Complaining Wednesday: Evolve and the Monster Addiction

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

Yes, I know. I’ve gone overboard again. The game has been out for less than 40 hours, and I feel like I’ve already spent at least 80 of those in Evolve. It’s just so much fun. Maybe even a bit too much fun. But still, there’s something here that bothers me immensely (ha, pun intended!)…

Everyone wants to be the monster

One has to admit that this was somewhat to be expected. Especially when you want to dive into battle alone, being a monster is certainly the better option. After all, you don’t have to consider anyone else or even communicate with a team. If you just want quick, “uncomplicated” fun, then being a monster is probably a good fit.

However, when a match requires a total of 5 players, and the feeling is that half of all evolution addicts only want to play as Goliath or Kraken, this leads to immediate problems that the game’s system doesn’t counter very well.

I’m in your game, idling around…

Evolve-Wraith

I personally enjoy playing the hunters too. Because only when you stand on the other side do you discover the strengths and weaknesses of all characters. Additionally, it is somehow very satisfying to push a “Stage 3” monster into the monster heaven with great effort.

Unfortunately, not all other players see it that way. Players regularly leave the lobby as soon as they see they are not the monster. Those who do will receive a harsh penalty of 60 seconds of waiting time before they can log back in (after all, the Wraith is female!).

60 seconds to grab a cola or simply read a rant Wednesday. In any case, this is a very minimal consequence. Even worse, however, are the bunch of people who simply go afk during the ongoing round and let a bot take over the control.

Heroes in the last second

Goliath Evolve Stage

The very special idiots then return to their afk state at the “last moment”, take back control over the hunter, and then celebrate themselves in the voice chat as the great hero who single-handedly took down the monster.

Especially in the higher “high-level” areas of level 25 and above, this behavior is particularly noticeable. I can only hope that players will be given more options to deal with such behavior – because unfortunately, it does not motivate me to continue taking up arms.

Why Evolve is still so good despite this little complaint that my eyes are now red, you will read next week in the detailed review. Until then: Don’t get eaten!

Perhaps most are simply overwhelmed with being the hunter and don’t want to let their team down. In that case, a look at our Evolve Hunter Guide might be worthwhile.

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

Guild Wars 2: New PvP mode “Stronghold” recalls MOBA and shows eSports ambitions again

Nico Saborowski Nico Saborowski Reading time 2 minutes

The upcoming addon Heart of Thorns for the MMO Guild Wars 2 is already making fans excited. With the introduction of a new PvP mode, the wait is getting worse. But what is hidden behind the Stronghold mode?

MMO meets MOBA

Guild Wars 2 Stronghold Minions

League of Legends and Dota 2 are well-known MOBA games where strategy wins… or so-called minions. With the Skrits, there are also minions in the new PvP mode of Guild Wars 2, constantly attacking the opponent and the enemy fortress. If you have an advantage in the number of your own Skrits, you will win the battle faster. The goal is to capture the enemy fortress (Stronghold). In an interview with pcgamer.com, John Corpening, the PvP team lead at GW2, confirmed influences from the predecessor Guild Wars and the MOBA genre:

They [the community] mentioned that it’d be cool if we had something that was like a condensed World vs World experience. They mentioned that we should try some more traditional game modes. People have been talking about their nostalgia for Guild Wars 1’s Guild vs Guild. People have suggested that we look at MOBAs, that sort of stuff. We took influences from all of those things (…)

John Corpening also states that the overview of the map will decide victory and defeat, not the specific experience of your own class. Nevertheless, every player in Stronghold will take on a specific role.

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Guild Wars 2 with Strategy

In addition to the Skrits, there are also siege weapons and special NPC heroes. These are depicted in the video as particularly large and, according to Corpening, aim to make the PvP mode even more strategic. According to the PvP team leader, player feedback during the development of the Stronghold map and all its mechanics was of great importance. Ultimately, they bundled the best ideas that could complement each other and fit into the game:

Really what we did was we took all that feedback, and we looked at the mechanics that we’ve seen have worked for our game mode, and the mechanics that didn’t work for our game mode, and really looked to make something that was right for Guild Wars 2 and the amazing combat we have.

We hope that the Stronghold mode will differ from the current World vs World mode. But the teasers promise exciting battles and make the anticipation for the upcoming addon even greater. It is obvious that ArenaNet continues to try to establish Guild Wars 2 in the eSports scene. No wonder, as this is a very attractive market. It is only logical to introduce a PvP mode with MOBA elements. Will it succeed this time?

We definitely see this being the future of PvP for Guild Wars 2.

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The Elder Scrolls Online: Update 6 is set to arrive in 2 weeks

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In The Elder Scrolls Online, the last week of February has been targeted as the release date for the massive Update 6.

In the official forum of the soon-to-be Buy2Play-MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, there is now an initial assessment for the release of the huge Update 6 on the live servers. According to Jessica Folsom, the last week of February has been targeted. That would likely be the 24th or 25th of February.

We are aiming to get Update 6 out on the live megaservers the last week of February, yep. If that changes, we’ll let everyone know!

It’s about time for TESO as well. On March 17, they plan to switch to a Buy2Play-MMO as “Tamriel Unlimited” and want to have the patch on the live servers beforehand to allow for a bit of a buffer.

But it is also clear: It wouldn’t really surprise anyone if it took another week longer and it would only be ready on the 2nd or 3rd of March. Should the end-of-February date get postponed again, they will inform us at Zenimax.

The Elder Scrolls Online

Mein MMO thinks: This is already a significant patch. When you consider that some hoped it could come out as early as the end of December to stay within the “new content every 6 weeks” schedule, it also shows that Zenimax has made adjustments and will continue to adjust. One can only hope that the patch does not cause any issues.

In recent months, far smaller updates led to lengthy issues. They cannot afford that this time. On March 17, the MMO world (and parts of the gaming world) will be looking at TESO. They need to be polished and reasonably bug-free.

Here is a small insight into what lurks in the Crown Store, the new cash shop of TESO, and what Zenimax has planned for the Buy2Play model.

And here is the 23-minute supercut of the TESO cinematics:

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Source(s):
  1. TESO Forum
  2. mmorpg.com

World of Warcraft: Mount from Level 1?

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time < 1 minutes

With the upcoming Patch 6.1 for World of Warcraft, a dream will finally come true for everyone who has been complaining for years about why you can only use a mount so late – at level 20, which takes about 4 hours. This timely content update will introduce a mount for level 1 – but not for everyone.

35 Heirlooms to the Motorcycle

The “Chauffered Chopper” is an account-bound vehicle and can be used immediately after character creation. However, this is only possible if the account owner already has at least 35 heirlooms in their collection, which will also be added with the upcoming patch.

Because in Azeroth, you only get the driver’s license at level 20, the motorized two-wheeler, as the name suggests, comes with its own chauffeur. He will reliably maneuver you through Elwynn or Tirisfal from then on.

But a lot of time will probably pass before you can call this fine piece your own. It can take quite a while to obtain 35 heirlooms – but then twinks won’t have to worry about their training anymore.

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Source(s):
  1. mmosite.com

ArcheAge: Introduction of Diamond Coast and the first shitstorm in 2015, this time: Blue Dolphin

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

In ArcheAge , the new zone Diamond Coast will soon be coming, meanwhile, players are upset with Trion Worlds and the cash shop policy. There they say: It is not always our decision.

Diamond Coast will be a PvP Zone

The official part first, the press release: Trion Worlds has today outlined the new zone “Diamond Coast” in Auroria in a post on the official site. Unlike the release on the Korean servers, PvP will be active here. However, not in the instances.

The library will probably become the main place where many players level up to 55. At least there they should have peace from others. When the Diamond Coast comes, more mobs in the surrounding area will also be leveled up.

Regarding the topic of “Diamond Coast”, there is an official blog entry, this time even in German. Therefore, we save all further details and send you directly there.

ArcheAge-Bibliothek

Issues with Cyanfin

The rather unofficial part of our ArcheAge news: There are issues. Peace lasted for 6 weeks in 2015, now some of the given promises are being retracted and restricted. The original plans probably pleased Trion Worlds better as well, but it seems that it has now been decided otherwise. Annoyingly, the plans had already been presented, creating a sense of “Now everything is changing”.

ArcheAge-Fusciafin
Fusciafin.

From Friday, players can obtain a new blue dolphin mount called “Cynafin”. This is a reskin of the world drop “Fusciafin” from the 10-man raid Sea of Drowned Love. It seems that this thing drops extremely rarely from the final boss Dahuta.

The blue dolphin mount will not be “Best-in-Slot”, but rather slower than the purple original. It can scout boats with the short sonar, sprint, and perform some tricks.

Why is there an issue with this? Well, Trion Worlds is putting it as a probably very rare reward in a new RNG box.

ArcheAge-Cynfin
Cyanfin.

Loud part of the ArcheAge community rejects RNG boxes

Players, at least those who express their views in the forum, hate these boxes. The arguments in bullet points:

  • It is a mystery what percentage of the mount is actually in there.
  • There are too many blanks.
  • The expenses are unpredictable.
  • They have made it clear multiple times how much they hate these boxes.
  • Trion Worlds promised to communicate more openly.
  • They should offer the mount for a fixed price in the shop, that’s how it’s done in Korea.

Here is the blue dolphin mount in the Korean version:

http://youtu.be/l7ZjOnwXlXU

Furthermore, theories are now emerging that the original dolphin was intentionally made so rare that now more players would long for the blue mount and spend money on it. The loud reaction is: “So it’s just like before.”

Trion Worlds says: It is not our decision

The new producer of ArcheAge is trying to calm the situation. They communicated this in advance to clarify what players can expect from Friday. They are aware that players reject the RNG boxes. But it is not always solely Trion Worlds’ decision how such items are released.

I realize that supply crates are probably the least favorite marketplace sales method. My goal in telling you about this now is to set expectations of how it’s going to be available this Friday. Regretfully, it’s not always solely our decision as to how these items are released.

ArcheAge-Exotisch

The original idea to reward coveted and rare items not only through “Supply Crates” (the RNG boxes), but also through loyalty points, has probably now been restricted. For items that also have other drop methods, this will not be possible, although the original concept was much better received by the fans.

Our original goal was to move forward with highly desired supply crate items also being available for LP. We saw a much more positive reaction from that concept. It was determined that the LP store shouldn’t be used for supply crate items that already have a secondary drop method, which the dolphin does.

Mein MMO says: There is a reason why the collaboration between Trion Worlds and the Korean developers of XLGames topped our list of MMO Fails in 2014.

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

Evolve: With a slightly different trailer (Honest Trailer)

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The asymmetrical MOBA Evolve has now received an Honest Trailer from Smosh Games.

Evolve Goliath Leap

The Honest Trailers by Smosh Games enjoy immense popularity. In the style of a Hollywood trailer, a game or movie is dissected.

This time it’s the fresh “Evolve”. And after yesterday’s official launch trailer , this one provides a nice contrast.

The narrator is clearly a fan of the monster. This seems to him the much more sensible alternative to working with “three strangers from the internet”, as one knows from LoL how well that works. Every “normal” person fulfills their childhood dream and becomes the monster.

Let’s see if Evolve actually joins Titanfall and Destiny in the lineup of games that we all play like crazy for a month and then forget that they even exist, as he says.

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

Black Desert: This is what the new zone Media looks like in the video

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes
Black Desert - All Under One Roof

The Korean MMO Black Desert is still in open beta and constantly evolving. Now, a new area called Media has been released.

5 out of 8 classes are already available in Black Desert, the sixth is expected to follow this month, and they are gradually completing the regions as well. An open beta for Asian MMOs is almost equivalent to a release, though it is still being developed. Now, with “Media,” a new zone has been added.

It offers 4 hunting grounds and 3 “regions”. 100 new monsters are expected to roam the area and will join the existing hordes of enemies already present in Black Desert. The 100 new monsters are in levels 51 to 55. They are also expected to require new combat dynamics.

You can find many screenshots about Media and what is happening there in this article.

For those who want to learn about the Korean MMO hope, we recommend our comprehensive Black Desert preview.

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Source(s):
  1. 2p

WildStar: NCSoft’s financial report paints a bleak picture; Guild Wars 2 stable

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The SF-MMO WildStar appears in the financial report of NCSoft, and the numbers look bad. The fantasy MMORPG Guild Wars 2, on the other hand, remains relatively stable.

Quarterly, the Korean software giant NCSoft publishes numbers that reveal how the publisher’s games are performing. Now the figures for the fourth quarter of 2014 are available.

The company itself is doing great. It’s been a record quarter, except for the fourth quarter of 2012 when Guild Wars 2 was released, as reported. Guild Wars 2 remains stable in sales compared to the third quarter. There has been little change. However, compared to 2013, they continue to struggle.

The big problem child is WildStar. In the fourth quarter, revenues have further declined. They now stand at one-third compared to the previous quarter. And that did not look good either.

WildStar-Problems

In the fourth quarter of 2014, WildStar only generated about 29% of what Guild Wars 2 brought in. And this, despite still being in the first year, which is usually the strongest for an MMO.

WildStar-Crisis2

Due to the weaker quarter for WildStar, the West represents even less of NCSoft’s revenue than in the last quarter. It now accounts for just over 10%. With a new president at the helm, that could change soon. She focuses on North America and Europe and studied in the USA.

NCSoft continues to generate significant revenue with so-called “legacy games,” meaning relatively old titles. In Korea, Lineage 1 continues to achieve record numbers. Aion is also performing well. Blade & Soul showed improvement compared to the previous quarter, attributed to its launch in Taiwan, as NCSoft reports.

Guild-Wars-2-Glider

This is the current state of Guild Wars 2, WildStar, and Blade & Soul

WildStar has already been affected by austerity measures in the past. However, Carbine states that NCSoft still believes in the game’s success and is allowing the studio time to further develop and restructure the game. For 2015, the SF-MMO plans a restructuring: WildStar aims to be more accessible and open.

At Guild Wars 2 and ArenaNet, the future looks somewhat rosier. In 2014, they remained stable throughout the year. In 2015, with Heart of Thorns, a new expansion is expected to give the game a boost.

Another MMO from NCSoft could soon be relevant for us in the West: In 2015, a Western release of Blade & Soul is expected. However, fans have been waiting for details on this for a long time. Apparently, NCSoft still lacks key employees for localization and distribution in the West.

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

The Division: New York in January during the Apocalypse

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the upcoming MMO shooter Tom Clancy’s The Division , New York will be at the center. In a blog post, one of the developers explains how he researches to capture this feeling.

New York will not only be the backdrop of the MMO shooter The Division, but will play a central role. Therefore, the Ubisoft team is currently spending a lot of time exploring the city and drawing inspiration from the “real” Big Apple for the virtual one they will create. To do justice to the dense verticality of the city alone, one must wander through the streets of the city that never sleeps, look up at its skyscrapers, and breathe in the city. This is what Martin Hultberg, the IP Developer of the team, believes.

In January they were in New York: “In a way, we were lucky. The weather at this time of year is similar to our game, and because of the upcoming Super Bowl, the security measures were strict. At some points, the city felt like it was under siege.”

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The-Division-Winter-Soldier

There are so many service providers and their vehicles in the city. Maintenance work must be carried out constantly. Police officers were managing traffic. Plumbers were taking care of water damage. What if these lifelines, these regulating forces, all disappeared? Most New Yorkers, according to Hultberg, live with an empty refrigerator. They are permanently in cafes, eating in restaurants. What if they all closed?

The first thing that struck him when he crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, he writes, is how small one feels in the face of so many skyscrapers: “I spent many hours thinking about disasters and how to survive them. And I can tell you: I do not want to be in a modern city when everything goes off the rails. So many places from which you can be attacked. So few places to hide.”

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  1. Ubisoft

Destiny: The Fist Down

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In Destiny, the Titan ability “Fist of Havoc” creates spectacular situations in the Crucible, in the raid Crota’s End, and also in regular Strikes. The Super of the Striker subclass even provides for some creative cheesing.

Every class in Destiny has its quirks. The Hunter handles the knife excellently and uses the Golden Gun devastatingly, the Warlock is a Bomber who can rise from the dead. The Titan is a coveted bubble maker on one side, while on the other side, as a Striker, he already has some offensive potential with the “Fist of Havoc”. You can see in these videos how to creatively use this ability that has earned the Titan the nickname “Superman” more than once.

Ten Bounties at Once

Here, a particularly diligent Titan has selected 10 bounties and arranged them in such a way that he completes them all with a single Fist of Havoc. The moment is truly impressive. A lot of planning and time went into timing everything and saving the bounties. It could have been done differently – but it works with the Fist of Havoc.

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Superman in Crota’s End – Bridge Cheese

The Fist of Havoc is also used for a spectacular cheese or exploit in the raid Crota’s End. The stunt as “Superman” has entered the annals of Destiny’s history. It was discovered about two weeks ago. The “cheese” is so spectacular and creative that some are already asking Bungie to keep it in the game. Why is it called Superman? See for yourself …

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The Right Way to Kill a Boss

In Strikes, the Fist of Havoc is also used, as guardians use it for a particularly satisfying way to clear the hated strike boss out of the way. Here, Sekrion gets acquainted with the Fist of Havoc.

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… and Always a Welcome Sight in PvP

And of course, the Fist of Havoc also plays a role in the Crucible. Just this week, there is a top 5 list of spectacular plays that revolve exclusively around the Super ability of the Striker Titan in Destiny. He has the ability to really clean up with the Super.

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H1Z1 releases virtual T-shirts for survivors of player wipes

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In the survival MMO H1Z1, there are T-shirts, not real ones, but virtual ones.

“I survived Player Wipe 1” is printed on the front of the new T-shirt, and the back has three bullet holes. With this new cosmetic T-shirt, DGC aims to reward the most loyal players who have been playing since before the wipe.

The T-shirt was released today with the patch. The announced server wipe from a few days ago reset the game. Players had to adapt to new worlds afterward. Additionally, in H1Z1, each player can now only create one character per server.

What else was in the patch on February 10th is revealed in this video by ProNDC about H1Z1.

http://youtu.be/eG17h3nymAg
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Evolve: Launch trailer is monstrous

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

To Turtle Rock’s asymmetrical MOBA, the 4vs1 online team shooter, Evolve a launch trailer has been released.

Evolve Markov Guide

Today, Evolve is officially out. “Officially” better said, the first people have been playing for a few days now.

As it happens in the first hours: People are orienting themselves, there are already the first reviews and it is also being analyzed which resolution is on the Playstation 4 and which on the Xbox One, where it looks better. It actually seems at the moment that the PS4 is ahead, but there will surely be more on that in the coming days.

For now, Turtle Rock is delighting us with the launch trailer for Evolve. Our favorite part is always the blurbs: When you take two or three words from a lengthy review and quote them. Someone must have stayed up all night to decide whether to lead with “Intense!” or “4.5 of 5!”.

If you want to know more about the game and see some initial guides, we recommend our Evolve theme page.

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ArcheAge: Straw dummies rejoice! Trion Worlds removes the AFK timer

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

ArcheAge removes the AFK timer, players can now stay logged in for hours without tricks.

At the release of ArcheAge it was a major topic: The AFK timer! Players simply stayed logged in and tricked it, hitting straw dummies for hours or remaining in the character selection, blocking valuable space on the server. Others got stuck in queues and complained. Now the AFK timer is being removed.

ArcheAge_afk

At the release, the “Stay logged in” was crucial because it took an eternity to log in – with all the full queues. That is no longer a problem. Still, it is advantageous to stay logged in, after all, you get energy much faster or (for free-to-play players) only that way.

Speaking of energy: This is a sensitive topic. Users are already discussing on reddit how this will drive up the electricity bill.

In Germany, the AFK timer is supposed to be removed during maintenance work on the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, around 3:00 AM.

My MMO says: The “If you are logged in, you get” system that ArcheAge uses is actually an idea from the Asian region, where players play through internet cafes and pay by the hour. Publishers share in the revenues.

Here in Europe, where everyone has a computer at home, it always felt like a foreign body. Trion Worlds will definitely not win an award for environmental awareness by removing the AFK timer.

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Source(s):
  1. ArcheAge
  2. reddit

Destiny: No shooting – Raid team tackles the “Glass Chamber”

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In Destiny , the raid “The Glass Chamber” has now been defeated almost without violence. At least no shots were fired. The so-called “No Gun” run is receiving a lot of praise.

Just under a week ago, a command group of Titans accomplished something quite insane: They completely defeated the raid “Crota’s End” without firing a shot. Well … someone did drop a few shotgun shells, but it wasn’t that bad.

The video of their run is delighting Destiny fans around the world. There was a carefree atmosphere in the video. Lots of laughter. Players often wondered, just as fans at home did, how these unconventional “Punch in the Face” tactics in the raid really worked. Titans are already the favorites of many with their attitude “The bigger it is, the more fun it is to punch it”.

Now, some saw the performance of the six players and said, “Well, Crota’s End, the new raid, is also poorly designed.” There was a challenge posed on whether the players would manage to push through in the old raid, “The Glass Chamber”?

Destiny-Heart-of-Praxic-Fire
A heart for Exotics: Synergy effects are key.

Challenge accepted – Destiny Titan team takes on Atheon and his boys

In a new three-part video series, the heroes are now taking on the Glass Chamber. The raid is praised afterwards for its design and for the unusual strategies required from players.

This video series is also receiving a lot of enthusiasm from the Destiny community: “This is even better than the first time!”, is what one reads there. However, this time not only Titans are involved, but a Warlock is also being dragged along. Synergy effects are indeed key.

According to the players, “The Glass Chamber” wasn’t so hard without weapons. Only Atheon posed a problem, as he always ran out of grenades.

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War against the Demon Metacritic – Eurogamer abolishes numerical ratings

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

The numerical rating system and thus the rating aggregator Metacritic is under threat. The large European site Gaming-eurogamer.net wants to break away from “rating by numbers”.

Ratings are a sensitive topic in the gaming industry. Readers and the industry are attracted to these small or large numbers that condense massive articles into something that can be grasped at a glance.

Through this number, the success or failure of a product can supposedly be evaluated objectively. Just recently, the CEO of Take-Two stated before the release of Evolve, how important numbers are in the industry. This is not like movies, where a film is loved by critics but rejected by audiences. In games, critic opinions correlate with buying behavior.

In short: A rating above 90 brings in serious money. This is then also passed on to the developers: Allegedly, there were bonuses for Bungie connected to a high rating for Destiny, which were then not achieved.

Many readers skip the tedious reading of a review and jump straight to the end. Or they skip watching individual reviews altogether and go directly to metacritic, where ratings from large international magazines are mixed into an opinion mix that is supposed to provide an objective picture. A single review, so the logic goes, can be mistaken. If you put 50 in a pot and mix vigorously, the right thing will emerge.

Destiny-Polygon-Shirt
The US site Polygon gave Destiny a 6/10, the creators of the hit game proudly wore that on their chest.

Today, Eurogamer.net is one of the first “major” general gaming sites to break away from the rating system. Local editions are also pulling out. They only want to make recommendations in the future.

By doing so, they consciously give up their place in the Metacritic machinery. According to Eurogamer, they rejected an offer from Metacritic that practically wanted to “convert” their ratings. They apparently no longer find it acceptable that their differentiated opinion is reduced to a number that then has the influence that the review is supposed to have.

For many game creators, far too much is riding on a Metascore – good or bad – for us to allow it to be influenced by a rating that we don’t think represents us fairly, or that we don’t have full control over.

Over the years, we’ve come to believe that the influence of Metacritic on the games industry is not a healthy one (and we’re not alone in this opinion in the industry, either). This is not the fault of Metacritic itself or the people who made it, who just set out to create a useful resource for readers.

Evolve Goliath Trick
Large numbers are important for Evolve.

Only rough recommendations from now on

In the future, they want to give 4 “rough assessments”: they want to warn against bad players, say nothing about the average ones, recommend the better ones, and award the very best. However, Eurogamer-net would still like to keep the “Google stars”.

According to their own statements, Eurogamer is separating from the rating system because it no longer meets today’s demands. It does not do justice to the games, the readers, or the testers. Is it really fair for a brilliantly balanced multiplayer game to be penalized for a lack of story, they ask?

Additionally, Eurogamer states that ratings are inflating today. Even a 7/10 or 8/10 is portrayed as a disappointment.

About a month ago, the US site Joystiq also announced that it would forgo numerical ratings. The site has since been shut down.

Destiny-Dual-Banjos
Destiny allegedly lost a bonus because it scored too few points at Meta-Critic.

This is how we see it. How do you see it?

My MMO says: With all the good arguments: It is certainly also a strategic decision of the gaming site.

Who ends up as one of 80 numbers on Metacritic, from which the average is calculated, might feel somewhat flattered (especially as a German site), that they belong to this exclusive circle, but it doesn’t really bring clicks or prestige. It makes sense that Eurogamer retains the “Google stars” since they stand out and bring clicks. Of course, the review is also condensed to a much rougher “rating” here.

That clear numerical ratings are losing importance in today’s time seems clear to us as well. Our Cortyn has dealt with the topic in a Criticism Wednesday.

How do you see it? How would you like a rating system from us at mein-mmo.de?

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

World of Warcraft: After selfies now Mario Kart? First look at new Darkmoon race

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In World of Warcraft, the new race at the Darkmoon Faire is drawing comparisons to Mario Kart.

For some, the SELFIEs were absolutely the last thing that should be in a fantastical and dark world like World of Warcraft. However, they will probably enjoy the new Darkmoon racing better: With some absurd mini-games, WoW players have already gained a lot of experience, and the Darkmoon Faire exists somewhat outside the normal storyline, in a kind of meta-area.

The site Kotaku draws comparisons of the new race to the classic Mario Kart. On a set track, players would have to reach three markers as quickly as possible. Along the way, there are speed boosts, jump gear, and other gags. If other players are in the race, it is said that amusing chaos may occur, like in the game classic Mario Kart.

There is an initial video from the PTR for you, the event is supposed to become a part of patch 6.1, which is still to come:

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Source(s):
  1. kotaku

Destiny Nightfall: Weekly Nightfall Strike starting from 10.2. goes into the Nexus

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

In Destiny, the weekly Nightfall strike leads to the Nexus during the week of 2/10, facing Sekrion.

After all the craziness of the past two weeks with “Taste the rainbow” and Triple-Burn, this week we are back to basics: It’s time to go to the Nexus, facing Sekrion. The Nightfall in Destiny is a very important topic for many guardians because a successful completion not only offers the chance for great loot (exotics and such), but also provides a 24.5% bonus on all earned experience and reputation. And a cool graphical effect.

Destiny-Word-of-Crota

The modifiers in the Nexus during the week of 2/10 in the Nightfall

The five modifiers from 2/10 to 2/17 at 10:00 AM are:

  • Nightfall – If the fireteam dies, they return to orbit. The Nexus must be conquered from the beginning.
  • Epic – Makes it harder, otherwise it would just be heroic
  • Angry – Enemies are unaffected by heavy damage
  • Juggler – for the weapon you are holding when an enemy dies, you do not receive ammunition – and yes, this invites to tricks with the rocket launcher
  • Void-Burn, Void-Burn – Void damage is significantly increased, applies to guardians as well as monsters

The heroic weekly strike this time has no burn active, only Juggler.

Destiny-Wahrheit1212

Which weapons are recommended for the Nightfall this week in Destiny?

It’s about time to pull out the new weapons. Many guardians already have toys from Crota’s End, so the arsenal should slowly change. This week, Void weapons are in.

Primary: For a long time, the “Atheon’s Epilogue“, an auto rifle, was the front-runner. Now the preferred Void weapon should be the “Crota’s Word“, a Void hand cannon. If you have it, you have it.

Secondary: Efrideet’s Spear, the Iron Banner sniper rifle, in the Void version is definitely a great choice. If you own it and have re-rolled it accordingly. For those who prefer a riskier option: Swordbreaker, a Raid shotgun, some consider a good idea. The classic Praedyth’s Revenge is of course also an option.

Heavy weapons: The rocket launcher “Truth” should provide strong services. There are also cool Void machine guns.

And for Warlocks, we have an idea, that revolves around the Obsidian Will helmet.

Of course, there are other solutions for each weapon type as well. Generally, Void damage is favored and anything with range should be preferred.

Destiny-Efrideets-Speer
The thing with Void damage.

Tips, guides, safe spots for the Nexus?

For the Nightfall: The more players you go in with, the more aggressively you can play. Those going solo into the dusk should be extremely cautious. Otherwise, it can lead to frustration.

We will look for videos of successful, creative, or otherwise notable runs throughout the day and present them to you, also in German. You can learn something from that.

If you can’t wait: Here are the tips from the last time Sekrion was active with the combo, they are still valid – that was the Christmas Nightfall in Destiny.

As the first video, we present to you the passage of a German-speaking trio team. The Warlock has Obsidian Will on, along with Crota’s Word, the sniper rifle Sovereignty (from the Queen’s Wrath event). And the rocket launcher Truth. There is a safe spot with Sekrion, where a three-person team works with backups. It is a tricky strike, where one can easily go down. Caution is advised.
http://youtu.be/SLHQviwoO3Y
With English commentary, it goes solo through in a fast run, lasting only 6 minutes the video. The “important” parts are explained: Play passively at the beginning, stay in the retreat area. And here, the YouTuber already presents small tricks for the Servitor and safe spots. Then, he also gives tips on how to sneak through the middle part with minimal enemy contact, and has some extremely good advice for Sekrion as well.
http://youtu.be/jO7l0DMy0sE

And for those looking for help for the Nightfall, we recommend our article on how to find German-speaking players in Destiny.

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

SWTOR: Bioware brings the “real” Star Wars back

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

Better late than never: On the official website, the plans for the current year of the Free2Play MMO “Star Wars: The Old Republic” have now been revealed. While there are no major revelations from Bioware, all the already known goals are once again neatly listed.

Since this was probably too little to justify a separate developer post, they also talked a bit more about the general direction in which SWTOR is supposed to develop.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is an MMO, but also a Bioware game

SWTOR World Rishi

“Combat, exploration, progression, and story” are according to the lead producer Bruce Maclean the four core elements of a good MMO. While in recent years they mainly focused on combat and progression, they wanted to emphasize the “BioWare” aspect a bit more with “Shadow of Revan” and bring the story to the forefront. This will also be the case in the upcoming expansions. The personal character story will be woven into the narrative (at least partially) and new decisions are intended to carry more weight in future content.

I don’t want to give away too much, as we are still in the middle of development, but I can assure you that our plans for our game will bring the true Star Wars™ experience back to the forefront. – Bruce Maclean, Lead Producer.

2 Addons and a lot of “small stuff”

In total, they plan to release at least two major expansions this year – the first in summer and the second at the end of the year. In between, they want to keep the players entertained in other ways.

  • As previously reported, Patch 3.1 will bring the hard difficulty level for the latest flashpoints on February 12 and the 4th PvP season will begin.
  • Several weeks later, they will implement the outfit designer into the game and advance the storyline on Ziost a bit to clarify open questions from the “Shadow of Revan” expansions.
  • In an even more distant future, there will be a new stronghold and of course the Togruta as a playable race.
    SWTOR Rishi Conflict FP

As soon as there are further information, we will of course keep you updated. You can read the entire developer post on swtor.com.

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

Shadow Realms: Electronic Arts cancels 4vs1 experiment; Bioware is to focus on SWTOR

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

Electronic Arts announces the end of the title “Shadow Realms”, it will not be further developed. The team from Bioware is supposed to focus more on Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Six months ago, there was an elaborate trailer campaign for this, and now it has come to an end. The title “Shadow Realms” will not be further developed. The team from Bioware worked on the game.

Shadow Realms was envisioned as a 4vs1 online game, where 4 “adventurers” faced a kind of dungeon. The opposing player was to throw dangers and difficulties in their way, ultimately aiming to triumph over them in a final confrontation or not.

Even at Gamescom in Cologne, Shadow Realms was promoted and presented as one of the upcoming major projects. Already in November, Electronic Arts had buried a MOBA project called “Dawngate”.

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As a reason for the end of Shadow Realms, EA states that it is more important for Bioware to dedicate itself to other projects. Thus, Bioware is supposed to focus primarily on the long-standing MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic, for which they have big plans in 2015 in light of the new trilogy.

But the biggest focus for our team in BioWare Austin will be on Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. As every Star Wars™ fan knows, this is a massive year in the Star Wars universe. We have some great plans for expanding this epic game this year, and look forward to sharing the news about those plans with our players in the coming weeks.

Ironically, the announcement of the end of Shadow Realms comes on the same day as Evolve an asymmetrical 4vs1 experiment just takes off. A push from the major U.S. gaming print magazine Game Informer likely made such a statement necessary. They had caught wind of it, inquired, and pressed for answers.

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Source(s):
  1. Game Informer

The Elder Scrolls Online: Armors for Orcs and Redguards will be more stylish with Update 6

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online, the new armors for the Orc and Redguard races are proudly presented. Here, attention has been paid to details.

Armors are important in The Elder Scrolls Online. There are always discussions about balance regarding armors; the light cloth armor, traditionally favored by magic users, is the strongest. Recently, there was a kill screen from the first Sanctum with 1.6 on the PTR, and as soon as only clothies stood around, everyone was once again throwing their hands over their heads.

Reddit-TESO-Killscreen
Kill screen Sanctum 1.6.

But it’s also about aesthetics. The design department at Zenimax has once again reflected and what they came up with can now be seen.

They have improved and redesigned the light, medium, and heavy armor of the Orcs and Redguards and now present the changes in detail.

There is no date known yet for when the Update 6 is supposed to go live. This week, copies of the characters for the test server are to be made again, so one can probably assume that it won’t happen this week. At the latest by mid-next month, when they switch to Buy2Play, they want to be ready.

Ork-leicht
Ork-mittel
Ork-schwer
rothwardone-leicht
rothwardone-mittel
rothwardone-schwer
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Source(s):
  1. ESO