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.
In the MOBA League of Legends, players can now also watch the Korean league OGN in HD. The Twitch channel OGN, which previously offered this opportunity only to subscribers, will no longer broadcast the OGN LOL Champions.
OnGameNet (OGN) is a South Korean cable network that has hosted a prestigious League of Legends league, the OGN LOL Champions, in recent years.
Previously, players had to be paying subscribers on the Twitch channel OGN (OnGameNet) to enjoy HD streams from the Korean league, which is of a high level. Otherwise, there were only images in medium resolution.
That seems to have an end, just a few hours ago the message appeared on the Twitch channel of OGN that it will no longer broadcast OGN LoL Champions on the channel, but that will happen on the official Riot Channel. Future content on the Twitch channel of OGN will be freely available in HD.
However, the commentary team will probably not change:
Don’t worry, @ggdoa and I will still be casting for OGN. Nothing changing about production. HD will be free now though!
The prize money of the top Hearthstone players is now known. It amounts to just over one million US dollars. However, only a few could live off this.
Hearthstone is not on the way to becoming an eSport game; it is already one. This is also proven by the prize money that players can win. The 52 tournaments or “Series” that announced individual prize money of $1000 or more paid out a total of $971,471 to 265 different people in 2014. Additionally, there were team prize money of over $166,961.
15 of these 265 players earned more than the US minimum wage with Hearthstone, including the German player Jan “ekop” Palys in 15th place. The three top players earn around $100,000 (83,754€), which already allows for a comfortable lifestyle.
Most of the players at the top did not earn their money the “hard way” but rather cashed in during a big tournament.
In the Hearthstone scene, prize money is not the only way to earn money. Some popular streamers have established themselves who do not need tournament victories to make ends meet with Hearthstone. The somewhat controversial streamer Reynad is reported to earn over $3000 a day, as revealed by a supposed “oops” mistake from Reynad, which some consider to be a PR stunt.
The 15 Top Prize Money Earners in Hearthstone
James “Firebat” Kostesich ($105,650)
Wang “TiddlerCelestial” Xieyu ($100,250)
“LiBo”($99,130)
Drew “TidesofTime” Biessener ($41,025)
Peter “Gaara” Stevanovic ($36,793)
Aleksandr “Kolento” Malsh ($31,669)
Guoyi “MagicWind” Zeng ($30,000)
Cong “StrifeCro” Shu ($26,550)
Janne “Savjz” Mikkonen ($26,550)
Yuan “Nicolas” Jin ($26,350)
Dima “Rdu” Radu ($22,847)
Jason “Amaz” Chan ($21,519)
Daniel “DTwo” Ikuta ($16,500)
Seung-Ha “Kranich” Choi ($16,000)
Jan “ek0p” Palys ($14,925)
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the small town of Ypsilanti, Michigan, a streamer of the MMO Runescape made a very special surprise for a pizza delivery driver over the holidays.
This is a feel-good story for the holidays. A streamer calls on his fans for donations. And not for himself, but for the MMO gamer’s best friend: the pizza delivery driver.
Runescaper streamer Joey DeGrandis has built a loyal fanbase on Twitch over the past few years. When he hit 3000 followers, he could finally execute a plan he had long cherished: to do something good for the pizza delivery driver.
For DeGrandis is not only a Runescape fan, but like many MMO players, a pizza lover. And in his view, pizza delivery drivers receive too little recognition and gratitude. However, it shouldn’t be just any pizza delivery driver, but one who needed a little encouragement at Christmas. He called his favorite pizza place and inquired about a candidate.
The manager there recalled one of his drivers who had lost his mother a few months earlier. And he was visibly affected by the loss.
DeGrandis called on his followers for a fundraising campaign, ordered a triple topping pizza, and gave a tip of $630. But that wasn’t all. When the driver talked about his difficult situation and the campaign later went viral online (the video received 200,000 views), fans donated another $600. This allowed the pizza delivery driver to enjoy a hefty $1230 tip, which, according to DeGrandis, made the holidays much sweeter for him and his family and brightened their spirits.
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Mein MMO says: In times of swatting and streams that either resemble a sales show or a sex live cam, this is a positive signal. And since pizza delivery drivers are sometimes the only people you see during a hectic MMO weekend, they are indeed suited for it.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
At the beginning of the adventure, players can create their own hero. They can choose to belong to the race of Men, Elves, Dwarves, or Hobbits and which class they want to play.
In HDRO, there are a total of 10 classes, which cannot be represented by every race – for example, Hobbits cannot become Lore-masters (Mages) or Captains, but they can play Burglar. In addition to seven free classes, there are also two classes that can only be unlocked with real money.
Once a character is created, players find themselves in one of the four starting areas of Middle-earth and receive a little tutorial to learn about movement, combat, and interacting with other players and NPCs.
After that, players can embark on a journey through Middle-earth and experience the story of The Lord of the Rings from the perspective of their respective race through quests. Along the way, they will encounter various characters from the novels like Strider, Boromir, or Legolas, who can assist them with advice or sword.
For those seeking to battle against other players, there is the so-called Monster Play. This is a separate area where the forces of Good and the armies of Mordor clash in an endless duel. Players can decide for themselves before the start whether they want to fight on the bright side or as a creature for Sauron. By successfully defeating enemies, players can earn special equipment and weapons.
The Lord of the Rings Online is a free-to-play MMORPG that is funded through an online shop where players can purchase special equipment, the two special classes, or limited-time bonuses such as buffs. However, to play the game, only a free account and the installed game client are required.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny , Titans love their new exotic gauntlets Ruin Wings. The synergy effects with already strong heavy weapons make this item perhaps the hidden gem in the current Destiny.
“Ruin Wings” are the new exotic gauntlets that arrived for Titans in Destiny with the DLC “The Darkness Awaits”. They are an absolute hidden gem. This is because they significantly increase the drop rate of heavy ammo.
However, they won’t stay a hidden gem for long if Titans keep raving about their Ruin Wings as heard in this video:
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With heavy ammo, rocket launchers like the best weapon in the game, the Gjallarhorn, or a powerful machine gun like Thunderlord can be operated. Normally, ammo scarcity means you have to ration the usage of this weapon category. Not so with the gauntlets “Ruin Wings.”
Titans are talking in the reddit forum about how thanks to the Ruin Wings, they can use their exotic weapons one-third of the time. With the significantly increased ammo drop, they bypass the ammo limitation and can thus disrupt the balance.
In recent weeks, since Xur offered them on December 12 and again on December 19, there have been real praises for the gauntlets. It looks like they have what it takes to become the new “must-have exotic” for Titans. After the Hunter gauntlets “Don’t Touch Me” bring a fresh effect and are in demand in very specific situations, the Titan gauntlets are suited for broad usage.
In this video by Nexxosgaming, you can see (in German) a deeper exploration of the item and possible suggestions to combine them with other gear or skills for an OP-built, like with the old raid boots from “The Glass Vault” or the Defender skill Iron Harvest:
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Every Guardian in Destiny can only equip one exotic armor piece; if you want to wear a new “golden” item, you must remove the old one.
The Exotics increase – in their new form – to a Light Level of 36.
You can either purchase the Ruin Wings for 13 Strange Coins from the Black Market dealer Xur when he has them in stock, or you must hope for a favorable random drop.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Rift is a classic fantasy MMORPG that stands out primarily due to its many features and high quality of gameplay. The free-to-play game can certainly hold its own against the genre leader World of Warcraft and even surpass it in some aspects.
In a vast world, the factions of the Guardians and the Skeptics are at war. At the same time, the world is plagued by tears in the fabric of reality – the titular “Rifts” – and dragons who seek to destroy the world with their armies. To counter them, you can choose from six different races and four different classes.
These classes further divide into a variety of subclasses – for example, a warrior can specialize as a Beastmaster or a Paladin and switch between these roles, depending on what role is needed at the moment. Particularly powerful characters can further specialize by allocating attunement points. The class system generally boasts many customization options and is a feature that is often regarded as untouchable in the communities due to its diversity.
Housing, PvP Battlegrounds, and a Fair Free-to-Play Model
In Rift, you not only fight against monsters but also against other players. On various battlegrounds, you compete against each other for glory, honor, and, of course, loot. However, there is also much to do outside of battle: A comprehensive profession system allows for the crafting of powerful items. Guilds and players can acquire keys to their own small dimensions that they can customize with various items.
The very fairly designed online shop ensures that no one can gain too great an advantage through money. No tricks, no traps – this is also promised by the publisher Trion. Overall, the shop mainly features a few items that make playing a little more enjoyable, such as by increasing mount speed. In this sense, all content is accessible to every player.
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In Destiny it’s the final boss Crota that is at stake. The regular content is too easy for the Guardians by now, they are coming up with tricks to defeat the final boss of the DLC raid Crota’s End in record time. No trick, but a cheat is the LAN cable method for an incredibly easy Crota kill. This was noticed by the international press two weeks after players discovered it and is now widely known.
Crota LAN exploit is now widely known
About two weeks ago, a rumor spread in the Destiny scene that if the fire team leader pulls the LAN cable at the right moment or simply logs out while Crota kneels, the final boss stays on the ground and can be easily taken out by the team.
We reported back then, just before Christmas, that there is an exploit and that it has nothing to do with clever exploitation of game mechanics, but is a clear cheat. However, we did not report how it works. Nevertheless, we noticed an increased search volume for the question “When to pull the LAN cable with Crota?” It was observed that this so-called “trick” (in our eyes it’s a clear cheat) was making the rounds.
Recently, major US sites like Polygon or Kotaku have heard about this cheat. And they are not concerned about whether it should be spread further; instead, they report about it along with video guides. Naturally, this is now going around the world. And some declare: “A NEW Crota exploit has been found.” No, the exploit is at least two weeks old and hopefully Bungie will fix it with the next update.
Such things usually significantly diminish the fun of the game. Especially since Guardians who do not want to cheat are pressured by their raid teams to do so, because, while it is no fun, “it simply goes faster” and there is never enough time.
So much for that.
Record kill with 2 swords or 5 Gjallarhorns
In the meantime, over-equipped teams of Guardians are attacking Crota in Destiny.
In a video, crafty players attack the helpless Crota with two swords at once. The first sword bearer just has to be taken out quickly before the door opens, then a second spawns and the Guardians can attack with two swords. After a thorough Gjallarhorn massage from the other players, Crota has to kneel down just twice with this tactic.
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Another method could perhaps be called “Brute Gjallarforce”: 5 Guardians bombard Crota with the exotic rocket launcher Gjallarhorn, Crota kneels down, a level 32 Guardian lashes out at him with the sword. Because he does significantly more damage than a level 31. Crota can withstand this treatment for 90 seconds, then he drops the loot .
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In January, the hard mode of the raid will be released. Then Crota and his buddies will have their levels increased by several tiers (it is suspected that this will be staggered up to level 35).
The year has just begun, and now is the right time to look at the future of the great MMOs of this generation. What lies ahead for “Star Wars: The Old Republic“? What is the current state, what can fans expect, and what do critics fear?
In this article, I want to share my personal perspective on things. Of course, nothing is set in carbonite, and often things turn out differently than expected or feared. The text may contain light spoilers, so you have been warned.
The Current Situation: Heroic Story, Without Our Heroes
Just recently, the second digital expansion “Shadow of Revan” was released, and players received it with mixed feelings. Aside from new flashpoints and planets, the expansion primarily provided a conclusion to the story of the legendary “Revan,” which was built many years ago with “Knights of the Old Republic.” Fans had long yearned for a worthy end to this storyline and were not disappointed.
However, what many do not appreciate is the fact that you increasingly feel less like the “hero” in SWTOR that you actually are. For the first fifty levels, your personal story was told, where you made important decisions and slowly shaped the fate of the galaxy. With the first expansion, a different path began to be taken, and in the latest expansion, you are hardly more than an interchangeable quest slave with no connection to the past. This is, of course, much easier to develop but displeases the “role-playing” fans of BioWare.
The Question: “The Great Year 2015” – What Does It Mean?
They have made bold claims, stating that it will be a “great year” for the now three-year-old MMORPG. But what exactly does that mean for the players? What might the developers have in store that justifies such a statement? Is it ultimately “just” more cartel packs for real money, or will there be a real surprise? I would like to briefly present my “best case” and “worst case” scenarios here.
The Worst Case
There are many concerns within the community. For some players, the last expansion felt only like a very long “teaser” for what the future may bring. The fear is great that we will now have to wait far too long for a continuation of the story. And the “great year” 2015 still has a while to go. If the story continues only next December, then the wait for fans is quite long. Perhaps too long?
But there are also many unresolved questions in PvP. They briefly mentioned a possible server connection – or even a merger? What does that mean for the many established rivalries that have developed on the servers? Will we soon only have to hope for luck to beat fellow server players in PvP skirmishes?
Many questions also revolve around the cartel market, the “in-game shop” of SWTOR. Especially with “Galactic Starfighter,” it has gained significant importance, as players could convert “bad currency” into better ones – a clear advantage for players with deep pockets.
The housing system of “Galactic Strongholds” also offered many items that could only be purchased with real money currency. There is a fine line between “attractive items” and a disproportionate advantage for paying players, especially when a subscription model is still offered. A wrong decision could tip this balance, and once games are labeled “pay to win,” they often do not recover from it.
The Best Case
If the optimal case occurs, then fans will only have to wait until summer for fresh content. The new storyline with the resurgent Emperor of the Sith Empire could provide an incentive for many fans to take another look at the sci-fi MMO. The acting player characters would be brought back into the focus of the story – although this is not very likely, it is missed by many.
Especially the release of the new “Star Wars” movie could provide a boost in players – and at that time, the game should of course present itself in the best light. What would be more appropriate than to at least provide an update corresponding to the movie release? Although that will not happen until December of this year, there is still plenty of time to include at least a small expansion as a “snack in between.”
Further PvP battlefields and thus the connection of all servers would also be offered – but not a merger. Mega servers are currently a trend in the MMO scene but are viewed skeptically by many, as much of the sense of belonging built over three years would be lost. The positive aspect would definitely be the option to compete with players from other worlds – but not the compulsion. This way, one would not have to give up the opportunity to occasionally shove one’s hated rival off the Voidstar.
What Is Likely to Happen
Of course, things often turn out quite differently than hoped, and neither the worst fears nor the highest expectations will be met.
As SWTOR is now almost exclusively financed through the heavily utilized cartel market, it will likely continue to be expanded in the future. In addition to various cosmetic armors, more housing items, emotes, and of course new cartel packs will find their way into the game – because they still sell like hotcakes.
It is also beyond question that there will at least be an expansion in 2015 – it would be unwise to wait long after the movie release. On the other hand, we also know that BioWare often cannot meet temporal promises (as in the case of “Galactic Strongholds”) and will then invest a few more months into development.
I therefore suspect that we will see at least a small update by May – at least one or two flashpoints before we then announce the next big expansion for October, which will ultimately be delayed until December.
This would also be the ideal time to raise the maximum level again and reset the item spiral once more – a proven principle that still binds many players. Why should they depart from it?
If they at least reference the past of the hero characters in one or two quests, then the friends of character stories will probably be satisfied – at least for a while.
This article is part of our series where we take a look at MMOs for the new year, playing through scenarios and speculating about the future.
Impressive artwork for the upcoming MMO shooter The Division has now surfaced to celebrate the New Year. This is how one might celebrate New Year’s in a post-apocalyptic world.
Here, we celebrate the New Year media-wise in Berlin and at the Brandenburg Gate, while in New York, the traditional “place-to-be” on New Year’s Eve is Times Square. Well, this year David Hasselhoff performed here, which made the Big Apple seem a bit dull compared to Taylor Swift.
In Tom Clancy’s “The Division,” they also celebrate New Year’s at Times Square in New York, but under quite different circumstances. Given the grim backstory of the shooter, humanity likely has much bigger concerns than the music selection.
Action-MMO Tera has set some big goals for 2015. With stunning wallpapers, the good sides will shine at the turn of the year.
The action MMO Tera knows its sweet sides. At the turn of the year, the players were informed via Facebook about the offers on the website: There, gamers can download wallpapers from the Tera universe. Especially screenshots of the various races look stunning here.
For 2015, Tera aims to make a strong comeback. The lengthy legal dispute is a thing of the past, and its effects should no longer be felt, with new content expected to arrive more regularly. Another class has already been announced.
We’ll see if Tera can experience a second spring.
Here you can indulge in more wallpapers on the US-Tera homepage and download them, also in 1920×1200 resolution.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
