World of Warcraft: This is how Blizzard views class balance in WoW – Which class will be nerfed, which will be buffed?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In recent days, there have been major interviews with the developers of World of Warcraft. Among other things, they discuss the state of the classes, for whom it will rain soon and for whom the sun may shine.

Over the weekend, the developers conducted two major video interviews. They provided insight into how they currently view the classes. MMO-Champion has reviewed the interviews and summarized the findings.

This is how Blizzard currently sees the classes

WoW: Mists of Pandaria

For these classes, the sun may rise soon

Mages can probably expect a buff soon. Their damage is currently too low; Frost is slightly higher than Arcane and Fire, but they want to raise all three specs to a higher level.

Shamans can look forward to a small buff across all specs. Although the healers are quite close together, Blizzard sees the Shamans lagging a bit behind. The issues that the Elemental Shaman faces in encounters that require a lot of movement run deeper. WoW will address this in 6.1.

Regarding Warlocks, they regret how “Rain of Fire” has been handled; it should have been announced differently, and they are continuing to look into it. Blizzard does not want to introduce such significant changes overnight with a hotfix in the future.

Warriors: The Gladiator spec was too high for single target (damage on one target). Blizz wants to bring Arms and Fury to a similar level. Warriors should not only deal damage in the execution phase. The preferred damage spec should also not just be Gladiator.

Healers: They are considering whether they have moved too far away from “big heals” with the healing changes; there could be some general changes in this regard.

WoW - Orc Endboss

Hmm, everything seems fine for now

Blood Death Knights are casting too much and not using their swords enough.

Regarding Druids, they aren’t saying anything at all.

It’s also relatively quiet for . Shadow Priests are seen as a class that should dot all enemies in AE; they favor the so-called multi-dotting for their playstyle.

Paladins could benefit from a greater selection of 100 talents, especially regarding healing. Overall, they want to take a closer look at the 100 talents for all classes.

Rogues are considered okay by Blizzard; players still need to get used to the changes in the combo system.

World of Warcraft Worgen

And soon it might start to rain here

Hunters are currently a bit too strong, although they aren’t directly talking about a nerf. If there are too many hit hunters in the Mythic raids later, they will reevaluate the talent “Aspect of the Fox,” which was actually only introduced to allow hit hunters to provide a raid buff.

Regarding Monks, they see the DPS specs as being a little too strong. Just like with the Hunters, they aren’t directly speaking about a nerf. Healing Monks were strengthened after it became clear in the Challenge modes that they were lagging a bit behind.

Balance adjustments of around 5-10% for all classes could occur as early as Monday. This is expected to happen before the Mythic Halls of Valor opens in the USA on Tuesday. It seems that things might be turning soon, which class is currently on top in terms of damage in 6.0.3.

Right now, it seems to be an open house at Blizzard; just over the weekend they let a glimpse into their cards twice:

World of Warcraft: Blizzard is considering 6-Man Groups – and the Future of the Garrison

World of Warcraft: No Flying in Draenor with 6.1

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. MMO-Champion

Destiny – The Road to Light Level 32 – Will all 31 be completed by legendary armor tomorrow?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 5 minutes

In Destiny, the release of the new DLC “The Dark Below” is looming on Tuesday, along with a new max level. But how does one progress to level 32? And will we all be level 31 starting tomorrow?

The Light level of a Guardian is its “level” after level 20. This Light level is calculated based on the light value of the four pieces of armor they wear. This value continues to increase as the armor pieces are upgraded. However, there is a maximum value for each armor type that can be achieved in Destiny. We have explained all of this here.

Warning: In this article, we are largely basing our values on findings from data miners in the game’s database, insights from YouTubers who received information from the new expansion over the weekend, and official statements about how the game is intended to be designed. As long as the expansion is not live (on Tuesday at 10:00 AM), we cannot guarantee anything.

Update 9.12.: It has turned out exactly as described in the following article.

Leveling Beyond Level 20 Will Change Significantly Starting Tomorrow

The path to the new level 32 differs significantly in some ways from what Guardians have known so far. Currently, it is the case that Hunters, Warlocks, and Titans reach various points where they can get “stuck.” Along the way to Light level 30, there are various tiers where Guardians simply cannot progress due to luck or misfortune.

This is how Guardians at levels 24, 25, or 26 complain about being stuck, cursing the terrible loot system, their damn luck, and the mother of the Cryptarch. The announced changes for “The Dark Below” are steering Destiny in a different direction here. Until now, it has been advisable to focus on materials, coins, and marks, which will become even more extreme.

Destiny-Gravebreaker-2.1.
The Gravebreaker armor we showcase in the post is likely the new trader set for Hunters.

Safely at Level 31 Thanks to the Vendors in the Tower

Leveling beyond level 20 with “The Dark Below” will change: There will be new legendary armor pieces that can be purchased from the Vanguard and Crucible vendors. These armor pieces can be upgraded to a light value of 33. This is a higher value than the previous raid armor.

A Guardian with four fully upgraded vendor legendaries will reach a light value of 132. This is enough for the new light level 31.

Destiny-Vorhut-Empfehlung
Destiny-Schmelztiegel-Empfehlung

The new armor pieces from the vendors are available for marks and the “Crucible or Vanguard Recommendations.” You earn these when you achieve a reputation rank increase beyond rank 3. The legendary armor pieces from the vendor require the old “Ascendant Shards” and “Ascendant Energy” to be fully upgraded.

This isn’t too tragic, as exotic armors now need exotic shards, and the new “raid weapons” and “raid armors” also require new upgrade materials. Furthermore, all these armors will also consume planetary materials, Glimmer, and experience points.

The video shows pictures from the Destiny pre-event with new legendaries and vendor armor pieces – this is not the live version of the game, so there is no guarantee that it will look like this on Tuesday.

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Perfection Needed for Level 32

Those who wish to reach level 32 will face significantly harder challenges. 144 light points are necessary. To achieve this, they need 4 armor pieces with a light value of 36. This value is only held by new exotic armor pieces (also “old” pieces that drop starting Tuesday) or “old” exotic armor, which has been upgraded by Xur. Or the new raid legendaries.

To upgrade the new raid legendaries, “Radiant Shards” and “Radiant Energy” will be needed, which can only be obtained by breaking down other raid items. It is still unclear whether the raid armor drops directly in the normal mode of Crota’s End or only in the “hard” mode, which is supposed to start in January.

Destiny-Gravebreaker

What Questions Remain in Destiny?

The key questions at the moment concern the vendor armors: How expensive will they be? How easy is it to get them? How complex are the upgrades in Destiny?

If they are easy to obtain, practically every Guardian will be extremely quickly at level 31 – or at least could be. And the previous “grind” would be eliminated. Especially since Destiny has changed the planetary materials as well.

Destiny-Gravebreaker-1.3.

Then many Guardians would walk around with similar armor, and the question would only be: Which exotic armor piece are you wearing in your mix? It is also important here: Can all “vendor legendaries” reach a value of 33 light as it currently seems?

There is already some data about some of the new vendor legendaries, as they are said to start with a light value of 24 and reach a maximum value of 33. Allegedly, they cost between 75 and 120 marks, and 18 ascendant energies are needed for full upgrades, but whether this is really the case will only be known on Tuesday. Here are four of the “datamined” new vendor legendaries:

Destiny-Gravebreaker

The next question concerns the raid armor. Initially, two sets were discussed. It may therefore be the case that a raid armor drops in the “normal” mode, which only ascends to a light value of 33, and one saves the light armor with a light value of 36 until January. This would mean that the first level 32 Guardians will only appear in January.

In any case, the leveling spectrum in which most Guardians operate seems to shrink significantly. This is supported by everything we know so far. From previously around 24-30, it could soon shrink to 31-32. Then weapons and perhaps the skills of the players would become even more important than before.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Planetdestiny

Hearthstone – Cortyn’s new favorite cards

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 5 minutes

It may seem a bit early to choose favorite cards for a game that officially launches tomorrow, but since most could already test in the Arena last time, I’ve put together a little list here.

Of course, this is mainly my first impression of these cards, and the upcoming weeks will show more extensively how well they actually fit into various decks – but the combinations already look incredibly good to me! Without further “blah-blah”, let’s get right to my ten favorites from the Hearthstone expansion “Goblins vs Gnomes”!

1. Steamwheedle Sniper

Hearthstone-Scharfschütze-des-Dampfdruckkartells

Even though this card only provides a temporary bonus, I still think it is very strong.

The ability to specifically target minions makes it very difficult to get the little sniper off the board – as many of the possible candidates can then be eliminated by the hunter. I like to compare the card to the Shadowform from the Priest – only the hunter variant has no downside.

2. Call Pet + Gahz’rilla

Hearthstone-Hunter-Call-Pet
Hearthstone-Ghaz'rilla

I know, I know. You have to be really lucky to draw exactly Ghaz’rilla from the deck with “Call Pet”. But it is possible!

And if it happens, the opponent is faced with a monster in turn three that is hard to overcome.

Just imagine, in turn 4 you also call a “Faceless Manipulator” with the coin – I can hardly imagine a better turn!

3. Lightbomb

Hearthstone Lightbomb

Almost every deck will have to fear this card, because just the possibility that the opposing priest could play this card will force many players to completely redesign their decks.

Minions with more health than attack will be played much more frequently and players will be very cautious about how much they buff them – the stronger they are, the easier it is for the priest to clear the board completely. It’s great that priests usually use minions that can take a lot more than they deal.

4. Mistress of Pain + Demon Heart

Hearthstone Demonheart
hearthstone Mistress of Pain

I love succubi, and I especially love this card! Combining both gives you an almost unstoppable healing whip who deals a lot of damage while refreshing the warlock’s health. I can instantly think of countless new deck ideas that I want to build around these two cards.

One thing is definitely certain: the warlock can now build a strong demon deck and is no longer limited to “Zoo” and “Handlock”. By the way, I love succubi. Did I mention that already?

5. Iron Juggernaut

Hearthstone Iron Juggernaut

I know I will both love and hate it at the same time. Nothing is worse than the certainty that somewhere in the depths of your deck lurks a card that will ruin your day.

But aside from the spontaneous 10 damage points, it has another effect, where the affected player will not draw a “useful” card from their deck! This is hard to plan, but especially in very long matches, the mine will surely decide many a victory. I also imagine it being especially funny when the opponent has no cards left in their deck…

6. Hobgoblin

Hearthstone Hobgoblin

Even though this rather unattractive behemoth does not look particularly good at first glance, it opens up so many great possibilities! All the unused minions for 1-2 mana become real threats when combined with the Hobgoblin. Even the Imp (for 0 mana!) turns into a 3/3 minion with it.

On the other hand, my new love, the succubus mentioned above, would also benefit greatly from it… hmm… my deck idea is slowly taking shape!

7. Sneed’s Old Shredder

Hearthstone-Sneed's

A card with a huge element of luck, but that’s what makes many new introductions from “Goblins vs Gnomes” exciting. The shredder itself is not outstanding with its stats, but depending on who crawls out of it afterward, it can be game-changing.

Moreover, I find the idea immensely funny that Deathwing could crawl out of such a shredder… or even the shredder itself again! Because it could appear if it gets destroyed. In any case, the outcome will be hilarious.

8. Feign Death + Explosive Sheep

Hearthstone-Feign-Death
Hearthstone Explosive Sheep

A very special combo that will provide the hunter with another very interesting option to unleash strong area damage besides his “Explosive Trap”. By “Feign Death,” the sheep explodes first for 2 damage, then dies from this damage and explodes a second time. This is basically the hunter’s variant of “Hellfire,” if you will.

9. Mal’Ganis

Hearthstone Malganis

I’m struggling to express my excitement for this card in words. Sure, its stats are a bit disappointing, but the card text more than compensates for that. Not only does it improve all other demons by +2/+2 (yes, I’m looking at you, my little succubus!), but the hero also becomes simply immune. This means that if I manage to somehow bring Mal’Ganis into stealth, I’ll be pretty much invincible for a turn… and the little spare parts make that possible!

10. For Reaper 4000

Hearthstone-Foe-Reaper

My last favorite is this souped-up harvest golem that will win many victories single-handedly. It shows no mercy against “Taunt” or “Stealth” and neatly chops everything and everybody to bits if it can just attack the target next door. If you give it Windfury, it can easily clear the whole board on its own – I am incredibly excited about the combinations that can be made with this card! I especially imagine the hunter’s “Feign” here… whether the good golem can injure itself when attacking its own neighbor?

What combinations are swirling in your mind? Which card are you waiting for and what are you already collecting Arcane Dust for?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

World of Warcraft: Mission Madness comes to an End; WoW nerfs low-level follower missions

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

During the weekend, changes were made to the recycling rules in World of Warcraft. This aims to make low-level missions less attractive while rewarding higher-level ones more significantly. The goal is to relieve players who, in their attempts to optimize their gameplay, were not able to leave their garrison.

In World of Warcraft, follower missions, provided a recycling station has been built, occasionally yield a “Large Box of Salvage.” This contains loot from a massive loot table and occasionally even a piece of equipment for the followers.

The mission difficulty did not have measurable effects on whether a Large Box was included; it solely depended on the level of the recycling station.

WoW-zu-viele-Missionen
More Dots! Uh, more missions!

So what happened? Players were sending their followers on even the last low-level missions to get something out of them, as those only take between 30 and 90 minutes and usually require just one follower.

Since there are currently only low-level missions available when you have a low-level follower in your team (we explain that in our follower guide), players intentionally kept low-level followers so that everything works.

The new rules for recycling rewards through follower missions

This was changed on Sunday afternoon. From now on, the following applies:

  • Successful follower missions of level 100 always grant a “Large Box of Salvage.”
  • Successful follower missions of levels 90-94 now only provide a “Bag of Reclaimed Parts,” which probably contains less impressive stuff.
  • No changes for follower missions of levels 95-99.
WoW with Mein MMO - Groinkh the Secondary

Blizzard aims to ensure that players do not log in every hour to send followers on these low-level missions and gradually drive themselves insane.

Mein MMO thinks: In a personal experiment, it was also found that a “Large Box of Salvage” now frequently yields a rare 610 item, part of a specific set. This was not as common before. However, the control group consisted of 5 boxes, from which 3 items emerged. Profound statistics look a bit different.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. US Battle.net

Destiny Two and the old Guardian is here: Player characters will be retained in a sequel

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In a second installment to Destiny, a Destiny 2, players will likely be able to carry over their old Guardian. This acknowledges Bungie’s understanding of the players’ connection to their avatars.

Destiny is designed for ten years, with three main games set to be released during this time: a massive project. But what is it going to be like? Will players have to start all over again? Is everything achieved in Destiny 2 going to be for nothing? The main complaint with this is: “Then I have to start all over again.”

No, probably not.

It is likely that players will be able to play the Hunter, Warlock, or Titan that they have created, raised, equipped with weapons, and grown fond of somewhere along the way, in Destiny 2 as well.

Destiny-Lootcave
“Do you remember … back then! In Destiny 1! The Loot Caves!”

Even at Bungie, they do not want to miss their characters in Destiny

This comes from an interview with IGN with the community manager and spokesperson for Destiny, DeeJ: “The plan is for players to be able to take their Guardian, whom they have created, along on the journey. When looking at how players have experienced other games over such a long time, they form a close bond with the character over the years.”

This is something they want to consider in Destiny as well. DeeJ has also grown attached to “his little guy”.

Destiny-Concept-Art

Mein MMO says: “The progress will carry over” is quite an interesting statement. After all, Bungie surely wants to give fresh players the opportunity to catch up with the veterans from Destiny 1 in Destiny 2.

How do they plan to do that?

Destiny veterans will hardly be allowed to skip the first 60 hours of “Destiny 2” so that they can immediately be at the endgame and get bored. When it finally arrives in a year and a half to three years, it’s sure to be an exciting story. However, if players only retained the shell of their Guardian, it would be quite disappointing. Perhaps some percent lead or a buff? What do you think?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. IGN

ArcheAge: Trion Worlds remains silent about the exact cause of the server outages

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

There were some technical difficulties in ArcheAge over the previous weekend. However, users will probably never know exactly what happened there.

Last weekend, ArcheAge experienced multi-day server outages, the issues are now under control,publisher Trion Worlds has also compensated the players. “But what exactly happened there?” asked a user in the official forum.

Well, we will probably never find out. Community Manager Ocho said it is extremely difficult to give users insight into technical difficulties. For most players, it’s incomprehensible, even for experts it’s difficult, and they often draw the wrong conclusions because they start from different assumptions.

What is important is:

  1. There have been technical difficulties.
  2. At Trion Worlds, they now know better than before where these difficulties arose.
  3. Trion Worlds has done everything possible to prevent such issues from occurring again, and if it does happen again, they are better prepared. Basically, something went wrong with the technical infrastructure. A recurrence of that is extremely unlikely, and if it does, they are prepared for it.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Ocho Statement

The Elder Scrolls Online: TESO will become more vibrant with the legal system in Update 6

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 4 minutes

In The Elder Scrolls Online, more detailed information about the justice system and the legal system has been presented. The first phase of this system is expected to come with Update 6, which will be released on the test servers in early 2015.

The justice system has been planned and explained for quite a while. It clearly has its roots in the single-player series. Players will soon be able to rob, attack, and even murder non-player characters.

This justice system will be introduced in several phases. The first phase is even planned for Update 6, which will require postponing the Imperial City.

The legal system and the final phase of the Champion System are the basic requirements for Zenimax to bring The Elder Scrolls Online to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Everyone can imagine how significant both systems are for Zenimax.

TESO Chest

The justice system was introduced in the ESO Live stream show on Friday afternoon US time. A user in the official forum summarized the changes presented in ESO Live.

NPCs in TESO are supposed to become smarter and follow their daily routines

To make the justice system feel right, Update 6 will also introduce a new, altered world. The NPCs in TESO are expected to follow a daily routine. They will sleep, clean up, and even go fishing.

TESO

The time of day will determine whether shops are open or closed. Houses are also expected to become “more exciting”, with some treasure chests or a safe possibly hidden there. In the future, houses will also have locks.
The various crimes that can be seen in the impressive clips are already quite sophisticated:

  • The “theft” will be executed as in the single-player series: if someone steals a sword from a merchant that is lying in front of them, they steal a sword and not an axe or something.
  • If someone lingers too long in other people’s houses, they are more likely to be attacked by the residents.
  • And if someone can stay unnoticed behind a victim for longer, their chances of pickpocketing will increase.
  • NPCs that require other players to progress in a quest or similar cannot be killed.
  • Stolen goods can only be sold to fences; otherwise, there are significant restrictions. However, fences do not take all goods at once.

The entire system can be disabled; anyone who does not want anything to do with the “justice” system just has to make it clear with a click. The normal setting will, however, be set to “Active”.

TESO-Pickpocketing

You are what you steal, or whom you catch in the act

Crimes draw increased attention from guards; this is referred to as “heat” that a player attracts. Those who commit too many crimes should first hide and wait until the worst is over.

There will be three “heat levels”:

  • At the first level, the guards leave you relatively alone unless you get too close to them; then they want to impose the penalty.
  • At the second level, the guards aggressively pursue the player and impose the penalty.
  • At the third level, the guards no longer want to hit the player in the wallet but in their life.
TESO Penalty

There is also a very drastic way to rid yourself of this “heat”. If someone eliminates all witnesses to a crime, they need not worry about “heat” unless they are seen during these murders…

In the future, TESO will also introduce a “Fame and Infamy” system, meaning a clear distinction between being “well-regarded” and “notorious”. Those who catch thieves and stand on the side of justice receive discounts from merchants. Those who sway into a rogue can find it difficult to buy anything from merchants or may have to pay a hefty markup.

TESo-Justice System

The third pillar of the justice system is the bounty, the penalty that must be paid.

List of Crimes – these will land you in jail in Tamriel

A list of potential crimes can also be observed. The following offenses are punishable:

  • Murder
  • Theft
  • Bodily harm
  • Pickpocketing
  • Lycanthropy – transforming into a werewolf in public
  • Vampirism – it is prohibited to walk around as a level 4 vampire
  • the public draining of other beings
  • Burglary
  • Trespassing
  • Aiming at NPCs with weapons
  • Slaughtering foreign livestock
Teso Vampire
I am innocent, your honor. I was provoked! The neck just looked too tasty!

This won’t all come at once

For those rubbing their hands together now: Much of what is described in detail here will not come with Update 6, but rather in the follow-up updates. The “PvP” component, the game of cops and robbers, will be introduced later.

So initially, Update 6 will only provide means to be “evil” and to harass NPCs. The justice fanatics will join in later. Update 6 is expected to be launched on the test server in early January 2015.

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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Forums.Elderscrolls
  2. reddit

Beschreibung & Features

Dawid Hallmann Dawid Hallmann Reading time 3 minutes

Star Wars: The Old Republic is an online role-playing game that has arguably the most powerful license in the world – just that is enough reason for many to try this exclusive work. You can jump into the free version at any time and participate with a wide selection of characters and story options.

SWTOR PvP

Interactive storylines, PvP war zones, cinematic dialogues, lightsaber duels, and the ability to participate in space battles with your own starship are features that make any Star Wars fan’s heart skip a beat.

Also, the one decision that everyone in the Star Wars universe must make is up to oneself: Will you fight for the light side of the Force, or influence the fate of the universe on the dark side of the Force?

As a Jedi, bounty hunter, Sith, smuggler, or frontline fighter, the player dives into the game nearly 3000 years before the well-known film series by George Lucas. During a worrying time full of unrest. Each class has its own personal story, but one thing is the same everywhere: You can become a hero.

Through the flexible, dynamic, and gripping storyline, this free-to-play game is worth a try for any MMO-interested player, but it is an absolute must for any Star Wars fanatic.

Features

SWTOR Story

Imposing class stories
You can expect interactive and story-driven adventures with voice acting; the stories for the respective classes are all fully voiced. No wonder: the developer Bioware is generally known for very good storytelling. Choose either the dark or light side of the Force and become the hero of your saga.

Selectable classes for the Republic and the Empire
Fans of the series will surely recognize the classes in SW:TOR right away. But the classes are also quite varied and equipped with impressive effects. At the Galactic Republic, you can choose between the following classes: Jedi Consular, Jedi Knight, Smuggler, and Soldier. For the Sith Empire, they are: Bounty Hunter, Imperial Agent, Sith Inquisitor, and Sith Warrior. Each class can also specialize further through a subclass system. By the way, in addition to the class, you also choose a race, such as Chiss, Humans, or Twi’lek.

Class-based companions
Your travels will be accompanied by companions who interact with you and play important roles in the stories. The decisions you make also influence your relationship with your companions. They support you in battle or with gathering resources or crafting items.

Star Wars The Old Republic - Housing on Coruscant

Your own starship and house in the galaxy
Each class has its own starship available. In addition to the ability to travel from planet to planet, you can also equip the ship with useful items like a trading post and mailbox. Space combat is, of course, included and is a nice change of pace. Are you a skilled pilot and can you handle the space missions like Luke once did?

In 2014, a major update was also released, which introduced player and guild housing. For example, it is possible to settle on Tatooine or Coruscant. The apartments and houses can be decorated with thousands of items and trophies, allowing for a high degree of customization.

Action-packed PvP in arenas, war zones, and space
You can compete with other players in 3vs3 arenas, 8vs8 war zones, and soon in 12vs12 space battles. Each mode has multiple maps, which sometimes require unique paths to victory.

Group content for up to 16 players
In instanced areas for groups, you must prevail in epic battles against powerful foes, aiming to send them to the afterlife. As a reward, glory and equipment await you that enhance your abilities. There is a distinction between Flashpoints and Operations. The former are instances for up to 4 players, while the latter allows cooperation between 8 or even 16 players.

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To experience Star Wars: The Old Republic in all its glory and without any limitations, and to benefit from various bonuses, it is recommended, for example, to purchase game time or subscribe on the official website. Furthermore, by doing so, you gain a preferred status that the player also benefits from even after the game time has expired.

Official System Requirements

Operating System:
Windows XP Service Pack 3 or better.

Processor:
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 4000+ or better.
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz or better.

RAM:
Windows XP: 1.5 GB RAM.
Windows Vista and Windows 7: 2 GB RAM.

Graphics Card:
ATI X1800 or better.
nVidia 7800 or better.
Intel 4100 Integrated Graphics or better.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

H1Z1 is set to get better: Motion capture animations are coming

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the zombie MMO H1Z1, the current animations are being replaced with ones refined through motion capture techniques. This will make H1Z1 look significantly better and smoother.

This week in the dev blogs for H1Z1, a veteran of the gaming industry, David Carter, was in front of the camera. He has previously worked on the original Unreal and Unreal Tournament. And in the dev video, you can see that he has a slightly quirky sense of humor. Just look at his various hairstyles/headgear. At the end, he even does the voiceover for someone else.

He seems to have had a lot of fun with this video, where he quite literally teaches a zombie how to dance.
http://youtu.be/6CiMqcilEtI

Motion capturing has taken place, is now being gradually implemented, takes time

Carter takes his craft seriously. It’s about animations, meaning how the characters move in the game. This is a complex and detailed task.

One of the most frequent criticisms of H1Z1 at the moment is its somewhat rustic appearance. The SOE team is working on this. Currently, H1Z1 is replacing its existing “placeholder” animations with “motion capture” animations.

For this purpose, the team was allowed to go to Sony’s studio at the beginning of October and performed various movements with stunt people, ranging from mundane tasks like rummaging through a backpack to moves and actual stunts. All this data and movement sequences are set to gradually find their way into the game. It takes time.

H1z1-Animationen

The implementation of the new animations will still take some time, and many of the more elaborate and challenging ideas are only planned for the future, after early access.

Climbing zombies and player stunts are also balance issues

Whether zombies could eventually climb and whether players could perform outrageous stunts? were some of the fan questions directed at Carter. Both are indeed possible and conceivable for the future, he replied. However, these are also balance questions.

If zombies could suddenly climb, it would shift the entire balance of the game. The same goes for player “stunts”: If they could slide down slopes, the whole world would have to be designed in a way that makes sense and is logical. Otherwise, players could easily bypass certain dangers. Or they would no longer be safe from zombies, making H1Z1 too difficult.

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There has been movement in H1Z1 itself. Tomorrow, on Monday, December 8, there is supposed to be a release date for early access. Those who want to learn more about the game can check out our H1Z1 theme page or browse through our large preview.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Destiny: See the Playstation-exclusive DLC strike on Mars in full length today

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

In Destiny, the new DLC “Darkness Awaits” arrives on Tuesday. You can already see the PS3 and PS4 exclusive Strike on Mars “The Undying Mind” in a full-length video here.

Over the weekend, a pre-event for “Darkness Awaits” took place in Las Vegas, where some selected players and fans got to play the event early. Among other things, participants could earn a spot there through a contest, and some “multipliers,” meaning Destiny YouTubers with many subscribers, were also invited.

So, there have been various new secrets to reveal and information to spill for a few hours now: The new legendary armors are said to go up to a light level of 32 from the vendors, surpassing the previous raid armors, but more on that later.

Destiny-The-Undying-Mind-Zick

What happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas

One of the invited guests was the YouTuber DattodoesDestiny, who has proven himself to be one of the most popular and skilled players for the game in recent months.
He has already made a video of the PS4-exclusive Strike “The Undying Mind” for you.

http://youtu.be/Jj0CLizTUtA
Also, another large YouTube channel that has made a name for itself with Destiny was in Las Vegas and offers you its version of the strike.

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New Jump-Ship was also revealed in Vegas and other things

Destiny-Ketch-me-if-you-can

Otherwise, there was this image from Las Vegas of a new Jump-Ship, which, to the joy of fans, has a different color than “poop-brown.” The “Ketch me if you can,” a slightly rustic pun, but it looks nice.
For PS4 and PS3 players, besides the raid exclusively, there is also a shotgun, the “4th Horseman.” Xbox players can enjoy both in Fall 2015.

Destiny-The-4th-Horseman

Previous PS-exclusive content was well-received

Even in the release version, there was exclusive content for PlayStation players, which Sony emphasized beautifully over the weekend. And some statistics were rolled out. 300,000 hours have been spent by PS3 and PS4 players in Exodus Blue and “The Dust Palace.” Exodus Blue is the exclusive Crucible map, “The Dust Palace” is the exclusive PS strike.

And the two PS-exclusive exotic weapons, Thorn and Monte Carlo, were also popular: With both weapons, 435 million kills have been achieved so far. They know everything about us.

We know everything about Destiny (well, that’s a lie), but anyway: If you want to know how much we know, check out our Destiny theme page.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. reddit
  2. vg247

WildStar: 20-man version of Raid Datascape is expected to hit the test server before Christmas

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In the SF-MMO WildStar, the 20-player version of the endgame raid Datascape might already be available on the test server before Christmas.

During the holidays, many guilds in WildStar will probably have trouble gathering a full 40-player raid. Perhaps the raid will pause for a while as well. Even the most eager Chua needs to fill their belly and nibble on the Christmas tree.

Fortunately, it’s likely that players can switch to the test server to test how the new 20-player version of the raid “Datascape” plays. This comes from a statement by Carbine developer Time-Travel made on Twitch, which can be read in a reddit thread. According to this, the patch server should be equipped with the new build at the latest next week. Everyone will probably be able to stroll into the raid: A vendor will unlock the access quest.

The decision to move away from 40-player raids, was made a few weeks ago. If you’re interested in getting a taste of WildStar: We have a giveaway for you.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. reddit

Destiny: Bigger Vault, higher Glimmer cap – that is what Bungie says

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny, players want a larger vault and a higher limit on Glimmer, the in-game currency. Bungie is aware of these desires, makes no promises, but hints at both.

In an interview with IGN, Community Manager DeeJ talks about what Destiny players currently desire the most. The most common requests are probably for a larger vault (a bigger safe) and an increase in the Glimmer cap: “Players want to be collectors. I really hope we can enlarge the vault, it’s constant, constant player feedback.”

All this new weapons and armor need space…
http://youtu.be/sAcURMgE6Gg

Currently, the player vault holds 20 weapons, 20 armors, and 20 items. As players become stronger, accumulate more powerful items over time, and now with “Darkness Awaits” new important items are being added, the storage is at risk of bursting at the seams.
Discussing an increase of the vault is something being talked about internally at Bungie, just like raising the Glimmer cap, which is currently set at 25,000.

The Need for Glimmer is Constantly Rising

Glimmer is the everyday currency in Destiny. In recent months, the ways to spend them have significantly increased: For example, during the last Iron Banner, a PvP event, legendary weapons and armor quickly cost over 10,000 Glimmer. The upgrades of exotic weapons and armor to their new version will always be accompanied by costs of 7000 Glimmer.

Bungie did not want to make any promises to IGN, but: “We are listening very closely to what players demand and we want to work on fulfilling these wishes as quickly as possible. Even if I can’t make promises about these specific wishes, I can say that we will continue to support the game.”

If you’re thinking: Glimmer cap? Are they crazy? I’m always broke, you should take a look at our Glimmer farming guide.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. IGN

Christmas Raffle: Big WildStar Packages with Plush Toy!

Dawid Hallmann Dawid Hallmann Reading time < 1 minutes

Hohoho! To kick off the Christmas season, we have prepared a small WildStar giveaway for you in line with the Nikolaus festival. Thanks to the nice folks at Carbine and NCSoft, we’re able to put together three big packages and send them out to lucky winners!

There are three packages to win consisting of:

  • the WildStar Deluxe Edition (the first two winners will receive a physical version, the third the digital version),
  • an incredibly cute and cuddly Rowsdower plush toy
  • as well as a whole bunch of WildStar-themed merchandise: tote bag, two T-shirts, lanyard, postcard set, notebook, pen, and display cleaner are all waiting for new owners!

How can you participate?

To be able to win, you just need to take 2 clicks on Facebook.

 

1. Become a fan of our page and
2. Like the corresponding giveaway post.

You’re already in the draw! The last day to participate is December 16, 2014, so we can still send the prizes in time for them to land under your tree on Christmas Eve. You can view the terms and conditions and data protection notes here (Update: The giveaway has now ended!). Good luck and thank you for recommending Mein MMO; we appreciate every reader and wish you a reflective Christmas season – perhaps it’s time to play a bit with the family!

WildStar Prices
The blue T-shirt and the bag are not depicted.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

H1Z1: Finally! Monday is the release date for early access

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

On Monday, December 8th, the survival MMO H1Z1 will receive its early access date.

There might still be something under the Christmas tree for H1Z1.

As SOE President John Smedley tweets, they will announce the early access date on Monday, December 8th. Now they just need to finalize a few details and then they’ll release the date. It was previously said that it would take about a week from the announcement of the date until the early access starts. So it could be on December 15th, but that’s still speculation.

Keep in mind: Monday in US time may mean Tuesday morning for us.

H1Z1 World

H1Z1 has been quiet in recent months. SOE wanted to polish the early access version before showing it to the players. There seems to have been a change in direction regarding how the game is evaluated internally.

H1Z1 was actually supposed to go into early access in May. Apparently, they decided to change course when they realized how much reception the survival MMO H1Z1 received. SOE apparently did not want to miss this opportunity with an early launch.

The game aims to distinguish itself from other zombie MMOs like DayZ or Rust mainly by setting up a persistent world (one that remains and is not recreated with each match). Additionally, social interactions are emphasized – players essentially rely on their reputation on a server. H1Z1 wants to emphasize MMO components and offer a robust and complex crafting system.

Sure, it took a bit longer – So what?

After a quieter phase that lasted five to six months, development picked up speed again two weeks ago. Now it seems to be heading for the finish line. In early access, they want to give players a “vertical slice” of all features, essentially showing a bit from every part of the game.

The early access will take place via Steam for PC. PlayStation 4 users will have to wait: Development for the PS4 is currently on hold; SOE wants to wait until Planetside 2 has done the preliminary work for a port from the Forgelight engine to the current-gen console.

They estimate a price for early access between €16 and €20. However, the game will later be free-to-play.

SOE President Smedley reiterated on Twitter that they set high standards for early access. SOE is now very satisfied with it. Sure, it took a bit longer… but so what?


This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

TERA: Expansion “Fate of Arun” will be released next week!

Dawid Hallmann Dawid Hallmann Reading time 2 minutes

On December 11, the free action MMO TERA will receive a huge content update. Gameforge unexpectedly announced today via the official website that the expansion “Fate of Arun” will be launched on live servers next Thursday.

The download will be available even earlier, allowing players to download the patch through the launcher at the beginning of next week, so there will be no waiting time at release. This way, nothing stands in the way of an immediate journey to the new northern continent of Arun. But what does the extensive content update have to offer in detail?

The northern continent of Arun offers plenty of new quests and monsters to level up your character from Level 60 to 65 – that’s right, the update increases the maximum level for the first time in the West. The areas Wildlands (from 60), Valley of Spring (61), Ex Prima (63), and Arx Umbra (from 64) as well as the Baraka city Heights Watch promise, according to publisher Gameforge, “dense jungles, hot springs, a forgotten city, and snow-covered peaks.”

[g-slider gid=”23791″ width=”100%” height=”55%”]

But it’s not just the level that’s increasing: Each class will also receive new skills that will not only be additions but will significantly enhance the character. With Fate of Arun, the developers are also working on an improved player experience, which is reflected in changes to the item enchantment, a new crystal, and quest system.

Dungeons are one of TERA’s greatest strengths, and just like the last content update, players will be delivered with 4 brand new group instances, a complete package that should provide plenty of variety and challenges for the coming months.

TERA - PvP and PvE Battleground

Completely new this time is that a competitive PvP & PvE battleground will be introduced. On separate platforms, two groups of players face each other, aiming to defeat wave mobs and BAMs (Boss Monsters) first.

Mein MMO thinks: TERA is experiencing its second spring two years after its release in 2012. Only a few MMOs are able to release extremely extensive and free updates like this one after several years. This is a sign that the Korean free-to-play title must be doing very well. This was also confirmed by a market research study from last year, which found that TERA is among the 3 highest-grossing MMOs. Sure, the online role-playing game is available worldwide, but it is still remarkable with a fair free-to-play model like this one.

We will certainly take a look at Fate of Arun and report on it. TERA boasts perhaps the best action combat system in the genre, great boss mechanics, and still very good graphics – these are the key success factors and the reasons why it doesn’t lack players. However, we want to scrutinize how much the former weaknesses in quest design, story presentation, and the enchantment system have been refined. We will keep you updated. Anyone wanting to check out TERA can download and play the game for free through the official website.

http://youtu.be/xS2x4fvQuRE
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Gameforge TERA

Destiny: New exotic weapons require 17.5% less experience to max out, say data miners

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny, data miners have discovered that the new exotic weapons require 17.5% less experience points to be fully upgraded. However, nearly nothing changes for exotic armors.

In the last Weekly Update from Bungie, one point caused a particular stir: Exotic weapons and armors will require less time and fewer materials to be fully upgraded.

This came just as the mood had heated up a bit in the last days. Many Guardians were and are upset that they can bring their “old” Exotics up to date with “Darkness Lurks”, but then receive bare versions of the Exotics that they have to level up again and upgrade with materials.

In the update, they spoke of “significant” reliefs. But how big are they?

17.5% less experience from bare to “fully upgraded”

A user on reddit has calculated how much this savings actually amounts to. He took a current exotic weapon (Bad Karma), which needs 285,000 experience points to unlock the final upgrades.

Data miners have already gathered the values for the new exotic weapons, such as “No Land Beyond”, a new exotic sniper rifle. It requires 237,500 experience points, which is 17.5% less.

Destiny-No-Land-Beyond

What is changing for the exotic armors in Destiny?

The savings for exotic armors are not nearly as significant. Current armor requires 162,500; the new exotic armor requires 160,000. That’s only 1.5% less.

Data from data miners should always be taken with caution. Images, models, values, and codes are loaded into the database by Bungie weeks before they are needed in Destiny. Whether they then “really” become active is hard to say. However, it seems to fit.

On Tuesday, when the DLC “Darkness Lurks” goes live, and with it the new exotic weapons and armors come, we will definitely know.

25 new exotic weapons and armors

If you want to see what new exotic weapons and armors will be available in Destiny from December 9, we recommend this video.

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Source(s):
  1. reddit
  2. No Land Beyond (datamined)

Destiny wins awards for “best online experience” and sound, Hearthstone as a mobile game

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

Bungie’s MMO shooter Destiny was awarded in Las Vegas last night for its soundtrack and the best “Online Experience”. Blizzard’s Hearthstone stood out in the mobile market. However, single-player RPGs won the big prizes.

The MMO shooter Destiny was successful last night at the “Game Awards 2014” in the category “Best Online Experience” and beat competitors like Titanfall, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Dark Souls 2, and Hearthstone. In the “Shooter” category, Destiny was nominated as well, but had to concede defeat to Far Cry 4.

Destiny-Martin-O'Donnell

A little bittersweet was Destiny’s victory in the category “Best Soundtrack.” There, Marty O’Donell accepted the award. He had worked at Bungie for a long time and had also composed the soundtrack for Halo before Destiny. However, in April 2014, they parted ways. It wasn’t exactly a peaceful separation.

Hearthstone-Tablet

According to O’Donell, he was unlawfully fired without reasons stated. Bungie denied this claim. A lawsuit filed by O’Donell was settled out of court in June 2014. Regardless, he composed the music, and it has now been officially recognized.

Hearthstone, which was previously defeated by Destiny in the “Best Online Experience” category, went on to win against Super Smash Bros. on 3DS, Bravely Default, and other games in the “Best Mobile/Handheld” category. It hasn’t even been released on smartphones yet. “You’re doing great, Hearthstone,” to quote Goethe.

This year’s real stars were single-player RPGs. Dragon Age: Inquisition won the award for Game of the Year. Fans are most eagerly awaiting The Witcher 3 in 2015.

Who wonders: Destiny? Sound? Can it be any good? Well, you could give it a listen. What do you think?

http://youtu.be/TddbSgrh5vI
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. polygon

The Secret World: Geishas and Secrets, Issue #10 is out

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

That went faster than expected: The release #10 of the dark fantasy MMO The Secret World is now out.

One managed to stay at the front end of the time window. On Tuesday, we quoted from the Producer’s letter, stating that the 10th issue of TSW would be released sometime in the first half of December, and a few days later it was already here.

Issue #10 has been available in the Item Shop since December 4, giving players 3 days of early access, or as it is officially stated:

Issue #10 is now available to all members in the Item Shop, as they are allowed to play the new content 3 days before everyone else. Those who join now will also receive early access and bonus points worth €10 (enough to purchase Issue #10).Please note that you must have Issue #9: The Black Signal and access to Tokyo to play Issue #10.

A comprehensive patch has also been released; here are the patch notes for 1.10 in German.

In a preview trailer, they present Issue 10 “Nightmare in the Palace of Dreams” – and yes, in The Secret World there are assassins in Japanese schoolgirl costumes with a giant bunny head, which is just about the 48th weirdest thing you can find in The Secret World:
http://youtu.be/0F8D9t23nV8

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. TSW

World of Warplanes has a video guide for evasive maneuvers, gives tips for aerial combat

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The aerial warfare MMO World of Warplanes now gives rookie pilots tips on how to shake off those pesky pursuers.

In the movies, it all looks so easy! You have an enemy fighter on your tail, and then it crashes into the next mountain without any interference, flies into the machine-gun fire of a wingman, or somehow takes itself out. In Wargaming’s “World of Warplanes,” such things happen rarely; you have to shake them off yourself. But those guys know all the tricks.

To give newcomers tips on how to best manage shaking off a pursuer, Wargaming has started a series of video guides—a kind of flight school. The first video covers the Canopy Roll, a spiral evasive maneuver.

http://youtu.be/NJTDtas_jpQ
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Black Desert: Legendary Character Creator in Full Action – 4 Classes at Launch, 4 More Coming Soon

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The Korean Free2Play MMO Black Desert is about to start its Open Beta. To raise the excitement, they showcase the four classes in all their glory in the character generator.

Until half a year ago, hardly any MMO fan in the West had a clue what Black Desert was. Then a video showing just the character generator caused “Aaahs” and “Ooohs”. Even from non-genre fans: This graphics, this selection, these details! “Why do they get this and we don’t?”, was heard in many forums.

Now Black Desert is about to be released in Korea, and publisher Daum has released videos for the four currently playable classes. Each video first features the character creator for 30 seconds. Daum has also noticed how well it resonated with players worldwide.

Black-Desert-Ranger2

Overall, the interest in Black Desert has reached such a high level that they want to take advantage of the moment and bring the game to the West in the second half of 2015. Hopefully, the game will be polished and in good condition by then. From Asia, there are currently concerns about why the game starts with only four classes when eight were actually planned.

Hype or not: However, the gender lock is not well received in the West. There is a reason why you can only see a male Giant and no female Giant: The class/race Giant exists only in male form, just like the other three classes are also fixed by gender and race. This is a very deliberate design decision by Pearl Abyss. In Asia, it is considered super boring to just make a male and female version of a class; instead, they prefer to create two different classes right away.

The four classes that are currently playable in Korea are:

The Ranger, a female archer.

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The Warrior, a classic male tank with sword and shield.

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And the Giant, a huge berserker as melee-DD with two oversized axes.

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Sorcerer, a sorceress who moves agilely and shines from a distance with damage spells.

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Not playable at release yet, but already planned, will be the following four classes:

  • Tamer, a “tamer” who relies on a sword and her animal companions. So a pet class.
  • The Wizard, a male wizard, a kind of Gandalf with a staff focusing on AoE spells.
  • Valkyrie, the valkyrie, as a counterpart to the male tank focusing more on support skills.
  • And the Blader, another melee-DD variant that fights with more finesse and elegance than the brutal Giant.

Read more about the sandbox MMO Black Desert in our extensive preview: Black Desert Preview: If ArcheAge and Tera had a child…

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. MMOSite