The sandbox MMORPG Black Desert is now set to come to the West earlier than announced. Publisher Daum cites the enthusiasm and feedback of the Western audience as the reason for the haste.
Previously, it was said that Black Desert would arrive in the West in early 2016, that being a realistic date. Apparently, the plans were reviewed by Publisher Daum and it was determined that 2015 is achievable after all.
In a press conference at the Ritz-Carlton in Seoul, as reported by the “Koreatimes”, Hong mentioned that they are aiming for the “second half of 2015” and are hopeful to invigorate the “stagnant” market. Black Desert has been developed since 2010 by 100 developers and 100 additional staff.
The article from Koreatimes is quite critical and states that Publisher Daum needs a “big hit” to survive as a publisher of its own titles.
Also, in a conversation with a fan site, it was confirmed that Black Desert aims to launch in the West in 2015. The reason for this, the fan site speculates, is likely a positive response and an unexpectedly strong “hype”, meaning a mix of fan and media interest.
The statement comes from both the CEO of Daum Sean Hong and Brian Oh from Pearl Abyss, the actual developers. 2015 is the official target for a release in the West.
Last week, there was already a trailer for the combat system in Black Desert, here is another one that shows everything else: boating, sailing, a kind of sim-like housing, gutting carcasses, chopping wood, stone mining, super complicated potion brewing, cutting onions – what you do in a sandbox.
Update 8.12.: Stand down. It is now said that the Koreatimes mistranslated it. The fan site also received incorrect information from the press office. Now the release in the West is again planned for 2016.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In World of Warcraft, it seems that nothing is sacred to the developers. Now game director Tom Chilton has even brought up the idea of increasing the normal group size from 5 to 6. The reason is a surplus of damage dealers.
6-man Groups in WoW – for the sake of the damage dealers
There are few healers, tanks are even rarer, so the damage dealers, or DPS, in WoW often have to wait a long time for a spot to open in the queue so they can visit one of the 5-man dungeons via the LFG tool. Game director Tom Chilton has a solution for this: “We might increase the group size from 5 to 6, then we can bring 4 DPS instead of 3, adjust the dungeons accordingly, and let them scale so they are suitable for both 5-man and 6-man groups.”
So Chilton said yesterday in a large Ask-me-Anything on Reddit. He has not committed to the idea, but the fact that one can break such a “sacred pillar” of the now ten-year-old WoW shows how willing they are to carry the game into the future.
INV!
A lot of questions revolved around the future of the garrison and patch 6.1
The current drought of missions for players who have levelled all their followers to 100 is not intentional, a fix is expected soon. With 6.1, players will also be able to select and play their own music tracks in the garrison, a piece of sandbox. And with 6.1, it should be easier for twinks on the account to expand the garrison if dad or mom has already achieved something there.
The “Heirloom” interface is to be revised with patch 6.1, and it will then be account-wide, which has been in consideration for a while. In a later expansion, something similar could also be imagined for transmog gear, to make it a bit easier for players.
Players who level all their followers to 100 are currently facing some problems.
Perhaps a different final boss for Warlords of Draenor
The relaxed atmosphere at the AMA was also noticeable in the typical questions. One user wanted to know if a surprise could be expected regarding the final boss Gromm Hellscream, after all, they had just defeated his son in the last expansion Mists of Pandaria. “Of course!” was the answer. Players can expect a surprise. Who knows if it was meant that way. But perhaps they will pull another surprise out of the hat this time, just like last time when it got serious in Draenor.
And how the fight against Sargeras will play out in the distant future. Certainly, it will take 2 hours, have 10 phases, and in the end, there will be a 10-minute cinematic to say goodbye to WoW. “Take all of this and multiply it by 10!” was the developers’ answer to the questioning fan.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In World of Warcraft there will be no flying on your own flying mount with patch 6.1 in Draenor either. Instead, the flight routes are intended to be improved.
There will also be no personal flying in Draenor in the upcoming patch 6.1, Blizzard confirmed in a Q&A session on reddit. They are satisfied with how things are currently going in Draenor and that “Ground Travel”, the journey on foot or on any mount, has become important again.
Whether a player is currently looking for treasures, pondering how to get to a mountain peak, or simply finding their way around the world, this is something that is only possible because there is no flying.
The reasons for not allowing flying remain in place even with patch 6.1. However, with 6.1, the flight routes will change. Players will then be able to fly directly from point A to point B, even if they have already discovered stations in between.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO Destiny, Xur, the Agent of the Nine, is at the Tower on December 5th, selling a selection of exotic weapons and armor for Strange Coins. You can find out what he has this time in our article.
Last week, we wondered if Xur might lose significance with the DLC “Darkness Awaits”. What fools we were. Of course not. He will be even more important than before.
It’s Xur’s world in Destiny, we just live in it
Starting next week, he will have “Upgrade” options available, and he will continue selling the old Exotics, which will presumably be stronger; everything revolves around Xur. It’s his world in Destiny. We just live in it.
The dependence of the millions of players on the mysterious weekend vendor is shown in the influence he has on the gear of Destiny players. He has already offered the Suros Regime twice, which is quite popular.
A preview of next week.
However, the machine gun Thunderlord has so far been missing from his offerings, which is why not many have it. What armor pieces Warlocks, Titans, and Hunters have never seen, you can find out in our article.
Maybe it’s better to wait a week?
Today will be the last time before the DLC in Destiny that Xur appears in the Tower and sells his goods. Perhaps one should wait to purchase until he has his new offerings next week.
What does Xur have? What is his offer for Warlocks, Titans, and Hunters? Which weapon does he have with him?
For Titans, especially for fans of the Striker subclass, the so-called Punchbros, he has the exotic helm “Helm of Inmost Light” available for 13 Strange Coins. He has offered the helm twice before, quite a while ago, in the third and fifth week. This week, the helm comes with a strength of 95/102, which is an above-average roll.
In terms of telemetry, he has Pulse Rifles, Hand Cannons, and Machine Guns. Additionally, there are Synthesis for Heavy Ammo, a Stealth Drive, and a Void Drive.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Attention, fans of demonstrative high-speed driving: In the new open-world racing game “The Crew” from Ubisoft, you can hit the gas and speed through the USA since the beginning of the week.
In a “huge small edition” of the United States of America, you race from the east coast to the west coast or from one state to another. The open world offers plenty of space to accelerate with 5000 square kilometers and 6000 km of road network. Whether off-road or properly on the road – the entire terrain is freely accessible.
At every street corner, you meet other racers and therefore also potential crew members or opponents. Spread across the large map are hundreds of skill events and of course missions that need to be completed. The latter emphasize the racing with a story. In the process, you speed through the lively streets of the USA to expand your prestige in the underground racing scene or to sabotage the activities of gangs.
Role-playing on wheels
The Crew is a role-playing game on wheels, as each of your cars can be tuned in different directions through completed tasks and earned parts. Overall, you can expect five different types of cars, which are particularly suitable for different mission types. For example, so-called street cars excel in classic city races, while dirt cars perform well in open terrain.
Singleplayer fun included
Even though you can complete the entire campaign with friends, there is an attractive singleplayer mode. The Crew offers a singleplayer campaign lasting about 20 hours. Here, you acquire street districts or fend off hostile gang takeovers.
Also available for consoles
The Crew is available for Windows PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Xbox 360 for around €50-60. However, a version for PlayStation 3 will not be released.
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Additionally, Ubisoft relies on microtransactions, which can be compared to typical models of free-to-play titles. Those who wish can invest real money and gain advantages in the shop, including performance accessories. According to Ubisoft, it is not strictly necessary to spend money, as purchasable content can also be gradually unlocked with game progress. However, this requires a bit more time. Furthermore, the game requires a permanent internet connection.
In line with the launch, there is also a thrilling trailer:
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In the Weekly Update for Destiny, it has now been revealed that fully upgrading exotic items will be significantly faster and easier in the future than it has been so far. It will take much less material and time.
The Weekly Update for Destiny covered a lot of topics this week. The Iron Banner event is returning on December 16 and brings level 31 items, the raid “Crota’s End” can also be accessed before level 30, and Bungie is grappling with the upgrade shitstorm and is struggling with itself.
Iron Banner returns on December 16
The Iron Banner event in Destiny has proven to be popular and returns on December 16, just a week after the expansion launches. Lord Saladin will have “level 31” items this time, the Weekly Update states. It will start from “Rank Zero” this time. You will not need the expansion to participate.
No one probably expected an answer to the question: “When does the Iron Banner start again?” so quickly.
Normal raid starts immediately, you don’t need to be level 30
The raid Crota’s End starts “on normal” directly on December 9. Players do not have to meet any prerequisites, need no quests, no minimum level, nothing.
But: The leader of the fireteam must be level 30. So out of the 6 people, one has to be level 30. And: You will still need the expansion “The Dark Below”, without it the Abyss is blocked. http://youtu.be/WUEiKU0hkc0
Bungie feels the rough winds regarding upgrades
The dominating team in the Weekly Update was, however, the stress regarding upgrades of exotic armor. The discussion started with an article from GameInformer and overwhelmed Bungie a bit in the last few days.
This was not intended. They have also realized errors in their communication.
They never wanted guardians to look at their items and think that they are now worthless and that all the effort that went into them was in vain. The items are still effective at level 30.
Upgrading exotic items should go much faster
Internally, Bungie is heatedly discussing the topic and is leaving nothing off the table. The past has shown that everything can be changed with Destiny.
Until then, they want to tell the guardians that upgrading “old exotic weapons” is just one of many ways to become stronger. In addition to this “Xur-option”, there are many others. And they believe that when players get to know the new item system and see it in action, they will also find their friends involved.
And the new versions of the exotic weapons are also stronger than the previous exotic weapons when fully equipped, at least in terms of base damage:
Leveling up and upgrading exotic items, from “bare” to “fully equipped”, should go much faster, requiring less materials and time than before:
Exotic upgrade paths require much less time and material
It is also important for Bungie that guardians who do not acquire “The Dark Below” continue to be part of Destiny and also have opportunities to advance their guardians.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny, there is further confusion regarding upgrading exotic armors and weapons with Xur. It seems that “old” exotic items, which drop after December 9, do not require this upgrade and come into the world as a “new” version, so to speak. Therefore, players should probably refrain from completing exotic loot acquisitions for the moment.
This turns out to be quite complicated. Apparently, guardians who have accepted a bounty with an exotic weapon at the end should be cautious. If you hand in this mission before December 9, you will receive an “old edition” of the weapon, which can later be “upgraded” by Xur. Those who hand in this mission after December 9, when the DLC “Darkness Awaits” is active, will likely receive the “new” edition of the weapon and will not need to upgrade it.
It seems that also the exotic weapons and armors that are already available will drop in the “better” edition when the DLC “Darkness Awaits” becomes active in Destiny on December 9.
So in short: Do not upgrade exotic weapons and, if possible, do not “find” or receive exotic weapons as rewards at the moment.
Recently, there were some issues with the servers in the sandbox MMO ArcheAge. Now the promised compensations are known.
As announced, players will be compensated for the last days when they could not log into the servers. Patron players will receive more than non-Patron players.
Patron players receive: 5 days of Patron time, 15 labor potions with 500 labor points and 30 loyalty tokens.
Non-Patron players receive: No Patron time, 10 labor potions with 500 labor points and 15 loyalty tokens.
Both types of players also receive 3 candies each for 10% bonus EXP, 10% increased drop chance, and 3% movement speed. These will, of course, only last for a limited time.
All these items are not tradable. A Patron is defined as someone who had Patron status before the server outage. There is no distinction between EU and NA, nor does it matter which server one is playing on. Players who play in both Europe and North America are still entitled to only one package.
These packages are currently being assigned to accounts, and this should be completed by Friday noon our time. Emails will then be sent to players on how they can pick up these packages. Players in ArcheAge will have to decide which character they want the package for. This will likely proceed similarly to when players could assign the character-specific founder pack rewards.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Hearthstone, you won’t have to wait until December 9 to play a round with the fresh cards from the “Goblins vs Gnomes” expansion.
Surprise cuddle! A few hours ago, patch notes briefly went live in the USA, suggesting that you will be able to play the new cards in the Arena even before the launch of “Goblins vs Gnomes” next week. However, the 123 new cards will initially only be available exclusively in the Arena; they cannot be earned or purchased for now.
The patch is currently not live. They are apparently still working on it, having only revealed it beforehand, and the fans saw it.
We’re still working on the patch, but I’m glad people are enjoying the patch notes. 🙂 We try to make them interesting.
Not only the cards are expected to be playable in the Arena, but the new “Spectator Mode” is already active. When that will exactly come, is not known at the moment, but it looks like we might experience it relatively soon.
Without guarantee: As data miners found out, it could even be the case that the Arena run is free. Allegedly, they also found an event that gives away 3 free packs if you play during the opening. And: Anyone who plays Hearthstone on an Android tablet will also receive a free pack. It seems that the release of Goblins vs Gnomes is indeed accompanied by the release for Android tablets. But: As is often the case with datamined information, this is all still unofficial, although highly likely.
Update 21:25: The free round in the Arena with the new cards is already active and can be attempted now. This means that every player logging into Hearthstone will receive a free ticket for an Arena round. In the draft, when the player assembles their deck, cards from the “Goblins vs Gnomes” expansion will be available alongside the usual previous cards.
#GVG in the Arena is LIVE! Go get a free Arena run AND play with the new GVG cards! Go go go go go! I’ll see you there!
The official launch trailer for “Darkness Awaits,” the first DLC for the MMO shooter Destiny, is here.
Destiny has revised the trailer for “Darkness Awaits.” Two weeks ago, a version was “leaked” where Eris Morn, the new vendor in the Tower and key NPC, murmured darkly. A week ago, Dr. Crispy was featured in a special trailer.
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Now they seem to have gone back and added substantial gameplay scenes to the Eris trailer, clarifying what “Darkness Awaits” is supposed to bring. This makes the expansion seem quite a bit more appealing.
The fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online is still waiting for Update 6. It is expected to arrive on the test server in early January. The Imperial City will be left out for now in favor of the Justice and Champion systems.
Update 6 is taking significantly longer than fans anticipated. Until now, players were actually waiting day by day for Update 6 to become available on the test server, but that won’t be happening anytime soon. It is expected to be released shortly after New Year’s 2015: then it will come to the test server.
What will be included in Update 6 for The Elder Scrolls Online?
Therefore, not much is revealed about what it will bring. The details will likely only be available in the patch notes shortly before the test run.
It is already known that The Elder Scrolls Online will get a new inventory system, to better organize pets, costumes, and mounts. There will also be significant changes to the provisioning profession. The TESO columnist from mmorpg.com even mentions that new animations will be introduced to the combat system.
As mentioned in the Road Ahead by Matt Firor, Update 6 will primarily bring the third phase of the Champion system. Here, passive abilities of the Champion system can now be activated.
The Imperial City, the expansion for the PvP area Cyrodiil, will not make it into Update 6. It seems to require more time, and if it does come, its arrival should be well prepared.
Work is currently focused on Champion and Justice systems
A lot of work is currently being devoted to the Justice system, which will also be integrated into the game in several phases like the Champion system. It is still unclear whether the first phase will be included with Update 6. It seems likely.
In the first phase of the Justice system, players will already be able to commit crimes. However, they will only need to defend themselves against the guards, NPCs, and justify themselves before them. Other players, and thus an open-world PvP component, are expected to come to The Elder Scrolls Online in a later phase.
In the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, the release date for the console port to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One has officially been withdrawn. Although work is still ongoing on the port and good progress is being made, no specific date will be set.
In Matt Firor’s “The Road Ahead” letter, new information regarding the planned port of The Elder Scrolls Online to the current-gen consoles PlayStation 4 and Xbox One has emerged after a long silence. The previous release date of “late 2014” is now being withdrawn for the time being. Until now, “late 2014” was still relevant, after the planned port was postponed by half a year to “the end of the year” last summer.
Firor mentions in the letter that work on the implementation for the consoles has been continuously ongoing. They are also making good progress. However, it is still too early to provide an official release date.
At Zenimax, they want to tailor the console version of The Elder Scrolls Online for the consoles. They plan to replace the PC interface with a console UI, keeping in mind that console players want to play TESO comfortably at home on the couch with a controller.
Furthermore, Zenimax wants to make the console version fully compatible with Xbox Live and the PSN network, as well as integrate a voice chat feature. Players should expect to receive many more details about the console port by early 2015.
Mein MMO states: While the Champion System is coming soon, with Update 6 in January, the Justice System is actually something that was expected to arrive much later. It belongs to a series of new ideas and game systems conceived during extensive renovation works on the PC version. They aim to introduce these gradually: A lengthy process.
This system will also be introduced in “phases.” This means it will take several updates until it is fully implemented in the game. So this might still take a while. If one assumes Update 8, 9 or 10 as a likely date for the final phase of the Justice System, it would be around April, May, June 2015. And whether the console port will occur immediately afterward is another question.
There is, of course, no official timetable… not exactly good news for players waiting for a console port.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
New hotfixes have been applied in World of Warcraft. Players now need the final boss for the tavern missions.
Even experienced developers like Blizzard sometimes overlook something obvious: NPCs appear in the taverns of player garrisons, offering quests and daily quests. To obtain them, it is necessary to loot a specific item in instances, which is often found in the middle. But why should players who have looted the quest item stay further in the instance? There are no special rewards for completing the instance like marks or similar anymore. The 630, at best 636 items are not particularly lucrative at a certain item level. Well, 50 garrison resources… but one can also do without them.
Therefore, in recent days a picture has frequently emerged: After looting a quest item, players left the instance groups, leaving the rest behind who might still need items. This is now being changed with a hotfix: To complete the tavern missions, something from the final boss is required.
In addition, the infamous WoW legend Millhaus Manasturm will now always hang out in the tavern. He is moving in.
Many have searched for him in vain, and now we know what happened. After he distributed his tavern quest, for which there is Maestro “Doomsday” himself as a follower, the famous gnome mage took a break and disappeared for a while. It seems he wasn’t too urgent about completing the task. The yellow question mark that marks a quest turn-in appeared out of nowhere, and there was no trace of Millhaus: that has now come to an end. From now on, players will know where to find him: on the second floor of the tavern.
Also in the hotfixes: the first changes to the bosses in the Highmaul raid and numerous minor talent changes. Yesterday, the first raids struggled with Butcher and Tectus, but they should be a bit easier now. Tectus now has a 10-minute enrage timer on “Normal” and “Heroic.”
An NPC in the garrison, Borok Ironfist, had been mysteriously giving away leatherworking tents at the tannery for free, which are actually relatively complex to craft. Blizzard has now put a stop to that.
The spawn behavior of the two world bosses Tarlna and Drov continues to raise eyebrows. After it was said yesterday that only one of the two is active, and it seemed that Drov was up for Europe, both world bosses are now being spotted on servers.
In the MMO shooter Destiny, the “hard” mode of the raid “Crota’s End” will only start at some point in January, four to eight weeks after the release of the DLC “Darkness Awaits.” What is behind this decision to stretch the game content?
Yesterday, a lot of new information about Destiny and the DLC “Darkness Awaits” became known. So much so that one of the most important pieces of information was almost drowned in the sea of Destiny news: Destiny players will have to wait four to eight weeks before they can access the centerpiece of the new content “Darkness Awaits” in the hard mode of “Crota’s End,” which will only start “at some point in January.”
This decision by Bungie indicates that they were not entirely satisfied with how quickly Guardians had worked through “The Vault of Glass.” In the “normal” mode, hardcore players cleared it in just a week and were already nibbling at the endgame, which was supposed to last four months.
Meanwhile, other players experienced the raid for the first time in November and would only now be ready to see it in “hard mode,” but the new content is already on the way.
Bungie opts for a gating tactic: Content needs to last longer
Now Bungie is coming with a “gating” tactic: instead of unlocking the entire expansion from the outset, they are rolling it out in stages. This means that players are initially confronted with locked doors that only open after a certain period of time. Maybe the timing is not even set yet, or they may wait to unlock the hard mode until a certain player threshold is exceeded, which is now ready for it.
Such a gating tactic buys the developers time to create additional game content.
Guardians are supposed to thoroughly experience the raid in a first wave on “normal,” defeating it four to eight times, playing the story missions from Eris Morn, and maybe also engage in new events before the DLC takes the next step in January: a kind of “Darkness Awaits – Part 2 Electric Boogaloo.”
What is behind this tactic in Destiny?
Why is Destiny changing its schedule now?
This could indicate that they are taking a bit more time with the next DLC “House of Wolves” and thus buying more time for the subsequent game content. It is extremely difficult for an MMO to satisfy the growing hunger of players for new content: developers cannot create new stuff as quickly as players get bored of the old. This is one of the core problems of MMOs. Especially as players become more skilled and approach new raids and instances in a more methodical manner, the novelty wears off.
The advantage of such gating for the developer as well: players have a point to “re-enter” the game after a break. Too long breaks are difficult for MMO developers. If hardcore players are finished with the new content by the end of December and the next DLC does not come until April or May, some regular players might be lost. Therefore, they give them another entry point in January. Special events serve a similar function. And some players might check in with Xur at least once a week, even if they are not playing, to see what he has.
Destiny learns from World of Warcraft
These tactics in the MMO genre to stretch content are not new. The current World of Warcraft expansion “Warlords of Draenor” also employs gating. The raids were locked for 3 weeks, then the first raid was opened on “normal” and “hard,” and a week later it would start on “mythic.”
But it will probably take 2 months before the next raid, which is already in the game, opens up. In general, it seems that Destiny is picking up a trick or two from the father of the MMO genre. The idea of being able to complete the same game content, whether it’s a strike or a raid, at more than one difficulty level and thereby significantly extending the content is an established Blizzard idea.
And what to do until then? Nightfall? Old raid?
How Guardians will spend their time in December and whether there will be anything in the endgame besides the new raid “Crota’s End” is still unclear. It is already known that the weekly Nightfall strike will be raised from level 28 to level 30. It will therefore likely remain relevant.
Also, the event “Trials of Osiris” or new editions of “Queen’s Wrath” and “Iron Banner” could keep players engaged.
Perhaps they will also add a new difficulty level in the then old raid “The Vault of Glass” to entertain players. Dataminers have found hints in this direction. That would be an idea where they could surpass the grandmaster Blizzard.
Perhaps one can only reach the new max level in January
In the “hard mode” of “Crota’s End,” a number of particularly powerful legendary raid weapons are set to drop, all of which count as “primary weapons” and are therefore sure to be sought after.
Moreover, it seems that in “Crota’s End” a complete raid armor will drop, which is stronger than the “normal” version.
This could mean that one might only be able to reach level 32 with this new raid armor. There will certainly be reason to check back in January. One could almost say: The DLC “Darkness Awaits” only starts halfway on December 9; things will really get going in January.
This gating tactic for the raid is currently receiving little criticism, as most players are upset about the upgrades for exotic weapons. Only a “few” percent of players who have already completed the “normal version” of Crota’s End will probably be affected by the gating.
The Korean MMO with sandbox elements “Black Desert” emphasizes its tab-targetless action combat system in a new trailer for the open beta.
Black Desert is about to release in Korea and thus also shortly before an open beta. In Asia and now also in Europe, it is common to offer players a kind of trial period before the actual release. Aside from warming up the servers a bit, that probably has nothing to do with testing anymore, but is more of a PR thing to ensure everyone is excited for the launch.
While Black Desert also has quieter moments in gameplay, where you build relationship matrices with NPCs and send your own workers around, the game has two major “tempo” elements: One is the way you move through the world in a sort of “climb-and-jump” parkour style, and the other is the free action combat system. It does without tab-targeting, which we associate with MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, Star Wars: The Old Republic, or ArcheAge. Instead, it relies on combos and flashy effects. Typical for newer Asian MMOs.
The combat system is presented in this almost 6-minute trailer for the open beta. They also emphasize the 60 FPS.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A Chinese teaser page from Shanda Games grabs the attention of shooter fans. Is there perhaps an MMO version of Borderlands coming soon, a Chinese Borderlands Online?
Borderlands established the “Shoot’n Loot” genre, in which Destiny is currently thriving. Rumors of a possible MMO version likely gained traction when Destiny took off. Additionally, many large offline franchises are currently moving towards “MMO,” as they can earn money in the long run: An MMO never really ends.
The Asia MMO specialized site “mmoculture” has now discovered a nebulous Chinese teaser page for a possible Borderlands Online; “BLOL” appears in the code, which could be a way to abbreviate BorderLands OnLine, if one wished. Moreover, some logos of 2k Games can be found in the code.
On the website: The silhouette of Claptrap. A countdown that goes until Monday, and the phrase “Earthlings, we will bring you hope!”
For us Europeans, this may not mean much yet. Asia is a strange market when it comes to licenses, as there has long been a “Call of Duty Online” there, which doesn’t have much in common with our Call of Duty.
Conclusion: On Monday, we will know more; those who are dreaming of a Triple-A Borderlands Online heading towards Destiny should urgently temper their hype.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny , the complaints of fans have been heard, and the way loot is distributed is going to be made a bit fairer in the future. This includes taking bad streaks into account and distributing strong items through quests as well. However, the system won’t be completely frustration- and randomness-free. Additionally, the raid “Crota’s End” in the DLC “Darkness Rises” seems to be becoming more important than the previous raid.
Players, developers, and wrestling star annoyed by loot system
The RNG loot system, the random allocation of items as loot, has always been polarizing. Recently, wrestler “The Big Show” expressed his frustration about only getting junk in the Destiny raid, while others who play much worse walk away with the good Exotics.
Hardly a Destiny topic goes by without someone sharing how incredibly unlucky they are. Nothing ever drops for them. There is always one piece missing.
Bungie is aware of this. They play Destiny alongside the players, and as GameInformer reports, even some Bungie employees curse the current loot system.
They have already made some adjustments a while ago so that disappointment is not as great when legendary engrams only yield a blue item, but apparently that wasn’t enough. Although players’ hopes are no longer solely dependent on the cryptarch Rahool, they are now focused on the drop rates in the raid, which doesn’t really improve the situation.
Protection against bad streaks in the raid “Crota’s End”
With the DLC “Darkness Rises,” they want to implement a so-called “Bad Streak” protection in Destiny, a safeguard against bad streaks. The game is supposed to “know” which drops the Guardian has received recently and provide something better when they have been unlucky for a while.
However, this is not a guarantee for “great loot” or that one will get exactly what they still need. It merely increases the chance of drawing a win when one has repeatedly only received materials.
This protection only applies in the new raid “Crota’s End.”
Better items through quests, increased importance of the raid
But that’s not all. They are continuing to work on the idea that players can also “earn” equipment. Special “raid” loot, i.e., equipment that can only be obtained in the new raid “Crota’s End,” is now supposed to drop significantly more frequently.
Bungie wants players who raid to be rewarded more regularly.
They already know that there is a fusion rifle called Murmur for the quests from Eris Morn, which can grow to “legendary.” Not through luck, but through the Guardian’s effort. This seems to be a direction Destiny is headed towards, rewarding endurance and success rather than just sheer luck. Right now, there is a lot of grumbling when, for example, in the Nightfall, one Guardian gets rewarded with two Exotics, while the other two go empty-handed. While they are not completely eliminating randomness, they do seem to intend to provide alternative ways to gear up.
The legendary armors before the raid and those afterward will be more distinctly separated
However, the change does not only affect the armors from the raid but also the legendary items preceding it.
There will be new “legendary” weapons and armors from the vendors of the Vanguard and the Crucible. For these, in addition to the marks, players will also need the new “recommendations” from the Vanguard or the Crucible. These are given for progressing in reputation tiers with the faction. These legendary items can also be obtained without purchasing the DLC.
Reputation progressions with the factions have always been relatively uneventful. In the future, players can look forward to that.
Bungie is apparently working to make the “raid” legendaries more distinct from the “non-raid” legendaries.
Previously, both armor types were legendary, but the “raid” sets were significantly stronger with a light value going up to 30. This difference is likely to remain and may be even more pronounced. The raid items will soon have greater variety and selection when it comes to upgrade options.
Additionally, raid armors and raid weapons will require their own upgrade materials, “Radiant” materials – again separated into energy and shards. These can only be obtained in the raid by dismantling other raid items. “Non-raid” legendaries will continue to require ascendant materials.
We have already addressed the significant changes regarding the exotic items and what upgrade materials they will require, here.
Mein MMO says: It seems that Bungie, after the positive experiences with “The Glass Chamber,” is now assuming that raids work and are interesting for the target audience of Destiny. This was previously uncertain, as they were primarily addressing console players, shooter fans, and Halo enthusiasts. Whether they would take to raids was at least questionable. Raids were the biggest gamble. Now that they know they are successful, they want to reward raiders even more and continue going in this direction. For this, more refined systems are needed.
The background story of the Free to Play action MMO Tera Rising is admittedly a bit abstract, but it offers virtually endless possibilities for design; for the world, divided into the continents Arun and Shara, was created from the dreams of powerful Titans resembling divine beings. These names also embody their creators.
The territories reflect very imaginative thoughts, for in an extremely beautiful world, not least skillfully presented by the technically advanced Unreal 3 Engine, you will encounter very diverse settings during your explorations. The areas in Tera differ quite strongly from one another in a world that appears very open.
In any case, centuries passed before the first living beings saw the light. But as dreams go, not only peaceful thoughts emerge but also dark ones that spring from the depths of the subconscious. You will feel this conflict firsthand in Tera.
This also paves the way for many features where players interact with and against each other, including a political system that revolves around valuable resources and the rule over provinces.
The real-time combat system in TERA provides unique moments
Tera is a free online role-playing game that has received much acclaim for its dynamic real-time combat system, enriching the MMO genre. Gone are the days when you mindlessly hammer on hotkeys!
In “The Exiled Realm of Arborea”, so the full title goes, you have to dodge attacks yourself and escape the danger zone with a dive or teleport, for example. Good reflexes and a forward-thinking playstyle can save your life in many situations.
Moreover, aiming is a significant factor, as you only hit enemies if you aim in their direction. This makes player-versus-player fights particularly unique. There are plenty of opportunities to engage in such battles.
Of course, a combat system alone is not enough, but fortunately, this promising foundation has not gone to waste. The bosses in Arborea not only look spectacular but also come with demanding mechanics that, combined with the “True Action Combat”, make it anything but boring.
TERA: Free-to-play with premium benefits
At some retailers, it is still possible to purchase the PC box version. With the code included in the box, you receive a Club membership for 30 days (essentially a premium month), but almost more important – the veteran status. The benefits included with it are permanently tied to your account.
What advantages does this status bring you?
Among other things, 4 permanent bank slots and 8 permanent character slots, which would be much more expensive in the shop. In addition, there are no restrictions in the auction house and when sending gold.
On Amazon, this version is available for about 15 euros: Here you can go directly to the Amazon product page of TERA:
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http://youtu.be/Sx1g4c95fkc
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The creators of the Final Fantasy XIV MMO have made an impressive comeback. The first version of the game did not meet the expectations of players or developers. Therefore, it was decided to take the game off the market to improve it from the ground up for almost 2 years. A bold step that no one had dared to take in this form before, but in retrospect, it was definitely the right decision. With the relaunch, FF XIV: A Realm Reborn plays much smoother and impresses with high-quality content.
Fascinating graphics with great attention to detail, overwhelming landscapes, and magic-filled, action-packed battles are far from everything this game has to offer.
The extensive class and job selection allows for a variety of individual player experiences. All classes can be learned by one character – after registering with the respective guild, a convenient weapon or tool switch makes the biggest leap into a new experience.
This gameplay offers many possibilities to shape the intense and color-filled war and battle scenes to your liking. On your travels, you will also frequently encounter familiar Final Fantasy creatures, such as Moogles or the loyal Chocobos, the strong and fast riding animals. FF XIV: ARR offers a multitude of stories, companions, and villains, which, like in previous installments, build unique tension and whet the appetite for more.
Also works cross-platform!
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is worth every penny due to its superior graphics and unique gameplay and is a must for anyone who has played even one previous FF title. The developers have also created a huge network of players: This MMO is cross-platform, meaning that PS3 and PC players can play with or against each other. A novelty that players worldwide have often hoped for, and is just one of many details that make this game a distinctive experience. The first expansion for Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward will be released soon.
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There are new details about the first expansion of Destiny, the DLC “The Darkness Awaits.” Old exotic weapons can actually be upgraded. A key role is played by Xur and the new material “Exotic Shards.” For Guardians, it is important to leave the exotic weapons and armor as they are for now, because with the upgrading, there are new exotic items “naked.”
One has already thought something like that: In a week, the new DLC “The Darkness Awaits” is coming and brings new, powerful, shimmering, tentacled, somehow spiky Exotics. They are supposed to be stronger than the current ones: The exotic armors will rise to a light level of 32, and the new weapons will deal more damage than the currently strongest exotic weapons in Destiny.
More important than expected: Exotic Shards.
But what will happen to all the old golden weapons and armors that Guardians have painstakingly collected? Should Hunters, Warlocks, and Titans part with them already a quarter of a year after the release? Could it be that what was once important and which Bungie said, that it was for collecting, is now already to become a second-class Exotic?
No. GameInformer has learned that they are revealing new details about the expansion “The Darkness Awaits” in Destiny.
You can continue to use it at level 32 if you pay the price …
Xur has done it again: Remains super important even in “The Darkness Awaits”
When Xur, the black market dealer, appears in the Tower for the first time next Friday (around 10 AM), he will offer a new service: upgrading exotic items. However, he will not offer the same options every week, but they will change like the rest of his offerings. This applies to exotic weapons and exotic armors.
It looks like, based on a screenshot from Bungie, that every week there will be 6 different weapons and 6 different armors available for upgrading. It is possible to upgrade more than one item per week, as long as there are enough materials and Xur offers the corresponding option:
It does not matter whether the “old” exotic item has been upgraded or not. You exchange the armor or weapon along with an “exotic shard” with Xur for a new “model.” Additionally, 7000 Glimmer is required.
Whoever pays the exotic item, the exotic shard, and the 7000 Glimmer will receive a “new” version of the exotic item with a higher damage or armor value.
Remains the most important dealer in Destiny: Xur, Agent of the Nine, black market dealer, Warlock hater, sadist.
Attention! Stop upgrading everything immediately!
The item is then “naked,” meaning it has no upgrades left, the weapon is as if you had just received it freshly. The weapon must be leveled up again. Therefore, you should probably wait for now with upgrading exotic weapons and armors that you want to use in the expansion. Farming some Glimmer is probably a good idea too.
This upgrading option from level 30 to level 32, so to speak, is only available for exotic weapons and armors. Legendary weapons and armors are not affected.
