With the latest patch, the center of the game world of Guild Wars 2, Lion’s Arch, has been rebuilt and is once again available to players in all its glory. ArenaNet has also provided a small flight tour.
The reconstruction is complete
Although Scarlett Briar was defeated a while ago, the scale of her attack was noticeable for quite some time. Lion’s Arch lay in ruins and the fate of the former metropolis was uncertain for a long time. Now the craftsmen (and developers) have taken heart and filled the central hub of Tyria with life and plenty of new protective mechanisms.
Enjoy the small flight tour and keep your eyes open, as some developers may be roaming around Lion’s Arch these days.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny there is supposed to be maintenance tonight, June 24th. It is not known whether a patch or an update will be applied. Players are expected to lose connection, and the servers will likely go offline.
For tonight, Wednesday, June 24th, from 7:00 PM our time, further “scheduled maintenance” is planned. Around 7 PM, players will be kicked from Destiny.
Players will be disconnected from Destiny for planned maintenance at 10am PDT on Wednesday, June 24th.
Meanwhile, players should refrain from starting activities that last beyond 7:00 PM, as it may lead to disappointment.
At the moment, there is no information on how long the maintenance will last or whether a new patch or update will be applied during this time. Perhaps we will learn more in the coming hours.
Update 6:30 PM:They expect one hour of downtime. Destiny servers are expected to be unreachable from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM our time.
Update 8:00 PM: They have extended the maintenance window by one hour. It will now last until around 9:00 PM.
Update 8:55 PM: Maintenance is over. Destiny should be running again.
Patch notes in English, this is what the hotfix from June 24 – 1.2.0.4 does.
The patch notes are now available. They are quick to tell:
They change weapons that transition from the demo along with their owners into the “real” game. They had 402 damage before, now only 365.
Passage coins for the Trials of Osiris can no longer be in the chest at the Lighthouse; there is now a chance to receive them after a match loss.
Is Destiny doing anything about the PR disaster?
Optimists can hope that Bungie does somethingto counteract the PR disaster that has been raging for 48 hours. Something should happen in that direction on Thursday evening.
Moreover, today an article from Eurogamer revealed that they want to bring new Taken versions of the two strikes, Dust Palace and The Undying Mind, for both Xbox One and Playstation 4 as soon as The Taken King is released and the Playstation exclusivity for Year 1 content is lifted.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The card chaos of HearthStone is back for a second round! The mode is available again for a few minutes – with new rules that ensure exciting matches and guaranteed entertainment.
King Mukla in Banana Frenzy
It was so clear who would get the moldy one…
While last week players could slip into the roles of Ragnaros or Nefarian to demonstrate the superiority of their boss decks, this time you get to build the decks yourselves. You can choose from all the cards you already own and assemble a deck as usual. But now comes the twist: Every time one of your minions dies, you receive a banana! Occasionally, you will also receive special bananas, such as the Swap Banana, which reverses the health and attack of the target.
With these special rules, many exciting decks can be crafted again. Especially if you have many cards that trigger specific effects with spells…
Keep in mind that the new rules are only available for 4 days. A classic card pack awaits you for your first victory!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
As these were the first of the “console patches” and due to the technical specifics requiring two mega-servers to be patched, in Europe and America, Zenimax could not provide a time window for when the maintenance work would be completed. Ultimately, both days took about four hours. The maintenance work therefore took approximately the same duration on both systems.
The patch, which was decisive for both systems, mainly included bug fixes and corrections.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Fans are Angry
However, while reports indicate that Xbox players only had to download 500 MB yesterday, Playstation players are facing a patch over 15 gigabytes in size. Many fans are angry about this and are venting their frustration in the TESO forum, on reddit, or on Twitter. The fact that players are pulling only relatively low numbers despite a large bandwidth intensifies this anger.
At the moment, Zenimax remains silent about the fans’ anger. Although the TESO Twitter account responds to questions from fans about what is in the patch, referring to the patch notes. However, it did not comment on the enormous download size.
TESO players on reddit suspect that there are issues with Sony that necessitated downloading the “entire patch”. This has occurred in other games as well. There is currently no official statement from Zenimax on this.
Update: There is now a statement. It only states that the patch is large because it contains patches 1.01-1.03. They will comment further on this later.
.@xxjcarr88xx Today’s PS4 patch size is 15.9GB because it also includes patches 01.01 – 01.03. Keep an eye on the #ESOTU forums for updates.
Update 20:30: There is another statement. Zenimax says they are aware of how frustrating it is to download such a large patch. This is not ideal. They want to ensure that future Playstation patches are not so “cumulative” but significantly smaller.
By the way: Further maintenance works for Playstation 4 and Xbox One are scheduled for tomorrow, June 25th. Logging in will not be possible from 3 PM to 8 PM. However, those who are already logged in can continue playing.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the fantasy MMO Skyforge, the fourth Closed Beta is currently running. We from Mein MMO are giving away 100 beta accesses.
The fantasy MMO with a science fiction touch, Skyforge, is among the most interesting MMORPG titles of 2015 and 2016. It is heavily lobby-based; with just a few clicks, you are in the middle of your next adventure or at least in an adventure instance.
This dynamic and arcade-like foundational core of Skyforge is also reflected in the class system: Your character can almost seamlessly switch between different classes. The abilities can be developed in a multilayered skill tree until it ultimately leads to god status. The combat system is regarded as the highlight of the game alongside the aesthetics; depending on the play style of your class, the dynamics of various challenges change.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
In collaboration with the developers, we can now offer you 100 beta tickets for the current Closed Beta. The giveaway runs until this evening and ends at 8 PM. To participate, simply register at godankey. Then wait until around 9 PM and check your emails to see if you have been randomly selected. No data will be stored, only anonymized for the giveaway.
Update: The giveaway is over!
If you want to find out more about the game, check out the Skyforge theme page or the following articles:
The Game Director seemed to show no understanding of this, and his statements were perceived more as an affront. For instance, Smith said about the coveted new emotes that come only with the expensive Collector’s Edition: If players saw them, they would “throw money at the monitor.” And they could get them if they really wanted to by purchasing the Collector’s Edition.
The fact that veterans already own large parts of the Collector’s Edition and actually only want a fraction of the new Collector’s Edition, namely the digital contents, did not seem to concern Smith.
Social Platforms: Shitstorm
Since then, a shitstorm has been raging on social platforms like reddit. A “collection thread” was created to gather the hundreds of harsh comments under one roof. This “mega thread” has now accumulated 2400 comments. Many users express outrage, feeling unappreciated as customers. It seems as if Bungie considers players to be “cattle,” who would pay regardless of what is set before them.
Additionally, the article on our site that discusses the interview has now over 400 comments: And the prevailing sentiment is quite clear.
The interviewer from Eurogamer, Tom Phillips, tweeted that the interview took place in a good atmosphere. It was the most enjoyable interview he had at E3. For once, he didn’t have to talk to a “media-trained robot.”
Media: PR Disaster
However, no one is thanking Luke Smith for not being a “robot.”
The reactions to the interview are still angry more than 36 hours later and are spreading across the media. Gaming sites report on the anger and rage of Destiny players and explain the situation.
Gamespot talks about how the interview further poisoned the relationship between the community and Bungie
Kotaku explains why Destiny players feel screwed over
And Destructoid warns readers looking to read the original interview: It is painful to read. Whether one still looks forward to the expansion after the interview is questionable.
Some non-gaming sites have also taken up the topic.
At Forbes they wonder how the chance to show generosity towards veterans by gifting them the items as a “loyalty bonus” was missed. Instead, there are fears that Bungie might conclude that players are also willing to pay a pretty penny for such “small things” and might shift towards microtransactions in the future.
The British Business Insider describes it as a “PR disaster” and claims Bungie is going into “damage control mode.”
Bungie promises rewards for veterans, but… the Collector’s Edition is almost sold out
Indeed, Community Manager DeeJ assures that in the Weekly Update on the night from Thursday to Friday, they will explain to the veterans who feel cheated what they have planned for them. It will not be the same as what newcomers receive, but something “better.” In this context, DeeJ speaks of ways to honor the “veterans” for what they have accomplished in Destiny.
However, even the otherwise composed DeeJ could not resist a little sarcasm: The Collector’s Editions are almost sold out. Soon, one will likely see editions on eBay that are much more expensive than those offered by Bungie.
Now a boycott, a petition, or Taylor Swift should take action
In a relatively large thread on reddit, users are calling to “take it seriously” and show Bungie that there is a problem with these decisions. Therefore, on July 7, as many players as possible are supposed to not log in to make a statement. However, critics there argue that a more effective boycott would simply be not to purchase The Taken King.
A petition is currently being circulated to be handed to Bungie and Activision to protest against the pricing policy, with nearly 29,000 signatures at this point. It calls for veterans to receive the same perks as newcomers.
And in a piece of absurdity: Also on reddit, there is a user comment stating that it is now time to enlist the help of someone who can get things done: Taylor Swift. The musician recently charmingly brought Apple to its knees and negotiated better terms for musicians with iMusic.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the Dino game ARK: Survival Evolved , a lot of servers were recently reset. Some players had cheated numerous weapons and completely disrupted the balance of the game.
How Humanity Conquered the World
Even the big dinos aren’t that impressive anymore with an assault rifle.
The Dino era can end quickly: This time, it didn’t take the power of a meteorite, but rather the criminal energy of some players. On the PvP worlds of ARK, some players exploited a duping exploit – that is, the multiplication of items through a bug – to cheat virtually unlimited resources, allowing them to have inexhaustible supplies of weapons and ammunition. Both the local dinosaur population and unsuspecting players were ruthlessly overwhelmed by this wave.
Wildcard, the developers behind the game, have apologized for the incident and simply reset all PvP servers. In the future, they want to avoid similar situations, as it is painful for the developers to see “frustrated and upset players” who only want to enjoy the game. The PvE servers were not affected by the wipe.
With yesterday’s patch for Guild Wars 2, the game is making focused strides towards the Heart of Thorns expansion. In addition to the new skill system, leveling has also been improved through several adjustments. We will reveal how this affects gameplay.
Character Stats and Weapon Skills
New characters are now a bit more resilient and can better withstand dangers.
Especially in the starting area of the heroes of Tyria, there can still occasionally be an unpleasant surprise when being knocked down by enemies that are only one level above your own. This often had several reasons: underwater battles proved to be difficult, as you often only had access to the weakest ability and had to pay a lot of tuition; meaning: you often died in water battles. For this reason, all underwater skills are now automatically unlocked at level 8.
At the same time, the attribute gain in levels 1-12 has been adjusted. Previously, our character only gained strength with every second level-up, now it will improve with every level increase. The total amount of attribute points, however, does not change!
There are still numerous small tweaks that aim to make the leveling experience more pleasant and exciting. You can find a complete list in our sources.
The update also introduced the gain of spirit shards, which replaces the old skill point system and thus provides more clarity about the different resources. Furthermore, Lion’s Arch has now been reconstructed; after the attack by Scarlet Briar, the city lay in ruins. And the personal story has again the old order and pace as before, albeit with some minor improvements.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
I wish you a pleasant weekend, but unfortunately I have something unpleasant to share: Sometimes I don’t like you. For example, when you write game reviews. First, you take work away from me (which is fine), and second, you destroy things I love (which is not fine). But let me start from the beginning …
Why I don’t like some of you!
I had to tie up and gag my boss to publish this edition of the column now; through the cloth I can still hear him groaning: “Say nothing against a reader, NOTHING AGAINST THE READERS!” (maybe I just dreamt that part). I’ll get straight to the point: You broke Evolve.
Especially the “Season Pass 2” angers many players. Why?
Why is that? Just take a look at the Steam page for Evolve. The first thing that catches every user’s eye is the assessment from other players. And it says in alarming red: Mixed – 35% of 12,000 reviews were negative. That is incredibly off-putting. It even deterred my friends, so I had to do some demonic convincing.
Those who go to the trouble (and very few do) of reading the reviews in detail will find that almost all evaluations come from players with less than 5 hours of playtime. That’s usually how long it takes to get through the introductory phase until you actually know how to properly use the tricks and tips of a character/monster. That alone isn’t bad; I know some games that just don’t captivate me right away. However, what drives me really crazy about this, I want to illustrate with a few examples:
These are just two randomly selected reviews. In their essence, the negative comments rarely differ (not to mention that they often contain complete untruths). The consensus is always: DLCs have ruined the game. How exactly did the DLCs do that? How did content that is coming in the future take away your fun now? I can only come to one conclusion: The mere announcement of a DLC must drastically reduce the enjoyment of the game. And because 2K/TurtleRock were so honest and for a change published their future plans before the release, they had to be hated. Do you really believe that other game developers only start with DLC plans after the release? Grrrr.
“Why didn’t we play this earlier?”
For me, Evolve is still one of the best games I have ever played. When I get friends to join in now, I often hear “Why didn’t we play this earlier?!”
Yes, I also don’t like DLCs in principle, but unfortunately they are necessary in today’s times to continuously develop multiplayer games. Does that make a whole game bad and not enjoyable? No. Even without the DLCs, it offers fun for several hundred hours. I wish some people would think before giving a review about what the entire assessment of a game could be based on. Even if you don’t do that, I won’t leave you alone with Evolve. I will report on it until my boss unties me. And that could take a while. Ha.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMO shooter Planetside 2 is finally available on the Playstation 4. The developers already have their sights set on the Xbox One.
An article from the US magazine Polygon reveals that the developers of Planetside 2 have already set their eyes on the Xbox One after the port of the shooter to the Playstation 4.
The port to the PS4 faced little technical issues. The internals of a PS4 are now very similar to a PC, and if the PS4 version runs on a PC, it would be “really high settings,” reveals Polygon’s interview partner Andy Sites, the Director of Development. The biggest difference in the development process was probably that one needs the platform owner’s approval for the console. On the PC, things are a bit more like the Wild West.
http://youtu.be/hIy8Tnlbe-Q
User interface and controls differentiate the PC and Playstation versions of Planetside 2
Some ideas were also tried out, like a tutorial zone for the first levels. They want to bring it to the PC as well if it works on the Playstation 4.
Once the work on the Playstation 4 version is complete, as Sites continues, they will focus on an Xbox One port. Ideally, they would have liked to do it simultaneously, but first, they wanted to finish the PS4 version.
Planetside is a Free2Play game, does not require Playstation Plus
Even though a major German gaming site reported otherwise yesterday, Planetside 2 is also a Free2Play game on the Playstation 4. No Playstation Plus is required for it.
However, there is the option for a subscription that offers some advantages.
In the fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online things are getting complicated with the various versions, mega-servers, and consoles.
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep track. Earlier, there were two patch dates for The Elder Scrolls Online. First in the USA and several hours later for the EU TESO and the mega-server in Europe. When new patches were released in the USA, players in Europe could get a glimpse into the future and identify potential issues. And there were many of those in 2014. Sometimes Zenimax also postponed the maintenance and the new patch, putting it on hold until the identified problems were resolved.
PlayStation 4 and Xbox One have their own patch days
Now Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have been added as new systems and they also require their own “patch days.” However, there is no distinction between the EU and North America. This means that Europe receives the patch at midday. This was also the case for PC TESO initially, before separate maintenance operations were introduced and they were scheduled in Europe for the very early morning .
The current patches and maintenance for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One
Today, on the 24th of June, starting at 12:00 PM the two mega-servers for PlayStation 4 are to be maintained. The content of the patch is not yet known at this hour, but it is expected to be similar to the patch for Xbox One. Conflicts are likely to arise here as well if maintenance takes longer and no clear timeframe is provided.
The new PS4 patch is 30 times larger than yesterday’s Xbox patch: 15 GB instead of 500 MB
Update: Around 4 PM the patch for the PlayStation 4 was released. Here are the German patch notes.
And yes, this is a massive download of over 15 GB. Currently, fans are upset and discussing this. Some fans speculate that the patch was supposed to be only 500 MB. Due to an error from Sony, this huge download is now necessary. This has occurred with other games as well.
As far as we know, Zenimax has not yet commented on the issue.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , the promotional page for the Red Bull campaign is now open. It seems that players can actually receive an exclusive, multi-part quest along with a temporary EXP bonus.
Details are now clear. A supermarket employee reported on reddit that a Red Bull representative was there to prepare this campaign. Apparently, the “codes” in question are under the seal, under the tab, and can only be read when opened. It seems that not every can contains such a code, but only offers a chance for it (typically Destiny).
Bonus EXP and Exclusive Quest in Destiny
A website is now online that clarifies what this campaign entails.
Starting from July 1, there will be codes for 30-minute 50%-EXP boosters called “Focus-Light.” These bonus EXP “bubbles” in the game are supposed to be redeemable until December 31, 2016. Players are expected to receive multiple of these items, but can only use one at a time.
Starting from September 15, players will gain access to an “exclusive, multi-part” mission in “King’s Fall.” This mission is said to be “never seen before.” It will test players’ strategies and skills in a new way. The quest is meant to embody Red Bull’s ideas of fun, adventure, and camaraderie. Other players will only be able to complete this mission starting New Year’s 2016.
The Red Bull website currently states that the campaign is exclusively available for Red Bull from July 1 to July 31 in the supermarket chains of 7-Eleven. After that, the cans with the code will be distributed “nation-wide,” that is, all over the USA. The campaign lasts until the end of September.
It is still unknown whether this campaign will also take place in Germany.
This is Mike “Flamesword” Chaves. This eSports athlete is supported by Red Bull and will provide tips on how to complete the quest when the Taken King launches. His face is also featured on the can.
http://youtu.be/s442QJA_sZE
In Germany, the supermarket chain 7-Eleven is not present. It is strong in Asia, North America, and Oceania. In Europe, it only has branches in Scandinavia.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
For the upcoming Free2Play MMO Blade and Soul, there is a new trailer with a strong Asian influence.
After a long, long hiatus, it has been known for a few weeks now: The Korean MMORPG Blade and Soul is finally supposed to come to Europe. In a trailer, you can see what players can expect. Some of the classes are briefly outlined. The free “Wuxia” movement system is showcased, with characters jumping through the air. They are particularly proud of this.
And you can also recognize one of the cornerstones of these battle epics: The heroes are not “inherently good”, but these are stories of revenge. The heroes have been wronged, and someone must pay for it. The trailer also shows the “fantastic” elements that set Wuxia apart from the martial arts genre.
The hack-and-slash epic Diablo 3 is getting a major content patch from Blizzard. Update 2.3.0. is coming soon to the test server and is intended to breathe new life into the game.
There are some “This is currently the main problem with Diablo 3” postings in the forums. Some malicious tongues even claimed that Blizzard had pulled the entire D3 team to work on Overwatch or Heroes of the Storm. But that is not true, as Blizzard assures. And they are proving this now with a major content patch.
These 8 things are supposed to change in Patch 2.3.0. for Diablo III
They are aiming to tackle 8 major topics in Diablo 3:
A new zone called “Ruins of Sescheron” is planned. Here, new enemies are waiting for players as well as a new artifact.
This artifact is “Kano’s Cube”. The similarity to the Horadrim Cube from Diablo 2 allows players to destroy legendary items and equip their properties as passive bonuses. The passive bonuses refer to the cube itself: it can store an unlimited number, but only a few can be active at the same time: one weapon, one armor, and one jewelry effect. Additionally, it allows the transformation of crafting materials.
Speaking of crafting materials – they are getting a cleanse with Diablo 3 2.3.0. It should be the same materials available during leveling as in the endgame at level 70.
In adventure mode, “the Realm of Trials” is being removed. Furthermore, Blizzard wants to make it more attractive for players to take bounties in different acts.
In the user interface “Season Journey“, milestones will be displayed that players can aim for during Season IV to provide better orientation
4 new difficulty levels are being added, it will go up to Torment X
They are tweaking legendary items, introducing new items, new properties, and addressing balance – while leaving the items owned by players untouched, the changes do not apply retroactively
And they will rework the Nephalem Rifts, where enemies that take little time will also yield little EXP; while tough enemies grant more
In the MOBA League of Legends, the latest champion has been revealed: It is Tahm Kench, the River King.
With a teaser, Riot had already announced him: The Riverking. Now he has been introduced, and the new champ in League of Legends is indeed a big fish. Riot describes his abilities as follows:
The Abilities of Tahm Kench
http://youtu.be/_KEXx1qO_x8
Passive Ability: Epicurean Taste
Tahm Kench applies an enhancement of Epicurean Taste to all enemy champions he damages with basic attacks or abilities. After three enhancements, he can … treat them differently.
Q: Tongue Lash
Tahm Kench briefly pauses before launching his tongue in a targeted manner. “Tongue Lash” ends when a target is hit, slowing and damaging everything he strikes.
If an enemy champion has three enhancements of “Epicurean Taste,” they are stunned instead by “Tongue Lash.”
W: Devour
Tahm Kench briefly swallows a nearby enemy unit. Opponents lose a portion of their maximum health as magic damage. Additionally:
Minions and Monsters: When Tahm Kench devours enemy minions or monsters, he can reactivate the ability to spit them out in a targeted manner. All those who are hit take damage.
Allied Champions: When Tahm Kench devours an allied champion, they become immune to damage and gain increased movement speed when heading towards enemy champions. Both Tahm Kench and his edible ally can decide when the latter jumps out.
Enemy Champions: Tahm Kench can only devour enemy champions if he has already collected three enhancements of “Epicurean Taste” on them. His movement speed is drastically reduced while enemy champions are in his belly. Their vision is greatly restricted, and they can only see what is immediately near the River King’s location.
E: Thick Skin
Passive: Any damage done to Tahm Kench results in a grayed-out health bar. Once he leaves combat, the health bar is no longer grayed out, and he is healed for a portion of the gray health.
Active: Tahm Kench converts his gray health into a shield that lasts only briefly.
R: Abyssal Journey
Passive: Tahm Kench’s damage scales with his maximum health.
Active: Tahm Kench opens his maw and offers an ally a place in his belly. Once someone has jumped in or he has decided to dive alone, he conjures a whirlpool beneath him, leaping into it to surface at the desired location a few seconds later. “Abyssal Journey” has an immense range, but the activation of this ability takes quite a while.
According to Riot, the new champ in League of Legends is suitable as a solo laner or support. As a support, he can eat allied champs to bring them to safety. As a solo laner, he is robust and can either zone the enemy with the W within the range of his own tower or prepare a gank for the jungler. If he wants to gank himself, his mobility through the R helps him create a numbers advantage from ambush on lanes, especially when bringing his jungler along.
In team fights, it is crucial whom he intends to devour: an opponent or rather his own carry.
Sounds like an interesting guy. If being fat, as the stereotype suggests, is comfortable, that probably does not apply to fat fish.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With the upcoming addon “Knights of the Fallen Empire” (KotFE), much is set to change in Star Wars: The Old Republic. It is promised that the expansion will follow in the footsteps of the legendary “Knights of the Old Republic” series (KOTOR) – with all the positive aspects that fans love to reminisce about.
The decisions of our story so far …
So far, we have been able to make some decisions during the 8 different class stories. Only very few of them had significant, long-term consequences; often a single letter was the result of our actions. “Thank you for helping me, take all my credits!” or “I hate you for what you did to me! I hope you fall into a Sarlacc pit!” summarize, perhaps somewhat exaggeratedly, the results of many decisions well.
The ultimate outcome of the main storyline changed very little, no matter what we did. The game was even very good at giving us the illusion of choice – but anyone who plays the same story more than once will notice that different decisions rarely lead to different situations.
… and the future
In the expansion Knights of the Fallen Empire (KotFE), this is set to change fundamentally. Many decisions will have far-reaching, interwoven consequences. While certain characters are friendly towards my Sith, different choices can lead to friendly players killing my beloved vassals in their own storyline.
For this reason, it will also not be possible to shape the main story of KotFE with multiple players. While friends can accompany, help, and watch their decisions, they cannot influence. So, anyone wanting to experience the story as a “group” will have to take turns completing the tasks and may experience some passages very often.
Decisions are supposed to influence the fate of the galaxy. This time, really.
However, a dream comes true for solo players, as multiple playthroughs with different characters will remain exciting each time new choices are made – a draw that has already characterized the KOTOR series and continues through all BioWare titles.
Just the beginning?
KotFE has now been referred to as “Season 1”, which logically means: There is more to come. Even if all chapters of the current story are completed, work is already being done behind the scenes on sequels to provide more content with even more story. It seems that the MMO elements are being somewhat neglected in the process.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A statement from Ultima creator Richard “Lord British” Garriott has stirred the community of the upcoming (MMO)RPG Shroud of the Avatar. Only about half of the players are said to be interested in playing online.
The designer’s statement, “About half of all players (of Shroud of the Avatar) are only interested in the story and not in the online mode,” was made during an interview with examiner.com at the E3 gaming convention. Many fans in the official forum could hardly believe it.
The spiritual successor to Ultima Online consists of a player base, half of which prefers to play the game offline to follow the story? Many are now wondering not only why this is the case but also what they can expect from Shroud of the Avatar when such a focus is placed on a single-player component.
No MMO-RPG
The surprise over Richard Garriott’s statement likely comes from the fact that the community has grown significantly since the Kickstarter campaign with many new members who believe that SotA is some kind of Ultima Online 2. However, if you look at the Kickstarter campaign website, it describes that their main goal is to tell a story that is even more exciting than those of the Ultima games 4 to 7 and that they want to create a virtual world that offers even greater interaction than that of Ultima 7.
Furthermore, they aim to design deep multiplayer features that go beyond combat like Ultima Online and that will be offered in a “Selective Multiplayer Mode.” In this statement, not once is the word MMORPG mentioned. To be precise, this word can only be found in the FAQ on the Kickstarter page. There it states: “Will this game be an MMO?” The answer is: “Although Shroud of the Avatar is not a Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game, it is a multiplayer game.”
What is SotA?
During the Kickstarter campaign, several videos were also posted in which Richard Garriott discusses the game with former colleagues. In these videos, the designer repeatedly explains that SotA is a story-driven single-player game that offers the option to play in various online modes. These are expected to range from a co-op mode for a few friends to an MMO-like mode where many other players are in the zones and can also engage in PvP with each other.
In one of these earlier videos, Garriott even explains that the fans consist of two camps: One half would want a single-player RPG like Ultima 7, while the other wants an MMORPG like Ultima Online. So it was clear from the very beginning what SotA would be and what it would not be.
However, this seems to have been overlooked over time, and because the pre-alpha versions focus on the MMO aspects, as these lay the foundation for the systems in the game, a false impression was likely created – especially among fans who were not with the project during the Kickstarter campaign and joined later. They are now surprised to learn that the single-player part of Shroud of the Avatar plays a very important role and that about half of all players are only onboard for that reason.
In the upcoming World of Warcraft Patch 6.2, a total of 26 new pets await dedicated collectors. While some of the little companions are very easy to obtain, most require perseverance or a large dose of luck. In this guide, we will reveal the locations of the WoW pets.
The tamable creatures
The following 4 pets all come from the Tanaan Jungle and can be tamed normally in pet battles there. They also appear as secondary enemies in pet battles, so attacking another creature can lead to success as well.
The Cerulean Moths can be found both at the Temple of Sha’naar and north of Fang’rila.
Fen Crabs can be found on the beaches of the zone, primarily south of Fang’rila.
The Violet Fireflies await in the eastern part of the hunting grounds of the bleeding eye.
Two more pets, the Crimsonwing Moth in Talador and the Sapphire Firefly in the Peaks of Arak, also await patient hunters. Only one single specimen at a time is available for both pets and can appear anywhere in the entire area. As a trade-off, both respawn immediately when the active specimen is caught or killed.
Fights against legendary pets
Must-have for any spooky collection: The Nightmare Bell.
In the fel-infested Tanaan Jungle, a total of 15 legendary pets await well-prepared pet trainers. The battles can be quite challenging and often require planning or very specific pet combinations to be reliably mastered. Each legendary creature can be conquered once per day. As a reward, a bag awaits after each victory, containing pet luck charms and one of four companions:
Of course, the new patch will also drain your hard-earned resources. Particularly, the supply of pet luck charms will be depleted, as some vendors in Draenor offer their new wares – including loyal companions and numerous toys.
Depending on your faction, at the Pet Menagerie, Tiffy Trapspring or Giada Goldenleash await you, each carrying several pets:
In the garrison, new vendors are waiting, offering pets among other things.
Another vendor can be discovered in the main hall of your garrison. Horde players find Darakk and Alliance players seek Araanda. For a small price of 1,000 gold pieces, they sell you Crusher, the realized dream of a little boy who wishes to work for Blizzard.
Blazing Firehawk for 2000 Apex crystals at your jungle outpost (requires revered with the “Order of the Awakened”)
The little Savage Cub can be purchased for 1500 Blackfang Claws, a currency of the Saberstalkers, from that faction. Only a respectful reputation is needed.
Anglers can spend a lot of time at the Darkmoon Faire again to acquire this creature.
The Darkmoon Faire will once again be expanded with some content, including new activities for anglers. At the beaches of the Faire’s island, Darkmoon Daggermaw can now be fished, which serves as a currency. Galissa Sundew awaits at the docks for all those who want to sell their caught fish.
Followers and Ship Missions in World of Warcraft with 6.2.
Your numerous followers and the private fleet can also be helpful in the search for new pets. For both types, there is a rare mission that is not very easy to complete.
To obtain the Cinder Pup, you will need many followers with an item level of 675, as there are various mechanics to counter. You may not succeed in completing the mission on the first attempt.
Some pets are only available from missions that require a functioning shipyard.
The classic drops
Of course, a handful of companions also await those who defeat strong enemies.
The Corrupted Nest Guardian is dropped by Shadow-Lord Iskarr in Hellfire Citadel on all difficulty levels.
For the little Fel Pup, you must defeat the rare enemy Ceraxus in the Tanaan Jungle, at the Temple of Sha’naar. After he is defeated, you can accept a quest on-site that grants you the little pup.
The Shard of Cyrukh can only be acquired after the Garrison campaign has unlocked the corresponding area in Tanaan for you. Since the missions appear in random order, it may take several weeks before you can loot the treasure.
For saving, lifelong loyalty awaits.
A light in Dalaran
For a flying candlestick, you need to return to Dalaran. At a random location in the city, “Nethaera’s Light” flies around (a macro can help with the search). Target the candle and use /cheer a few times, and the floating light bearer will be added to your collection.
The achievement pet
One last pet can be obtained through a special achievement. For this, you need to go back to the Darkmoon Faire and score 45 points in a single round of “Whack-a-Gnoll”. If you succeed, you will receive the Hogger mini Hogs.
In the coming days, the remaining English names of the pets will be replaced with the German ones.
Good luck on your hunt and in collecting the pets!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The next and last closed beta phase of the god MMO Skyforge starts this hour.
At the beginning, the betas were coming thick and fast. Now the characters from the first three closed beta phases have been wiped and a probably last week-long closed beta phase is coming for the players.
The game has changed significantly since the third closed beta. The client is supposed to be better, there are more equipment slots, and 2 new classes are supposed to be playable from the start; character progression and balance have been adjusted, a group finder has been incorporated, and players can now choose the difficulty level themselves.
There is a lot to discover. Let’s see if the 7 days will even be enough. The patch for the CBT 4 is, as we tried earlier, just over 7 gigabytes.
