The strongest weapon in Destiny: Vex Mythoclast = God-Mode

In the MMO shooter Destiny, an exotic weapon has emerged that dominates the Crucible. The fusion rifle Vex Mythoclast counts as a primary weapon despite its class and packs a serious punch. It comes from the hard mode of the raid, the Vault of Glass, from the final boss Atheon.

Many MMOs struggle with the issue of having weapons in PvP that are too strong in PvE. Recently, WildStar faced this problem. World of Warcraft has been working for years to separate the game modes so that PvE gear is not too strong in the arena and PvP players cannot assert themselves in raids and dungeons with their items. Now, this problem also occurs in Destiny.

Interestingly, shooter games often attract a community that values fairness. Matches should be decided by skill. The new fusion rifle seems to make the owner play in God mode with instant kills activated. Normally, such things are regulated by a system that equalizes items in PvP. However, the best weapon in Destiny bypasses this balance.

The probably best weapon in Destiny combines advantages of fusion and scout rifles

In Destiny, a fusion rifle that drops from the final boss Atheon in the Vault of Glass on hard mode threatens to kill the balance in PvP. This is the exotic fusion rifle “Vex Mythoclast.” Normally, fusion rifles in Destiny are only special weapons, known as secondary weapons. However, exotic items sometimes break the rules set in the game, and that also applies to the Vex Mythoclast. This weapon counts as a primary weapon and causes significant damage.

As eurogamer.net analyzes, the probably best weapon in Destiny is a cross between a fusion rifle and a scout rifle that does as much damage as a special weapon without carrying the disadvantages of that category: It doesn’t rely on special ammunition, nor does it suffer from a slow rate of fire.

Since just this week, the first attempts in hard mode of “The Vault of Glass” have been made, the weapon is not yet widespread. Perhaps half a dozen of these killing machines might be in circulation at the moment, rather fewer.

Destiny

Vex Mythoclast drops from Atheon in the Vault of Glass on “hard”

The Vex Mythoclast is not always dropped by the boss – that would be too brutal – but only as a rare reward. The effects of the weapon can be seen in a PvP video: Here, a player dominates the Crucible so hard that enemies leave the match in droves. With just a few shots, he takes down opponent after opponent, only a Bladedancer sometimes manages to catch him in close combat.

The weapon and the drop were introduced by a lucky finder on reddit, and another player posted the link to the total dominance in the Crucible. One can be sure that the topic will be hotly discussed in the coming hours and days. A magazine is already speculating,that only the Suros Regime, an exotic auto rifle, could match with the Mythoclast – ironically, it was available during the weekend at Xur.

A nerf of the Vex Mythoclast is expected. However, this might take some time. At the moment, too few players have the weapon.

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You can check out the weapon more closely here . The profile of the type who makes shish kebabs out of opponents in the video can be found at bungie.net. And whatever else we have to say about Destiny, you can find at mein-mmo.de on the topic page.

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

Column: My Problem Child WildStar

There are very few games that make me feel both so happy and so sad at the same time as WildStar has in recent months. I don’t particularly like myself for my view of “the glass is half empty”, but I find it hard to shake this feeling off. The game has been in a downward spiral since its launch, the end of which I simply cannot see.

The recent changes: Easier raid access, faster progress

WildStar Raids
Raiding guilds are struggling with a lack of newcomers. This is supposed to improve with less grind and the megaserver.

The prevailing motto of the developers “The devs are listening” led to more or less prompt responses to the biggest complaints. While they continue to maintain the actual difficulty of the raids, access to these contents has been significantly eased. Parts of the questline that felt particularly “grindy” have been simplified so that latecomers can also participate in the raids faster (to then complain about their difficulty in the forum).

Another change is the availability of VIP and skill points, which could previously only be painstakingly acquired through ancestral gems that could only be obtained in very limited amounts – this gave characters who played from the very beginning a significant advantage, especially in PvP. With the new system, all characters – at least theoretically – can unleash their full potential within a week.

All this unfortunately does not disguise the fact that quite a bit is not working smoothly.

WildStar: A rocket in free fall

I praised WildStar in review back then for many positive aspects (and still do today), but it seems that the target audience is simply much smaller than expected.

All the players who longed for the “hardcore” raids of the past seem to have disappeared, or – which is much more likely – are simply not as “hardcore” as the often glorified past when you still experimented for 4 evenings a week around Chromaggus in the Blackwing Lair.

What went wrong?

I believe one can state without much opposition that a lot went wrong with WildStar. There were virtually no advertising campaigns for the game, or they were so cleverly hidden that no one noticed them. While all promises made at the launch of the game were kept, like many MMOs before, WildStar also suffered from countless teething problems like bugs and balancing issues that simply ruined certain aspects of the game.

WildStar PvP

No two months after the release, it was announced that the original plan for monthly content patches could not be kept and that they did not want to commit to any fixed dates – sad, considering that the contents of Content Drop 1 and 2 were mostly playable during beta. Certain inconsistencies in PvP (such as the uselessness of healers for a long time) drove many players away, and whether they will return is questionable.

The future: What could happen?

In the near future, we can expect megaservers, a rescue measure to consolidate declining player numbers, so that content such as instances and raids can still be experienced. While this is good for most players, it is rather detrimental to role-players, as I have already adequately mentioned. I sadly doubt that megaservers will be the comprehensive salvation that Carbine hopes for. Pessimistically, this looks like a clear case of “too little, too late” to me.

WildStar as a F2P game?

WildStar Free2Play

A long-term solution would be the transition to the free-to-play model, as many other games have done. Such a switch has, for example, saved TERA and SW:TOR from certain doom and turned them back into worthwhile projects with rising player numbers. At the same time, such a change is, of course, associated with a severe loss of prestige, as the transition is generally seen as a “death certificate” for an MMORPG.

If the developers were to take such a step, a new form of the in-game shop would inevitably be added. Possible offerings could include various exclusive housing items or potions that allow for faster experience gain. Account services such as additional character slots, name changes, or special costumes could also be conceivable, similar to what GuildWars 2 (and many others) does.

What is good and will stay good?

My favorite aspect of the game has only improved since day one – the housing is still fantastic, extensive, and the possibilities are virtually endless. No matter what one wants to realize, whether gloomy, silly, sublime, or kitschy, in Nexus, everyone can realize their own dream. The already rather relaxed maximum limits for items will be significantly raised in the upcoming patch, so one can let their creativity run wild even more than before.

WildStar Housing

The second major point is the fantastic combat system. Even after three months, I still enjoy the PvE aspects of the game, mostly due to the challenging telegraph system – although a few new enemy types with new attack patterns would be beneficial for the game.

What worries me: The developers

One thing that makes me very sad is the fact that you still see the developers cheerfully smiling in their livestreams. Perhaps I’m just imagining it, but I try to put myself in their shoes: They have worked for nearly eight years on WildStar, and the game received excellent reviews – and then the hype dies within a few weeks.

And yet they keep in close contact with the fans, answer many questions, and hold the “Nexus Report” weekly – even when only 500 people worldwide are watching the livestream. And yet they smile. I wouldn’t know how I would feel if years of work, which one is so convinced of and which was promising in every respect, failed as WildStar has. I can only hope that the people behind the smile feel the same way, that they remain optimistic about the future, and continue to hold on to their vision of WildStar – because the game is great; it just lacks players. So paradoxical as that sounds.

WildStar is an excellent game with a target audience that has simply become too small over the years. The upcoming months will show whether Carbine remains true to this small player core and continues to deliver what they promised or whether they will bow and make WildStar more mainstream, inevitably drowning it in the homogenized mass of today’s MMO variety. Regardless of what they do, someone will disapprove.

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

ArcheAge: Freedich – the Island of Provocation

In the Sandpark MMO ArcheAge , the island Freedich, in German Freienich, has a special status. Guilds have already settled here and hope to gain a dominant position, but not all servers see their plans succeed.

The Island Freedich in ArcheAge

“What should I do on the island Freienich?”, many might wonder, as they finish the main story quest in ArcheAge and suddenly have to row out into the Arkadian Sea around level 30, 35 to look for an island of which they know nothing but its name. ArcheAge is indeed a sandbox and has some surprises in store.

The island Freedich plays a special role in ArcheAge. It lies in the Arkadian Sea, in a sort of “Bermuda” triangle between the West, East, and the yet-closed Northern continent. Freedich is not the pirate island. That one is in the same area but in the northwest; rather, it is a type of “battlefield,” “freeport,” outpost, fulfilling several design functions.

For example, on it resides Captain Ragnorga, one of the pirate bosses needed for the Black Pearl, there is a Gilda Star merchant, quest NPCs for nautical adventures, and destructible containers with rewards. The island is worthwhile as a zone for merchants, adventurers, and sailors. Surrounding it are three smaller ports that serve as a stopping point for the three factions in ArcheAge (yes, pirates are their own faction) – there is even the possibility to teleport there.

Sounds like a cool dynamic, everyone has the same chance at everything, right? Exactly that is the problem. Because on the island, some houses can be built. As a result, some guilds have gained a permanent advantage that others see as unfair.

ArcheAge

Freedich as a Popular Residential Island

At the release of ArcheAge, when many average players still had to familiarize themselves with the basic principles, Freedich was already the coveted target of several top guilds and early starters. Because the tricky part: Houses can be built on the remote island. Not very many, perhaps room for a dozen houses, but they do exist.

So guilds had set a goal during the head start of ArcheAge to take possession of Freienich, this strategically important island. After they placed their houses on the island, they were able to use the recall spell at any time to get there and occupy a lucrative trade route far from the hustle and bustle: Freedich is worthwhile for both the West and the East as a hub for goods through the Gild Star merchant.

ArcheAge Trading Voyage

On some servers, a guild has taken over the entire island

As can be read on reddit, a strange situation has arisen. On some servers, a killer guild has spread here, controlling trade and ambushing and robbing players who want to exchange their trade pack there. These guilds have positioned a lookout on the island, who gives the signal to log out. Then heavily armed robbers rush out from island houses and rob the group that set out for the trade run.

The nasty thing about it, as one user complains on reddit, is that there is no counterplay against this advantage. It now simply exists for eternity: One guild has all the houses there. That will never change and is an unfair strategic advantage that some have gained purely by chance because they were logged in during the tumultuous head start time, while the rest was stuck in the queue of death.

In the video, you see Freedich as a target for a low-level trade run that is worthwhile through the Gild Star merchant.

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With 1.7, the spook ends – the camping of the campers already helps

On other servers, however, the situation looks different: Here, although a guild has secured all the houses on Freedich, it has messed up its relationship with the rest of the server through its behavior. The other guilds did not find that cool at all and are now camping the houses of the island guild, ruining their fun.

No matter how it is going on the individual servers. With patch 1.7, the spook ends: All houses on Freedich will be closed, and the advantage will no longer exist. However, when the patch, which is currently live in Korea, will come to Europe is not known.

What do you think? Have you been to Freedich, do you have your little house in ArcheAge there? Or are you even tougher and hanging out on the pirate island?

Here is another video that shows Freedich as an ideal place for guild ganks and slaughter:

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Destiny: In Search of Destiny’s Next Top Farming Spot

In the MMO shooter Destiny, new super farming spots for engrams appear every day. A player has now found a spot in the Rocketyard that promises plenty of loot.

Since Bungie closed the best-known farming spots in Destiny a few days ago, a real race has emerged over who gets to hold the title of “Destiny’s next super farming spot.” We already introduced you the day before yesterday with the Rocketyard, the so-called treasure cave 2.0, which presented itself as an early favorite for the crown in impressive form. But it is certainly not the only candidate for the crown. Other spots also offer lucrative loot and a remarkably fast spawn timer. No one needs to worry that the spots – like in a model search – would suffer from malnutrition. They all seem to be plump and fat.

Of course, there’s also the option to skip farming and go for strikes, missions, and instanced content, but the farming spots lure with juicy returns and especially good EXP. The trend right now is to have second and third characters, the farming spots are ideal for that.

The “Red Loot Box” spot requires spectacular continuous fire in Destiny

Now another spot has appeared on reddit, referred to by the finder as the “Red Loot Box” spot, practically a place of the red loot box.

Destiny Wallpaper Warlock

This insider tip is also located in the Rocketyard on Earth. The great thing here: there are two mob accesses open, allowing the loot to rush in. First – as with other spots – the area needs to be cleared, meaning pesky remaining spawns need to be eliminated, then you simply stand on the red light box and do it like in the video. Turn left, shoot, look straight ahead, shoot, and eventually collect the loot.

You should probably hurry. These spots are threatened with extinction. By Tuesday morning, they could be a thing of the past in Destiny. Perhaps Bungie will also put a sign on this spot with the red loot box that says “Please do not loot – monsters want to sleep in peace” on it.

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For more about the MMO Destiny, where players just do not want to play the way developers intend, check out our topic page.

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Destiny: Is it worth dismantling exotic weapons and armor?

In the MMO shooter Destiny the highest items, the exotic weapons and armor, should be collected. Dismantling them into parts is not worthwhile. They only yield as much as a legendary item, even if they are fully upgraded.

What to do with Used Exotics?

The exotic items in Destiny are coveted. They are stylish, have unique names, are hard to obtain, and pack a punch. However, each Guardian can only carry one exotic weapon and one exotic armor piece. So if there’s a new chest piece, the exotic helmet might have to leave the astral body. And when the karma gods provide a new golden gun, the used gun goes back into the inventory.

Some Guardians wonder: What do I get if I dismantle the exotic items? After all, a legendary weapon yields more than a rare one when I salvage it. And what happens if the item is fully upgraded? Do upgraded exotic weapons and armor yield more than unused Exotics?

Destiny-Suros-Regime

The Curiosity is the Exotic’s Doom: What do you get when you dismantle an exotic item in Destiny?

In the English-speaking forum reddit, several Guardians have already made the sacrifice and parted ways with one of their exotic items. The results are disappointing.

Dismantling an exotic item in Destiny yields just as much or little as salvaging a legendary item. This also applies to fully upgraded Exotics. The time and energy invested in them does not translate to better returns when dismantling. Only slightly more Glimmer than a Legendary is brought in by the Exotic. It’s not worth it in Destiny to dismantle the coveted items.

Destiny_Bad_Juju

Destiny’s Most Decadent Question: What to do with surplus exotic items?

As stated in the last letter from Bungie, exotic items should really be strong and special and ignite the collecting frenzy of the players. Every Guardian should strive to acquire all exotic items.

For items like “Bad Juju,” the bad karma, and “Thorn,” the thorn, that might not currently be the case, as they are a bit too weak. Here, Bungie wants to improve and give these two weapons abilities that live up to their status.

So: Do not dismantle the exotic items. Rather, collect them.

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SMITE: Gem Sunday – earn free in-game currency

Currently, you can get jewels in SMITE completely for free, which otherwise can only be purchased with real money, and until 30.09 you can earn 50 of these gems every day.

SMITE Jewels Sunday

For this Sunday, the developers from HI-REZ have come up with something special, as you can grab three times the amount of jewels.

To add the gems to your game account, you just need to win a few games on Sunday – for the first victory of the day, you get a whopping 75 jewels, and for all subsequent first victories (in the other game modes) you get 15 each, making a total of 150 jewels.

Anyone who has been playing diligently since the start of the promotion two weeks ago has been able to earn a total of 800 jewels – which would have cost 12 euros in the shop.


Smite is a free-to-play MOBA where gods from mythology serve as templates for the characters. This extraordinary setting and the action-packed gameplay from a third-person perspective, which resembles more of an MMO, are the pillars of success. The popularity that can be gleaned from gaming trends like Raptr continues to grow. We at Mein MMO have taken a closer look at the MOBA and recently published a review of SMITE.

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Guild Wars 2: Former Employee Welch on Fan Criticism

Kate Welch was a UI designer at the fantasy MMO Guild Wars 2 and somewhat of a spokesperson for the stream show “Point of Interest”. A few weeks ago, she left ArenaNet and now has quite a bit to say to the fans.

It’s not about the business

Kate Welch has left ArenaNet and is now sharing a lot on her mind in a YouTube video. Those hoping for some dirty laundry to be aired will be disappointed. Welch left on good terms, and her words are mostly directed at the players. There were apparently many things she had to endure over the years that she now wants to clarify. Understandably, this is the case for anyone transitioning from a public job, where they had to endure some criticism, back to a private life.

The frequent accusation that the developers are only in it for the money is not true, according to Welch. The people working in the video game industry are there because they love games and want to make players’ lives better. At least, that’s how they started.

Especially in Seattle, there are employers like Microsoft and Amazon who pay significantly more for exactly the same work. And those jobs require the same skills as those in the video game industry. Therefore, Welch asks everyone to consider amidst all the criticism: “Anyone who works here could earn more elsewhere.”

And how it is about the business

In the second point, she sees the individual employees more as cogs in a machine. And the mere talent of an individual doesn’t always play a role. Much lies simply outside of the individual’s control. In some weeks, it’s about increasing customer acquisition, and then everything revolves only around that.

So fans should please refrain from saying things like to a designer: “That icon looks terrible, I could have done better!”

The developer is not always truly responsible for that. The industry is saturated; anyone who lands a job has outperformed many others along the way and already has some skills. Fans might indeed sometimes be able to do it better, but in reality, it doesn’t play as big a role as one believes from the outside. It is still a business once you are in it, and it follows its own laws. It’s hard for an individual to really make a difference.

Welch advises developers to be more transparent

Welch has one more tip for the developers: they should strive for transparency. That is simply the trend today, and the companies that practice it have had great success.

Perhaps a little jab at her former employer ArenaNet. The community of Guild Wars 2 has been calling on ArenaNet for more transparency for some time now. You can enjoy Kate Welch’s video in English in full length afterwards.

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World of Tanks 9.3: Light Tanks, Heavy Penalties

The tank MMO World of Tanks is launching patch 9.3, bringing new light tanks into the game and introducing stricter penalties for players who shine through unauthorized absence.

World of Tanks aims for world domination. It’s coming to more and more systems, conquering more markets, and is now operating on land (World of Tanks), in the air (World of Warplanes), and at sea (World of Warships). Additionally, it’s making waves on Twitch. But that can only happen if players feel comfortable and continuously receive new toys.

With patch 9.3, Wargaming is introducing a series of new light tanks in World of Tanks. What one typically refers to as light in the tank world. These are the models:

  • USA: T37 (Tier VI), M41 Walker Bulldog (Tier VII), T49 (Tier VIII).
  • USSR: LTTB (Tier VII), T-54 light (Tier VIII).
  • Germany: Spähpanzer RU 251 (Tier VIII)

Additionally, players who quit games will now face harsher penalties, meaning those who simply leave an ongoing match. Our Cortyn recently got very upset about this in Smite.

Along with some balance changes and the general beautification of tanks (in HD!), there is also an expansion of the map “Murowanka” in World of Tanks from 800×800 to 1000×1000. In the game mode “Fortress”, players can now act as a mercenary, a player without a clan. This idea was probably borrowed from WildStar, as there was something similar planned with the unfortunate Warplots.

The patch notes for World of Tanks can be found here. For more details on how they intend to penalize quitting, you can read this post on the World of Tanks homepage.

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Defiance: The TV series based on the MMO shooter is entering its third season

The TV series based on the MMO shooter Defiance will also experience a third season on the Syfy channel. The plot is intensifying, the status quo is over, and things are heating up in the MMO as well.

Defiance is not only a free-to-play MMO shooter from Trion Worlds but also a science fiction series on the Canadian Syfy network. And as it goes with series: they tend to get canceled quickly.

Defiance, the MMO, has already emotionally and mentally prepared for this and stated, it can continue to exist even without the series. After all, it mostly has to anyway, since the series is only aired for a few months each year. However, the creators of Defiance would prefer if the series would be continued. Because there, the storyline could be told more intricately and sensitively advanced, while in the MMO they are more responsible for the action.

Good news for all Defiance fans: Syfy has renewed the series, and it is going into the third season.

Defiance is now available for free on PC and PlayStation 3. The announced switch to free-to-play for Xbox 360 has not worked, and fans are still waiting for a new date. A comprehensive guide, which shows you the basics of Defiance, the MMO shooter, can be found here.

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Source(s):
  1. Polygon

Destiny: Is the next raid a bunker and already in-game?

In the MMO shooter Destiny, a player has now discovered an actually inaccessible area, a fully designed bunker. Could this be the area for the next raid?

Images of a previously inaccessible area in the MMO Destiny have surfaced on reddit. They match a video from the beta a few months ago, when players managed to glitch into a kind of “bunker” and took some great footage there. According to the reddit user, he managed to glitch outside the boundaries of the “Cosmodrome” map and landed in this bunker.

New raid in Destiny could be a bunker – or is it a DLC?

While a US site reported on this and mentioned a “DLC” that could come into the game, others believe that this is “merely” the area for the next raid. Rumors had surfaced just before release that one of the next raids in Destiny could lead to the moon.

Reddit-Bunker-Destiny


In any case, it seems that the terrain is actually already playable and fully designed; now it just needs mobs, but they are already in the game. Some fans are frustrated about why the raid in Destiny isn’t made accessible yet when it appears to be almost complete.

Withholding content is now common practice in MMOs

Mein MMO thinks: In MMORPGs, it has become common for developers to hold back actually playable content at release so that they can deliver it shortly after launch as the first content patch. This has happened in titles like The Elder Scrolls Online and WildStar, for example. As a result, players at the maximum level are not overwhelmed with “too much to do” right away. Of course, fresh and well-developed content creates a good vibe, keeps the game feeling fresh, and generates good press. However, everyone should understand that complex new game content like raids or new zones takes time to develop.

However, one of the major criticisms of Destiny, pointed out by many magazines, is that too much has been removed from the base game to create an incentive for purchasing later DLCs. As a result, the actual game has too many gaps, especially in the storyline.

We will see when the “Bunker Ras-2” finds its way into the live version of Destiny. At the moment, very few have seen the first raid, the Vault of Glass, let alone completed it on the hard difficulty.

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SMITE: Patch introduces new God “Sylvanus” and new skins

Sylvanus Art Design Smite
Art design of the new god “Sylvanus”

Three weeks have passed, and a new patch for the F2P MOBA “SMITE” is coming, featuring a new god, new skins, voice packs, and some balance changes. Furthermore, the currently heavily criticized matchmaking will be revised, and we have summarized the main changes for you here.

New God: Sylvanus

Sylvanus is a Roman god, a guardian of the forest and nature. He rides a gigantic treant and uses it for most of his abilities. He will likely primarily take on the role of a supporter, as he possesses both healing and crowd control abilities. If you want to get a glimpse of Sylvanus, you can try him on the test server until Sunday.

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New Skins and Voice Packs

The Chinese god “He Bo” is getting a new skin as part of the Odyssey, which can be purchased for 400 gems starting Tuesday – the purchase also includes a free treasure chest. Besides the black and purple look, the “Infinity Wave” also features its own voice pack, which is already causing a stir on the internet with its rather crude double entendre humor.

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Kumbhakarna is also getting a new appearance, the “Pajama Party” skin perfectly fits his rather sleepy demeanor and also comes with a new voice pack.

Lastly, “Hel” is receiving a long-awaited “recolor,” which allows for a new coloring of her original appearance, which can be unlocked with favor or gems. Players have long wished for new variations for this goddess, and it has been promised that “more will come for Hel.”

Furthermore, fans of “Heavy Metal Thor” and of course the new god Sylvanus can look forward to standalone voice packs.

New Matchmaking

The patch will also lay the groundwork for a new matchmaking system – primarily, they want to test the system first. The new tool will improve over time and will need to “learn” to find the best player pairings. It will take several weeks before the system is fully operational, and they ask for your understanding that the matchmaking “will be worse before it gets better.”

Balance Changes

Smite God Cabrakan

In addition to some minor changes to existing items, the two gods “Kukulkan” and “Mercury” will be nerfed, with Kukulkan’s damage over time from his whirlwind lasting only 2 instead of 3 seconds, and both the range and radius of Mercury’s “Made You Look” will be reduced. Serquet will also be hit by the nerf bat, her cooldown for “Ambush” will be increased from 15 to 17 seconds to take away some of her mobility.

The tank Cabrakan, on the other hand, will be slightly buffed, as the duration of his stun will be increased, and the cooldown of his abilities will be reduced.

You can try all the changes until Sunday on the public test server; if no major bugs are found in the patch, it will likely go live next Monday or Tuesday at the latest. You can view the full patch notes below at the source (in English).

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H1Z1: No more bow and arrow – Armorer talks about recoil and authenticity of firearms

In the survival MMO H1Z1, weapon expert Jimmy Whisenhunt speaks up in a dev blog. He explains how a weapon from our real world makes it into the zombie apocalypse of H1Z1, what steps it goes through, and what it will feel like for the player to hold that much firepower in their hands.

Jimmy Whisenhunt is a former Counter-Strike pro gamer, and if he knows something, it’s weapons. At Sony Online Entertainment, that’s exactly his specialty: weapons and the combat system. He is also the weapons master for H1Z1. In a blog post, he explains the process of how a weapon from our real world ends up in the zombie apocalypse of H1Z1.

H1Z1_Waffen-Ticks

Artists, animators, and the weapons master collaborate

In the first step, 3D artists provide a model based on references from the real world – that is, images or physical objects. This model then goes to the animators, who are responsible for the movements in the game. Now, it’s important to get the moving parts right.

Whisenhunt comes into play at the end of these phases to take a look and provide initial feedback. Thus, Whisenhunt works closely with the animators at the end of the second phase.

In the third phase, he takes the designed and movable model, which is still in a relatively rough state, and brings it into the world of H1Z1 for the first time. Now the third step begins. Very soon, one can see in the game whether the grip position is correct and the angle is okay. It’s also crucial that the weapon responds correctly to all the player’s movements and that there are no issues here.

H1Z1_Armbrustgewehr

Real weapons wouldn’t fit H1Z1

In the fourth step, Whisenhunt dives into the details: Excel sheets, trajectories, and ballistics. He almost always starts by ensuring that the weapon’s ballistics behave exactly like in the real world. But that’s never how it goes into the game. Because real weapons and their trajectories wouldn’t work in a game, Whisenhunt emphasizes. And that’s ultimately the most important thing. One does not want to create something just because that’s how it is in reality; rather, the weapons need to feel good and be fun in the zombie world of H1Z1.

The various weapons in H1Z1 will have individual recoil. The combat system is designed so that a weapon doesn’t return to its original position before the shot after firing and recoil. But they are still working on these details of the combat system; players will have ample opportunity to explore it during Early Access.

For the enthusiasts who understand such things, Whisenhunt also brings some technical jargon: In H1Z1, players will opt for a Cylinder of Fire model with high recoil instead of a Cone of Fire model.


More about the zombie MMO H1Z1 can be found on our topic page.

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Source(s):
  1. H1Z1

World of Warcraft: Lords of War Part 5 – Maraad

In the latest part of Blizzard’s short film series about World of Warcraft, the focus this time is primarily on one of the advisors of the King of the Alliance: the Draenei Maraad.

He was present when the city of Shattrath was attacked by the Orcs, and many Draenei fell victim to the seemingly endless onslaught of the demon-infested greenskins. What exactly distinguishes his fate from that of the other defenders of Shattrath, what burden he must carry for the rest of his life, and why King Varian Wrynn briefly doubts his advisor, you can find out best by watching the video. At the end of the short film, the king calls all heroes of the Alliance – that is, the players – to arms to prepare them for war; the Iron Horde is not far away.

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You can find the previous parts on our topic page about World of Warcraft.

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  1. eu.battle.net/wow/

Destiny: 1.02 aims to alleviate Cryptarch frustration, changes Engrams

In the MMO shooter Destiny , Patch 1.02 will be deployed next week. It changes how engrams work. From now on, each engram should drop at least one item of the same quality level.

Update 1/10/14: The patch was deployed on Wednesday evening at 7 PM. Here is the new article about it.

Frustrating engram system in Destiny is being changed

Destiny

The loot system in Destiny frustrates many: players collect legendary engrams and are excited for the content, only to find that it is a blue or green item that they can’t use at all. It feels like drawing a dud, yet this is the norm: two-thirds of legendary engrams are weaker than their color suggests. And since legendary engrams are relatively rare, every blue item from the Cryptarch feels like a friendly middle finger.

There is already a Twitter account where a legendary engram mocks its followers – and the statistics on what comes out of the engrams is simply disappointing. Players circumvented the low probabilities in Destiny with extensive shooting at dark and highly lucrative caves, but they stopped doing that as well.

The injustice of the engrams in Destiny has now been recognized by Bungie, and with the next patch, the way engrams work will change. 1.02 is set to be deployed next week, probably by Tuesday morning.

Engrams will now adhere to color theory in Destiny

Destiny Sword Screenshot

From now on, engrams should drop at least their own quality level – and potentially even items of higher quality. For the rare engrams, the blue ones, the chance of legendary items appearing has also been increased. With legendary engrams, exotic items or materials can also be decoded.

Additionally, the weekly and daily Heroics and the Vanguard: Tiger Playlist will provide more rare and legendary engrams in addition to what they already give.

And now the bad news: Bungie will turn every legendary engram that you have in your inventory at the time of the patch into just a rare one. But as Bungie reassured in the announcement: Let’s not kid ourselves, they would have been rare items anyway.

The video here will look quite different after the patch:

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  1. 1.02 Preview

Destiny: New farming spot found – still works after nerf

A new farming spot for engrams and green items has been discovered in the MMO shooter Destiny, after almost all known spots were closed yesterday.

Videos show new farming spot: Treasure Cave 2.0

Bungie increased the spawn timer from six to forty seconds at five locations yesterday. As a result, these spots are no longer as attractive as before. This happened because the developers did not want their darling Destiny to be played in such a mundane way. The players see it differently and long for another treasure cave to quickly stock up on engrams and items. But did Bungie kill all farming spots in one fell swoop? Of course not.

There are already alternative spots circulating online for the legendary treasure cave. One of them, the Treasure Cave 2.0, we will introduce to you in more detail. It is currently the hottest spot. Just like in the original, the mobs have a spawn timer of six seconds and their supply knows no bounds. So better stick to it until Bungie also pays this spot a visit with the nerf hammer.

The spot is located in the “Rocketyard” on Earth and still works after the hotfix that closed the other self-service caves.

Music now plays in the Rocketyard in Destiny

The video shows that the player positions himself diagonally opposite the actual cave to block the spawn behind him, while then having a clear line of fire on the cave. It takes a little time for the mobs to cover the meters and come into the line of fire. Maybe the flair of the original is missing, but it currently seems to be the best spot in Destiny to farm legendary engrams, that will drive you to white heat.

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We describe another current farming area in this article. Do you know any other spots that are just as good or better? Then let us know.


You can find more about the MMO Destiny with plenty of tips and information on our Destiny topic page.

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Destiny: Xur is here, takes Strange Coins, gives these Exotics

In the MMO shooter Destiny, the mysterious vendor Xur has reappeared with a new selection of exotic items.

The “Strange Coins” are the only currency he accepts. His working hours are from Friday noon to Sunday noon, each at 11:00, making them quite dreamy. We’re talking about Xur, the “I only work on weekends and have cool stuff” vendor in Bungie’s Destiny. It’s that time again, the fine gentleman has decided to drop by the Tower once more. We’ll tell you where he hangs out and what he has this time.

Where is Xur?
According to reddit, Xur, the Strange Coins vendor in Destiny, is located under the vendor of the Future War Cult, down the stairs next to the vendor for the Dead Orbit faction. But don’t take our word for it, we’re terrible at giving directions, check out how this guy finds him in a Youtube video.

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These are the exotic items in Destiny this week

As a weapon for 23 Strange Coins, he offers this gem, the Suros Regime. It is considered the best auto rifle in Destiny so far – and auto rifles are strong anyway, Bungie is already planning a nerf:

Destiny-Suros-Regime

For the Hunters, he has this exotic helmet and would like 13 Strange Coins for it:

Destiny-Knucklehead-Radar

For Warlocks and 13 Coins, he gives out this mirror thing, also an exotic helmet:

Destiny-Apotheosis

And the Titans can look forward to this exotic chest piece if they collect 13 Coins:

Destiny-Crest

For 20 Motes of Light, he also sells another exotic helmet, what comes out is up to chance.

In the clip, you can see the auto rifle that Xur has this week in action. Many consider the Suros Regime to be the best exotic auto rifle in Destiny.

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Learn more about Destiny on our topic page, which is not as well stocked as Xur. But it is always open and does not ask for strange coins.

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  1. reddit

Elder Scrolls Online: With Update 5, it goes daily into the dungeons

In the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, TESO, the fifth update may revolve around dungeons, group search, and daily dungeon quests.

The Creative Director of The Elder Scrolls Online, Paul Sage, has now spoken up in the English-language forum reddit and provided a sneak peek – out of turn – at what players can expect in Update 5. In the past, Sage has unexpectedly shared information that nobody was anticipating; for example, he once preempted nearly all major changes and revelations planned for QuakeCon during a podcast.

The Elder Scrolls Online Improves Group Search Tool

According to Sage, players can expect a revamp of the group search and how dungeons scale in Update 5.

With Update 5, the group search tool, the LFG tool, will be fundamentally redesigned to better fulfill its purpose of bringing players together. This is necessary with this update, as dungeons are becoming increasingly important.

The Elder Scrolls Online

Daily Quests, Endless Repeatable Dungeons

The Undaunted would introduce daily quests for dungeons with Update 5. These daily quests (so-called Dailies) should provide rewards that are level-appropriate and also grant decent experience points.

And the dungeons could be adjusted to the player’s level with Update 5. They would scale according to the level of the group leader.

Once the minimum level of a dungeon is reached, one can always return; the dungeon remains challenging and rewarding. This dramatically increases replayability.

However, Sage says that while they plan to bring this with Update 5, one can never be completely sure about such things.

As a glimpse into the future, Sage also mentions that they have nothing against the idea of members of different factions tackling a dungeon together. However, that is something for the future and will take a while.


More about the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online can be found on our theme page.

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Hearthstone is available as a counterfeit in real life – worse than the original

A real version of the online card game Hearthstone has now emerged in China. However, it is a fake and turns out to be quite impractical.

GamesinAsia has tracked down a “real” version of the online card game Hearthstone. It is a “knock-off”, an unauthorized copy of Blizzard’s digital game. While the reporter can indeed warm up to a real game and the allure of the new, he notices the drawbacks of this unusually analog version. The cards are now outdated, after numerous balance fixes in the live version, and the game proves to be significantly slower than on screen. Effects like a simple “silence” have to be awkwardly represented on the individual cards with markers.

A turn that takes thirty seconds online would quickly consume five minutes. It is particularly cumbersome to set up the board and gather the deck. Selecting the right cards from the various boxes is likely too tedious for digitally spoiled players of Hearthstone.

However, the game is – despite lacking a license from Blizzard – detailed and extensive: There are two of each class card, and four versions of the regular and legendary cards in the game – and even more of cards like the “Unleash the Hounds!” dog. With a price of almost $50, as venturebeat found out, one can probably expect that.

You can find images of the “real” fake Hearthstone at gamesinasia.

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Source(s):
  1. Venturebeat

Hearthstone: Now more than ever – Hunter deck makes it to the top despite nerf

In Blizzard’s free online card game Hearthstone, a Hunter deck has once again reached the top of the North American rankings – despite the harsh nerfing of a key card.

Hunter Deck Hearthstone

The player ErA is currently being celebrated on reddit. He has reached 1st place in the North American ladder. That would already be an achievement. However, he has managed to do it with the class that some now say the nerf has finished off: the Hunter. Its key card “Starving Buzzard” was hit hard by the nerf hammer from Blizzard this week. The card draw card has been made almost unplayable and is therefore also missing in Era’s deck.

Instead, he consistently relies on the Undertaker and numerous smaller minions with Deathrattle effects and the combo of Mad Scientist and some traps. Additionally, the Black Knight shines in his deck, a card that reliably clears taunts and is among the strongest in high ladder matches.

Alongside the feared removals of the Hunter, the Savannah Highmane also shines in the deck as a truly powerful card.

In a thread on reddit, ErA is congratulated on the achievement. There is a consensus: at the top of the ladder, it’s mainly about playing with something that others simply do not expect. And that four days after the nerf, a Hunter deck is taking off, not many would have expected that.

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  1. reddit

Destiny: Shotguns will soon be weaker, Scout rifles stronger

In the MMO shooter Destiny , balancing will soon be adjusted, as is already being communicated. In an initial assessment of the situation, it becomes clear which weapon types can look forward to the next patch and which should rather fear it.

In addition to the hotfix that affected the treasure cave, Bungie also spoke yesterday about other topics, including how the situation on the weapon market is assessed. The individual weapon types are designed in Destiny with specific tasks in mind. How do they fulfill these and where does Destiny need to improve?

Scout rifles go up, shotguns and auto rifles go down

This is how the weapon types currently look, and this is the direction, either up or down, they are headed soon:

  • Shotguns, should be strong at short range, but useless at longer distances. That is currently not the case. Shotguns are still useful at long range, especially when tuned accordingly. This is not in line with Bungie’s intention, and it could change soon.
  • Scout rifles, on the other hand, are currently seen as too weak. They want to significantly strengthen them. However, they should be difficult to use at short range.
  • Auto rifles, should deal decent damage at short and medium range, but face issues at long range. Currently, they are too strong against distant targets, sometimes stronger than the intended scout rifles. They want to address this.

Destiny wants to strengthen the exotic weapons

Destiny_Thorn_Exotische_Waffe

Another weapon topic is the exotic weapons. According to Bungie, they should look as if they could turn the entire game upside down, but of course they do not. Exotic weapons should be such in Destiny that a player wants to collect them all, as they offer advantages in different situations.

Destiny_Bad_Juju

Currently, especially “Thorn” and “Bad Juju” fall short of the quality standard that Bungie expects from exotic weapons. Some have taken great effort to obtain these weapons and are now disappointed. Bungie also wants to address this soon. Bungie advises not to dismantle these exotic weapons, but to keep them for a little while longer.

Here’s a short video on how to get your hands on Thorn:

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And here is a video about Bad Juju, the bad karma:

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Source(s):
  1. Bungie