Destiny: Iron Banner in June – more reputation, more weapons, less Glimmer

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 4 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny, Bungie has significantly revamped the PvP event Iron Banner. We summarize the most important points in a brief Iron Banner guide.

The Iron Banner is back. According to experience, it runs until Tuesday, June 9, at 11:00 AM. Then the Iron Banner ends again. We know: You all have no time, so let’s get straight to the point.

What rewards are available?

The shaders and emblem remain the same, which you can equip to earn 10% more reputation each. The weapons have not changed with House of Wolves, well, they now start at 331 and there have been changes with the perks they can receive, but otherwise, they are basically the same. Only the armor and “class items” have been redesigned with House of Wolves.

Additionally, you can buy an Etheric Light at reputation levels 3 and 5 – and that’s just simply for 5000 Glimmer.

This means you can grab the following from Lord Saladin:

  • At level 1: The emblem Seal of the Iron Lords
  • At level 2: The shader Millions of Millions
  • At level 3: The emblem Scar of Radagast, Light Level 36 boots for your class and an Etheric Light
  • At level 4: The class item, Light Level 36 gloves and the fusion rifle Perun’s Fire with these stats:
  • Perun's Fire 046
  • Destiny Perun's Fire Stats 046
  • At level 5: The shader Gold Spiral, an Etheric Light and the scout rifle Gheleon’s Demise with these stats:
  • Destiny Gheleon's Demise Stats 046
  • Gheleon's Demise 046

The weapons and the armor must first be upgraded with Etheric Light to reach maximum utility (42 Light/365 damage). The “re-rolling” is still possible, but now you have to go to the gunsmith. And all the stuff costs less Glimmer now, as can be seen in this video.

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Is that everything new in the June Iron Banner?

No, there is one more change. Those who reach reputation level 2 have a chance to receive one of the legendary Iron Banner weapons with random perks at the end of a match or the legendary ship Birth of History.

In previous Iron Banners, only the two weapons could drop that Saladin sold in the previous month. However, in this Iron Banner, reports are increasing that many different things have been obtained. Including Efrideet’s Spear, the Felwinter, Radagast’s Fury, Silimar’s Wrath, Timur’s Whip, and Jolder’s Hammer – only the pulse rifle Skorris’ Revenge has not been seen yet.

There are also “normal” crucible drops from the Iron Banner.

We’re sneaking in the new boots here:

  • Iron Banner Boots June
  • Iron Banner Boots June 3
  • Iron Banner Boots June 2

Are the armors and weapons good this time? Is the Iron Banner worth it in June?

The armors aren’t really worth it. The weapons are a matter of taste. There is no weapon like the “Felwinter’s Lie” in March with absolute super perks from the vendor that has blown everyone away – and still does today. The scout rifle “Gheleon’s Demise” has never been very popular, Perun’s Fire has decent perks this time, but not many will warm up to fusion rifles.

As for the armors, to put it diplomatically, there are probably better options.

Here are the new class items: 

  • Iron Banner Titan
  • Iron Banner Warlock
  • Iron Banner Hunter

What else has changed?

There are some new bounties – nothing spectacular.

Reputation is now easier to obtain for twinks. A character at least at reputation level 1 will receive double reputation if there is a Guardian on the account that is at least one reputation level above him.

This means: You can bring one character to reputation level 2 and then “pull” the other two along. – The way differences in light level affect damage has also changed a bit. We have a separate article on that.

Here are the new gloves in the June Iron Banner:

  • Iron Banner Gloves June
  • Iron Banner Gloves June 2
  • Iron Banner Gloves June 3

And how do I gain reputation? Are there any tricks?

  • The most important thing is to buy the “Hardened” bonus for a Light particle. It lasts 12 hours and can be “renewed” afterwards.
  • Then definitely equip the 10% emblems, shaders, class items as soon as you can.
  • Also, do bounties, of course play a lot of Iron Banner and try not to lose too often in a row – and everything should be fine.
  • The closer it gets to Tuesday, the stronger the buff will be.

The guys from ProNDC created this graphic:

Destiny Reputation Bonus

If you’re looking for more information about Destiny, check out our theme page on Destiny.

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Source(s):
  1. reddit

Planetside 2: Free2Play MMO shooter has a release date for the Playstation 4

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The multiplayer shooter Planetside 2 now has a release date for the Playstation 4. It is set to be available in Germany on June 23.

It has taken quite some time, but now Daybreak Game Company is ready: There is a release date for the planetary sci-fi war simulation Planetside 2. The free-to-play shooter has been available on PC for 3 years, and now they are targeting Sony’s current-gen console, set to be released on June 23.

Planetside-2-roter-robo

Planetside 2 is considered the epitome of “mass scale shooters.” It has even made it into the Guinness World Records with the chaotic action of 1158 players. The game will not simply be a 1:1 adaptation of the PC version, but will consider the console’s particularities, especially regarding the controller and interface. And for 2015, the developers at DGB have also made huge plans for Planetside 2.

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Source(s):
  1. PS 2 FAQ
  2. MO
  3. PS Blog US

Does Hearthstone finally get a new hero?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

It looks like Blizzard’s Hearthstone is getting a new hero. It probably won’t be a new class, but an “alternative” warrior.

Garrosh-Hearthstone

Somehow, many Hearthstone players don’t like Garrosh Hellscream, just because he had a rough time for a expansion or two in WoW… and wanted to destroy Azeroth, or something. But players have no choice: Hellscream is the “hero” for anyone who wants to play a warrior deck in Hearthstone.

For some time now, Blizzard has been juggling with the idea of bringing a “new hero”. But not a new class, not the Death Knight or Monk, but an alternative for the now “only” warrior Garrosh Hellscream. A few minutes ago, a blog post from Hearthstone appeared announcing the arrival of a “new guest”. Being the smart ones that we are, we think: There must be a connection.

And we are not the only ones who have realized this. For the experts on reddit, it looks very much like the dwarf hero Muradin Bronzebeard is being teased. Others talk about Magni Bronzebeard or Varian. It definitely seems clear that it will be a warrior. One can be curious if Muradin will really take a seat at the card table as the new hero. And especially whether he will have an alternative hero ability or just be an “alternative skin” without affecting the gameplay. 

At the moment, we only have the blog post from Blizzard, where the innkeeper tells a story – everything else is currently speculation. However, the theories currently circulating fit excellently with past interviews on this topic. Let’s see if Blizzard develops such “alternatives” for other and more popular characters as well, or if this is a “Lex Garrosh” situation.

Hearthstone-Muradin
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Source(s):
  1. US Battle.net The Innkeper's Tale
  2. reddit Vermutungen, wer dahinter steckt

Age of Conan announces Raid Palace of Cetriss to smooth things over

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The fantasy MMORPG Age of Conan has now announced a raid to clear the waves after the birthday issue.

Two weeks ago, there was a bit of trouble about the MMO classic “Age of Conan.” They announced special content for their seventh birthday: All great until players noticed that they had to pay for it. Even as premium players.

Now they have announced a “real” raid, the Palace of Cetriss. It will be available as a Tier 6 version for “progression-oriented” players and significantly easier in a version for casual players. Premium players will have access to it without having to pay extra.

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The raid is supposed to be particularly challenging and demand a lot from the players.

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Source(s):
  1. Forum Age of Conan

A new study about the MMO market in 2015 tells us 3 things we didn’t know yet

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

A new study on developments in the online gaming market provides some fresh insights in 2015.

One thing that every study about the MMO market tells us by now is that Free2Play offers are growing and generating more revenue. Traditional subscription games are on the decline.

This is also revealed in the latest study by Superdata on the MMO market in 2015. The company thrives on creating analyses and selling them to developers. But there are also some insights for interested players, completely free of charge.

MMO Market 2015

These are the things we already knew about the MMO market

Free2Play is growing and will likely continue to grow, while Pay2Play models are shrinking. We probably all know this by now. And if you recall the MMO news from the past months, such as about WildStar or TESO, you can only nod here.

Regarding the games we consider the most promising MMORPGs in 2015 and 2016, it is highly likely that each will adopt a Free2Play model.

League of Legends

Another insight that should now be known to every MMO enthusiast is: It is not only important to attract as many players as possible to a game, but it is equally crucial to turn as many as possible into “paying customers.” This is also stated in this study: League of Legends has a larger player base than World of Tanks, but they earn more per person. With a similar statement suggesting “I could halve the player base of LoL and double the profit,” an analyst briefly incurred the wrath of players last August.

There are three interesting insights from this study

So what new information does the study provide us?

New markets favor Free2Play

You no longer necessarily need North America and Europe to make money with an MMO. The new markets in Brazil, Russia, and Turkey are adopting Free2Play models and welcoming the corresponding games with open arms. This is also one of the reasons for the success of Free2Play.

Publishers are looking for ways to establish themselves in these new markets and are opting for the model that promises the most success: Free2Play.

Bless Online

In these countries, there are hardly any consoles. People play in internet cafes, for example. And here, traditional Free2Play MMOs shine.

The largest Free2Play market remains in Asia. Here, publishers already have plans to implement their business models in the West.

MOBAs are growing most rapidly in the MMO segment

MOBAs are making an increasingly significant share of the MMO market. Even though many players argue that they “don’t really count as MMOs,” studies by Superdata do not differentiate. Here, MOBAs are an extremely successful subcategory and have increased their share from 16% to 24% in a year.

Smite

For MMO players, the whole gaming industry matters, including blockbusters on consoles

MMO players do not live on the blessed island of MMOistan and ignore what else is happening in the gaming world. It would be a mistake to think that MMO players are only interested in MMOs and that for a WildStar player, only WoW or The Elder Scrolls Online would be interesting. Many MMO players are involved on multiple platforms and are keenly aware when a blockbuster launches somewhere.

The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt

Even though the MMO scene itself is swinging toward Free2Play, this does not mean that the market can be indifferent when “big titles” are released conventionally on consoles. They affect the gaming and consumption behavior of players.

The latter could be seen in the Raptr data from April: Then, GTA V on PC caused the power dynamics to shift dramatically.

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Source(s):
  1. Superdata

WoW: Where are the new mounts in patch 6.2?

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time < 1 minutes

As has been known for years, mounts in World of Warcraft are still among the most popular prestige items, and this will not change with the upcoming Patch 6.2. A total of five new mounts will be available (as of now), and every player type will likely be able to secure at least one of them.

For the Tough Ones: A Felsteel Shredder

The hardcore raiders can already stretch their greedy little claws towards the impressive “Felsteel Annihilator”. This will drop exclusively from the last boss of the Hellfire Citadel, Archimonde, and only on the “mythic” difficulty.

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For Fans of Long Farming: Corrupted Birds

Those who particularly enjoy the daily missions and collecting Apexis Crystals will find something here to invest all their collected loot into: The “Corrupted Dreadwing” is available for a casual 150,000 Apexis Crystals at the corresponding vendor. Keep in mind that the Apexis limit will only be raised with the patch, so you cannot farm in advance.

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New Factions: Sabrestalkers, Vol’jin’s Headhunters and Hand of the Prophet

Of course, the typical reputation mounts cannot be missed. Those who manage to achieve revered status with “Vol’jin’s Headhunters” (Horde) or “Hand of the Prophet” (Alliance) during their adventures in Tanaan Jungle will be able to enjoy another little piggy for their stable, the “Deathtusk Felboar”.

While you make your way through the Tanaan Jungle, you will also encounter the “Sabrestalkers”, a new faction that loves to call for hunts. Once the reputation level “friendly” is reached, you can get your hands on the “Wild Geiferzahn”. If you manage to reach revered, then the “Bristling Hellboar” (previously known as “Diretusk Hellboar”) will be added.

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Is there any specimen in this collection for you?

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Source(s):
  1. mmosite.com
  2. mmo-champion.com

Neverwinter receives its first expansion on the Xbox One in June

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The XBox One version of Neverwinter is getting its first expansion “Rise of Tiamat” this June.

On PC, “Rise of Tiamat” was released in November 2014. The expansion primarily introduced the battle against the dragon goddess Tiamat and directly followed the module “Tyranny of Dragons.”

With the modules up to and including “Tyranny of Dragons,” Neverwinter launched with much attention on the XBox One as the first major Free2Play MMORPG title on Microsoft console. Now it is time for new content, even if it risks consuming the players rather than the other way around.

The expansion will be released for free, and according to a report from Polygon, it is set for tomorrow on June 4th. It is said to be the first of 5 expansions for the console. (Update: Polygon has since corrected itself and now only refers to “in June,” no longer stating June 4th.)

The gameplay trailer for Rise of Tiamat was released in November for the PC launch: 

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Source(s):
  1. Polygon

Destiny: What role does light level play for damage in the new Iron Banner?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny , the Iron Banner has been adjusted. What role does equipment play now with House of Wolves?

“Power matters,” equipment counts, was the motto at Destiny’s Iron Banner event back in October. However, in the first edition, the players’ level, or the quality of their armor, hardly mattered at all. Players’ complaints were significant: label deception. The community manager admitted that he might have had incorrect information. A curiosity from the turbulent early days.

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Later, in November, equipment indeed played a role: it was almost impossible for a low-level player to scratch a player at max level while participating in the Iron Banner. This remained the case, although “small” level differences had little effect, but with a difference of 5 levels, the David noticeably felt the difference: Goliath was tough.

This is how Light level in Destiny affects the Iron Banner with House of Wolves

For the June Iron Banner, which has been live since yesterday, the June 2nd, it was actually announced in a Weekly Update: They would adjust it with “House of Wolves” to make equipment even more important.

Now there is a graph available: The opposite is true. Equipment counts, at least for players above a Light level of 29, less than before “House of Wolves.”

Destiny-Kurve-Eisenbanner-036

On the left, you see how it was before; on the right image, the new graph for House of Wolves:

The first 4 levels decrease damage by 1% per level, only at the end, with 6 or 7 levels of difference, does the curve drop rapidly and much steeper than before the new DLC. With a 10-level difference, the low-level player does only one-tenth of the damage, both then and now.

Incidentally, Bungie says that even “half levels” or finer gradations matter. Someone halfway to Light level 27 does more damage than someone who is exactly Light level 26.

Destiny-Eisenbanner

Tip for all players: You should definitely go into the Iron Banner with fully upgraded weapons. That makes a significant difference. Most Guardians agree on that.

An interesting question might be, when looking at this, whether this table also applies to the Trials of Osiris – however, that is not known at the moment. Looking at the “new” table, it would also be completely fine to venture into the Iron Banner as a level 30 Guardian.

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

Steam: Refunds made easy

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

Valve’s soft platform Steam will be generous with refunds in the future.

Returning digital goods is always a tricky matter: You can’t just walk into a store, slam the game on the counter, and complain that you no longer want this or that game. Since last night, Steam has introduced a new refund system that allows players to return purchased games without stating any reason and receive a full refund!

The Refund Rules

If you are already rubbing your hands together because you want to play as many games for free as possible and then return them right away, you will be disappointed. There are, of course, some rules for the refund, the two most important ones are probably these:

  • The purchase must not be older than 14 days
  • The game must not have been played for more than 2 hours

So, you can’t just “play” a game for free and then hand it back. However, the system offers other advantages: If you are not sure whether your computer can handle a certain title in terms of performance, you can buy the game, start it, and simply return it if it doesn’t work.

Special Promotional Prices and Exclusion from the System

It is even explicitly allowed to do the following: You bought a game at full price, and the next day it is offered for half price in one of the many Steam sales. You can now return the game at full price and immediately buy the game again – at the reduced price. Of course, this only works as long as the above-mentioned rule about the maximum of 2 hours of playtime is adhered to.

Steam naturally reserves the right to exclude people from this system if they abuse it. Cheaters will also not be tolerated: If someone has committed a VAC violation in a game, they can no longer return it. Anyone interested in all the details can read them here: steampowered.com.

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The Division: MMO shooter will be playable for the first time at E3

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

Ubisoft’s MMO shooter The Division is set to be playable for the first time at E3 in Los Angeles in a few weeks.

The already twice delayed MMO shooter The Division will finally be put into the hands of someone other than Ubisoft employees at E3. They promise “hands-on time.” Ubisoft announced this in a blog post. 

So The Division is part of the lineup, which was to be expected. But it will also be playable for the first time, which was not necessarily anticipated.

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At the moment, there are more questions than answers about the shooter set in a post-apocalyptic New York. The release has been set for the first quarter of 2016. The Division is currently considered – perhaps alongside Star Wars: Battlefront – one of the most eagerly awaited games about which little is known. It is set to be released for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

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Source(s):
  1. Ubisoft Blog

Mecker Wednesday: The one true skill build

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 3 minutes

After struggling extensively and intensely with “Witcher 3” for nearly two weeks now, I have noticed once again a point that I miss in so many online games: a real choice. I am not talking about story-related decisions, but rather about how I can shape my character or my own playstyle.

I have no choice despite a wide selection

SWTOR - New class system
In SWTOR, the skill selection is almost completely predetermined, as in the end, most players have only chosen the best skill sets anyway.

Almost every game lets me theoretically customize my character or my play behavior. In Smite, I can focus on certain stats through different items, in Diablo 3 I can influence the game through the choice of talents, and in Hearthstone, I can even choose a whole deck from over 500 cards. If all players actually made use of this card pool, it would be significantly less likely to encounter one’s own deck than to hit the lottery.

Objectively stated, however, staying with the Hearthstone example, I only have three options:

  • Do I want to succeed? Then I play a proven deck.
  • Do I just want to have fun? Then I create a fun deck and lose often.
  • … or I belong to the 0.1% of players who create a new, effective deck themselves.

In the long run, deciding is about as difficult to predict as the behavior of a child after the parents have said: “Clean your room or you’ll have a week of grounding.” Of course, one cleans their room, meaning: I choose what everyone else is playing, because losing is only fun for a certain period of time, even with a fun deck. And after the 57th attempt to establish a Succubus deck, I came to the realization that I probably do not belong to the 0.1% of elite players.

Single-player games have it easier

In “Witcher 3,” there was also a talent system, and I could really experiment without feeling pressured to make a very specific selection. The reason for this is obvious: there is no competitive pressure. It doesn’t matter whether my Geralt does 2.5% more or less damage and may not parry as well. I do not harm anyone if I do not choose the absolutely optimized skill set, except for myself.

The Witcher 3

As soon as other players are involved in any way, whether as teammates or enemies, an exact mathematical calculation becomes almost mandatory. Those who do not adhere to the “best build” are often – regardless of the game outcome – ostracized beforehand. “Look at that build, lol noob,” “Read the wiki first and come back later.” Everyone knows that such comments can be phrased much more unfriendly.

I find this compulsion to optimize terrible but see few solutions on how to escape from these rigid mathematical calculations. I cannot blame anyone for requiring players to choose the most effective gameplay method – and yet it frustrates me when I could choose 4 talents every time in Heroes of the Storm, but only 2 of them are accepted by the team. Because what good is a selection if you actually have no choice?

What do you think about all this? Do you always Google the most effective build and the “best” skill set? Or do you even encourage others to try completely unconventional things? Are your teammates’ words completely irrelevant to you? Let me know in the comments!

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

Hearthstone: The smaller the game, the bigger the ad

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

Blizzard’s online card game Hearthstone has a new TV commercial to excite the masses in the USA.

In the USA, the NBA Finals and NHL Finals are coming up, in basketball and ice hockey. These are major media events in the passively sports-enthusiastic United States of America. Hearthstone has produced a new TV commercial for the occasion to bring the small card game closer to viewers at home.

A strangely unusual mix: small game – huge event, but that’s a recipe for success. During the Super Bowl, successful advertisements for MOBA games like Clash of Clans featured movie stars like Liam Neeson – apparently, this is now a trend that Blizzard wants to benefit from.

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What does Blizzard have to counter the concentrated Neeson power?

http://youtu.be/I3KpSFHoBo4

The message seems clear: Hearthstone can now be played from anywhere and against anyone.

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Source(s):
  1. 2p.com

Infinite Crisis was quite “final” after all – Superhero MOBA closes

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

Turbine shuts down the superhero MOBA Infinite Crisis. It was officially released only in March after a lengthy beta phase.

“Infinite Crisis,” the DC superhero MOBA, was somehow not under a good star. It was officially released in March. Yesterday, the closure was announced. Development ends immediately. The Free2Play game will remain open until August 14.

There is a statement from Turbine that they did not take this lightly, thanking the community for their support. The Art Director adds in a later statement that the team faced many challenges in development and has grown from these challenges. However, they simply could not find a sufficiently large player base in today’s MOBA market, in the current MOBA market.

A supposed “Turbine insider” talked about Infinite Crisis a few months ago. He referred to the project as a misstep that incurred high costs but generated little revenue, as the MOBA market is saturated. Additionally, they attempted to promote the game via Twitch and failed. However, these are unverified information.

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Source(s):
  1. MO

Destiny: Will Red Bull soon provide bonus XP?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

Images of a possible E3 booth for the MMO shooter Destiny have surfaced. They show a cross-promotion with the beverage supplier Red Bull and the title of the upcoming expansion.

Leaked images have appeared on reddit suggesting a cross-promotion between Red Bull and Destiny. If the images are to be believed, the next Destiny expansion is definitely called “Destiny – The Taken King.” And for those who sip a can of Red Bull for breakfast, there’s likely a code inside that unlocks bonus XP and “epic quests”.

There’s been no official statement from anyone about this yet. However, it seems that the next Destiny expansion is actually called “The Taken King”; otherwise it would be quite silly to print boxes with that name. And it appears that there really is a collaboration between Red Bull and Bungie.

Destiny-The-Taken-King

One can only hope that if there are such promotions, they also take place in Europe and not just in the USA. Otherwise, Red Bull will not only incur the displeasure of some football fans but also that of gamers who feel disadvantaged.

But one should probably wait and drink something decaffeinated.

Destiny-Red-Bull-036

The leak seems to be credible because it perfectly fits the info mosaic we currently have. The title “The Taken King” has been trademarked by Bungie a while back. And a major US gaming site reported that Destiny will showcase the next expansion at E3.

Currently, very little is known about the expansion, other than that it is supposed to be significantly larger than the two previous DLCs. There are some rumors that the level cap will be raised significantly, a new raid will be added, the game will be released on boxed format again, and similar things. However, nothing has been confirmed yet. Only that the expansion is planned for the fall and that it is indeed supposed to be large is official. In 2 weeks at E3 in Los Angeles, we will likely learn more.

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

Destiny: Patch notes for 1.2.0.2. in English: More keys for the prison

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny a new patch was released on Tuesday evening, June 2nd. This increases the key supply for the treasure chamber in the Prison of Elders.

We summarize the patch notes for 1.2.0.2, the new update for Destiny:

Overall there are many more treasure keys:

These keys are necessary to open the “big chest” at the end of a run in the Prison of Elders: Here, players have a chance for exotic loot, Queen’s weapons, and some other goodies.

Destiny-Qodron

Prison of Elders: Qodron nerfed

  • The item that starts the “exotic bounty” for the 3 new exotic weapons should now also be able to drop if the player has no bounty slots free. Some have farmed Skolas or the 34 boss for nothing in the past.
  • Additionally, class items are now available from the chests for 32, 34, and 35.
  • Qodron has become significantly easier. Its gaze has been nerfed by 25% and the “Jailbreaker buff” has been increased by 100%.The buff is available when you grill the eye of Qodron, a special goblin, as our Qodron guide explains.

Trials of Osiris: Emblem fixed

Destiny-Event-Wolfsjagd

Changes in the world: Ether chests modified

  • Ether chests can now only be looted once (no more glitches) – these Ether chests are available at the new public events: Here is our guide
  • Ether chests will no longer contain ammo syntheses
  • Now, you gain some reputation with the Queen for opening a chest
  • And these Ether chests can now contain tokens for which you can obtain ships and shaders from everyone’s favorite NPCs, Variks
  • Additionally, ammo syntheses can now stack up to 100. They drove some people crazy.

Additionally in the patch:

  • Fusion rifles should now work as intended. With 1.2.0.1, the balance changes introduced by 1.1.1 were “disabled.” And these have now been re-enabled.
  • Petra Venj will no longer show waypoints to players who do not own the House of Wolves.
  • Weekly heroic strikes should now reliably drop engrams.
  • And those who dismantle tokens for Variks will receive 10 reputation with the Queen.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

ArcheAge will close smaller servers, open new ones, relocate players – calling it evolution

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The Sandpark MMO ArcheAge has now presented initial plans for the server mergers, which are not, after all, presented. And they then sounded like server mergers.

“Server mergers are the wrong term,” was said recently. Technically, that may be correct: It usually means that two servers are merged. However, this is not done in ArcheAge; the outcome is the same: Players will initially lose their properties, but will have the opportunity to cultivate new, free land on a “new” server. If they are quick enough… This avoids having players lose their properties and then end up on a server where everything is already built.

Because in ArcheAge, new servers will be opened and players from smaller servers will then be “forced transferred” there. Players from larger servers may also be able to transfer to the new servers. But they can choose that if allowed.

What will happen to the “smaller servers” has not been explicitly stated by Trion Worlds: But it seems obvious that they will be closed.

ArcheAge_Plots

New Land Rush

Then begins what players are familiar with from the early days, a land rush for the new plots. This is sold a bit as the “exciting, thrilling part” that everyone is looking forward to.

At the moment, it is still unclear which servers will have to participate in the “evolution.” It should be the “smaller servers.” But which EU servers are considered “small” is currently not clarified. The community manager is currently seeking an answer that will then be provided. Ideally, players would like to be given the choice of which target server they want to head to.

Players should be able to take all their goods with them during such a “forced transfer.” They will be neatly packed. This needs to be prepared. However, some problems are already looming on the horizon, especially with ArcheAge hoarders who may have accumulated too many items. Players should be able to keep their names – unless there are duplicates.

ArcheAge-Village3

The whole thing is planned for the end of the year and will take place with a larger update. It is to be announced well in advance. After the evolution, such transfers may be offered as a service via the website.

However, this is still not certain, like many things. Trion Worlds does not currently know whether patrons will enjoy advantages during the evolution. The evolution in ArcheAge is in an early planning stage, and a lot can still change.

In this article, we dealt with the history of ArcheAge and the server mergers as a “last resort.”

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

Destiny: Caution – Patch 1.2.0.2 is coming tonight.

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny, a new patch, a new update is scheduled for this evening, June 2. The arrival of 1.2.0.2 is expected between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM.

A patch for Destiny is announced for this evening. Currently, there is no information on what it will specifically do. It is known that players will be kicked out of activities. There will be a connection loss. Players will land on the login screen, will need to install the patch before continuing, so it is said.

So it is a good idea not to start any “longer” activities right now – it could end badly if you are right in the Prison of Elders, and a Nightfall interruption is painful as well.

The patch 1.2.0.2 “could” change a lot of things. There are some known bugs preventing players from receiving certain quests (Exotic bounties) or loot such as emblems, ships, or shaders (especially in the Prison of Elders). In the Trials of Osiris, there have been regular issues with matchmaking or with obvious cheating, which Bungie might address.

But not only fixing such bugs has been promised; Bungie has already hinted that they might address the “key poverty” and become more generous so that the Guardians can access the large treasure chests in the Prison of Elders more frequently.

However, it is still unknown what patch 1.2.0.2 will actually change. Maybe only something very small will happen.

Destiny-Eisenbanner

A list of “possible issues to be addressed” can be found in this article. We will inform you if there is any news about the update this evening.

By the way, it is assumed that the Iron Banner will start at 7:00 PM this evening.

Update: At 5:30 PM, the servers were taken down. Standard question: “When will the Destiny servers be back?” Exceptionally, there’s an answer: The servers for Destiny are expected to be operational again within an hour. So around 6:30 PM our time, it is said. However, this has been postponed in previous patches.

5:55 PM: The servers are expected to be up again. What the patch has changed can be read in our post: Patch Notes for 1.2.0.2 in English: More keys for the Prison

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

World of Warcraft: Mobile games are to blame for subscriber loss

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 3 minutes

Are mobile games to blame for the decreasing number of gamers wanting to play the MMORPG World of Warcraft?

It’s an up and down situation with WoW. Recently, Blizzard announced that there are now “only” around 7.1 million “subscribers” actively playing the MMORPG. This means the MMO has lost three million players in just three months since the last player count report. Losing three million players in three months is a lot. What is causing the once-popular MMORPG to lose more and more players?

Is the trend moving away from complex MMORPGs?

An article on Marketplace.org names two reasons for this: firstly, the age of the game, and secondly, the shift towards mobile games. WoW is now eleven years old, and you can tell it shows. Many mechanics are outdated, and the graphics are no longer up to date. Of course, many still play the MMO, more than many other online games. However, it is noticeable that the number of paying players is steadily decreasing. Looking at the market, no other representative of the genre can claim such success as WoW – not even more modern games. Sure, Free2Play leads to many registrations, but the numbers of active players are often kept quiet.

World of Warcraft - Zukunft

However, another trend is emerging: Games with shorter playtimes, such as MOBAs or mobile games, are gaining more players. According to Riot Games, the MOBA League of Legends has around 90 million active players, the casual game Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (also playable on smartphones and tablets) can boast around 30 million players. These are numbers that World of Warcraft and other MMORPGs can only dream of. More and more companies are noticing this trend. It’s no wonder that NC Soft, Konami, and Nintendo want to enter the casual and mobile game market more intensively. Enormous growth rates are expected in the coming years.

Hearthstone-Mobile
Very popular on smartphones: Hearthstone. A new era?

Does this now mean the end of World of Warcraft and MMORPGs in general? Certainly not in the foreseeable future. Some developers are already trying to establish MMORPGs on the mobile market – so far with moderate success. The genre has become established, but as is often the case, there are ups and downs. Single-player RPGs, for example, experienced a tremendous low in the mid-1990s, and the genre was proclaimed dead until Baldur’s Gate revived it in 1998. Perhaps the genre will never return to the glory days of its early stages, but that would also be normal, as when the genre was new, everyone was interested. Today, there are other new genres or hybrid forms that attract a lot of attention. A good example is Destiny – a first-person shooter that increasingly relies on MMO mechanics and is thus very successful.

WoW Cinematic
Is anyone concerned about the mobile trend?

Even their days will be numbered before something new comes to the market. Thus, video games continue to evolve – perhaps not in directions that fans of certain genres want, but that is just the way of things.

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

H1Z1: Tear Gas and the Magnum – Zombie MMO Arms Up

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In the survival MMO H1Z1 survivors receive new weapons against the zombie hordes: the Magnum and tear gas.

The patch will take place late this evening, normally patches for H1Z1 are done Tuesday afternoons our time. Today, on June 2nd, there is an exception: The patch starts at 9:00 PM CET; the servers should be back up at 11:00 PM.

The patch brings:

  • The Magnum and suitable .44 ammunition
  • Tear gas that will block vision, cause light damage, and induce coughing
  • Changes to Hardcore Battle Royale: The spawn is supposed to be improved
  • A rule that means empty, abandoned bases will now be removed after one hour
  • and the usual fixes and logic improvements in the crafting and building areas of the game
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Reddit

Destiny: New loot missions by Petra Venj lead on Venus, Earth and the Moon

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In Destiny went live today on 2nd June a new bounty from Petra Venj. Here’s how to find “Wolves Watch,” how you can locate your target on Venus.

The bounties at Petra Venj change with the reset on Tuesday. We have summarized the “Wanted” bounties in this thread. A new bounty was added today, on 2nd June. That is “Wolves Watch” on Venus, specifically in the area Campus 9 on Venus.

Wolves Watch

Our friends from Pro NDC have made a video that guides you directly to the target of the bounty.

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And there is a new story mission on the Moon: Skoriks, the Archon Slayer

Additionally, a new story mission on the Moon started today: Skoriks, the Archon Slayer. This is also related to Petra Venj. In the mission, you control a turret for a short time. It is a rather short mission that has received somewhat “reserved” criticism so far, but at least it’s something different. It is again an example of “recycled” content, it goes into the summoning missions, where normal Phogoth, but… well, if Bungie brings more of such little surprises to Destiny in the future, nobody will complain about that, right?

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Veliniks, the Gluttonous

For the other two bounties from Petra Venj that were also newly added today, Nexxos has made videos in German.

This is Veliniks, the Gluttonous, for whom you have to go into the Hellmouth on the Moon:

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Grayor, Wolf Assassin

And to find Grayor, the Wolf Assassin, you need to go to the Devil’s Lair in the Cosmodrome.

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And if you are missing information about other bounties from Petra Venj, who can offer a whole lot of different ones, check this article or for the very early ones during the Queen’s event.

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