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.
The fantasy MMO Guild Wars 2 has not revealed any plans for 2015 yet. We are looking at the perspectives for the MMO. What is the current situation, what happens in the best and worst case for GW2?
In short: Will there be more content finger food, more content morsels for few, or a juicy expansion for everyone?
The Situation
Guild Wars 2 is a Buy2Play MMO. Players who have purchased it once can play it repeatedly without having to pay for it again.
GW2 appeals to many different player groups who enjoy different aspects of the game. While initially “Explorers” were mainly interested in the game, wanting to explore every zone to the fullest and enjoy the world, there are still players in the game who enjoy large battles, smaller PvP skirmishes, endgame content, or roleplay.
All these mouths want to be fed. But ArenaNet manages to do that with GW2 more poorly than well. Although several big feature patches were released in 2014 and the Living World improved its entry, discontent among players is spreading: there is simply too little happening, not enough “new content” especially for PvE players. They wish for new zones, new dungeons, really anything, but more, more of everything.
Instead of bite-sized content morsels, players wish for tasty and filling chunks.
The Crucial Question
Guild Wars 2 is now two and a half years old. Players are crying out for an expansion, for content that lasts longer than two weeks, that stays in the game. Everything comes down to the question: Will there be a full-fledged expansion in 2015 or not? There are signs. No definitive assurances.
We present you with two scenarios. This is “NOT” the reality of what is currently happening or will happen. Rather, these are thought models of what could happen in the worst and best case.
The Worst Case
At the end of 2014, ArenaNet focused on the PvP aspect of Guild Wars 2 and continued to work on it, giving the game eSport-like structures. This has so far not been successful. This path will be consistently pursued in 2015, but it is struggling to gain traction.
Additionally, ArenaNet’s information policy has long been criticized, saying that announcements are only made when things are close to completion to avoid disappointing players. This policy will continue in 2015.
Instead of taking care of existing players and offering them something new, ArenaNet is trying to attract new player groups. However, they face strong competition, not just from other MMORPGs but also from MOBAs or single-player games.
In the worst case, ArenaNet tries to reshape Guild Wars 2 into an eSport game, using resources for that and ultimately failing. ArenaNet fails to break into the MOBA-dominated eSports market.
The Living World continues, but cannot permanently satisfy players’ hunger for content. They also feel ignored, as too little is happening and no one tells them what is being worked on.
The slight downward trend in finances continues subtly, ArenaNet fights back through the cash shop, once again succumbing to an adventurous gem venture, new MMOs are flooding the market (which, like Skyforge , take much from the once-innovative Guild Wars 2), the time window for GW2 is closing, and one hears less and less about the game.
The Best Case
In the best case, the second season of the Living World ends with an announcement that clearly states: an expansion is coming, and it will be in 2015.
The expansion is substantial, bringing a new continent, a new maximum level. There will be new zones to explore and new opponents to defeat.
Furthermore, they emphasize the “Guild” aspects of the game more strongly as promised, giving players the opportunity to conduct real Guild Wars, maintain guild houses, and weekly participate in kind of guild raids, defeating particularly strong opponents.
Also outside the game, people hear how splendidly GW2 is developing, looking forward to the expansion in the first half of 2015 and then sticking around. Particularly many returning players find their way back to Tyria.
Furthermore, ArenaNet decides to be a bit more open about its plans in the future and reveals some features they are planning, even at the risk of disappointing players.
But they show: We have plans, we are doing something.
Guild Wars 2 remains one of the most interesting and “somehow different” MMOs in 2015. It finds a clear identity as an alternative to World of Warcraft with a stronger emphasis on player skills and without the typical “grind” for the genre. In addition, it develops an identity as the MMO that focuses on communities, where the guild is at the forefront.
GW2 also sees several Quality-of-Life improvements in 2015 that other MMOs quickly adopt.
What is likely to happen
ArenaNet’s information policy is nebulous. The “big announcement” with the Living World, probably the biggest attraction in 2014, was kept under wraps for a long time. Players wondered: What are they actually doing all day? During the presentation of the Living World, the developers were visibly happy to finally tell players what they had been working on.
It is therefore not so unlikely that a long-awaited expansion is indeed coming but has simply not been mentioned. However, that is not certain either.
A GW2 expansion will likely not be as large and massive as players wish. Unlike a Pay2Play MMO, Buy2Play MMOs tend to release content expansions episodically, in smaller bites – like the Living World now.
What will likely continue in 2015 is the push towards an “eSport” MMO. This is a risky yet interesting plan, which, however, only really interests a relatively small portion of the existing player base. The focus seems more on attracting new player groups.
The danger with GW2 is clearly that it started as an “MMO for various player groups and interests” but now cannot cater to all. This is unfortunately a present problem in 2015. Especially for the core players who enjoy PvE, jumping puzzles, world exploration, background story, and aesthetics of Guild Wars 2, they will need to deliver in 2015.
They currently feel neglected.
This article is part of our series where we take a look at MMOs as we approach the turn of the year, playing through scenarios and speculating about the future.
In World of Warcraft, two problems plague the race for the “World First Kills”, the holy grail in PvE content. A race that has transformed over the years, now seeing one side, previously serving as a chronicler, stepping up as an arbiter.
But let’s first look at the history of the world-firsts: How has it evolved over the years?
Progress raiding has always been hardcore
The “race for the World First” in World of Warcraft refers to the competition between various top guilds to be the first to defeat the final boss of a raid instance on the highest difficulty level.
The race has changed dramatically over the years. In the beginning, it didn’t exist. No one really attempted a race on Ragnaros, the first raid end boss. He stood undefeated in Molten Core for 154 days. A little later, a raid scene did emerge, but Blizzard had yet to implement the complex framework of lockouts, loot, raid sizes, and difficulty levels we have today.
Back then, it was still “only one instance and one group size for all.” By the end of Vanilla WoW, a boss like Kel’Thuzad in Vanilla WoW lasted 90 days. Over time, various group sizes were introduced, hard modes, and the lifespan of bosses shrank. This was likely due to players becoming more professional and approaching the game more seriously.
On April 25, 2005, Ragnaros fell for the first time… and it was not at all a “race for the World First” http://youtu.be/Br1hXGXJ7Tg
The golden age in The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King
The progress raiding for world-firsts has always been hardcore. 12, 14, 16 hours a day for weeks on end, it is said that raid guilds were engaged in, throwing themselves against the bosses until they finally surrendered.
They were observed by the rest of the players. Some looked on with a smile and a bit of concern, others with envy, and yet others with deep admiration.
Probably this race, like WoW itself, peaked during the late Vanilla-WoW, The Burning Crusade, and certain tiers of Wrath of the Lich King. At that time, guilds like Nihilum, SK Gaming, or Death and Taxes competed hard for first kills, fame, and sponsorships.
This looks more like a World First. Nihilium World First C’Thun: April 25, 2006.
The “drama” among the guilds gained attention. Which tank switched where? Which guild disbanded? Who ganked an advantage in Ahn’Qiraj? Which guilds were shooting poison arrows at each other?
But this era did not last forever. Blizzard changed the tuning of the raids, introduced different difficulty levels and group sizes, making raids more accessible. Not everyone liked it. Additionally, the first generation of raiders wasn’t getting any younger and began to change their priorities in life.
The first era of the race for the World Firsts in World of Warcraft was over.
Players longed for a return to those “glorious earlier days” of fame and recognition so much that this year, the SF-MMO WildStar launched with the barely concealed promise of bringing that time back.
And even though many players from back then have turned their backs on World of Warcraft, many still benefit from the battles and battle fame of that era. Kungen, the main tank of Nihilum, is now a successful streamer.
In Pandaria and Cataclysm, the raiding scene fell apart; now it is back
After the previous expansions Cataclysm and Mists of Pandaria led to a fragmentation of the raiding scene into 10-man and 25-man raids, Blizzard has now reintroduced a “unified raid size,” the 20-player “Mythic” mode.
The world-first raiding has changed significantly compared to earlier times.
Paragon defeats the Lich King World First on March 26, 2010 – perhaps the last great World First http://youtu.be/RSeVCw3hVgQ
10-man or 25-man the true World Firsts?
The main discussion in the community in recent years has been about whether kills in 10-man or 25-man were more difficult and therefore “counted more.” It was a “on the one hand, on the other hand” discussion.
On the one hand, it is easier to find and coordinate 10 top players and the encounters offer much more space.
On the other hand, 25 players have significantly more raid cooldowns and the bosses are tuned differently.
Now that this discussion has been settled once and for all with the 20-player raid, a new one arises: the Twink raids.
At its time, raiding was fragmented.
The two problems of progress raiding today
Twink raids increase item level and effort
Since the middle of the second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, there has been a tendency among top guilds for players not only to raid with their main characters, referred to as Mains, but also to play raid-capable secondary classes at a high level.
Thus, guilds began in the middle of Lich King when Blizzard introduced Algalon: a “special” mob for which raids only had one attempt per week. It became a custom for top guilds to also go to Ulduar with their Twinks to squeeze out one more chance per week, to see Algalon, study him, and thus defeat him faster. Because these top guilds have always served as a model for others, the trend spread rapidly.
Ironically, Blizzard’s idea to move raiding away from “lazy work” and allow only one try per week has led to the “super-lazy work” we are currently seeing.
For from the “We do 2 Algalon tries a week” raids, the trend arose over the years that guilds not only have “one raid” but several to exploit the loot system.
With Algalon, it all began – Ensidia World First 3.6.2009.
Twink raids fully exploit the loot system
Raids are formed from Twinks and a few “main characters,” which are then given loot priority, while the other “unimportant” characters only get what the Mains don’t need. In a 20-man raid with 4 main characters enjoying loot priority, the top guild can gear up significantly faster (if all goes well, 5 times faster) than if all 20 main characters were in a single raid.
In the week when only the HC version of Highmaul was open, the top guilds had run the raid so many times with all possible carrying Twinks and raid Mains that their item level was significantly higher at the start of “Mythic” than it would have been if they had raided Highmaul HC only once with the Mains.
Item level today significantly higher compared to earlier times
This has been discussed in various places online and in the community: In the past, players stood before tough bosses totally undergeared and had to play perfectly to defeat them, as the bosses were designed for a significantly higher item level. After all, the bosses were tuned for groups that had already defeated the “previous difficulty level” multiple times.
Classic World First achieved these kills back then “practically naked” – without raid gear. Due to Twink raids and “Blizzard gating” (the mystical raid only opened a week after the heroic mode), the kills today are easier.
Others argue that while it is true that one starts a new instance stronger due to Twink raiding compared to earlier, the instances are tuned to become significantly tougher over time, as they require farming of the bosses previously defeated.
A big boss like Mar’Gok is still a real challenge and tuned exceptionally hard.
Stacking is also an issue
Due to Twink raids, some criticize that the effort to participate in the World First race has become even greater, not at the top, but over time.
While the “progress” time was exhausting before, the “farm” time has become more relaxed. But what used to be one raid night during farm time has turned into four or five.
Additionally, raiders have to maintain their Twinks. If necessary, they are needed for raids. If a specific class is too strong in a boss fight, members of that class are stacked, meaning they are preferred for inclusion.
Start of a new era? The Paragon kill, the most important World First in 2014.
WoW Progress excludes real money involvement
The race for the World First is documented on the website wowprogress. There, players check their progress after a kill. There are leaderboards that reach back far and document the race for the first kills.
But wowprogress no longer considers itself merely a “chronicler” of the race, but takes responsibility when “what is possible” comes at risk of becoming “what one must do to keep up.”
With the next raid tier, the blackrock foundry, they want to exclude guilds from the race that transfer characters for real money to another server to buy items from their black market AH.
Exploiting these transfers could massively affect the balance in the race for World Firsts: Because every server has its own BMAH, where best-in-slot items can appear, promising an advantage if a guild acquires a significantly high number of them.
What will it be like against him?
This became a topic when an Asian guild extensively made use of it. Allegedly, a guild collected 78 black market AH items for 20 raiders. In Asia, server transfer is significantly cheaper than in Europe.
WoW-Progress has not made new friends with this decision. They want to ensure that real money involvement does not influence the race. In this new role as “arbiter,” they must also listen to some complaints: “Who do you think you are? Maybe it’s time for another site!” a user bitterly posted.
Who are you? lol, everyone is able to use the BMAH. Maybe its time for another site.
One can only guess what would await WoW-Progress if they began to intervene even further in the race for World Firsts. No, these changes must come from Blizzard.
Ending Twink Raids would be just a mouse click away, but would affect everyone
Mein MMO states: Ultimately, Blizzard’s design with lockouts, complicated loot rules, and such has led to the current raiding scene. And in a highly professionalized environment, as we currently observe in WoW, everyone will do their utmost for success if they wish to. Whether they like it or not.
It would be simple to fix things if the well-being of raiders was really the priority: Twink raids could be a thing of the past if “Personal Loot” was mandatory. An end to twink raids would likely be welcomed by many top raiders, as the classic “We wipe 150 times and on the 151st time, he goes down” would be much more preferable to them than a lengthy grind in farm content.
However, Blizzard does not balance WoW for the “top 0.01%,” but for the majority of players in World of Warcraft. And among them, the idea of group loot is popular.
Read more about World of Warcraft on our WoW topic page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
