If you are reading this, it is likely just hitting the servers of Dragon’s Prophet: the patch with the easy-to-remember identifier “2.2.1445”.
The most important new feature is probably the new zone, the Highlands of Thadrea, where players can participate in the Crystal Wars, among other things. All over the new area, specific crystals can be found, which can be used to feed a portal – depending on how many and which types of crystals are used, a different monster from the interworld will appear; the more crystals used, the stronger the creature will be. Of course, defeating these beasts will yield a bunch of rewards, naturally depending on the strength of the summoned monster.
But that is far from everything: The level cap for characters and the crafting limit will be raised to 102, the new legendary dungeon “Asumas Mirage” and the two adventure dungeons “Tonapahgruft” and “Mictlans Korridor” are waiting to be visited by the bravest players. As befits a game with “dragons” in the name, additional specimens will of course be added, alongside a total of 26 new dragon skills that will make your companions even more powerful.
Last but not least, there are some balance changes to the siege weapons and countless bug fixes that hopefully will disappear forever into data nirvana.
Trove is a voxel-based MMORPG adventure where you control a small, cube-shaped character through various cube-shaped worlds, completing quests, collecting building materials, and defeating enemies into their – surprise! – cube-shaped parts.
Trove is developed by Trion Worlds, known for games like Rift, Defiance, or End of Nations. The game is currently in Closed Beta, but even now, influences from Minecraft and Cube World are unmistakable.
Apart from the title’s graphics, one of the main mechanics is building new things from blocks. Whether it’s houses, bridges, or artworks, the players’ creativity knows no bounds – except for curves.
In this video, Darion takes a first look at the game and tests whether Trove is worth it or just another cube clone.
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The sandbox MMO ArcheAge is currently suffering from two problems: Hackshield and hackers. Both seem to be the result of ArcheAge being a Korean product on Western soil.
ArcheAge has an import problem
For certain species, there are import bans in other countries. It would be too dangerous to release any egg-eating killer lizard in a quarantined habitat. Otherwise, the species would reproduce like killer rabbits on Viagra and threaten the balance of the ecosystem – completely without enemies. Of course, there are also issues when introducing species that are not suited for the other climate. Polar bears in the Gobi Desert would likely have difficulty acclimating. However, such difficulties would probably resolve relatively quickly (not through adaptation, but through extinction).
Trion Worlds currently faces similar problems with ArcheAge. Because with each individual issue that has arisen lately, the finger is pointed at Korea. The Korean import has some adaptation difficulties in the West, it seems. And we are not talking about exotic game mechanics or aesthetic choices, but rather about hackers and anti-hack tools. Both are somewhat annoying right now.
Hackshield – Korean tool meets Western mentality
The US site Massively summarizes in an article the current protest of the players against Hackshield, a Korean anti-cheating tool. There had just formed massive resistance on reddit . Essentially, Trion Worlds was accused of secretly installing a third-party tool rootkit on the computers of millions of players.
Trion Worlds responded to Massively. It was understood that they are not huge fans of Hackshield themselves. Legally, however, it is in any case, the players must agree to the EULA when they installed ArcheAge. There is also a clause included that permits this. Furthermore, it can hardly be called “secret”; Hackshield is prominently displayed at startup with a logo.
Even if Trion Worlds is not a super fan of Hackshield, they use it because it is part of the Korean package of ArcheAge. The MMO needs Hackshield to function. According to Trion Worlds, if they had asked XLGames to develop and adapt another anti-hacking tool for ArcheAge, it would have taken another six months longer. Normally, Trion Worlds prefers “better, cleaner, and more Western-oriented” solutions than Hackshield. They hold higher standards.
They assure that they are working with XLGames on a solution to the Hackshield problem. Among other things, it should be ensured that it can be cleanly uninstalled.
Hackers – Western hackers meet an almost helpless MMO
There is no question that protection against hackers is necessary, who according to Trion Worlds only make up 0.05% of the player base. The stress over the preemptive rights, which some hackers acquire through illegal activities, has become a persistent problem and seems to have worsened in recent days, dominating the discussion in fan forums.
Regarding this, Trion Worlds CEO Scott Hartsman speaks out on reddit. He declares it his top priority to pursue this issue and find a solution. Unlike their own games, where they have full control, they rely on the help of the Korean developer XLGames for ArcheAge. They only have the information that the game currently outputs and cannot add new information sources to track down cheaters.
“Hacking,” says Hartsman, can hardly be called that. The players just poke around until they find a vulnerability in the game and then exploit it.
Tender sprout, harsh environment.
There is heated discussion on reddit about why ArcheAge proves to be so vulnerable to tricks. Do they not have problems with hackers in Korea? The answer is probably also culturally conditioned. In any case, the statement of a redditor seems reasonable: In Korea, it is necessary to provide the ID, a kind of social security number, to create an account. Companies therefore have the real name of the player. And anyone who has been banned as a hacker is excluded for life. This deters hackers.
Therefore, the Korean ArcheAge has, in our biotope, so to speak, completely different predators and faces different problems.
In Eastern Europe, there is a different relationship to war and especially to World War II than here in the West or in North America. This is continually brought to our attention when we deal with World War MMOs like World of Tanks or War Thunder. We have already covered this in an article.
The new trailer for War Thunder was presented at the Russian Comic-Con, focusing on the battles between German and Russian troops during World War II and is (according to PcGamesHardware) dedicated to the “heroic defenders of Moscow and all other participants in the Great Patriotic War.” An aesthetic is applied that we in Germany associate with the glorified depiction of violence in fantasy films or historical battle spectacles, but not with World War II.
What do you think about it? Does it make you uneasy or do you not mind the depiction?
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In Final Fantasy XIV, update 2.4, A Dream of Ice is coming. This brings new dungeons along with ninjas, same-sex marriage, and housing lots.
Final Fantasy XIV is going from success to success, which is also due to the fact that they regularly provide content for the players. In the smaller patches (where the third number changes) bug fixes occur and minor innovations make their way into the game, while in the expansions (where even the first number changes) things really kick off and there is supposed to be a new maximum level coming and in the content updates, the larger patches, new dungeons are appearing – just like now.
Square Enix gives us a taste of the trio they will have.
This is how it goes with 2.4 into the hard mode of Sastasha, an infamous pirate cave:
Sastasha, the hideout of the legendary pirate Rauschebart, had temporarily served as a refuge for the Sahagin and the allied looting snakes. Finally, it looked like Limsa Lominsa could bring the cave under control, but unexpectedly a new, unknown enemy comes into play and shatters the forces of the Yellowjackets. Now Sastasha must be taken away again from someone – or something – …
Players can dive into a heavily tuned variant of “The Sunken Temple of Qarn“: After your brave intervention, the cleanup efforts in the half-sunken temple ruins of Qarn have now been seriously taken on. However, as rumors spread that there are unimaginable treasures to be found, the difficulties are not far behind. Reckless looters activate new traps and Nenekko’s research team is in grave danger …
And for the first time, it goes into the icy desert of “The Snow Cloak.” The dungeon is completely new to the game:
The climate drop after the Seventh Calamity caused a gigantic, insurmountable ice wall to form, blocking the way into the western highlands of Coerthas – the Snow Cloak. However, it is suspected that secret paths run through the ice wall … Where might they lead?
The three instances have – as is usual for Final Fantasy XIV a time limit of 90 minutes and require 1-4 players.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Finally, it is clear what is behind the mysterious teaser trailer from two weeks ago: The free-to-play MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic, short SWTOR, gets a new digital expansion called “Shadow of Revan”.
Popular villains never die
As the name suggests, the expansion revolves around “Revan”, who should be familiar to older players of “Knights of the Old Republic”, but one can also find out a lot about him in SWTOR.
The good man is back with his followers, who creatively call themselves “Revanites”, and wants to use the chaos between the Republic and the Empire to finally bring peace to both factions by simply wiping them both off the star map. You can guess whose job it will be to prevent that!
2 new planets, 5 new levels, lots of story
Similar to “Star Wars: The Old Republic – Rise of the Hutt Cartel”, the level cap is raised by 5, so it will now be possible for all players to advance to level 60. To make this possible without issues, there will be a total of two planets where you can roam. First, you will head to the pirate-infested tropical world of Rishi, and afterwards, you will go to “Yavin IV”, where the Massassi warriors live, who not too long ago served the Sith…
When dealing with a notorious villain like Revan, you naturally don’t want to miss the chance to showcase him epicly – therefore, the entire expansion will be quite story-heavy and is expected to feature a lot of cutscenes, just like we are used to from the main game.
If you are not interested in that and prefer “blunt PvE action”, you won’t be disappointed either. The expansion will offer you two new role-neutral Flashpoints as well as four hard modes of the already known Flashpoints and a total of 10 boss enemies in two new operations – plenty of challenges will be provided.
Goodbye, talent trees!
Together with the early access on December 2, BioWare is saying goodbye to the talent trees in the game, which will be completely removed and replaced by a new “Discipline” system. Each class will have three discipline paths and progress will happen automatically with every level up. The first impression is that the old talent trees have simply been cut together and the biggest talents will now be automatically accessible to everyone.
What at first glance sounds like “leveling the playing field” is ultimately intended to lead to more character personalization, because according to the developers, there were always only one or two options in the trees that players chose. To enable individualization, there will be additional “functional choices”, which can be freely selected between battles and offer practical advantages, making it easier to prepare for tough boss enemies or simply to take on solo content more comfortably.
This “Revan Statue” for your stronghold is available for free for pre-orders.
As is customary with Star Wars: The Old Republic, all those who choose to pre-order the digital expansion and meet certain deadlines will receive special benefits. If you decide to spend the €17 by November 2, you will get access to the new content a week earlier, a “large statue of Revan” as a housing decoration, and the first addon “Rise of the Hutt Cartel”. If you choose to pre-order by December 1, you will still receive the last two benefits.
Never played SWTOR? Here goes to the official site, where you can sign up for free and get started.
If you are already a subscriber and decide to invest early, you will even receive a special bonus, as you will now earn 12 times the amount of experience while playing class missions – this should enable you to reach level 50 almost exclusively through these missions. The experience boost is valid until December 1, so anyone deciding to buy early will enjoy this bonus longer.
The digital expansion will officially be released on December 9, but pre-ordering starts on December 2.
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The developer CCP sees itself as having a duty to bring some excitement back into the lawless 0.0 in EVE Online. With the November update Phoebe, phase 1 of this plan should now go live. Especially travelers will not be particularly pleased.
Change in November: Long-Distance Travel
To soften the entrenched power blocs in EVE Online, CCP is changing a lot about the travel behavior of large fleet operations. Capital ships can now use jump gates in 0.0 as well as in Low-Sec. This is especially worthwhile from distances of 20 light-years, as these can be completed faster than using jump drives via Titans. With jump fatigue, which brings a cooldown timer for jumps, and a maximum jump range of 5 light-years, a journey across the galaxy will now take some time.
Logistics pilots with jump freighters can breathe a little easier: The Rorqual and jump freighters will receive a new role bonus that somewhat mitigates jump fatigue. However, the transport of important war supplies will also be made more difficult.
The Consequences of Phoebe
This is only phase 1 of the overall plan, to bring more action into the rigid 0.0 situation. Therefore, we can only speculate on what this change will bring. One thing should be clear: The more systems an alliance holds, the harder it will be to defend them. Fleets will now take significantly longer, and the infamous hotdrop will probably no longer exist. However, we wonder how smaller alliances want to establish themselves in the dangerous 0.0 and whether these changes might invite them to stay in their own space instead of going on the hunt. The further one moves away from their own safe haven, the weaker one becomes. Politics and diplomatic skill seem to come to the fore once again.
What about Phases 2 and 3?
The further phases will see changes in the SOV system. The way player organizations can conquer and maintain a system will change. CCP refers to this with the keyword decentralization. Phase 3 will probably not come until 2015. Changes will be made to POS and other structures. The developer hopes for a more dynamic warfare. We are curious about what the future holds, which is notoriously difficult to predict in EVE Online.
The MMO shooter Destiny has launched the Iron Banner event today. What is already known about it, and how will it proceed?
The event Iron Banner will start today in Destiny, and it will run for a week until next Tuesday at 11 AM our time. The previous event “The Witch Queen” has ended.
We already gave you a first insighton Sunday. While definite and complete information is still missing at the moment, a lot more about the procedure has become known in the last hours:
It will definitely be about reaching Rank 3 in the Iron Banner. Through perseverance, it will be possible to earn four armor pieces for each class. You will likely need luck to obtain one of the 9 legendary weapons or even the legendary ship Birth of History.
Update: The event has been live since 11 AM, and we will update the definite information from the live server as updates – like in this example.
You need Reputation Level 3 for the armor
According to Bungie, the reputation vendor for the Iron Banner has the following items available at the different rank levels:
At Rank 1 there are Iron Banner emblems and shaders. They may sound boring, but you should buy them since both the emblem and the shader provide a 10% bonus on the reputation you earn in the Iron Banner. (And yes, this means: many will look similar next week).
At Rank 2 you can buy the class items. They also grant a 10% bonus on reputation gain.
At Rank 3 there are the armor pieces for the Iron Banner. These are highly sought after and will likely represent the main prize. Rumor has it that they might even be upgradeable to light level 30, which would give them raid-level. However, no exact information is known until the event goes live and someone gets access to them. Additionally, there will be a new shader and an emblem available at Rank 3.
Update: At first glance, it looks like the legendary armor pieces only go up to 27 Light. Apparently, it takes only 100 reputation points to reach Rank 1, and 1200 for Rank 2 (Source: reddit). By the way, while you are earning reputation for the Iron Banner, you can also continue to earn reputation for factions; just equip the faction class item, and you will earn reputation for both. Successfully completing a Nightfall/the Strike does not grant a bonus.
Where are the legendary weapons and the ship?
As of now, it is still unknown where Destiny players can obtain the nine different weapons and the legendary ship.
One possibility would be: rewards after each round in the Iron Banner playlist. They could also be rewards for the bounties, of which there will be 10. The bounties are quite skill-based if they are indeed the ones that sites like destinydb currently speculate about. There are three different headshot bounties alone, others require kills without dying or completing the round as the top scorer. There are also some grind bounties where you just have to gather EXP. But it looks pretty intense.
Update: The bounties have been confirmed. There is one today that cannot be completed yet because it requires items that need to be bought and worn, which will only be available after Rank Level 2. One of the nine weapons is available today for purchase from Lord Saladin. However, Rank 3 is also required for that.
In the video, you can see which bounties are active today, on Tuesday, and what Lord Saladin is selling for Hunters:
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And what do I actually do in the Iron Banner in Destiny?
The Iron Banner is a PvP event where armor IS NOT adjusted, but fully counts. This means that anyone below light level 27 is likely to get completely wrecked. You compete in the Iron Banner in a special playlist against other players, just like you would in the crucible. At the moment, it is assumed that reputation will be distributed after each round, whether you win (25 points?) or lose (10 points?) – perhaps there will also be a new kind of “tokens” for which you can buy items. This is not yet certain.
Update: 10 crucible tokens cost the armor pieces, while the rest can be bought with glimmer. Oh, and automatic rifles are currently dominant in Destiny’s PvP, so if you need a suggestion on which weapon to prefer in PvP… a nerf of these weapons could come within the next few days, and the balance wheel will turn again. By the way: 25 points for a win, no points for a loss. This causes problems with quitters.
For optimal success, you should try to track and submit as many Iron Banner bounties as possible at the same time, and you should equip the 3 items that provide reputation bonuses, namely the emblem, shader, and class item.
On this page you will find an overview of the 12 armor pieces, the 9 weapons, 10 bounties, and the 10 cosmetic items. Whether all of these will be in the game and what stats they will have is still unknown at the moment. The most important question will be whether the 12 armor pieces will indeed reach light value 30 when upgraded.
Update: Today, on the first day, the vendor for Hunters has a chest piece, for Titans gloves and a chest piece, and for Warlocks gloves. Whether the items can indeed be upgraded to light level 30 is unknown. Early signs say rather “No.”.
Tonight, on Tuesday, October 7th, the servers for the MMO shooter Destiny are expected to be down for a few hours. A hotfix will be applied.
A valuable tip for your daily planning: If you were looking forward to a few rounds in the new Iron Banner event after work, school, or after a long afternoon nap, or if you want to pursue the Nightfall strike, you can do something else instead. Because Destiny will not be accessible.
Around 4 PM our time, the Destiny servers are scheduled to be taken down. They are expected to remain down for a few hours. The reason for this is a hotfix. It should fix some technical issues. The players themselves are not expected to notice much of a difference due to the change. Perhaps they will notice if the occasional kick to orbit is absent or if the server connection is a bit more stable than in recent weeks.
Most of the changes mentioned relate to analysis tools and system security. Server-side, the performance is to be improved. You can find the complete update notes here:
Client fixes
Added more data logging for matchmaking systems
Improved connectivity failure handling to reduce beaver (Kick To Orbit events) KTOs
Improved logging of player disconnections
Internal tools fixes to speed up our release process
Fixes to the roster system to allow us to tune the frequency of roster updates on Xbox One
Fixed a bug that allowed users to quick scope on some weapons
Server Fixes
Security fixes
Server performance improvements
Fixes to reduce the frequency of some KTOs
Better logging to help diagnose connectivity problems
Fixes to some Centipede errors that were exclusive to specific player characters
And for those who are upset about why it’s happening at 4 PM, when you just find time to play: Bungie is located on the West Coast of the USA. It’s 7 AM there.
Update 19:48: It’s back up and running.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The fantasy MMO World of Warcraft is soon celebrating its tenth anniversary and is feeling a bit nostalgic. Chris Metzen looks back at the past and takes a glimpse into the future of the MMO giant.
During its launch in 2004, the highest estimate was a million players, which was already quite optimistically bold. It quickly rose to over five million, and at its peak, WoW boasted twelve million players; now it’s a bit under seven. But hasn’t Blizzard grown tired of WoW in its tenth year? Not at all, if Chris Metzen, who is responsible for the story and franchise development at Blizzard, is to be believed.
A million players – a wild thought
In an interview with Polygon, Blizzard veteran Metzen reflects on the turbulent early days of World of Warcraft. Everquest, the then-market leader, never exceeded 500,000 players. From Blizzard’s perspective at the time, they were used to different dimensions with Warcraft, Warcraft 2, Starcraft, and Diablo all being million-sellers, yet they remained cautious, though slightly optimistic.
“I still remember what we had in mind for the first year,” Metzen says in the interview. “We said: Let’s reach for the stars. Imagine at the end of the year, a million are walking through our world. That was a completely wild thought back then.”
The success of World of Warcraft was the biggest challenge for Blizzard
By 2010, the number of players rose to 12 million temporarily. This massive influx also changed the company culture at Blizzard. They transitioned from a development company to a provider of a global service. This “success problem” made it difficult to maintain the company culture: “The success of World of Warcraft was our greatest challenge.”
Suddenly, people from Blizzard’s core team had to lead their own teams. They were busy keeping everything running. The thinking during that time may have become a bit too bureaucratic, too institutionalized. The development on Titan bound many resources, and they had struggled in recent years to fully utilize the many new faces involved with World of Warcraft.
World of Warcraft has never been bigger, never more important for Blizzard
Now the player count has shrunk to under seven million, much less than at its peak, yet still vastly higher than the wildest expectations at launch. However, it seems that on the occasion of its tenth anniversary, they are more determined than ever to stand by World of Warcraft: “The World of Warcraft team is 50% larger than at the launch of Mists of Pandaria. We are already working on the next expansion. We have plans for the ones after that. We have never been bigger. We have never looked more towards the future than we do at the moment when thinking about World of Warcraft.”
According to Metzen, it’s odd to say that after all these years. But it feels at the moment like Blizzard is returning to the unrestrained creativity of its early days. Yes, it feels like they are just at the beginning.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Diligently: 55 times Tiger Strike before the patch, 55 times after
A player on reddit has now completed a strike from the Tiger playlist 55 times and compared his results with the 55 last strikes from this list that he completed before the patch.
The result: Hrmpf, not much has changed. On one hand, there is indeed better loot from the legendary Engrams now – but they drop much less frequently. Before the patch, he found two, but after the patch not a single one.
However, the reward from the strikes has become better upon completion, as promised: With rare Engrams, the Guardian can now probably overwhelm the Cryptarch. He received 83 from the 55 strikes. In contrast to 27 from the 55 strikes before the patch. Additionally, there was one exotic item among the rewards and a single legendary Engram. Before the patch, he found neither one nor the other.
Loot remains the same, mood gets better?
As a result of the statistics, a heated discussion broke out among the Guardians. Players discussed their successes and compared loot. As it always is: one swears that he is the unluckiest man in the universe and that he never gets anything from the damn Cryptarch. Other Guardians seem to have gotten a sunshine account and just have to step outside, before the Purple Rain sets in.
In the discussion, a picture slowly emerged that little has effectively changed. Legendary items remain desirable in Destiny.
Logically, otherwise, people would finish the game too quickly. After all, before the patch there were legendary Engrams in abundance, they were just often duds. If the frequency of legendary Engrams had been maintained, everyone would have been quickly covered in purple and had no reason to go on a loot hunt.
But the perception of the players has at least changed. They no longer have as many legendary Engrams, that turn out to be “duds” like before. That was the main source of frustration. Now it is more common that a player opens a blue Engram, from which he expects nothing, only to be surprised by a legendary item. A legendary Engram, on the other hand, tends to offer upgrade materials surprisingly often.
Legendary Engrams in Destiny now more valuable, but also rarer
However, the numbers are still changing and too small at the moment to draw any definitive conclusions. Before the patch, players opened hundreds of Engrams and calculated specific probabilities on drops. That is currently missing. But it looks like Bungie did not just change the contents of the Engrams, but also adjusted their drop rate. The legendary Engrams now seem not only to be more valuable than before patch 1.02, but also rarer.
In Singapore, Free2Play MMOs could soon be facing significant challenges. A proposal to expand the definition of gambling could now also affect popular Free2Play MMOs.
“Gashapon”: We know the system from Asian-themed games like Neverwinter Online, ArcheAge, or partly from Guild Wars 2. The player has found a “lockbox,” a closed chest, in the game and can buy the key to such a chest for real money. They hope that an item they need – or at least want – is contained within.
The model falls under the general term “Freemium” here: The player has the option to play the MMO for free. Those who pay enjoy advantages.
In principle, it’s nothing more than a gamble, one might say regarding these chests: You pay real money to buy the chance for a value in return. This is no different from roulette or lottery.
According to Games in Asia, there is currently a legislative proposal in Singapore that would change the legal situation, making the freemium model subject to strict gambling laws. According to the local law firm “Stanford Law”, the proposed change would lead to the illegalization of the “Gashapon” elements in games. If the law passes through Parliament, the police and authorities could also search the offices of developer studios against which there is reasonable suspicion. Foreign companies would also be affected by the regulation.
It will be interesting to see how the situation develops.
Do you know those gumball machines that usually give out gum but sometimes also dispense a ring? Then you know the basic principle of Gashapon. The dimensions it takes in Asia can be seen in this video:
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The superhero/supervillain MMO DC Universe Online is set to receive a streamlined, faster, and generally more super user interface.
The user interface is a bit like the superhero’s girlfriend: it only stands out when it has problems. But for developers, it’s something they tinker and optimize with as soon as they don’t pay attention for three minutes.
Significant changes to the user interface are now on the horizon for DC Universe Online. The new menu is intended to be more logical, faster, and more streamlined. With transparent menus and all the bells and whistles. (Why does transparent bells and whistles make me think of Wonder Woman? Oh right, invisible jet.)
Since DC Universe Online is one of the first MMOs for consoles and takes a pioneering role here, the way MMO menu navigation works in DCUO could set a trend for the genre. Final Fantasy XIV is also paving the way here.
In a video, SOE employees present the interface of the future.
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For the Free2Play martial arts MMO Swordsman Online, the first expansion is on the horizon. The new zones are expected to be based on the geography of China. A level cap increase is also planned.
In an interview with mmorpg.com, Wang Peng, the Overseas Development Manager of Swordsman Online, discussed details of the planned expansion. There will be a level cap increase, new raids, dungeons, PvP modes, and gear systems. For newcomers, it will become easier to catch up with the veterans, the leveling curve will be adjusted.
The new expansion will lead players north of the Great Wall of China into the steppes and prairies. In designing the zones, inspiration was drawn from the Gobi Desert and the Mongolian Steppe. According to Peng, Swordsman Online places great importance on creating a symbiosis of fantasy and reality.
In terms of gameplay, the role of companions will be revised to make them more useful in PvP. Additionally, with the “Celestial Weapons,” a new weapon class will be introduced, which will be hard to obtain but worth the effort.
A beta phase for the expansion is not planned, but the Twitch channel will showcase some of the new content in October.
Asia is significantly ahead of us. This trailer from the beginning of the year introduced one of the numerous China expansions of Swordsman Online:
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More about the free martial arts MMO can be found on our Swordsman Online topic page. Anyone who wants to test the game can use the banner to go to the official website and create an account.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the survival MMO H1Z1, crafting is one of the most important pillars. Players can build what they need to survive in the post-apocalyptic world.
Do you want to see my awesome wooden shack in H1Z1?
It feels a bit like Robinson Crusoe on Zombie Island when you look at the crafting system in H1Z1. From humble beginnings, hunting meal to meal, it evolves to a hut with an adjoining farm, providing the essentials for survival, up to a veritable fortress. However, in H1Z1 everything looks intentionally a bit shabbier than you might imagine. Paul Carrico, a Senior Game Designer at SOE, is responsible for this and has now given us insight into the intricacies of the crafting system.
For Carrico, it is important that everything fits the mood. The self-sufficient hut does not look like a postcard idyll, but rather like a dirty utility item. And when we think of “fortress,” most of us probably have something different in mind than a wooden shack with shooting slots.
The world of H1Z1 is getting dirty, that’s already clear.
You take some time away from reality while crafting
As with the combat system, the motto also applies to crafting: “Fun over realism.” The idea that you can boil water in a plastic bottle until it becomes germ-free probably only works in the world of H1Z1. The alternative, Carrico says, would be to make players carry a cooking pot around. Instead, they prefer heat-resistant plastic. Probably only in the world of H1Z1 will it be possible to bake a blueberry pie over a grill fire.
Diversity of recipes is impressive
The impressive part of the crafting system in H1Z1 is the variety of recipes and the directions they can take: Besides classic survival tools and “basebuilding” elements, players will later also be able to craft their own firearms. However, these should not look as if they just came off an assembly line from a weapons company, but rather have a “handmade” and improvised appearance, just as they really are. Provisions that either work or don’t.
Even after early access, more recipes will continually be introduced into the game. They won’t always be noted in the patch notes. The thrill of the game lies in the exploratory mentality of a Robinson Crusoe. Back then, he built a world rather than trying to hold together the remnants of civilization with duct tape and prevent it from complete decay.
With duct tape against decay – Nothing lasts forever
Decay is a big theme in H1Z1: Everything goes to hell. Axes, the basic tools of the player, wear down slowly when players chop wood. And quickly, when they strike against metal or even concrete. Firearms also have a limited lifespan, and the painstakingly built wooden shack requires regular maintenance. Everything needs to be replaced.
In the world of H1Z1, nothing lasts forever.
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In the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, TESO, extensive renovations are taking place. The game is set to move more towards the successful single-player series. The plans for the coming months are now clear.
A true flood of information descended on the participants of the Guild Summit for two days. Zenimax invited representatives from 20 guilds and communities to the headquarters and presented, in hours-long presentations, the changes that will come to The Elder Scrolls Online in the next months and perhaps years. The developers’ vision for TESO is now clearer to see.
The Future in Keywords
We summarize the most important of the planned changes for you:
After level 50, players will continue to develop with the Champion System. New passive skill trees will be introduced, into which up to 2100 Champion points can be invested. A Champion point should be earnable in approximately one hour in the game.
The Justice System will be extensive and should bring a kind of “Cops and Robbers” open-world PvP along with new skill lines.
The Imperial City will be a huge PvE zone (with enabled PvP) in the midst of Cyrodiil, where the factions will compete for dominance.
The Crafting System will become more logical and clearer. With two new crafting styles and a treasure map system, a lot is planned.
The Combat System will be made smoother and more exciting.
For the dungeons, there will soon be daily quests and reward levels.
For the future, more trials, a hard mode for raids, solo arenas, and new dungeons are planned.
The world is set to become more interactive, with even more things to interact with in the world – it should make logical sense, for example, apples should come from a basket of apples, not pears.
In new systems, among other things, spell weaving, poison mixing, and horse racing will be introduced.
What’s Behind It? Zenimax Focuses on Three Pillars
If you let the information sink in and look for a common thread, it becomes clear that Zenimax is focusing on the strengths of the single-player series and mixing that with "that certain something" that ensures players find no end in MMOs.
Pillar 1 – That Certain Something: A Touch of MMO
Thus, they want to loosen the initially very tight item limits so that players find the motivation to search for better armors and weapons. With daily quests and more activities in the world, players should always have something to do. These are the classic MMO mechanisms that TESO initially wanted to avoid, but Zenimax now seems to believe belong in an MMO.
Along with the Champion System, there’s another incentive for players to feel like they are "advancing in the world," even if they do not experience a single "hurrah" moment in one day like finding a new item.
Pillar 2 – Learning from Skyrim Means Exciting Players
On the other hand, the game is clearly steering towards the single-player parts. The world is set to become more interactive, and individual heroes are meant to differ more strongly in their alignment. Here, the Justice System is certainly the decisive factor.
Pillar 3 – Building on the Existing, Completing the Missing
The third pillar is the logical development of what one already has. The Imperial City is a central component in the PvP concept of The Elder Scrolls Online, which is known to be based on Dark Age of Camelot. Even in the MMO classic DAOC, it required a chaotic element like “Darkness Falls” back then to keep the action moving and prevent a standstill at the front lines. That is now to be delivered with the Imperial City.
Additions of an arena mode will surely please some.
The Elder Scrolls Online Impresses with Determination
The impressive thing about the upheaval is how determined and clearly it has been executed and communicated. Even in the first months after the launch, when everything was still chaotic, the foundations for the current decisions must have been laid. No time was wasted. Nothing remained sacred, even the initially tight item limits are currently being loosened. Arenas, which were previously avoided, are being introduced.
The current Guild Summit shows that they are ready to lay all cards on the table and tell the players exactly what they plan. This reflects a trust in the plans and the ability to actually implement them. There must have been a transformation in the philosophy. Hardly any developer company is as transparent and open as this. Zenimax previously appeared rather reclusive and tight-lipped before and shortly after the release.
What Does the Timeline Look Like?
It will be crucial when the three key elements of the upheaval will be introduced. The Champion System may start things off and might debut in Update 5 or 6, towards the end of the year. Perhaps by February/March next year, it will be time for the Imperial City. And in the summer of 2015, it may finally be time for the Justice System.
If these three core elements were to come into the game over the next six to nine months, a lot would already be accomplished. After all, these would be features of a scope that would be spread out over two paid expansions in other games. And not even mentioning some “It would be nice if … but well” systems like spell weaving yet. That would be for later.
And When Will The Elder Scrolls Online Go to Consoles?
The big trump card of TESO is certainly the potential port to consoles, which would be akin to a kind of relaunch. Looking at what The Elder Scrolls Online still intends to do, it is nearly impossible that TESO will still release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as planned this year. They are basically just waiting for an official statement that they will not be able to meet the deadline.
Also, a port in the first quarter of 2015 – as suggested by Amazon – now seems rather unlikely.
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The board of Infernum Productions AG filed for insolvency with the court on September 18, 2014, which was published by the accompanying law firm PKL. In other words: The German publisher, founded by former Frogster employees, is insolvent.
What will happen to the publisher of Dragon’s Prophet, Brick Force, and Hazard Ops is not yet fully clarified as of the current state. Business operations will continue unrestricted until the opening of the proceedings, which starts on December 1, 2014.
The initiation of insolvency proceedings does not always equate to the end of a company. It is not so far-fetched that it may succeed in restoring the solvency of the business within the framework of the insolvency plan. That is obviously the goal here. Whether rehabilitation is realistic will likely be examined by the responsible trustee in the coming weeks.
Update, October 6, 2014, 5 PM: A press release has just arrived with a statement. According to Infernum CEO Andreas Weidenhaupt, they are confident that everything will turn out well:
“We are looking positively toward the future, as the restructuring within the framework of the plan insolvency under self-administration offers us new opportunities. Our goal is very clear: to maintain the operation of our games and continue to provide our community with a great gaming experience.” Furthermore, Thomas Illy from the “pkl Rechtsanwälte” law firm assumes, “that the insolvency can be overcome within a very short timeframe.”
Update, October 6, 2014, 8 PM:In the official Dragon’s Prophet Forum there is another post that mainly addresses the players. Among other things, it reveals how players can support Infernum and the games during this difficult phase, and that players currently have nothing to fear: It will go on, so the general tenor of the message.
Update, March 7, 2015: Infernum Production has succeeded and is solvent again, so no longer insolvent. Congratulations.
Mein MMO thinks: Okay, this is not a pleasant message, which will certainly reach the players shortly. This will likely be quite a shock for those affected. The forums of Dragon’s Prophet, Brick Force, and Hazard Ops will now become very restless, as many players have invested countless hours in their characters and have sometimes even left money in the item shop. We expect a clarifying statement from Infernum in the coming days on how this situation will be handled (already happened, see update).
But is all this so surprising? The insolvency application could also explain why a more aggressive sales policy has been pursued lately. Generally, before filing, every effort is made to avert this step as much as possible.
For the internal project “Project Theralon“, a sandbox MMO based on CryEngine 3, rumors about a shutdown already surfaced last year. Since then, total silence has prevailed here.
Dragon’s Prophet – many share this opinion – was published, in our view, at least six months too early. I know, you often hear this, but here it was already very extreme. However, it is not unlikely that the developer, Runewaker Entertainment, pushed for an early release. That would be annoying, especially since Infernum invested a lot of money in numerous advertising campaigns in the beginning.
In the meantime, the game has matured and is certainly one of the better MMORPGs on the market, but you don’t quickly forget the botched start. Particularly free-to-play games struggle to regain attention afterwards. In the dragon MMO, which boasts a very extensive companion system, there would probably still be an alternative with Sony Entertainment Online. Because SOE is currently operating the dragon MMO from the Runes of Magic developers in America. In the case of an orderly dissolution of Infernum, SOE could certainly step in, especially since they have increasingly been caring for the European market for some time. However, as can be inferred from the update, it seems that Infernum and the players will likely continue. It would be nice.
We wish the employees and responsible parties at Infernum that it turns out well for them and that they emerge stronger from this delicate phase.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Our colleagues from TenTonHammer recently had the opportunity to conduct an extensive interview in English with the leading PvP developer of WildStar, Kevin Lee, and we summarize the key points for you here – in easily understandable English.
PvP in General: Daily Quests and the Right Path
Overall, Lee is quite satisfied with the PvP in WildStar; he believes it is quite solid and, above all, a lot of fun, which is largely thanks to the telegraph system.
However, he is aware that there are smaller and larger issues and asks the player community for the necessary time to resolve them – everything is on the right path, but one must be able to see it through to the end.
To attract more players to the PvP, there will soon be daily and weekly quests, similar to those already known from other MMOs. This is expected to encourage especially players who have not yet taken a look at the cheerful telegraph skirmishes to at least be tempted to play a round or two, and if they like it, to engage more with it.
Arena – 2vs2 in High Demand, the Rest is Just for Cheating
There is still a lot of room for improvement in the arenas, as they are only partially utilized. Most players are found in the 2vs2 battles, while the 3-player and 5-player variants remain mostly untouched. Here, again, the lack of drive is the decisive factor, as there are no better rewards for larger groups. In the future, they want to create more incentives to fill all arenas equally.
Even though nothing concrete has been decided yet, Lee mentions here, for example, exclusive colors, housing items, or titles that can be earned in the different modes. They also want to make it impossible for players to queue for the arenas if there aren’t enough other participants. Especially in the 3-player and 5-player arenas, there are regularly “win-trading” incidents, meaning pre-arranged wins and losses to artificially inflate one’s rankings. This, of course, is something they want to put a stop to.
Warplots – Those Who Cannot Win, Do Not Dare to Take Risks
One of WildStar’s biggest concerns are the Warplots (“War Bases”), as although they are technically flawless and absolutely fun, they are rarely used. They have already reduced the size of these battlefields from 40 to 30 people per team (a more significant reduction would not be possible without enormous additional effort), but this type of PvP is still not really appealing.
The main criticism lies in the fact that there are no meaningful rewards for the War Bases, as the PvP sets that can be earned can be obtained much more easily through arenas or regular battlefields. Consequently, in the future, they will improve the rewards so that certain equipment in the War Bases provides specific advantages. It will also soon be possible to queue as a mercenary even if you are already in a war party. Ultimately, battles consisting entirely of mercenaries will be possible, just like the previous “Random BGs”.
You can find the complete English interview as usual in our source.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The team from Planetside 2 gives fans a behind-the-scenes look: This is how bugs are analyzed and eliminated in the shooter MMO.
Even if boss Matt Higby protests: “Bugs? There are no bugs here!”, bugs are part of everyday life for game developers like the team from Planetside 2, much to the dismay of gamers.
In a video, the SOE team now shows who is involved and what steps are needed to make the little pest leave its desk and disappear: There are build managers, quality assurance, and programmers involved, all because one doesn’t want to be as invisible as initially expected.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny, next Tuesday, the endgame event for PvP players, Iron Banner, will start. Here, PvP players might find the items they need to reach level 30.
This is where the Champions of Destiny are born
The “Iron Banner” event will start on October 7 and will run for a week until October 14. This is the first time this endgame event for PvP players will start in the live version of Destiny. Information is still scarce. It has already been tested in the beta.
The special feature of this PvP mode in Destiny is that the level and the equipment of the Guardians WILL NOT be balanced. Each participant is as strong as their gear and light level allows. This means that higher-level players with the best armor pieces and weapons will have an advantage.
What rewards will there be and how will you obtain them?
Currently, the details of the reward system for the mode are not yet set. Based on the beta, regarding how the “The Witch Queen” event was conducted, and from Bungie’s announcement a few weeks ago, it seems very likely that a range of new legendary items will be introduced into the game.
In the beta events, these were mostly legendary weapons of all types. The “The Witch Queen” event notably introduced two legendary armor pieces for the chest and helmet. Some players are still missing legendary weapons.
This is what Jolder’s Hammer looked like in the beta. If the legendary machine gun returns, it will have different stats.
The “Iron Banner” will likely give out Bounty missions that players can only complete in this specific endgame mode, which will only be active for 7 days.
In addition to the rewards for these bounties and possible rewards directly after completing a round, there will also be a reputation vendor for the event, most likely Lord Saladin. Here, “top” items might await players who increase their reputation: Alongside legendary weapons, there should be emblems, shaders, and a legendary ship.
This legendary jump ship “Birth of History” was given to a few lucky players as an Iron Banner reward in the beta.
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On reddit, some players suspect that through the “Iron Banner” event, armor pieces with a maximum light value of 30 could now be available for Crucible fans. Currently, there are legendary items with a light value of 30 only in the raid “The Vault of Glass” – other legendary items max out at a light value of 27.
Those who do not participate in this raid will only reach level 29 or stay below. For this, it would be necessary that alongside legendary weapons, legendary armor pieces are also introduced to the game since only helmets, chest pieces, legs, or boots currently hold the light values.
Since the new event for PvP players is positioned at the upper end of the scale, just like the raid for PvE players, it is likely that armor pieces with this increased light value will be available next week. The exciting question is: How will they be obtained and will the performance of the Guardians play a role? Currently, in the Crucible, the item distribution is mainly criticized for being random. Performance plays only a secondary role. There are higher expectations from the “Iron Banner” in Destiny now.
Anyway: For all Crucible fans, Destiny truly begins this Tuesday.
This was the loot in the beta – uncertain if everything will return:
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