At Destiny, Bungie employees have been sighted and observed again in the Tower. They were wearing old “The Vault of Glass” raid gear with a light level of 42, weapons that go up to 365 damage, and a Sparrow that hints at the Trials of Osiris event.
Trials of Osiris Sparrow
This has happened before, and every time it feels like a Yeti sighting: For a brief moment, a Guardian catches sight of a “test” account, snaps pictures like crazy, and later what is captured is analyzed and dissected by a thousand pairs of eyes. Because these test accounts have items that are not yet available in Destiny.
Right at the beginning, at the release, Guardians were already seen above level 20 (which was insane back then). Before the release of “Darkness Awaits,” Dr. Crispy, with new raid gear, stumbled through the forums as a kind of promotional gag, and now Bungie employees have been discovered in the Tower and managed to be seen briefly – this must point to the next DLC House of Wolves and what armor and weapon strengths to expect in Destiny: http://youtu.be/7_79Wt7TxeE
What the mysterious figures in Destiny were wearing
They had:
old raid gear from the raid “The Vault of Glass” with a light level of 42. This is probably the new theoretical maximum in “House of Wolves,” allowing a level of 34 to be reached. But of all things at the “old” VoG raid, which Bungie says is frozen in time?
Users on reddit are discussing and talking themselves into a frenzy. What does this mean? There are two theories:
Theory 1: These are Bungie testers, and they are really testing these new items, which will be added to the game. We will get old raid gear with a light level of 42, the old raids count again and Trials of Osiris is starting soon.
Theory 2: These are Bungie testers, but they are only wearing placeholder items and what is seen there has no impact on how it will actually be; instead, testers want to test items that have not yet been implemented in a live environment, and adjust their old gear accordingly.
Our friends at ProNDC are dealing with this sighting.
http://youtu.be/LrMSNAU0cOE
Mysterious, although one probably shouldn’t read too much into it. What do you think?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The first three maps have been introduced with artwork in Overwatch.
Ah, it’s a bit like in a Bond film. In London, red buses drive, in Egypt there’s no Arab Spring, but the Sphinx, and in Japan they don’t worry about Fukushima, the economic crisis or the Yakuza, but there are cherry blossoms.
The world is fine in Overwatch, the new shooter from Blizzard. It doesn’t take place in a fantasy world, but in the future of our Earth, well, “future” and “our.”
We have images of the artwork of the three maps for you, which already give a taste of the aesthetics that Blizzard envisions here.
Hanamura will be the map in Japan. It’s a “remote retreat” far from the hustle and bustle of the technized metropolis. It is played here in the well-known point control mode. Known to Blizzard veterans as “At least we have the stables!”-Arathi Basin.
The Temple of Anubis in Egypt serves as the backdrop for the second control map in Overwatch. Players fight for control of the temple and there are “secrets” lurking here.
In terms of game mode, King’s Row in London stands out. In “payload escort mode,” one team must try to get the “payload” to a destination. The other team must try to prevent it.
Blizzard’s online card game Hearthstone now has 25 million registered accounts and recorded its highest revenue month in December. However, the port to the iPhone is still missing, which many have high hopes for.
Reason for success 1: Hearthstone came to the tablet.
20 million registered players – that was the last number heard from Blizzard in September. It has now risen to 25 million. Thanks to the expansion “Goblins vs Gnomes” and the release for Android tablets, December 2014 was the strongest month for Hearthstone so far.
Reason for success 2: Goblins vs Gnomes.
Together with Destiny, the other new franchise at Activision, Hearthstone has generated 850 million USD.
In 2015, more Hearthstone content is expected, including new expansions and adventures. The port for the iPhones and Android phones is also still pending. Blizzard expects a lot from this.
And they are also winning awards
And as a bonus: At the DICE Awards in Vegas, a kind of video game Oscar, they also won the award for the best Mobile Game and the best Strategy/Simulation Game of the year on Thursday night.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The cheerful monster hunt has not yet begun and already there is a warning: Right at the launch of Evolve there will be a patch that will consist of approximately 3 GB.
Balancing – Wraith and Medic Nerfed
Although the balancing was more than satisfactory overall, there were still some minor inconsistencies that they want to change in time for the launch to provide all players with the best possible experience. Even if there are no official patch notes yet, some adjustments to the monster “Wraith” have likely been made. The medic Lazarus has also likely fallen victim to the nerf bat. Both were too often victorious in the beta and will probably have to accept an increase in their cooldowns.
Miscellaneous – Mobile Game, Bug Fixes and Elite Skins
In order to properly establish the connection with the new mobile game “Evolve: Hunters Quest“, it also requires new files in the main game. Lastly, they are of course fixing the recent bugs: Monsters and players should no longer be able to fall through the ground of a map and some gravitational effects have been normalized (Farewell, my flying Goliath, you crown of creation!).
The new elite skins will also make their way into the game and are now ready for release – the first version had been criticized for not differing enough from the normal skins.
The patch will unfortunately only be available on the release day – this also means that not all players will start the game simultaneously. Perhaps not such an unwise move to keep the server requests at a manageable level?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With the upcoming Guild Wars 2 expansion “Heart of Thorns” there will be a new element dedicated to character progression after level 80: the mastery system. We have summarized what exactly changes for veterans and how it is supposed to enhance your gameplay experience.
From level 80: XP for mastery paths
Once your character reaches level 80, the experience bar automatically transforms into the mastery bar. All XP gained from this point onward contributes to your current mastery path. If you are wondering: Yes, there will be no more skill points for “leveling after 80”; these will be obtainable through other endgame content.
How do I obtain mastery paths?
The various paths must first be unlocked with corresponding points. You can earn these points before level 80 (by fully uncovering some maps or solving jumping puzzles), but you can only spend them at max level. Depending on which path you wish to unlock, it costs a varying number of points. It is also important that all masteries apply to your entire account – this also applies to the required points.
So if your main character has already uncovered all maps, you don’t need to do this with a twink; the mastery points will only be credited once.
All well and good – what does the mastery system bring?
Depending on which path you have currently selected, there are new abilities available. With enough progress in the “Exploration Path,” you can summon a glider and soar through the air for a few seconds or save yourself from lethal fall damage. While the glider initially lasts only a few moments and can only be used for downward movement, it becomes better with increasing mastery levels and can (for some moments) be used like a real flying mount. This will grant access to new locations. If you invest in the “Story” path, you can learn the languages of new allies, unlock hidden locations in their areas, or learn some combat techniques from these friends.
Whether the system feels as good as it reads in theory remains to be seen. You can find the original announcement with more details (and often the word “mastery”) on the official website guildwars2.com.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny, a fan proposal finds favor with the team: to award titles for extraordinary achievements or accomplishments.
Anyone who logs into any MMO and kills 5 rats in a row gets a title. They can take it and wear it like a badge, displayed above their head, so that other players can instantly recognize what they have accomplished. This has been the case for years, roughly since the rise of the “Achievement” or “Success” system which flooded titles into the games.
There are already achievements in Destiny (the Grimoire points) – so why not titles as well? A fan on reddit suggested:
For killing 30,000 Dregs, the title Dreg-Slayer!
For 50 hard mode kills in a row – the title Epic Raider!
Killed Crota 10 times with a sword – Swordbearer!
Bungie likes the idea
A corresponding thread quickly gained attention on reddit, and fans came up with more suggestions. One suggested that after 5,000 deaths in the raid, the title “Flawless Raider” could be awarded, a nod to the coveted Playstation trophy.
Well, such threads appear more often on reddit, but this time particularly: Destiny’s community manager DeeJ showed up there and said: He likes these ideas. And he knows that some who could make these ideas reality like them.
Anyone who knows DeeJ and his rhetoric knows: This is about the most binding thing he has said in months. Normally, the maximum response from the community manager is: “Great! I will bring it up.”
So why not?
One can assume that player titles are something that Bungie has already discussed internally and likely approved. There’s hardly any reason why this “typical MMO idea” to motivate players should be missing, especially when the success system is already in the game. Well, it’s not carved in stone yet, but it wouldn’t be surprising if player titles might come to Destiny with Comet in September.
For the creators of Evolve, testing and ratings are important as they boost sales. The pre-sales look optimistic.
The asymmetric team shooter Evolve is already in the hot phase. And a hit is shaping up, as Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick says in an interview: “It’s going well. Usually, you get a sense of how things are shortly before release. Of course, we see the pre-sales numbers. It’s very positive.”
For Zelnick, reviews and the ratings at the end are important, as customers pay attention to them. It’s not like with movies. A mediocre comedy can still make revenue, but with games that have mediocre ratings, it’s different.
http://youtu.be/zlaPT08Tmxc
Prices and critics’ opinions are much more important for games than for films. A film can win the Palme d’Or and it would have hardly any impact on sales. However, a GTA 5, which scored 97% on Meta-Critic, is also a real bestseller: “Players care about that. They care about ratings, they read the reviews, they value the awards. Players want quality.”
With the first tests for Evolve to expect on Monday morning our time. The game will be released on Tuesday, February 10, for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The fantasy MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV aims to develop content even faster and switch to annual updates.
The head of Final Fantasy XIV, Naoki Yoshida, gave an interview in Japanese that has received a lot of attention and has been summarized by fans in English. The central statement is that the foundation has been laid to really get started. New game content is set to arrive even faster in the future. This fits with today’s times.
The upcoming expansion “Heavensward” will be released approximately one year and 9 months after the game’s launch. Yoshida has not yet provided a specific date. For the next expansion 4.0, they aim to stick to a one-year timeline.
The three new classes in Heavensward:
Add-Ons like Blockbusters
Between these expansions, larger patches will be released every 3 months, bringing new game content. Between these larger patches, there will be two or three smaller updates.
The add-ons of Final Fantasy XIV should feel like major “blockbusters,” like a new world, similar to “WoW.”
The content up to 3.5, that is, well into Heavensward, is already prepared and planned.
Mein MMO thinks: These are the two magical words every MMO fan dreams of hearing: “More content.” So far, Final Fantasy XIV has managed to do the seemingly impossible: revive a dead game and repair a botched first impression.
If anyone can achieve this milestone of “one full expansion per year” in today’s times, it is probably Yoshida and his team. Games from earlier generations managed to do this too, but industry giant World of Warcraft, for instance, has been struggling for at least 6 years to stay on schedule. And ugly content droughts are the result. So far, hardly anyone has complained about something like this in FF XIV. With an annual expansion, if it indeed is as extensive as suggested here, the future of Final Fantasy XIV looks bright.
The lead designer of World of Warcraft now gives tips on how guilds should approach the new raid, the Blackrock Foundry. The order in which you tackle the bosses of the Blackrock Foundry is important.
Regarding the new raid “Blackrock Foundry”, there is a bit of stress in the US forum of World of Warcraft. Is it currently “overtuned” or “undertuned”? Too hard or too easy, is being discussed. This brought WoW lead designer Ion Hazzikostas to the forefront, who explained the Blackrock Foundry.
Wing raid like Naxxramas
It is a “wing” raid, like Naxxramas back in the day. This requires a change in mindset for players. The bosses become harder “within” their wings. If you suddenly face the Crucible Collective after Gruul and the Ironcrusher, you might feel overwhelmed. This is because you would jump from boss 1-3 directly to boss 7. It would be better to switch wings and continue elsewhere.
The first bosses like Gruul or Darmac are entry bosses. You might want to save the “wing bosses” for later.
The early bosses of other wings will offer a more suitable challenge, and will offer valuable item upgrades to help prepare you for the end bosses of each wing, and of course for Blackhand himself.
Fruit of the fallen.
Designed as a complement to Highmaul, not as a replacement
And for players who find the Blackrock Foundry raid too easy, the lead designer also has an answer: The raid actually belongs to the first raid tier, so it is practically on par with Highmaul.
Here, they are still experimenting with a proper strategy. For Cataclysm, all raids of a tier were launched at the same time, which overwhelmed players; they were inundated with content. In Mists of Pandaria, they waited a month with the raid “Heart of Fear”. This also gave some players the impression: Blizzard is rushing us, we are too slow.
Now they waited two months, and players are starting to feel: This is a new raid tier. And the raid seems too easy, especially because players had such a long time to farm a raid at a similar level.
At Blizzard, they design the raid with players in mind who can typically defeat about one or two “new” bosses per week while collecting better gear.
Intense.
Blackhand tough nut, only eight guilds have killed him on HC
A bit overtuned, Hazzikostas admits that the final boss Blackhand is probably the toughest at the moment. But only a bit! He is supposed to be hard.
At the moment (7.2.; 9:45) eight guilds have defeated Blackhand on HC worldwide. The Chinese guild Style War was the first in the world.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMO shooter Destiny had a strong weekend. At DICE, a sort of Oscar for games, there were four awards, including the one for best Action Game. In Activision’s financial report, Destiny was the star.
While we complain, Bungie humbly bows
While the fans are currently forming resistance in forums against the Weekly Update (“What?! No new DLC in March?”) and the new weapon changes didn’t exactly go down well (“The Necrochasm is already so weak!” “Great, I finally have a good weapon and they’re nerfing it already!”), while all this was happening, Destiny simultaneously racked up four trophies at the gaming Oscars “DICE” in Vegas and shone in Activision’s annual report with huge numbers.
It’s going well for you, Destiny!
Four DICE Awards for Action, Sound, Music, and Online
Thus, there was the award for the best Action Game of the year against Call of Duty, Titanfall, Farcry, and Wolfenstein. Destiny also won the award for the best online experience. Additionally, it snatched awards again for the best music and the best sound effects.
Four awards for Destiny. Not bad. The other big winner in the “technical categories” was “Shadow of Mordor”, which emptied out all the minor categories like the Oscars 2004 did with the movie The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The actual winner, the ultimate Game of the Year, was Dragon Age: Inquisition.
The DICE conference is an event in the video game industry in Vegas. The award ceremony generally receives a lot of attention.
Destiny also shone in Activision’s annual report. While there were no awards, there were impressive numbers. Destiny has gathered 16 million registered players since launch, it was revealed. The still active Destiny players (no number was provided here) spend three hours with the game each day.
Destiny, along with Hearthstone , generated 850 million US dollars.
Destiny is seen as a valuable new franchise in the team and they are very satisfied with the launch.
Mein MMO says:When it comes to the player counts, one has to be a bit careful, as always when numbers are mentioned. They talk about “registered accounts”, which might also count players who only played the demo, and not all 16 million are still active and playing. Nevertheless, impressive numbers. Especially the three hours a day are of course amazing.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Game developer Wargaming is changing course with its naval combat MMO World of Warships and is now presenting a pure gameplay video instead of cinematics. Is this a sign that they are picking up speed with the latest Free2Play offshoot and are swimming full speed ahead towards release?
After World of Tanks and World of Warplanes, they are setting sail with World of Warships for the first time. With battleships, aircraft carriers and fighter planes, the navy covers another chapter in warfare. After tanks and planes, this was the next logical step to further solidify their dominance in war simulations. Wargaming is considered the market leader in this specific niche.
But when will World of Warships be released? There is no official release date yet, but the number of beta participants is steadily increasing. This is often an indication in the industry that the game is gradually maturing for a wider audience and that the release date is not far off.
Just last week, over 50,000 players participated worldwide in a beta weekend, as Wargaming visualized in an infographic. This was the first major event after the maiden voyage at Gamescom. In the official forums, players who participated in these naval battles are speaking of a fairly well-developed beta version. Release estimates range from the 3rd quarter of 2015 to early 2016. In a Q&A stream, a developer assured that they are planning a release in 2015.
The survival MMO H1Z1 plans to change the rendering and lighting system. This will create differentiated lighting changes and generally more impressive graphics.
Yes, somehow fitting to the name. Since it changed from SOE to “Daybreak Gaming Company”, they seem to place greater value on cohesive lighting conditions. The H1Z1 team at DGC has announced that they will work on the lighting conditions of H1Z1.
For this, they present some impressive “before/after” images. Currently, they are working on implementing this. No information about a timeline has been given yet.
The fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online explained the processes by which PC players can switch their character to the consoles Playstation 4 or Xbox One.
Last summer there was quite a stir. The console version of The Elder Scrolls Online was delayed by half a year . Later it was said indefinitely. Today we know: for a year.
In this tumultuous atmosphere, Zenimax made players an “immoral offer.” Console players could already purchase and play a version of The Elder Scrolls Online for PC. When the console version eventually comes out, they could convert their PC version to the new console version for a small fee and take their characters with them.
The details have been clarified by now.
Just a little wait …
One into two
Zenimax will contact all players with accounts that have “qualified for the transfer” before June and ask if they would like to take advantage of it.
All players who purchased The Elder Scrolls Online before June 30, 2014, and activated their account are qualified. The transfer fee is 14.99 euros.
The transfer will proceed in such a way that the existing characters and account progress on PC will be “copied” to a new account on Xbox One or Playstation 4. The “old” account will not be deleted but will remain active. These players will not have to purchase Tamriel Unlimited again on the console.
The accounts will remain separate. This means: one character will then become “two,” and both will continue to develop separately from that point on, if someone wants to play on both PC and console. This is similar to a transfer to the test server.
At the moment, it is still unclear whether any acquired DLCs on PC will be transferred to the new console account and, if so, whether they will remain on the “old” copy or not. For instance, crowns are not supposed to be transferred. Only the transfer of characters with their stats and the items they are wearing or have in the bank is guaranteed.
Furthermore, it is still unknown whether gold, bank, and inventory space will be taken to the console. Zenimax is still discussing this with Sony and Microsoft.
Mein MMO says: The absurdity will be that on the fresh mega-servers of the consoles, there will be plenty of characters at level 1 running around, alongside year-old “veterans”.
According to a recent study on the MMO genre, only 1 in 16 players remains with a free-to-play title over a one-year period.
Super-Data is a research institute that continuously provides exciting statistics on MMOs. They define the term MMO much broader than is normally customary, also including MOBAs like Dota 2 and LoL.
And another one gone – games consume players
The data obtained this time paints a severe picture for free-to-play titles. Of the players who enter the new world at release on day one, only half remain after a week. After a month, 80% are gone. Only one in five is still playing.
After six months, this number has halved again: then only about one in ten is still playing. After a full year, it drops to one in 16. Another six months more, and only one in 33 is still playing.
And these are the players who joined at launch, during the release month. Those who start later leave even sooner. For example, those who log into a free-to-play MMO for the first time a year after the release are 97% likely to be gone after a month.
After 2 years, free-to-play MMOs get more “loyal” customers
This trend of “the later you start, the sooner you stop” reverses only after two years. Then the “quality” of newcomers increases. Those who start in the free-to-play MMO now have heard about it from friends and are more likely to stay.
According to Super-Data, it can be concluded that a strong launch with a front-loaded advertising campaign is essential for a free-to-play MMO. The first month is also crucial. Free-to-play MMOs that manage to remain relevant even after two years can count on “valuable” new players who stay engaged longer.
Likely to also launch as a free-to-play title: The AAA-Korea-MMO Black Desert.
My MMO says:It can be assumed that there are likely significant differences between a triple-A free-to-play MMO and the many “smaller titles.” However, the strong monetization intentions of free-to-play games, especially at launch, can be explained: There are still plenty of players from whom money can be made. And with an investment in the game, the chance that players will stay is likely higher. After all, they want to earn a return on their investment.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The long-awaited game “Evolve” is just around the corner, and in a few days the official launch will finally kick off. So that you can dive straight into the first online matches, we’ve put together a guide to introduce you to the 4 starting hunters.
Before each match, you can choose what you would like to play, but there’s no guarantee for that. To ensure you perform well even in roles you may not prefer, you should keep reading!
First: The tips mentioned here mainly apply to the “Hunting” mode, but can largely be transferred to all other game modes – usually, only the aspect of monster hunting is omitted. Additionally, these tips are meant to be beginner’s aids. There are surely countless other ways to play the characters more effectively! However, for a somewhat successful start, this hunter guide should suffice.
General about the Hunters
No matter which of the four hunters you get assigned: You are a team! Your only and decisive advantage lies in your numbers! Never waste this circumstance by distancing yourself from the group and going off solo, no matter how “incompetent” you think your teammates are!
Individual hunters can jump on the monster and kill it without any possibility of resistance. If you really want to split up, make sure to always have at least one other teammate with you – otherwise, you’ll quickly become a victim of the monster or the environment.
All hunters have three different weapons or equipment items as well as a “special” ability with a relatively long cooldown.
Class: The Medic, Val
Quick guide, sorted by priority:
Revive downed teammates with the Medi-Gun
Slow and mark the monster with tranquilizer arrows
Target weak points with the sniper rifle
Heal allies
Although Val is the group’s medic, healing with the Medi-Gun is only a small part of your responsibilities. You should primarily use the Medi-Gun between encounters with the monster to keep your group alive, as healing during encounters is usually too minimal. While your sniper rifle sounds tempting, the damage is negligible – use it only to target weak points on the monster where your teammates can inflict additional wounds.
Most of the time, you will spend using the tranquilizer gun. This weapon doesn’t inflict damage, but it slows the monster down, making it move only very slowly. As if that weren’t cruel enough, you can even see the beast for a short time through walls while using it. Try to maintain the stun as long as possible; a permanently incapacitated monster has little chance to escape and is a much lesser threat.
Only when a teammate goes down should you switch to the Medi-Gun and try to revive him – ideally, coordinate with the support, when they protect the downed teammate with a shield, your friend will be back on his feet quickly. You should keep the healing burst (Key 4) on cooldown as soon as you take damage yourself – because without you, the team loses not only the healer, but also the incapacity of the monster becomes impossible.
Always position yourself on higher ground from where you can see the entire battlefield. When the monster climbs up to you, it usually exposes itself to your teammates’ line of fire, and you can escape using the jetpack.
Class: The Trapper, Maggie (and Daisy)
Quick guide, sorted by priority:
Trap the monster in the dome
Restrict the monster’s movement with harpoon mines
Inflict damage with the submachine gun
As Maggie, your main task is to track and hold the monster in one place. Instead of a third weapon, she has her snapping companion “Daisy,” who I will dedicate a separate section to below.
You should either cleverly place harpoon mines near other teammates or at a choke point through which the monster might escape, but never all in one place! The monster can destroy the mines with a single hit, but this won’t happen if they are spread out.
Like all trappers, you also have access to the “Dome”. Once activated, it captures all creatures in an artificial arena. Every being can enter the arena voluntarily, but cannot leave! If the monster is successfully trapped, stay alive at all costs! As soon as Maggie goes down, the dome collapses – making her the main target for every monster player. If the arena has not captured the monster, it can be manually dismantled by holding the “4” key long – but the cooldown is still active.
When the monster is trapped in the dome and all harpoon mines are placed, you can comfortably switch to the submachine gun and deal some damage. If there are weak points on the enemy, it’s best to use short, controlled bursts since the weapon has a massive recoil.
Daisy: Maggie’s “dog” is controlled by AI and cannot inflict any damage, yet she will decide many matches in favor of the hunters. If the hunters cannot find a trace of the monster, Daisy will point them in the correct direction. When she follows the monster’s trail, she has a yellow symbol over her head. Once the symbol turns red, the monster is sneaking nearby – exactly the right time for a dome!
Most of the time, it won’t help to follow Daisy blindly; sometimes you need to lead and guide her to startled birds so she can find a new trail. Aside from this behavior, Daisy counts as a full-fledged hunter: She can help injured hunters back on their feet, and even if all others have died – as long as Daisy lives, the hunters are still in the game.
Class: The Support, Hank
Quick guide, sorted by priority:
Protect teammates with the shield generator
Rescue allies with an orbital strike
Use group cloak to revive/escape
Deal damage with the laser cutter
Hank’s role as “Support” is relatively straightforward. With his shield generator, he can prevent all damage a hunter would suffer. The battery is limited, but begins to recharge in less than a second – so if you activate the shield at just the right moment, you can theoretically keep a single teammate safe from damage indefinitely – but be careful! A somewhat clever monster player will naturally trace the shield beam back to its source, and you cannot use it on yourself.
The orbital strike can be used defensively or offensively. If a teammate is down, you can force the monster to leave that player alone. If the monster’s movement is restricted (through traps or stuns), you can also use the orbital strike for offense. No weapon in the game inflicts more damage! If all the rockets hit their target, even a level 3 monster loses half its health.
When the situation seems hopeless, use the group cloak. In stealth mode, you can revive comrades or escape to bridge the last few seconds until the next ship arrives. Only when the monster is at a distance and all hunters are relatively safely positioned should you switch to the laser cutter with Hank. This weapon is incredibly precise and can inflict devastating damage on exposed weak points. However, damage is never more important than protecting teammates!
Class: The Assault, Markov
Quick guide, sorted by priority:
Place bow mines
Unload the lightning gun, switch to the submachine gun during cooldown
Markov is the Assault and thus the primary damage dealer of the group. As soon as the fight begins (ideally even before, if you can set it up), you should place all five bow mines – preferably near an important team member, such as the trapper or medic. The mines deal massive damage and can effectively keep a monster at bay or force it to disable the mines first.
Once you are at close range to the monster, switch to the lightning gun. It deals constant damage and doesn’t even need precise aiming; as long as you are roughly aiming at the monster, it inflicts damage. Important: The lightning gun does not benefit from weak points and headshots! If there are many weak points on the monster (or the battery of the lightning gun is depleted), you should immediately switch to the submachine gun and aim for headshots.
Save your personal shield generator (Key 4) for emergencies, as soon as you catch the monster’s attention or if it surprises you with a sneak attack. This often gives your teammates enough time to rescue you or allows you to inflict heavy damage on the enemy for a few more seconds.
Especially important: Do not desperately shoot at a distant monster that is fleeing! As long as the monster is considered “in combat,” it receives bonuses to its travel abilities – if you cannot deal significant damage, it is better not to inflict any!
Conclusion
I hope this little beginner’s guide has pleased you (it has turned out longer than planned) and helps some readers to have an easier start in the game. If you have criticism, suggestions, or additional tips for the individual hunters, please let me know.
If desired, I can also gladly write further guides, where I address specific game situations or take a closer look at the monsters. Let me know in the comments!
However, if you want to eat hunters instead, I can recommend another guide: The Goliath Guide.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny, on Friday, February 6, the black market trader Xur arrives in the Tower and offers his exotic goods. What does he have for sale? Where is he?
Xur has developed a fascination for the DLC exotics in the last 5 weeks. He had DLC armor pieces with him 12 out of 15 possible times. Additionally, he has offered an exotic weapon from the DLC four times in the last 6 weeks. Since he can only offer two of them and they are both not that great, many Guardians are frustrated.
Now there was rather “bad” news for many yesterday in Destiny: the DLC House of Wolves will not arrive until April at the earliest, many expect it rather in May. “It’s about time that Bungie makes us happy with Xur,” many hope now. We will see. But remember: Xur is the guy who ruined Christmas with the No Land Beyond.
Hm … Tuna.
Absurd rumors about Xur circulating
A request: Rumors about Xur are now appearing more frequently – from some dubious sources. There have been “Bungie employees” holding Q&A sessions where they talked about Icebreaker or Gjallarhorn and when they will be available again and whether they will ever return. You should not pay attention to such rumors. Someone is playing with the credulity of people and their need for information about the mysterious and otherworldly.
You might as well believe a fortune teller who promises to contact your deceased cat Miezi. You could also ask us what Miezi thinks in the afterlife: about tuna. Cats always think about tuna.
Which brings us back to Xur.
Everything about Xur, the Agent of the Nine, on February 6, 7, and 8 in Destiny
When does Xur come and when does he leave again?
Xur will arrive on Friday, February 6, at 10:00 AM German time in the Tower and will disappear on Sunday, February 8, also at 10:00 AM.
Where is Xur, what is his position?
Xur is in the Hangar. Our friends from ProNDC have a video for you:
http://youtu.be/VjdQZLmoPZA
What is the meaning of the numbers in parentheses behind the armor?
These are the values in intellect, discipline, or strength that the respective item has. The first number is “naked”, the second, when the item is fully upgraded. We provide the numbers as exotic armors can reach different high values in Destiny, even if they are identical otherwise. You can learn more in this article.
What does Xur have for Titans, Hunters, Warlocks in Destiny?
As a weapon, Xur is selling this week the exotic fusion rifle Plan C for 17 strange coins.
For Hunters, he has the exotic DLC gloves “Don’t Touch Me”(104/111 – strong) with him.
For Warlocks, he is selling the exotic gloves “Sunbreaker.” (98/105)
For Titans, he has the helmet “The Glasshouse” (super strong 118/127) with him.
This week, he is selling a glove engram. Xur does not have any heavy ammo syntheses.
What can Xur upgrade in terms of armor and weapons this week?
Xur can upgrade “old” exotic weapons (up to damage value 300) and “old” exotic armors (up to light value 30) into the new variants, which can reach a damage value of 331 and a light value of 36. However, he wants a decent amount of Glimmer, the “old” version of the Exotic, and an exotic shard. You can find out more about upgrading in Destiny here. The Vex Mythoclast, by the way, cannot be upgraded.
He can upgrade the following exotic weapons this week:
The MMORPG World of Warcraft still had over 10 million paying customers at the end of December.
At Activision, there was the “Earning Call” to the investors, which keeps them updated on how things are going: And things are going well. World of Warcraft was also above the mark of 10 million paying players at the end of the last quarter, around New Year’s Eve.
This includes both subscribers and players in their free month, as well as gamers who have played for at least one hour in Asian internet cafes and paid for it in the last 30 days. So it’s not just “subscribers” in our sense that are included in the ten million. In an article, we dealt with this.
Warlords of Draenor sold 3.3 million copies in the first 24 hours and managed to retain many players.
Mike Morhaine from Blizzard calls the expansion Warlords of Draenor a great success and primarily attributes it to the 90 boost. This has brought many players back.
However, according to mmo-champion, a decline is expected in the coming months, as with previous expansions. It is assumed that it will be stronger in Asia than in the West.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The next patch for Destiny, Update 1.1.1 in February, will shake up the weapon balance. The shotgun will become stronger in PvE, while popular Crucible weapons like the auto rifle will lose power.
On Thursday, February 5th, the Weekly Update briefly mentioned the DLC House of Wolves House of Wolves. It will not be released until the second quarter of 2015.
The vast majority of new information in Destiny referred to a change in weapon balance. This necessity arose from the fact that players disproportionately preferred the auto rifle in the Crucible and rarely used the pulse rifle. In PvE, shotguns are at a disadvantage.
This is how the changes are envisioned for February. The “Sandbox Designer” Jon Weisnewski is in charge of it.
Trend: Downward.
Auto Rifle: Less Damage, Shorter Range
The auto rifle is currently too strong in the Crucible. 6 of the 10 deadliest weapons were auto rifles. This is not only true for the Suros, the queen in PvP.
The dominant position of auto rifles as a weapon for every occasion is something they want to change. Bungie is consequently nerfing auto rifles by 2.5% and reducing their effective range. The latter affects auto rifles with high range less, while those with shorter range will be affected more.
Trend: Strongly upward.
Pulse Rifle – Nearly 10% Stronger
The pulse rifle, on the other hand, was hardly used in PvP. It was the least used weapon type overall. In PvP, it was only used 2% of the time, and in PvE only 6%. The pulse rifle is planned as a solid weapon for mid-range that can do a bit of everything.
To ensure that the pulse rifle plays a larger role in the future, its damage will be increased by 9.7%.
Trend: Downward.
Hand Cannons – Weaker at Long Range
Hand cannons are seen by Bungie as a weapon for medium range in Destiny, which can be fired from the hip but has weaknesses in sustained fire. Currently, they compete in the distance with the intended long-range weapons, the scout rifle and the sniper rifle.
Therefore, their effective range is reduced, and follow-up shots are weakened, as they are now more difficult to place.
Trend: Constant, but different.
Fusion Rifle – Beam Wider, but Less Focused
Fusion rifles have a unique role in Destiny; they require players to play proactively and demonstrate good awareness. Guardians must ensure they remain undisturbed while charging.
The fusion beam will be spread wider with 1.1.1 and will be less focused, especially at long range. This should make single “sniper” kills rarer, while dealing more damage to tightly grouped enemies. In the Crucible, players will start with less ammunition.
Trend: Steeply upward.
Shotgun – Double Damage in PvE
The shotgun is the big winner in PvE, in the fight against monsters. Its damage will simply be doubled.Here, it was completely underrepresented before, practically not appearing in the wild at all.
However, it will be made a bit weaker at long range to prevent players from killing from afar in the Crucible. The shotgun should remain a pure close-range weapon in Destiny.
Ammo restrictions in the Crucible also apply to it.
And the rest? It remains
With the sniper rifle, scout rifle, and the two heavy weapons, the rocket launcher and the machine gun, they are satisfied and make no changes.
The 10 deadliest weapons in the Crucible – from the last 30 days.
The changes are set to arrive with patch 1.1.1. It will also fix the issues with heavy ammo and will be rolled out to the servers by the end of February.
Here is another impressive image from Destiny, illustrating the discrepancy in weapons that makes these changes necessary. This is how much percentage of kills top players in Destiny make in story missions (above) or in the Crucible (below) with four different weapon types:
Xur will arrive in the Tower of Destiny much earlier than the patch. Xur will be there on Friday, February 6th at 10:00 AM, and we will report on it.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny, the DLC House of Wolves will no longer arrive in March, but rather in April, May, or June.
The Weekly Update was here and brought news. The release date for the second DLC “House of Wolves” is now set for the second quarter of 2015. This means it will come either in April, May, or June.
There are officially no further news about the DLC yet. They remain persistently silent. A dedicated team is working on the DLC, has planned surprises, but they don’t want to reveal anything yet, says Bungie. As the date approaches, details will be announced.
It is about involving players in the design decisions as well as giving the developers some breathing room and space for experimentation. The Weekly Update doesn’t say more.
The Backgrounds to the Destiny News
Mein MMO says: In a unconfirmed leak in early January, the game content of House of Wolves in Destiny was estimated to be roughly the same amount as in the last DLC “Darkness Falls”: a new raid, a new strike, a handful of new story missions.
The last DLC “Darkness Falls” was generally perceived as too thin for the price. The scope and direction of the DLC were heavily criticized by the press and players.
At the moment, some players are also wondering what they can still do until the next DLC in Destiny. When it was said at the beginning of the week that the next DLC wouldn’t come until May, it caused confusion. Especially since the competition will be stronger in May.
