Evolve: “We only make the game, we do not sell it”

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

The asymmetrical MOBA Evolve has received a lot of criticism after revealing the DLC plans yesterday. One of the co-founders of the Evolve studio Turtle Rock Studio addresses the criticism from fans. Times have changed.

Ouch, Turtle Rock probably didn’t expect that. The excitement of players for the new “Evolve” noticeably cooled yesterday, after a jungle of DLCs, different versions, and paid additional content was revealed.

Evolve Screenshot

Much criticism of the plans and prices

After all, the base game costs nearly 50 euros. When players then have to reach for their wallets again after months to spend 7.49€ for another hunter or even 14.99€ for a monster, it meets with incomprehension.

Especially in a market where players are currently learning to wait a half or full year until the “ultimate edition” or “game of the year” edition eventually goes over the virtual counter during a special promotion for a fraction of the original price – including all DLCs and expansions.

Evolve-the-last-4-hunters

“No one has to buy the DLC”

In a long post in the official forum, one of the co-founders of Turtle Rock Studios, Phil Robb, now responds to the fans’ criticism. The response can probably be summarized as “We are subject to the laws of the market.”

Robb explained that no one should feel compelled to buy the DLC. It is not mandatory. They still had many ideas for additional hunters and monsters that they could no longer implement in the game. Instead of throwing them away, they decided to develop them later. However, that costs money. It has to come in somehow.

As we got closer to finishing Evolve we ended up with designs for a bunch of monster and hunters that we just didn’t have the time and money to make. Instead of throw them all out, why not put together a budget to make them as DLC?

No one is forced to buy this DLC. They will pay attention to the balance. New monsters and hunters should not be stronger than the old ones. Furthermore, they enrich the game for “non-buyers” as they can play against the monsters and hunters.

Evolve

The market has changed

Robb subtly pointed out that at Turtle Rock they are not responsible for such decisions. They developed the game, and publisher 2K Games is now taking care of how the game enters the market.

Ultimately, TRS makes the games, we don’t sell them…and as the developers we’ve done our best to make a game that people want to play.

Back in the old “Left4Dead” days, Turtle Rock Studio had a team of 13 people and was under the warm blanket of Valve, who didn’t care much about profit. Today they are seven times larger, had to grow, but are still relatively small and swimming with the sharks. The industry has changed, so has the starting position. However, they still see themselves in the same role as before and are trying to establish themselves in this very tough business and develop great games.

I like to think we’re still the same down to earth guys we were then, trying to make great games in a very tough industry.

With all the bundles, they give players options. And options are never a bad thing.

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

World of Warcraft: 6.1 makes you dance

Nico Saborowski Nico Saborowski Reading time 2 minutes

Some details about the upcoming World of Warcraft Update 6.1 are already known. Now further details have been made public: For example, the colorblind settings will be introduced, as well as the jukebox, which will turn your garrison into a dance club.

Next Raid and Heirlooms

First of all: The release of the next raid, Blackrock Foundry, is not related to Patch 6.1. The WoW developers made this clear once again on Twitter. We have already compiled the release schedule for Blackrock Foundry for you. There are also news regarding the heirlooms, the level items. Similar to toys, pets, and mounts, there will be a new interface window for them. All your heirlooms will move there with the release of 6.1 and you can access them with every character.

WoW 6_1 heirlooms

Rock the Jukebox

Soon your garrison will be lively, as with 6.1 you can decide which music plays. A list of soundtracks has already been published (see source below), but it is still unclear how individual tracks can be unlocked. One thing is already certain: Nostalgic players will be pleased, as many songs from old dungeons, such as Zul’Gurub or the Black Temple, are included. While the jukebox caters to the ears, the colorblind settings cater to the eyes. These will also be included in Patch 6.1 to support colorblind players.

WoW Colorblind UI
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. www.mmo-champion.com

WildStar: “No more biting”, WildStar will become lighter, more manageable, nicer – and bigger in 2015

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

SF-MMO WildStar presents its plans for the year 2015. The focus is on becoming more accessible and not being perceived as a “hardcore” game. Especially solo players want to be offered something. And WildStar is set to grow, grow, grow.

WildStar

WildStar had a difficult year 2014, for 2015 Mike Donaetelli has now drawn up a roadmap that is supposed to consider solo players more. They want to design more shipboy missions. These are scenarios also for solo players. With a level 6 mission “The Horror of Fragment Zero!” they want to catch players early and introduce them to the system, which was probably a bit too hidden until then.

They are also keeping an eye on the so-called “casuals”, occasional players. They intend to promote game content that can be consumed in 30-45 minute units and announce a new “contract” system for this. Fun is the priority here (and the loot!).

They want to revise the group search tool. This should show everything in the future, as previously they had hidden a few secrets, such quirks Carbine probably does not want to allow anymore in 2015.

Moreover, the developers want to give WildStar players the opportunity to further individualize their characters. Housing is expected to be made accessible earlier. They are still proud of it, but probably some left before they could reach it.

WildStar 2015

Furthermore, Carbine also intends to reconsider the endgame zones, to avoid “combat fatigue”. This occurs when players have to complete too many strenuous battles in a short time.

Solo players should be able to enjoy a stronger “immersion”. This occurs when players fully dive into the adventure. They want to make another change to the reward system.

For raiders, it will be somewhat less “hardcore” in the future. The 40-man raids are history, the existing 40-man raid will be converted into a 20-man. The 40-man raid was under-accepted. A third 20-man raid is also planned. Just like a new dungeon, the Protostar Academy.

WildStar Protostar Academy 2

The academy is intended to serve as an introduction for newcomers into group play and have a tutorial character.

The ultimate protospiels, a second new dungeon, will present endgame players with a challenge.

At Carbine, they are working to avoid giving the impression that they have forgotten their roots and repeatedly talk about targeting a “variety of players and playstyles” and wanting to listen to the feedback and voices from the community.

Moreover, they want to “invest further in the game.” Thus, WildStar is not meant to become a discontinued model, but to grow, grow, grow.

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

Destiny: Old Gjallarhorn vs. New Gjallarhorn – Is it worth upgrading at Xur?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In Destiny there are new versions of exotic weapons since the expansion “Darkness Awaits” that go up to a damage value of 331. How much more damage does the rocket launcher Gjallarhorn deal in the test?

The rocket launcher Gjallarhorn is the most coveted weapon in Destiny. A YouTuber has looked into how much more damage the new version (with 331 base damage) does compared to an old version that was not yet with Xur, which has 300 base damage. Both weapons in the test are “fully upgraded.”

The Gjallarhorn is a special case among exotic weapons because it not only deals damage with the main rocket, but also with the 8 mini-rockets around it (the Wolfpack Rounds, also known as cluster rockets). But there are no surprises here, they also deal the increased damage.

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The test was conducted when the Guardian was at light level 31, targeting 30 enemies. The light level should therefore have no influence on the calculation.

The “old” version of the Gjallarhorn deals 908 damage points upon impact. The 8 rockets deal 267 damage each. This results in a total damage of 2882.

The “new” version of the Gjallarhorn deals 1039 damage points upon impact. The 8 rockets deal 306 damage each. This results in a total damage of 3299.

The result of the test confirms the trend shown by other exotic weapons as well: compared to the old exotic weapon, the damage of the new one increases by 14.5%. This is certainly noticeable.

Numbers are often a tricky matter in Destiny because Bungie doesn’t want to provide players with too much information here. But at least the question of upgrading seems to be clarified: Yes, upgrading exotic weapons in Destiny is worthwhile in every case.

We deal with upgrading exotic weapons at Xur in this article.

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

Final Fantasy XIV: 12 hours of maintenance for Patch 2.5 on January 20th

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

Final Fantasy XIV is undergoing maintenance for 12 hours to prepare for Content Patch 2.5.

The Patch 2.5 for Final Fantasy XIV will be a big deal and big deals are taken seriously at Square Enix. The servers are scheduled to be down for maintenance for 12 hours. This will take place overnight from Monday, January 19th to Tuesday, January 20th. The servers will be down from midnight. The maintenance work should be completed by Tuesday at 12:00 PM German time.

Patch 2.5 will also deliver three new instances. Two of them are “Hard Modes” of already existing dungeons and one is new. The new instance “Keeper of the Lake” will likely be part of the main scenario.

What else Patch 2.5 brings is already presented here, along with a spectacular trailer: Final Fantasy XIV: Update 2.5 ‘Before the Fall’ presented in the new trailer

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

Black Desert: Mass Assaults – This is what sieges look like in Black Desert

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In Black Desert, one begins with a test run for the game’s sieges.

The so-called “Large Scale” PvP, which means battles between players with more than, let’s say, 40 participants, is a typical component of the Asian MMOs that are coming our way in the next few years.

Black Desert has – like ArcheAge or Bless – such a “battles and sieges” mode planned, where many players clash and battle for the ownership of a fortress.

At the beginning, the guilds do not have any fortresses but are competing for one. The guilds can place a large tent and two smaller ones that serve as respawn points, and then they can fight until only one remains. That one takes possession of the fortress and defends it in the next round.

In Black Desert, the first such battle will take place on January 17 on only one server. If everything goes smoothly, the mode is set to be available on the remaining Korean servers starting January 24.

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

World of Tanks: Fortresses took a lot of work, but were worth it, probably also financially

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In World of Tanks, players seem satisfied with the strongholds from the Stronghold update. Tank drivers involved in clans played more, their battles are more intense, and clan members likely reach for their wallets more often.

In a conversation with gameindustry.biz Natallia Pershyts, the Product Manager of World of Tanks, spoke about the stronghold mode. It was revealed how important it is for WoT to get players into clans. Currently, they’ve succeeded with 30% of players.

The team battles between clans are said to be more intense and challenging. Especially for the clan leader, the commander, more strategically demanding tasks fall here. Playing in a clan requires different skills, players must learn teamwork and tactics, and therefore also spend more time than other gamers.

The strongholds in the “Stronghold” update, a type of base-building feature for clans, cost Wargaming a lot of work, and the team had some trouble, but the result was worthwhile.

Apparently, according to gameindustry.biz, World of Tanks also expects a higher willingness to pay from players integrated into structures.

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World of Warcraft: The next raid, Blackrock Foundry, and world boss Rukhmar will be available on February 4th.

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In the MMORPG World of Warcraft (WoW), Blizzard has now announced when the next raid, Blackrock Foundry, will open.

Similar to the last raid Highmaul, Blackrock Foundry will open in intervals.

  • On February 4th, Blackrock Foundry opens on NORMAL and HEROIC. The world boss Rukhmar is now also circling through the peaks of Arrakh.
  • On February 11th, the raid opens on MYTHIC.
  • On February 18th, the first wing of the raid finder opens. It features Gruul, the Dragonkiller, and the Smelting Furnace.
  • On February 25th, there’s the second wing of the LFR with Hans’gar and Franzok, Flamebinder Kar’gaz, and Kromog.
  • On March 11th (so there’s a 2-week break in between), the third wing opens with the bosses: Beastmaster Darmac, Commander Thogar, and “the Iron Maidens.”
  • Another 2 weeks later, the last wing will be tackled, on March 25th, the LFR heroes will face Blackfist.

Just because the next raid opens on February 3rd does not mean that 6.1 will be released then. Blizzard tweeted:

We have a little preview of 6.1 here for you: World of Warcraft: 6.1 brings pet-hunting in old BC-raids and a lot of love for Pepe

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

H1Z1: It’s starting!

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 4 minutes

The zombie sandbox MMO H1Z1 is expected to go into Early Access at 7 PM German time. Meanwhile, a fan trailer once again invokes the Walking Dead influences of the zombie MMO.

Typical question right now: When does it start? When does the Early Access of H1Z1 begin?

There is a countdown on Steam that seems to be confirmed by H1Z1 staff. It should start at 10 AM US local time. SOE is based in sunny California, which follows Pacific Time. That means it’s 7 PM for us in the evening. Nice release time. As everyone knows, it can get delayed with such a thing. But 7 PM is official.

1This is indicated by the game’s Steam page. And also this Vine from Jimmy Whisenhunt, who is responsible for the combat system and weapon design.

And even the boss names this time as the start date.

There will only be an English version of the game available, accessible from all over the world. Currently, the servers are only gathered in one location in the USA. Plans are in place to set up a second location in the United States and one in good old Europe. Also, the H1Z1 homepage now presents itself in a new light. The price for the starter pack will be $19.99, while the premium package will be $39.99. As for the conversion to Euros, it’s not yet known with certainty. That’s the latest update.

Meanwhile, a new fan trailer has appeared that emphasizes the “Walking Dead” influences of H1Z1. It tells the story of a survivor in the world of H1Z1 as he confronts the titular virus, seeks refuge with the military, escapes to the countryside with a group, and begins to slowly learn the harsh realities of the new world. By the way, no in-game footage was used for the trailer.

These strong influences from the U.S. hit series “The Walking Dead” seem to be something SOE does not want to deny. The genre is not something they want to reinvent.

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We will probably accompany the Early Access start tomorrow with a stream at mein-mmo.

Update: A formal greeting is indeed provided by SOE for H1Z1.

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Update 15.1. 10:30: This pic of the server list was tweeted. You can see the various symbols here. The picture actually shows a Carebear, the symbol for PvE servers, and one server is called “Smed’s Dead.” Very nice. In hardcore mode, when you die, you will also lose all your learned recipes and the ownership of all containers. They will still exist in the world but will be more assigned to the player.

Update 17:30: The start has been delayed by 2 hours. It is now planned for 9 PM.


Update 18:00: Perhaps a few EU servers will indeed come online throughout the day. SOE has now provided H1Z1 with a new trailer. It was briefly online, then they replaced it with the old one while waiting for the high-res version. The old version can still be found on YouTube:
http://youtu.be/zw7YgGH6RlM

Update 19:40: Yes … not such great news now. Smedley tweeted again when a user asked for confirmation of the 9 PM start. His response was a “So there.”

Update 20:40: It looks like it will take another hour. 10 PM seems to be the new estimate.


Update 21:25 It looks like they are sticking to the 10 PM schedule. The last patch will now be deployed to the live servers. Any remaining bugs will stay for now and are to be fixed as soon as possible.

Update 21:45: A data miner has now released the server list. There are 10 EU servers among them and 26 battle royale servers (including one for EU), one for each letter of the alphabet. Appropriately, the battle royale servers will be named using the NATO alphabet (that Charlie, Lima, Yankee stuff). Here’s the server list, in case someone wants to get in touch already. Update 21:55: And another hour pushed back. Now it’s expected to be 11 PM in Germany before it starts. 


Update 23:00: According to H1Z1, everything is ready and they are still waiting for an “Okay” from Steam. It can start any minute now.

Update 23:40: It is starting now.


Update 23:45: Early Access for H1Z1 can now be purchased. The standard version is priced at €19.99, while the premium package is likely priced at €39.99. It is currently not available yet but should follow soon. We explain the difference in the article linked below.

For information on the contents of the starter and premium packages, as well as the system requirements for the Early Access of H1Z1, click here: H1Z1: System requirements and packages for Early Access are known

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

Skyforge: Cryomancer in PvP tests with 32% popularity, Lightbinder with 14% comes last

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes
Skyforge Paladin

In the god MMO Skyforge , classical battlefields are used for PvP. Recently, a large multi-day PvP event took place. The ice mage Cryomancer has emerged as the most popular class for PvP.

In the upcoming Free2Play MMO Skyforge, it seems that the English translators are still on Christmas vacation, but the Russian community continues to be supplied with information. Recently, the Russian beta has apparently focused on PvP. A multi-day event is reported, with over 4000 players participating. The most active players participated in 60 matches.

The most popular class turned out to be the Cryomancer, the ice mage. The support class, the Lightbinder, was played the least. Team Allods also notes critically that the chances of winning with the supporter in the team are significantly higher. The classes were distributed approximately as follows:

  • Mage-DPS Cryomancer: 32%
  • Melee-DD Berserker: 18%
  • The range-DD Gunner is at 16%
  • The tanky Paladin is at 15%
  • The healing Lightbinder at 14%

It seems that the balance of four classes is under control. However, the Cryomancer is a clear outlier.

Coolness simply wins:

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We also have images from the PvP event for you – but in Russian.

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Learn more about the class system and ideas of Skyforge here: Skyforge: Class system inspired by League of Legends

 

We have already addressed the PvP concept of Skyforge here: Skyforge: Structured PvP presented – classic with flair

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

Hearthstone: The match will be remembered by Hearthstone hero Amaz for a while

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In Hearthstone , the popular streamer Amaz recently played a match that he will probably remember for a while.

Recently, the US servers were briefly down and Amaz, perhaps the most popular Hearthstone player in the world, decided to give the Asia server a try. He hadn’t played there for a while, but had a solid deck ready and wanted to see how high he could go.

He played a Control Priest deck, exactly the type of deck with which he succeeded at Dreamhack in Sweden. He would easily handle the first fights against “Rank 25” players, the raging chickens, in his sleep. No question. “Guys,” he reminded his stream, “we’re not pushing around any noobs.”

Yet somehow there was a catch right from the first match… And against a “Free2Play” mage using only basic cards, the hero gradually loses his winning grin.

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

H1Z1: Motorized Survivors – H1Z1 is working on aquaplaning and firing from the loading area

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In H1Z1 , the developers introduce themselves in so-called Dev Spotlights. This time, an auto specialist was in charge.

In the last Dev Blog before Early Access, Dave Avram, one of the minds behind the car system of H1Z1, was in front of the camera and the questions mainly revolved around the motorized zombie extermination machines.

The video showcases impressive footage: For instance, when a survivor shoots from the bed of a pickup truck. Redneck style.

Also in the spotlight: An amusing bug. The vehicle takes off, but the character model remains suspended in mid-air, so to speak, a ghost driver.

Also interesting: The developer’s announcement that after Early Access, they will likely work on making the cars behave differently in bad weather. This could lead to aquaplaning in the rain or even a slippery situation on icy surfaces.

As if surviving wasn’t already difficult enough.

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More about the cars in H1Z1 can be found here: H1Z1: Cars are lockable zombie-killing machines that require maintenance

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Complaint Wednesday: Distribution of Role Players in MMOs

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 3 minutes

It’s Wednesday again and… oh, you know the introduction sentence by now, so I’ll skip it halfway. Today, I want to address a problem that affects me much more this time and call on you to be a little active.

I am hereby addressing all roleplayers and those who might at least want to take a small look into the world of emotes and character stories. Everyone else is welcome (read: must) to continue reading and may happily join one of the two mentioned groups afterwards.

The friends list after 7 years: “What? Who are you?”
WildStar

A situation that probably happens hundreds of thousands of times every day. You are running around with your character in the worlds of a game you haven’t touched for a while, and then the strange message appears in the chat: “[Serathion] is now online.”

And then the brain starts to rattle. Who the Nether was Serathion? Was he called that back then? Did I have anything to do with him?

A further click on the name reveals the associated guild “Sin Tor”. Even there, my mind seems to scream from distant memories: You know him! You somehow know him! – Sure, he’s on my friends list after all.

World of Warcraft - Blood Elves

So I was facing two options, either I remove the good man (calling “men” for blood elves might be a bit presumptuous) from my list or I engage in the embarrassing conversation where I confess to having no idea who he actually is. Luckily, I made the right choice, otherwise I would have to come up with something again today.

Unknown yet always close…

After some conversations with the previously so “ominous unknown”, we found out that we had crossed paths as roleplayers in a whole bunch of MMORPGs.

TERA beach

We frequented the same cantinas in SWTOR, participated together in some RP events in WildStar, and in TERA our Castanics shared time at the beach… well, that’s not so important, you know what I’m getting at!

There is only a relatively manageable number of online roleplayers in the German-speaking area, and they are spreading across more and more games that have come into the market over the years. This makes coordination among each other more challenging, for some games it’s just not enough to gather enough people to create truly exciting, varied RP. And if you ultimately meet the same people in every new game anyway, why should you have to rediscover each other every time? And this is where a good acquaintance comes into play…

A small but ambitious project

To provide roleplayers (and all those who want to become one) with a cross-game forum and to maintain friendships among players across games, “Rabe” has created the following forum: www.rp-foren.de

I take the liberty to blatantly promote this, as this is something I care about – bringing together the German roleplaying community. Even if the forum is still empty at the moment, please sign up if interested, introduce yourselves and your ideas, or simply ask for mentors if you’re still uncertain. And above all: If you know roleplayers, please tell them about it!

I notice that this time I was way too friendly and complained way too little – let’s see what the coming week with its Evolve beta test has to offer… until Wednesday and dare to take the plunge! We do not bite. Only in RP.

Roleplay in Lord of the Rings Online

In case you have never dealt with roleplaying or have only seen it as part of the written designation “MMORPG”, I would like to recommend some of our older posts to you. First, we offer you a good overview, what roleplaying actually is and empower you to create your first, RP-compatible character. If you are not asleep by then, feel free to take a closer look at our behavior tips for RP so that your first gaming evening does not end in a major disaster. To round out the overall package, we finally point you to the dangers and temptations that every player can encounter when engaging in lively conversations or bloody battles with other characters. Take a look, it might be worth it!

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

Destiny Guide: The Iron Banner in January is worth it because of these 3 items – and this is how you get them

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 4 minutes

In Destiny, this week’s event Iron Banner is active, and this month, in January, it is really worth participating in the Iron Banner again. The reason is three items that we will present in this article.

This is now the fourth active Iron Banner – Iron Banner 4.0, or probably more accurately: Iron Banner 2.3.

We present it in our guide. We tell you why it is particularly worthwhile this month and how you can get the items.

Why this month’s Iron Banner is worth it

There are three items to earn that are particularly worth highlighting.

Light Value 36 Gloves

On top of that, if you reach rank 4 in this Iron Banner, you will receive a pair of legendary gloves. They have a light value of 36. You can reach the maximum light level with them.

The particularly great thing about them: They can be upgraded with Ascendant Shards. Not with Radiant Shards. With these legendary gloves and an exotic armor piece, you only need “only” two raid armor pieces and 42 Radiant Shards to reach level 32.

Destiny-Efrideets-Speer

Sniper Rifle Efrideet’s Spear

The sniper rifle Efrideet’s Spear can be obtained as random rewards from Iron Banner matches. The sniper rifle has the same base stats as Black Spindle and this thing is considered an absolute killer: very slow, incredibly powerful, a real punch.

The special thing about Efrideet’s Spear is: you can get all “random” sniper abilities with it. This also means: Arc damage or Solar damage or certain killer perks on the sniper rifle like Field Scout (increases magazine size), Spray and Play (faster reload when the magazine is empty), or Firefly (Solar explosion after precision kills).

And for a reroll, you don’t have to find Efrideet’s Spear every time, but you can always take the same weapon. Because through a special offer, you can reshuffle “Iron Banner” weapons. It costs 2 Light Shards.

Destiny-Timurs-Peitsche

With enough Light Shards, you can keep reshuffling until you have the sniper rifle of your dreams. Especially for the weekly Nightfall strike, a sniper rifle that can deal Void damage would be an excellent choice. Then the old Praedyth’s Revenge can finally retire.

The Hand Cannon Timur’s Lash

The hand cannon Timur’s Lash is basically great for the same reasons as Efrideet’s Spear. It is a hand cannon with fantastic base stats, extremely high impact (hit power). The problem with the weapon is usually the small magazine.

But with the perk “Field Scout,” you can eliminate this disadvantage. If it is on the weapon, that is. So you should reshuffle with Light Shards until you have an “ideal” roll.

You can acquire Timur’s Lash in this Iron Banner when you reach the highest rank, rank 5. Then it is available for a considerable sum.

You might want to farm Glimmer beforehand: Destiny Guide: How to farm Glimmer currently, for example, for the new weapons from the Iron Banner

Destiny-Silimars-Zorn

Tips for Rerolling

The best method is probably to get two rolls of the weapons and always reroll the weaker one until it is better than the other. Then continue with that one.

Besides these items, there are also: The rocket launcher Radegast’s Wrath (at rank 4), a legendary chest with light value 33 (at rank 3), and the legendary auto rifle Silimar’s Wrath (as a random reward).

The entire offer from Lord Saladin is presented to you by the guys from Ziro.TV in this video:

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How do I get Reputation?

Rank 5 in the Iron Banner is not as far away as it seems at first glance.

The following tips are important:

  • Buy the emblem, class item, or shader at the respective reputation levels. They provide a 10% bonus, stack together, and increase the reputation by 30%.
  • Accept as many Iron Banner bounties as possible and work on completing them simultaneously.
  • If you win, everything is great; you get 50 reputation.
  • If you lose, don’t despair; you get a coin that you can convert into 40 reputation if you win next time. It’s only important not to lose 5 times in a row. Because you can only collect 5 coins. If you are really losing constantly, play more defensively, stay in groups, guard your control points, don’t run around recklessly, and blame others even more intensely for your failure.
Destiny-Radegast-Wut

The bonus “Hardened” lasts 12 hours and grants a reputation bonus. You can request it multiple times as often as you want. The reputation bonus gets stronger each day, a day in Destiny starts at 10 a.m. German time and ends at 9:59 a.m. the next day:

  • On the first day, Tuesday, January 13, the reputation bonus is 10%.
  • On the second day, Wednesday, January 14, 15%
  • On the third day, Thursday, January 15, 25%
  • On the fourth day, Friday, January 16, (blessed be Xur) 40%
  • On the fifth day, Saturday, January 17, 60%
  • On the sixth day, Sunday, January 18, 100%
  • On the seventh day, Monday, January 19, 150%

This means: If you only have time for the Iron Banner late in the week, you need significantly fewer wins or losses than if you are out and about now.

For rank 1, you need 100 reputation, for rank 2 an additional 1200 reputation, and for each subsequent rank an additional 2400 reputation.

You need around 140 rounds without bonuses to reach reputation level 5 and to acquire Timur’s Lash. However, with all bonus items, buffs, and everything else, it is significantly less.

More about Destiny on our Destiny topic page.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. planetdestiny
  2. reddit (Empfehlungen für Re-Rolls)
  3. reddit (Schwärmereien von den Hand-Kanonen)

The Division: Alleged tester reports from the MMO shooter alpha

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In Tom Clancy’s “The Division“, an alleged alpha tester spilled the beans.

The MMO shooter “The Division” could be one of the next big games on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Especially now, as “Destiny” has paved the way for such a shooter with MMO elements, it seems like the timing is right. However, Ubisoft has been surrounded by controversies and a bad vibe for some time, which also threatened to spill over to “The Division”.

There are constantly rumors of another delay, and the rumor that “The game is being downgraded for PC because of consoles” is hard to shake off, no matter how often it has been denied. Watchdogs is still too fresh in memory.

A video gives cause for better spirits. A YouTuber reports on the statements of an alleged alpha tester, which he supposedly made a few weeks ago in the podcast of the large US site GiantBomb.

The good news is:

  • The alpha is currently running and stable.
  • The shooter mechanics are fundamentally solid and strong.
  • The Division features an open world that is fully explorable; unlike the Tower in Destiny.
  • The game has surprisingly developed RPG loot elements.

There are negative points as well:

  • The game is currently still full of glitches and bugs. Like “falling through the world” stuff.

Sounds promising, although all of this involves unconfirmed statements.

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Source(s):
  1. Gamingbolt

Destiny Comet: What does Bungie say about the big leak?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In response to the “leak” showing Destiny’s plans for the next 2 years, Bungie has unofficially acknowledged it, with a big grin and a nod to the cult film Memento.

Shortly after New Year, a photo from an alleged Bungie presentation made the rounds. The pixelated image was actually from October, but only then became known to a wider audience. It showed all the nice secret plans for what Destiny has in store for 2015 and the first months of 2016.

From a marketing perspective, a nightmare: Once everything is known, how can you keep fans engaged with little info bites over months? And the photo seemed to reveal everything already: In March, the next bite of content with the ‘House of Wolves’, about the size of the DLC ‘The Darkness Awaits.’

In September, a big expansion “Comet: Plague of Darkness,” which would turn Destiny into sort of Destiny 1.5. With a new base level, new box, and plenty of new gameplay content.

Destiny Leak Schedule

After that, two smaller DLC bites again.
This all came just over the holidays, when Bungie employees were with their families and relaxing. Now it’s back to “business as usual” and they are acknowledging the alleged leak and commenting on it. And this is being done by the employee responsible for keeping fans entertained with the aforementioned little info bites for months.

The comment is therefore not official (in the Weekly Update there was not a peep), but unofficial. The community and marketing strategist at Bungie, Eric Osborne, who was also the source of the last Weekly Update, posted the following on Twitter:

A movie quote says no more than a thousand words

Seen in a Polaroid is the leak photo in connection with the film “Memento” (2000). On the back of the photo, it says “Don’t trust this image.” In Memento, a man without memory tries to remember using Polaroid photos and deceives himself with these images.

The message from Osborne is clear: What is seen in the image should not be taken at face value. Whether the photo was ever accurate, whether plans have changed since then, what is happening, Osborne does not reveal.

Bungie confirms planned expansion of the size of Comet

A specific response in the discussion about the Twitter pic came after all. “Can we expect an expansion about the size of Comet?” a fan wanted to know.

Osborne’s answer this time did not need a pop culture reference; it was quite clear: Yup.

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Evolve fully focuses on microtransactions: new monster 15 euros, new hunter 7.49 euros

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

The 4-versus-1 MOBA Evolve fully relies on microtransactions. 15 euros for the fourth new monster, one of the new hunters costs 7.49 euros.

The good news is: Evolve is continuously planning to deliver new content. Today, they introduced a fourth monster, the Behemoth. 4 more hunters and a fifth monster will arrive in “spring” and the PC special edition mentions two “additional” hunters. However, it is not quite clear whether these are new; if they are, we would have 6 confirmed new hunters.

The rather bad news: Those who thought Evolve would be a thing like “League of Legends” are mistaken. Before the start of the next beta phase on January 15, the DLC plans and prices are now being announced, and these can be quite substantial. A new monster costs 14.99 euros if purchased alone. For 7.49 euros, the planned new hunters can be bought individually.

Players who do not wish to spend any more after purchasing the game are limited to 12 hunters and 3 monsters that they can unlock over time. Players, who play on an Xbox will enjoy advantages.

There is a discount offer for everything, a “pass”, a “package”, and a “if you pre-order, you get this” deal. The variety of offers can be found here:

Exclusive Pre-Sale and Pre-Download for Xbox One

  • Players who pre-purchase Evolve digitally on Xbox One can download the game now before the launch on February 10, 2015.
  • From today, players can pre-download the Xbox One Open Beta, which starts on January 15, 2015.
  • Players who pre-purchase Evolve or the Evolve Digital Deluxe Edition for Xbox One will receive an instant unlock of the third monster (Wraith) and the third tier of hunters (Parnell, Abe, Caira, Cabot) at launch, both of which will also be available during the Open Beta.
  • Players who pre-purchase Evolve or the Digital Deluxe Edition for Xbox One will also receive the “Monster Expansion Pack” for free, which will include the fourth playable monster character Behemoth in spring and the Wilder Goliath skin at launch.

Evolve Hunting Season Pass (24.99€)

  • Includes four playable hunters that will be available this spring. One character for each class: Assault, Trapper, Medic, Support.
  • Includes three monster skins at launch, exclusive to the Hunting Season Pass: Magma Goliath, Magma Kraken, and Magma Wraith.
  • The four playable hunter characters are available separately from the Evolve Hunting Season Pass for a price of 7.49 euros each.

Evolve Digital Deluxe Edition (64.99€)

  • The Digital Deluxe Edition is now available as a digital download for Xbox One and Windows PC for immediate purchase and will soon be available for PlayStation 4.
  • Includes the main Evolve game as well as the Hunting Season Pass.
  • Players who pre-purchase Evolve or the Digital Deluxe Edition will receive the Monster Expansion Pack for free, which will include the fourth playable monster character Behemoth in spring and the Wilder Goliath skin at launch.

Evolve PC Monster Race Edition (79.99€)

  • The PC Monster Race Edition is now available for pre-sale as a digital download for Windows PC at participating retailers.
  • Includes the main game, the Hunting Season Pass, as well as additional content after the game’s release: a fifth playable monster character, two additional playable hunters, and four monster skins, which will be exclusive to the buyers of the Evolve PC Monster Race Edition for 30 days.
  • Players who pre-purchase the PC Monster Race Edition will also receive the Monster Expansion Pack for free, which will include the fourth playable monster character Behemoth in spring and the Wilder Goliath skin at launch.

And here is the trailer for the new monster Behemoth:

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For our Evolve preview, click here: Evolve Preview: Scotland Yard meets Predator

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Final Fantasy XIV: Update 2.5 “Before the Fall” presented in the new trailer

Marcel Heck Marcel Heck Reading time 2 minutes

In the latest trailer for the MMO Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Square Enix presents the upcoming Update 2.5 “Before the Fall” in detail.

On January 20, the finale of Final Fantasy XIV will kick off with Before the Fall. This includes a lot of new content. With “Guardian of the Lake”, “Palace of the Wanderer” and “Ruins of Amdapor”, among others, three new dungeons will be introduced in the game. Additionally, the Crystal Tower raid will conclude with “The World of Darkness”.

Due to the extensive scope, “Before the Fall” represents a split update. Part 2, featuring the “Battle of Ishgard”, is scheduled for release at the end of March. Moreover, the current trailer offers glimpses of the content for Patch 2.51, which is set to come to the servers in February: With the mini-game paradise “Gold Saucer” and the popular Chocobo races, players can soon look forward to true cult adventures from the Final Fantasy series.

FinalFantasyXIV-Before-the-Fall

Have fun with the extensive trailer for the update. Fans of the MMO are calling it an “epic video” that gives them goosebumps. Before the Fall lays the groundwork for the first major expansion Heavensward in spring.

Anyone who wants to try FFXIV for free on PC, PS3 or PS4 can sign up here with the Trial Version to convince themselves of the game. Final Fantasy XIV has also been available for some time as a “Game of the Year” Edition for PC, which includes several bonus content, collectibles, and a total of 90 days of gameplay.

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WoW: Winners and Losers of the Current Balancing Changes

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

Even after nearly two months, the balancing carousel continues to spin cheerfully in World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor. In the latest hotfix, there are significant adjustments to the passive bonuses of many specializations, and we have summarized the most important changes for you at a glance.

More Speed for Everyone!

Speed was a rather unpopular stat for many classes at level 100, which is why it is now significantly strengthened through this hotfix. To gain 1% speed, you now need only 90 speed rating instead of 100, making the value 11% stronger.

World of Warcraft Hotfix

It will probably take a few days for the theorycrafters in World of Warcraft to adjust their “Best-in-Slot” tables accordingly.

The Sad Losers…

  • Death Knights are hit hardest, as their “Blood Boil” now deals 33% less damage, a significant nerf. However, frost specialization dark riders can rejoice, as they now receive 20% more speed rating from all sources, instead of the previous 5%.
  • Druids must accept a 5% weakening of the healing spell “Rejuvenation” and be very brave, as the initial damage of “Swipe” in bear form is decreased by a ruthless 50% (the DoT remains unaffected).
  • Finally, all specializations of Priests are affected, especially adherents of Discipline. “Power Word: Shield” absorbs 15% less damage than before (thus reflecting less damage with the corresponding glyph).

…the Radiant Winners…

  • Balance Druids, Beast Mastery Hunters, and Arms Warriors can look forward to increased effectiveness of their mastery – so this stat should rise in priority for all mentioned specs, and the corresponding classes will experience noticeable damage boosts.
  • Another increase is experienced by Destruction Warlocks and Fire Mages, as they now receive 15% more critical strike rating from all sources (previously 5%) due to a change in their passive abilities.

… and a Special Case

World of Warcraft

Some Gladiator Warriors may frown a bit, as their namesake stance now increases damage dealt by only 5%, down from 20%. However, it was emphasized on Twitter that this is not a weakening, as many abilities of the Protection Warrior (Deep Wounds, Devastate, Revenge, Shield Slam, and Thunder Clap) now deal significantly more damage, which should offset the weakening of the stance.

You can view the complete list of changes on battle.net.

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Destiny: Not weapons dominate the Crucible, this guy does it (No Land Outside in completion)

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In Destiny, a video montage makes it clear that weapons alone don’t matter. A Guardian takes one of the weakest exotic weapons in the game, the “No Land Beyond”, and cleans up in the Crucible.

Destiny-Blau-machen

A few weeks ago, the news came that a player soloed the Crota’s End raid with the DLC sniper rifle “No Land Beyond” alone. The “No Land Beyond” is considered generally weak as the weakest exotic weapon in Destiny and desperately needs a buff.

The same player, The Legend Himself (sc Slayer Age), has now picked up the “No Land Beyond” and made a cleanup in the Crucible. Just like the motto: “It’s not rifles that kill people, but this guy does.”

It’s already depressing to watch as a mortal. Have fun.

Here’s our article about the sniper that looks absolutely amazing in the video. Small tip… it’s not because of the weapon: Destiny: No Land Beyond – is the retro sniper worth it?

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