WildStar will laugh again: But do humor and MMO go together?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

A music video for WildStar has crossed the million mark. Here the soul and spirit of the game are captured, which players often painfully missed in the finished MMO. But do humor and epic storytelling really go together?

Before WildStar was playable, Carbine made a kind of “guerrilla” marketing for the game. The dev videos were hilarious, and the trailers boomed and banged in every corner, the game took every opportunity to make it clear: “We don’t take this too seriously.”

Even when players entered the first zones and saw cube-shaped pigs (from a capitalist perspective absolutely logical: Cube-shaped can be stacked better), many players were charmed by WildStar, while others saw it as an opportunity to dismiss it as childish and not even bother starting.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the external content

Does WildStar tip from funny to epic somewhere in the middle?

But somewhere in the story, it seems the creators from Carbine lost the humor and lightness. “Where is the humor?” some asked. But maybe it wasn’t present in the game itself, not rooted in the DNA of the game, but just a flashy presentation and a few comic relief characters? That’s what Hollywood calls characters that bring a few funnier scenes into every action flick.

Shortly before the release, a rather serious trailer was released, which put the backstory in the foreground and clearly illustrated the dimensions that would be important in WildStar. Even the rather tragic origin stories of the individual races and the fate of Drusera in the main storyline have nothing funny about them.

No question: Compared to the anarchic videos that introduced WildStar and surely contributed to its popularity, the finished world of Nexus feels rather moderate and solemn. One wants to trigger amazement, engage the players, and that doesn’t work well if they don’t take anything seriously and stroll through Nexus with a smile.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the external content

WildStar should be able to laugh again

In an interview on mmorpg.com this dilemma was specifically addressed. Players missed, it was said in one question, the spirit and vibe that they had learned to appreciate from the trailers and the dev talks about WildStar. Could this be part of the current problems? WildStar is suffering from a lack of players.

And in fact, this is a criticism that Chad Moore from Carbine has heard many times, as he says. In the future, they want to showcase the best of the brand, which also includes the quirky world. They want to continue striving to make the content as epic as possible, but that doesn’t mean the players couldn’t also have something to laugh about along the way.

My MMO thinks: This indeed seems to be one of the critical points of the game. While many enjoyed the entertaining presentation of the game. And some experienced an “Aha” effect when seeing a cube for the first time. Carbine apparently didn’t trust that.

The endgame completely departed from this light tone and turned to large, epic themes. How to reconcile these two poles, “funny” and “epic,” will be one of the most important “aesthetic” questions of the game. Do laughter, smiles, and amazement really go together? Can one bring together the tragic story of a race that has lost its homeland and ditzy junkie rabbits? Should we really believe that the adorable Chuas are insane mass murderers, and that the Aurin are nature-connected philosophers? Those who want to cover all fan bases may end up pleasing no one.

A music video with an “original” song for WildStar has now received over a million views on YouTube. Here, the lightness and freshness from the pre-release days can be seen again.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the external content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

SMITE: Prize pool rises to over $1,000,000!

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time < 1 minutes

About a day ago, the prize money for the SMITE World Championship rose to over a million dollars – and an end is not in sight yet.

The prize is not only calculated from donations by sponsors or even the developers themselves, rather the players determine how high the prize money will be through their in-game purchases.

How exactly does it work?

In SMITE, there has been the so-called “Odyssey” for eight weeks: Each week, a new item is added to the in-game shop, which players can then purchase for gems – for every 200 gems spent, one dollar goes into the prize pot. Of course, the different Odyssey items are made appealing to players: They are only available during the event, and every purchase also includes a treasure chest, the contents of which can far exceed the value of the original item. Additionally, there are bonus items, such as exclusive skins for gods, when a certain number of the Odyssey items has been purchased. Overall, players have added over 400,000 dollars to the jackpot – and an end is still a long way off.

It remains to be seen how much more money will go into the prize pot, to be distributed among the winners at the official SMITE World Championship in January 2015. We will inform you at the next milestone.

You would like to win something yourself but don’t want to wait until January? Then keep an eye out and follow MeinMMO closely, because we will soon have some SMITE giveaways for you…

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the external content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. www.hirezstudios.com - Smite World Championship

Lord of the Rings Online: Discover the Beorn within you – Update 15 on the Testing Server

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In Lord of the Rings Online, players can now unleash the Beorn, at least on the test server where Update 15 goes live and introduces the new Beorning class. The redesign of legendary items, however, is pushed back by six months.

Update 15 will be the last major update for Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) this year. The new Beorning class is playable for the first time starting now.  Beornings are descended from Beorn, a shapeshifter who also appeared in the movie The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

This is how the Beornings will be in Lord of the Rings Online

The Beornings have three skill lines, which also correspond to different play styles:

  • With the The-Roar line, they are meant to have access to the ancient knowledge of their people.
  • With the The-Claw line, they descend upon their enemies.
  • With The Hide, they protect their friends.

When enough wrath, the class resource, has been generated, Beornings can transform into a massive bear. Newly created Beornings begin their journey in the fresh starter zone, the Vales of Anduin.

Lord of the Rings Online Story

Redesign of Legendary Items is Pushed Back by Six Months

Additionally, “Central Gondor” as a new zone collection and the Battle for Pelagrir will bring a new form of epic confrontation to the Free2Play MMO.

The redesign of the legendary items, originally intended for this current update, did not make it in time. It is now pushed to Update 16, which is expected in April 2015.

Though it does not appear in the producer’s letter, still planned for Update 15 is an expansion of the popular music system.

More about the free-to-play MMO in the wonderful world of Tolkien can be found on our topic page.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Producer Letter
  2. mmorpg

Destiny: Das hat der Schwarzmarkthändler dieses Wochenende dabei

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny, the Black Market dealer Xur appeared in the Tower on Friday at 11 AM. He also has exotic items this time that he only exchanges for Strange Coins.

In Germany, it is 11 AM when Xur, the Agent of the Nine, appears. He is considered the “safe” alternative for players looking for exotic items. He has at least four every week: an exotic weapon and exotic armor pieces for the three classes in Destiny: Warlock, Hunter, and Titan.

However, a kind of love-hate relationship has developed with the Warlocks, as he has only given them the Sunbreakers in consecutive weeks. Therefore, he is considered reliable, because although his selection is random every week, the exotic items can be obtained safely. No one has to rely on their drop luck.

Especially the question of which weapon he offers is always exciting. All classes in Destiny use the same weapons. When he offered the auto rifle “Suros Regime” for 23 Strange Coins two weeks ago, it heavily disrupted the balance in Destiny, especially in the Crucible. 

Destiny-Xur_Sunbreakers
Xur, the nightmare of Warlocks.

Xur is paid with Strange Coins. This is an endgame currency that can be obtained, for example, by completing weekly missions and is highly sought after because of Xur. Additionally, he carries an exotic engram every week that he exchanges for Motes of Light. Here players can try their luck if they dare: The item received can also be for other classes. Armor pieces are class-bound in Destiny.

As in previous weeks, we will answer the key questions about Xur for you at mein-mmo again this time.

All about Xur’s visit from October 10 to October 12 in Destiny

When does Xur appear and how long does he stay?
Xur, the Agent of the Nine, spawns at exactly 11 AM German time and remains until Sunday at 11 AM.

Where is Xur this week?

Xur is right next to the Speaker in the northern part of the Tower. You can see it excellently in this video:

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the external content


What items does Xur have this time?

For Titans and for 13 Strange Coins, he parts with this Helm of Inmost Light:

Destiny-Helm-of-Light


For Hunters, there is a chest piece Lucky Raspberry on the menu this week – also for 13 Strange Coins.

Destiny-Lucky-Raspberry

For Warlocks, he has Voidfang Vestments for 13 Strange Coins.

Destiny-Voidfang
Destiny-Ice-Breaker

And as a weapon for 17 Strange Coins, this week there is the Sniper Rifle Ice Breaker – surely some ice in there.

And for those who want to test their luck: He also has an exotic helmet engram on offer again this week, for which he wants 23 Motes of Light.

Guides, current news, farming spots, nonsense, and sensible things about Destiny can be found on our well-organized theme page.

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

World of Warcraft: Infos zu den Anhängern in euren Garnisonen

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 3 minutes

In recent days, Blizzard has been publishing more about the garrisons that will await you in the upcoming expansion of World of Warcraft, “Warlords of Draenor.” In the current developer blog, various followers have been discussed, and they’ve shared a bit about what these can do. We have summarized the most exciting announcements for you.

My little private army wants to be leveled up first

At the beginning, you will only have very few followers in your garrison; a barracks is essential to even encounter them. Your followers have different traits and abilities and can – just like yourself – reach level 100, but they need to complete missions for that. Depending on the abilities your underlings possess, they are suited for different tasks: Some are, for example, better blacksmiths, while others you prefer to send on combat missions.

World of Warcraft: Garrison Follower

In total, you will be able to have 20 (or 25 with a Level 3 barracks) active followers, but you can also collect more and freely exchange the inactive ones for the hardworking colleagues. Similar to pets and items, followers have a rarity level ranging from uncommon to epic (“green” to “purple”), and this also determines the number of their abilities. But don’t worry, even a “green” Leeroy Jenkins can become epic, as once he reaches level 100, excess experience will be invested in improving his rarity level.

Bodyguards – “Pets” for everyone?

A small number of followers have the trait “bodyguard,” which means, simplified, that this companion will also follow you into quest and leveling areas and fight by your side – similar to the pets of warlocks and hunters. Whether these specific followers can be given direct commands or whether they will act completely automatically is still not conclusively determined – but they are likely to act independently and utilize their characteristic abilities (Millhouse Manastorm will probably drink – a lot).

WoW: Garrison Bodyguard

But that’s not all: Your bodyguard has its own reputation bar and gets to know you better over time as it helps its hero secure or unsettle the expanses of Draenor. At certain reputation levels, it gains new, useful abilities that you can access: it can summon other players to your position, serve as a mailbox, act as a repair station, or even open a portal to your garrison.

New followers – where do they come from?

WoW: Nat Paggle

The majority of followers can simply be found in the game world – they will join you after certain missions, can be “hired” for a gold amount (I prefer the term “recruited,” but who am I to say?) or become available through certain achievements, like Nat Pagle, whom you will undoubtedly bind to you once again through persistent fishing skills.

However, if you are looking for an NPC with very specific traits, you should acquire an inn or tavern (level 2) as soon as possible, where you can send out an agent once a week who will then present you with three suitable candidates, one of whom you may choose.

You can view the complete developer blog on battle.net in its entirety here: Preview of the Garrison, Part 3 – Who are your people, anyway?

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

Destiny: Warlocks hate Xur, vendor of the Sunbreakers

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In just a few hours, the mysterious black market vendor Xur will appear again in the Tower in Destiny. He has drawn the ire of the Warlocks in recent weeks.

At 11 AM it will be time again. Then Xur, the Agent of the Nine, will appear in the Tower of Destiny (Yes, we will report on it again). A highlight of the week, as he sells exotic items, and there are often treasures among them. Titans and Hunters love this nice guy. And his appearance affects millions of gamers: When he sold the auto rifle Suros Regime two weeks ago, he changed the balance in the current PvP event “The Iron Banner”, as the Suros Regime is considered the best auto rifle in the game and the auto rifles are currently seen as overpowered.

However, Xur has drawn the ire of a group of players in Destiny: the Warlocks. He has only brought the exotic gloves “Sunbreakers” for them the whole time. While he occasionally has a chest piece for Titans and a helmet for Hunters. Last week, when the Sunbreakers appeared again, the Warlocks on reddit called for a way to get rid of him. Let’s kill Xur!, echoed through the halls of the internet forums. The rather spoiled Titans and Hunters grouped protectively around him and started their own forum call: Protect Xur!

Today, ahead of his next appearance, a screen has surfaced on reddit showing the “likely” loot table of Warlock loot for Xur.  A “leak” *wink, wink*. But of course: it’s all just satire, before anyone gets upset. Someone was active with Photoshop. You can admire the result in the cover image of this article.

What do you think, dear Warlocks, do you think he will have your favorite item with him again this week?

Update 11 AM: What he has with him this week, you can read in this article.

Destiny-Sunbreakers
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. reddit (Bildquelle für den "Leak")
  2. Operationen: Tötet Xur (reddit)

The Secret World: Golden Weekend, Golden Wrath

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In the Dark Fantasy/Horror MMO The Secret World, a golden bonus weekend runs until October 13th.

At Secret World, there are many perks for players during the weekend with the “Golden Weekend”, so for every power point a player earns until October 13th, they get one additional. Those who purchase Funcom points will receive a 20% bonus on every subsequent purchase of those points for the next 6 months. The cosmetic outfit “Heavy Metal” is available with a 90% discount in the in-game shop.

And recruiting new players becomes more rewarding, as there’s a bonus free month as a “Premium” player. To qualify, you just need to send out the invitation over the weekend; the invited player must then decide within 30 days to give TSW a chance.

But it’s not just “out there” that things are happening, but also directly in the Secret World. In the event “Golden Wrath”, groups of players can hunt a “monstrous golem”, as it is said, before which even Tokyo is not safe. Here, special rewards can be earned.

This is what happened a year ago during the Golden Weekend in The Secret World:

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content

If you want to learn more about TSW, we recommend our mini-test.

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

World of Warcraft: Pre-Patch 6.02 is coming next week, bringing UBRS as a 5-man instance

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

In the fantasy MMO World of Warcraft, the date for the so-called pre-patch is now set. 6.02 will be released on October 14. It will prepare for the expansion Warlords of Draenor.

The Dark Portal in the Blasted Lands has turned blood red and a true flood of strangely looking orcs has poured out. The invasion of the Iron Horde has begun, says a post that is currently only available in English.

It was already suspected, but a definitive date was missing until now. Now it’s here: On October 14, “Iron Tide”, the pre-patch for Warlords of Draenor, will be released. The patch serves as a kind of bridge between the current World of Warcraft and the WoW that the MMO will become with the Warlords of Draenor expansion.

These pre-patches have historically served to help players become familiar with their heroes again. Often players return to the world of Azeroth after a longer break as the expansion approaches, and they need some time to acclimatize again.

World-of-Warcraft-602

Upper Blackrock Spire as a 5-man instance for level 90 players in World of Warcraft

The World of Warcraft Patch 6.02 has been playable on the test server for a while. With it, the revised skills will be introduced, talent trees will change, and some further changes will give players a taste of Warlords of Draenor: the so-called item squish is also expected.

In addition, Blizzard is adding an event dungeon. Starting October 14, players will once again venture into Upper Blackrock Spire (UBRS), where a vanguard of the Iron Horde has settled. The 5-man instance is designed for players at level 90 and will only be playable for a limited time.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content

The 6.02 patch includes the following:

  • Character stats have been reduced to smaller and easier-to-grasp numbers. It is important to mention that this is not a nerf, as the values of opponents have also been decreased.
  • New talents for level 100 and new Draenor bonuses for levels 91 to 99 have been added.
  • The Garrison is a new feature in Draenor that allows you to build bases and recruit followers to send on missions.
  • We have synchronized the functions of agility, strength, and intelligence.
  • Hit rating and weapon skill have been removed since they are no longer needed to reliably land hits!
  • We have adjusted the rhythm of healing to allow for more tactical decisions in terms of effectiveness and throughput for single-target and group heals. Additionally, the effect of passive and automatically applied healing has been reduced to highlight player choices and strategies.
  • The racial abilities have been adjusted so that all races perform similarly well in combat.
  • Some abilities have been removed from all classes, mainly redundant and rarely used abilities. The goal is to limit the proliferation of abilities and key bindings.
  • The amount of crowd control in the game (especially in PvP) has been drastically reduced. We have removed many crowd control abilities and consolidated different categories of diminishing returns.
  • Several common buffs and debuffs have been combined or removed if redundant.
  • All characters now automatically learn some important major glyphs upon level-up.
    We have reduced the amount of instant healing in the game by giving various instant healing spells cast times.
  • Vengeance has been redesigned and renamed “Resolve”. Resolve no longer increases damage dealt but instead increases self-healing and absorption shields triggered by the tank based on incoming damage.
  • The requirements for character alignment on some key abilities have been relaxed or removed.
  • The mana costs of resurrection spells have been reduced to facilitate recovery after a defeat.
  • Professions are no longer tied to abilities that positively impact combat.
    There are a variety of class-specific changes as well as new masteries. You can read details about those in the class-specific sections below.

(Source: Blizzard)

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

Destiny farm spot: Trend is towards a crane on the Rocketyard

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny, a new farming spot for legendary engrams, glimmer, and similar items has been discovered. This time, it goes high up in the Rocketyard.

Farming Spots – the worst kept secrets in Destiny

The Rocketyard is already home to two new farming spots, both the so-called Lootcave 2.0 and the “Red Loot Box” spot (Man, they are creative with the naming) are located here. Now, another farming spot has been discovered. We would love to say something like: Swedish researchers from the Björn Borg University in Stockholm have found that … – but that would be a lie. It was a guy on YouTube who then shared it on reddit. By the way, he calls the spot “The Perch”, we would rather suggest “Loot Crane”, but okay: The finder owns the loot and the naming rights.

He found the old “new” spots somehow all too lame and wished for the speed of the blessed treasure cave times to return, so he sought an elevated position at the Rocketyard, on a crane, and was able to loot two of the extremely fast spawn points right away.

Destiny-Atheons-Epilog

Farming spot best suited for two to three people

It’s best to do this with one or two colleagues so that the stress isn’t too great. However, this method requires weapons with decent range. If you prefer close distance, you should rather stay in the stairwell.

It is important at this spot, like at the others, to make sure that you hit a wave completely so that no individual survivors are left behind. As you can see, it is always a bit tricky to catch the last knight. This method is therefore recommended for teams.

The yield, writes the finder, is also quite outstanding and as good as in the original treasure cave, if not even slightly better.

And what’s particularly nice is: Here you don’t have to fear events, but can enjoy them. When the spot goes up in flames, there’s just more loot to grab than usual. The automatic rifle he uses in the video is, by the way, the Atheon’s Epilog, which drops from the final boss in the raid “The Glass Minotaur” (also on “normal”). We’ve embedded a pic of it above, because our researchers found out that you like purple.

And now have fun with the video about the latest farming spot in Destiny:

https://youtu.be/yAzzLYJHgNI
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. reddit

Final Fantasy XIV introduces Rogues and Ninjas

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The fantasy MMO Final Fantasy XIV brings a new base class with the next patch 2.4, the Rogue, and its prestige version, the Ninja. A preview now introduces the two hero classes.

Every week, we now expect the patch 2.4 for Final Fantasy XIV. One of the most important changes: A new class, the Rogue, is being introduced. The homepage has now explained the background and history of the class. They are said to have evolved from the thieves of Limsa Lominsa, who cultivated their peculiar two-handed fencing style with boarding axes. Rogues prefer fighting with short blades, such as daggers and knives. Their class quests can be found on the Final Fantasy homepage, ranging from level 1 to 30.

Players who bring the Rogue to level 30 and a certain other class, which is still unknown, at least to level 15, can take the path of the Ninjas. The Final Fantasy version of the Ninjas emphasizes the spiritual background. They harnessed the energy of “Ki” to unleash cunning combat techniques.
As a job, a sort of prestige class, their guild quests range from level 35 to 50.

We have gathered some videos so you can get an impression of the repertoire and skill set that the two new classes will bring.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the external content
Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the external content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. FF XIV

Free2Play-MMO Swordsman: On October 23, the expansion “Gilded Wasteland” is coming

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The date for the first expansion of the Free2Play MMO Swordsman Online is set. On October 23, the journey to the Gobi Desert and the Mongolian Steppe begins with the “Gilded Wasteland”.

The free-to-play martial arts MMO Swordsman Online will receive its first expansion in two weeks. This will introduce, among other things, an increase of the level cap to 94, three new zones, three fresh instances, and several new features.

Now, battles will also be able to take place across servers; karate novices will be able to catch up with the veterans more quickly by lowering the level curve; additionally, many new pets, weapons, cosmetic items, and armor will find their way into the game. The companions are also being worked on significantly.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the external content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Massively

World of Tanks celebrates new Brad Pitt movie “Fury” with Sherman tank

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The Free2Play MMO World of Tanks is releasing a special version of the M4 Sherman tank to coincide with the launch of “Fury”, a new tank movie starring Brad Pitt.

“Fury” is a new film that is set to be released in mid-October pretty much everywhere except Germany and South America. It will debut here at the beginning of 2015, on New Year’s Day even. In the film, a ragtag unit of tank operators attempts to lead a decisive strike against the enemies behind enemy lines in Nazi Germany. As a promotional partner for this film, Sony Online Pictures has appropriately chosen Wargaming, the creators of World of Tanks.

Wargaming plans to release a specially marked M4 Sherman in a bundle across all versions, including Xbox 360, PC, and iOS. The bundle is already available on PC and iOS. Xbox 360 fans will have to wait another week.
In a press release, both companies praise each other enthusiastically. Wargaming refers to the tank film as “the most realistic portrayal of tank combat in cinema to date.” Sony Pictures looks forward to reaching as many tank enthusiasts as possible and sees World of Tanks as the ideal digital extension of the film.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the external content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. MMOGames

WildStar wants change, heeds fans’ Free2Play demand

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 3 minutes

At MMORPG.com, there was an opportunity to talk with Mike Donatelli and Chad Moore about WildStar in general, the current studio climate, and future visions in particular – we filtered out and translated the most interesting statements for you.

Free2Play: Currently no option

WildStar Free2Play

Currently, there are no plans to introduce this model. According to the Product Director of Carbine, Mike Donatelli, they are closely monitoring the demand for a Free2Play model and also understand the calls for it.

They have this topic on their radar and will continue to look at what players want.

The studio climate is strained, but the vision remains

In response to the rather spicy question about the current motivation of the employees, given that there have been quite a few negative reports, it was said that there were indeed some internal problems. Most developers had never experienced the launch of a large game and were consequently not prepared for the changing demands that the launch brought. However, they are all united by their vision for WildStar. This will continue to be pursued in the coming months. And especially the next patch will reflect much of it. They are looking forward to the future with renewed optimism.

Too “hardcore” for most?

WildStar Hardcore

They never intended to make WildStar difficult as a whole; rather, it should provide something for every type of player. Whether players are interested in PvE, PvP, crafting, housing, or the lore of the world.

In the future, the entry barriers for all variants of PvE and PvP will be lowered further, but not the difficulty of the individual content – they just want to lead players in a much easier way, so they are not thrown into the proverbial “cold water.” Especially concerning solo content in the endgame, much is yet to come for players, as particularly these player types currently feel a bit neglected.

More on this topic: We recently had the opportunity for an interview with the Product Director of Carbine. Here, the accessibility of the content was also a major topic. To the Mein MMO WildStar interview.

The future: More story, development of the game world

Most players have found great pleasure in the game world, which is dripping with background knowledge and uniqueness – and that is precisely what they want to continue. The game world should be expanded, and especially the universe itself – this refers more to an even richer backstory and more elaborated details.

WildStar Omnicore

To ensure this, they are also undertaking current efforts like the “Loremageddon” (translated: “Knowledge Twilight”), where players could submit their questions about the game world. The answers will then become part of the history of Nexus.

In the near future, players will especially be able to encounter the beloved characters from the game’s trailers in the world – because this humorous aspect is somewhat missed in the dark endgame story.

You can read the full interview, unfortunately only in English, here: mmorpg.com.

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

ArcheAge: Money laundering with worker wage drinks at dumping prices?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

There are problems with hackers in ArcheAge: New difficulties are becoming known, and now it is affecting the auction house. Worker wage potions have appeared in large quantities there. Even Trion Worlds believes that something is wrong here.

ArcheAge has problems. Even in beta, tens of thousands of players were banned for accessing the early phase of the game with fake credit cards. Lately, hacks have been circulating, and now a new problem has emerged that affects the game’s economy.

ArcheAge Giant

The “worker wage” potions have always cost around 8 gold in the auction house. As players report in the official forum, huge amounts of these potions have now appeared on some servers for only 4 gold. And we are talking about hundreds of these potions, which are so important for crafting, appearing at once. It is hard to believe that this happens through a logical “in-game mechanism.” Because someone who spends that much “real money” to get in-game currency would certainly diversify their assets to gain more gold from it and not ruin their own market.

A possible reason for the flood of potions seems to be that players want to quickly convert illegitimately acquired credits (for example, through hacked founder accounts or fake credit cards) into gold. They want to turn the gold back into euros or rubles or whatever via eBay or gold sellers. Some kind of “money laundering.” This seems to be time-sensitive: speed is more important than achieving the maximum gold gain Y from premium currency X.

ArcheAge queues

It’s like with all these topics in ArcheAge by now. The discussion gets started. Players come in and say: the thread opener shouldn’t take it so seriously. It’s definitely possible. After all, it’s a sandbox, where everyone can do what they want, and one shouldn’t attribute the strength of others to hacks and ruin ArcheAge by talking about it. Then the situation escalates further, and the signs that there is a problem become clearer and clearer.

In this case, however, the evidence seems to be clear and suggests that something is wrong with the sudden appearance of these potions. Trion Worlds has also commented on this: they find the situation suspicious as well and are looking into it.

It is to be hoped that Trion Worlds will get the turbulence around the player under control as soon as possible. According to their own statements, the problems are known, and they are working hard to investigate property preemption rights or to eliminate the teleport hack.

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

War Thunder ups its game: 1.43 brings hangar, kill cam, and destroyed marble

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The World War MMO War Thunder is significantly upgraded with patch 1.43. With a destructible environment, numerous new tanks, anti-aircraft guns, aircraft, analysis tools, the hangar, and a kill cam, they aim to take the game to the next level.

Gaijin Software has released a trailer for the extensive changes coming with patch 1.43. That’s really a lot. In a “quieter” part, players are now given the opportunity to engage with their own tanks and those of the opponents before things get heated. And in the action part, it goes boom, kaboom, and crash.

War Thunder Screenshot

This allows players to accurately analyze where the weaknesses of their own tank lie and where those of the opponent can be found. In battle, there’s a kind of kill cam where you can see where a tank was hit and how it reacted (not so well, otherwise it would hardly be called kill cam). In the hangar, you can also save different configurations for your aircraft with 1.43 to react to anti-aircraft fire, for example.

With 1.43, a whole lot of new models are also coming into play. In addition, tanks can now also treat the environment as they should, with their tracks. The patch is set to appear first for PC, with the PS4 version coming a bit later.

Anyone who has never heard of War Thunder -> The game has made it to number 2 in our Free2Play ranking. In a direct comparison with World of Tanks, it also performs well. It targets a different audience and emphasizes different aspects. Just check out the trailer for 1.43, as it gives you a good insight into what War Thunder wants to be and how it plans to achieve that.

It’s worth watching the trailer just to hear how the English narrator says “Kugelblitz”, “Wirbelwind”, or “Ostwind”.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the external content

The entire changelog detailing what 1.43 brings to War Thunder can be found on the homepage.

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

Destiny Iron Banner: A lot of criticism about the PvP event – Legendary items from reputation level 2 *Update*

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

In the MMO shooter Destiny , players must reach reputation level 2 in the Iron Banner in order to see drops in the new mode. The Iron Banner event is currently receiving heavy criticism from some players: It invites desertion and is not working as advertised.

The active event this week “Iron Banner” is functioning differently than previously thought. Players are reporting that they started receiving rewards such as a legendary weapon only after reaching reputation level 2 at the end of a match. Before that, it looked bleak.

The Reputation Levels in the Iron Banner in Destiny

It is now clear how many reputation points are needed for each reputation level:

  • Reputation level 1 can be reached with just 100 points. Here, a shader and an emblem can be purchased from the vendor Lord Saladin, which each grant an additional 10% reputation points. Instead of 25 points per victory, with them you receive 30 points. A loss does not grant any reputation points.
  • Reputation level 2 requires 1200 points. From here, players report an increased chance of rewards after match completion, and a class item can be purchased from the vendor that grants an additional 10% bonus.
  • Reputation level 3 needs 3000 points. From here, legendary items can be purchased from Lord Saladin, including armor pieces and weapons.

Update: The first players have now reached rank 3. The weapons cannot be broken down into energy or shards. There are also no reports of new items that are only available at this level, like in the Queen’s Wrath event.

Destiny-Neun-Waffen

Problems with the Iron Banner: Mode Attracts Deserters

In the English-speaking Forum reddit, there is much criticism of the Iron Banner mode. Because losers do not receive reputation points and no other rewards, it has established that players in a hopeless situation (whatever they understand by that) simply leave the 6vs6 match. This leaves the remaining players outnumbered and frustrated. Sometimes it only takes a slight disadvantage that players throw in the towel: This takes the tension out of the mode and is generally seen as a design flaw in the concept.

Furthermore, the fact that the Iron Banner is only played in 6-man teams on large maps does not please some.

Destiny-Klassenruestung-Eisenbanner

Does the Iron Banner in Destiny Work as Intended?

As players have envisioned and as it was announced at the beginning, the Iron Banner event does not seem to function quite as intended. In theory, high-level Guardians should have a clear advantage in the PvP mode, as their gear and the stats on it fully count. In practice, while the difference is there, it is hardly noticeable. In a YouTube video, a Guardian with level 4 and a level-1 auto rifle plays a strong role in an Iron Banner match.

Players are hoping for answers from Bungie regarding whether the mode works as planned.

Update: Community Manager DeeJ has asked for player feedback and has already announced that the Iron Banner and its functionality will be the topic of the next Weekly Update.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the external content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Reddit (Mit Stufe 4 erfolgreich)
  2. Reddit (Quitter)
  3. Reddit (Ab Rangstufe 2 Belohnungen)
  4. Reddit (Update: Erste Spieler auf Rang 3)

Complaining Wednesday – Role-Playing Games: Freedom of Choice – Free from Choices?

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 3 minutes

Hello and welcome to a new edition of my column, today I am venting my frustration about another one of my favorite topics: freedom of choice in RPGs – or rather the “illusory freedom,” where you actually can’t choose anything at all.

To begin with, this is not about decisions that affect character development, such as talent trees, skill selection, class choice, and so on. I could probably rant about that for pages, but that’s a topic for another day…

“Life or Death?”

If you think back to the early games, especially in the RPG genre, there was almost no freedom from a storytelling perspective. Usually, the plot was strictly predetermined, and you could hardly influence it at all – it just played out like a movie, interrupted by combat, quest, and exploration missions where the characters gain strength. Honestly, I liked that. I could experience the story exactly the way the developers intended, and even though some events deeply shook me (Final Fantasy VII: Aeris. Does it ring a bell?) it was always the story that was pre-defined and unchangeable.

Dragon Age 2 Dialogue

Newer games are trying more and more to incorporate freedom of action; some successful examples are Dragon Age or Mass Effect, where you can make many decisions that have noticeable effects on the storyline. You make decisions over several installments about which crew members survive, how they react to you, and what relationships you build with them. It’s fun, and you really have the impression of shaping the world a bit according to your ideas and decisions, characters reference past actions, and the game world adapts.

Half-heartedness is heartless!

A whole lot of game developers, however, seem to be desperately trying to incorporate some decisions, no matter how trivial or absurd they are. “Is my character going to eat the cheesecake or the chocolate truffles?” “Am I taking the red leash or the blue one to walk my dog?” And although you do feel a certain degree of freedom with these choices, they severely disrupt the flow of the game because the sequence is interrupted, and the “movie” is essentially paused. What annoys me even more are any mechanisms that make your decisions moot anyway. “Do you want to save person A or person B?” – “Oh, it doesn’t matter; they’re both going to die anyway, regardless of what you do.”

Walking Dead Game Zombies

I found it particularly egregious in the game “The Walking Dead – Season 1” (Warning, Spoiler!): In the last 30 minutes of gameplay, they decided to get rid of all the side characters entirely, no matter how much effort it took to get them through the game. There is a series of events that results in all survivors dying one after the other, unfortunately in a very crude manner. It feels half-hearted and leaves me with a very bitter aftertaste for an otherwise great game.

Of course, sometimes demonstrating the powerlessness of the player character is appropriate – it can be an incredibly intense experience that no matter what you do, you cannot prevent the inevitable – but then you should do it more skillfully!

[quote_right]Not every game needs freedom of choice.[/quote_right]

So, my dear developers out there, keep this in mind (or your horns… or wings…): Not every game needs freedom of choice, and before you hinder the flow of the game or make all decisions irrelevant in the end, it’s better to leave them out altogether from the beginning. I prefer to be free from choices in a good game than choice-free in a bad one (and yes, I had to read that multiple times to ensure it makes sense).

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

Destiny: Critics are getting friendlier, non-players more annoyed

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

The public opinion on the shooter MMO Destiny seems to be changing. After the huge hype at release, meager reviews came in, seeing the 500 million project with ratings around 75%. Yet even some of the supposedly harshest critics are still playing it and can’t stop writing about it. Even after a month, gaming sites are still full of reports about Destiny. Non-players are slowly getting annoyed by this.

A few weeks ago we reported on the criticism of the MMO shooter Destiny. After the huge hype at release, some critics sharpened their knives: Destiny is at best an average game. The hype once again a trick. Bungie miscalculated, the game lacks too much story, soul, it feels incomplete.

Destiny Hunter

Addiction factor is here: The Destiny virus

Now, however, a different mood is slowly building: because despite the weaknesses of the game, which are still being identified, even the critics can’t stop playing it. For instance, Paul Tassi reports on Forbes that despite its flaws, the game is remarkably playable and especially replayable: “About a week after launch, many of the 6/10 or 7/10 reviews were probably justified, as we entered a dead phase where the mechanics became boring. But now? I actually know many of the critics who judged so harshly, and I know they are still playing Destiny today. They have contracted Destiny like a virus.” Furthermore, Destiny is already significantly better after the first patches than it was at launch.

According to Tassi, the fascination of the game lies in its incredible accessibility, gradually introducing players to the numerous activities. In the end, there are so many possibilities to engage that one doesn’t even know what to do first.

Destiny Fight with Sword

Reporting on Destiny annoys some non-players

Ben Kuchera is dealing with another problem for the US magazine Polygon. In the article “We can’t stop writing about Destiny, but you can’t stop reading about it either” he addresses the enormous media attention that Destiny still receives a month after release. Many readers of the site, who are not Destiny fans, are slowly fed up and want to read more about other games. No Facebook post, no article goes by without someone complaining about giving free attention to the 500 million colossus.

But Kuchera defends Destiny: The interest in it is simply enormous. And there is so much to write about. Yes, Destiny is a mess. But it is an incredibly interesting mess!

At Polygon, they compare Destiny to the first Assassin’s Creed. That also drove fans to despair, but the potential of what a great game it could become was always visible. And with Assassin’s Creed 2 at the latest, that hope was fulfilled.

Other voices online compare Destiny more to Diablo 3. That also took some time to really find its form, but still kept players engaged despite its flaws. Something seems to be going right with Destiny.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content

Non-players can also annoy themselves with Destiny articles through this link.

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

Guild Wars 2: The fastest gold can be obtained at level 10 – Clever or exploit?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

In Guild Wars 2, the fastest method to acquire gold involves a sophisticated system of leveling a twink to level 10 to earn a valuable key.

MMOs are becoming increasingly complex. The mechanics being introduced are more refined. And the methods to trick and exploit them are keeping pace with the developers’ efforts. In Guild Wars 2, a YouTube video now showcases a whole arsenal of tricks, tips, and know-how to earn gold as quickly as possible.

Key Farming in Guild Wars 2

Interestingly: The action does not require a high-level, well-equipped hero but rather a newly created character.

The goal: The “key” to the success of this method in Guild Wars 2 is that there is a special key for fresh characters who complete their first personal story quests, which can unlock valuable loot boxes (which are mostly available in the cash shop). These keys can be sent to the main character since they are “account bound,” providing significant benefits. When you break down this method to the last penny, it is still very attractive, even after the September nerf, but also completely “counter-intuitive.”

The catch: To obtain this key, the new character must complete the first package of quests in their “personal story,” which now can only be done from level 10 since the September patch.

The solution: The YouTuber WoodenPotatoes has now demonstrated various tricks and tips in a 25-minute video to quickly rush a fresh character through the story and obtain this key. It resembles assembly line work.

Guild Wars 2 Celebration

Among the tricks is to create a warrior, as they are the strongest. Then, you can skip the first 10 levels with scrolls and rewards, but that is a limited resource. Alternatively, you can explore all cities or simply craft to level 10 using the cooking system (in GW2, crafting also gives experience).

The video describes countless nuances about which event items a level 1 player can use to deal significant damage, which gems to socket for their “key farm equipment,” and which gimmicks save crucial time of 30 seconds and so on. It is an impressive video that covers every single aspect and trick.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the external content

Is exploiting twinks a new trend?

If you watch the video about GW2, you might think that the developers are slowly engaging in an arms race with the players. The developers introduce innovative methods to broaden the game and deviate from the linear path. In conventional game design, it is actually inconceivable that a “low-level” character can send something of value to a higher-level one.

However, this seems to be establishing itself as a trend. Also during the rush in ArcheAge, it was initially common for low-level characters to be rushed through the story quickly to gather Gilda Stars, which could then be used to purchase building plans or send a scarecrow.

In Destiny, power gamers create twinks of the same class to increase their chances of loot.

And even back then in World of Warcraft, some of the methods described here were visible: Many veterans cared diligently for their level 19 twink, not to benefit the main character but because there were “loopholes” that made them vastly superior to equally leveled players in PvP.

Guild Wars 2 First Person View

Two-Class Society in MMOs

My MMO thinks: As much as these tricks may excite the “fans” because they require thinking outside the box and give true pros advantages over “casual” players, these methods also appear problematic and complicated, resembling exploits to some extent. MMOs thereby foster a sort of two-class society: players who know and exploit these tricks; and players who play the game “the way the developers want.” A challenging field for MMO designers.

What do you think? Are these flaws in the design of the games or do such methods make the appeal of MMOs for you?

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

Hearthstone: Blizzard’s leading minds talk about the meta – What does meta actually mean?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

In a video, the leading minds behind Blizzard’s free card game Hearthstone discuss the meta-game.

Rock, Paper, Scissors with a few thousand variables

“Meta” is one of the most commonly used terms when following discussions about Hearthstone. However, it is not so easy to understand what the experts actually mean.

By “Meta,” Hearthstone refers to “the decks that are currently most played.” So what’s currently “in.”

The best decks are played, the cards that promise the greatest success. It’s logical. But ultimately, in functioning games, there are no really “best” cards, otherwise the game would be boring and quickly “solved.” Rather, cards are only as strong as the opposing cards allow them to be. This creates an eternal cycle, as the deck that is currently “in” gets replaced by the deck that is particularly effective against that deck.

Example: If scissors dominate the current meta-game in “Rock, Paper, Scissors”, then the next current meta-game is rock and the one after that is paper.

It’s similar, but much more complicated in Blizzard’s card game Hearthstone, where players not only have three options, but myriads of card combinations. Therefore, it’s much harder to figure out what the next meta-game will be than in Rock-Paper-Scissors. Even Blizzard is often surprised by what ultimately prevails.

Hearthstone Hunter

The History of the Meta-Game in Hearthstone

In a video, Ben Brode, Eric Dodds, and Mike Donais delve into the history of the meta in Hearthstone. They learned a lot as developers, including which game mechanics were so frustrating for opponents that they wanted them removed from the game:

  • The Early Beta Rogue had a different hero power than today. It permanently increased the attack of a weapon by one point if he already had a weapon. Additionally, “Poison” did not just give +3 attack points to the weapon as it does today, but doubled the damage of the weapon. An absolutely unfair game mechanic – the meta had to change urgently.
  • The Early Freeze Mage, on the other hand, had so many options to remove the opponent’s minions from the game that it was simply annoying to play against him. That had to change too. From that phase, there remains a reluctance toward too many abilities that disable minions.
  • The “Release the Hounds” nerf then hit the Hunter. Here even Blizzard was probably surprised by what Hunter could really do with this card, which was changed multiple times – and recently was again the target of at least an indirect nerf.

With Naxxramas, one could now observe how the entire existing meta dissolves and reforms. There are so many crazy deck ideas. This was also an exciting time for them at Blizzard.

Hearthstone

Who will find the next Mad-Range Hunter, the Miracle Rogue, or the Zoo?

At Blizzard, they are often just as surprised by developments as the players are. Therefore, Blizzard does not believe that the meta-game in Hearthstone truly belongs to them or that they have influence over it. It belongs to the players and changes completely without any influence from the Hearthstone creators: “Who knows who will find the next Mad-Range Hunter, the next zoo deck, or the Miracle Rogue? It could be you!” they say at the end of the entertaining video.

Update: The video unfortunately no longer exists.

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