The long-announced beta of the Free2Play MMO shooter Planetside 2 on the Playstation 4 now finally has a date. It is set to begin on January 20.
Since early December, registration for the beta of Planetside 2 on PS 4 has been possible. A date has now been chosen, it will be January 20.
In the beta, the focus will be on testing the stability of the servers, but also to find out how players manage with the controllers and how to optimally utilize the DualShock 4. For this purpose, a special beta forum will be set up for feedback.
The fantasy MMO Lord of the Rings Online (LotRO) outlines plans for 2015 in a letter from the producer, with apparent inspiration from Guild Wars 2. An episodic storyline is set to arrive. Some smaller servers are likely to be closed.
Lord of the Rings Online has been around for several years now and has recently been impacted by cost-cutting measures at Warner Brothers. The outlook for 2015 is not very bright. Nevertheless, Turbine has big plans for 2015. In the producer letter, they speak of 2014 as a great year, aiming to build on that success and set even more ambitious goals. They are also responsive to the challenges at hand.
New content leads to Osgiliath, brings inspired items and smaller PvP map
On the way over Minas Tirith to Osgiliath, in the heart of the War of the Ring, new instances for fellowship groups are to be introduced; legendary items of level 100 are considered “inspired” and gain experience even without needing to be disassembled, and work is currently underway in PvE (the PvP part of the game) on a map for relatively small skirmishes. This way, monsters and humans can reenact the battle for Osgiliath, which only plays a minor role in the film trilogy but is much more present in the book series.
It sounds like server closures
Two major changes are still planned. On one hand, it seems that they will follow the path of many aging MMOs and close some servers or merge smaller ones with larger ones to ensure all players can find companions. The “European” servers are expected to move back to Europe in this context.
On the other hand, Lord of the Rings Online plans to tell a sort of “episodic story” similar to a TV series. This sounds like Guild Wars 2 – ArenaNet has come up with something similar with the Living Story. In LotRO, players will be able to follow a “new friend” on a journey through familiar locations.
Today, on January 7, it has happened: The gifts have arrived. And they are randomly selected legendary Vanguard weapons. However, they do not have the “Vendor” properties, but may have other perks.
So it’s not as if you bought the weapons, but rather as if you pulled them from a legendary Engram or received them as a reward.
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We have listed all the legendary Vanguard weapons in this post. The ones you have at the Postmaster now have the same base stats, but may have different properties and thus cause a different type of damage. Here, “legendary items” are possible that truly deserve their name, but also some duds. Especially for players who are just starting their loot career, it will definitely be a pleasant surprise when they go to the Postmaster this evening.
It seems to be a real Christmas gift: There’s something special for everyone, and some are happy about it while others are disappointed.
Vanguard weapons for Vanguard marks and Vanguard medals
These legendary weapons (272/331) from the Vanguard are usually available for 150 Vanguard marks and 1 Vanguard medal since Darkness is lurking in Destiny – one of these weapons Guardians receive today (only 1 per account); the items may have a different type of damage than listed here:
After all the New Year’s stress with friends visiting, cleaning the apartment, and then a 24-hour sleep, I finally had a lot of free time. What could be better than creating a new Twink in World of Warcraft to kill some time in the low-level areas?
What could possibly be wrong with that, you might ask…
Too much XP, too short stays
First of all, I want to say that I didn’t use any heirlooms – nothing that would still increase my earned experience points. Nonetheless, I already had quite a “luxury problem” in the second area: the quests were too low for my level.
I had completed half of “Tirisfal” when they already wanted to send me to “Silverpine Forest.” No sooner had I settled here to help my dark lady Sylvanas with the Worgen problem, than they sent me to the “Hillsbrad Foothills” to drive the remaining humans out of their holes and to shut up an overzealous apothecary.
In short: I could barely keep up with the storyline. Whenever the plot of the respective area really started to pick up pace, my level was already so high that I could actually move on.
Two different needs
Because of this quick leveling, two different needs are now fighting within me. On the one hand, I want to reach the maximum level as quickly as possible to have another character with a garrison and the associated resources. On the other hand, I want to experience the beautiful areas and especially follow the stories told through quests and the environment itself. In the past, this was not a problem; it was still necessary to complete at least one area entirely.
The mage Cortyn asks herself the following question: Do I want to level efficiently or experience the story?
Today, after just a handful of quests, one becomes so overpowered that the two motivations of playing are at odds: Do I want to level efficiently or experience the story? Do I struggle through areas that no longer give XP, or do I give up the storylines?
The purpose of leveling
It wasn’t until I had my new Twink that I realized leveling in World of Warcraft serves only one purpose: oneself. One levels up to increase their level. No longer is the fun of the stories or the urge to explore at the center – at least the current design of the low-level world is not set up for that.
Get to level 90 as fast as possible.
Yet the game world has so many wonderful stories to offer, and with “Cataclysm” so much effort was made to make all the old areas more exciting and narratively challenging – why does a newcomer now have almost no chance to experience the world in all its variety? It’s a mystery to me. If Blizzard could do one thing, it was to excite me for their universes by putting the plots and characters in the foreground – why should one only experience this in the level 90+ areas?
Currently, leveling is neither here nor there – a frustrating necessity and no longer a form of presenting the game world.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny, 16,000 Guardians voted on which exotic weapons they consider the best in PvE: in the battle against Crota, Atheon, the weekly Nightfall strike, and in other activities outside the Crucible.
We already told you on Monday evening about the survey on reddit that involved 16,000 Guardians. In the first article, we reported on the frequency and rarity of exotic weapons and how Xur influences what the elites on reddit are using.
Equally interesting is their assessment of which weapons are the strongest in the PvE part of the game, in the fight against enemies.
The Top 5 Weapons are the usual suspects
The following weapons placed in the Top 5:
In first place, as expected, is the exotic rocket launcher Gjallarhorn, which now enjoys a near-iconic reputation. Among those who have it and those who wish to have it. Some raids that want to play it safe even take only players who own a Gjallarhorn.
In second place is the Ice Breaker. The exotic sniper rifle with solar damage takes a special position among weapons due to its unique ability to regenerate ammunition. It is probably the prototype of a sniper with an extremely high damage per shot. And as in the previous raid with the Templar, this time Crota serves as an excellent target for the Ice Breaker.
Bronze goes to the Vex Mythoclast. This is certainly due to the buff that increased its damage again before the add-on, after it had been significantly weaker in the meantime. As a fusion rifle in the primary slot and the only “endboss-only” exotic, it also occupies a special place, even though it is no longer as dominant as it was in the early days. It is also the only exotic weapon, that cannot be upgraded beyond the new value of 331; 323 is the limit.
In fifth place, the automatic rifle SUROS Regime makes it on the list and is even stronger in PvP.
These 5 weapons are essentially the “Big 5” in Destiny.
What has changed compared to the last vote? Who are the winners, who are the losers of recent months?
Before the “upgrading weapons” began, before some exotics were fixed, and before three new exotic weapons came with the “The Darkness Rises” DLC, there was already such a vote. That was almost two months ago, at the beginning of November.
Since then, the Guardians’ assessment has changed, especially for these weapons:
The Thorn was rated very low by Guardians two months ago, but is now in the upper midfield. This is likely due to its buff. The Thorn now fulfills a special role in the fight against enemies, where Guardians want to ensure that their health regenerates due to its damage-over-time effect. (And it looks impressive in our world as well.)
Bad Karma ranked last in the voting in November. This has changed; the pulse rifle is now in a solid mid-range position.
Without many changes being made, the sniper rifle Patience and Time has made several places up. From 12th it rose to 6th. Especially in Nightfall, it is extremely popular when you want a bit more precision.
However, the Guardians’ love for The Last Word has notably cooled in Destiny. While there was a real cult around it during the last vote, the hand cannon has now fallen from 7th place to 16th. This only applies to PvE; in PvP, it is still a headshot machine.
Shotguns and the DLC Sniper mark the end
The last places in the ranking are almost exclusively occupied by shotguns in PvE. The new PlayStation-exclusive 4th Horseman takes third to last place. Similarly unpopular are the Invective (second to last) and the No Land Beyond (fourth to last). Shotguns just aren’t built for PvE.
The third new DLC weapon, Dragon’s Breath, is assessed to be significantly weaker in PvE than the two other exotic rocket launchers Gjallarhorn and Truth. That only earns it a spot in the lower mid-range.
And the fourth new DLC weapon Necrochasm? We will have to wait for that.
Even the YouTuber Datto has dealt with the topic of “best PvE” weapons in one of his videos:
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The zombie MMO H1Z1 is getting a “Battle Royale” mode from the creator of the mode, Playerunknown. This is a kind of “Last Man Standing”/”Hunger Games” story.
Recently, during a two-hour stream, a guy named “Player Unknown” was in the background. The SOE staff had invited him for sushi, as they said, and were now streaming with him. Now it is also clear what earned him this important place. Playerunknown is the creator of the so-called “Battle Royale” mods for Arma 2 and Arma 3 and is working with SOE to offer this mode in H1Z1 as well.
In this mode, players start together on a server. Those who die are out. The last one standing wins.
This is the same principle as the filmed Japanese novel “Battle Royale,” in which school children kill each other until only one is left alive (which is supposed to criticize the ruthlessly eliminating school system in Japan).
In a slightly softer version, it was also released in the USA as a “Young Adult” novel series and became known with Jennifer Lawrence as the “Hunger Games” film series – and for completeness, it is also the concept of a special wrestling tournament. In H1Z1, it is supposed to go roughly like this: players are dropped from an airplane over an area; they need to gather equipment; the arena in which they fight gets smaller; those who survive win.
The Battle Royale in H1Z1 will be one of the “premium” servers , a kind of event server that players can access via a ticket. Now some of the still incoherent hints are starting to fit together. Such an entry only makes sense if the “server” has a clear end date.
In Planetside 2, SOE was apparently too relaxed with the cash shop. The game only became profitable in the last month, as SOE’s president John Smedley mentioned in a letter to the fans.
We have reported several times that SOE chief John Smedley seeks a close connection with the fans. He visibly enjoys this and everything is cool and fluffy when he has good news and when things are going well. He maintains this habit even when there is trouble and he has to announce rather negative news.
Smedley apologized for the fact that this was not communicated properly. In the future, they want to be more open. However, the change that is currently causing such a stir brings the team “200 dollars” more per day. Overall, Planetside 2 has only been profitable for a few months. Anyone who thinks this is a huge business and that they are swimming in money is mistaken.
They want to continue making almost everything that players could buy with “Station Cash” (real money currency) also available through “Certs” (in-game currency). However, in the past they took a wrong approach, leading to players literally swimming in “Certs”. They want to change this, so that players would have to think about what to spend their Certs on.
And the majority of people have a ton of certs. Why? Because we didn’t balance it perfectly. In every case we erred on the side of giving away too many or making things cost too little so we don’t make you grind too hard.
Smedley said that he doesn’t see many companies speaking as openly about monetization as he and SOE do. However, communication still needs to be improved.
Mein MMO says:This is the exciting part about opening communication channels to the fans. That they also tell them things they do not want to hear, and where other companies hide behind platitudes.
Monetization is a sensitive issue for every free-to-play game. It seems that Planetside 2 has been too generous in the past and is now intensifying purchase incentives. In the reddit community, Smedley’s posts are received positively, although there are differences regarding the details of whether implants are the right approach.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The superhero and supervillain MMO DC Universe Online is asking players who have been inactive for 18 months to log back in. Otherwise, the name will be gone.
Anyone who has not logged into DC Universe Online since July 20, 2013, has their superhero or supervillain name in great danger. Because if they do not log in by January 20, the name will be gone. The character will still exist, but it will have to be renamed on the next login.
This will allow SOE to unlock cool blocked names for newcomers or veterans that are currently blocked by inactive players, so that aspiring superheroes do not have to name themselves AntBear42 or “TheGuyWhoIsSuperman”, but can give themselves cool names. AquariumMan or something!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Sandpark-MMO ArcheAge is taking no more risks. The patch that is supposed to disable the December events will be deployed to the test server. By the end of the week, the seedlings from which lightning trees can grow will also be available for loyalty points.
At the end of the week, update 4.1.7. is supposed to be deployed in ArcheAge. This will disable the Christmas event and strengthen a healing potion for pets. Players should still remember to use their Christmas event items if they have an expiration date.
The perhaps most important change of the patch: The “Rumbling Archeum Saplings”, from which lightning trees can grow with a 10% chance, can now be obtained for loyalty points. A few months ago, there was a lot of excitement about these seedlings.
At the moment, the 4.1.7 patch is being tested thoroughly on the test server. Probably a good idea, considering the past of ArcheAge.
A Marketplace update for the end of the holiday items and addition of Rumbling Archeum Saplings to the loyalty store is also expected to go to PTS within the next couple of days.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Just in time for the first official Smite World Championship, the guys and girls at HiRez have released a new trailer called “Battlegrounds of the Gods” for their action MOBA “SMITE“. We certainly don’t want to withhold the fighting gods from you.
In total, the tournament has a prize pool of 2.5 million dollars – the prize money mainly comes from the purchases of the “Odyssey” items, with a large part also provided by HiRez itself.
If you want to get some skins or even grab some of the additional chests, you should hurry: The Odyssey ends in 2 days and then many items can only be purchased individually without additional bonuses – particularly sought-after items like the “Archon Thanatos” skin will then be permanently unreachable!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
2015 could see the release of the mammoth project EverQuest Next. Sony Online Entertainment has set high expectations for the upcoming MMORPG, but the announcement and the resulting hype around the game was followed by a long period without significant news. This is likely to change drastically now.
The development of the basic tools in Landmark is now complete, and the developers will now focus more intensively on EQ: Next. They will be placing almost the entire team that has been working on Landmark into EverQuest Next. Some features being developed for the MMORPG revolution are still being integrated into Landmark. In the past, it was usually the other way around; development was done for Landmark.
However, since the focus is now almost exclusively on EverQuest Next, significant progress can be expected in the coming months as the game begins to take shape. Darion will keep you updated in the coming weeks.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
From January 13, the “living world” of Guild Wars 2 will continue – and it’s getting really dangerous! The time for preparation is coming to an end, the heroes of Tyria have gathered and are now gearing up for the final battle. The attack against Mordrem is imminent, even though the mystical dragon egg is still nowhere to be found.
As is customary with the rather complex storyline of Guild Wars 2, the intrigues of the protagonists will continue to develop and players will ask themselves some questions: Who can we really trust? Who is on our side? You can get a first impression in this trailer:
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If you want to play the previous episode for free, you should log into Guild Wars 2 by January 13 – afterwards, it will be replaced by the latest episode and can only be unlocked with gems.
To celebrate the release of the new episode, we are giving away 10 exclusive and super limited edition collector T-shirts, available in XXL, XL, L, M, or S! If you want to win one of them, just leave a comment under this news or mark the corresponding post on Facebook with “Like”.
You can double your chances by using both methods. Because we are giving away 5 to readers who comment and 5 to those who like the post (each participant can win a maximum of 1 T-shirt). The contest ends on January 12, 2014, at 6 p.m. Good luck to all participants! The terms and conditions are found here.
The Winners
Facebook: Benyko M. Martin Rosb. Amy M. Patii K. Cédric B.
Comments: Hisho Anna Alexander Ostmann Scardust SuperLinus34
The easiest way would be if the winners would write an email to [email protected] with their shipping address and the desired T-shirt size. Thank you 🙂
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The developer CCP has committed to monthly updates for EVE Online and has been keeping this rhythm quite well so far. After Rhea in December, Proteus follows in January. The changes that come with Proteus mainly polish the graphics of the sci-fi role-playing game.
New Graphics Effects and Improvements
The asteroid belts will now be more detailed with Proteus, creating even more space atmosphere, at least for those who have chosen to be a miner or a rat. But even station traders should at least take a short trip to the new belts and take a look at the now countless fragments. With Rhea, CCP tried out a new, optional star map, which was rather confusing with its 5000 systems so far. Proteus is supposed to further improve and enhance the new star map.
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But it’s not just the graphics that are being improved, but also the countless modules. A total of 10 module types are undergoing rebalancing by CCP, which comes with a new naming system. This system is supposed to be easier to understand. For example, the Propulsion Upgrades or the Engineering Equipment are being revised and adjusted. Gradually, all modules in EVE Online are to be subjected to rebalancing.
The Proteus update is already online on the test server Singularity and is set to go live on January 13. By the way, we tell you why starting with EVE Online is worthwhile!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In World of Warcraft, the birthday celebrations are extended by one week.
Those who checked the trading channels of the WoW world yesterday saw the Ragnaros pet (Hatespark the Tiny) being sold for exorbitant prices. 100,000 Gold is what the guys on Blackrock wanted for the pet with a 10% drop chance (according to mmo-champion) from the Molten Core birthday event.
What is the reason for this? With pets, it’s a bit like with deceased artists. Once the market knows that nothing new is coming, they want to cash in.
However, the birthday event ended too early. It was already canceled in the morning, although it was supposed to last until the evening. Blizzard has reacted to this and simply added another week. Until January 13 at 10:00 AM the event is supposed to last. Time to get that pet. If you can withstand the Molten Core.
In unrelated news: Rogues are set to be buffed via hotfix. Assassination Rogues by 6%, Combat Rogues get more attack power, and there is also a buff for Subtlety Rogues:
Rogue
Assassination
Assassination Rogues now deal 6% more damage.
Combat
Vitality now grants 50% additional Attack Power (up from 40%).
Subtlety
Sanguinary Vein now increases damage dealt by 25% (up from 20%)
Additionally, items from the Iron Horde can now be collected without restrictions, previously it was capped at 200. These pieces can be exchanged for transmog gear at the War Workshop/Dwarven Bunker. Also, wood can now be gathered without limit.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny, the Nightfall strike this week has no damage modifier, no burn. This will be a tough challenge for all Guardians who want to face it alone.
The weekly Nightfall strike in Destiny promises a smoking head and a 24.5% bonus on gained reputation and experience upon successful completion. There’s also a chance for great loot (usually Exotics or strange coins that can be used to exotic weapons and armors.)
This week, Valus’Tarc is the target. The strike takes place on Mars. It’s against the Cabal in Cerebus Vae III.
The Pitfall: This week, no burn is active. That means Guardians have to manage without the huge damage bonus that some weapons enjoy. A health bar can get pretty long…
The modifiers for the weekly Nightfall strike in the week of January 6.
The modifiers this week:
Nightfall – Should the entire fireteam die, everyone returns to orbit and Cerebus Vae III restarts
Epic – The Nightfall strike is significantly harder than a heroic strike of the same level, this modifier is to blame
Lightswitch – Enemies deal increased melee damage
Angry – Enemies cannot be halted even with heavy hits
Juggler – No ammo drops for the weapon currently equipped when getting kills. However, you can shoot Gjallarhorn and then switch weapons as long as the rockets are still in flight, granting a chance for heavy ammo
The preferred arsenal
The loadout this week is entirely up to each Guardian. There are no “ideal weapons” for a strike without burn. You can take your preferred loadout that you also use in normal activities.
Maybe focusing on long-range weapons like Icebreaker or Black Hammer against the tank.
Tips and tricks for the Mars strike, cheese spot for Valus Ta’aurc
This will be a tough challenge with Phalanxes without burn. The Mars strike is already considered lengthy. Anyone wanting to endure it alone has our respect. This week, it’s a team effort.
We have good news: There is a new “cheese spot” for the final boss Valus Ta’aurc. Anyone looking to exploit it… solo, there is hardly any other option, it’s not kosher, but better than pulling the LAN cable.
http://youtu.be/tR7QqEbCjvU
We will post recommended videos for the Nightfall on Cerberus VAE III throughout the day.
In the first video of the Nightfall, Nexxos Gaming, a Swiss YouTuber, heads to Mars with colleagues. He recommends at least one weapon with Void damage for the shields of the Psions.
http://youtu.be/Wt7gYUc17cI Fruit Shaped is also active with a 3-man team. He uses the scout Vision of Confluence, Icebreaker, and the machine gun Zombie Apocalypse, and in many sections the Sparrow.
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In World of Warcraft , the director of the WoW movie, Duncan Jones, hopes for a kind of series.
In an interview with 2p.com, the director of the upcoming WoW movie, Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code), talks about the possibility of a kind of WoW film series.
Peter Jackson prepared the table for the other films with the first Lord of the Rings film back then. Jones knows that it is his job with the first Warcraft film to present the culture and the characters in a way that appeals to a broad audience.
Hopefully, if he has done his job right, people will want to know and see much more. There is definitely enough to tell. Jones would be happy to be part of this development. However, it depends on how the audience reacts to the film and how they accept it.
Mein MMO says: Well, if you look at this , the chances are not bad at all. Hollywood loves film series, the so-called franchises. But for that, the first film must be a success at the box office.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny , the ominous Christmas gift is coming later this week. It is said to be a small but “legendary” token of goodwill.
The Christmas gift in Destiny didn’t come at Christmas, but only in the new year. Some expected it to arrive today during the weekly reset. But that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Bungie’s Twitter account announced last night from Monday to Tuesday: “A small but legendary token of our gratitude is being prepared and will be sent out later this week. We will let you know when you should check the Postmaster.”
A small, but Legendary token of gratitude is being prepped for delivery later this week. We’ll let you know when to check the Postmaster.
It will definitely not be a “Gjallarhorn”, but also nothing that needs to be “decoded”, so no Engram. If you’re sure that many would dismantle it. Hmm, that indeed sounds like a legendary class item.
Neverwinter is a Free To Play fantasy MMO that impresses with its high-quality graphics and some very innovative ideas. Neverwinter takes place in the city of Neverwinter, known from the classic role-playing games Neverwinter Nights and Neverwinter Nights 2, and is roughly based on the rules of the pen & paper role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.
A severe catastrophe has struck Neverwinter and the surrounding areas. The city itself was devastated by a volcanic eruption and overrun by hordes of monsters. Now it is up to you to reclaim the city piece by piece. For this purpose, you can choose from 7 classes and 9 races, known from Dungeons & Dragons.
However, you need not worry about dealing with the many intricacies of character creation that the pen & paper original is known for. The gameplay is oriented towards other classic MMOs.
Create your own content with the Foundry
The standout feature of Neverwinter is the Foundry. This is a comprehensive toolkit that allows players to create their own adventures and quests and share them with other players. This ensures a constant flow of new content. A new playthrough with a new character can therefore include completely new quests.
This robust system is complemented by many official instances and quests, an extensive crafting system, followers who support you in battle, and a PvP system where you can compete against other players.
Neverwinter Features
Action combat system with free targeting and active dodging and blocking.
With the Foundry at your disposal, you have a powerful tool to create your own adventures and share them with other players.
7 classes with different paths:
Guardian Fighter
Trickster Rogue
Devotion Cleric
Warlock
Tactical Mage
Two-Handed Weapon Fighter
Scouting Ranger
In the forgotten dwarven city Gauntlgrym, fierce 20 vs 20 battles between players or guilds await you!
5 vs 5 PvP arenas in the domination mode (whoever manages to hold checkpoints longer wins…).
Campaign system: By mastering solo instances and completing repeatable tasks,
you unlock areas and dungeons,
improve passive powers
and acquire valuable armor.
Fight alongside companions that you can also equip!
Employ workers who can practice professions and craft items for you
Extensive character development, numerous challenging 5-man dungeons and much more…
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In the online shooter Destiny , over 16,000 players have indicated in a survey which exotic weapons they possess. It turns out that Xur is still deciding what weapons are available.
Prior to the DLC “Darkness Awaits”, there was already a survey regarding the exotic weapons available in the Guardians’ arsenal.
It’s important to note that this survey took place in the US forum reddit. There are often “experts” there who are further along than the average or casual player.
Furthermore, almost only people who possess at least one exotic weapon participate in the survey – so it’s not the “average” Destiny player, but one who has a selection of exotic weapons.
Which weapon is the most common, which is the rarest in Destiny?
The majority of survey participants (4 out of 5) have the sniper rifle “Patience and Time” in their arsenal. Then follows Bad Juju, Invective, and Thorn, three exotic weapons that are available through raids. In 5th place is the hand cannon The Last Word, 6th the rocket launcher Truth, and 7th the Ice Breaker.
The coveted weapons Gjallarhorn (rank 14), Vex Mythoclast (rank 15), and Thunderlord (rank 16) are held by about every other Guardian who participated in the survey.
PlayStation-exclusive weapons are the rarest
At the very bottom of the list are the two “old” PlayStation-exclusive weapons Fate of all Fools and Monte Carlo. Even rarer in the survey are the DLC rocket launcher “Dragon’s Breath” and the DLC shotgun “4th Horseman”, which is also PlayStation-exclusive and is at the very bottom, with only 1 out of 9 survey participants having this weapon.
Xur still important for Guardians’ armament
It is striking that Xur still decides how the weapon distribution is. Patience and Time, Truth, The Last Word, and the Ice Breaker are all sought-after weapons that Xur has offered in the last months .
The “darling” that many Guardians long for: Gjallarhorn and Thunderlord have never been or only briefly available in Xur’s inventory, therefore the pros are still eager for these weapons.
The discrepancy is particularly visible with the new DLC weapons. “No Land Beyond” was already offered by Xur, and therefore 2 out of 3 Guardians who participated in the survey have it. Even if the weapon is not particularly highly sought after .
Dragon’s Breath was not available from Xur until the end of the survey (However, it may have been after), so only 1 out of 5 Guardians have that rocket launcher.
With raid weapons, the attractiveness of the weapon relative to the effort of the raid will determine its prevalence.
Here is the survey from Reddit with the results; the redditor Debo37 conducted it:
Recently, the gaming site “Kotaku” discussed fan theories surrounding the lore in World of Warcraft. Specifically, it focused on a YouTube video and the possible storylines contained within it regarding the current Lich King “Bolvar Fordragon”. I would like to briefly introduce the three theories and add some thoughts.
But first: Who is Bolvar Fordragon?
For a long time, Bolvar was the regent of Stormwind, carrying the responsibility of the people on his shoulders. He was supposed to hold this position until either the then-missing King “Varian Wrynn” returned, or the young prince “Anduin Wrynn” came of age to rule independently.
After the king’s return, Bolvar joined the assault against the Scourge in Northrend and had some successes there – until the incident at the Gate of Valor. Those who do not remember clearly should take a quick look at this video:
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Bolvar died at that time and was subsequently burned by the fire of the red dragonflight – still, that was not his end. After Arthas fell, he took control of the Scourge as the new Lich King and has since led a lonely existence on the Frozen Throne. His body has not completely escaped the side effects of dragonfire; his form is covered in cracks, his skin burned – and he is a creature, somewhere on the threshold between life and death.
Now let’s discuss the three theories from the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDytUdHB_54
1. A more powerful Scourge, strengthened by dragonfire and under Bolvar’s control, returns to Azeroth
I find this theory relatively unlikely. While Bolvar is significantly enhanced by the dragonfire (and possibly now also by the armor of the Lich King), several points clearly contradict this theory. Firstly, Bolvar has not yet been able to control the entire Scourge, such as the Cult of the Damned and the undead in the Plaguelands. Moreover, the power of the aspects (i.e., the dragons) has waned after the end of Cataclysm, which should gradually balance his original enhancement.
2. The Burning Legion takes control of Bolvar and attacks Azeroth again
While I do believe it is quite possible (and inevitable) that the Burning Legion will attack Azeroth again, after all, Sargeras is the greatest threat within the Warcraft lore and is therefore certain to reappear. The Scourge is already in a massively weakened state and has failed multiple times, so why would the Burning Legion want to use a broken tool again? Perhaps the Scourge is still useful as cannon fodder, but nothing more. Since it has even been implied that the undead did NOT attack with full strength because of the Lich King, it would be absurd to leave a human Lich King at the head of this army.
3. Bolvar Fordragon joins the fight against the Legion – the Scourge is an ally of the Horde and Alliance
On one hand, this scenario certainly sounds incredibly exciting – the Scourge joins the Horde and Alliance to save Azeroth from the onslaught of the Burning Legion. From my perspective, that would be too bold a move. The undead have been enemies for over 10 years now, and lorewise, even the death knights are still greatly mistrusted. I can hardly imagine undead peacefully strolling hand in hand with humans through Stormwind – on the Horde side, I can also hardly picture Sylvanas tolerating any other “control over the undead” within her faction.
Personal Theories and Thoughts
It is only a matter of time before Bolvar Fordragon will play a role in the Warcraft universe again. Whether he will truly make an appearance again is another question entirely. In the cinematic of Arthas’s death, it was warned and said, “There must always be a Lich King.” If I were a dark villain with sinister plans, what would I do? I would kill Bolvar and destroy the armor to let the Scourge run amok. If I were the Banshee Queen Sylvanas, then I would be the only “expert” in the field of undead control… a tempting thought.
Sylvanas and Bolvar will likely appear together in some capacity – in what way exactly, only the future will reveal.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
