Today, publisher Perfect World and Cryptic release the fifth expansion Rise of Tiamat for the action MMORPG Neverwinter.
Rise of Tiamat directly follows the events of the fourth module Tyranny of Dragons and the siege of Neverwinter and represents the finale of the Season of Dragons.
The Dragon Queen Tiamat has been summoned from the “Nine Hells” and now threatens the world of Faerûn. Brave adventurers can now explore the new adventure zone Dragon’s Rest, which has been taken over by the Cult of the Dragon. You can also join together in a new instance with up to 25 players to heat things up against Tiamat.
New Path for Warlocks
In addition to the fundamental revisions of the classes Devout Cleric and Trickster Rogue, Warlocks can choose the new Paragon Path of the Soulbinder. This gives the Warlock the ability to siphon life energy from enemies and deal more damage.
The Jewel Cutter Arrives
From now on, diligent crafters can learn the profession of Jewel Cutter. This fills an important gap in the production of equipment items, as until now, one could only craft weapons and armor in Neverwinter. The powerful jewels now improve your stamina, regeneration, or action points. Players in the higher level range can also find a new task starting today in collecting the new artifact gear – there are four different slots on the character for this: neck, waist, sword hand, and shield hand.
The fantasy MMO Guild Wars 2 is intensifying its efforts to move towards eSports. In early December, a PvP patch is set to change matchmaking and penalize “bad behavior.” Additionally, an international tournament worth $50,000 is planned.
We have reported on this before: Much indicates that ArenaNet wants to steer its fantasy MMO Guild Wars 2 towards eSports – and quite vigorously. This path will continue in December. A major patch aimed at matchmaking has now been announced for December 2. The goal is to further improve and refine PvP.
Here, it seems they are looking to League of Legends: With better matchmaking, teams that play at a similar level should compete against each other. The idea is likely to implement a kind of ranking, a “ladder,” which players can ascend or descend. Furthermore, ArenaNet plans to penalize behavior such as “I will just leave in the middle of the match, they all annoy me.” More details are expected to be revealed in the next two weeks.
On December 4, another major tournament, a kind of world championship, will be held. The prize pool will amount to $50,000. The four best teams in the world will compete against each other: two from China, one from the USA, and one from Europe. Again, they will attempt to promote it via Twitch.
Mein MMO says: So far, the attempts in this direction have been rather unsuccessful. MMOs have a hard time with this. But evidently, ArenaNet is determined to become the eSports MMO. With the flat item progression, there is a foundation. Whether the games can be well followed and captivate the fans is another question. Certainly, there is an interest in the Asian market behind this decision. eSports is likely much more popular in Asia than in the West, but… in any case, it will be content that not too many players will benefit from.
The current changes, as far as known, seem primarily aimed at enhancing the experience for participating players, making it better and fairer. Equally important would be to make it more attractive for viewers and fans of the teams.
Twitch – the promised land?
The streaming service Twitch is currently considered a kind of paradise by nearly all “major publishers.” Once you’re in, you’ve made it. Everyone wants to engage “top streamers” for their games, who then bring their fanbase and provide a lot of free PR, so you don’t have to spend on expensive advertising campaigns: Why spend on a 30-second spot in prime time if a streamer can play the game for four hours straight in front of an interested 30,000 fans, their community? Especially eSports and events would guarantee a slot here – but many want that.
We will see who succeeds with this strategy. ArenaNet currently seems to play more of an outsider role in the race for Twitch viewers.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Signs have now appeared in the MMO shooter Destiny that Bungie is planning to introduce a “Recruit-a-friend” program.
With the Halloween patch, a strange new item appeared in the Destiny database, but not in the game: “Refer a Fireteam.” Guardians speculated that this might mean carrying someone else through the raid or something. Players set out trying crazy stuff to get the success or reward or whatever it was. But the item was apparently not active yet and no one found anything.
Trust me, Destiny is really great. I’m not just saying that because I’ll get a new Sparrow. Here, have another drink.
Is another MMO standard coming to Destiny after the demo?
With the patch from Tuesday, countless new icons and items were added to the database that we won’t really see in the game for a few weeks or months. And also the familiar Halloween “Refer a Fireteam” is back.
Apparently, it’s a “legendary item” package that players receive for “filling the ranks of the Guardians.” The Light would then grow.
Just yesterday, a demo version became available on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Xbox One, and Playstation 4, which goes up to at least level 7.
Are you reconsidering if you maybe want to play Destiny?
What could be the rewards?
Nothing has been officially confirmed yet. But in our opinion, this indicates that Bungie and Activision are planning a so-called “Recruit-a-friend” program and the necessary preparations in-game have already been made. Almost all MMOs have such a program. This allows Destiny fans to invite friends to a free round. The new “demo” would be a perfect fit here.
If the new guardians enjoy Destiny and then buy the game, the “recruiter” usually receives a small gift from the game. In World of Warcraft, these are special mounts. Perhaps the other three Sparrows that appeared in the database for Halloween could be such gifts. What is actually in the package is unknown at the moment. This is all unofficial: it just seems fairly close based on the description. When you have such a large fan base like Destiny, it makes sense to let others do the advertising work for you.
If you have someone in your circle who has a console but does not yet own Destiny, you might as well start subtly and without any pressure to get them interested in Destiny. Maybe there’s a nice cave in your area?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny, the new Sparrow S-30-Tumbler, received as a bonus by purchasers of an expansion pass, has much more to offer than it initially seems.
Those who purchase an expansion pass, as the deal goes, get discounted access to the next two expansions in Destiny: “The Dark Below” and “House of Wolves”. The expansion pass was also part of the collector’s editions. However, Bungie seems to think that this is not enough, and is now including a loyalty gift in the package.
Since yesterday, all players who have purchased the pass can look forward to a new Sparrow, the S-30-Tumbler. And it has more to offer than what’s listed on the package. While it was clear that players could temporarily deactivate the stabilizers to rotate better in the air, and that a short speed boost would come with the Tumbler, this is not all, although that already looks pretty cool in Destiny.
CanCan, Superman, No Hander – the Sparrow tricks in Destiny
As players have now discovered, the S-30-Tumbler (in English: EV-30-Tumbler) has some “hidden” tricks. Holding the right shoulder button (RT) activates a kind of “Tony Hawk” mode. Depending on what you press on the D-pad of the controller, more stunts are now possible in the air.
If you press the pad left or right, the Guardian holds onto the Sparrow with only one hand, while the rest of the astral body spectacularly dangles to the side. Pressing the pad forward performs a so-called “No Hander,” where you take your hands off the handlebars. And pressing the pad backward does a “Superman,” where the rear rises off the bike and you lie in the air.
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Warrior: Two new class cards have been introduced for the Warrior. The “Shieldmaiden” is a 5/5 drop for 6 mana; with a battle cry, it increases the Warrior’s armor by 5 points. The Screwjack Clunker is one of many mechs with a buff effect. It increases the stats of another mech by +2/+2 with a battle cry. It is a 2/5 minion for 4 mana.
Warlock: The Warlock receives a demon cannon class card with 3/5 stats for 4 mana. At the end of a turn, it deals two damage to a non-mech.
Druid: The Druid receives a 2-mana minion class card with stats of 2/2. It has taunt and can choose whether it prefers to be 3/2 or 2/3.
Shaman: The Shaman receives a somewhat sneaky gimmick card, a spell for 4 mana. Both the Shaman and the opponent will randomly select a minion from their hand to bring to the dirt.
Neutral cards: Jeeves, a 4 mana minion with stats of 1/4, allows both opponents to draw cards until they have 3 in hand at the end of each round. Certainly an interesting tactical option. Much more brutal, however, is the Foe Reaper 4000. A massive 6/9 entity for 8 mana that not only deals damage to a target but also to surrounding minions.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The addon for Star Wars: The Old Republic, abbreviated SWTOR, is not far away, and many players are wondering what will happen to the various badges they have accumulated over the months.
The developers at BioWare are cleaning up: All your basic, classic, planetary, elite, and ultimate awards will be converted into “basic awards”! The exact conversion rate for the individual badges is not yet known, but this will allow you to exceed the current limit of 1000 badges – at least temporarily. After this conversion, which will happen with Patch 3.0, the badge types “planetary” and “classic” will be completely removed from the game.
PvP players need not worry at all; their badges will remain intact and will be transferred without losses.
Why the developers made this decision should be obvious: with a new expansion, they want to ensure that all players start “from scratch” and do not stock up on the corresponding badges beforehand to immediately own the best possible equipment. Also, reducing the types of badges is likely a long-term helpful measure to prevent new players from being overwhelmed by a multitude of currencies.
What the digital expansion “Shadow of Revan” brings alongside new quest areas, an epic story, and the increase of the level cap to level 60, you can read in this article.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny, the event “Iron Banner” has been active since yesterday. Bungie has incorporated some mechanisms so that even players with less time can reach the coveted reputation levels 3 and 4.
The Iron Banner is only active for one week. Time is running out. After the event, the reputation will be reset, but some still have a head start from the October Iron Banner. Reputation levels 3 and 4 want to be reached. For the first time outside the raid, legendary armor is available, which can be upgraded to a light value of 30. At Rank 3, there are two different pairs of boots, and at Rank 4, two pairs of gloves to choose from for each class.
But: Time is tight. Some players on the PlayStation 3 have already lost yesterday. Others have little time for gaming: family, job, or a busy social life take their toll. Or some just don’t like to play for several hours straight; such things do exist.
Before the Iron Banner, complaints were raised that it was only for hardcore players, but there are ways to increase reputation gains.
This much reputation do you need in Iron Banner 2.0
A table has appeared on Reddit showing how much reputation is needed for the individual levels:
Reputation Level 1: 100
Reputation Level 2: an additional 1200
Reputation Level 3: an additional 2400
Reputation Level 4: an additional 2400
Reputation Level 5: an additional 2400
That means: You need 3700 reputation for the legendary boots, 6100 reputation for the legendary gloves. With these two items, the appropriate Exotic, and a suitable item from the raid “The Glass Tomb,” it will be possible to reach Light Level 30, the current maximum level in Destiny – in addition, you still have to farm a whole lot of upgrade materials.
Items grant more reputation
You earn reputation in the Iron Banner by winning in the specific Crucible mode. At least one coin is given for losses. You can collect five of them to redeem in case of victory.
For a victory, you get “naked”, without bonuses calculated, 50 reputation points. For a loss, a coin that is worth 40 reputation points. (Thus, losses are quite profitable, only those who lose more than five times in a row really face disadvantages in reputation advancement in the Iron Banner.)
Important: At rank levels 1, 2, and 4, there is a shader, an emblem, and a class item. All these items grant a 10% reputation bonus, so they should definitely be worn; the bonuses will always increase. At level 1, you get the emblem, at level 2 the shader, and at level 4 the class item.
If you’re wondering: Apparently, the items from the last Iron Banner in Destiny still count. So if you have kept them, you can wear them now and collect reputation faster.
As important as it is to wear these items, it is also crucial to actively take on and track all Crucible bounties. They provide bonus reputation. They are easier than last time, so just be brave.
Reputation bonus “Hardened” can be activated multiple times
Now the most important thing: For a Mote of Light, you can purchase a bonus for 12 hours. This reputation bonus is immediately active when purchased. However, contrary to what was previously thought, it can be “purchased multiple times.” This was officially confirmed yesterday by the developers of Destiny in a stream and then again on Twitter.
“Temperred” is an Iron Banner investment buff. You can purchase accelerated reputation gains for one Mote of Light, every twelve hours.
On the first day, this bonus gave an additional 10% on reputation gain, on the second day it should be about 14%. This “bonus” will become even stronger towards the end of the week. So if you have too few Motes of Light, you should be economical. If you have many, you can spend them freely and treat yourself to several of these bonuses. They last for 12 hours.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Recently, the CEO of the publisher Trion Worlds has commented on the exploits of the past few days in the sandbox MMO ArcheAge. They are not as severe as portrayed.
Over the weekend, an “Apex exploit” was revealed in ArcheAge. APEX is an item that can be purchased for 10 euros from Trion Worlds to be exchanged for “Credits” in the game, the in-game currency. Due to a bug, it was possible to use the item without consuming it. Just yesterday, we reported how Trion Worlds dealt with the “crate exploit.
“There is no dupe”
The US site mmorpg.com has received a statement from Trion Worlds CEO Scott Hartsman. He stated that there has been no “Apex dupe.” There have been some cases where APEX provided more credits than intended. When this was checked, it was found that only a few players were affected. Their accounts have been temporarily paused, they are currently being cleaned, and the accounts will be reactivated afterwards.
Only about 12 players worldwide really exploited this bug. They should expect stricter actions. So said Hartsman’s statement.
The accidental usage had little impact on ArcheAge
The statement has caused a stir at mmorpg.com. Users claiming they exploited the bug said that now they just have to find the other 11. Others explained that the entire guild did this over the weekend and shared an Apex, so to speak, passing it around.
The statement by Hartsman was also discussed in the official forum. Community Manager Scapes further clarified: There is a significant difference between a “dupe,” which causes items to be duplicated, and, as in this case, an item being used more often than intended. Many triggered this exploit unintentionally: Sometimes it was enough just to press Shift+Right Click to trigger this exploit. This is no longer possible.
According to Scapes, they have tracked down the few players who intentionally exploited this and will permanently ban them. The other cases in ArcheAge, where players unintentionally triggered the bug, have not had significant impacts on the in-game economy.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Anyone who had an active account in World of Warcraft on November 14 will receive five free days. Blizzard wants to compensate players for the rough launch.
“Free days” is a topic that often comes up as a demand in forums, but is granted relatively rarely. Now it is finally the case with the veteran World of Warcraft. There were issues at the launch of Warlords of Draenor with long queues, some servers were unstable, and frustration was high. Meanwhile, they have managed the problems quite well.
At Blizzard, they recognize the severity of the impact and show leniency: While many were able to play well and quickly reached level 100, others, especially on the most popular realms, were stuck in long queues. And even if many would be satisfied with the Warlords of Draenor expansion, that does not justify an underwhelming launch.
Therefore, all players who had an active account on November 14 in Oceania, America, or Europe will receive five days credited.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
I count myself among the lucky owners of a tablet. It has become indispensable in my daily life and is a true enrichment for me. I organize my notes with it, browse the web, and write my articles for my studies or My MMO. Including the one I’m writing right now.
Alongside all the pointless stuff, I also play games on it. Innovative games provide the necessary entertainment during my boring lectures. This includes games like Candy Crush, Clash of Clans, or Angry Birds, which many are already familiar with from their smartphones. But I’ve also engaged in a few Hearthstone duels in the lecture hall. Additionally, amidst all the choices, there are real gaming hits for tablets. Thus, they have quickly established themselves as a gaming platform. And I am far from the only one gaming on flat devices with touchscreens.
One in ten Germans play on tablets
Approximately 8 million people in Germany regularly play on tablets. That’s more than one in ten Germans (11 percent). This information comes from the game association BIU (Federal Association of Interactive Entertainment Software). According to their data, about 62 percent of tablet players play several times a week or even daily on their devices.
Nvidia has recognized the potential in the tablet market and is now trying its hand with the gaming tablet Shield.
“Tablets have established themselves as a gaming platform in record time. Fast processors and graphic chips, high-resolution screens, and a continually growing range of different game apps are fostering the desire to play in more and more people,” says Dr. Maximilian Schenk, managing director of BIU. I can only agree with the growing selection: I was quite surprised when I found GTA III and Final Fantasy in the app store.
I also find it particularly interesting that one in five tablet players is between 40 and 49 years old, and 16 percent are 50 years and older. According to Dr. Maximilian Schenk, this can be attributed to the simple and intuitive control via touchscreen, which many people can handle right away, even those who have rarely or never played before.
Game apps for tablets and smartphones have developed into one of the most important growth drivers for the digital gaming market. Alone in Germany, revenue in the first half of 2014 increased by 133 percent compared to the same period last year, amounting to 114 million euros.
Nvidia Shield: Specifically developed gaming tablet
NVIDIA also sees great potential in the business of game apps. With the NVIDIA Shield, the developer of graphics processors and chipsets produces a gaming tablet of superlatives. Not only can you play games, but you can also stream compatible PC games via Wi-Fi. Own games can also be live-streamed on the gaming platform Twitch.
The software technology specifically designed by NVIDIA even enables playing renowned titles such as Final Fantasy XIV on the Shield tablet. And thanks to the separately available Shield controller, you’ll master the complex controls in the game as well. The MMORPG surprise hit from Japan is, after all, compatible with the mobile gaming system and enjoys full controller support, as can be seen in the video:
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It sounds strange, but it’s true, as the guys from Gameloft prove. In Order & Chaos Online, true MMO feeling comes to the tablet. The entire style of the game is heavily inspired by Blizzard’s blockbuster World of Warcraft. The fun and addictive factor of “Order & Chaos Online” is surprisingly close to that of its big brother, World of Warcraft, considering it’s a mobile game. The MMORPG is available for Android and iOS, and can even be played on smartphones like the iPhone. You should definitely give it a try.
Conclusion: I believe tablets bring plenty of potential for a good gaming platform. They could potentially bridge the gap between consoles and PCs. Many of us are already using a tablet daily, whether in university, at work, or while reading on the train. They are simply much more convenient than a laptop and offer nearly all the possibilities that a laptop does. I won’t even start on the battery. Therefore, it makes sense to game on our daily companion, doesn’t it?
Especially with a game like Hearthstone, the tablet proves to be an intuitive marvel. I haven’t played Hearthstone on PC since then. But a proper MMO on a tablet? Order & Chaos Online is a good example that an MMO can be managed on a tablet. However, it also quickly shows you the limits of “handling,” at least for my taste. I simply need the haptic feedback of a mouse and keyboard. Quick game situations, like those in PVP, simply can’t be handled with the tapping on a screen. Although there are special gaming tablets with controllers – like the Shield from NVIDIA – the controllers do not support every game.
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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.
