Mecker Wednesday: Über die Massen hinweg

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

Fortunately, Steam comes to my rescue again this Wednesday to protect me from acute topic loss. But who is surprised that one draws the wrath of many thousands when something self-evident is suddenly placed behind a monetary barrier that was neither desired nor necessary. Our Andreas has already diligently reported on the mod topic at Steam.

Skyrim: Mods for Money

For the single-player RPG “Skyrim”, there are countless modifications. This ranges from a multiplayer mode to new campaigns and a changed skill system, to the infamous nude mods from the nymphomaniac dreams of some players. “Surely, a dollar or two can be made from this,” thought the people at Steam and allowed mod providers to sell their works to make a living.

Steam Workshop Skyrim

And since the Steam people are naturally kind-hearted, they only wanted to keep a meager 75% of the earnings for themselves. As compensation for the fact that the mod developers bear all legal risks, they still get a hefty 25%, essentially the lion’s share. Fair and understandable. Charity can sometimes be so simple!

Accomplished Facts: People Hate Them. Me Too.

In recent years, it has become fashionable to put people before accomplished facts. Sentences like “Only complain about the law once it’s there” are increasingly heard from politicians, and in the gaming industry, decisions are often simply waved through to wait and see what happens. Could one have foreseen the great outrage of the players? No. Could one have avoided it with a simple discussion in the forum on the topic? Definitely.

I can absolutely understand that not every little thing wants to be discussed with the players, as this can often stifle creativity. However, when it comes to changing existing systems that have worked perfectly and satisfied everyone, one must be cautious. Moreover, one could simply omit this whole thing and implement the long-demanded “donate” button for modifications in Steam. But since they probably wouldn’t get 75%, that’s of course not an alternative…

A Good Example to End With

Crusader Kings 2
Crusader Kings 2 by Paradox

To end on a slightly more positive note today, I would like to briefly highlight a studio that engages very thoroughly with its fans’ opinions and addresses their wishes. No, today for a change not Carbine, but Paradox. Games like “Crusader Kings”, “War of the Roses” or the woefully underrated “Leviathan Warships” are often real hidden gems because the developers actively participate in the forums and discuss decisions with the fans.

As already mentioned, this is not always a guarantee for good conclusions – but better than hiding free mods behind a “paywall” that primarily serves the game platform rather than the developer. See you, my slaves dears.

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

Free2Play: Business model of the future or already on the decline?

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 2 minutes

The Free2Play business model is regarded by many game studios as the Holy Grail. Core gamers, on the other hand, see it as a rip-off. Now there are two different opinions from the industry.

Klaas Kersting

Klaas Kersting, CEO of the mobile games company flaregames, believes that Free2Play is still successful. It is not the business model, but the quality of the games that is crucial for a company’s success. However, it is very complex to develop a Free2Play game, as one must invest much more in areas like analytics, monetization, product management, and performance marketing. Therefore, the model is not very suitable for young, emerging game companies because one needs a lot of experience in these areas. However, the games must also be continuously developed to keep players engaged. Then one can be successful—even if one is not constantly in the top 10 of the most played online games.

Thomas Friedmann

Thomas Friedmann, CEO of the online games company Funatics, sees it differently. The company, founded in 1988, which became known through games like The Settlers and Cultures, has relied on the Free2Play model in recent years and has also achieved some successes with it. For example, with the browser game Cultures Online. However, they are now withdrawing from this market and plan to return to the classic Buy2Play model. Thomas Friedmann explains that it is simply a gamble to be successful with a Free2Play game. One cannot plan what revenues will be generated. Developing a Free2Play game is like playing the lottery. Moreover, it has become so that gamers are no longer willing to constantly face paywalls and have to spend money repeatedly for various contents. It has become immensely difficult to be successful with a Free2Play game, as the top positions in the market are occupied by large competitors.

Both Klaas Kersting and Thomas Friedmann believe that the market will soon self-regulate. Many providers of Free2Play games will disappear, leaving only those who can truly convince with their games and the model.

Just yesterday, we reported on the statement of a Gameforge employee that the B2P model is associated with significant risks and that the F2P model would therefore be better. Interestingly, also in this context is a F2P study by SuperData, which states that revenues from Free2Play models will increase in the coming years (at least for the MMOs):

MMO - free-to-play vs pay-to-play
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. gamesindustry.biz
  2. gamesindustry.biz

ArcheAge: Trion Worlds introduces the new patch – Patch notes are also available in German

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In ArcheAge the new patch “Prophecies of Horror” 1.7a was released yesterday in Germany. A video now presents the features.

In the last weeks, we have reported in pieces on mein MMO about the new patch for ArcheAge. It brings two new zones and revamps the island of Freienich thoroughly. It also tackles the sea again, bringing in variations and nuances; it gives players with achievements guidelines on what they could still do, and offers veteran players additional benefits.

But until now, it was all foggy theory and some of it hard to imagine. The developers now explain in a producer video what has changed with 1.7a in ArcheAge. The video is in English but has German subtitles. A bit like Arte, only with more pirates and fewer French.

http://youtu.be/-lje9POwYL0

For those who prefer written information, here are the extensive patch notes in German. And for those who want to experience it first-hand: they can also just log in to the free-to-play MMO with a pronounced cash shop and experience the Prophecies of Horror live.

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

Star Citizen: The game with the 3 business models

Nico Saborowski Nico Saborowski Reading time 2 minutes

Star Citizen enhances its funding through crowdfunding and a shop with yet another model. From now on, players are offered a subscription in the still quite early development phase that provides exclusive rewards and bonuses.

Update: There was a mistake at pcgamesn that we had adopted: The subscription model has actually existed for a while. However, it is new that the offer has been expanded, which is why the news remains open for discussion.

For true Star Citizen fans

“Centurion” and “Imperator” subscriptions are the available subscription models. They represent another way to support Chris Roberts and his team in the development of the space simulation.

“If you’re interested in going above and beyond to support Star Citizen’s development,” says Cloud Imperium, “there’s no better way.”

What do you get for it? With the $12 Centurion subscription, the (additionally) paying customer gets access to the magazine “Jump Point” and has access to The Vault, a folder containing concept art and graphics. There will also be in-game items for subscribers, such as goodies for their hangar and a currency called REC, which allows temporary access to certain ships and weapons in the Commander module. Roberts Space Industries also hopes for supporters who will stick around long term: Subscribers who stay for more than a year are promised a mention in the game and fancy stickers for their ship. There is even more for fans who take the $24 Imperator Prime subscription. They get all the benefits of the basic subscription and additionally receive an extra ship, more of the REC currency, a larger number of goodies, and discounts in the shop.

Star Citizen Centurion Subscription
Source: robertsspaceindustries.com

When is enough…enough?

Star Citizen

Well, a game costs money to develop, especially a blockbuster like Star Citizen. But the question remains: How much more do they need until release, and what can they implement properly by then? In addition to the over $70 million gathered so far through crowdfunding, the game also has an item shop. Here, a ship can easily cost over $250 – so it is more of a luxury than a small gimmick. And now, of course, there is the monthly subscription.

As an Alpha, already 3 business models

Currently, Star Citizen is still in an alpha version. The focus seems to be not only on the development and completion of the game but also heavily on monetization: How can we make money with it? I don’t want to accuse Chris Roberts of not developing a fantastic game, but the business practices are sometimes a bit dubious. Funders receive emails with offers for horrendously expensive ships. Once someone has paid, they may be inclined to spend even more.

Let’s see if the team comes up with another monetization opportunity… it will be interesting to see. After all, there seems to be a demand, and if enough people are willing to pay so much, why not?

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.
Link to the YouTube content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. pcgamesn.com
  2. robertsspaceindustries.com

H1Z1: The world ends on Thursday, the new one then has women

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In the survival MMO H1Z1 tomorrow, Thursday, April 30th, is a patch-and-clean day. The servers will be wiped, and the world will end.

It will probably be around noon when the world of H1Z1 dies again. The new patch wipes servers and the world. It is supposed to be quite a large update: It brings female player models, first-person battle royales, and the Steam marketplace. Additionally, some typical minor changes to the interface and crafting models will be made. They are also offering a t-shirt for this server wipe.

The most noticeable change in H1Z1 will surely be the female models. Bb then there will be a bit of variety on the servers. Until now, there was only one player model, admittedly it was recently replaced with a better one.

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.
Link to the YouTube content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. reddit H1Z1

H1Z1/Planetside2 Studio Head: “The days of WoW-style MMOs are over”

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

John Smedley, president of DGC studio and head of MMOs such as H1Z1 or Planetside 2, believes that the days of pay-to-play MMOs with long raid nights like in World of Warcraft are a thing of the past.

Sony Online Entertainment has a new name and a new logo, but otherwise, much remains the same. Studio president John Smedley, who calls himself a “Loudmouth”, gave interviews explaining his vision for his company, which made waves many years ago with Everquest. For a long time, it was just one of many departments at Sony. Now, under the investment firm “Columbus Nova”, it operates somewhat independently.

At Sony, one never felt completely at home, but had special conditions with American Express

Overall, they are satisfied to be away from Sony. Even though they were treated well, it always felt a bit odd. They were essentially the PC division there. They couldn’t develop for XBox and mobile. This made them feel disadvantaged, and they want to change that:

It was the case that we could publish on fewer platforms compared to our competitors. That has changed; now we will eat them for breakfast.

Smedley Daybreak
John Smedley could keep his dog.

However, there were also numerous advantages to being a sub-department of a sub-department at Sony. The reputation was solid. In every job interview, candidates knew they would be paid on time. They had special conditions with American Express. All competitive advantages. In this regard, they are starting from scratch again.

The layoff of long-time employees during the restructuring hurts Smedley. It was necessary due to a financial imbalance that needed to be corrected. Smedley wants to rehire as many of the old comrades as possible as soon as possible, saying: “We do not want new employees; we want the old ones.”

Who raids every night anymore?

The future of his field, MMOs, the Everquest creator sees in games like H1Z1 or Planetside 2: “I firmly believe that the days of WoW-style MMOs are over,” he says.

If you look at H1Z1: It is an MMO, yes. But the average life expectancy of players is 45 minutes. And that is exactly what they want. How many people do you still know who raid every night in World of Warcraft, Everquest, or Everquest II?

The willingness of players to invest time has changed, and as developers, they must respond to that: Luckily, they have long bet on this trend, as Smedley puts it, and are now in a favorable position. They are sitting in the front of the bus.

DGDC focuses on free-to-play MMOs, invests 30 million dollars in the PS4 port of Planetside 2

Planetside 2 PS4

As a goal, they are focusing on free-to-play MMOs on consoles PlayStation and XBox. They see this development still in its infancy: “When you get a console for the first time, it is normal to see what is offered for free.” Currently, there is not much competition in this area. Daybreak Game Company benefits from that. A name that should signal a departure, but also makes it clear that gamers are indeed active at night.

Daybreak Logo

When asked what a AAA MMO needs to trigger the free-to-play rush on consoles, Smedley replies: “I will be able to tell you soon,” he responds, “we are putting 30 million into Planetside 2 on the PS4. We are not just talking; we are also backing it up with our money.”

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. gamesindustry.biz
  2. polygon.com

Destiny: Here are the new items in the April Iron Banner

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 4 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny the Iron Banner event started tonight at 7:00 PM. Players had to wait a long time for the April Iron Banner. These are the new items.

Every month, Lord Saladin comes and sells armor and weapons when players successfully stand their Guardian in the PvP event Iron Banner and earn the right in his eyes to purchase these items. This month he has the following for Guardians:

What’s available at the Iron Banner in April

  • At Rank 3, he sells a Chest Armor for each class (with version 1 you can carry more ammo for fusion and automatic rifles, with version 2 more for shotguns and scout rifles).  At Rank 3, there’s also the sniper rifle Efrideet’s Spear: Solar, find more ammunition, Firefly (!).
  • At Rank 4, there is the Iron Banner Helm (version 1 reduces melee attack time on grenade hits and generates Super energy; version 2 increases melee attack speed and generates Super energy when defeating minions of the Darkness).
  • At Rank 5, Guardians receive the hand cannon Timur’s Lash: Kills grant bonus damage and reserve ammo.
  • As a random reward for completing Crucible matches in the Iron Banner, the two weapons can also be obtained that were sold last time. These are the machine gun Jolder’s Hammer and the automatic rifle Similar’s Wrath.
  • Destiny-Efrideets-Speer
  • Destiny-Efrideets-Speer2
  • Destiny-Timurs-Peitsche

These are the features of the weapons and armor at this Iron Banner

The special thing about the armors: Both the helm and the chest armor can be upgraded to light level 36. That is enough to bring Guardians to the current maximum level of 32. And this can be done without needing to use Radiant Shards. They can be upgraded with Ascendant Shards. The helm was the last Iron Banner piece that was still missing. Now players can look like in this article. Also: It is now possible to reach the maximum level of 32 without raiding and without exotic items.

The special thing about the weapons: They can be “remade”, achieving ideal traits and perks.

The Efrideet’s Spear, the sniper rifle, is already very strong from the vendor. It should not be remade unless one really wants a different elemental damage. The hand cannon, however, should probably be rolled again. Those who want a hand cannon with high punch and favorable perks should.

  • Destiny-Helm-Eisenbanner-Warlock
  • Destiny-Eisenbanner-Helm-Titan
  • Destiny-Eisenbanner-Helm-Hunter

And this is how you reach Rank 5 in the April Iron Banner in Destiny

To reach Rank 5 in the Iron Banner, there are some tricks and things you should know.

  • You should always buy the “Hardened” bonus for 1 Light particle. It lasts for 12 hours and can be activated repeatedly. The later in the week, the stronger the buff becomes. This allows players who only start on the weekend to still reach the high ranks.
  • For victories, you get 50 reputation points, for losses a coin that you can exchange for 40 reputation points after a win. As long as you don’t lose too many times in a row, everything is fine.
  • You should buy the emblem, shader, and class item from Lord Saladin at ranks 1, 2, and 4 and equip them immediately to gain reputation faster in the Iron Banner.
  • Destiny-Eisenbanner-Panzerweste
  • Destiny-IB-Panzer
  • Destiny-IB-Kleidung

The exploit or glitch is said to have worked this time again.

Our friends at ProNDC are thoroughly covering the Iron Banner in April in this video, along with the loot and the properties for the armors and weapons.

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.
Link to the YouTube content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Destiny: New teaser video shows Trials of Osiris

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny, there is a new video promoting tomorrow’s live stream on Twitch and the Trials of Osiris event.

Tomorrow, on Wednesday, April 29th, at 8:00 PM, the next live stream of Destiny will take place. Here, another part of the DLC “House of Wolves” will be showcased. This time, the PvP event Trials of Osiris is in focus. Bungie also plans to highlight the new Crucible maps. And who knows what else there will be.

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.
Link to the YouTube content

With a teaser video, players are certainly getting excited. Last time, 137,000 people watched simultaneously, breaking the Twitch record in 2015 for a game presentation.

We at mein MMO will embed the live stream tomorrow at 8:00 PM and accompany it with a live ticker in German. This was received quite well last time. We warmly invite you to be our guest.

What is currently known about Trials of Osiris has been summarized in this article.

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

Heroes of the Storm: From the Perspective of a Professional Sports Reporter, eSports is Quite Silly

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

A major tournament of “Heroes of the Storm” was broadcast on the sports channel ESPN2 in the USA. Not everyone agreed with that.

“If ESPN ever forces me to cover it, then I’m quitting right away. I sold bait in a fishing village instead,” said Colin Cowherd on the ESPN show Follow the Herd. The sports reporter then mockingly, and perhaps with a hint of enjoyment, pokes fun at the players, announcers, and the whole spectacle of Heroes of the Storm. It is being aired because the station ESPN has a deal with “Blizzard”.

When the announcers talk about which team gets the top chest and which team gets the bottom chest; that it is crucial who grabs the third tribute, Cowherd has only ridicule for that: “Someone should lock the basement door at mom’s house and not let them out.”

http://youtu.be/Dll8eMJnTEE
Heroes of the Storm

My MMO thinks: Admittedly, the jargon sounds pretty ridiculous to outsiders. But “Uh, the Broncos need a touchdown; the Colts’ defense has switched to a blitz and is putting tremendous pressure on the quarterback, hopefully he can avoid a sack and throw the Hail Mary” is not far off from “If you get the third tribute, your buildings will be cursed and can no longer fire.”

Moreover, ESPN has significantly contributed to making poker a major sport in the USA and the rest of the world. The broadcast of the World Series of Poker in 2003, with the win of then-amateur Chris Moneymaker, gave the “bar game” a huge boom and also established poker as a kind of sport. So the criticism could have started 12 years ago. It seems to lie in the social context with which poker and Heroes of the Storm are associated.

For some, poker is that tough men’s thing from the Wild West with cigars and whiskey; and Heroes of the Storm is for pimple-faced Dungeons and Dragons fans and math nerds. Some opinions will be washed away by time. 20 years ago, comics, Star Wars, mobile phones, and the internet were also just for supposed nerds.

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

Buy2Play games are wasted opportunities, says Gameforge

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 3 minutes

Anyone who releases a game for 60 dollars without charging additional fees is missing out on huge opportunities. At least that’s what Tim Campbell, Vice President of publisher Gameforge, thinks in a conversation with pcgamesn.

If you offer a game for 60 dollars and the player spends thousands of hours in it, it’s understandable from a business perspective to say, as Campbell does: “Damn! We just gave away tons of content!” From the customer’s point of view, of course, this looks different. You pay for a product and use it as long as you want, just like you’re used to with other products. However, Tim Campbell of Gameforge is very critical of this Buy2Play model, especially since the console business has suffered from it.

If people don’t buy your game at retail, it goes to Gamestop and is sold as used over and over again – as a publisher who has paid 30, 50, or 100 million dollars for the development of the game, you see nothing from these sales in the used market. (…) How do you generate revenue to finance further cool developments (…). That was a big problem we dealt with for a long time.

According to Tim Campbell, Free2Play would solve these problems. In the past, it was often overdone, and there was a lot of criticism, but Free2Play would minimize the risk for development studios and publishers. If you launch a high-budget game for 60 euros and it flops, then you have a problem. Eventually, it ends up in a sale for 10 euros, and players then spend hundreds of hours or more on it. As a developer, you gain nothing from it. In fact, this could lead to a lack of funds for future games.

However, if you remove the entry barrier, that is, the purchase price, many more players will take a look at the product. If they like what they see, they stick around, and you can recoup costs through an in-game shop. Free2Play is a fair system, says Tim Campbell, because everyone can invest as much as they want. Some only invest time, while others also spend money.

Tera
MMOs like TERA can cover development costs through regular shop revenues. This model is now also to be applied in other genres.

This makes sense especially when continuously developing products, which is regularly the case in the MMO area. World of Warcraft does it well. The MMORPG generates a steady stream of revenue – and has been doing so for many years. However, the subscription model only works these days for a few exceptions. According to Campbell, Buy2Play and other business models pose a great risk, as they also jeopardize the development of further games. Is Free2Play the panacea?

Andreas says: Free2Play has a bad reputation. In the early days – and sometimes even today – players were simply charged for things they needed to actually play properly. While this has improved since then, many gamers still view Free2Play games very critically. Shedding the bad reputation is a huge task. It is counterproductive to say that Buy2Play is a business model that no developer likes to use because it provides too much for too little money. Buy2Play also has its place in the gaming market.

F2P MMO Aion

Of course, every company wants to make as much money as possible over a long period, because that is the goal of most firms. However, you must always treat customers fairly. This can certainly work with a Free2Play model. But exactly here, more effort is needed to show players that you are not trying to rip them off, but that you are also offering them something. League of Legends, for example, illustrates that a Free2Play model can work well if you deal openly and fairly with customers. However, many developers still have to learn this. It is also clear that a few mistakes will be made during this learning process.

Guild Wars 2
Buy2Play? Works with GW2.

Buy2Play remains the fairest model, because here you pay money for a product and then use it in most cases without restrictions. If a game does not sell well at release, you should not blame the customers but yourself. In the MMO sector, one can argue that the games are continuously expanded with new content and improvements. But here, ArenaNet shows with Guild Wars 2 that the Buy2Play model can work in the MMO genre.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. pcgamesn.com
  2. playmassive.de

Final Fantasy XIV: Rabbit-like Viera were almost a new race, but bucks messed it up

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the fantasy MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV , the bunny-like Viera were almost to become the new race, but there were issues with the male representatives of the species.

FF-XIV-Viera

In the last live stream, the creators of FFXIV revealed a lot: The reptilian Au Ra were not the first choice for a new race in Heavensward. For a long time, the “Viera” were ahead. The rabbit-eared ladies first appeared in Final Fantasy Tactics, were later present in Final Fantasy XII – here especially Fran (cover image) captured the hearts and sympathies of the fans as a cool and independent, mysterious Viera lady. And the Viera would have fitted well into FFXIV, aesthetically speaking.

But there was a problem: Only the female Viera had appeared in the FF universe so far. And they did not want an “all-female” race. While male Viera exist in the lore, they remain isolated, are extremely competitive, and have their own villages separate from the women. This wouldn’t have been an insurmountable problem, as the FF14 artists had also created “male Viera.” However, the developers ultimately decided on the Au Ra and thus on a separate race that is closer to the dragons present in the expansion.

Final-Fantasy-XIV-Concept-Art

The concept of the new race Au Ra gradually evolved from the initial Viera idea.

FF-XIV-Au-Ra-Drache
FFXIV-Viera-AuRa
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Dualshockers
  2. Dualshockers (Viera->Au Ra)

Destiny: In the weekly Nightfall strike on April 28th, you go against Omnigul

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny , the Nightfall, the weekly dusk strike, leads Guardians on April 28 into the “Will of Crota.” It’s against everyone’s favorite Siren, Omnigul.

Poster-Gjallarhorn

This week, Guardians have a forced break if they haven’t indulged in the DLC “Darkness Looms.” Omnigul is in focus. For those rolling their eyes at the prospect of spending hours there again, let it be said: it’s not that bad. It’s a Triple-Burn, a rainbow strike. All three elemental damage types are significantly increased. This should go quickly.

Most likely, this is the last time Omnigul appears before the next DLC. Then she might lose her special treatment to the then new “DLC” strike with House of Wolves. It is set to be revealed next week. In the past months, “Will of Crota” has been crowned Nightfall more often than any other strike. And it has also appeared in 4 flavors, with the others only in one.

Destiny-Abgrund-Trotzender

The modifiers for the Dusk Strike “Will of Crota” on April 28 in Destiny

  • Nightfall – Should all Guardians lose their lives, it goes back to orbit, and the strike is reset
  • Epic – makes enemies meaner, nastier, and generally more sinister than their counterparts on lower difficulty levels
  • Solar Burn: Solar damage is significantly increased, applies to enemies as well
  • Arc Burn: Arc damage is also significantly increased
  • Void Burn: And even Void Burn is somehow emptier than usual.

In the heroic Weekly, Solar Burn is active

Destiny-Eisbrecher

Are there recommendations for weapons? What is strongest against Omnigul?

This week Guardians have quite a free choice of weapons. For Omnigul, the automatic rifle Abyss Dreader is recommended. Otherwise, the classic “Heavy Hitters” are in demand. A solar rocket launcher like Crota’s Hunger or Gjallarhorn; a sniper rifle like Black Spindle or Eisbrecher. And in the primary slot maybe Writ of the Soul or Ir Yût’s Fang.

Gear that supports specials can also be strong here. The Voidwalker Obsidian Combo for instance, or Titans can equip strong heavy weapons like Ruins Wings.

Those who have multiple characters can change their loadout from time to time. This brings a bit of variety and probably doesn’t make much of a difference.

One could also go retro here with the Vision of Confluence and Fatebringer – but this will probably become the new normal with House of Wolves anyway. Then there’s no more retro, just all weapons are equal.

Destiny-Obsidian-Wille-273

Tips, tricks, and safe spots: How to tackle Omnigul in Destiny

We will present videos of successful runs in the “Will of Crota” throughout the day. You can take inspiration from them for your own heroic deeds.

Until then: take a look around here, where there are the runs from the last time when rainbow Omnigul was active.

In the 3-person team, our friend Nexxos tackles the Yoko Ono of Destiny. The perspective holder plays with Abyss Dreader – Black Spindle – Thunderlord and Obsidian Will. The two partners are gathering Orbs, the Void super takes care of a lot of minor enemies, and that carries them through the strike. And the safe spot is a suicide spot at the end, but it works. Clean job, well explained.

http://youtu.be/8-gI60g1B7A
This video is not very educational, but certainly what many are looking forward to: Triple-Burn – Triple-Gjallarhorn against Omnigul. By the way, the whole thing works similarly with shotguns and a blinding Titan bubble, but in that case, as often in Destiny: Keep calm and use Gjallarhorn.
http://youtu.be/5FYJjCzbJ3Y

Those looking for a team for the Nightfall should take a look at our article on finding German-speaking players for the weekly lockout activities.

Iron Banner doesn’t start until 7:00 PM, by the way.

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

Steam: The End – Valve Retracts on Paid Mods Option

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 2 minutes

The backlash was enormous. The development studio Valve didn’t anticipate this and has now reversed its decision. The option to offer paid mods through the Steam platform is no longer available.

Valve wanted to keep 75 percent of the revenue from sold mods. The mod developer was to receive 25 percent but bear all the risks. This sounded unfair. Especially with mods, copyright violations are not uncommon and the risk is therefore significant. It followed severe criticism, which even Valve’s CEO Gabe Newell could no longer manage. Therefore, there has now been an official announcement: The paid option for mods will be abolished!

Steam Workshop
Started with Skyrim, ended with Skyrim

From now on, no modifications can be offered for money via Steam. Anyone who has already purchased a mod will receive a refund. Valve explains that they made a mistake. The mod community has been thriving for years, and trying to intervene there would not have been good. They exceeded their goals. They merely wanted to enable mod developers to fully focus on their projects so that excellent products could emerge. Possibly even so good that they could become standalone games like DotA 2. However, they understand that the community does not want intervention in the existing and functioning systems. Therefore, this matter is off the table for now. Paid mods for MMORPGs are also moving further away due to this disaster, which many MMO fans will find reassuring.

Andreas says: With a fairer model, Valve’s system could have worked – as long as it had only been offered as an option and there were no exclusive deals. But the community has decided. They want to continue to operate as they have been. This should be respected. Perhaps someday a similar idea will arise again – but hopefully better thought out this time.

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

Diablo 3: From level 1 to max level in 65 seconds

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In Diablo 3, a player went from level 1 to the max level of 70 in 65 seconds. For this, he used all possible XP bonuses in the game.

“Can you pull me quickly? It won’t take long!”, how often has every D3 player heard this from friends? “It won’t take long” can range from a very boring movie to a pleasant trip to the dentist, to the time it takes to dig up the garden, depending on how it goes. Anyway, it feels like that.

For the D3 player Dat Modz, it really doesn’t take long. He jumps from level 1 to 70 in 65 seconds. He uses all conceivable items that grant bonus XP. The Hellfire Ring with Gem of Ease and Leoric’s Signet, a ruby in the helm, and on top of that, something from Dragon Balls is playing in the background, and he’s shouting corresponding Dragon Ball stuff into the mic. As everyone knows, that also gives bonus XP. Well, the fact that he’s in a cow rift probably helped too.

Here is the video.

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.
Link to the YouTube content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. kotaku

Guild Wars 2: Enemies drop beta access

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The fantasy MMORPG Guild Wars 2 has something special in store. Enemies in certain regions will grant players access to the beta of the expansion “Heart of Thorns” upon their defeat.

This is definitely something new. As ArenaNet announced, starting from April 28th, enemies in the Trockenkuppe and the Silverwastes will leave “portals”. However, these cannot be exchanged; players must find their own portals. When such a portal is left behind, the player who defeated the enemy will gain access to the next PvE event of the closed Beta of Heart of Thorns.

It is not necessary to actually pick up the item. It is enough for it to be left behind.

This is definitely a more exciting method to earn beta access than last time, where you had to sign up for a newsletter.

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

SWTOR: Patch 3.2 is released today! [Update]

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time < 1 minutes

In a few hours, fresh food will finally be available again for all fans of the “Shadow of Revan” story in SWTOR. From 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM today, the servers will be shut down for maintenance and will subsequently be available again with the new patch 3.2.

Star Wars: The Old Republic – Rise of the Emperor

In addition to the new planet “Ziost”, where the power of the resurgent Emperor is slowly increasing, players can look forward to the new outfit designer, which will make dressing the Jedi and Sith significantly more relaxed. Furthermore, the quality of life for new heroes will be improved, as all planet travel points will be available from the start.

SWTOR Rise of the Emperor Ziost

Of course, there will also be a handful of class changes, improvements to the group finder tool, lots of bug fixes, and ultimately the end of PvP season 4, marking the start of fresh season 5. To quote Lana Beniko: May the Force serve you!

For more about the content update, visit here:Info about the planet Ziost, the XP bonus, and comfort features and the intro cinematic video.

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.
Link to the YouTube content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. swtor.com

Destiny: What we know about the new PvP event Trials of Osiris

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 4 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny , a new PvP event, the Trials of Osiris, will be introduced with the next DLC “House of Wolves.” What is already known about it?

The PvP event Trials of Osiris has long been hidden in the Destiny database. There are many rumors and leaks about it, provided by data miners. Currently, however, we still know very little “confirmed” about the new event.

Most of the information we have is probably hopelessly outdated and refers to the database from the end of last year. In a live stream on Wednesday, April 29th, they plan to officially present the event. But last Wednesday, there was a first glimpse of the vendor in the Reef. What could be gleaned about the Trials of Osiris?

This is what rumors and leaks say

Rumors from data miners speak of a PvP event for the Trials of Osiris, a 3v3 deathmatch. Access is said to be purchasable (via special tournament tickets that can be earned in the Crucible and sometimes purchased with a Light Particle).

Destiny-Trials-of-Osiris
Caution: Rumor.

Then you compete against other players, and the more you win, the better the rewards you can reap. As rewards, among other things, these weapons were discussed, and the exotic scout rifle “Fate of All Fools” was also linked to the Trials of Osiris event.

If you lose too often (three times), you are out of the tournament. The event is said to take place on Mercury, and there is also a “Social Space” directly associated with it. The level advantages are active as in the Iron Banner, and there are “weekly rewards.”

Destiny-Fate-of-all-Fools-Stats
Rumor: Should be related to the event.

What Bungie has confirmed so far / what was seen in the live stream

And what do we officially know? Amazingly little. We actually received a picture of new class-specific gear. It is supposed to transform us into “Egyptian Kings” (see title image). Furthermore, officially, it is known that the activity will be a “competitive elimination mode.”

The duration of the event is also confirmed: It is said to start every Friday when Xur arrives and end on the weekly reset, on Tuesday at 11:00 AM. In addition, “Etheric Lights” are also said to drop here, which are needed to upgrade legendary weapons and armor to the HoW maximum values of 42 and 365.

Destiny-Brother-Vance

Then we were able to catch a brief glimpse of the corresponding vendor, “Brother Vance,” in the live stream for the Reef. And a screencaptor actually captured images of his inventory.

It seems that he has four different rewards available that operate on the “Engram” principle. Of the 4 rewards, there is only one screenshot for the first. It says you can buy the Stone-Tier reward for 100 Glimmer if you achieve 2 wins in a single passage. By the way, nothing has been seen so far about reputation.

Destiny-Reward

Speculations based on the screenshots

Now one can speculate and say: It could be that you can buy access to such “boxes”, and the more you win, the better the contents of the box can get.

What can be seen at Brother Vance are 3 “Boons of Osiris” that promise special bonuses. The first, the orange one, is supposed to grant a victory without combat, the red one to erase the first defeat, and the yellow one to double the first victory – (it could also mean only in case you win the first match.)

  • Destiny-Boon2
  • Destiny-Boon3

These boons could imply that it will be important to access the hot prizes and that it won’t be simple.

All these items cost 3 “Passage Coins.” You can also purchase them from Brother Vance, but we do not know the costs. These should be the items needed to participate in the Trials of Osiris. Then the “Boons” would be relatively valuable.

The Open Questions about the Trials of Osiris in Destiny

As you can see: We officially know very little about the Trials of Osiris at the moment. The important questions are:

  • Is there a dedicated social space?
  • How will access to the Trials of Osiris be purchased?
  • Are there direct rewards at the end of a Crucible match in this mode besides the “boxes” from Brother Vance?
  • What does the loot table look like? Are the items really tailored for PvP? Can the weapons be reforged like the vendor items?
  • Can you participate in the event more than once a week? Or is it all over after elimination?
  • How exactly does it work? How many maps are available?

The day after tomorrow, on April 29th, there will be a second live stream from Bungie that specifically focuses on the new event. We will cover it again with a live ticker at mein MMO, just like the last one. In it, these questions should be answered.

The other new big thing with House of Wolves will be a PvE arena: What we know about the raid replacement Prison of Elders

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

Shroud of the Avatar: Player cities find their way into the MMORPG

Andreas Bertits Andreas Bertits Reading time 2 minutes

With the Pre-Alpha release 17 starting this Thursday, player towns are being introduced into the MMORPG Shroud of the Avatar for the first time.

In a sandbox MMO, many players naturally want to have their own virtual property as well. This includes houses, mage towers, castles, and in the case of Shroud of the Avatar, entire cities. The world-building with a world map and instantiated areas allows the developers at Portalarium to implement such towns relatively easily. On the world map, these are simply represented with a few buildings, and this “scene” can then be entered and explored from a third-person perspective.

SotA_PaxLair_Overworld_1

The first player town being introduced is PaxLair. Player towns are created according to predefined patterns and are usually managed by a player – often the purchaser of the town. They set the rules that apply here. For example, what type of buildings can be constructed by other players and whether PvP is allowed. The town manager can also charge taxes. PaxLair will serve as a test case to determine how well the planned concept of player towns functions in Shroud of the Avatar. Many more fans have purchased a player town, and these will gradually be added to the world.

SotA_PaxLair_WodysTavern_WIP_2
Wody’s Tavern

Player towns are not exactly cheap and must be purchased for real money. The smallest at 12,600 m² already costs 750 US dollars. Depending on size and number of building sites, this increases up to 5,000 dollars for a large city with 83,400 m²! Otherwise, you can also buy houses and building sites in SotA with in-game currency – however, those who pay real money will receive exclusive houses or preferential site selection. If you want a basement, it costs extra. The prices depend on the size of the property and the type of house. But the business is thriving. Many open building sites in the world are already occupied, and there will also be several player towns in SotA.

SotA_PaxLair_DevMap_1
SotA_PaxLair_StageArea_WIP_1

If you want to learn more about the game, we recommend our two-part special on Shroud of the Avatar. It is one of the most promising indie MMORPGs being released in the foreseeable future.

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

The Division will study Destiny, GTA, and Red Dead Redemption – like a textbook

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

The upcoming MMO shooter The Division will closely examine predecessors like Destiny, GTA, or Red Dead Redemption to learn from the good and not repeat the mistakes.

Ubisoft’s MMO shooter The Division is set to be released later this year. However, it is suspiciously quiet. In one of the rare interviews, Managing Director David Polfedt spoke to journalists from craveonline in the middle of April.

Study and be studied

When asked what can be learned from Bungie’s Destiny, he replied, “It’s incredibly interesting to look at a game like Destiny or GTA or even earlier Red Dead Redemption.” He continued, “These games have so many good ideas worth studying. They encourage us to question certain decisions. In some cases, we also discovered things that we saw as mistakes that we don’t want to repeat. It’s like a textbook. It’s material that can be viewed from many perspectives.”

Polfeldt is confident that one day The Division will also undergo a thorough “autopsy,” as he puts it.

The Division Artwork

Pressure, resources, and maybe one day a TV series

Otherwise, one can distinctly sense the enormous pressure of expectation resting on the developers of the Scandinavian studio Massive. Since the announcement at E3 2013, players have been expecting a bombshell. They want to deliver.

http://youtu.be/_aHVdb2lkjo

To this end, they are leveraging Ubisoft’s extensive resources. How extensive these resources and the knowledge they can tap into would only become clear after entering the deal: “You pick up the phone and on the other end, a friendly voice in Bucharest or Shanghai answers.”

There is also a dedicated department for Motion Pictures at Ubisoft, which works on films for Splinter Cell or Assassin’s Creed. Polfeldt says the connections between the game industry and the film industry are becoming increasingly obvious. Films are increasingly relying on computer-generated effects; the gaming industry has the know-how. One day, he hopes, there will be talk of a “The Division” television series or film.

The Division Screenshot 8

On the release and New York

The-Division-Winter-Soldier

In The Division, Polfeldt also explains in the interview, they will not attempt to recreate “New York” really accurately, but to capture the soul of the city. In The Division, most of the time, players will be traveling on foot, and when one walks through Manhattan in real life (which he has done), one realizes how vast it is and that many city blocks look similar. Such a setting would not be ideal for a game since it is monotonous.

They have not yet specified a release date, Polfeldt says, because they only want to release the game when they are sure that it is ready. He cannot understand the current trend of releasing games unfinished as a gamer: “It’s not about us releasing the game and after 8 hours it’s over.” At Massive, they plan to establish a long-term relationship with the players.

Mein MMO thinks: Speaking of long-term relationships. At the moment, it seems for many players as if they are waiting for an unknown person with a beautiful voice, who sings all the right things, to unveil her veil. Flirting with The Division is currently akin to chatting with a blind date. The E3 2015 takes place from June 16 to 18 in Los Angeles. Here, fans can expect to see more of the supposed dream girl. Finally.

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

Blade and Soul receives a new instance and weapon transmog

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The Korean fantasy MMO Blade and Soul will receive a fresh instance with the next update in June. Players will also have the ability to transmog their weapons.

Blade and Soul will get a new update in June: A mech-heavy new instance for level 50. There, players will face a familiar foe: Yan Huang, a former raid boss. He will reappear in “The Forgotten Tomb” and is said to be more dangerous than ever.

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.
Link to the YouTube content

Furthermore, there will be a new 6vs6 PvP mode, and weapon transmogifications are coming to the game. This allows players to make their weapon look like another while retaining its current stats.

Nothing new can be reported from the planned and announced Western port. It was originally stated that it was intended for 2015. However, nothing has happened on that front for months. The last heard was that “important key positions” needed to be filled. This statement is now also several months old.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. 2p.com