Evolve is an asymmetrical multiplayer shooter where four hunters compete against a monster on various maps. The twist of the game is that both the hunters and the monster are controlled by players.
The hunter team always consists of four classes (Trapper, Support, Medic, and Assault) and each class currently has two different characters, allowing some adjustment of playstyle.
In contrast, the monster only has two races (Goliath and Kraken), which differ significantly in their gameplay. However, they share the ability to level up by hunting other wildlife. While the monster is very weak in Phase 1 and best avoids the hunters, the situation changes in Phase 2 where both parties are approximately equal in strength. Once the monster reaches Phase 3, it is significantly stronger and tougher than the hunters and can even attack the Power Relays, whose destruction also leads to victory.
The game, developed by Turtle Rock Studios, is currently still in alpha, but it is scheduled to be released on February 10, 2015, for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny, there is one of the Sparrows that some considered a Halloween gift, now available as a reward for buyers of a Season Pass. The S-30 Tumbler enables some stunts that haven’t been possible before, such as barrel rolls.
New items were introduced to the game for Halloween, which were found by data miners. There was a spooky mask and a new respawn animation. But four new Sparrows were also discovered in the databases, which are the hover bikes in Destiny. Unfortunately, they did not arrive for Halloween, they were just loaded into the databases with the patch but were not yet active.
As it turns out now, one of these Sparrows is intended as a kind of “loyalty” reward for players who purchased the “expansion” pass (which also came with the collector’s editions). The S-30 Tumbler (in English EV-30 Tumbler) arrives today by mail. It is orange-blue-flame-colored (as it is known, everything runs faster with rally stripes and flames), but you can see it better for yourself in this video: http://youtu.be/Dx3SkS1I9IA
Anyone who possesses such a pass, which grants access to the next two DLCs, can already look forward to a special Sparrow. Guardians who pilgrimage to Tess, a merchant in the Tower, can also purchase the S-30 Tumbler for other guardians on their account for 50 Glimmer. Here is Tess Everis: http://youtu.be/fiHVb0iKPS8
It is still unclear whether guardians who purchase an expansion pass now will also receive this Sparrow. This is currently based on player statements and a statement from Bungie a few days ago that they want to “reward” players for their loyalty.
Update 19.11 10:15: Some players on reddit reported that they received the Sparrow after purchasing an expansion pass just now.
The Sparrow is not an ordinary Sparrow, but a legendary stunt-Sparrow. And several tricks are possible with it: The stabilizers can be deactivated and it has a small boost. With it, stunts like barrel rolls and other stuff are possible. Until now, the Timebreaker, which has a built-in self-destruct function, was mainly suitable for standing out. With the current S-30 Tumbler, other noticeable stunts are possible in Destiny; you don’t always have to blow yourself up. http://youtu.be/A-edKdDfWx4
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMO shooter Destiny sends the Guardians for the weekly Nightfall strike this time to Earth, into Devil’s Lair. There they face Sepiks Prime.
The weekly Nightfall strike in Destiny is reset every Tuesday at 10 AM. This time it takes the Guardians to Earth to “Old Russia” in Devil’s Lair. The Nightfall is particularly interesting because it grants a 24.5% bonus to all experience points and reputation throughout the week (but don’t count on bonus reputation in the Iron Banner). Every week it has some unique features. This week it might be advisable for solo players to team up with three people. There are rumors that the Nightfall has become easier with the yesterday’s patch for 3-man teams. Meanwhile, there was also a rumor that the solo Nightfall became harder, but that seems not to have been confirmed.
The modifiers for the weekly Nightfall strike from November 18 to November 25
The five modifiers this week are:
Nightfall – as always, after a complete wipe of the fireteam, it’s back to orbit
Epic – is the difficulty level, always the same, ensuring that the Nightfall at 28 is significantly harder than the weekly heroic strike at 28
Angry – the enemies are unstoppable, even high damage does not deter them from pursuing the Guardian
Lightswitch – enemies deal significantly increased melee damage, making it quick to lose your light
Arc Burn – both the Guardians and the enemies deal 300% increased Arc damage, so anything electric, shocking, or buzzing is recommended as a weapon, and should be avoided if it belongs to the enemy
Which weapon arsenal is recommended?
Anything that deals Arc damage and has high range is a good idea:
The sniper rifle Patience and Time is an outstanding choice, dealing significant damage, and in the Nightfall it’s always advisable to keep enemies at a distance.
The machine gun Thunderlord is excellent for really cleaning up: whoever has it can be pleased.
The legendary machine gun Swarm and the electro hand cannon Fatebringer are also excellent options to get through. Without “Juggler” there should be fewer ammunition difficulties than in the past weeks.
Tips and guides?
As always: try to hit as often as possible without being hit yourself. The combat system in Destiny allows Guardians to repeatedly take cover, wait until they have regenerated, and then fight again. We will also post some videos in the next few hours from teams and solo players who completed the Nightfall. Here you can pick up some tips.
In this video, you can watch a Titan at work, going methodically and cautiously, taking an Arc rocket launcher for tricky spots, weakening enemies from a distance with the sniper rifle, and then using his primary weapon for everyday encounters. An impressive example of how the Nightfall in Destiny works: nice and careful. And there’s also a little “cheese spot” for the final boss Sepiks Prime. http://youtu.be/iEy9lV8wpws Here’s a lengthy, calm guide for the Nightfall this week by Dattoo. http://youtu.be/vG9P5DdFOxQ
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the sand park MMO ArcheAge, the exploits have now been confirmed by the officials. The Korean developers are working on a solution, the marketplace will reopen, Apex remains disabled, and Trion Worlds is managing damage control.
The Apex exploit turned a 10-euro item into a barrel of credits that never runs out
The servers were down twice to implement bug fixes aimed at addressing the two now confirmed exploits, which we reported on yesterday. The “free trial and return if not satisfied” for the chests seems to be under control. However, the “Apex exploit” appears to have been a serious problem and not just a hoax on YouTube. With this exploit, players could redeem an “Apex” item, which can be purchased for real money and grants in-game currency credits, indefinitely without it disappearing. Some kind of “cornucopia” or “feed me, Seymour”.
Therefore, for now, the option to redeem “APEX” for credits is still disabled. The Korean developers from XLGames are working on a solution to the problem.
Trion Worlds wants to limit the damage
While XLGames is taking care of that, the publisher Trion Worlds team is working on taking away the advantages from players who exploited. They are also issuing at least 24-hour bans against exploiters. Players who have become part of such a “scam” without wrongdoing themselves shouldn’t be disadvantaged.
Aside from APEX, the in-game shop seems to be active again, and it’s still the same as before: Some hoped that the “Flashy Racing Kits” would disappear from the game (those are the ones with the lightning trees). However, this is probably not something that Trion Worlds can handle alone without XLGames’ help, so we likely have to wait until the box disappears from the regular rotation.
Mein MMO believes: A sandbox game thrives among other things on its in-game economy and the rivalry among players. Within these parameters, anything goes. That’s what makes it exciting. Cheating, deceiving, backstabbing, extortion – everything between players is allowed and desired in a sandbox.
But: It is important for players to have trust in the system, that no one gains advantages through exploits or bugs. This has now happened. Now they can only hope that Trion Worlds will remove these advantages again. Since there will be no rollback (a kind of wipe), players have to trust the publisher’s word that all advantages will be removed and that “honest players” have not suffered any disadvantages. This is an unfortunate situation, especially because the rivalry and competition in a sandbox make players suspicious of each other; no one wants to be the fool sitting empty-handed while others walk away with pockets full of credits.
In the coming days, the next act of the “exploit” drama will likely begin: Players will be banned and swear up and down that they have been wrongly punished. It feels a bit like we’ve experienced all this before.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The fantasy MMO Final Fantasy XIV is celebrating the past year with an elaborate trailer and is apparently quite proud of what has happened.
With all the horror stories regarding MMOs, every time a news piece about Final Fantasy XIV is written, it feels a little like a perfect world. Sure, the game has problems. After the disastrous launch a few years ago, when FF XIV had to be removed from the market, every story still sounds like a fairy tale. And when you look at what has happened in the past year and where Final Fantasy XIV stands now, you have to nod appreciatively.
The MMO is certainly not for everyone; especially in Europe, there are some issues with its visual style, but the amount of content being released, how much is being developed, how clearly the plans for the future are being communicated is something many fans of other MMOs would wish for from their games as well. It remains soberly stated: Final Fantasy XIV has become a cross-platform game, it sticks to the criticized pay-to-play model (which supposedly never succeeds except for WoW), and it grows and thrives.
In a trailer, Square Enix reflects on the eventful past year.
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The advertising campaign for World of Warcraft is taking strange turns. After an axe attack by Garrosh or Gromm Hellscream (perpetrator still unknown) on a taxi in New York, a Dark Portal has now been erected in Shanghai.
How do you draw attention to a game that almost everyone knows? Probably not with a screaming dwarf, right? No, you simply put something eye-catching in busy places in vibrant metropolises: this is called “Street Ad”, an advertisement with a street as the setting. Maybe you have already seen the taxi with the axe attack in New York that was supposed to show who the Iron Horde has set its sights on?
This is nothing compared to the action in Shanghai. There, a “real” Dark Portal has been installed in a busy subway station, on one side cameras, on the other a large screen, and figures from World of Warcraft keep appearing in this “portal”. http://youtu.be/bb9XuaOA0zQ
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Korean MMORPG with sandbox elements Black Desert is set to be released in its home country Korea next month.
This is the good thing about the Asian development cycle, where they rely on three closed beta phases with extremely long breaks in between to continuously work on the game. This creates the impression that a game is “in development for an eternity” and not making any progress: “Is this still in closed beta?” many then ask. However, towards the end, things move quite quickly. Black Desert is expected to enter open beta in Korea in early December and then go live later in the month.
In the MMO shooter Destiny, yesterday’s patch caused difficulties for European players on the Playstation 3 (PS3) and further nerfed the exotic weapon Thorn.
Is the patch also Playstation-exclusive?
The Update 1.0.3. showed yesterday how difficult it is even for a giant like Bungie to juggle across so many platforms. While the patch for the Playstation 4 and Xbox 360 went relatively smoothly, it took until almost midnight our time for the update to go live for the Xbox One.
They criticized: “So, are the patches now also Playstation-exclusive?” PS players already have two exclusive exotic weapons (including the Hawkmoon a top gun) and an exclusive strike. In December, more advantages are to come. Xbox players are understandably not very happy about this.
European PS3 fans of Destiny suffer from connection problems
But it seems the Playstation 3 players have been hit the hardest. At least in Europe, they have “connection problems,” cannot log into Destiny at all, and receive a “Boar” error. Bungie is aware of the difficulties and is working on a solution.
We’re aware that European players on the PS3 are unable to connect to Destiny. We’re collaborating to address the issue.
Undocumented change to exotic weapons: Thorn, Icebreaker, Pocket Infinity
Another issue emerged in so-called “hidden changes” in undocumented changes. There was a lot going on yesterday, as it suddenly seemed as if the enemies were significantly stronger, or the player’s weapons were significantly weaker. Many Guardians running around with “The Last Word” (Das letzte Wort), since Friday, suspected it was not as strong as before the patch. However, this turned out to be a false alarm; it remains strong.
However, the poor “Thorn” (Dorn) has been affected. The exotic weapon is already one of the weakest and has needed a buff for a long time. Instead, it was further nerfed. According to reddit, the damage-over-time tick dropped from 7 to 3. In PvP, precision hits now deal only 58 damage instead of 76. However, Bungie stated this was an accident. The “planned” changes to the exotic weapons are supposed to be revealed in a Weekly Update on Thursday night to Friday. The current changes are unintentional; they are currently collecting data to track these changes down.
It seems that nothing serious is happening at the moment except for Thorn. With the sniper rifle Icebreaker, an explosion effect has been added, and the scope of Pocket Infinity has been changed. Those who believe that Pocket Infinity has a low rate of fire should try unequipping and reequipping the weapon.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny, the Iron Banner is active starting today. There are five individual reputation tiers available.
This happened faster than expected, as today, Tuesday, November 18th, the new Iron Banner, Iron Banner 2.0, is expected to go live. Likely at the weekly reset at 10 AM. It is set to run until November 24th, next Monday.
The following rewards are available at each reputation tier:
Reputation Tier 1: The Iron Banner emblem, which gives a 10% bonus to reputation gains.
Reputation Tier 2: The Iron Banner shader, which also provides a 10% reputation bonus.
Reputation Tier 3: The first weapons and armor. Here, the boots can be obtained, which go up to level 30, for 9950 Glimmer. There seem to be two pairs available per class.
Reputation Tier 4: An Iron Banner class item, which again gives a 10% reputation bonus. More weapons and armor. Here are the gloves that go up to item level 30.
Reputation Tier 5: Even more weapons and a shader.
Additionally, Iron Banner bounties are supposed to grant further reputation. How the Iron Banner will unfold has been known since last week: Gear will play a larger role this time, winners will receive reputation immediately after the match, while losers will receive a coin that can be exchanged for reputation upon winning.
Caution: Reputation is expected to be reset after this week. The “Tempered” reputation bonus, which is obtained for one Mote of Light, is said to become stronger towards the end of the week. You can likely purchase the buff multiple times, but be cautious: as soon as you buy the buff, it is considered “active”, it is not a consumable but activates immediately.
“Tempered” is an Iron Banner investment buff. You can purchase accelerated reputation gains for one Mote of Light, every twelve hours.
The unique aspect of the armor is that legendary gloves and boots will enter the game, which can be upgraded up to a light value of 30. The legendary weapons that are new to Destiny have fixed stats but can vary in perks, and can be re-rolled multiple times until the Guardians are satisfied.
Mein MMO says: It looks like the coveted items are located at tiers 3 and 4. How the exact distribution will look and when each item will be available from the vendor will become clear in the upcoming days. Besides the two “light value 30” legendaries, the available weapon selection is certainly interesting: gaps in the arsenal can be filled if, for example, a weapon with a certain elemental damage is still missing.
Iron Banner is live, costs a lot of Glimmer
Update 10:30: The Iron Banner is live as expected since 10 AM. The level difference is noticeable according to first reports. As expected, the legendary armor pieces are available at rank 3 and 4. The buff “Tempered” costs one Mote of Light. Some of the bounties are said to be significantly easier. And the Glimmer prices have increased significantly. Armor pieces cost just under 10,000 Glimmer, while weapons are slightly above that.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Since the last major SMITE patch, only a few weeks have passed – but that doesn’t stop the guys and girls at Hi-Rez from pushing out another new god. “Ao Kuang” is being integrated back into the game with a new model and new abilities. We have summarized what other innovations and improvements the patch “A MIGHTY SWORD!” brings here for you.
Ao Kuang – the assassin-like mage
The Dragon King returns to the game after being replaced by “Kukulkan” a few months ago. He still has some scores to settle, as historically he is more on the losing side, since “Ne Zha” has killed his two sons and defeated him – but “Sun Wukong” will also have to watch out, as he stole a magical pillar from the Dragon King’s palace.
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Although Ao Kuang is a mage, he will play as a melee character and feel like an assassin – he has “Stealth” and his other abilities enhance the Dragon King’s basic attacks. This is particularly important because all items that can be activated on a hit of the “normal” attack are also activated by his abilities! As an ultimate, this god has a melee execution, which instantly kills enemies if they are below a certain HP threshold, the special thing about this is: AFTER the execution, Ao Kuang flies into the air and can land somewhere at a safe distance – or dive straight onto new enemies.
Balance Changes: A handful of nerfs
There aren’t really dramatic changes in this patch, but a few small nerfs have indeed been made: Nu Wa’s ultimate now scales only with 30% of her magical power (previously 40%) and the damage of her “Shining Metal” has been slightly reduced.
Mercury and Freya are being slightly nerfed, enemies now recover faster from “Banish” and “Special Delivery” – to be precise, they land on the ground faster and therefore take fewer hits they cannot avoid.
Serqet is also feeling the nerf bat, her “Deathbane” poison now scales only with 45% of physical power (previously 50%) and reduces enemy protection by only 15% (previously 20%).
Only Chronos gets a small boost with the latest patch.
Only Chronos will be slightly strengthened, as he is particularly too weak at the beginning of a match. The mana costs of “Accelerate” have been reduced by about 10% and the second segment of his “Wheel of Time” has been improved, now providing a 100% mana refund (previously only 75%).
More Skins and Voicepacks
“Oh grandmother, what big ears you have!”
After a long wait, it is finally time: Scylla is getting the much-awaited “Little Red Riding Hood” skin, fans have been begging for it for months, because who else could embody both the sweet girl and the big bad wolf at the same time? Of course, the skin comes with its own voice pack.
For Sylvanus, the old man on his tree, the “Prestige” skins are now available, including the gold, legendary, and diamond versions.
All fans of the “old” Nu Wa voice can also breathe a sigh of relief, as her voice pack has been completely renewed – all phrases have been recorded with the old voice actress (a renewal with something old – there are such things!). All players who had already purchased it will get their gems refunded and can repurchase it if they wish.
Aside from that, there are of course a whole lot of small detail changes, such as the graphics of Aphrodite’s God card being revamped to better match her true appearance in-game. A list of all changes can be viewed at the source reference at the end of the post.
The patch is expected to be tested until Tuesday and should then hit the live servers.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The patch 1.0.3 is currently available for download for the MMO shooter Destiny. The update brings fixes, voice chat, shader previews, and more events, but it comes at a price. Depending on the system, the patch size is massive at several gigabytes.
As announced, a relatively large update will be applied today (November 17). However, most of the data size is likely for things that are not yet in the game and will only come in early December with the DLC “The Dark Below“, “Darkness Lurks” – probably, the data miners will go wild in the next few hours, looking through all the stuff.
The new Iron Banner is not yet live. As announced, it is expected to arrive at the end of the week (a few German sites had already mentioned “Monday” or “Tuesday” – it doesn’t look like that).
The promised changes to the exotic weapons Vex Mythoclast, Thorn and Bad Juju have NOT yet occurred. There have been no changes to the exotic weapons here, as modifications have been announced for a long time: All three weapons were supposed to be strengthened.
For the moment, sources speak of a size of 2.44 GB for the Playstation 4, for example. On the Xbox 360, Guardians only need to download 1.07 GB. Once the patch is installed, Guardians may need to relog, says a tweet from Bungie. Annoying for Playstation players: From 7 PM, maintenance work will be carried out on the PSN network. These are expected to last until 1 AM. So it could be a Destiny-free evening.
Patch Notes for 1.0.3 are on the way. Stay tuned to the Bungie Blog (or right here) for details on what has changed. This is a big one.
Important: Apparently, there is a trick to speed up the download. It is necessary to close Destiny and interrupt the download if it slows down, then restart it: Some on reddit seem to have success with the trick.
Voice chat, new shaders, and the option to preview shaders and emblems before purchasing them
Patch notes are already available, but not in German. Here are the English ones. Highlights include the introduction of a beta version of voice chat for teams formed through matchmaking and the increase of bounty slots from 5 to 10. This was actually supposed to come with the DLC “Darkness Lurks”. In addition, public events will now probably occur 10-15% more frequently. Along with numerous bug fixes and some changes to the interface and menu navigation, there is also the option to preview shaders and emblems before purchasing them (previously, an external site was required) and in the tower, Eva Levante is selling new shaders. Additionally, the “cheese spot” for the high priest Aksor has been removed in the strike “Winter’s Run” and the strikes for 3-player teams have been made easier. They no longer scale as much with multiple players as before. In PvP, the matchmaking has been adjusted so that “premade” teams have to compete against each other more often. Additionally, in matches where a player has dropped out, we will now provide replacements faster.
New shaders added to Eva Levante’s stock in the Tower. And you can now preview them before buying them. Hurrah! pic.twitter.com/rLx0p6S1g4 — Destiny & Halo (@MoreConsole) November 17, 2014
Update: The update is now also available for Xbox One, as there were problems in the meantime. The update also included some “unintentional” nerfs to exotic weapons. These were not intended by Bungie. We will probably deal with this on Tuesday.
If you’re noticing Exotics behaving differently, the changes are unintentional. The Weekly Update will cover incoming Exotic tuning.
A demo version for the MMO shooter Destiny will be released tomorrow, on 18.11., for Playstation 3 and Playstation 4.
This is unexpected: Starting tomorrow, all owners of a Playstation 3 or Playstation 4 can try out the MMO shooter Destiny. However, there are differences in the versions:
Playstation 3 owners cannot carry their account from the demo version when they purchase the game. The demo option is available only until January 15, after which the option to switch to Playstation 4 for free will also end – probably a hint.
Playstation 4 testers can convert their test account into a full account. The demo offer is also unlimited.
The demo version comes with significant limitations. The maximum level is 7, there are some story missions on Earth, but only one strike is possible: “The Devil’s Lair.” The trial version of Destiny can be downloaded for free from the Playstation Store.
My MMO says: What stands out: Bungie and Activision seem to really want players to switch to a Playstation 4 by January 15. This could be a sign that “Destiny 2” for instance, will no longer be developed for PS3.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
At the sandpark MMO ArcheAge , major issues have resurfaced over the weekend. Serious bugs are again compromising the integrity of the crucial in-game economy of ArcheAge.
Over the weekend, serious problems with bugs and exploits occurred in the sandpark MMO ArcheAge. User reports surfaced: one wrote that he noticed a huge problem in the code, and that Trion Worlds should contact him immediately. Later, horror reports about exploits came in on the official forum and on Reddit: Some players have reportedly become much richer and stronger than legally possible without spending huge amounts of real money.
The exact state of information is still unclear. Trion Worlds has not issued any official isolated statement yet. Community Manager Scapes rushes from thread to thread, promising to look into the matter and to remove “illegally acquired” goods from the game.
At Trion Worlds, they warn against using exploits. Anyone who does so can expect sanctions against their account. They have temporarily closed the cash shop to address these issues.
What’s in the box? What’s in the box? First, take a look and then decide
Apparently, with the last patch, an exploit became possible: the result of what is in a chest was already “rolled out” before the check took place to see if a player could actually open the chest, and whether he had enough space for the two new items in the inventory that are in the chest.
This made it possible for players to fill their inventory, open a chest, see what’s inside – and if they don’t like it, they simply closed the chest and rolled it out again. If they liked what was in the chest, then they created space and took the valuable items for themselves. These cash shop chests in ArcheAge function like a lottery booth at a fair. The “losers” also contain items, but relatively worthless ones; most chests are purchased due to the relatively low chance of hitting the jackpot.
If this is true, it’s a nightmare because it means that even the “rarest” rewards in these cash shop chests are reproducible and easily obtainable. It’s not just about the trees struck by lightning, but also materials that are necessary for the “upgrading” of items, which directly affects the balance of power in PvP: The stronger one is, the more painful it is in ArcheAge for the others. This allows players to acquire status symbols and prestigious items for relatively little money that “whales” have spent a lot of money on and “hardcore players” have farmed extensively. Long-term motivation is also jeopardized, as is the future of the game: If every shot brings the jackpot, the fair will be bankrupt quickly.
If everyone in ArcheAge has the best gear, long-term motivation disappears quickly. Or now some are illegally filling their pockets while others, who arrive late to the party, have lost out.
Wild theories about Apex exploits and calls for a rollback
As is often the case in such instances, wilder theories emerge, supported by YouTube videos. It is said that “Apex exploits” were also possible, working like a “dupe” with server lag, so that an item is used, but not actually removed. Whether there’s any truth to this is uncertain. However, there are videos about it. It’s always like a wildfire; when it really burns, some side fires flare up that appear much hotter at first glance.
In the last 24 hours, a call for a rollback, preferably back to version 1.7, before Auroria opened, has surfaced especially on Reddit, as a lot went wrong back then. There are only a few precedents for such a rollback, especially over such a long period, and most are from way back.
State of facts at ArcheAge unclear
My MMO says: How long this has been going on with the chests is currently – like so much in ArcheAge – unclear. The Apex exploit “apparently” only began with the last mini-patch, at least that’s what the user, who claims to have alerted Trion Worlds to the problem, says. Others scream: Oh my God, this has been going on since the beginning, and only now are the cheaters saying it, who have gained a huge advantage.
The closure of the cash shop indicates that there are issues that are now being investigated.
The trust between Trion Worlds and the players (at least those who express themselves in the forums) has become so strained that hardly anyone believes any statements from Trion Worlds anymore. On the other hand, it’s also difficult to report reasonably without confirmation from the publisher. Screenshots or reports from more or less anonymous fans are hard to verify – a fog covers the facts here. Ultimately, only what Trion Worlds says can be considered “secured.” Because they are responsible and accountable for their statements. Users are currently shouting at each other, claiming the other is just talking nonsense, is a fake account, either a troll or a fanboy. It’s complicated.
But even if you take the “usual” 50% exaggeration and panic away from the problems, it’s still a really nasty mess.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Two new trailers have been released for the Korean MMO Bless Online. One focuses on the combat between the two factions, while the other highlights the start of the second closed beta phase in Korea.
Bless Online is a South Korean MMO that emphasizes the fight between two factions. We have already introduced the races of the North and those of the South in two articles. Bless is still in development but is expected to become a really big deal. The graphics look breathtaking already. The game is expected to focus on PvP. Currently, preparations are underway for the start of the second beta phase: it is likely to begin in December. And now: enjoy the trailers.
http://youtu.be/x5d_Ybvh500
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In World of Warcraft, the new expansion Warlords of Draenor and patch 6.0.3 have reshuffled the cards. Which class deals the most damage? Which specialization is the strongest for each class?
It’s that time of year again when you see questions like these being asked in every form of WoW chat.
Which DPS is currently the strongest?
Which deals more damage for Mages: Frost or Arcane?
Which Twink should I level to 100 first if I want to deal really good damage?
Which class scales best with gear, who becomes stronger over time?
We have answers to these questions for you, but we didn’t spend eight hours testing with ten different characters; instead, we evaluated the data from a US site that figured out these numbers through simulations.
Death Knights, Monks, and Hunters in the Lead
Which class currently deals the most damage to single targets?
In Single-DPS in World of Warcraft, Monks, Death Knights, and Hunters lead with patch 6.0.3. With heroic gear (iLvl 630), the 1h Monk, the Marksman Hunter, and the Unholy DK are at the top, followed by the 2h Monk, then a long gap, then the Frost 2h DK, now the Retribution Paladin sneaks in, and then the other specs of Death Knights and Hunters. With item level 666, the Death Knight is further ahead, and with 680, the Marksman Hunter takes rank 1, and the Balance Druid, the Boomkin, suddenly appears in the ranking at position 2. With Best-in-Slot items, the best gear obtainable in the upcoming raids, the Marksman Hunter, Unholy DK, and the Boomkin are ahead, while the Monk falls a bit behind – and the Subtlety Rogue and Ret Paladin are slowly establishing themselves in the upper rankings.
How big are the gaps? How much damage do the IMBA specs deal compared to the gimps?
The damage difference at a gear score of 633 between position 1 (Unholy DK) and the middle (Fury 1h) is already 15%. The Fire Mage falls far behind, only achieving 70% of the damage. At a gear score of 666 (full raid gear), the gap to the middle has decreased slightly, the difference between position 1 and 14 is 13%, at 680 (HC gear) and Best-in-Slot it’s around 11%.
Which class deals the most damage to at least 3 targets?
Against three targets, the Unholy Death Knight is far ahead. The Marksman Hunter is also doing well, along with the Destruction Warlock and the Elemental Shaman showing strong performance.
Mages and Warlocks – Little to Laugh About
What about Mages? Frost or Arcane?
Mages are not really strong with WoW patch 6.0.3. This patch probably doesn’t sit well with them. In damage against single targets, the Frost Mage performs best in simulations. Arcane and Fire lag behind. The Frost Mage does move up with better gear, but he can’t really shine.
Warlocks? Affliction, Demonology, or Destruction? How do they perform in terms of damage?
The simulation results probably won’t please Warlocks either. Demonology and Affliction (the plague warlock) are far down the table. Destruction, the destruction warlock, is in the lower midfield. However, in fights against multiple targets, the Warlock performs well, showcasing the Destruction Warlock as one of the best options.
Paladin, Priest, Shaman, and Druid – Where Do the Hybrids Stand?
How is it with the Shaman? Elemental or should they use melee?
Shamans are in the midfield like many other classes, not much is happening here; the switch between Elemental and Enhancement depends on gear score. Both specs don’t pull ahead in terms of theoretical DPS. If it’s any consolation: The Elemental Shaman scales well in fights against multiple targets with gear.
Where does the Retribution stand? How much damage does the Retribution Paladin deal?
The Retribution Paladin has had a good patch standing. With Best-in-Slot gear, he ranks 4th, and with 630 gear as well, it’s just stuck somewhere in between.
What about the Shadow? Where does he stand?
The Shadow is positioned pretty much in the middle of the expansion. There’s not much happening with scaling as well. He’s doing better than some Mages and Warlocks, but not by much.
And what about the kitty? Where does the Feral Druid stand, where is the Laser Owl?
Feral Druids rank quite well after Monks, Death Knights, Retribution Paladins, and Hunters, in the top half of the table, so to speak. However, Balance Druids will surpass them over time with better gear. They probably scale excellently.
Rogues and Warriors, How Does it Look in DPS Land?
Warriors? Arms or Fury?
The Warriors do not play a prominent role in the rankings, they settle in the lower midfield. Here, the Fury with one-handed weapons is ahead of the one with two-handed weapons and the Arms Warrior. Against three targets, the Arms Warrior is also at the forefront and belongs to the top 5.
How are Rogues performing? Which spec is best, where do they stand?
Rogues are currently quite far behind. Combat and Subtlety Rogues are at the lower end of the DPS scale when it comes to single-target damage. Only the Subtlety Rogue is playing in the upper third. Even with better gear, things don’t look particularly bright. In fights against multiple targets, the Combat Rogue is in the upper third, while the Subtlety Rogue is at the end of almost every statistic.
Death Knights, Monks, and Hunters – Welcome to Damage Heaven
Death Knights? I’ve heard they are strong, is that true?
Yes, the Death Knight is one of the stars of the DPS charts of World of Warcraft with the current patch state based on simulations. Especially the Unholy Death Knight is at the forefront at every gear level. However, the lead in theoretical DPS over the middle is not “sooo” massive either. The Unholy DK is at the top in single-target. Frost one-handed and Frost two-handed weapons can also compete well. However, they scale worse at the end. In terms of multi-target DPS, the Unholy DK is currently far ahead.
Monks? One-handed or two-handed?
If you believe the simulations, it’s one-handed, this is slightly ahead at every gear level. Monks can be pleased with the patch state; they are up there but do not scale as well as other classes and drop into a solid midfield in the endgame.
And the Hunter? Marksmanship should be good?
The Marksmanship Hunter lies relatively far ahead in single-target DPS compared with the Unholy Death Knight. The Survival Hunter is also performing well. The Beast Master is positioned in the midfield. In fights against multiple targets, the Marksman Hunter does not need to switch specs; he remains at the top.
Conclusion: These theoretical tables should be taken with caution. That’s clear. Here, it’s also crucial to execute the right rotation, properly adjust gear, and of course, a good internet connection is necessary. And that “skill” thing that strange people sometimes yell about in groups seems to play a role in World of Warcraft after all.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
As a personal protest against the server issues with World of Warcraft a moderator temporarily closed the WoW subforum on reddit.
As reported by the US magazine Polygon, top moderator “Nitesmoke” temporarily closed the hugely popular subreddit /r/wow. This subreddit alone receives a million hits every day. The closure reportedly occurred as a protest, as “Nitesmoke” himself was unable to log into WoW. According to a tweet, he intends to reopen the subreddit when he can log into the game.
From this moment forward, r/WoW will be made private until I am able to log into the game.
Fans reacted, according to Polygon, angrily calling the individual action silly and childish. A community manager from Blizzard also tweeted that he appreciates the moderator of the subreddit, but doesn’t think it’s right for r/wow to be taken hostage. It would be better if such a subreddit belonged to someone who couldn’t simply close it out of frustration. Nitesmoke responded with a tweet that he doesn’t care what people think of him. He will reopen the subreddit when he can log in. That’s just how it is.
@CM_Zarhym It will be back the moment I am able to log into WoW. That is the fact of the matter and everyone’s opinion on me is irrelevant — Nitesmoke (@nitesmoke) November 16, 2014
Meanwhile, Nitesmoke was able to log in and the subreddit is now open again. However, a discussion has arisen about whether one person should be able to use a large community as a “weapon” for their own opinion simply because they founded the sub-platform. It’s the Spiderman problem of whether such a position comes with the obligation for measured and responsible action.
Lonely wolf makes a lonely decision.
Mein MMO thinks: Complicated issue. Essentially, a forum is the sum of its parts, the users. And the thousands of people who visit it every day contribute to its prosperity, growth, and thus also to its power and influence – ideally, everyone should be able to determine how the influence of the forum is used. And with all due respect: A “subreddit wow” owes much of its potential to its very name.
In practice, however, a forum or a site is owned by individual people and is not obligated to a kind of “democracy”. The individuals are then in the tempting position to wield such power, even if they lose integrity in the long run. As long as they don’t commit a crime, they are accountable to no one but themselves.
The key to reddit’s success is precisely not interfering in the decisions of individuals. What should the solution look like? Once a subreddit becomes large and important, is the owner to be stripped of power and replaced by some kind of “collective”? That can’t be the case either.
The best thing would probably have been for Nitesmoke to consult in some form, either letting the community vote or seeking support from his fellow moderators, so that it didn’t look like an “ego” thing. However… many can probably relate to the frustration over the server issues with WoW. And even large YouTubers or “personalities” exploit their influence – but they are also more present and seem more like “individuals”. Their “ego” tours are more easily forgiven.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny there’s a new trend in the PvP mode of the game, in the Crucible, observed these last days. Instead of using the usual firearms, some players are now using their Sparrows or their fists.
In Destiny, the Guardians spend their time in PvE with ever-new challenges in the raid “The Vault of Glass”: they raid in groups of four, three, or two. Trying to solo individual bosses solo, going for a flawless raid or a record time.
But even in PvP, the Guardians are creative. They keep coming up with new ways to pass the time until next week the Iron Banner starts or in December the new DLC “Darkness Awaits” launches. If the developers don’t keep them entertained, then they’ll do it themselves.
Kickpuncher – his punches are as hard as other people’s kicks
Some Titans, for example, prefer to leave the weapons at home and go with their fists. A full-on hype around punching has emerged in the Titan community, a cult formed, with some deciding to first tackle everything that roams in Destiny with just their fists. One of the Titans was successful in the Crucible and documented his experiences in a video, under the roaring applause of his Titan colleagues. http://youtu.be/WsmuUWWIQTI
With the Sparrow to the map “Bastion”
A brand new video has now surfaced, that misuses the Sparrow on the map “Bastion” (vehicles are allowed here). Bungie has incorporated a somewhat macabre success called “Never Speak of This Again” for these “hit-and-run accidents”. The Guardian in the video suggests focusing on the tight corridors near Hall B. There, the opponents can dodge less effectively. In any case, he has the element of surprise on his side. Hardly any opponent will expect that. http://youtu.be/MYHgWfii_CI
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online faces quite a wave of mockery on the internet, especially in gaming communities. Why is that? Why do so many people hate TESO? Why do so many loudly wish for the game to quickly go Free2Play or even be discontinued?
Last week, a relatively small US site reported the rumor that “The Elder Scrolls Online” will not be released on consoles. The reason is the poor quality of the game. Bethesda pulled the emergency brake here to avoid tarnishing the good reputation of the Elder Scrolls series.
In the USA, this hardly interested anyone. However, in Germany, numerous gaming sites, including the largest ones, picked up the rumor and reported on it. The source situation was thin – and that’s still flattering.
Players are actively discussing the rumors from the gossip press.
What stood out, however, was not the articles on the German gaming sites (which reflected the source with more or less distance), but the reaction of the respective community to it. Readers commented enthusiastically and passionately. And especially with mockery. That there was nothing to the rumor hardly interested anyone. Even when it was denied, it was often said: “Well, they have to say that. It’s still dying. I can feel it.”
The comments under these articles had approximately this tenor: “I knew it. Nothing good was going to come of it. The thing is dead, hopefully Bethesda learns from this and makes a proper Elder Scrolls 6 now.” What is wrong with people that they wish death upon The Elder Scrolls Online? Is it the drinking water, a star constellation, is it simply the internet, just pure coincidence or what is going on?
We have compiled six reasons why so many people hate TESO and take pleasure in its supposed failures.
Reason 1: People really don’t like pay-to-play MMOs
Are they all gathering here because they expect a one-time purchase?
This is a trend that doesn’t necessarily relate to The Elder Scrolls Online, but: Many players cannot relate to the payment model “Pay2Play”, the subscription model. The idea of paying 13 euros a month for a game, whether one plays it or not, is completely incomprehensible to gamers who did not grow up with this. Especially console players have no understanding for it. For example, one often reads a kind of “perceived injustice” that one might only have two hours a day to play and then should pay the same as a student or an unemployed person who can game all day? Many do not understand that.
Just the decision by Bethesda to release a pay-to-play MMO seems like an outrage and a personal insult to some fans of the series. As if the final season of a series that was successful on Pro7 was simply broadcast on Sky and encrypted just to annoy the fans.
Zenimax has often commented on the pay model and announced that a regular cash flow is necessary to create high-quality content at a reasonable pace.
Does switching to the Free2Play model mean death?
Nonetheless, and this afflicts the “Pay2Play” model perhaps more than any other: Non-players often wish for the failure of these models, predict it, and basically will it into existence, partly because they want to play the game themselves when it becomes “Free2Play” and supposedly for free. Almost every biting comment against a “Pay2Play” MMO contains the message: They will take a look once it has become “Free2Play”.
Due to the fact that some pay-for games have had to transition to Free2Play, for some, waiting for Free2Play has become an exercise in patience: One just has to wait long enough until one can obtain an MMO for free. The fact that players often incur higher “hidden” costs through a Free2Play MMO is often not taken into account here. And if one were to buy it a few months after the release, one would be in the wrong. That can’t be right.
Reason 2: Console players really don’t like PC games
A Skyrim console player in an interview: “The Elder Scrolls 5 successor only on PC first? Pah!”
It has been reported many times that Skyrim sold mainly on consoles. While the first parts of “The Elder Scrolls series” were PC games, the last and most successful child of the franchise, “Skyrim”, was a console phenomenon, especially on the Xbox 360. That the “next” game now only appears on PC and then the port takes so long to arrive annoys many.
If someone has a gaming console at home, they want to use it. Some console players don’t understand that at all.
Reason 3: “MMORPGs are finished and dead”
I’m far from dead!
The genre switch from a solo RPG to an MMORPG has not been forgiven by many TESO players. They see MMORPGs as nothing but monotonous gameplay and item grinding, an endless grind in delirium without highlights – they can’t relate to that. MMORPGs have a similar reputation outside the genre as shooters do outside the shooter scene. The fun doesn’t appeal to everyone. Well, it’s like that for golfers too.
Especially pay-to-play MMOs are not a genre where one just casually tries it out. There’s a hurdle to overcome.
Reason 4: “Because of TESO, there’s no Elder Scrolls 6”
The core problem of many angry readers of negative TESO news who then take to their keyboards: Bethesda has only delayed an “Elder Scrolls 6” to develop The Elder Scrolls Online as an MMORPG, going against the wishes of the community.
Players have high expectations for an “Elder Scrolls” game and clear ideas about it. TESO is said to be too linear, lacks an open world, there is no justice system, and the story has no lasting impact – these are criticisms frequently voiced by players who expect, if it’s an MMO, then it should be a Skyrim Online. Already in the first tests, players and testers were annoyed that they were not the only heroes in the world like in the single-player RPGs, but there were other poorly implemented players.
Reason 5: Gameplay reasons
Sand backdrops yes, sandbox no.
This is probably a minority view; one rarely reads truly “factual” reasons in the comments. But of course, as with any game, there are also “good” or at least “better” reasons not to like an MMO. Ultimately, every reason is legitimate. Many miss the sandbox component in The Elder Scrolls. The fact that the world is too linear annoys many. But that’s just one of many criticisms.
The game was and is certainly not perfect, as you can see from the major renovations that Zenimax has begun on TESO.
Reason 6: TESO had a bad launch and then went silent
The sixth reason lies partly in how the media report on an MMO: Very front-loaded. The initial period was accompanied by many gaming magazines. Exactly in those first six weeks, bad news about exploits, problems with the payment system, and a delay of the console port by several months fell. Since then, it has become – as is usual with MMOs – significantly quieter around the game. Some have the feeling of “I don’t hear anything anymore, the game is dying.” That the general vibe among players has changed, that Zenimax now communicates much more openly, regularly adds new content, and that many things (but not everything) have improved, is hardly known “out there”.
Many simply do not belong to the target group
Conclusion: The heavy criticism and mockery directed at TESO is not a unique phenomenon. MMOs have to bear a lot of negativity, especially games that rely on a pay model.
However, the phenomenon is particularly pronounced and severe in the case of TESO. This is certainly exacerbated in this case by the fact that it is a large franchise, a well-known and renowned name. Many associate memories with Elder Scrolls, everyone has an opinion and expectations about the series.
With TESO, it is nonetheless surprising how severe the criticism of the game is, especially from people who don’t play it and probably never have because they don’t belong to the “MMO” target group. And even if they did belong to it, TESO makes it difficult for them with some design decisions. The Elder Scrolls Online is peculiar and especially in PvP and in the endgame anything but “mainstream”.
Clearly, a game not made for one receives even more flak than one belongs to the target audience but then disappoints.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
At World of Warcraft, Blizzard worked through the night from Saturday to Sunday and made progress.
Blizzard took to heart the complaints from fans that too little information was being released. During the night from Saturday to Sunday our time, Community Manager Bashiok posted an hourly status update on what actions are being taken against the issues currently plaguing World of Warcraft. Last night we reported that the server capacity, which had been temporarily reduced, is now back to normal. In the meantime, it is actually above the normal value. It has been increased at least temporarily – currently, it is about double what it was yesterday, although it was below the “normal value” then.
@jmrnet@Warcraft They’re at double the capacity they were yesterday.
Progress has also been made regarding the difficulties with the EU problem servers, and they seem to have tracked down the cause of the crashes in the garrison. Furthermore, additional hotfixes have been deployed on the servers, necessitating “rolling restarts” of all servers overnight.
You can find the hotfixes in English here, they are not yet available in German. At first glance, there is nothing outrageous; rather, some exploit opportunities have been fixed and bugs have been corrected.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In World of Warcraft, the temporarily reduced server capacities have been restored to normal levels.
The first half of the day in World of Warcraft was characterized by maintenance work for us Europeans today. In the morning, the game was unreachable, and around 1 PM there was another server restart. Thanks to some hardware upgrades and a new instancing technique, the server capacity could now be increased back to its normal levels. Temporarily, the population cap had been lowered to cope with the server issues that arose with Warlords of Draenor. This led to unusually long queues on smaller and medium servers, and extremely long queues on the larger servers.
According to community manager Bashiok, Blizzard is satisfied with the new measures and is closely monitoring how things develop while peak values are being reached in Europe on Saturday evening and the action is slowly starting in North America.
Currently, the first results are encouraging and work is ongoing to further stabilize the servers and possibly increase capacity. Additionally, free server transfers are being offered and further ones are being considered.
However, there are problems with a group of servers in Europe. There have been issues with server, instance, and garrison crashes. Which realms exactly this concerns is not disclosed by Blizzard. They do mention, however, that this likely has different causes than sheer population density. The density during Warlords of Draenor is extremely high across all areas. The influx is there. They are now investigating the problems of the European problem realms to ensure that they do not occur elsewhere.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
