In the upcoming indie MMO Crowfall, Creative Director Coleman has written an intense letter to the community. In it, he compared the “perfect MMO” to Moby Dick.
“Shadowbane ruined me. I lost friends over it. Upset family members. I won’t say it caused my divorce. But it certainly didn’t help.” Such words are truly not heard every day in the tightly wound gaming industry. The Creative Director of Crowfall, J. Todd Coleman, shares openly in a forum post how much it means to him to make Crowfall a success.
Ten years ago, he was at the brink; he saved his then-company Wolfpack by selling it to at least provide a livelihood for his employees. He personally went through a tough time, struggling for years with Shadowbane: an MMO that had started with great success but then had to be shut down due to beginner mistakes, as he writes.
Coleman has long passed the beginner stage; he did his homework in games like Wizard 101, a successful “Family Online Game” that primarily targets a younger audience. At KingIsle Entertainment, his job was comfortable and secure, but he wanted to give it another shot. Again, he put everything he had into the new project because he believes in Crowfall and the idea behind it.
Coleman refers to the idea of such a “MMORPG,” an idea he first wrote on a paper napkin in a pizzeria, as “his white whale.” This term in English refers to a goal one desperately wants to achieve. But perhaps the allegory of Moby Dick goes further than Coleman might wish. In the novel, Captain Ahab is so severely wounded by the white whale that he swears to hunt it down at all costs. In the attempt, he drives himself and his crew to disaster.
Guild Wars 2 has not yet fully arrived in the big eSports world. However, ArenaNet aims to change that with Heart of Thorns. How? Associate Game Director John Corpening, Competitive Event Manager Josh Davis, and Stronghold Designer Hugh Norfolk revealed more in an ESL interview.
Only $25,000
At PAX East, publishers and developers not only presented the upcoming features of their games, such as Blizzard with Overwatch, but Guild Wars 2 was also played competitively. The European team Orange Logo won, taking home a prize of $25,000. Not much when compared to the prize pools of League of Legends, SMITE, or Dota 2.
When eSports was not yet established
One reason for the low prize pools could be the overall enthusiasm for PvP in Guild Wars 2. ArenaNet wants to change this now, following some problems establishing GW2 as an eSports title. The solution is clear: more PvE players need to hit each other on the battlefield. Simple arithmetic: the more people play PvP, the larger the eSports community will become within Guild Wars 2. Corpening, Davis, and Norfolk discussed this topic in an ESL interview. They not only addressed past PvP changes but also gave a glimpse into the future.
Achieving success with Stronghold
The magic word that keeps coming up in the interview is the new game mode Stronghold. This mode is intended to replace Conquest, as it is not only animated and easy to understand but also offers potential for competitive play. Why? Quite simply: The mode is very reminiscent of the MOBA game principle. And according to Corpening, it should appeal not only to established PvP players but also to PvE players and especially WvW players, as internal tests have confirmed.
The main reason for the enthusiasm he mentions is the different roles that players can take on in the Stronghold mode. You don’t necessarily have to be the best PvP fighter to help your team win. Especially strategists who know the map well and can read the opponents’ tactics would really benefit here. In the end, they have created something that appeals to several types of players. The variety of being able to choose a side adds to this even more.
It is clear that ArenaNet has high expectations for this mode. They have done a lot for PvP in the past, almost completely transforming it. Corpening speaks of an “evolution,” and Stronghold is the next step. The course has been set – after several attempts to gain a foothold in the eSports scene, it now just needs a breakthrough. Those who want to read the full interview can find it at eslgaming.com.
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The game mode will be released with Heart of Thorns, and it will be seen whether it is the breakthrough for PvP in Guild Wars 2 and its eSports scene. The first part of Guild Wars felt more present in its time and delivered exciting matches – can the second part keep up?
The Free2Play shooter Defiance is throwing a party for Armistice Day. The anniversary is celebrated with gunfire and noise, events and rewards.
The Free2Play MMO shooter Defiance is also celebrating an in-game event on its anniversary. Here, “Armistice Day” marks the end of the war between humans and Voltaners. Normally, this should be a time of peace … but something always comes up: mutants, colossi, biomes, hellbugs, the usual stuff. There are numerous events, beloved old weapon models are making a comeback, the rewards are increased, and everything is done to give the Ark Hunters reason to celebrate.
Now the US site MassivelyOp reports that a former employee of Perfect World has contacted them. This person wants to remain anonymous, but their identity has been confirmed. MassivelyOp was also the first to report in detail about the layoffs two weeks ago.
According to this employee, Perfect World has laid off community managers in Europe: one French and one German. The community managers are said to have only been with Perfect World for a few months. The source was particularly surprised that they laid off five or six employees from the team responsible for the important Russian market.
It is not exactly known which games the laid-off employees were involved in. In addition to Neverwinter and Star Trek Online, Perfect World also manages its own games from its home country China, such as Swordsman Online.
At the moment, the information has not yet been confirmed, but it seems to be quite credible.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The roster of Free2Play MMORPGs is getting much-needed growth on the Xbox One today with Neverwinter. And they are generous with the Achievements: over 1000 points are to be earned.
The most important question up front: When will Neverwinter launch on the Xbox One? At what exact time? It is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM our time. Then the servers will open on the Xbox One in Germany. At least that’s the plan. Anyone who has ever participated in a rodeo knows: It usually gets delayed.
MMORPGs are now coming to consoles: First Neverwinter, then Elder Scrolls Online
MMORPGs are still a rarity on the Xbox One. While there is at least Final Fantasy XIV on the Playstation 4 (which costs a monthly fee), things look bad on the Xbox One. That could change today: With “Neverwinter”, a Free2Play MMORPG enters the stage. In a few months, there will be a notable increase with “The Elder Scrolls Online“.
Neverwinter is an MMORPG set in the Dungeons&Dragons universe. In the same world played the classics Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale. Neverwinter is considered a heavily instanced game: The hero moves from map to map, is in clearly defined areas and must ensure order here. The game is combat-heavy, there are classic dungeons to enter with groups, sought-after loot, and loyal companions, with which you can significantly ease your life and battles with the use of real money.
The special features of Neverwinter
Among the special features is this “permanent” companion: As a warrior, you can summon a healer, as a DD, for example, a tank, and as a healer, then a damage dealer, so you can compensate for the weaknesses of your class in solo play. A “quest” editor, known as the Foundry, made it possible on PC for players to become dungeon masters and present new adventures to their fellow players.
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Neverwinter is essentially closely aligned with the original formula of MMORPGs that grew out of the Dungeons&Dragons role-playing games. The “role-playing” aspect is rather downplayed, focusing on fights, armor, and classic adventures. You “roll” more than you speak. Even though some thought goes into quest design.
Over 1000 achievement points are coming with Neverwinter on the Xbox One
In Final Fantasy XIV, today, on March 31st, the last patch before the expansion is being deployed. We show you what’s new in “Before the Fall”.
The last mosaic piece for the story of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is being laid. A total of 16 new quests are added for the main scenario, the last one is necessary if you want to play the main scenario of the expansion “Heavensward“. It starts with “Yda’s Sorrow” in Sunstone. To begin, you need to have completed the quests from the previous patch.
The “instance” Fate Path is suitable for up to 8 players with a minimum item level of 90 and is newly added. Here, players lose only when they lose certain items, not when everyone dies. In addition, Square Enix is heavily improving activities at the Gold Saucer: Especially Triple Triad and the Chocobo race are being improved. The patch is approximately 330 MB on PC.
From ArcheAge becomes ArrrcheAge: The next patch is scheduled for the end of April and mainly concerns seafaring.
One of the strong points of ArcheAge is certainly the ship combat; much depends in the sandpark game on who controls the seas. Here, world bosses like the Leviathan are on the move and trade routes are very important. Additionally, the nautical focus sets the game apart from the competition. The Korean developer XLGames therefore placed special emphasis on the seas at the end of last year, and now we are also getting a patch that brings more life to the ocean.
In a livestream, patch 1.7a has now been outlined. It is planned for the end of April. It also brings the “Ghost Ship” back into the game. There are supposed to be plenty of new deck cannons, so one can specialize in whether to fire rarely and heavily or frequently and lightly, whether to aim at the crew of a ship or at the ship itself. The mast will play an important role; players can respawn on ships, and a fishing competition is also set to be introduced. Additionally, there will be a lot of customization options for the boards that mean the world: we mean the ships. The fishing boats have also not been forgotten.
Here is a video from Korea, where it’s against a Ghost Ship:
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They have also agreed on a name; “Dread Prophecies” is what 1.7a will be called. Like the last patch, they also want to present it in smaller bites through blog posts. Then we will learn details and more.
Further content of the Korean patch “1.7” is to come to the West in a “1.7b” patch. The 1.7B is planned to be released about 6-8 weeks after 1.7a, coming in the summer, and is supposed to bring longboards, for example.
At the moment, they are also busy; especially in the cash shop they are working diligently: The Pegasus is now available in the shop and they have revamped the Archeum supply boxes, so that fewer duds come out. They are already working on a “black Pegasus”.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , the weekly Nightfall strike this week is against the massive Hydra Sekrion in the Nexus.
Although we’ve been saying it regularly since last week, some were surprised again today that the new ID didn’t start at 10:00 AM, as it has for the past months, but at 11:00 AM. This is because the Bungie servers are completely independent of daylight saving time. They simply don’t care. In the “summer,” Xur and the Nightfall come at 11:00 AM; in the “winter,” at 10:00 AM.
This week, the Nightfall, the weekly dusk strike, is in the Nexus, going against Sekrion, which is a Vex strike. There aren’t any major peculiarities: Voidburn is in effect, so it’s a pretty standard strike.
The modifiers for the weekly Nightfall strike on March 31.
Nightfall – If all Guardians die, Destiny returns the fireteam to orbit, and they must try again from the beginning
Epic – Enemies are harder than in Heroic, so the Nightfall is considered a challenge
Juggler – When enemies die, they do not drop ammunition for the weapon that killed them
Angry – Enemies show no mercy and cannot be halted
Voidburn – Void damage, both from the Guardians and the enemies, is significantly increased
In the Heroic Weekly, this week in Destiny Juggler is in effect, no burn active.
What arsenal is recommended for the Nightfall?
As a primary weapon, we can recommend Crota’s End.
For special weapons, the shotgun Breakneck might be worth a look, it may lead to many tears and frustration, but you get to know the Nexus up close. A safe bet are Void sniper rifles like Efrideet’s Spear or Praedyth’s Revenge. Also, weapons like Black Spindle can be deadly in the strike, especially against Sekrion itself.
In the “Heavy Weapon” category, the “Truth” comes out on top. But even Void machine guns like Corrective Measure or MG18A Harm’s Way can do well here.
Are there any tips, tricks, guides, safe spots for the strike against Sekrion?
Throughout the day, we will showcase videos of particularly successful or inspiring runs. These usually include safe spots and tricks, as well as interesting weapon combinations.
As in the past weeks, the run will be made by Nexxosgaming. They are two players. He relies on Crota’s End, the Void sniper Sovereignty from the first and only Queen’s event and on a customized Jolder’s Hammer with Void damage. Quite an exquisite choice. He also plays with a Voidwalker in the Obsidian Mind combination: This makes the strike play smoothly.
http://youtu.be/N-hw-YVXNH0 Close and hard in this round with three Titans. Shotguns, bubbles, and fists are in play: A different experience: More of the “In Your Face” kind. http://youtu.be/sTrm4xcWZr0
Since a change a few months ago, the Nightfall in Destiny is extremely difficult for solo players. If you are looking for a group, we recommend our article on how to find German-speaking players in Destiny.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny one weapon stands out like no other: The exotic rocket launcher Gjallarhorn is sung about, longed for, and cursed.
Recently, we received a message in our Facebook folder with no introduction or greeting: “Why do you not get a Gjalla after 1200 hours of gameplay?” and that was not the first message of this kind. The exotic rocket launcher “Gjallarhorn”, also known as “The weapon whose name must not be named“, “the horn“, “I-Win-Horn“, or “The damn thing that just won’t drop” is undoubtedly the most sought-after weapon in the MMO shooter Destiny. Xur had it on offer only once, in the second week when hardly anyone knew him. Since then, there have been rumors that it has disappeared from his loot table. Rumors, which, by the way, make no sense.
It even has its own reddit subforum, aptly named “I didn’t get my Gjallarhorn”. If Bungie wants to annoy the Guardians, they fill a whole vault with it and when a Bungie employee recently spoke at a conference about the nuances of game design, one of the attendees stood up and asked the designer why on earth he still didn’t have a Gjallarhorn after so many hours in the game! Undoubtedly, a cult has formed around the weapon. There are podcasts that only deal with how to pronounce it correctly (Gat-larr-horn). It has even been made out of Lego and now it even has its own song.
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Furthermore, the G-Horn is considered a “ticket” for some elite raids, Atheon has already been pulverized with it in seconds, most spectacular Crota kills involve a strong G-massage to ensure the fiend is indeed on his knees within seconds.
But not everyone wants the weapon. Some say, perhaps out of envy of the non-owners, that the weapon is so strong that it takes the fun out of playing Destiny. Others say they only continue to play Destiny to obtain this weapon.
http://youtu.be/WQY8JwWzQjw
What makes it so desirable, is surely also the randomness of its appearance. Often questions arise: Where can I find the Gjallarhorn? Why doesn’t it drop? How can I get it more easily? There are no definitive answers to these questions. Because exotic weapons in Destiny are not really farmable but can only drop from certain raid bosses or in treasure chests with increased probability: Like from the Gorgon chest and Atheon himself in “The Glass Chamber” or from the last two bosses in the raid Crota’s End.
Every Tuesday, players therefore set out, trying their luck in the Nightfall or in the raids in the hope of finding something. Some YouTubers are now also offering the service to take players directly to the treasure chest in the Glass Chamber for a chance at their exotic.
It is amusing the cult that has developed around the weapon, Gjallarhorn has become the focus of many memes or gags.
Who among you is still looking for the Gjallarhorn? And who among you has it and can say whether it is really worth all the fuss?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
After more than 7 weeks, fans of the 4vs1 shooter Evolve have been waiting for the first major patch, but now it is finally here. In addition to some significant balancing changes, 5 new playable characters, and two new maps, there are mainly numerous bug fixes and performance improvements, as well as measures against cheaters.
4 new Hunters and 1 new Monster
With Torvald, Sunny, Slim, and Crow, the Hunter team receives some upgrades and alternatives. The “Tier 4” Hunters can be purchased for €7.50 each, or as part of the season pass with some discounts. New weapon types, such as shield-piercing cannons or healing drones, are included in the repertoire, along with a jetpack booster that accelerates allied hunters.
But the Monster side is also getting an increase! For a proud €15, players can roll through the maps as Behemoth and leave a trail of fire and destruction. The hurling of magma projectiles and the creation of rock walls offer completely new tactical elements and provide much variety for those who have had enough of Goliath, Kraken, and Wraith.
2 new maps – Initially only on Xbox
Two new maps are available for all players for free – at least in theory. Until April 30, only Xbox players can try out the new maps, then PC and PlayStation owners will follow. Both maps are part of the “Broken Hill” complex, a large industrial facility on Shear. Unlike before, they are not set in the wilderness of the planet, but in the middle of a populated area, or in the large cave complex beneath the area. There are few wild animals, but there are nutrient-rich borium crates that the monster can break open and consume to grow further.
Both maps can also of course be played in the “Evacuation” campaign, where they trigger new, unique effects for winners and losers in the subsequent battle.
Balance changes: The Wraith gets nerfed!
The biggest changes will be made to the Wraith, whose mobility will be reduced and the lethality of its “Supernova” decreased, as it now lasts only half as long. The Kraken will be slightly weakened as well, the vortex now has a slightly increased cooldown period and no longer knocks hunters back as strongly as before.
The Hunters will also have to deal with changes: Markov’s arc mine does 20% less damage, can be destroyed faster, and becomes active later. Hyde’s gas grenade becomes stronger and can now also explode in the air, if it hits, for example, a flying Kraken. Caira, on the other hand, has to live with an extension of the cooldown time of her acceleration field, which is increased by a whopping 15 seconds.
Bug fixes: Many small bugs eliminated
Some sound bugs and issues that caused the game to crash in rare cases have been fixed, and measures have now been implemented against the “most well-known cheats,” which they do not want to elaborate on in detail. The list of small changes is long and generally leads to a rounder gaming experience.
For PC, the patch is a hefty 7.1 GB – anyone wanting to play in the near future should start the download in good time.
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Blizzard’s online card game Hearthstone will receive its new expansion, the Blackrock adventure, on Friday, April 3rd. 31 new cards are coming to the game. In our gallery, you can see all 31 cards at a glance.
On Monday evening, it was time, there were the last 14 cards for Blackrock in Hearthstone. The 17 cards presented so far can already be admired in our gallery in German, the new 14 are not yet available, we will provide them as soon as they exist.
Here are the cards individually:
The class cards for Hearthstone
These are the cards for Hunter, Mage, and Druid
These are the cards for Warrior, Rogue, and Shaman
These are the cards for Warlock, Priest, and Paladin
The new neutral cards in Blackrock
Minions for everyone: The neutral drops
The elite 5: The 5 legendary new cards in Blackrock
Update, March 31, 8:15 PM: All cards are now available in German.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny, the Hand Cannon Crota’s Word is considered a new choice for the weekly Nightfall Strike with Void Burn. Let’s take a closer look at the legendary Hand Cannon.
The four raid primary weapons that were added to Destiny in mid-January all deal a specific elemental damage type, which is very rare for primary weapons. Crota’s Word is a Hand Cannon with Void damage, making it the successor to the Auto Rifle “Atheon’s Epilogue”, and is regarded as the new benchmark in the primary slot when Void Burn is active for Nightfall.
But what can the weapon do in detail? Well, it plays very comfortably, sharing stats similarities with the PvP killers “Thorn” and “The Last Word”, but it is inferior to them in PvP. Crota’s Word does not occupy an exotic slot, at least. Oh, and it’s also suitable for the Thorn quest in Destiny: “A Light in the Dark”.
However, the raid legendaries should primarily be used in raids or Nightfall Strikes. Especially against the Hive, it deals additional damage to the Hive Majors, which are the creatures with the yellow health bars.
The strongest legendary Hand Cannon currently is the Fatebringer from the old raid “Vault of Glass.” Crota’s Word cannot compete with that. However, both weapons are used in different scenarios. The Fatebringer deals Arc damage and is great for taking down a multitude of weaker enemies due to its explosive effect. It seems like it’s been less affected by the fact that it caps at 300 damage points, while the new weapons, such as Crota’s Word, can rise to 331.
Our friends at ProNDC are taking a closer look at the firing properties of “Crota’s Word.”
http://youtu.be/dPXAA31WztM
By the way, “Crota’s Word” only drops from Crota himself in Destiny. And as one can see, it is an excellent choice for Strikes and Raids. Those who can consistently land precision hits will appreciate the perk that returns a round. The hits do not necessarily have to come one after the other, but just within a relatively tight time frame. Up to 17 rounds can be fired like this. However, it’s still a little buggy. Therefore, it’s also advisable to choose “Hammer Forge” as a perk. The explosive rounds can otherwise cause confusion.
Nexxos-Gaming has something to say about Crota’s Word:
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Not the new Fatebringer, but a new Atheon’s Epilogue
Before the hard mode of Crota’s End in Destiny came out, it was said: Crota’s Word is the only desirable weapon in it. That has been proven untrue. Meanwhile, the Onslaught of the Exiled and even Ir Yût’s Fang have gained popularity, while Crota’s Word faces strong competition and sees little action. Not through Atheon’s Epilogue, but in the Hand Cannon category, Crota’s Word is often just a second choice due to the old “Fatebringer”, Thorn, and “The Last Word”. And Falconmoon might still have a few fans. One does not often go into a Void Burn Strike and Void Shields are not prevalent in the current content.
This shows that players do not prefer a specific damage type so much as they swear by a weapon type. Nonetheless, “Crota’s Word” will always find use when one would have reached for Atheon’s Epilogue in the past. And it will perform its job well to outstandingly. Unfortunately, it does not have the cult potential of the Fatebringer or the exotic Hand Cannons.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
No key for the Closed Beta of Heroes of the Storm yet? No problem! The payment provider PayPal is giving away keys to users of the service in cooperation with Blizzard. Don’t worry, you can still register for the campaign afterwards.
PayPal is giving away keys
Heroes of the Storm is the MOBA and the LoL competitor from Blizzard. Whether it’s the Diablo, Warcraft, or Starcraft universe, there’s something for everyone in HotS. We have tested the game extensively for you in advance. But it’s better to take a look at the Closed Beta yourself. For that, you just need to sign up on the PayPal page. Unfortunately, you can’t find out the exact number of keys available – so being quick is the motto!
In Blizzard’s card game Hearthstone , the remaining cards for the “Blackrock” expansion will be revealed tonight at 7:00 PM. Mein MMO will show the live stream and provide a live ticker in German.
The adventure “Blackrock” is set to go live on April 3. Blizzard’s successful card game Hearthstone is thirsty for new cards. Once again, the policy is followed that only a few will be introduced at the beginning, until all are revealed at once. A total of 31 new cards are expected, of which 17 are already known:
Thus, 14 cards are still missing. There is curiosity about whether a new Ragnaros will appear.
Starting at 7:00 PM, the community managers will present the remaining cards in a livestream, and we will accompany this with a live ticker in German.
The live ticker shows you the 14 new Hearthstone cards
6:10 PM: 50 minutes left until it starts; here are the last 3 cards that were announced.
6:40 PM: The Twitch chat is as expected a mere collection of memes, insider jokes, running gags, and obscenities. If you like it …
6:47 PM: Uh, the image switches from the standard “There is nothing to see here” to the special “There is nothing to see here – but soon!”
6:51 PM: It’s quite cool right now to pretend it’s 2014 and shout “Naxx Out”. Anyway, an incredible number of guys are doing that in the chat, but well … just join in, and no one will notice that you have no idea why it’s funny.
6:55 PM: Naxxramas is already out, folks! And I’m so hyped for the Hearthstone beta!
6:57 PM: Just under 30,000 viewers currently have the Hearthstone stream.
6:58 PM: But judging by the chat, all Hearthstone players have the exact same humor.
7:01 PM: Unbelievable, the stream hasn’t started yet. This must be the first time in Blizzard’s history that something isn’t on time when they promise it!
7:02 PM: Uh, it’s starting; they are just playing. Chromaggus, 8 mana card, neutral minion 6/8 stats, legendary, counts as a dragon: When you draw a card, you get a copy of it in your hand. Oh man.
7:07 PM: The two Paladin class cards are a 5-mana minion called “Dragon Consort” with 5/5 stats. It has a battle cry that the next dragon played costs 2 less mana. The other card is called Solemn Vigil. It is a spell for 5 mana that lets the Paladin draw 2 cards. For each minion that died that turn, the spell costs one less mana.
7:10 PM: 70,000 are now watching the stream.
7:12 PM: 11 cards are still missing. Chromaggus is really a tough one. Especially when the Paladin can still get a card draw while Chromaggus is on the board and their hand is nice and empty. The combo with Solemn Vigil is right there: If you lose or wipe out 5 minions that turn, you can play the card for free, with Chromaggus the spell then brings the same card twice. Dragon Consort is also intended as a combo card to bring Ysera and other heavyweights onto the board two rounds before their actual time.
7:20 PM
7:22 PM: The next Legendary seems to be a 6 mana minion: Emperor something. Curious to see what it can do.
7:24 PM: Emperor Thaurissan should be it, the lord of Blackrock Mountain. This is something for total Vanilla-Classic-WoW fans. It is a legendary minion for 6 mana with 6/5 stats, at the end of your turn, it lowers the cost of all cards in hand by 1.
7:29 PM: Wow, the Shaman class card is the Fireguard Destroyer, a 4 mana card (with 1 Overload) and 3/6 stats. When played, it gets 1-4 attack added.
7:32 PM: Hmm, 9 cards are still missing, and they are playing the Shaman again, having only prepared two decks. Scandalous.
7:36 PM: Of course, the pros in the chat and on the respective sites think that the poor community manager can’t do anything at all and is the last noob. He overlooked such an obvious lethal! How can he? If there are 30 million football coaches in Germany, as they always say, the number of absolute Hearthstone geniuses worldwide must surely be 9 digits.
7:37 PM: Although even I would have seen the lethal …
7:40:
7:45 PM: 90,000 are currently watching as Blizzard employees play cards against each other. Long live Hearthstone.
7:53 PM: Oh, the 5th Legendary is known. It is Majordomus Executus, a 9/7 minion for 9 mana. And as a deathrattle, it transforms its hero into an 8 health Ragnaros. And it has a 2 mana hero power: Deal 8 damage to the opponent. Now we know what Blizzard has planned for Ragnaros: some sort of Lord Jaraxxus for everyone. And lore-friendly.
7:57 PM: Now they are kicking into gear and want to show the last cards. Yay!
7:59 PM: The Rogue gets the 2-mana spell “Gang Up“: It can be cast on a minion, and you receive 3 copies of it mixed into your deck.
8:03 PM: The two Priest cards: a 1-mana minion “Twilight Whelp” with 2/1 stats, when you have a dragon in hand, it gets 2 health added. And the Priest gets a spell: Resurrection for 2 mana: Summons a random friendly minion that died in the game.
8:05 PM: The Hunter gets the 2-mana spell “Quick Shot” – Deals 3 damage. If the hand is empty afterward, the Hunter draws a card.
8:06 PM: And the two Druid cards are here. They are two minions. One is “Druid of the Flame” for 3 mana, a 2/2 minion, which can transform into something else. Either into a 5/2 or into a 2/5. And Volcanic Lumberer, a 9-mana minion with 7/8 and taunt. For each minion that died in the turn, it costs one less mana.
8:10 PM: Warlocks get the 3-mana spell Demonwrath, which deals 2 damage to all non-demons.
8:11 PM: Warriors get the 2-mana spell Revenge, which deals 1 damage to all minions. If the Warrior has 12 HP or less, it deals 3 damage to all minions.
8:12 PM: Okay, that’s probably it. Again, 40 minutes wasted in the middle to then do everything rush-rush at the end. Blizzard – You just have to love them.
8:13 PM: So, what do you think? The most spectacular card is certainly Majordomus Executus. But otherwise, there’s a lot of small stuff in the low-mana range of class cards that will surely see play, right? The latest trend with the adventure seems to be trying to wipe out as many minions as possible in one turn to come back better. It will be interesting to see what the pros and the not-so-pros do with these cards.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
I don’t need to beat around the bush. Blizzard consistently makes great games. Some old WoW friends might complain, saying “everything was better back in Vanilla”. Diablo 3 might not have been a good game at release, but it has developed into more than just a solid hack&slash over the various patches.
Adding to that is the simple fact that Blizzard does not release games they are not satisfied with. They have canceled both “StarCraft: Ghost” and “Titan” as well as “Thrall’s Adventure” because they did not meet their own standards.
No matter what criteria one may establish for a “good game”, financially speaking, Blizzard titles have always been a huge success. No game from this company has ever been out of the sales charts for less than several weeks. Yet, I dare to suggest that “Heroes of the Storm” will not be a financial success – even though many people will play and love it.
The MOBA Model: Skins for Cash
Skins in MOBAs – The one true key to success?
Whether it’s SMITE, DOTA, or LoL – the three major representatives of the MOBA genre generate their largest revenues undoubtedly through the sale of premium skins.
The new variants of existing heroes offer no gameplay advantage, but are usually designed to be slightly more elaborate, significantly cooler, or just absurdly funny. This is a wonderful model for characters that are new and relatively unknown.
Of course, a god like “Zeus” or “Freya” is technically not new, but nobody really associates a detailed appearance with these deities or even a sophisticated backstory.
The Problem: Epic Can’t Get More Epic
And so we come to the problem of “Heroes of the Storm”: The characters are all epic heroes or feared adversaries. They are not new, and anyone who hears the name “Thrall” immediately has a very specific Orc in mind. An even better example is “Arthas”. Anyone who has played Warcraft 3 or WoW will immediately associate that name with the runeblade Frostmourne and the dark armor of Ner’zhul.
How is it possible to create a skin variant that is even more epic than the typical appearance of the great leader of the Scourge that we have known for over ten years? What could look better than Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades, in her beloved form as the leader of the Swarm?
It is practically impossible to further enhance an already incredibly cool character. This may still work for lesser-known heroes like “Murky” or “Abathur” through silly skins, but really notable characters can’t be polished up like that.
When No Skin Appeals
[intense_blockquote color=”#ffffff” border_color=”#fa2f2f” width=”40%” rightalign=”1″]What heresy would it be to put Uther the Lightbringer in a medic costume now?[/intense_blockquote]
You should never apply your own opinion to others, but I believe that with this view, I represent a considerably large group. In Smite, I had the immediate urge to own many new skins.
In Heroes of the Storm, there isn’t a single skin that I desperately want. I love the characters in their current form, which is also the one with whom I’ve spent weeks, if not months and years in games. What heresy would it be to put Uther the Lightbringer in a medic costume now? Not even Kerrigan’s succubus skin could tempt me to spend money. And THAT really means something to me.
Just a Theory
This is of course just a theory of mine. We do not have official sales figures for this game, and especially with the “Founder’s Pack”, I can well imagine that some impatient player has jumped in. Therefore, Blizzard may be better off at the direct launch than other MOBAs, where you couldn’t just “buy in” – but in the long run, especially after the release, the incentive to spend real money could disappear.
What do you think? Do you share my assessment of the design of the characters? And how could Blizzard change that? What could be designed to create new incentives to want to invest real money?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Users are saying that as soon as they do anything in the game, the pesky creatures stick to their heels. Often, the only thing that helps is what Rick and the other survivors in “Walking Dead” are not allowed: a rustic logout.
Some capitulate in the face of the zombie hordes and want to take a break. But there are also others who handle the new challenge like this:
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Our cover image shows a player who intentionally gathered a huge zombie horde, then jumped onto a roof to see how many there were. A poor other player came by, attracted the attention of the zombie horde, was eaten, and the situation was resolved.
The calm before the storm – this could describe the current situation regarding the action role-playing game The Division by Ubisoft. In addition to alleged alpha leaks in the past weeks, fans are eagerly awaiting a release date. Some are creating their own real world inspired by The Division out of sheer anticipation.
Detailed Plastic Models
The Reddit user ToykyoJoe has posted very interesting pictures on the front page of the internet (reddit.com). Anyone who first thinks this is in-game material is mistaken. The graphics of The Division are good but still not on par with reality. Instead, ToykyoJoe has created his own models based on previously released gameplay scenes. And they look quite stylish.
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The release of The Division is supposed to take place in 2015. Rumors that an Xbox beta would start as early as March, after there were indications of an open alpha, were probably just false hopes – unfortunately. The alpha leaks, as we reported, were more illusion than reality and turned out to be mostly incorrect. Nevertheless, we are convinced that Ubisoft does not want to run the project into the ground and that we can still shake up New York City this year. In the meantime, enthusiastic fans can ask ToykyoJoe if he would send a few models for a small fee. This way, one could already play The Division.
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In Destiny , a player has achieved a Crota kill that has garnered a lot of attention. Even the pros in the US forum reddit are impressed.
Last night, a user posted a video of a Crota kill on reddit. The usually hardened users there were impressed and urged Destiny’s Community Manager, DeeJ, to make the Crota kill the video of the week. Everywhere, there were words of praise and admiration.
What is to be seen? No, it is not a new speed record being celebrated. Not even solo is the Guardian going solo. Together with his brother, a boy named Derek plays the raid and takes down Crota as the Swordbearer in the video. Derek suffers from infantile cerebral palsy and can only operate the controller with his hands and feet simultaneously.
This is the same condition under which actor RJ Mitte suffers, who plays the character Walter White Jr. in the US series Breaking Bad. And it is the condition that often affects people who are derogatorily called “spastics.” It often arises from brain damage in early childhood.
The video shows how the young Guardian elegantly and clearly takes down Crota and celebrates in the end.
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Guardians are particularly impressed that the boy has learned to compensate for his handicap so skillfully that no one in a raid would notice that there isn’t a non-disabled player behind the Guardian. On the contrary: “He’s better with his feet than I am with my hands!” is often said. Especially players who know someone with a disability are moved and feel inspired by the player’s performance.
For the MMO shooter Destiny , much depends on the next DLC “House of Wolves.” We asked the mein-MMO community what matters most to them. And over 3000 players voted.
2400 voted on whether House of Wolves is the last chance for Destiny
Your reaction to the article was overwhelming. To the question of whether “House of Wolves” is already the last chance, nearly 2400 readers voted.
1055 votes, 44%, said: No, it is not the last chance yet.
A more critical view was held by 38% of the votes: Yes, it is the last chance for Destiny, they said.
18% were undecided.
The sentiment is neck and neck. This can also be seen in the comments. Here, most lean towards clear poles. For some players, the game is worn out, they see empty friend lists and know the strong competition that lurks for Destiny with Witcher 3, The Division, and numerous other games. And the criticisms known since the release are repeated and confirmed: Uninspired story, too much repetition, too little new content. If Bungie disappoints with the next DLC, they say they will be gone for sure.
Others believe in Bungie. They are already grateful for the many hours of fun that Destiny has provided and believe that Bungie will still explore the potential and that many things will improve with House of Wolves and many will return.
What is most important to you for House of Wolves?
And what do you wish for House of Wolves? Almost 3100 Guardians voted within a week. And: It is incredibly balanced. Of the four options we gave you, even the least chosen received 20% of the votes.
Most wished for more exotic bounties, treasure maps, events, and adventures. So more to do for solo players. 30% of the votes went to that.
More story and atmosphere received just under a quarter of the votes (24.3%). Every fourth person wants Bungie to improve here especially.
Almost as many (23.4%) wish for a focus on replayability of strikes, as well as tougher bosses. Bungie should also take another look at the older raids: Crota’s End and The Vault of Glass.
And still, one in five of you (19.4%) wants Bungie to focus on the new raid, providing better content here with interesting enemies and challenges.
You can see that the four points we offered are very close together. Players have different priorities here; everyone plays the game a bit differently and wishes that Bungie improves in other areas.
Many also demanded several of the points we proposed.
It is clear: The community is divided, but far from hopeless. Even if it is important for Destiny and Bungie to deliver a DLC “House of Wolves” that brings more than “Darkness Lurks,” the fate of the franchise is not yet dependent on it. They have likely already reached too many players. However, it is certain that many will carefully observe whether Bungie can and will deliver. Some Destiny players have surely been lost along the way up to this point. Whether they can be won back seems questionable, given the sometimes drastic views.
Blizzard has now announced a date for when the remaining Blackrock cards for Hearthstone will be revealed. Players can watch live. This will take place on Monday, March 30th, in a live stream. The event is scheduled for 7:00 PM our time.
It is like with the last expansions Naxxramas and Goblins vs Gnomes: In the beginning, they are stingy with cards, showing only 2 or 3 per week. And then, as the release of the expansion approaches, they unleash them all at once. This is also the plan this time. However, this time you can be part of it.
In a live stream, the community managers of Hearthstone will introduce all the remaining cards. This is set to happen on Monday, March 30th, at 7:00 PM our time. The expansion itself is set to arrive on April 3rd.
