Blizzard’s card game Hearthstone is now also available on smartphones. The player count has broken through the next million threshold.
Perhaps it was the last expansion Blackrock, but more likely it was the port to smartphones that gave Hearthstone the final boost. Now there are about 30 million players across all platforms: that means so many have downloaded Hearthstone. Written out, that looks like this: 30,000,000. For comparison: to deal that much damage, a leper gnome must die 15,000,000 times.
Although Blizzard aimed to increase the release rate of heroes, there has been little indication of this so far. However, a Facebook post from the official Heroes of The Storm account now strengthens the evidence that Kael’Thas will soon be playable as a new hero.
More than just a rumor
Update on May 5, 9:45 PM: It was just confirmed by Blizzard on Twitter:Kael’Thas is the next hero in HotS.
Original report: Two weeks ago we reported that Kael’Thas might be the next hero in Heroes of the Storm and the blood elf with a daring past – keyword: traitor – would be the 20th Warcraft hero in the Blizzard MOBA, following Sylvanas, Thrall, and Jaina.
Why are we reporting on this again now? The official Heroes of the Storm account from Blizzard posted a picture on Facebook with the quote: “No one can stop me now! Selama ashal’anore!”
Some of you WoW players might find this sentence familiar, as Kael’Thas says it in the Fortress of the Storms. We are curious when Blizzard will finally make it official and announce him as the next hero. If the rumor about Kael’Thas is true, why not also consider the speculations about a new Diablo-style battleground?
In the MMO shooter Destiny there is a new video showing the fresh PvE activity “Prison of Elders”. This is set to come to Destiny with “House of Wolves” instead of a 6-player raid.
As on the previous two Tuesdays, there is a small trailer today as well. This time it shows “The Prison of Elders”:
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Tomorrow evening Bungie will continue to present the activity, there will be another live stream, with guest appearances this time from moderator DeeJ, senior designer Matt Sammons of House of Wolves and ProfessorBroman, one of the most popular Destiny streamers.
In the video, it is already shown that it will not only be against the Fallen, some monstrosities are also there: It seems there will be some sort of best-of monster selection. Also, the phrasing that you have to “survive” the Prison of Elders seems to hint at the horde mode that many are hoping for. The title image probably shows the new Hunter Exotic helmet Celestial Nighthawk.
In the short video, several enemies were already visible. So there were members of the Hive, thralls, and also a kind of “Knight.” The Cabal from Mars, affectionately called “Space Turtles,” made their appearance. The Fallen also seem to be represented in the prison. The question remains whether the Vex will join in?
Could be a Prime Servitor and thus belong to the Fallen.
The screenshot could run under the codename “Cabal in the Fog”:
Here you see the representative of the Hive, who looks even more Hulk-like through the special pose than usual.
The official stream, which will hopefully shed light on all this, starts tomorrow, on May 6th, at 8:00 PM. If Bungie wants, it will be done in time for the other thing that will also happen that evening.
Maybe they will also present the new strike tomorrow. We will cover the stream on mein MMO with a live ticker in German and embed it on the page.
In the fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online, there is also an attempt at an “Age of Ultron” homage.
Blizzard tried it and gathered the superheroes “The Avengers” from Hearthstone cards, while Zenimax also throws its hat into the ring. The arts team managed to recreate the Avengers in a remarkably accurate “TESO” style.
From the left, we see Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk, a stylish Hawkeye, Captain America, and Black Widow. Impressively done. The superhero film “Age of Ultron” made a smashing start in the USA, staying just behind the last Harry Potter for the record for the best opening weekend. It was said that there was too much competition from boxing and the NBA playoffs. A true cultural event that is also reflected in the gaming industry. And there’s a subtle link to the homepage: superheroes are always needed in Tamriel. Especially when the console version is coming up.
Starting this afternoon, out of nowhere, the new content patch “Invasion on Nexus” for WildStar is live and brings a lot of improvements for veterans, but also for new players. We have summarized the biggest highlights for you here.
The StarKom Basin – new daily area
A new zone with daily quests and cross-zone events that can change every day. Three enemy factions are fighting for control of the Eldan technology and you are the fourth party. Depending on who currently controls the basin, the available missions will change, providing variety for at least a few days.
The Holo Wardrobe
Costumes can now be stored and edited much more easily and account-wide through the Holo Wardrobe, allowing you to always have your favorite outfits ready and to use them for your small twinks as well.
At the same time, inventory space is freed up since you unlock the appearance of an item and can then destroy it, which means more space for important things (like housing items).
Contracts – For a little snack in between
Those who do not have much time will especially appreciate the new contracts. These are small, short PvE or PvP missions for which you can already snag relatively good rewards. A personal progress bar entices with additional loot and the large variety of tasks offers something suitable for every player type.
… and much, much more!
In addition to what has already been mentioned, there is also a small, new raid instance, a new adventure, a companion system, a revamped interface for tracking quests and so on… The list of improvements and new features is long and would exceed the limits; anyone interested in all the details can view them at wildstar-online.com .
Otherwise, we leave you with the official trailer and ask the question: Will you check out WildStar again?
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Blizzard’s hack-and-slash epic Diablo 3 seems to be popular with the Chinese. Over a million units have been sold since the launch of the closed beta, and a purchase is not even necessary: the game is largely free-to-play.
As reported by MMO Culture, the Asia MMO specialists, Diablo 3 has already sold a million copies in China. The open beta has been running there since April 23.
This is even more surprising since Diablo 3 is being launched in China with a free-to-play model. The first four acts of the game are playable for free; those who purchase a digital package gain access to act V, the adventure mode, and the RoS class Crusader.
In Elite: Dangerous, developers have hidden artifacts and secrets in the vast game world. One artifact has now been found, presenting players with a puzzle.
According to PC Gamer, players in the space simulation Elite: Dangerous have followed the announcements and hints from producer Michael Brooks and have been on the lookout for artifacts in the game. According to the developers, since patch 1.2, “non-celestial things” are out there somewhere. One of these artifacts has now been recovered, but it does not provide answers; instead, it raises new puzzles:
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A player has recorded the sound of the artifact, and when sped up, it sounds something like this:
No one really understands it yet. The prevailing theory is that it has something to do with the insectoid “Thargoids,” an alien race that appeared in earlier Elite games. Dev diaries also referenced them in Elite: Dangerous.
Tricky, isn’t it? In movies, solving puzzles always seems so easy. But no one ever claimed that being a science officer in space is simple.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Ultima Online is considered a cult game and was one of the pioneers of the MMORPG genre. But for hardcore fans, no other MMO has come close to UO. With Shards Online, that is supposed to change.
Shards Online has a turbulent past. Last summer, a Kickstarter campaign aimed at funding the MMO was unsuccessful. However, the developers at Citadel Studios did not give up and continued working on the game. Finally, another Kickstarter campaign was launched. This was successful, and now the interesting online game is in full production.
Inspired by Ultima Online
But what is Shards Online anyway? The developers want to walk in the footsteps of Ultima Online, but also introduce some new elements into the game. On one hand, it is a sandbox MMORPG. Each player creates a hero that they can specialize using skills. As in Ultima Online, there are no levels. Only through the improvement of the skills can one develop their hero.
These heroes live on what are called shards. These are fragments that float in the ether. Each shard has different properties, and it is possible to travel from shard to shard. In one world, for example, there is open PvP with full loot, and anyone can attack anyone, while in another world, teamwork is paramount, and players explore dungeons and fight dark monsters together. By the way, the game is played from a rotatable and zoomable isometric perspective, which should also appeal to Ultima Online fans.
Each player is also given the opportunity to own their own shard. On this shard, they can, for example, set their own rules. Other players can visit this shard and have adventures there. It is even possible to have multiple shards, which is called a cluster. These are connected, allowing players to create large worlds and even design adventure campaigns. Then quests become possible as well. Individual shards themselves are free; however, one must subscribe for clusters. Shards thus offer great freedoms and give players many options to run their own worlds with their own rules. A shard owner can make many changes, including creating their own spells or altering how combat functions. It is also possible to create monsters.
http://youtu.be/I13UYO4rS4Q
Housing also plays an important role, as this is supposed to run similarly to Ultima Online. Each player can place a house in the world, expand it, and defend it.
Of course, crafting is also included. What you can create depends on which shards you have visited. Because there you can discover new technologies that you can then use for crafting. It is of course also possible to form guilds, which can choose a shard as their “home.” Since the size of shards varies, the number of maximum players that can be on a shard at one time differs as well. The developers cannot yet provide an exact number.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KSkLbM2P4M
Shards Online is currently in an alpha phase. A release date has not yet been set. However, the beta is not expected to start until 2016. Further information about the game can be found on the official website shardsonline.com
Andreas says: Ultima Online holds a special place in the hearts of many MMORPG fans. For many, it was their first experience with the genre. Since then, much has changed, and a gaming experience like that offered by UO can hardly be found in modern genre representatives. Therefore, Shards Online could hit the nerve of Ultima Online fans. A large sandbox, a character system based on skills, optional open PvP with full loot, a sophisticated housing and crafting system… Plus the ability to run your own shards and apply your own rules on them – all of that sounds very exciting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkFQbkwERPY
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny, the Nightfall, the weekly dusk strike, pits players against the Archon Priest.
Every Tuesday at 11:00 AM, the “lockouts” for activities in Destiny are reset. Additionally, a new weekly heroic instance and a new dusk strike are chosen. Guardians also receive loot from the raids. For safety, it is advisable to log out and log back in after the weekly reset.
The “Nightfall” holds a special place among the activities in Destiny. If a Guardian successfully completes this, they receive 24.5% more reputation and experience points for the rest of the week. The specific strike chosen for the dusk strike follows a precise sequence. This is called the “rotation” – the exact details of how it works are still unknown.
In 14 days, trouble is brewing
With the next DLC “House of Wolves” on May 19th, a new strike will be added to the rotation. It can be assumed that the new strike in Destiny will immediately become a dusk strike in the first week. Non-DLC buyers are likely to be excluded. Potential for conflict is brewing; so it was last time.
But that’s still 14 days away. This week, from May 5th, we’re heading to Venus: The Archon Priest awaits. Bungie has set us up: He was only here 2 weeks ago, which was hardly to be expected. We were actually prepared for Phogoth. This happens when the predictors stay silent.
Apparently, they want to give the Guardians a treat at the end of the expansion: This is the third triple burn in a row.
The modifiers for the dusk strike in Destiny on May 5th.
Nightfall – If the entire fireteam dies, it goes back to orbit, and the strike must be restarted from the beginning
Epic – the enemies are tougher than those under the heroic difficulty modifier
Solar Flare– Solar damage is increased.
Void Flare– Void damage is increased.
Arc Flare– and the arc damage is also significantly increased. Yes, this is what’s called a triple burn. A rainbow strike.
In the heroic weekly, Void-Flare is active.
Which weapons are recommended for the strike?
As a primary weapon, Guardians can use the Destiny Bringer, the Erlass der Überseele, or use Ir Yût’s Reißzahn. Alternatively, one can opt for Crota’s Word or any other elemental weapon – the choice is free here.
In the special slot, a sniper like a modified Efrideets Spear, a Black Spindle or the Icebreaker is recommended. Fusion rifles or even shotguns can also be useful here if you’re looking for variety.
For the heavy weapons slot, one might consider the Gjallarhorn if they have it, or take the Donnerlord along.
Are there tips, tricks, guides, safe spots for Aksor?
Throughout the day, we will present videos of recommended runs. Often, safe spots are shown that ensure a secure kill of the final boss. Sometimes there are also inspiring actions that encourage imitation.
Nexxos Gaming takes on Aksor in a team of three. Nexxos is equipped with Destiny Bringer, a Solar Efrideets Spear, and Gjallarhorn. There are detailed tips and recommendations for the individual sections of the raid. There are also tips, tricks, and a safe spot for the final boss. However, it has its pitfalls that one should be aware of.
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A change to the masterpiece alkhasts is now at the center of the discussion. They are needed in the game to “plus” high-level equipment: a typical mechanic in Asian games. And regarding these things (MWA, as the community abbreviates them), there has been a lot of trouble in recent months. The accusation was made that Gameforge is deliberately stingy with them, making it very laborious to earn them. The intent behind it seemed clear: Gameforge wanted to sell more of them in the shop and extract more money from the players. In North America, with En Masse, it is said to be better, according to a prevalent opinion in the Tera community.
With today’s patch, Gameforge aims to ensure a “basic provision of masterpiece alkhasts.” They want to give players the opportunity to earn MWAs in various areas of the game and not just in difficult instances like before. Now players can also earn MWAs in the “non-equalized” Battleground Canyon of Honor, i.e., in PvP.
According to Gameforge, these are the main principles of the changes:
The Labyrinth of Terror and its first three officers as well as other opponents now have more alkahests with them.
The reputation vendors of the Vanguard Initiative now offer (400 credits) a box with masterpiece alkahest that includes 15 veteran masterpiece alkahests guaranteed, as well as an additional 2 to 50 veteran masterpiece alkahests randomly.
Another battleground (15v15, balanced armor, party search for 1-5 players) now has the same rewards as the already unbalanced version!
A new badge is now included as a reward in selected instances and battlegrounds and can be exchanged for valuable items such as complete crystal bindings.
Riot has added a new summoner spell for the popular game mode ARAM with patch 5.8. However, not all of the League of Legends community is thrilled.
ARAM stands for ALL Random All Mid and is a game mode with random champion assignment and only one lane. Both teams consist of 5 players who compete against each other on an icy bridge in the “Howling Abyss”. The gameplay is very action-packed as champions cannot spread out to jungle or other lanes.
However, Riot did not come up with the game mode themselves; it was created by the players. Some time ago, the ARAM mode was only available through the custom games section and did not have its own map. As this mode enjoyed great popularity, an initiative from players in the official forum called for its implementation in matchmaking. This was the first time in League of Legends history that a player-created mode became an official part of the game.
New Summoner Spell “Mark/Dash” against Poke Meta
With the last patch 5.8, a new summoner spell named “Mark/Dash” was added to the ARAM game mode. If you hit an enemy champion with this spell, you deal true damage and mark them. This ability can then be reactivated within 3 seconds to sprint to the marked unit. A similar spell was used during the winter of 2014/2015 in the “Legend of the Poro King” – but only as a seasonal joke and for a limited time.
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The reason for the introduction of the new summoner spell is the dominance of ranged champions with poke potential such as Jayce, Lux, Varus, and Sona. Teams with melee fighters like Udyr often found themselves at a disadvantage against ranged attackers as they could stay behind towers and spam their attacks. Additionally, some players created smurf accounts specifically for ARAM that only featured this type of champion. Riot now wants to assist melee champions with “Mark/Dash” and counter the meta:
“One thing we learned from the Legend of the Poro King is that there are plenty of champions who would fare well in the Howling Abyss if they had better opportunities for an attack. Therefore, we are introducing ‘Mark/Dash’ as a summoner spell option.”
Implementation of OP – Players Complain
Now some players are criticizing the introduction of the new summoner spell “Mark/Dash” in the official forum, on Twitter, or on Reddit.
With the new summoner skill (Mark/Dash), ARAM is unplayable for all ranged characters now. The skill is completely unbalanced. The cooldown is too low, the range is exaggerated, and that everyone can jump to the marked target is an insult. Sorry, but I loved my evening ARAM… now it’s just a torment. Bye bye LoL until the fix or forever…
Most of the time it should be easy enough for it to be dodged time and time again. If they don’t hit anything then that’s okay. I do agree though that the cooldown is ridiculous; it could be boosted to a maximum of 40 seconds with a reduction to 30 for committed use.
While ARAM fans requested a change regarding the poke meta, they did not want it with the snowball skill known from the “Legend of the Poro King”. The most frequently criticized aspects are the low cooldown, the range, and the bonus damage from the new summoner spell.
But take it easy: Even though the introduction of the new skill is debatable, Riot has already made adjustments to the Mark/Dash spell on the PBE (Public Beta Environment) that address these criticisms.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The multiplayer shooter Star Wars Battlefront will not have only 8 multiplayer maps as feared by the community, but at least 12.
The fourth of May is an unofficial Star Wars day for significant pun reasons. “May the Force be with you” is a well-known Star Wars quote, and the fourth of May sounds quite similar in English to “May the Fourth.”
Anyway, given this important date, fans expected something from Star Wars Battlefront, and they got a bit of it. While there was no in-game material, at least a dev blog about the planet Sullust, along with a screenshot and concept art, and most importantly: the information about the multiplayer maps.
This does not yet include the multiplayer maps that are set to be released with the free DLC “Battle of Jakku” in December, shortly after the release and in time for the movie, available a bit earlier for pre-orders of Star Wars Battlefront. So by December, there will already be more than 12 maps.
Planet Sullust is supposed to be a lava world touched by the Empire
By the way, the planet Sullust is a lava planet. To find a somewhat similar model on Earth, parts of the Dice team took an excursion to Iceland. The planet is supposed to show significant signs of imperial influence and a certain style. Therefore, Lucas Arts also studied the Death Star and imagined that the structures on Sullust were created by its architect.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , the exotic machine gun Thunderlord has never been available from the vendor Xur. What can the exotic machine gun with Arc damage do in PvP and PvE?
Xur has had every weapon and every armor piece he can offer at least once. Every? Not quite. A small, probably Gallic machine gun resists the trend. But for how long? And is it worth the wait?
The exotic machine gun “Thunderlord” is considered one of the best weapons in PvE of Destiny. It is the top choice for Arc damage modifiers in Nightfall. For many proud owners, it actually competes with the “Gjallarhorn“, at least if one is more into bullet spray than rocket massage. And Thunderlord has some prominent fans: It is, for example, the favorite weapon of Community Manager DeeJ and played a key role in early video presentations of Destiny.
What makes the Thunderlord so strong in PvE
The special thing, when you look at the Thunderlord at first glance, are already the stats. They are strong across the board. There is really no weak point in the weapon. Damage is okay, range is good, stability is manageable, and the magazine holds 38 rounds, which is okay, but can be further expanded. The only drawback in the stats seems to be the lengthy reload, which can, however, be circumvented by the perk Rampage: This increases reload speed after a kill.
YouTuber Puzzles specializes in weapon reviews. For him, the Thunderlord performs excellently.
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He recommends the perks “Field Choke” for a little extra kick in between. The experts from Planetdestiny recommend “Field Flattener”, which gives lower bonuses but makes recoil more predictable. For the second selectable perk, the experts agree: Field Scout it should be, the magazine must be increased to 60 rounds. This is due to the weapon’s unique trait, as for every 16 shots fired consecutively, the weapon fires faster and becomes more accurate, with the increased fire rate requiring some experience to manage the recoil.
The Thunderlord, like many other exotic weapons, can only be obtained randomly in the game. With an increased chance as a reward in Nightfall, in the exotic chest in “The Glassed Chamber”, from Atheon, Crota and Ir Yût, or from Xur. Although he hasn’t had it available yet, but… what isn’t there yet, can still happen. Maybe as soon as this Friday. It would cost 17 strange coins. If you want the weapon, you should set those aside. The Thunderlord is worth it like hardly any other exotic weapon in Destiny.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The survival MMO H1Z1 will have to do without the services of Jimmy Whisenhunt in the future. He was responsible for the combat system of the game and one of the two faces in public.
Together with level designer Adam Clegg, ex-Counter-Strike pro Jimmy Whisenhunt formed something like the “moderation duo” for H1Z1. He hosted live streams, presented innovations, and was perhaps the most prominent figure for fans both before and after Early Access: active in social networks like Twitter, Twitch, or Reddit. In his actual job, he handled the combat system, weapon physics, and other things.
Whisenhunt is leaving H1Z1 because he is taking an “exciting opportunity” to work at Twitch.tv in San Francisco, but he wants to remain connected to H1Z1 and stream the game. He thanks SOE/DGC for the chance to establish himself in the industry. He also promises players that a crossbow, a Kalashnikov, and a Magnum are on their way. That’s quite a farewell gift.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Today marks the start of the Closed Beta for the MMORPG Echo of Soul, which is considered the spiritual successor to the cult MMO Lineage 2. For this occasion, we are presenting all classes.
Every player has their preferences for which class they like to embody in an MMORPG. In team play, this becomes even more important, as different classes enable a good and tactical collaboration. This is also true in Echo of Soul – although there is no classic Holy Trinity, as each class can heal itself, there are still roles in combat. Each class can pursue two paths, each with its own skill trees that significantly change the playstyle. We present to you the classes with their specializations that you can embody in EoS.
Ranger
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The Ranger represents a ranged character in Echo of Soul. She is part of a nomadic tribe and uses both bow and arrow as well as music in combat. With her quick arrow attacks, she keeps enemies at bay in the role of the Archer or buffs her allies as a Minstrel with a song or debuffs enemies.
Warrior
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The Warrior is a strong melee fighter who was once an elite soldier in the service of His Majesty but now roams the lands as a mercenary. He deals a lot of damage with powerful attacks in the role of the Berserker and becomes even stronger with increasing rage, but he also acts as a Protector and can defend his companions in battle. You can play him as a damage dealer or tank.
Sorceress
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The Sorceress is a being that one should not trust too easily and is avoided and feared by many. In this class, you cast powerful spells. A Sorceress can either take the path of the Pyromancer or the Cryomancer. As a Pyromancer, you use area-of-effect fire spells that deal significant damage, while as a Cryomancer, you can exert crowd control and slow enemies with frost spells.
Guardian
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A Guardian communicates with the spirits of nature and can control the wind as a Stormcaller to deal area damage. As an alternative path, she can take the path of an Earthcaller, who can use powerful earthquakes to serve as an offensive defender, protecting the group and destabilizing waves of enemies.
Rogue
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The last class is the Rogue, trained in the dark arts of stealthy combat. He can also take two paths: As a Duelist, he uses his high agility to quickly defeat opponents with critical hits and explosives, while as an Assassin he specializes in incapacitating his enemies with poisoned attacks that deal damage over time.
So in EoS, you don’t just choose a class but also how it evolves. But don’t worry: as you progress through the game, you will be able to switch between specializations (the first at level 10 and the second at level 20). Which class will you choose in Echo of Souls?
Although Heroes of the Storm (HotS) will be a free online strategy game, Blizzard will not hesitate to bring a purchasable version to the market. For €19.99 you will receive a starter pack with heroes, an exclusive mount, and a skin.
One Month Until Release
Not much longer, and you can compete with Diablo, Thrall, Raynor, and many other Blizzard characters on the various battlefields of Heroes of the Storm. The 02.06.2015 has already been named as the release date. Two weeks earlier, on 20.05.2015, everyone will already have access to the open beta.
What Does the Starter Pack Include?
To ease new players into the upcoming free-to-play MOBA, Blizzard is releasing a special bundle. The starter pack is available for €19.99 and includes:
The heroes: Zagara (€6.49), Sonya (€6.49), Zeratul (€9.99), Jaina (€9.99), and Li Li (€3.99)
The skin “Zeratul the Ronin” (€9.99)
The Golden Tiger as a mount (only available in the starter pack)
The pack is thus worth the price. Additionally, each item in this pack comes with a code – for example, duplicate heroes and skins can be shared with friends. The starter pack is expected to hit the markets shortly before the release and can already be pre-ordered from retailers like Amazon. It will officially be available starting from 02.06.2015. Here you can read our first impression of HotS.
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However, one moment stands above the criticism. When the sword bearer picks up the weapon to finish off the villain, a “heroic” melody begins. It has snuck into the hearts of the players. Some wish for it as a ringtone, can hum it in their sleep, or hear their blood rush when the melody swells in Destiny: For that is the sign that the sword is about to fade, Crota will rise again, and it is high time to make oneself scarce.
In numerous videos, the melody has been heard, often accompanied by the sound of hissing Wolf Pack Rounds. On our site, there are some videos capturing special Crota kills that are popular among Destiny players. Especially due to this special melody. A guardian has now recorded it “clean”. http://youtu.be/hGlVRjn89rM
Crota would surely wish that when House of Wolves appears in 2 weeks and his raid threatens to be forgotten, we remember him because of this melody and not because of any other things. But who cares what the rogue from yesterday wants.
What will you remember from Crota’s End?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Complaining about NCSoft West, who have already postponed the release of the game multiple times and whose information policy is, well… non-existent
And observing LinkedIn profiles of NCSoft employees to get hints on whether localization is being worked on. On the “LinkedIn” page, people in the digital age keep their resume publicly fresh to recommend themselves for new projects or employers.
And surprise: It seems that work is being done on the Western release of Blade&Soul, but everything is quite mysterious. Sometimes “Blade and Soul” disappears as a name and turns into “Unannounced MMO Project”. Perhaps because the employee noticed that everything is still “strictly confidential”.
If we believe all the profiles and data here, NCSoft West has been working on the localization of “Blade and Soul” since at least 2014 and doing so with considerable dedication. A particularly dedicated employee has ensured in the side project that the localization is “culturally sensitive” – also in sexual matters.
Authors have the localization in their resume, among Sales Managers from NCSoft, Blade&Soul is mentioned. So it seems safe, even though we hear so little from the official side. A nightmare scenario would be if they decided last minute to stop the advanced localization and therefore announced nothing, but that would be painting the devil on the wall.
Last Thursday, the new Pre-Alpha Release 17 of the (MMO)RPG Shroud of the Avatar launched, bringing with it several new features that are now being heavily discussed in the community.
One new feature is that players now leave behind transparent skeletons at the spot of their virtual demise. Many find this feature good as it allows them to see where other players have been and died. However, this also brings some problems. Not only are the skeletons visible even in single-player mode – which doesn’t make much sense – but there is also the risk of spoilers.
Surprise attacks from monsters or traps in dungeons could be spoiled by the scattered transparent skeletons. Therefore, it might be sensible to integrate an option to display these skeletons or not. Those who don’t care about spoilers could continue to see the skeletons, but when engaging in the story and entering a new location, they could “turn off” the skeletons and face the surprises.
Another issue with the new version is a newly introduced camera on the overworld map. While it used to be seen from an isometric perspective, allowing you to rotate the view and zoom in a bit, the new camera now behaves like it does in the adventure scenes. You can now play from a third-person perspective and also look at the sky. This was introduced by the developers so that players are closer to the action, have better orientation, and can watch the sky where events can occur.
However, the new camera also leads to feelings of nausea. Objects that are between the camera and the player character are not rendered transparently. Instead, the camera zooms automatically and quickly close to the character, so that it is not obscured by the object. On the overworld map, this leads to a constant zooming effect. The camera repeatedly rushes forward and suddenly back again.
Still problematic with the new camera control is that the size ratios between the player character and the landscape become much clearer. The hero appears as a giant. This isn’t as pronounced from the isometric view and doesn’t weigh as heavily, as you look down from above. However, when looking straight at the character or even looking up from below, the size differences appear almost ridiculous. It will be interesting to see how the developers of Shroud of the Avatar plan to solve these problems.
http://youtu.be/x9bbW4VgyOU
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online initially claimed to deliver new game content every 4 to 6 weeks. Currently, that seems far from the truth. Everyone is waiting for the launch of TESO on Playstation4 and Xbox One.
TESO was supposed to deliver every 4 to 6 weeks
The TESO fan site Tamriel Foundry has extensively discussed how quickly The Elder Scrolls Online has brought new game content and what the reasons for the current content drought are in an insightful article.
Still hanging above the release is the statement from TESO head Matt Firor, they plan to deliver new game content every 4 to 6 weeks. This dates back to August 2013. In the first months, they indeed adhered to this approach: two new zones, six dungeons and raids, and numerous new features, which Tamriel Foundry lists on the plus side of the game.
Compared to other games, The Elder Scrolls Online stands solid but not exceptional
Compared to other games, it performs decently overall, but not exceptionally (FF XIV is leading here, WoW stands strong due to the expansion, and Guild Wars 2 gets praised for the Living Story and numerous features). Of course, there can be debate on how to evaluate this, whether they should have mentioned more things or omitted certain aspects from other games.
The fact is: They have indeed delivered in the first three quarters after the release.
Not much happened in 2015: Content drought has arrived
Tamriel Foundry has the following theory: The people working on the port of TESO for PS4 and Xbox One are likely in a different team from those creating new raids or trials. Therefore, there are two possibilities:
Either they’ve pulled the “Content” people from their team to work on the console release.
Or they are currently holding back content to bring it after the console launch for greater revenue. It is said that everything PC players have, console players will also receive.
People feel mixed about this: On one hand, they feel somewhat left behind as PC players. On the other hand, they believe that a successful console launch could secure the future of the game and thus be good for PC as well.
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