At Pax East in Boston, the team from ArcheAge now presented the latest patch, which will be implemented on the servers on Tuesday, March 10th.
The people from mmorpg.com had the opportunity to talk with the new producer of ArcheAge “Khorlan” and the community manager “Scapes” at Pax East in Boston. The discussion mainly focused on the new patch, coming tomorrow, and the bear mount’s rear, which continuously fascinated everyone in a relaxed atmosphere.
In a video, the two Trion Worlds employees showcase the new housing area on the Diamond Coast and take a look inside the library, the new dungeon in ArcheAge. By the way, this is not instanced: multiple groups can have their adventures here at the same time. There are supposed to be around 200 rooms full of mobs here.
Only half as much EXP needed to reach 55 as in Korea
Compared to Korea, the “G-word” (the grind) has been significantly reduced. You will need only half as much experience to reach the new maximum level as in Korea. In the dungeon, the Library, PvP is disabled, but it is enabled in the Diamond Coast zone. However, there will be no battle for zone control. In the Diamond Coast, everything revolves around the new dungeon and the opportunity to reach level 55 and to grab new powerful gear.
In the eyes of the ArcheAge employees, the content expansion is now the ideal time to jump back into the game, especially for players who have missed PvE content.
When is the patch coming and why will the ArcheAge servers be down on Tuesday, March 10th?
The patch is supposed to come to Europe tomorrow, on Tuesday, March 10th. The servers are set to shut down at 12:00 PM and will not be up again before 4:00 PM.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMORPG Black Desert is really into cats. Three of the sometimes napping, four-legged loot collectors should be able to be held as pets by players simultaneously.
According to mmosite, players in the Korea MMORPG Black Desert can have three cats “out” at the same time, meaning actively carrying them around. This makes the game not only, as we once wrote, the “MMORPG for all cat lovers“, but even for cat hoarders, like the crazy cat lady from The Simpsons, who might throw her cats at annoying teenagers.
Well, they aren’t suitable as projectile weapons in Black Desert, but the sometimes lazy cat bunch is quite useful. They can collect loot from foes and just look fluffy. At the moment, there are three different cats that are distinctly different from each other.
They level up when fed. And occasionally they take a nap when they’re not busy fishing around in the pockets of slain foes.
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Final Fantasy XIV made a big appearance at Pax East in Boston and introduced the new expansion Heavensward. A video summarizes the highlights from the presentation.
Here you can also see that “Flying” will really be the big theme of the expansion. Just like in WoW, the new zones are supposed to be fully “flyable”. This will be the next big thing in FF XIV.
Our favorite moments were the reactions from the audience to the individual sequences. Right at the beginning, when it comes to the flying mounts, the reaction from the audience was enthusiastic. The images of the individual classes in their new outfits then drew applause. The highlight, in our eyes, was the solitary cheer from the blacksmith: “Yeeeeah! Blacksmith!” The most laughs were garnered by the eccentric angler outfit.
By the way, the last minute of the video shows a new benchmark that is supposed to come in April. It already looks extremely impressive.
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In Destiny , Pete Parsons, the Chief Operating Officer, explains the philosophy behind the Destiny universe in a nearly half-hour interview.
It’s a bit like if the otherwise pastoral Peter Hahne were to interview a game developer in his Sunday show, ignoring the whole thing about “And 16-year-olds are shooting each other with automatic rifles and aliens?” and just focusing on the positives of shooters. In fact, it’s not just a bit, but precisely that.
Instead of a serious host on television only talking about how shooter games are the original sin and a breeding ground for future rampage killers who can’t cope with life, here they chat casually about the positive sides of gaming.
Destiny reflects the personality of the players. Communication and collaboration are at the forefront. Even lone wolves are converted to team play. The story is hopeful and positive. There are deep philosophical references and insights everywhere. Everything is somehow good and okay.
Destiny = Bungie; Darkness = Microsoft
In a 26-minute television interview, one of Bungie’s key figures, COO Pete Parsons, speaks with a philosophically interested host about the foundations of the world. The words “hope” and “light” come up repeatedly. And it’s an interesting thought: What if you take these words literally when you look at Destiny not just as a game mechanic? What if you believe the “light” is not just another word for “level”? What if you hear more in the cutscenes than just “This is the next content.”
For Bungie itself, it seems to be more than that. Destiny reflects Bungie’s own journey. Back in 2010, they were a studio with a glorious past (Halo) and an uncertain future, longing for independence after splitting from Microsoft, while the Guardians began rebuilding a world in ruins. In this context, the past glitters far more brightly than the uncertain present.
And that’s exactly what’s so important for Bungie, that moving from darkness to light means that tomorrow’s world is a little more beautiful and hopeful than today’s world. That’s where, according to Parsons, they draw their motivation. Time and again during the game’s development, they paused and looked forward to the fantastic world they were creating for players.
It sounds like Destiny is planned to be brighter rather than darker in the already planned future installments, while darkness has generally gone in the opposite direction with the claustrophobic Crota’s End.
“While my son blows things up, I think about things”
The host’s son is apparently an avid gamer, and the father watched him with interest: “While he was blowing things up, I thought about the philosophical foundations behind the game.” Parsons is sometimes visibly surprised by the ideas his conversation partner comes up with. For instance, he seems pleased about individual lines in the Grimoire cards.
The weapon text of the Fate of all Fools is one of Parsons’ favorites: The wise man knows his fate, the fool merely finds it.
And well: If you watch the half-hour interview, the story told in cutscenes, which has been criticized as incoherent and inadequate, forms quite a coherent concept. Maybe Destiny is less a story and more of a feeling, a concept? And you can also understand the host when he calls the Grimoire not as a manual but as a kind of “handbook like for a footballer.” Or maybe it’s also because the cutscenes are cut into the interview at will and then feel “appropriate”?
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As announced recently at PAX East, starting March 20th, the new Hearthstone adventure “Blackrock Mountain” will be available for pre-order. Those who decide to make such a purchase will get access to all wings early, as well as an exclusive card back.
However, it has now been revealed that the pre-order cannot be made with Gold. This means that the card back will only be exclusively available to players who reach for real money instead of virtual currency for the latest addon. Many players have been saving up numerous Gold coins since the “Goblins vs. Gnomes” expansion to unlock the wings for free with Gold. This lightly kicks those loyal frequent players in the shin, as who would want to spend €22 just for a card back when the actual content can already be paid for with in-game currency?
“Purchases with Gold not possible.”
All further news and information about Blizzard’s card game can be found on our Hearthstone topic page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
More and more is being revealed about the third expansion and thus the second adventure “Blackrock Mountain” for Blizzard’s card game Hearthstone. Some people have now been able to play a preview version, where they got to take on the first boss, Coren Direbrew, in both normal and heroic mode.
In normal mode: Easy to counter
Since Coren is the first boss of the expansion, they didn’t want to make him too difficult. This is reflected in his hero power, which triggers at the beginning of each of his turns: Both players summon a random minion from their decks into play. The solution to this is, of course, relatively simple: You fill your deck exclusively with expensive minions. In particular, Ragnaros, the various giants, and various other cards with mana costs between 7 and 10 should lead to a quick victory. Most likely, you won’t even have to change the current decks – after all, it is supposed to be just an easy introduction fight.
In heroic mode: Difficult and challenging
As soon as you want to face the dark iron dwarf and his bar in heroic mode, you will be confronted with a real problem. Coren’s hero power now summons two random minions from his deck and only one from your own. Even relatively strong cards could quickly be overwhelmed by the sheer number of opponents. As if that weren’t bad enough, the boss also has 15 additional armor points, which will probably stifle any quick “rush down” attempt. There will surely be numerous strategies to overcome this challenge – in my mind, a mage deck is already forming, aimed at the simple “fatigue” of the boss. Because anyone who plays two random minions each turn and draws another card should have no cards left in their deck after about 9 turns.
If Blizzard adheres to the relatively young tradition of the Naxxramas bosses, we will probably have a lot of fun with the heroic bosses, and even Hearthstone experts will be pushed to their limits. At least until one searches for a functional deck from the internet.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the zombie MMO H1Z1, there is currently only one player model available in Early Access that everyone has to make do with. That is set to change drastically in the coming months.
Clone warrior Ivan.
There is a mediocre science fiction movie where humans send their consciousness into a robot body to travel long distances. The cheapest model looks like one of the Baldwin brothers, and many in the film look like the actor. What we are getting at is understood by everyone who has played H1Z1. Essentially, there is only one model, and players differ only minimally through weapons, helmets, or shirts.
This was also announced for resource reasons. At the time, it was said by gunsmith Whisenhunt that a new player model would cost the same resources as dozens of weapons. And “a standard model for everyone” was considered acceptable as a stopgap for Early Access. The first months were spent on other things; they initially updated the base model. But now they are focusing on “Customization”. And this is what the blog post from the H1Z1 creators at DGC is about.
How can characters in H1Z1 differ from each other?
Players in H1Z1 initially differ from each other through their equipment: there should be at least six different slots for “wearable items”. In design, they want to orient themselves on outfits that survivors might find in a store and might think: It would be a good idea to have some fabric between my skin and zombie teeth! This includes BMX protective gear, football padding, and even crazier outfits.
Additionally, they are currently working on making equipped weapons recognizable on the character. That will soon find its way into the game.
Customization options in other MMOs as well
And then players should also differ (as in the character creation of other MMOs) through the following:
Hair
Head shape
Facial features (like beard or scars)
Skin color/tone
In the future perhaps different body shapes
and maybe also tattoos
At the beginning, you will be able to choose from various pre-made options.
New models are coming to H1Z1: Second man, first woman
In the coming weeks, there will also be a second male model in addition to the base model “Ivan” (the guy with the angular chin that everyone walks around with). This one looks significantly dreamier.
In March/April, the grill party comes to an end: female characters will be added to H1Z1. And at DGC, they believe in emancipation: so that they do not provide an advantage for power gamers (women are smaller and much harder to hit, that’s why I only play them!), they will simply be the same size as their male counterparts.
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In Final Fantasy XIV clothes make the man. Each class and profession has its own set. With the Heavensward expansion, everyone gets their new job outfit.
Final Fantasy XIV is loved for its depth of play , but it also has a flair for aesthetics. It may not appeal to everyone, as is common with Asian games, but those who like it, really like it.
The complicated multiclass system of FF XIV (the crafting professions also count as classes) makes it necessary to create a separate outfit for each “skill tree”. They were seen at PAX East. We have compiled them into a gallery for you. They will come along with many other features with the Heavensward expansion.
The tough guys of FF XIV: Warrior, Paladin
In the front lines and having fun: Dragoon, Monk, Ninja
These FF-XIV heroes prefer to stay in the second row: Scholar, Summoner, Bard, White Mage, Black Mage
The metal boys in their new outfits: Armorer, Goldsmith, Blacksmith
The craftsmen of FF XIV: Carpenter, Tanner, Weaver
Here it cooks and sizzles: Alchemist and Gourmet
The gathering professions: The 60s outfits of miners, gardeners, and fishermen
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Destiny should become a game for the whole world and not just feel like a second home for the English and Americans. Bungie explained how they wanted to achieve this at GDC.
The Tower Building at Bungie
When Bungie was still exclusively developing for the Xbox, they were little concerned about things like “the world”. The Xbox is particularly significant in North America. At that time, they did not have a “localization” team. This changed with the move to Activision and a huge franchise like Destiny: It should, of course, work worldwide.
What used to be called “translation” is now referred to as “localization”, because it has been recognized that there is more to it than simply translating everything “English” into the local language, cultural differences must be taken into account. This becomes more challenging the more languages there are to consider.
Destiny, for example, is available in:
German
English
French
Italian
Spanish
Japanese
and the Brazilian version of Portuguese
The Problem: Textures and Languages Don’t Really Like Each Other
And Bungie’s goal was for all these different cultural groups to feel like Destiny and especially the “Tower”, the central place of the game, felt like a “home” and not like a trip to an English-speaking, foreign country. The future is foreign enough.
Initially, they had signs and indicators in the Tower only in English. Everything in the game was covered in English text. They wanted to remodel and translate that for the international versions. But it didn’t work out.
It didn’t look good. What is just a few characters in English was significantly more in other languages. Much more than could fit on the simple sign in the Tower or on the body of an automatic rifle or a handgun.
The one on the left is Japanese, the one in the middle is American and the Warlock is Brazilian. Or something like that?
The Solution: Multi-Culti, Everyone Just Doesn’t Understand Something
Therefore, they changed the strategy: Instead of focusing on words in one language, they relied on symbols and universally understandable indicators. For weapons or industrial goods, for example, they used “Techno-Speak” as inscriptions: letters and designations that were hoped to be understood or equally misunderstood everywhere. Only with the logo of the “Future War Cults” did they overlook this: It’s a stylized “F”, which somehow seems illogical in German because they call it “Kriegskult der Zukunft” – so one would need a “Z”.
In the Tower, they introduced multiple languages, so in addition to English, there are now Japanese signs and those from Brazilian Portuguese. And a lot of Latin. As Tom Slattery, who was responsible for localization, said: “Looks cool, nobody understands anyway.”
Do you speak German, Noodlegesicht? I need ze Gjallarhorn! Hoast mi?
They actually wanted to translate the intro with the astronauts on the moon into 7 languages, but that would simply overwhelm the storage space on the discs. So they left the intro international: “Maybe one of the astronauts is Japanese, the other Brazilian, the third American?” Slattery said.
Actually a nice idea.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Lost Ark – the Hack&Slash MMORPG that looks like a dressed-up version of Diablo 3. Admittedly, when I first delved into the action RPG from South Korea, I initially thought it was just another boring Asia hack’n’slay.
But in this article, I want to show you that there is more to Lost Ark than meets the eye.
When Dragons Emerge from the Ground…
Sentrys, Whirlwind, or Hydras – yes, the Diablo 3 skills can quickly become boring. In contrast, the skills you can see in the first Lost Ark videos are something else. Suddenly, a giant dragon’s head emerges from the ground and lunges at the enemy, or fire chains launch everything in the vicinity into the air. Even the “normal” attacks, for example, the simple strike with the giant sword, are packed with effects.
Other scenes from the trailer are also impressive: A giant mech suit? No problem! Riding a dragon like in Skyrim? Sure … and the enemies are roasted. The diverse skills that come with the 18 classes (oh yes, more on that shortly) are not merely bland fillers during the monster slaughter but impress with slightly exaggerated animations.
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I hinted at it before: The effects look very good! Lost Ark owes its stunning graphics to the famous Unreal Engine 3. Of course, the western eye finds many typical Asia MMO nuances here, but they are kept within limits. Explosions, burning ground, ice landscapes, oversized weapons, and boss opponents – everything looks epic. Let’s hope it holds up to the final version without unpleasant surprises.
By the way, in Lost Ark, the environment plays an important role not just for the eye but also in gameplay. Enemies destroy the ice we walk on and make the battle more challenging.
Replay Value times 18
The mention of 18 classes was no typo. Not all hero types have been released yet, but with such a sheer number, other games can only surrender. The rumor that the classes are supposed to be gender-locked is of little concern. Fortunately, the classes introduced so far differ significantly in their gameplay. In the style of the LoL champ Twisted Fate, for example, Arcana throws playing cards at enemies, which then trigger a random effect. Meanwhile, the Warlord foregoes magic and brings out a lance armed with a rocket launcher.
As if 18 classes weren’t enough, the developer Smilegate also gives players the Tripod skill system. It works like the Diablo 3 rune system but with an additional layer. This increases the combination options. You can decide, for example, whether a skill should explode in several small bursts or one large explosion. The gameplay can thus be individually tailored to the opponents.
Big World, Big Bosses
Unlike typical action RPGs, the world is supposed to be structured differently. Jumping from bounty to bounty is no longer viable. Instead, you should be able to explore the world and experience adventures. You travel through the open world, for example, on a ship at sea. You should also be able to meet other players along the way. Despite all the anticipation: Smilegate has yet to reveal how big the world and the individual regions ultimately are.
Moreover, Lost Ark is not just a simple RPG, thanks to its crafting system. In the trailer, the warrior suddenly stands with a huge saw at a tree and collects wood. This system resembles more WoW than D3. What can also be seen in the trailer are the massive bosses that we will face in epic battles. Another unique feature is the use of siege weapons. One of the enemies has to be harpooned first, so he doesn’t jump around like a crazed chicken. Pure action RPG? Not at all!
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Minigames such as drinking or card games will also be available. Thanks to taverns.
The group play of Lost Ark is supposed to go far beyond the previous action RPG experience. From the interviews, it becomes clear that Smilegate places great importance on interactions between players, which should even be interdependent. The open world is just one point that transforms mindless slaughter into an exciting journey. Raids or dynamic events modeled after Guild Wars 2 should also be possible in Lost Ark. However, how many people can participate in such a raid remains to be seen. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Aside from the fact that, for example, 10 classes with different skills are hammering on a boss, causing an effect overflow, the idea is solid.
If the raids are implemented, Lost Ark will distinguish itself not only from the crafting system but also from the genre leader Diablo 3 and bring a new aspect to the ARPG scene with the expanded group gameplay.
One Should Look Forward to It
Am I the only one who is really excited about Lost Ark? Even though the gameplay, skill and class possibilities, graphics, and open world sound like a really great title, one thing could still dampen the mood: the game studio Smilegate. They are, as some may know, responsible for the free-to-play shooter Crossfire. Sorry, when I say free-to-play, in this context I mean pay-to-win. If you want the good weapons in Crossfire, you have to dig deep into your pockets. Let’s hope that Smilegate won’t apply this model at least to the western market. Initially, Lost Ark is set to be released in South Korea before making its way to Europe and the U.S.
Lost Ark – Will It Be Great?
Enthusiastically, I would say: Yes, the Hack&Slash MMORPG will be great! As long as the promises made in the trailer are kept and the depicted scenes aren’t complete fakes. My only concern is Smilegate, who have shown no scruples in charging horrendous amounts for their pay-to-win model in Crossfire. If Smilegate holds back, Diablo 3, Path of Exile, and others could soon face serious competition that elevates the action RPG genre to a new level.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Fortune magazine has created a list of the 100 best companies to work for. Activision Blizzard and Riot Games, the companies behind World of Warcraft and League of Legends, made the list. Both companies are fully invested in gaming, even in the workplace.
Forbes magazine is known for its list of the richest people in the world; this year, Valve icon Gabe Newell and Minecraft guru Markus “Notch” Persson made it into that list. The competing Fortune magazine releases a list of the “Best Companies to work for,” the preferred workplaces. This refers to surveys conducted by “Great Rated” with the companies, and when looking at how high the scores are at Riot and Blizzard, one can imagine how high the bar is that must be cleared to be included in this top 100. These are all dream jobs at dream companies.
Typically, software companies have a hard time: because after a project is completed, a lot of firings happen. Employees do not stay long. The sword of Damocles of layoffs hangs over their heads. When a project ends, only a skeleton crew is needed to lay the groundwork for the next big game. The now “redundant” employees were fired in the business between projects for years, and this practice continues today. Not a great atmosphere to feel comfortable.
Therefore, two software studios made the list, whose business is not necessarily the development of games but rather their continued development and constant maintenance.
Activision Blizzard: Gaming is part of the company culture
Activision Blizzard is the company behind Hearthstone, Diablo, and World of Warcraft. As a publisher, they also release works from other studios like Destiny, Skylanders, or Call of Duty. Over 11,000 people work for the industry giant. So it’s certainly more than just the “development studio Blizzard,” as they also have a unique company culture with swords and shields and such. More than 1000 employees filled out a questionnaire to rate the company. They made it to 93rd place in the top 100. Employees particularly enjoy that they are given a lot of responsibility and get to work on video games for which they are passionate.
In daily life, one doesn’t forget that they make games. There are “gaming zones,” it’s okay to dress a bit more casually, and one can even bring their dog to work. The atmosphere is relaxed, although everyone works seriously and hard on their respective projects.
The majority of employees have been with Activision for a relatively long time. 38% between 2 and 5 years, 28% between 6 and 10. For a gaming company, this is unusual. 50% of the surveyed employees are between 26 and 34. 55% are older, with very few seniors. It likely helps the statistics that it’s not just a “software studio” but also a publisher.
Riot Games: Gaming is the company culture
Riot Games is not as much of an industry giant as Activision. They have 1400 employees and only one topic: “League of Legends.” Everyone there plays it, works on it, breathes and thinks about it, according to the more than 500 survey responses that were analyzed.
The ranking reflects how great it must be to work at Riot. They achieved 13th place. That is truly an absolute top place, even before Twitter (24) and the world leaders of Goldman Sachs (50). For those wondering who is in first place: Google.
At Riot, there is an incredible identification with the company and with the MOBA League of Legends. Players are truly seen as players and not as customers, as it is said. And since the employees at Riot consider themselves players, they feel connected.
The corporate culture is open: employees can also approach their supervisors directly with personal problems and adjust their schedules. In the event of a death in the family, employees are given as much time as they need. Overall, it seems to be easy at Riot to take a few days off if they feel they need them.
Riot is significantly younger compared to Activision. 73% of employees are younger than 34 years. 60% of the 500 surveyed have only been there for two years. 40% are between two and five years. Clearly: Riot is also a much younger company compared to Activision.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Final Fantasy XIV, Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida opens up about his ideas during the development of the new jobs.
Final Fantasy is part of one of the most popular franchises in video game history. The Roman numeral for 14 is a subtle hint at that. Therefore, the MMO can be sure that fans have a clear opinion on which new classes should be added to the game and how they should aesthetically relate to their predecessors. And they have no hesitation in enthusiastically expressing that opinion.
In an interview with Game Informer, Naoki Yoshida discusses how the three new jobs in the FF XIV expansion “Heavensward” came to be. The absolute fan favorite, the Samurai, was long considered. Calls for him simply would not stop. However, the “Samurai” would not have fit well into the class structure of FF XIV. It was simply too similar to the newly introduced Ninja job. Therefore, they decided on the Dark Knight, who is intended to find a niche as a magic-based tank alongside the Warrior (AE tanking) and the Paladin (single-target tank). Furthermore, the Dark Knight, with its magic orientation, fits better into the high-fantasy setting that they maintain with Heavensward.
And why did the Machinist make it into the game? Yoshida’s answer to that is significantly shorter: Fans wanted firearms. So they gave them firearms. One of the most important features of any new class is indeed the class-specific individual weapon.
With the last of the new classes, the Astrologian, they struggled for a long time; tried various card tricks and ideas until they finally decided on the Space Orb.
In Skyforge , the “Berserker” class is in the spotlight this time, as the designers dive into the instance “Temple of Thais”.
The Free2Play hope Skyforge is entering the hot phase, a Closed Beta is announced, and with live streams, they aim to introduce the godly slaughter to the many players in the West who still have no idea what the game is about.
This week’s live stream focused on the class “Berserker“. It is a tanky melee DPS that plays very clearly, dishing out punishment to the bad guys. Compared to a ranged class like the Gunner , the Berserker has many combos on the left and right mouse buttons.
In the stream, they enter the Temple of Thais. It was originally constructed for a goddess of love. However, a rival water god has taken up residence with his creatures. Yes, things like that happen in the world of gods.
For the Nightfall strike in Destiny on March 10th, there is a prediction from Megaman. He has been right so far.
In the MMO shooter Destiny, there is a new “ID” every Tuesday at 10:00 AM our time, meaning the week in Destiny starts anew and a new strike of the lucrative “Nightfall” and the “Heroic Strike” for that week is available.
For a while now, two or three players in Destiny have been able to predict which strike with which modifiers it will be. So far, they have been correct. How they do this exactly is not really known. In the beginning, they kept it a big secret so Bungie wouldn’t cut off their information supply. Recently, however, there are more signs that packet sniffing is being used for this.
Nightfall on March 10th is expected to be colorful again
Also for next Tuesday, the “Forecaster Number One” Megaman has made a prediction: It will be against Aksor, the Archon Priest on Venus – that is the strike “Winter’s Run.” A triple burn is expected. This means all three damage types will be significantly increased: Arc damage, Void damage, and Solar damage, essentially a “Rainbow Strike.” The “Heroic Weekly” will run with the modifier Void Burn.
This strike combination was last seen in early February. In our article about it, you can also find tips and tricks on how it was solved back then. It is essentially a guide for Winter’s Run with Triple Burn.
Usually, players treat it like a Solar Strike and bring out the big Solar weapons like the Gjallarhorn or the Icebreaker and go on a rampage.
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Whether the Nightfall is really correct will only be known on Tuesday at 10:00 AM when the new rotation goes live, and we will know for sure. However, the forecasters have been correct the last few times and they were also right with their assessments of Xur. The question is whether Bungie will react and change anything by Tuesday. They probably cannot be really satisfied with the situation either. Some players have also been complaining lately that the predictions take away their excitement on those days.
A small note: On Friday evening, we presented the “80s-inspired” pseudo-movie posters, where we slightly overlooked Aksor and refashioned it for the title image, as in the original it already revealed the predicted strike:
The sandpark MMO ArcheAge increases the level cap to 55 on March 10 and gives players new abilities.
You don’t need as much EXP as in Korea
On March 10, it will be live in ArcheAge with the next content update. This raises the maximum level to 55. As has now been revealed, they want to take it a bit easier in North America and Europe and not make the jump as drastic as in North Korea. Therefore, players will require less EXP to reach the new maximum level.
Nevertheless, it is still supposed to be an endeavor that keeps players entertained for a while.
These classes are supposed to get stronger with the 5 new skill points in ArcheAge
There are 5 new skill points to earn, which are supposed to make the hybrid classes even stronger, according to Trion Worlds. They promise enhancements for:
Paladin
Skeleton Knight
Trickster
Phantom Shape
Archon
Druid
Hierophant
Monk
Crusader
and Spell Singer
According to Trion Worlds, these are the best classes in ArcheAge
And the current top classes are supposed to be challenged. According to Trion, they are:
Forecasters
Shadow Runner
Tormentor
and Templar.
These are the new 55 skills
The new abilities that are available at level 55 in a skill line are also introduced by Trion Worlds in their own words:
Fury of the Fight: In Enemy Lines This targeted area-of-effect ability for medium distances catapults you into the fray, trapping your unsuspecting enemies and dealing damage. Due to its swiftness, the skill “In Enemy Lines” can be used alongside other skills like Charge, Overwhelm, or Shadow Step to bridge the distance between you and your opponent in no time (almost like teleportation). Common application: Start of combat, escaping, and of course riding on a hammer.
Defense: Fortress With this battle-changing control ability, your enemies are pushed away while your allies are drawn in (regardless of current status effects). Allies drawn to the caster also receive a short-term damage reduction bonus. Common application: Preventing tunnel vision in allies, freeing from enemies, and interrupting combos.
Occultism: Death’s Vengeance This (delightfully) grim buff inflicts devastating magic damage upon your death, affecting all enemies within 15 meters. Death’s Vengeance can be activated with a cast time and remains in the background until the skill is triggered by your death or removed by an enemy player. Common application: Revenge, YOLO encounters, fun.
Magic: Whip of the Gods This ability lashes enemies within a 6-meter radius with a surge of devastating energy. The skill “Whip of the Gods” can be used 5 times rapidly in succession without causing a cooldown, and all affected foes suffer the Shock effect. Common application: Cleanup, PvP against multiple opponents, and causing instant panic among enemy plate wearers.
Bardic Art: [Performing] Cadence of Sorrow This enchanting ballad reduces the duration of negative status effects on your allies while extending negative status effects on enchanted foes. Common application: Reducing stun duration, compulsive performance frenzy, and playing great music.
Witchcraft: Devil’s Bell This hellish ability summons a Wailing Corpse that attacks aggressive targets nearby. Your new companion (which acts in addition to your normal combat companion) will attack enemies at its discretion for the duration of the spell. Common application: Increasing damage dealt and having a temporary friendship.
Auramancy: Mirror Distortion This 5-second buff creates a small new shortcut bar, allowing the caster to instantly teleport to the right or left. (Your new teleportation skills remain active until you teleport or the buff expires.) Common application: Evading impending annihilation, taking a better position, and confusing melee opponents.
Archery: Sharpshooter Attack This powerful shot for long distances pierces opponents and deals significant damage to anyone caught in its path. Turn instantly to change direction while casting. Common application: Group PvP, naval battles, and forcing enemies to fear not only missile rain.
Shadow Play: Throwing Dagger Target a single enemy with this area-of-effect ability for short distances and watch the pain spread among nearby foes! All enemies hit by the dagger suffer physical damage, reduced movement and attack speed, as well as increased cast time (while you gain 2 accumulations of Bloodthirst per victim). Common application: Mitigating explosive damage, quickly stacking Bloodthirst for Shadow Strike, and making enemies weep.
Vitalism: Blessing of the Whirlwind This targeted spell enhances the attack and movement speed of allies while dissolving buffs from enemies within 30m. The Blessing of the Whirlwind is a powerful tool that can increase your group’s damage in PvE fights and turn the tide in PvP battles. Common application: Battlefield control, coordinated explosive damage, and magical effects that are a true feast for the eyes.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In World of Warcraft, the guild Method has defeated the current final boss Blackhand (Blackfist) on the mythic difficulty as the first in the world. The obligatory kill video shows us what raiding looks like right now.
Veterans can recognize the boss mechanics required for each fight by the movement patterns (the popular: “Oh my God, you are a bomb! Get out of the group!” mechanic seems to be Blizzard’s favorite, which does not do justice to the clockwork precision of Method).
It is clear that Blizzard now connects phase changes with a change of the battlefield (you always go down a level).
We recognize that every raider is required to cover at least 10% of their screen with a damage meter.
The setup of the raid reveals the current WoW power rankings of the classes: There are 3 Rogues, 3 Hunters, and 4 Damage Druids among 20 players, 2 Mages and 2 Warlocks complete the damage department. A Warrior and a Monk serve as tanks. Healing is done by 2 Paladins, a Priest, and a Shaman.
And fortunately, the last few percent of the fight are still chaotic, everyone dies, and screams like crazy.
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For Ubisoft’s MMO shooter “The Division“, a community has already formed, waiting together with the media for information about the blockbuster title. However, there isn’t much information available yet about the game, which is supposedly set to release very soon.
For the upcoming MMO shooter “The Division”, it’s a bit like the start of a 100-meter sprint. Everyone is anxiously sitting in the starting blocks. The slightest sound sends everyone racing off like crazy.
This has happened two or three times in recent weeks: each time, the supposed starting signal turned out to be a false start, and people returned to the starting line with their heads hanging down.
Thus, the site known for clickbaiting, “Kdramastars”, continuously invents “release dates” that turn out to be nonsense, but for someone who is not familiar with the site, it briefly raises their pulse to 180. Recently, a different site jumped in for a change and simply fabricated system requirements out of thin air. Again, there was a stir in the media and in the starting blocks. Some sprinted off, only to have to deny it quickly afterwards. They indignantly accused already discredited sources of being completely unreliable. Then a fragment of homepage code caused some excitement: Some considered a soon-to-come alpha to be “as good as confirmed.” Well.
These days again there’s tension in the blocks: fans expected news from the GDC conference in San Francisco; two sessions with panels were scheduled here: but no starting signal was heard. Only a simultaneous leak caused some excitement, otherwise it’s quiet. The game was supposed to be released in 2014. No one knows if a release is really “just around the corner” or if one would rather wait until December; the game seems to play itself anyway.
However:Ubisoft has had a shaky reputation in recent years. And such highly hyped games, of which not much has been seen, historically do not have the best chances of meeting the enormous expectations. One will have to wait and perhaps stay a bit calmer in the starting blocks. One can only hope that the sprinters are not still lingering when the first snow falls.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Free2Play-MMO Rift is celebrating its fourth birthday and seems to be into numbers. In a massive infographic, you can find out pretty much everything: Who played the most? Which pet is the rarest? Which race is the most popular? Which class does nobody like?
It has been running for 4 years now, and the hardest Rift fan has spent almost 700 days in the game. Statistics and numbers are something special. Especially when presented in the form of a huge infographic.
We would have loved to show you this infographic in German, but the press release is “only available in English.” Support for the German community has been scaled back in recent months; shortly before Christmas, they mentioned in the German forum, that one should expect that it will be closed soon. They could no longer guarantee support.
Well, this is the same for many other MMOs, which don’t even start with a German forum at all – but when you first give players something and then take it away due to cost reasons, it doesn’t really build trust that they will celebrate the 8th birthday. On the other hand, it is also understandable: 4 years is a long time in the MMORPG business, and especially for games from the second tier, they count like dog years… or even a bit worse.
But well, that is not what we want to talk about today. Here is the infographic (in English):
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A new race will be introduced to the game, the reptilian Au Ra.
In Final Fantasy XIV, the ability to fly will be introduced. By the way, FF XIV mastermind Naoki Yoshida is most looking forward to this. Apparently, in order to fly properly on the new flying mounts, some pretty “airy” zones are being designed. The old zones will probably not be adjusted for flying mounts. This means, it will be the anti-WoW: flying in the new world, no flying in the old.
The expansion delves deeper into the region of Coerthas, into the conflict between Ishgard and Dravania. There is a lot for heroes to do here.
Genre-typical, a bunch of new gear will come. However, it should not be so strong that players will switch out their old endgame gear at level 51. The reward system will align with the base game.
Three new jobs will be introduced to the game: the Astrologian, a healer who relies on cards; the Dark Knight, a two-handed tank, a kind of anti-paladin; and the Machinist, a ranged DPS class. In the future, it is said that they prefer to design “jobs” instead of focusing on the base classes. Details on how to play the three new jobs are not yet available. They will probably start at level 30.
With three new jobs, space in Final Fantasy XIV will be even tighter
As Yoshida mentioned in an interview with Massivelyop, they know that players want more space in their inventory. This is not so easy for database reasons. With the expansion, more retainers will definitely be made available – these serve as a kind of bank in FF XIV along with several other purposes. At the moment, they are still investigating whether they can create more space in the armor chests.
The inventory system in FF XIV differs significantly from the conventional MMORPG inventory: players in FF XIV have a 100-slot inventory as well as special equipment tabs in which they can carry a ton of items. They essentially carry the gear for all twinks. This is due to the multi-classing system of the game.
The trailer gives you a taste of what to expect atmospherically in Heavensward:
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These versions of Heavensward are available and what’s in the Collector’s Edition
The details on how the versions of the new expansion will work are now also known: Pre-orders start on March 13. There will be Heavensward in three versions: a standard edition, the collector’s edition, and an “all-in-one” edition, which includes the base game.
The collector’s edition is set to include a dragon figurine, an “art book,” and a disc with trailers and videos. In terms of in-game items, there will be a Griffin mount, a helmet inspired by the Dark Knight Cecil from Final Fantasy IV, and a “Kain” minion.
The early access for pre-orders begins on June 19, the official release on June 23. The expansion will be available for PC, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4 – and with the expansion, FF XIV will finally also arrive on Mac. Rumors about an Xbox version for Final Fantasy have gained some momentum in recent months, but there is no definitive information available here.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
We are giving away 20 starter packages in collaboration with the German publisher Infernum for Dragon’s Prophet, which should make the first hours as a dragon collector much more relaxed!
Last week we talked about “second chances” in the MMO sector and whether one can regain interest in games once the hype has subsided. It was similar with Dragon’s Prophet: At first it was considered a hidden gem, but quickly interest waned, and the publisher Infernum even went into insolvency. They have now overcome these severe setbacks, are solvent again, and are trying their utmost to attract new players. And what could make entering a free-to-play game easier than a few free items and bonuses to get quickly accustomed to the events of Auratia?
What does the package contain?
Egg of Lightshimmer – Your first Legendary Dragon!
Dragon Stable Expansion – Increases the number of your maximum dragons you can take with you
Dragon Nest Expansion – Increases the number of dragons you can own and train in total
Beginner Experience Potion – Gain additional experience for 24 hours!
Server Megaphone – Sends a message to the whole server!
1000 Diamonds to explore the in-game shop!
[intense_blockquote color=”#e0e0e0″]If you want to win one of the 20 starter packages, simply leave a comment under this post and make sure to log in with a valid email address, as we cannot contact you in case of winning otherwise. Multiple entries are of course not permitted and will result in immediate disqualification from the giveaway. Participation is possible until March 12, 2015, at 8 PM. Good luck! [/intense_blockquote]
Terms of participation and privacy policy can be found here.
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Then you should take a look at the Dragon’s Prophet Review from the boss himself! However, keep in mind that the review is already 1.5 years old and some things have improved significantly since the release. Especially for newcomers, the experience feels more “rounded”, but there are also new areas and more opportunities for character development in the endgame.
Here is a brief summary of what has happened recently in the MMO from the makers of Runes of Magic:
