We are excited to present a series of giveaways in collaboration with Hi-Rez Studios, where you can win codes to unlock certain gods in SMITE!
Have no idea what SMITE is all about? No problem, just check out the review of SMITE here, grab two or three friends, and try out the free MOBA from a third-person perspective.
To sweeten the deal for you, we are giving away 5 codes that allow you to unlock the god “Zeus” without having to spend any favor or gems! If you already have this god in your collection, that’s no obstacle; you can simply give the code to a friend – the perfect starter gift for newcomers to the battleground of the gods!
A few background details (because I’m into lore – whether in role-playing games or “real” myths) about the father of the gods: Zeus is part of the Greek pantheon and is the son of the titan Cronus. Since Cronus devoured all his children out of fear they might one day overthrow him, Zeus was hidden after his birth until he was old enough to defeat his father, which he promptly did, freeing his brothers Hades and Poseidon from Cronus’s belly. The titans were banished, and the world was divided into three dominions: Hades received the underworld, Poseidon the sea, and Zeus the sky. From there, he rules over all other gods, and whenever a storm brews, it’s a sign that Zeus is very angry…
While the father of the gods has high expectations of everyone around him, he is not so strict with himself; he has cheated on his own wife over 20 times and fathered countless children – but whose wrath should the father of the gods fear?
In SMITE, Zeus is a mage and all his attacks are based on lightning. Many play him as a “troll character” since most of his abilities place debuffs on enemies that he can explode with the push of a button – and he can do this even if the enemy is already out of range. It’s not uncommon to feel safe only to be sent back to the respawn point by a final thunderclap.
If you want to win a code for the father of the gods Zeus and his alternative skin “Thunderhead”, all you have to do is post in the comments under this article what you would do if you could be Zeus for a day! The five funniest ideas will each win a code. The deadline is 15.10.2014 at 21:00. Good luck!
The winners and their nicknames will be announced in this post. If you comment as a guest, please ensure you provide the correct email address (which will not be displayed publicly). Also, please read the terms of participation under the video.
Update, 15.10.2014: The winners are now set. Congratulations to Tamu, Verennia, meggoo, Tialys, and Capscreen for winning a Zeus (we will contact you Thursday evening). Thanks to all other participants – maybe it will work out next time! More giveaways will follow. Thank goodness!
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[doptoggle title=”Important: Terms of participation for the giveaway:”]
Participation in the giveaway is free, starts on 12.10.2014 at 12 PM, and ends on 15.10.2014 at 21 PM. By participating in the giveaway, you accept the rules of this draw (see above). You must be at least 16 years old.
Mein MMO reserves the right to exclude participants who violate the rules of the game, manipulate the giveaway, or attempt to do so. Only one participation per person is allowed (Yes, we recognize that!). Mein MMO will contact the winners by email within one day. The data will not be stored but used solely for the delivery of the prize. If the winner does not respond within 5 working days, the Zeus code will be re-raffled to another participant. Legal recourse is excluded.[/doptoggle]
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Why can guardians not stop playing Destiny? In an article a few years ago, the current head of the research department at Bungie describes methods to engage players into the game and provides examples from laboratory experiments with rats and chimpanzees.
In 2001, an article by John Hopson was published on Gamasutra, a site mainly aimed at developers, discussing what goes on in players’ minds regarding rewards and the absence of rewards. Today, Hopson is the “Head of user research at Bungie Studios” and is probably the person who knows exactly how users tick in Destiny and how to keep them engaged with the game. The article is particularly special as it offers an open view into the thought processes on the “other” side of the screen.
The article demonstrates how much research and effort are put into ensuring that players cannot stop playing the game – and what science is utilized for this. And as recent numbers show, it seems that Destiny has perfected this formula. A common phrase in the reviews is: Destiny has problems, but still, people play it every day. The foundation for this might perhaps be found in the article from over ten years ago.
Our food pellets.
The article is based on a form of behavioral psychology that was developed primarily on animals such as rats, chimpanzees, and pigeons. It emerged when the experimenter ran out of food pellets and decided to reward the rats only every tenth time they pressed the switch to save the trip to the city. This resulted in some interesting outcomes. Sound familiar?
Here are some more excerpts from the article: In an experiment, there were two pigeons in a cage, one was tied up while the other could move freely. Every 30 seconds, food was dropped into the cage. The free pigeon could reach it, while the tied one could not. The free pigeon happily ate all the food every 30 seconds. After an hour, the food stopped, and the free pigeon checked the food exit every 30 seconds. When it realized that no food was coming, it attacked the other pigeon.
The interesting thing is: The tied-up pigeon does not even know what the food tastes like. The free pigeon has no reason to assume that the other pigeon is responsible for the food stopping. The frustration is irrational, but present.
A chimpanzee presses a switch and receives some salad, which it then eats and enjoys. With a random press of the switch, grapes come out, which he really likes. The next time he presses, he gets another leaf of salad. This annoys the chimpanzee, and he throws the salad at the experimenter.
A rat receives a small electric shock at irregular intervals. It can avoid it for 30 seconds by pressing a lever. The rat quickly learns to press the lever at regular intervals to prevent the shock.
It seems that Bungie has found a good formula to balance reward, the pause between rewards, and the absence of rewards into a functioning equilibrium.
Just to clarify: There are 13 years between the article and today. And surely other MMOs also utilize insights from behavioral psychology, which is studied primarily on animals, to design their MMOs and reward systems. However, it seems Destiny has managed to do it even better than elsewhere.
In not entirely unrelated news… here is a player decoding 50 engrams:
https://youtu.be/mslElWvVXwc
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny, impressive numbers are available. Almost 2 million players have attempted the only raid so far, “The Vault of Glass,” with about one in four managing to complete it on normal mode. 3.2 million players log in daily to Destiny.
Every 4th player can defeat Atheon on normal, but not even 2 out of 100 in Atheon Hard-Mode
Numbers are always nice. Kotaku has received statistics from raid designer Luke Smith regarding raid participation. He still feels connected to the site from earlier.
Since Destiny is immensely successful, the numbers are also impressive.
So, 1,970,087 players have stepped foot in “The Vault of Glass.” 472,082 players have defeated the boss Atheon and cleared the raid. That’s quite a hefty number, considering Destiny’s launch was only about a month ago. That’s nearly 24% of those who started raiding.
The raid also has a harder version, in the “hard” mode. That’s where the wheat is separated from the chaff: only 202,729 players have attempted a dance in the Vault when Heavy Metal is playing (10% of all raiders). Only the cream of the crop has defeated the final boss Atheon on Hard. Just 36,181 players, which is 1.8% of all those who have tried the raids.
Those are numbers that many other MMOs can only dream of. And one would have thought that shooter players would struggle with the MMO raids of Destiny.
This could be the incentive for many raiders: The best weapon in Destiny can only be obtained from the final boss on hard.
3.2 million guardians play Destiny every day for quite a while
The Weekly Update from Bungie.net also focuses on numbers this time. The average Destiny player has played Destiny 21 times so far. The average is 1.8 sessions per day. And the game is still as dangerous for time management as it was on day one: players still log in for 3 hours daily. This applies even for weekdays.
And one number that might make many competitors envious: 3.2 million players play Destiny every single day on average.
Trying something new is always a challenge. The “Raw Numbers,” the mere digits, as the community manager stated in the post, are proof that the journey has been worthwhile so far. They have enjoyed watching players evolve into legends.
To conclude, we have two videos for you. Here you can see Atheon in action, who is so important for the raiders:
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And here is an unusual commercial for Taco Bell, which has just launched a partnership with Destiny in the USA, where there is a PlayStation 4 bundle to win, which might surprise some:
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The MMO Skyforge is still waiting for the start of the Closed Beta, but it is already winning awards for the best MMORPG and the best Russian game at the Igromir fair.
Igromir, my.com reports, is the largest Russian gaming fair. The team has put in overtime to make the MMO playable in time for Igromir, and it has paid off. Those who have played it are said to be thrilled. Proudly, they display certificates for the best MMORPG and the best Russian game at Igromir 2014.
And those who complain that this is not significant, as the game won’t enter beta until the coming months? Even Western publishers are proud of awards like “Best MMO of E3 2012” and advertise this, even though the game was not really playable at that time. At least in marketing, there seem to be hardly any cultural differences.
There is also something for the eyes this week in Skyforge. Two new pieces of concept art have been released. One is above in the title and shows the god form of a goddess, this is Ianna, who helps players on their journey to godhood.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the survival MMO H1Z1, this week’s focus in the dev blog was on the vehicles in the game. In addition to the already known Jeep, a pickup truck and bicycles are expected to follow. The system has also been refined over the past weeks.
Currently only Jeep; pickup truck and bicycles are expected to follow
For a long time, players only saw the same old Jeep, which occasionally ran out of fuel, ran over zombies, and would explode. But that won’t be all. In the dev blog, the folks at SOE let “Vehicle Game Designer” Kris Roberts explain his plans this time. He is currently working on the design of a pickup truck. How the truck is being developed, he explains with some technical details and images in a blog post. After the pickup, he will probably tackle something completely different, namely bicycles.
The means of transportation are supposed to feel truly different in H1Z1. The pickup is therefore not just a remodelling of the Jeep but a unique vehicle with its own driving characteristics.
Central locking, but no car keys in H1Z1 yet
Some of the features that went live last week have already been seen in the 80-minute live stream, where the more complex vehicle mechanics were already on display.
The driver now has control over whether the doors of his vehicle are locked or open. However, this only applies as long as he is inside. Once the driver exits, the vehicle reverts to being public property. However, they plan to change this in the future. Then keys will be introduced in the game, allowing a survivor to own his truck.
Jeep on its roof = explosion
At the moment, it’s a bit unrealistic that a Jeep explodes immediately when it lands on its roof. This is necessary, according to Roberts, to “recycle” the car and reintegrate it into the system. Otherwise, there would eventually be no cars left, as the limited vehicles would all be stuck on their roofs somewhere in the ditches.
However, according to Roberts, players could also imagine being able to flip a helpless vehicle back over to get it running again. Later, the cars will not be so easily flammable, akin to Hollywood portrayals.
While players used to worry only about their vehicle running out of gas, in H1Z1, you now need four components to make a car drivable: in addition to gasoline, a spark plug, a battery, and an engine are necessary. All four components wear out, need maintenance or replacement, and gasoline needs to be refueled.
At the moment, cars are still an effective method for killing zombies. The “Zeds” spectacularly bounce off the front bumper and tumble over, thanks to the H1Z1 ragdoll mechanics, like ski racers after a nasty miscalculation. However, zombie roadkills will not remain feasible for much longer; in the future, zombies will be able to damage the vehicle. Anyone who has ever experienced a wildlife accident with a deer or wild boar will understand that this is realistic.
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Additionally, a new 5-piece set will be introduced, for which crafters will have to put in a lot of effort. The bonus will be impressive: Two Mundus Stones can be activated simultaneously.
They are also adjusting the balance: Stamina users, such as archers and melee fighters, have felt inferior to players who focus on magicka so far. They want to change that, not through a nerf of the magicka users, but by buffing the stamina friends.
Overall, they have prepared 37 pages of patch notes for Update 5. It’s going to be a massive change. The key systems will be introduced in more detail in the coming weeks.
We found a video for you where you can watch an hour-long discussion about Update 5, complete with many screenshots and clips. Additionally, it’s a great opportunity for fans to get to know the different personalities working on the game. Even in the brief discussions, it becomes clear that a diverse group of developers with very different traits is at work.
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In the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, the Update 5 will be available on the test server next week. Last night, ESO Live took place, and leading developers from Zenimax presented the individual features of what is likely the most extensive update so far. It is already clear that Update 5 will be a massive package.
Since about last month, Zenimax has been hosting a kind of late-night show every two weeks, where they casually discuss the MMO The Elder Scrolls Online (Okay, for us it’s late-night; in the USA, it’s a cozy afternoon talk).
Yesterday, the German Community Manager Kai Schober moderated the round. On a “magical chair,” the heads of various teams at Zenimax appeared one by one to introduce what will land on the test server next week. And it’s really something. Instead of bringing a large new zone or new instances as in previous updates, this time we see the first harbingers of the announced remodeling.
Speech Bubbles and Better Facial Animation
The facial animations are supposed to improve thanks to FaceFX. This should make NPCs in The Elder Scrolls Online appear as if they are speaking when the voiceovers kick in. So far, they look strangely waxy. Here, Zenimax initially focused on English; in German and French, the NPCs still struggle to remain lip-synchronized. They are working on that. The developers are particularly hoping for feedback from players on the test server since the changes are so extensive.
By the way: It is not that hard to animate humanoid cat and lizard beings. There is creative freedom with them. After all, no one has ever had a conversation with them. After the urgently needed current changes (“It could only get better”), they want to continue working on making NPC body language lively and relevant to what is being said.
Surprisingly, speech bubbles are also set to come with the update. This is something that role players have wanted. What someone says will not only be displayed in chat but will also appear – like in a comic – directly above the character. The speech bubbles are disabled by default and can be toggled on as desired.
Delves, Dungeons, and LFG
A dedicated team is working on the Delves, the caves with Skyshards in the world of The Elder Scrolls Online. Here, they will be overhauling 18 caves per update. This is set to happen this time as well. The goal is to make them larger and more diverse. The arts team is also expected to have more opportunities to showcase their talents and impress players. It should become more exciting to traverse the caves rather than just a mechanical “left, left, big room with boss and Skyshard” situation.
The dungeon scaling is one of the main topics in Update 5. With the update, solo instances will also adjust to the player’s level. This aims to prevent a player, who is catching up on missions, from only fighting gray mobs and finding worthless equipment.
In groups, instances will scale to the group leader’s level. The first round of dungeons will scale down to a low value of 10. All normal dungeons will go up to level 50. The veteran dungeons range in difficulty from veteran rank 1 to 12 – not quite reaching the maximum level. Only the newly introduced dungeon, the Veteran City of Ash, will go up to veteran rank 14 and really challenge players.
The City of Ash also continues the storyline of the “normal” version of the instance and sounds fiery, so much can already be revealed. As drops, there will be an armor set in the City of Ash that rewards “heavy attacks.” Here, heavy attacks refer to attacks fully charged by holding down the mouse button.
The LFG system of The Elder Scrolls Online will also be revamped. This should be faster and more practical.
The Undaunted Move, Award Daily Quests
The Undaunted have been driven out of their bars and dives with the next update. But fear not, there will still be plenty of alcohol and treasures in their new location. They will now award daily quests that lead players into the dungeons. Depending on how successful the players are there, whether they defeat additional bosses or stay within certain time limits, they will receive a bronze, silver, or gold key.
This opens treasure chests that may contain rewards, including a special set that aims to improve interactions between stamina and magicka abilities. When using a stamina ability, it buffs the magicka values, and vice versa. This aims to provide more variety in TESO.
Daily quests will also be introduced for crafting so that aspiring crafters can experience a bit more variety in their daily routine. The reward here includes pieces of treasure maps that lead to particularly valuable resources.
The new crafting style “Dwemer” will not simply be found in a book to be read as the previous styles were. This book will be divided into individual “chapters” (at least 11 could be inferred from a screen). Each chapter teaches the ability to craft an item in the new style. This aims to stimulate trading and bring in more variety.
By the way, those who were particularly clever and hoarded all Dwemer scrap for 6 months, thinking they might be useful, can now dispose of it. The materials to craft items in the Dwemer style will be newly introduced with Update 5.
More Skill Points on Login for Veterans, More Love for Werewolves
Update 5 also brings a change to the veteran system, which is set to be replaced soon. Now, each veteran rank will provide additional skill and stat points. Anyone logging in with a VR-14 character will have quite a few points to allocate. Overall, the presentation was a kind of cornucopia for players. Often the reaction was “It’s like Christmas!”
Also, the werewolves are finally set to receive the long-missed attention of designers in The Elder Scrolls Online. They will acquire magicka abilities to fully utilize both resources.
New Sets; Stamina Abilities Are Set to Become Stronger
Furthermore, they are introducing several new sets into the game and being creative with them: Helmets that drop from bosses in dungeons resemble masks of the respective end boss. Whoever wears these alongside special shoulders from the Undaunted dailies will unlock a 2-piece bonus that grants a passive proc. The bonus is styled after the boss as well.
Additionally, a new 5-piece set will be introduced, for which crafters will have to put in a lot of effort. The bonus will be impressive: Two Mundus Stones can be activated simultaneously.
They are also adjusting the balance: Stamina users, such as archers and melee fighters, have felt inferior to players who focus on magicka so far. They want to change that, not through a nerf of the magicka users, but by buffing the stamina friends.
Overall, they have prepared 37 pages of patch notes for Update 5. It’s going to be a massive change. The key systems will be introduced in more detail in the coming weeks.
We found a video for you where you can watch an hour-long discussion about Update 5, complete with many screenshots and clips. Additionally, it’s a great opportunity for fans to get to know the different personalities working on the game. Even in the brief discussions, it becomes clear that a diverse group of developers with very different traits is at work.
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The MMO shooter Destiny is currently facing criticism from fans regarding the Iron Banner tournament. It doesn’t work as announced, the Guardians’ power doesn’t really come into play, and gear doesn’t play the crucial role. These issues have been recognized, and they plan to change the rules for next time.
Iron Banner was marketed incorrectly
It seems to be a “communication problem” that plagues the Iron Banner. In the latest “Weekly Update,” a weekly blog to the community, Bungie addresses the fans of Destiny. The blog’s writer, Community Manager DeeJ, also struggled to prepare for the Iron Banner event, gathering items intensively for two weeks, and fought through a raid until he reached level 26 for the event. Then he was taken out by a level 6 Warlock.
They had specifically advertised that gear actually matters in Iron Banner. “Power matters!” “Your power matters.”
Clearly, Bungie misrepresented the Iron Banner and placed too much emphasis on the power advantage, even though it makes little difference in practice.
80% skill, 20% gear in Destiny’s Iron Banner
In a conversation with Senior Designer Derek Caroll, he makes it clear that armor is only slightly more important in the Iron Banner than in the normal Crucible. Skill still accounts for 80% of success. The last 20% are significantly easier with the right gear.
But anyone who expected to rampage with their top gear will be disappointed. Essentially, better armor only provides a small buffer; you can take a few more shots. The level advantage can only be a maximum of 7 anyway. Whether a level 4 player or a level 23 player faces off against a level 30 player makes no difference. Perhaps Bungie set the Iron Banner too conservatively this time to allow as many players as possible to participate, ensuring everyone could enjoy the event.
Iron Banner will work differently next time
They also address the issue of players simply leaving matches when they feel disadvantaged in the Weekly Update. As always, they review the data, analyze it, and will come up with a solution to address the problem in the future.
One could expect, Bungie says, that Lord Saladin plays by different rules when he calls for the Iron Banner event in Destiny next time.
This video, in which a level 4 Guardian takes down higher-level players in the Iron Banner with a level 1 automatic rifle, has gone global:
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The first Black Pearl in the western ArcheAge was launched last night. We had the opportunity for an interview with the guild leader of “Impact,” the proud captain, so to speak.
The Black Pearl is one of the prestige items in ArcheAge, a milestone for any guild. When we recently had the chance to talk with ArcheAge producer Victoria Voss, she also saw the “Black Pearl” as such a milestone and noted that no guild had succeeded in building it, neither in North America nor in Europe. That changed last night. The Progress Guild Impact succeeded in finishing their Black Pearl with the help of some alliance partners and launched it. Impact is based on the eastern continent of Kyprosa. This is also the largest server under Trion Worlds’ management, with 10% more capacity than the rest.
We had the opportunity for a written interview with the guild leader of Impact, Viciskander.
The photo shows the leading figures of the guilds Impact and Migard, who were responsible for the construction. Our interviewee Vicis is the gentleman far left.
Congratulations on the first Black Pearl in North America and Europe! How did this moment feel for the guild Impact?
Thank you. The atmosphere was of course great last night. There was a celebratory mood, especially after the baptism of fire against the “Italian Bastardz,” there was jubilation.
The producer of ArcheAge, Victoria Voss, told us in an interview that the Black Pearl is the ultimate goal for many guilds. Why is that and what advantages do you hope to gain from it?
Well, the Black Pearl is unrivaled in its radar range, speed, and fire rate. The ship is a predator and at the same time a warhorse due to its properties. Even with a hull crew, it is easy to defend as long as the people know what to do.
How many people were involved and how long did it take?
Our guild has just over 200 members. Everyone contributed. It took us about a week without specifically working towards it, as other projects like weapon and equipment crafting had to continue simultaneously.
Does the guild Impact have any further goals now that the mightiest ship has been built?
Yes, of course there are further goals. The Black Pearl is not an “end content” for us, but just a step along the way. Currently, we are working hard to equip all members so that they are competitive in open PvP. Additionally, the northern continent will soon be implemented into the game, and we definitely want to be there. We are still at the very beginning of the game. We are far, far away from player-generated end content.
ArcheAge makes a lot of headlines regarding hacking and bot issues. How do you see the situation at the moment? Is it really that bad?
Well, these problems have actually been known since the Korean version. It was to be expected that Trion and XLGames would not redesign the game from the ground up to make hacking and botting impossible… if they could even do that. Personally, I am mainly annoyed by the gold spammers. Whether there are various hacks, I do not know. There are some YouTube videos, but if that really exists, why do we have the Black Pearl and not someone who can cheat unlimited gold? Bots and gold sellers are indeed a problem. But ArcheAge is not alone in this. Most MMOs struggle with it. Unfortunately, I do not believe that the situation regarding gold sellers and bots will change.
What is life like for a large progress guild in ArcheAge? Is it fun?
Yes, of course it is fun, otherwise we wouldn’t have so many members. Of course, not every “job” and not every player enjoys everything all the time. Especially because we have a more communist system including central management and planning, there are always members who do not really cope with this and leave us. In a guild, it is sometimes like in a family… good times, bad times… and at the moment we are undoubtedly in the good times.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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…
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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.
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.
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.
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:
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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.
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).
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?
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.
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?
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:
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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