
For shotguns, they are addressing the most popular perks, as the Iron Banner Felwinter and the changes with “Reforging for All” in the House of Wolves have led Guardians to obsessively search for the “optimal shotgun.” Once they found it, it was clear: it was too strong.
Measure Search will now give only 5% increased range when aiming through the sight instead of 20%.
Sardine cans will be 30% weaker when it comes to grouping the shots on target.
The bonus damage of pumps on precision hits will decrease by 10%.
In PvE, shotguns will deal 10% less base damage.
Is the reign of shotguns coming to an end with 2.0?
For fusion rifles, they are going back to fine-tuning and differentiating between the types:
Slow-loading, hard-hitting fusion rifles will receive a shorter range.
For all types, the projectiles will travel slower.
Fusion rifles with short range will receive an accuracy bonus
Fusion rifles with long range will receive a penalty.
Fusion rifles could use a bit of reinforcement; at short range, they should offer an option to shotguns.
. For sniper rifles, they are changing the effect of “Last Round,” but only for sniper rifles. The additional damage will now only apply to precision damage, not to base damage anymore.
Last Round was too strong; it is being weakened…
Rocket Launchers and Machine Guns
For heavy weapons, machine guns will remain as they are.
The Yoghurette among weapons: It wants to remain as it is. It is allowed.
For rocket launchers
they will address “Horseshoes and Hand Grenades.” Rockets will now explode closer to the target if the firing weapon has this trait. This should allow faster players to evade rockets more easily.
Additionally, they will increase the explosion radius of all rocket launchers.
Rocket launchers remain quite constant in principle, except for the “explode in the approximate vicinity” issue.
Additionally, with 2.0, they will adjust the functionality of some “perks,” i.e., weapon traits. They will go into details this weekend.
Bungie also mentions that they will have some surprises in store for the launch of King of the Taken.
The Free2Play MMORPG Skyforge has now introduced its Collector’s Editions and offers a shortcut to two advanced classes.
The appeal of Skyforge lies in progressing through a complex skill tree from node to node until you reach your desired goal: Unlocking new classes and thus new player experiences.
Because the classes that the player’s avatar can quickly switch to play fundamentally differently. In a tutorial mode, a kind of “danger zone”, aspiring gods can try out their desired classes – some missions also invite them to tackle challenges in specific roles. However, it takes time before gods can play whatever they want in the real world.
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Players could already purchase access to the melee fighter Berserker and the ranged DPS Gunner in the founder packs. This means founders start with five classes instead of the three basic ones: Lightbinder, Paladin, and Cryomancer.
Now, Skyforge has introduced a Collector’s Edition that grants buyers instant access to two additional classes, the Knight and the Alchemist. For 55 euros, you get both classes, a mount, and additional bonuses. The offer from Skyforge can be found here.
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The survival MMO H1Z1 is now half a year old. In a video montage, a YouTuber summarizes the most absurd, best, and funniest moments.
H1Z1 is half a year old. It was buggy, unbalanced, had issues with bears, hackers, cheaters, air drops, felt unfinished and raw, but from the very beginning it did one thing: it was fun.
Even the bugs made fans laugh until they cried. The open-world concept, combined with early access, led to completely absurd situations that were discussed again and again in the game’s very active community.
For the “half-year”, a YouTuber has now compiled what he considers the best clips from H1Z1 into a birthday greeting for the zombie MMO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Xur, the Agent of the Nine, arrives in Destiny on Friday, July 17th. We will present what he has on offer and where he stands in this article.
For a handful of strange coins, Xur can make a dream come true or two. He sells three exotic armor pieces each week, one for each class, along with an exotic weapon. In theory, Xur is a “catch-up mechanic,” giving both hardcore and casual players the chance to purchase great items from him.
Xur’s concept worked especially well at the beginning of Destiny
In practice, it shows that the concept worked particularly well at the beginning. Xur’s appearances on Friday are highlights. Even players who have played little Destiny during the week are interested in the vendor, checking what he has on offer.
However, in practice, it appears that his appeal is slowly waning, as many regular and hardcore players now own everything Xur can offer. This is because relatively few new exotic items have been added to his inventory in recent months. And of course, he shows up every week and sells items, so the demand decreases because he satisfies it weekly.
It’s getting harder to hit the jackpot in the Xur lottery
All this means that the Friday lottery is becoming a disappointment for many Guardians: Sure, when you only need a few items from the vast array of armor pieces and weapons, the chance that he has exactly what you need is low. While players who still need a lot can joyfully shop every week. Xur is indeed a catch-up mechanic.
Perhaps Bungie will revise the old tentacle face and its mechanics with “The Taken King“.
Everything about Xur on July 17th, 18th, and 19th in Destiny
When does Xur come and when does he leave again?
Xur arrives on Friday, July 17th, at 11:00 AM in the Tower or the Reef. He departs on Sunday, July 19th, also at 11:00 AM CEST.
Where is Xur? What is his position?
Xur is in the Tower, on the balcony, near the Speaker. Here in the video, you can find the secret full walkthrough to Xur, so to speak.
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What does Xur have on offer this week? What is he selling?
Xur is selling this week for inexplicable reasons … no weapon?! – This is indeed no display error from any app. Xur has no weapon on offer.
At 12:55, Bungie Help, technical support, confirmed via Twitter that there is an issue with Xur, which they are investigating. So it may happen that something will change.
We are aware of issues with Xur’s inventory. We are currently investigating. Standby for updates.
The sandpark MMO ArcheAge is trying something new in Korea: a full PvP server.
As MMO Culture reports, XLGames is trying a new idea in Korea. They will introduce a new server with a special set of rules on July 25. As is common in many sandbox games, “safe zones” will now also be opened for PK, for killing players by other players.
Moreover, the PvE grind will be reduced significantly: upon reaching level 30, players will be promoted to level 55 and receive equipment worth 4000 points, it is further stated.
In addition, the experience gain across the entire server is to be permanently doubled, and instead of 4 Castle Siege Points, there will be 6.
Interestingly, in the official Western forum for ArcheAge, which is maintained by Trion Worlds, there was a dominant thread on Thursday evening where players demanded that a new server in Europe coming with 2.0 should definitely be a “PvE” server. In that thread, opinions diverged greatly…
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With the upcoming Patch 3.3, the Togruta will finally be playable in Star Wars: The Old Republic. Like the Cathar, they must first be acquired for cartel coins.
The galaxy needs more Lekku
The selection of playable races is expanding once again. The Togruta are the second new playable race after the Cathar. They will be available to SWTOR players from July 21, when the Patch 3.3 will be deployed to the servers. Like its predecessor, the new species will be unlockable for 600 cartel coins.
Ashara is a companion of the Sith Inquisitor – and one of the romance options.
The new race has a small peculiarity: Due to their horns (the Montrals) and the lekku, the Togruta will automatically hide all helmets. This feature is something they plan to utilize in the future when potentially introducing new species that also have unusual head shapes.
The Togruta have long been a staple of Star Wars, with Sith Inquisitors even able to acquire one as a companion. Representatives of this species have played a significant role in the movies and the “Clone Wars” series.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , comprehensive changes to weapon balance have been announced. Some of the exotic weapons will be affected: They will become weaker. Others, however, will become stronger.
On the night from Thursday to Friday at 2:10 AM, the Weekly Update was released. This time it was really something: It brought hard facts, the information that so many have been waiting for. Bungie was straightforward about the weapon balance and presented the plans on how the power balance is supposed to shift with the expansion.
We will discuss the details of how each weapon class will be affected in a separate section. This article will focus on the specific changes to the exotic weapons.
Oryx: Was the Gjallarhorn still the benchmark back in its time?
The changes will only become active with Patch 2.0, with the arrival of “The Taken King“, One can assume: This also means that all “current exotic” weapons will remain relevant in some form with the expansion – so likely also “be brought up to the latest values” again. But that is still speculation at the moment. If the exotic weapons became insignificant with 2.0, they probably wouldn’t have gone through the effort of specifically strengthening or weakening them.
And there is a lot planned.
Hard Light and Necrochasm – Love for the Unloved Automatic Rifles
The exotic automatic rifle Hard Light will receive higher stability (from 65 to 80), the projectiles of the new Hard Light are not affected by damage loss over long ranges and the bullets will probably bounce a bit more than before.
Winner
The exotic automatic rifle Necrochasm will receive higher stability and a larger magazine. The property that precision kills sometimes cause explosions will be improved. This is supposed to happen “always” with 2.0. Furthermore, the explosions are supposed to have a larger radius and cause more damage.
Clear Winner
Thorn, Hawkmoon and The Last Word – Hand Cannons in Danger
The hand cannon “The Last Word” will become weaker: Its range will drop from 20 to 10, stability from 30 to 20; the effective range when aiming with the weapon will also decrease. However, aim assist will be enhanced when Guardians fire from the hip: The goal is to make the weapon stronger in close combat.
Stronger in close combat, weaker in long range
The hand cannon “Thorn” will also be changed: The “Damage over Time” effect will only deal one third of its current damage in PvP, but it can be stacked up to 5 times (applied over each other), but only if the shooter hits 5 times. This means: A single Thorn hit is no longer as unpleasant as it is now, three hits in a row would cause the same poison damage. This only applies if the victim survives the three hits and has time to feel the poison at all.
Will need three shots to poison as strongly as it currently does
The Hawkmoon will receive relatively complicated changes: By fine-tuning Roulette and Double-Down, they want to prevent too many bonus perks from stacking simultaneously and make Hawkmoon kill Guardians with full health with just one shot. When Double-Down is activated, Hawkmoon receives 2 additional bullets in the magazine. In addition, the damage bonus from “Roulette” will be reduced by 3%.
The sniper rifle “Icebreaker” will take 8 seconds to regenerate a bullet. Currently, it takes 5 seconds.
8 instead of 5 seconds until a new bullet appears
The sniper rifle “No Land Beyond” is supposed to aim faster with 2.0, allowing for quicker aiming and also quicker stowing. Additionally, they aim to fix an issue with the aiming system. Furthermore, the bonus effect of “The Master” will remain active longer, causing an additional 20% more bonus damage on precision hits.
Will become stronger
The legendary sniper rifle “Black Spindle” will have 18 bullets and the “White Nail” will draw ammunition from reserves – which probably means: No bullets from thin air.
“Only” legendary, yet specifically changed
And the Gjallarhorn is affected as well
The shotgun “Lord of Wolves” will grant allies a three times higher recovery bonus than it currently does.
Will be indirectly strengthened
The rocket launcher Gjallarhorn will deal less damage with the Wolf-Pack-Rounds. This is meant to explicitly prevent players from being excluded from activities if they do not have the weapon.
Blasphemy
These are the special changes to the notable weapons in Destiny. In addition to these changes, the weapons presented here will also be affected by the tuning of the weapon classes. For example, hand cannons will be weakened at long range.
The changes will only come in about two months, in the future of Destiny. Destiny also has a present, and that is Xur. On July 17 at 11:00 AM, we will welcome Xur in the Tower or the Reef and report on his inventory: Here is our article about Xur on July 17.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In World of Warcraft, the latest Archvillain, Archimonde, has met his end. After 472 attempts, it finally happened.
The victory in this edition of the so-called “World First Race” is once again claimed by the guild “Method”. Method has become the first guild in the world to defeat Archimonde in the “Mythic” difficulty. This is the only difficulty with a fixed raid size of 20 – on “normal” and “heroic” the Hellfire Citadel scales flexibly with the number of raiders.
It is said that the guild needed 472 attempts to defeat Archimonde. As can be seen on the kill screen, the days of innocent raiding in WoW are long gone, as sponsors are prominently featured, much like ski jumpers hold up their skis after landing so everyone can read the logos. But one thing hasn’t changed: it’s still incredibly exhausting.
Exhausted, a player from Method reported: These were the most attempts a boss has endured in his raid career:
In the past, Method has had a neck-and-neck race for the last World Firsts with the guild Paragon. They were also closely following this time. Paragon is currently at 12/13 on Mythic difficulty, so they only need the final boss.
The makers of Rift grant all players three days of subscriber time. The only condition is to log into the game during the promotion period.
Plenty of bonuses for free
Subscribers receive plenty of rewards and benefits.
“Subscribers” are the ones who pay monthly in Rift. They receive some comfort advantages in the game, such as increased experience gain, more in-game currencies, and enhanced mobility through additional teleportation options. If you log into the game at least once between Friday and Sunday (July 17 – 19), you will automatically receive 3 days of subscriber time!
The makers of Rift want to thank all players and, of course, entice new or returning players back into the world of Telara.
If you have never taken a look into the world of Rift, you should take advantage of this bonus and benefit from the additional experience points.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The legends of the Revenant in Guild Wars 2 are now complete: Shiro Tagachi is the fourth and final.
In a developer post, ArenaNet has announced that the new class, which is set to come with the Heart of Thorns expansion, will be able to draw on the abilities of another legendary character from the first Guild Wars, who is a nimble melee fighter.
Jade Wind and Double Swords
Players of the first Guild Wars will still know – and fear – Tagachi.
Veterans who played the first part of Guild Wars, especially the “Factions” expansion, will surely still remember Shiro Tagachi. Those who joined only with Guild Wars 2 will soon get to know Tagachi, as many of his abilities are available to the Revenant with the addon Heart of Thorns.
One of the most impressive abilities is probably “Unrelenting Assault“, where the Revenant jumps rapidly from enemy to enemy, injuring each and gaining a stack of might.
But “Phase Dash” is impressive as well and is excellent for starting a combo. The character dashes through the mists directly to their targeted enemy and gains a stack of “unblockable attack” – meaning your next effect will definitely reach the enemy.
Other abilities like the Jade Wind have already been seen by players in the campaign of Guild Wars Factions. It temporarily turns enemies into jade (and thus stuns them).
You can find an overview of all abilities associated with this legend and its available weapons on the official Guild Wars 2 homepage.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Aeria Games has announced that the Free2Play MMO Dragomon Hunter will come to Europe later this year. Fans of games with anime-style graphics can look forward to a playable version in the autumn.
Little Heroes, Big Eyes
Gotta catch ’em all?
If you’re still nostalgic for the old Pokémon days or enjoyed the Dragon Quest titles back then, you should turn your attention to Dragomon Hunter. The Free2Play game will also be released in Europe this autumn. As typical for the genre, there are 4 classes to choose from. Players can dive into these classes to defeat, tame, and collect the monsters of the world. A crafting system is also present, providing the incentive for always better gear.
Unlike many other MMOs, Dragomon Hunter will also be playable with a controller. By the way, the game is being developed by X-Legend. Fans of anime MMORPGs are likely to perk up: The developer studio has already made a name for itself in this niche with titles like Aura Kingdom or Grand Fantasia. A small trailer shows the colorful game in all its glory:
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The SF/Fantasy MMORPG Skyforge launches today in an Open Beta for everyone. We answer the most important questions, including: What is the first impression?
Our author Schuhmann has already spent countless hours in the world of Skyforge during the Closed Beta and now in Early Access for founders and answers the questions he believes you might have.
What is Skyforge? And what does “Lobby” game mean?
Skyforge is an MMORPG with a strong focus on instancing. It is a so-called “Lobby” game. It’s like standing in a corridor, with an adventure behind each door. The corridor itself is not an adventure. Previously, the corridor was an adventure; there were no doors, and everything took place in a large world.
In contrast, everything in Skyforge is portioned.
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Yes, the download is free, and there are no subscription costs involved. Players who invest money progress faster. Premium players receive a 50% bonus on everything – except for food for pets.
In the extensive skill tree, there are certain mechanisms that require premium currency: To use gems in the ether slots, Argents are needed. How pronounced this is, is still hard to tell at the moment. Experience shows that it only becomes clear in the endgame. Due to various limitations, even the most advanced players are currently somewhere in the mid-game: Players can only progress within certain limits each week.
Kinectic is one of the classes that you must unlock with effort.
Does Skyforge really start today?
Yes, it is officially an Open Beta. However, there will be no more wipes. On July 16th at 3:00 PM, the release in the West takes place. It is likely that there will still be an “official release” later this year, but anyone who starts then will find themselves among players who have had a lead for months.
That’s a bummer.
Update: Short correction … it starts at 4:00 PM. The Allods team announced this at short notice.
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The kicker in Skyforge is the combat system and that players gradually earn access to different classes. Here, Skyforge follows a system similar to that of League of Legends. Everyone has 3 base classes, while advanced and expert classes must first be relatively laboriously “unlocked”.
The idea behind the skill tree is that players truly become more powerful than others in the world. They can ascend to God.
The good thing is: you stay with the same character, switch classes at the push of a button, and then play with a completely different style. You can also occasionally try out classes that you have not yet unlocked. Some missions grant double resources when completed in a specific class – that class is then “provided”.
How does it play?
After nearly 80 hours with the game, I would roughly say: You go alone or in groups of three into one of the always same instances, fight the always same bosses that sometimes feel like giant HP-sponge, and you search exactly for the resource you need to progress in prestige – that’s a kind of indicator for overall progress: It can be a spark for the “great Atlas”, another spark for the smaller class Atlas, resources to enhance “weapon upgrades”, or materials for the temple and followers, or simply credits. But basically, you know at all times: This is the resource I need next. And then you look at the global view: In which activity can I get it? And then you do exactly that.
So it is a relatively grindy game and sometimes also quite mindless, but that is something that many seek: A game they can play while their thoughts are elsewhere and where they can achieve a small progress with each hour of play.
It sounds terrible to say it like that: But it is not meant negatively. The systems are well-rounded and interlock. The progression is surprisingly logical, and the game feels good. Variety comes from the different classes and skills – and you can expect them in PvP and endgame. However, it takes a while to get there. The different “Open World” zones are basically solo quest areas that you integrate like that.
I fear that the relatively stupid item system could become a problem. There are items, but they don’t really differ from each other. There are “4 rings”, a main and secondary weapon, and a few trophies. It seems, at least from my perspective, mostly about taking the items with the highest stats and that’s it. The typical “Oh, I want that item, it feels different, I need it at this level” feeling has not set in for me yet. The items simply lack “personality”.
Some are also annoyed that they have to play a “boring class” for a long time until they get the hero they have fallen in love with. There is indeed little to be done about that.
A bit of an adjustment is also that “Everyone looks the way they want; equipment is not displayed, only costumes count.” At first, I spontaneously thought: Oops, full tanks in underwear, that doesn’t fit.
Also, the group finder is not always useful. Often you end up in groups of three where one player is reluctant or falling significantly behind. As a DD, you often think: I could have done this alone, I would probably have been done by now. But this might also change soon when the higher instances come.
Can the game be recommended? Is Skyforge worth it?
Yes, definitely. Technically, it runs relatively stable and smooth so far. Skyforge looks very good. The instances are, at least when you play them for the first time, quite interesting and have nice ideas. And the combat system is simply fun. It is certainly a game that not everyone will stick with, but Skyforge is a game you should definitely check out to make the quieter summer months a bit shorter.
The early game and the first parts of the mid-game have their charm and appeal. What it will be like in the endgame is currently hard to say. The Closed Beta did not go that far.
They have already introduced large, complex plans – huge guild battles – but without having participated in them myself, I cannot say much about that.
It is therefore impossible to conclude whether the time investment is worthwhile in the long term or whether the game will still have something to offer come Christmas. In the sparse MMORPG year of 2015, at least in terms of new releases, it is a real gem.
It is clear, however: For fans of traditional MMORPGs, this is simply not for them. Those who, like many veterans, get a rash at the term “Lobby”, should simply stay away. The “RPG” in Skyforge’s MMORPG is written with a very thin pencil.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The superhero MMO DC Universe Online will receive the next update in August. The Bombshells will be introduced, 1940s versions of DC heroines. Additionally, a different update rhythm will be implemented starting in August.
The Bombshells are an idea from the comic book publisher DC: Popular, quite attractive female characters from the superhero universe are featured in a kind of “World War II” storyline. The whole concept is intended to exude pin-up charm. Back then, soldiers would hang pictures of attractive women in provocative poses in their lockers.
This Bombshells idea is marketed by DC in various ways: comics, collectible figures, special covers. From today’s “The Internet is for porn” perspective, there is something contemplative about it.
In August, the Bombshells will also come to DC Universe Online in the form of an 8-player operation on PC, Playstation 3, and Playstation 4. The characters include Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Talia al Ghul.
Alongside the Bombshells, the “War of Light” will continue with the 15th update in August, one of the ongoing trilogies. The War of Light deals with the more esoteric issues that Green Lantern grapples with.
DC Universe Online does not conclude ongoing story trilogies with individual updates, but with episodes
The August episode now focuses on Zamaron and the Black Lanterns – alongside the Bombshells.
According to Game Director Andersen, three more pieces of content related to the “War of Light” are planned for 2015. For a whole year of episodes, DGC has already made plans across all storylines.
The current trilogies would be told episodically to their conclusion. However, even after their end, characters from the stories will be continued.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
