In the SF-MMO WildStar , the crown jewel of the game, the raids, are being underappreciated. This is supported by numbers from wildstarprogress.
Those who follow WildStar see the annual reviews from various gaming sites with dismay. Many gaming sites refer to WildStar as one of the biggest flops of the year and conduct root cause analysis. The game launched with good reviews, was the most eagerly anticipated game since Guild Wars 2, and players were excited. Why couldn’t interest be maintained? What is happening with WildStar?
In this analysis, PC World stumbled upon a reddit thread that evaluates the numbers from the website Wildstarprogress, which keeps track of the raid success of WildStar guilds.
Only 0.3% of players were able to see the Datascapes.
The redditor fooey estimates 500,000 copies sold and then compares that to the raid numbers. Only 72 guilds with 20 players each managed to fully clear the first raid in WildStar, he ruthlessly calculates. This means only 1,440 players qualified for the second raid “Datascapes”. Thus, only one in three hundred players who purchased the game gets to enjoy this content.
Perhaps even more concerning: Only 1.3% of the assumed 500,000 players have managed to down a raid boss.
In Planetside 2, the drop probability and the strength of the implants have been adjusted, likely to sell new Tier 4 implants to customers. This raises Pay2Win accusations from players that SOE cannot fully refute.
As the gaming blog In An Age reports, there were only 3 tiers of implants in Planetside 2 until recently. Then a fourth tier was introduced, and to make it more attractive, the existing implants were weakened. Additionally, with the patch from December 17, the drop rate of all implants was reduced. This was done through the back door with a “general statement in the patch notes.”
Overall implant rates have been adjusted to accommodate the inclusion of new Tier 4 implants.
This understandably does not sit well with the fans. Accusations of “Pay2Win” are raised, referring to it as one of the despised money grabs. They say that SOE is reaching into the players’ wallets and indirectly charging a fee if they want to compete at the top.
Representatives from SOE have now commented on the crisis. The weakening of the drop rate is not a real nerf, but it was originally set too high and has now been corrected downwards. SOE President John Smedley tweeted, “We are sorry that we want to make money. But I don’t see it as a money grab.”
A community manager also addressed the accusations in the internet forum reddit. If one sees implants as “Pay2Win”, then indeed some changes in the future may displease the players.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
If someone were to start SMITE without informing themselves beforehand, they probably wouldn’t directly realize that it is a representative of the MOBA genre, as the camera is untypically not directed “from above onto the game world”, but is always directly behind the character being played. The various heroes – all gods and mythological figures from the real world – are directly controlled using WASD, and every ability must be aimed precisely to find its target.
Genre-typical, however, is unlocking new gods: At the beginning, you only possess a handful of the approximately 60 playable characters, additional ones can be unlocked through in-game currency earned or by purchasing a premium package – this is not necessary, and paying opponents gain no gameplay advantage.
Easy to learn, hard to master
Thanks to short, but absolutely sufficient tutorials, getting started in SMITE is exceptionally easy, and whether you are a battle-hardened veteran or a complete newcomer, the first successes will not take long to materialize – no matter which of the numerous game modes you try.
However, if you want to enter the significantly more demanding “League” mode, you’ll want to invest a bit more time into planning and gathering information, because only those who have all the abilities of all gods memorized will know what to fear. Together with other players, devastating combinations of the respective 4 abilities can be mixed, which can decisively handle reckless attackers or defenders.
Detailed implementation of tradition
Particularly noteworthy is the loving and detailed integration of traditions into the game world. All gods have been represented by the developers to the best of their knowledge and belief, as they have been depicted in paintings and ancient writings. This not only pertains to the pure appearance of the mythological beings but also to their abilities, backstory, and the various comments they throw out during a match. If you prefer something a bit more extravagant, you can also purchase premium skins for real money to leave a more lasting impression on the battlefield.
The biggest criticisms currently are the inadequate German translation of the on-screen texts, as well as the occasionally frustrating matchmaking, as you are often assigned opponents who play significantly better or worse than you do.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
World of Tanks is hosting an 8-bit retro event at the end of the month. In the Winter Showdown, players can engage in intense 10v10 battles in 8-bit vehicles.
It’s a crazy world. On one side, everything is supposed to look photo-realistic, every detail in HD on 4K monitors, and we would prefer to sit directly in a tank via Occoulus Rift or Project Morpheus, shouting bold commands like Brad Pitt that makes our comrades drop their cigarettes from their surround system. But then we see 8-bit pixel graphics and think: “Oh, how iconic and retro.” Wargaming is now taking the pixel path for its tank MMO “World of Tanks”. Starting January 26, it’s going retro in the “Winter Showdown”. There are three tanks specially made for the event, a battlefield, platoons, medals to earn, and a trailer to check it out:
http://youtu.be/4kCtRl9I6b0
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny the exotic Hunter gauntlets “Don’t Touch Me” create a quirky effect. With a trick, they make a Guardian invisible for such a long duration that they can walk around in the raid “Crota’s End”.
He also has the DLC gloves “Don’t Touch Me” and asks for 13 strange coins for them. Now, gloves are not exactly the most spectacular slot to wear the only exotic armor piece allowed there. However, the gloves “Don’t Touch Me” are worth making an exception.
6.5 Seconds of Invisibility and That Without Cooldown
Because they make the Hunter invisible for 3.5 seconds when hit in melee. If this effect is now combined with a special skill from the Blade Dancer tree (Shadowjack), it extends to 6.5 seconds. And this is without any cooldown.
During these 6.5 seconds, the Hunter can regenerate their health.
Now, in PvP, in the Crucible, it’s not a great advantage because other players can still see you despite the invisibility. However, it is extremely useful for walking around in the lamp section of the raid “Crota’s End”. Therefore, Hunters who are eager for long walks might want to consider this investment. And who knows: Maybe someone will come up with another application for such prolonged invisibility… Perhaps as life insurance in a Nightfall strike?
Here in this video, a Guardian shows you the trick and strolls calmly through the lamp part of the new raids in Destiny without firing a single shot.
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The action MMO TERA has been without a DPS meter for over 2 years, effectively since its release. A player-made program has now appeared in the official forum that may well put an end to this era of innocence. However, players are still unclear about where this will lead and whether it is an illegal tool.
While there have been previous attempts to record and display the damage of individual players, this tool is noticeably different from the others: it is more accessible than ever and seems to be very reliable based on the initial tests.
DPS Meter Download for TERA: Legal or Illegal?
At TERA Today, one of the largest fan sites on the web, many players are currently rushing to download the DPS meter.
The programmer assures that he does not modify the TERA client in any way, but only refers to network data. The former would be illegal and would violate TERA’s guidelines.
Since the community is encountering a mass-market tool of this kind for the first time, players have rightly shown skepticism and have called on the officials at Gameforge for a statement. This promptly came from Community Manager anemsalok:
It is tolerated, but use is at your own risk*, as long as it’s only “reading” and does not affect the gaming experience, it is fine.
*To avoid misunderstandings, this means that if the program you use contains a virus or similar, we are not responsible.
The tool is tolerated, but I want to reiterate at this point: we cannot guarantee that using the tool will not cause viruses or similar malware to enter your computers. The file is currently virus-free, but of course, there is no lifetime guarantee. After all, it is not an official program.
User “Shione” from the TERA forum shows what the HTML interface looks like (click to enlarge).
Some love it, others hate it.
Thus, endless arguments about DMG and DPS meters from the last 10 years in all kinds of MMOs can be summed up. But why? On one hand, such a tool is naturally practical for maximizing one’s abilities, boosting motivation through records. On the other hand, it divides the community, as there are separations, classifications, and players with supposedly “poor performance” are more often excluded from group searches.
Such discussions have also been taking place in the TERA forums for a few days now.
Dawid says: I still remember the first attempts at DMG meters in TERA during the beta. They were not really usable: for example, attempts were made to read the numbers from the combat log based on images. The results were very inaccurate and only referred to one’s own character.
This tool changes a lot, provided it spreads further and becomes the standard. Because it is incredibly easy to use and delivers credible data for the entire group via an HTML document. Especially in TERA, it could have a significant impact, as the community has not really been able to access data like this before.
The community is usually quite progress-oriented in endgame content, elite groups abound. It is quite possible that the gap will widen even more. Players who do less damage or prefer a more casual approach might face problems. However, it is also an opportunity for players who have previously been judged only on their equipment and not on their skills.
While TERA occasionally requires large damage spikes, the action combat system presents fights somewhat differently than traditional tab-targeting MMORPGs. The combat dynamics are much more fluid, and even with the bosses, it feels like each encounter is different, despite the same mechanics. In TERA, it is very important to approach attacks strategically, occasionally holding back damage. Some may lose sight of the boss fight and lead the groups to wipe.
For classes like the warrior, who are often included for their support abilities, it could become tight if teammates focus only on damage output. However, they also benefit more if classes scale their damage.
TERA offers some challenges and special titles when high damage is dealt within a certain time. Such a tool motivates and can genuinely help players to exceed their limits. Some users in the forum have already reported “improved performance.”
It also allows for precise evaluation of one’s own skills, as “Tade” from the TERA forum shows us.
What do you think of the DPS meter that has surfaced in TERA? Are you generally against such tools or do they represent a significant benefit?
In Destiny , the future plans for the game have allegedly been leaked. The next DLC House of Wolves is set to release in early March. A major expansion named Comet is planned for September.
Leaks for Destiny were very common at the beginning. Often, they turned out to be unfounded. However, this one looks promising. Here, there is a photo that seems to be from an internal presentation.
Allegedly, it somehow originated from Italy, was leaked somehow, possibly by someone who has no idea. The photo has been circulating since October, but only caught the attention of an Italian fan site operator – anyhow. It is extremely hard to verify such things.
The information sounds plausible in any case.
According to this, the DLC “House of Wolves” is supposed to be released on March 10. It will play out very similarly to “Darkness Awaits.” There will be a new raid, three new story missions, a new strike, and four new PvP maps. So far, so good.
Expansion Comet brings 12 new missions, a new zone
In September 2015, Comet (Comet: Plague of Darkness) will launch. This is not a DLC, but a “full” expansion. This first expansion in Destiny is supposed to take place on the Moon, Mars, Venus, and on a Hive ship. This Hive ship will also be the first new zone in Destiny.
Allegedly, the expansion brings twelve new story missions, four new strikes, one new raid, six new PvP maps, and a completely new zone.
Furthermore, the three new subclasses and two new weapon types are supposed to come here. It is alleged that the “base level” will be raised from 20 to 30 (which could then rise to 40 with gear).
The expansion Comet is also said to be released as a disc, so that new players won’t have to download an excessive amount.
For later (probably in 2016), two more DLCs are planned: Vex Y60 and Forge of God. Nothing further is known about these two DLCs.
Mein MMO says: It sounds plausible. Nothing is confirmed, nor will it be. Even if this pic is “real,” it might be that a lot has changed over time and the content will not come as previously planned.
As mentioned: It seems plausible as a timeline for the first Destiny. It also corresponds to what is known about Bungie’s plans (one major expansion per release of Destiny). However, nothing is confirmed here. It would lead to “1 year after release comes the first expansion.” The question is whether the time span between the 2nd DLC “House of Wolves” and the expansion won’t be a bit long.
Update: Here is the Italian article from October that analyzed the data back then. It discusses, among other things, “The Dark Below”, which was dated for December 7 (it released on December 9) and the leak was quite accurate regarding the data about TDB.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny Xur, Agent of the Nine, appears as a black market vendor and exotic gear supplier on January 2nd. When he arrives, what exotic weapons and armor he brings, and what upgrade options are available, you will find out in this article.
Xur has long since transformed from a hidden gem in September to a mainstream figure, similar to a British folk rock band.
During the second week of his offerings, he had the ultra-desirable rocket launcher Gjallarhorn available. But he played to empty seats, as hardly anyone knew about Xur and his offerings: he sells exotic weapons and armor that are prestige items in Destiny. However, he only has a small selection each week, and no one really knew that in the second week after the release.
And so hardly anyone bought the rocket launcher Gjallarhorn back then. And he has never offered it again since. Maybe that will change this week, who knows?
Nowadays, Xur plays in full stadiums. And if he had Gjallarhorn, it would significantly change the balance in the game.
Similarly sought after as Gjallarhorn is the Warlock chest armor Heart of Praxic Fire. This has also never been seen before. He did not sell it in 2014.
But maybe it’s true: New year, new luck? And this time he is more generous?
By now, Xur has some new tricks up his sleeve. He is important for the Vessel of Sacrifice and can upgrade weapons and armor to new versions.
All about Xur, Agent of the Nine, on January 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.
When does Xur appear in the Tower?
Xur appears on Friday, January 2nd, at 10:00 AM German time in the Tower. He leaves again on Sunday, January 4th, also at 10:00 AM.
Where is Xur located in the Tower? What is his position?
He hides in the back corner of the café, down in the hangar. http://youtu.be/txelhdDT75s
What is the significance of the numbers on the armors?
These are the values in strength, intellect, and discipline. They can vary. The higher they are, the better it is. Here we have an article about it.
What does Xur have this week for Warlocks, Titans, and Hunters?
Xur is offering the exotic rocket launcher Dragon’s Breath for 17 strange coins this week.
The DLC Titan Boots Mk 44 Stand Asides for 13 strange coins with 145/156 strength, looks like a really good roll.
The exotic DLC Warlock chest piece Starfire Protocol for 13 strange coins. This version has 144/155 intellect, likely also good for a 36 light level.
The exotic DLC gloves Don’t Touch Me for Hunters. They cost 13 strange coins and have 91/97 discipline, rather poor.
Additionally, he has exotic glove engrams available for 23 light particles.
What upgrade options does he offer this week?
This week, Xur offers the following 6 upgrades for armor:
The Hunter helmet Weak Head Radar with 86/92 strength
Again the Hunter helmet Achylophage Symbiote with 112/120 discipline
The Titan version of the Emblems of Alpha Lupi with 134/144 intellect
The Healing Armor, a Titan chest piece, with 126/135 discipline
The Warlock helmet Apotheosis Veil with 107/114 discipline.
And the Heart of Praxic Fire, with 116/125 discipline, a Warlock chest piece.
For the following 6 weapons, he offers upgrade options:
The hand cannon The Last Word
The shotgun Universal Remote
The fusion rifle Pocket Infinity
The exotic sniper rifle Patience and Time
The machine gun Thunderlord
The exotic rocket launcher Gjallarhorn
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Final Fantasy XIV, the new weddings are eagerly utilized. A bride was recently left at the altar by her groom on the “most important day of her life” due to a disconnect.
So check who binds for eternity … the stability of the connection
With the last patch 2.45, wedding packages were introduced to Final Fantasy XIV that players can book directly with Square Enix. These are also being actively used. However, one should be cautious.
A player is now sharing in the reddit forum about her dream wedding at the highest level Platinum. She is in a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend, so this was a “big deal” for her, as she writes.
Scandal: Priest continues with the ceremony
However, the wedding did not go as planned. The wedding guests were spamming “Holy abilities,” which completely disconnected her groom from FFXIV and also banned her from the game for a few minutes. The ceremony was conducted, and the bride and groom received their “You are now married” items. However, they did not get to see any cutscenes. The priest conducted the ceremony without the couple.
Later, they contacted customer support. However, that was disappointing. After all, they could conduct the ceremony a second time with donations from the guild, but by then the wedding mood was likely gone.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With the new year and month, the next season begins in Hearthstone. This time, you can earn a Draenei-style card back.
If you reach rank 20 in Constructed during the month of January, you will receive this month’s stylish Draenei card back with a little more pink than usual. Rank 20 is easy to achieve, especially since anyone who was successful in December starts the new year with a few bonus stars. So, the card backs are more of a participation than a victory certificate.
Hearthstone just saw an expansion of the card selection with Goblins vs Gnomes which added more than 120 cards in December, and deck crafting is currently in full swing. Hearthstone is now playable on Android tablets, is expected to come to smartphones soon, and is doing quite well for Blizzard’s online card game.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
At the end of the year, many in the gaming business like to announce the “Top 5 Games of the Year.” Our YouTube partner Darion, however, prefers to award the Weapon of the Year: the Bow.
More and more games are giving players a bow and arrow. Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Crysis, Tomb Raider, or H1Z1. But why do they do this? The bow is inferior to conventional firearms in many ways, yet more and more players prefer it.
In Destiny , the exotic weapons in the game have become true cult objects. The hand cannon Dorn has now been brought into our world.
Legendary weapons run through the cultural history of humanity and fiction. Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur; Mjölnir, the hammer of Thor; or the silver bullet of Winnetou have also become known beyond the associated myths.
Now, the specialist Brian Johnson has taken on the very detailed “Dorn,” an exotic hand cannon with a thorny steampunk look. Johnson does this professionally and specializes in creating unusual objects. He has previously crafted the helmet of Master Chief from Halo 4, the four-barreled giant revolver “Good Samaritan” from Hellboy, and a baby Groot from the Marvel film Guardians of the Galaxy.
He is refining the 3D printing technique further. Thus, the Dorn is no longer just the printed model; it served merely as a template to create the now sturdier and stronger version of the Dorn using “Resin Casting.”
“It’s not the original ABS print that you receive, but a resin copy which is heavier and a lot stronger than the ABS which usually breaks in the molding process.”
The finished model of the Thorn has been hand-painted and designed by Johnson to express all details.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A few days ago, I received a link to an article from gamingbolt (which you can find as always in our sources) that was about the upcoming shooter “Evolve“. The author raises some very exciting points that I would also like to address – because for me, Evolve is already the game of the upcoming spring.
Left 4 Dead 3?
Recently, there were great concerns that Evolve might actually just be a secret successor to “Left 4 Dead 2,” where you replaced the zombies with a big monster. Fortunately, the “Big Alpha” has dispelled this concern. Unlike in Valve’s zombie apocalypse, the goal in this game is not to survive or escape – it is about destroying the enemy.
Variety – for both Hunters and Monsters
Although there are currently “only” three different monster types, they are completely different from each other and offer a completely new gaming experience. Whether you play as the Goliath, the Kraken, or the Wraith, all three offer different approaches. The Goliath relies on pure brutality: throwing rocks, fire breath, and charging are in its repertoire. The Kraken, on the other hand, can fly (leaving no trace), lay mines, and rain lightning down on enemies from above. I haven’t played as the Wraith myself yet, but it seems to specialize in deception and quick attacks on individual Hunters, whom it then abducts.
The Hunters can be categorized into four classes, each represented by 3 characters – so a total of 12 playable humans. Their abilities differ and complement each other excellently – for example, a Support can distribute shields while the Trapper can trap the monster for a certain duration to prevent it from fleeing.
In addition to all the characters and monsters, there are also unlockable perks, as you might be used to from many games. The variety is huge, but you have to unlock them first. Some examples include slightly increased jump height for the monster or faster reload times for the Hunters.
4 Modes with Minor Differences
During the “big Alpha,” you could only test one game mode, but now you have also gained insight into the other modes. The basic enmity between the Hunters and the Monsters remains the same, though the tasks vary slightly.
“Hunt” is probably the typical Evolve mode. The monster has a few seconds lead and must hide, gather food, and evolve in order to ultimately overwhelm the Hunters. The 4 opponents try to prevent this as early as possible, surrounding the monster and ideally blowing out its life lights during its first evolution stage.
In “Nest,” there are additional eggs on the map that either hatch after a certain time or when the monster comes into contact with them. Depending on which side collects and eliminates more eggs, the other team will have a relatively hard time.
In the “Rescue” mode, the Hunters must find civilians scattered throughout the map and escort them to a safe place. The monster, in turn, tries to eliminate the more or less helpless NPCs before they can be rescued – this seems amusing at first glance and incredibly fast-paced.
The “Defend” mode has intrigued me the least so far; in this mode, the Hunters must defend a specific position and ensure that the tanks of their escape ship are filled – the monster, of course, tries to prevent this, as one would expect.
Evacuation – All Modes Combined
My favorite mode will likely be “Evacuation.” Here you play each of the other modes in turn, like in a small campaign. Depending on which side won the current match, you then receive a powerful bonus for the next map.
If the monster wins, it gets an NPC companion that additionally attacks the Hunters, or can find significantly more wild creatures to feed on faster. If the Hunters win, they benefit from deployable turrets or electric fences to secure certain areas.
The Problem of Slowness
At least during the alpha, many players were frustrated that as Hunters, they often wandered around for minutes without seeing the monster even once – it often reached evolution stage 3 by the time the first combat occurred.
In my personal experience, though, this is not a big problem. The “hide and seek” aspect is a core part of the game, and more experienced players will quickly figure out which direction the monster might have gone. At least I often laughed to myself when the group of 4 Hunters simply walked past me while I remained motionless in a bush. In those moments, the tension is, of course, extremely high, and that also contributes greatly to the appeal of this game.
I hope that nothing changes about this “slowness” at the beginning of a match – because good Hunters can quickly turn the tide without needing any additional aids.
To be honest, I can hardly wait for the game’s release in February. It offers a nice break from the MMO routine, provides a dark atmosphere, and has short, incredibly thrilling matches. Definitely just the right thing to remind four friends who’s the biggest monster here (spoiler: me!).
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In the SF-MMO EVE Online, there was a huge fireworks display last week. A player roamed around with 84 PLEX in a hardly protected Rookie ship of the IBIS class. Not a good idea, as it turned out.
In EVE Online, the in-game license PLEX is one of the most valuable trading goods. By redeeming them, players receive game time in the Pay2Play MMO.
An item is worth 20 dollars if bought from CCP, or a corresponding amount of ISK, the in-game currency. 84 PLEX would be worth around 70 billion ISK.
Why the player Ozuwara thought it was a good idea to carry all 84 of these PLEX in a Rookie ship is not documented. However, the outcome was clear: another pilot shot him down.
But the killer, a guy named Diorden, couldn’t rejoice over a financial windfall for Christmas. All PLEX were vaporized with the destruction of the ship. Developer CCP thus received about $1500 without those items ultimately being able to purchase game time.
Now that’s an effective money sink.
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In the fantasy MMO Final Fantasy XIV, the next major patch “Before the Fall” is coming this month. It is set to conclude the storyline of the rebirth of Eorzea, which will wrap up at the end of March.
The future of Final Fantasy XIV is already relatively clear, but until now the data has been lacking. Square Enix is now catching up with this in a newsletter.
The first part of “Before the Fall”, patch 2.5,is expected to arrive in mid to late January. With 2.5, a lot of new content will find its way into the game: new quests, another (and perhaps final) adventure of Hildibrand, crafting recipes, fresh gear for crafters, three new instances, a battle against Odin, another wing in the Crystal Tower leading into the World of Darkness, and much more.
The patch will include roughly two-thirds of the final main scenario quests, three new dungeons, and the conclusion of the Crystal Tower questline and the World of Darkness. The patch will also feature the adventures of Hildibrand─agent of enquiry, inspector extraordinaire─on his latest (and perhaps final?) investigation, a new battle against Odin, the Dark Divinity of legend, in Urth’s Fount, new gear for gatherers and crafters, numerous new recipes, and more.
After that, the plan is to take a short breather and introduce mini-games: Chocobo races, Chocobo breeding, the Triple Triad card game, and more are set to be available in the Manderville Golden Saucer.
At the end of March, the second part of “Before the Fall” is expected to be released, which will conclude the various quest lines and wrap up the chapter on the rebirth of Final Fantasy XIV.
Fantasy MMO Guild Wars 2 will present its plans for the year 2015 on January 24 in San Antonio. It will probably be about the end of the second season of the Living World and what was announced there.
At the end of January, PAX South, the first major video game fair of the new year, will take place in San Antonio. Guild Wars 2 will be represented by Game Director Colin Johanson and Mike O’Brien, the president of ArenaNet. With the first guard, so to speak.
There will be a panel presenting the game’s plans for 2015. It is titled “Beyond the Point of No Return” – “The Living World was just the beginning…”
January 13 also sees the continuation of the Living World
They promise even a sneak peek, which could mean there will be images and plans for a possible expansion, although that would be the best case; it could also remain much smaller. We will know more on January 24.
The next season of the Living World is coming a bit earlier, on January 13 it will continue. Reading the description of the panel, it seems that the panel directly addresses what players want to know when they have experienced this Living Story.
For the end of the Living Story, GW2 promised a “real bang” that should initiate something new. It could actually be that this is about an expansion.
Is GW2 waiting for the last episode of the Living Story before revealing expansion plans?
Mein MMO thinks: So far, little is known about GW2’s plans for 2015. This may be because they are preparing an expansion in the last episodes of the Living World and do not want to spoil that with an announcement.
We will probably know more on January 13, when the new episode goes live.
And once again, a Wednesday falls on a significant day, this time it is New Year’s Eve. So what better than a small but fine year in review?
That’s why today I dedicate myself to the three biggest disappointments that the year has brought me.
1. WildStar – Highly hyped, deeply fallen
Yes, I was among those who WildStar praised to the heavens – and I would probably do it again. The game launched extremely ambitiously and had all the prerequisites that an MMO needs to be successful. With an extremely long maturation period of many years, the release in spring could have been a major hit. But things turned out differently.
Shortly after the release, key figures left the development studio, but significant bugs and exploits were relatively quickly addressed. However, the many small flaws catapulted the game into obscurity.
Together with the broken promise of monthly content patches and massive balancing problems in PvP, many players quickly turned their backs on the sci-fi giant. Unfortunately, the great housing and extensive lore couldn’t keep the masses engaged over the long term.
For the year 2014, WildStar unfortunately became a flop – but perhaps the coming year will bring improvement and good news again. Carbine deserves it.
2. The release of Warlords of Draenor
I can hardly say anything bad about the now fifth expansion for “World of Warcraft,” because “Warlords of Draenor” does a lot of things right and offers fun for weeks. However, what drove me to sheer rage is the release of this expansion. It was a complete disaster.
For over a week, one could only enter their garrison if they either waited for hours or had Fortuna itself in their backpack. Many characters were stuck in the transition of an instance and could not be played at all. Added to that were the usual problems, like far too few mobs for far too many players – but I was already counting on that.
All of this would have been bearable if Blizzard hadn’t once again thrown the usual “cloak of silence” over everything and not told anyone what was actually going on and why nothing worked.
In retrospect, they spoke of DDoS attacks and other hardware problems. Better late than never, but sometimes late is simply not the best decision.
Honesty towards customers could have helped to keep the frustration of the player base in check.
3. DayZ – The new “Duke Nukem Forever”
Well, nobody would have expected that! It has been three years since I played “DayZ” – back then still as a mod for “Arma II.” Nowadays, the game feels a bit sillier to me every year because it was originally supposed to be released in December 2012 – mind you, as a standalone full version.
By now, there is the zombie shooter as an “Early Access” version on Steam, but interest is steadily declining. Many other developers have taken the steering wheel from DayZ and developed standalone games that work on exactly the same principle and already seem much more market-ready. Of course, there were some black sheep there too, but hope for a finished “DayZ” shrinks with each passing day.
It even seems a bit ironic that they have now released the plan for 2015: In the last quarter of the upcoming year, they finally want to enter beta status.
Who believes it. I no longer do. For me, DayZ is the new “Duke Nukem forever” and I no longer expect a release in this decade.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny receives a Guardian from his fiancée a kind of “Destiny” package for Christmas with all sorts of useful items like the “Cookie Bringern”, the “Suros Health Regime” or the bathrobe of “No Game Tomorrow.”
For Destiny, a damn lot of hours are spent. And contrary to the stereotype, MMO players are not all single and living in the basement. Many have girlfriends, fiancées, or are even married with families (and some… it is rumored, may even be women themselves, but that clearly belongs to the realm of legend). An important question that can massively influence household harmony is: How does the better half deal with it when you keep getting upset about Xur, spend hours lurking in the Nightfall, trance-like farm helium filaments, scream at guys through the headset that they should finally run over the damn bridges, and gush with gleaming eyes about the best day of their life, which does not mean wedding or the birth of a child, but rather the day when Gjallarhorn was available at a public event on Mars?
Of course, it comes down to sensitivity. But also to the understanding and love of the partner.
A Guardian has hit the jackpot with his fiancée. She understands her future husband’s hobby and brought him a whole package of “Destiny gifts” for Christmas. The man, a lucky guy known as bulletchocolate on reddit, photographed, displayed, and shared these gifts. How well his fiancée understands Destiny and its influence on her Guardian is evident from the witty humor of the gifts, as they are all equipped with trait cards.
So a few vitamin pills reduce fatigue by 5 points, the “Neck-Juju” (a neck pillow) has a 50% chance of increasing the user’s energy or putting them into a 20-minute deep sleep, “Ice Breather” ensures fresh breathing through the nose, the Cakebringer has two charges but does nothing for health, and instead of the chest armor Heart of the Praxic Fire, there is a “Fiancée’s Heart” that ignites once a month. Users on reddit congratulated the Destiny player on this fiancée. He must have rolled a good one. The woman is clearly an Exotic. There are hopes that Xur will have her in stock soon.
But as we know Xur… No.
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The fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online has removed the possibility of a six-month subscription from its offers. Some see this as a sign that TESO may soon go “Free2Play”.
It has happened without fanfare: There is simply no longer a way to subscribe to The Elder Scrolls Online for 6 months. The corresponding option has been removed.
In the official forum, a thread was opened. Players asked what this was about. Could this be an indication that TESO may not have a subscription in 6 months and will become Free2Play or Pay2Play?
No, says a representative from Zenimax. It is simply that the 6-month option was rarely chosen. Players preferred a monthly or quarterly renewal. Thus, it was removed from the offer.
However, such a “removal of long-term subscriptions” has been a precursor to moving to Free2Play in other MMOs, and many (especially media) see this as a possibility for The Elder Scrolls Online, leading to discussions.
Mein MMO believes: Yes … it could strategically “somehow” play a role. But it is extremely unlikely that TESO will go Free2Play. If TESO changes its business model when launching on consoles (which would likely make sense), it will probably adopt a Buy2Play model with later paid DLC.
What a Buy2Play model can mean for a game that is being developed at full steam is currently being experienced by Destiny players: They pay $20 for a DLC that would be a substantial content patch in the “Pay2Play” model. Essentially, exactly the type of content patch that TESO already released three times last year.
The bargain hunters circling around TESO, hoping that they can finally play it for free, will likely have to be patient. So far, all Free2Play rumors have come exclusively from outside and have been crazily constructed, like the alleged console end. Zenimax itself has not given the slightest signal in that direction.
Although the crucial port to consoles might have higher chances with a different business model than Pay2Play. Explaining to players on Playstation 4 and Xbox One that they have to pay monthly will likely be a significant challenge.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , completely different weapons are needed for PvP, the Crucible, than for PvE. We present two of the stars in the Crucible: the classic Falkenmond and the new sniper rifle LDR 5001, which can even shoot through walls.
In no other MMO are weapons as important as in Destiny. While in a classic MMORPG it doesn’t really matter which weapon you hold, only the numbers get a bit bigger, a different weapon in Destiny provides a different gameplay experience: the recoil is different, the sights, fire rate, range, sound, and optics.
It is crucial for gameplay which type of weapon you choose. And then again, which specific weapon. And then again, which traits you have selected for that weapon.
The idea behind this is to provide players with a selection of tools from which they – like a surgeon or craftsman – can choose the right instrument for every purpose, every task. For PvP, the Crucible in Destiny, you need entirely different weapons than for PvE. But which? A rapier? A battle axe? A mix of both?
For a long time, automatic rifles, led by the Suros Regime, were dominant. The rule was: “Either you take an automatic rifle or you’re doing it wrong.”
But that changed after a nerf that brought more variety to Destiny. Today, we present two of the most popular weapons in the current PvP.
The LDR 5001 – a sniper rifle that shoots through walls
The best thing about the legendary sniper rifle LDR 5001 is perhaps how relatively easy it is to obtain. It belongs to the new vendor weapons that came with Darkness lurking and costs 150 Vanguard tokens and Vanguard rewards.
No one here relies on luck, on a rare drop, but everyone Guardian can earn it.
Here, the German YouTubers from PRONDC present the “vendor edition” of the LDR 5001. However, there are also other versions of the weapon that are available randomly and are suitable for other tasks. http://youtu.be/_sDBpXtiESc The LDR 5001 has a similar handling to the Icebreaker, it fires relatively slowly and has a slightly lower range, but it achieves clean kills with headshots or two body shots and is extremely dangerous in the hands of an experienced player.
The special feature of the LDR 5001 is the perk “Armor-Piercing Rounds”, which makes the sniper in the Crucible a killer and can take out enemies even if they seek cover.
The Hawkmoon – sniper rifle disguised as a hand cannon
The Hawkmoon is an exotic hand cannon that only PlayStation players can access through random rewards or engrams. It remains exclusive until autumn 2015, likely until September.
In a ranking a few months ago regarding the most popular PvP weapons, the Hawkmoon placed 4th, just behind Suros, Gjallarhorn, and The Last Word.
The primary weapon is so popular because it has no weaknesses but provides a solid solution for all PvP problems. It fires quickly and accurately, deals enough damage, has a large magazine, and an astonishingly high range. Moreover, many Guardians prefer the casual style of a hand cannon. The Hawkmoon stands out with its minimalist look.
Guardians hardly have to worry about the bonus perks that cause random rounds to deal bonus damage. It’s nice when the effect occurs, but not necessarily essential. It rounds out the Hawkmoon and gives it additional bite.
It’s a pity that the Hawkmoon is out of reach for Xbox players.
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With the Hawkmoon, it’s possible to take out a sniper from a long distance, as well as surprisingly take down opponents in tight corridors in groups of three.
An enthusiast weapon that nevertheless boasts deadly precision. Not bad.
Here you see the Hawkmoon in action. The Guardian, popular YouTuber More Consoles, gets a Reign of Terror with 15 kills without dying. Admittedly: It’s not just the Hawkmoon, but also the aspect of the Christmas fresh players that could play a role: http://youtu.be/KuFri05Yvjg
What are your favorite tools in the Crucible?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
