Destiny: Searching for Opinions on Destiny – Test, Metacritic and Reddit

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

The MMO Destiny is playable for some for more than 30 hours, the first test and the excitement about it have also been around and there is a console war raging on Metacritic. What do the hardcore fans think of Destiny so far?

French “Test” Topic of the First Day

Just a few hours after the game was released, a test by a French magazine appeared with a mediocre rating. By the way, it appeared on many pages right next to a news about Bungie’s warning that early tests should not be taken seriously.

Destiny Story

Globally, other magazines eagerly jumped on this test, pointing to it, calling it a “Clickbait,” and irresponsibly writing a test so early, claiming it was only fabricated to generate clicks. Nevertheless, they were happy to report on it. This is probably called having your cake and eating it too.

The Console War Rages on Metacritic

Destiny Wallpaper Warlock

Meanwhile, on Metacritic, as noted by Gamezone in a venomous article, fans of Xbox, PlayStation, and PC are fighting. They rate Destiny down on the “enemy” console, up on their own, complain about PSN or that the game doesn’t match Borderlands enough or that it’s going downhill with Bungie and that the absence of a PC version is the worst – or whatever. Right now, neither the fans on Metacritic nor the early “reviews” from colleagues are very informative.

Many large sites have formed streaming teams, writing articles about the first hours of gameplay and conducting a sort of “perpetual test” with regular impressions.

What Do Hardcore Fans Say About Destiny?

In search of opinions, we ventured into the English forum Reddit and into the cave of fans, the Destinygame subreddit.
“Was the hype justified?” is the question. And the answer is a resounding “Sort of.”

Many enjoy the shooter part of the game, even though a certain “grind-heavy” nature could already be observed in early levels. The processes and tasks repeat quickly. The RPG elements are rather shallow, while the controls and shooter elements are viewed positively.

One criticism at the moment is the lack of “social components” in the game; there Bungie probably still has to catch up, fans agree. And even though max-level characters have already been spotted, the endgame is still a long way off for hardcore fans. There is so much to do, one fan happily remarks.

Destiny Venus Screenshot

Especially, in early experiences, teamwork is praised. Completing the “strikes” with lousy gear and after some struggle gives fans a kick and fills them with satisfaction.

But “Is the hype justified?” – a fan has an answer to that too, and it is quite unsentimental: “No, no game can ultimately match the immense hype.” Destiny, so perhaps the consensus, is good, as good as players could expect from the beta, but not “the greatest game of all time.”

Perhaps with the announced DLCs, it will get there, after all, Bungie plans to support the game for over 10 years. There’s still plenty of time for judgment.

More about the shared-world shooter/MMO (depending on who you ask) can be found on our topic page on Destiny.

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

Elder Scrolls Online: Update 4 is coming next week

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, TESO, the update number four seems to announce a lot of group content for next week.

This week, community manager Kai Schober announced in the forum that there will be no maintenance work. They are so close to releasing the fourth update that they prefer to invest all their energy and time into this rather than deploy another interim patch.

Some fans would have liked to see a restart of the EU server, as they are complaining about performance issues and lag.

Generally, it is now assumed, for example on reddit, that the next update will be deployed in the USA on Monday next week and in Europe on Tuesday morning. This has not been officially confirmed. Update four for The Elder Scrolls Online will especially please fans of group PvE: Here, they are tweaking the phasing, animations, and bringing a whole lot of endgame content back into the game.

What the 1.4, update 4, brings for TESO has been summarized here.

Update Wednesday 4 PM: It is now officially confirmed that one can expect update 4 next week. It was officially confirmed in a forum post (source 2). They plan to reset the servers on Thursday or Friday, then these complaints should also be resolved.

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

Landmark with Combat System: Everquest Next was not built in a day

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

Landmark, the Minecraft-like MMO to Everquest Next, now has a combat system.

If you have been following the coverage around Everquest Next and are wondering why it is so quiet: For the most part, players can always see in the “sand and digging box” Landmark, how far the development for Everquest Next has progressed. And right now, they are far enough along to introduce the combat system. Three weapons are available, you can also die now and the action begins.

Although, as mmobomb writes, there’s still nothing to win, it still looks fun. We have the trailer for you:
http://youtu.be/jZqF1KEMWoU

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

Skyforge: Paladin, classic tank, modern combat system

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In the god MMO Skyforge , a new class is introduced with the Paladin.

The Paladin is one of the three base classes in the god MMO Skyforge that players start with. The others are the Lightbinder, from which healing classes will branch out, and the Cyromancer, an ice mage who is the progenitor of the DPS in Skyforge.

The class system seems to be such that you play with one of the three base classes for a while before unlocking “intermediate” classes and later “advanced” classes. The Paladin takes on a classic tank role in the Holy Trinity. He stands at the forefront and protects healers and DPS from unwanted aggression.

A video about the Paladin can be found below. Also interesting: On the homepage of Skyforge, you can find the individual skills of the Paladin as well as the mouse combinations used. Many actions are performed by left or right mouse button, repeated or alternating presses. This “arcade”-like combat system, which is unfamiliar to us Western MMORPG players, could become more common in the coming years with Black Desert, Bless, and Blade and Soul. All these games with an Asian touch rely on combos and a more dynamic combat system, which we long-nosed individuals are more accustomed to from fighters.

Recommended editorial content

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

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

League of Legends: The game that has it all wants even more

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

In the MBOA League of Legends, the strategy for the coming years is becoming clear, and it can be summarized in one word: cult. Apparently, Riot Games wants to take the game to the next level by giving the champions new stories, putting a face to the top players, and providing a narrative for eSports.

League of Legends is currently at the pinnacle of gaming. In any statistic – Riot’s brainchild is at the forefront. How many hours a game is played; how much money the developer makes; how many players are playing in total; how popular a game is as an eSport; in the Twitch rankings, in this or that statistic – everywhere League of Legends is number one. And comfortably number one at that. The foundation is laid, the structure is in place, and there is nothing more to improve on the formula.

So, who should the game learn from? Dota 2, Counter-Strike, or one of the emerging MOBAs? No. Then from whom? From the major sports leagues of this world. With celebrity culture, a cult around the sport, and a cult around the champs, Riot Games now seeks to usher in a new era.

Game Culture: Giving Faces to the Characters

A first taste of the direction Riot would take, was received by fans a few months ago. A lavish clip garnered attention, showcasing the familiar champs known from the lanes suddenly as stars in their own film: What would a movie look like with the well-known champs as characters? Well, pretty stunning.

Recommended editorial content

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

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

This new trend of making champions more than just “top laners with Q, W, E, and R” will be Riot’s new strategy to make the game even more popular. This is also reflected in the latest news: A reboot of the lore is on the horizon. Fans are being asked for more creative freedom in the design of the champions, to reboot their backstories and break free from overly tight constraints.

Celebrity Culture: Putting Players in Front of a Camera

The second major idea Riot Games is pursuing is the celebrity culture around the top players. Whether Faker, Bjergsen, or HotshotGG – in League of Legends, top players should become stars, and the “normal” players become their fans who watch them on streams, seeing them standing next to a comparatively tiny host in an obscure behind-the-scenes view, or presenting themselves in short videos.

Recommended editorial content

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

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

Some players visibly struggle with taking on such an unfamiliar role. The arguably strongest player at the moment, the Korean Faker, seems much more comfortable producing Gragas highlight plays on a conveyor belt than making a statement on camera about how he feels about being perhaps the most recognizable name in League of Legends. Meanwhile, other players feel quite at home in front of the camera.

Whether this strategy will eventually bear fruit in making the top players into “social media” stars is going to be an interesting question. It seems to be the most shaky of the new pillars at the moment.

Giving the Game Culture and Tradition

In football, it’s quite normal to reference the veterans of earlier times, fantastic matches, and historic moments from past tournaments. In League of Legends, this “earlier” was only three years ago, and the “former” veterans are now 24, yet they are spoken of as if they were approaching retirement age. No question, League of Legends is fast-paced. Unlike other sports, where it takes decades for changes to take place, no season in LoL resembles another. Maps are revised, the balance changes, new champs are constantly added to the game.

Nevertheless, Riot Games is now making an effort to bring the tradition of the game itself to the forefront. They aim to put the rapid growth (from 200 viewers at the World Championship in 2011, to the expected 45,000 in 2014) into perspective. To show that they are more than just a Tamagotchi or a Hula-Hoop, some trend that no one remembers after three years, but a new piece of lifestyle, a part of our world. And to achieve this, they are employing an ancient method: they relate the past, create connections, give facts dynamics, weave a narrative framework: they engage in the oldest profession of mankind. They tell a story.

They want to convey the stories behind successes and failures, tournaments and victories. In short: they are building a myth around the game itself that recalls American sports movies or documentaries. The myth is meant to give the happenings on the ever-growing screens in the ever-larger halls and before an ever-growing audience more depth and more dimensions.

Recommended editorial content

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

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

It will be interesting to see if League of Legends succeeds with this three-part strategy in strengthening the game “outside of the game”. The actual recipe of the MOBA, as the values show, probably needs little alteration. Success vindicates Riot.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Kotaku (Doku)
  2. Dev Blog (Reboot)

ArcheAge: Rush for the best plots is expected for the head start

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 4 minutes

The sandbox MMO ArcheAge is just a few days away from the headstart for founders. Could a special game mechanic make the launch particularly turbulent?

Every crowd has its magic

The opening minutes in an MMO are often remembered by many players. This probably applies to the technicians in the server rooms as well. In a “normal” theme park game, like WildStar, an enormous number of players log in as soon as the clock strikes “release”.

The goal is to be the first to reach level 5, to be the first to leave the starter zone, to stay ahead of the “wave” of players so that the quest zones are as empty as possible, the green mob fields remain lush and green before the masses trample over them and you end up in an MMO traffic jam. The first minutes in an MMO are not only the most memorable but also a bit like when an “all-you-can-eat” buffet is opened up for looting or a free beer stand is launched. Exciting, satisfying, but you need to use your elbows.

ArcheAge Siege Wars

In the sandbox MMO ArcheAge, this is no different – those who logged in during the open beta found themselves surrounded by a horde of level 1 characters. In ArcheAge, solo players do not share the mobs – unlike in other games nowadays. When groups were not formed, there was quite a crowd around the mobs during the open beta.

What matters for building a house? Location, location, location

During the head start of ArcheAge on September 12 – when it counts – the situation is even more intensified. Because in a theme park MMO, it ultimately doesn’t matter when you leave the beginner zone. No one will take anything from you. There’s really no reason to push to the front at the buffet and load your plate up to your chin: Because the buffet will never run out. The mobs respawn, quest items reappear.

ArcheAge Farming

In ArcheAge, however, the buffet does empty. Although mobs respawn here too and of course you progress through the quests, prime properties for the much-praised sandbox elements of ArcheAge may be taken: “Land” is a finite resource, and the best spots are coveted. Those who arrive late must take what’s left. The official forum is currently discussing this so-called “land grab”.

A user explains the ranking of properties and what to look out for:

  1. By the coast
  2. Near special crafting stations
  3. Mild climate
  4. Located in a non-PvP zone
  5. In a PvP zone but at least blessed with one of the other advantages.

Coastal access is optimal because it gives you flexibility and makes it easier to build your trade empire. Crafting stations nearby shorten the distances. In a mild climate, certain plants and animals thrive better. Those who build in a non-PvP zone can sleep more soundly.

ArcheAge, the game with the real estate agent

A “land grab” refers to the phenomenon in ArcheAge or other games where the fastest players secure the prime pieces and occupy the best positions. In ArcheAge, it adds to the fact that players with a head start have already made plans to occupy properties in their vicinity and later sell them to latecomers at outrageous prices. Yes, that’s right: Soon, players won’t be complaining about a too difficult quest mob or an annoying quest, but about real estate prices in a certain neighborhood.

Farm in ArcheAge
Billy and Sarah-Mae are still paying the purchase price of their little house to local real estate whale Jerry “The Blade” McKey.

Especially the founders, who go live four days before the others, have the opportunity to establish themselves before Free2Play players start. Particularly intense: guilds that as part of their strategy to achieve world domination have already scouted areas and plan to occupy them.

But even among the founders, there will be scrambling and fighting for the first spots in the first hours. Therefore, ArcheAge could experience one of the most turbulent opening hours in the history of MMOs when the headstart begins on Friday.

For those who are afraid as Free2Play players of coming in four days late: Trion Worlds reserves the right to open new servers if necessary. There, it starts fresh and the four-day lead of the founders is irrelevant.

My MMO says: This is a highly interesting new dynamic that sandbox MMOs bring to the genre. The first hours and days of ArcheAge will surely be an unforgettable experience for many players who have been looking forward to it for a long time. The question is whether and how this competition system among players will affect those who come too late. Such elements are certainly good for the genre. No one needs more MMOs that follow the same design principles.

More about the game can be found on our ArcheAge theme page.

To conclude, here’s a short English YouTube video that deals with housing.

Recommended editorial content

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

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

World of Warcraft: The Fate of a Cancer Patient Unites Hundreds of Players

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

Usually, the countless gaming forums are precisely the wrong place to share personal matters, such as misfortunes, as such posts are often dissected by flamers and trolls and dragged into the abyss of human indecency. Just think of the well-known case in which a son had died and the father wanted to thank the community in his son’s name in the World of Warcraft forum for all the fun his son had. The first comment at that time was “What did he drop?”.

Community organizes events and donates in honor of the ailing guild leader

Tabytha and David Armstrong
Tabytha and David Armstrong.

It is all the more delightful to hear that such things can also happen quite differently, as happened a few weeks ago on the Eldre’Thalas server: Tabytha and David Armstrong have been successfully leading a guild there to this day. David decided to create a thank you thread for the developers at Blizzard because World of Warcraft is a very big deal in their life and a passion that the two have shared for many years – but the 33-year-old Tabytha is suffering from cancer and doctors predict a life expectancy of only about one more year.

The community reacted promptly: On the weekend following the thank you, about 250 players from all possible realms gathered on Eldre’Thalas and organized large events with giveaways, participants could win countless prizes, such as rare mounts or vouchers for real life. Overall, the event in honor of the ailing guild leader and her husband was a complete success that moved both to tears. They said they were “overwhelmed” by the sympathy and countless get well wishes from their fellow players.

Through a subsequent fundraising appeal on youcaring.com, they can even attend BlizzCon (the fundraising goal was $500, but it was surpassed tenfold in a short time), a long-standing dream of the couple – of course, only if treatment methods and health do not stand in the way. The community managers at Blizzard immediately offered the two to meet at Blizzard’s trade fair.

World of Warcraft event for Tabytha Armstrong
Players organize events for the cancer-stricken Tabytha Armstrong, who is expected to live only another year (Image source: Heather Newman, venturebeat.com).

[quote_right]”WoW is more than a game”[/quote_right]

In an interview, Tabytha stated how grateful she is to the community for all this support and that her family could now understand when she told them repeatedly “WoW is more than a game”. For many, it is a social fabric that can provide support and strength – like in this shining example, which will likely be talked about for a long time, but unfortunately so far represents a rare exception.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. venturebeat.com: Player’s cancer diagnosis unites World of Warcraft community

Destiny: Xbox Chief speaks out for Xbox 360 and PS3 versions

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

XBox head Phil Spencer has advocated for the XBox 360 and PS3 versions of the luxury MMO Destiny in a tweet.

Destiny is now available in every store, and the hype does not stop. Much attention is particularly directed towards Destiny on the next-gen consoles PlayStation 4 and XBox One. This is intentional: The providers are leveraging the pull of Destiny to launch bundles and sell their new consoles with the game as a system seller.

However, both Bungie and XBox head Phil Spencer want the “older” generation of consoles not to be overlooked. In an interview with Polygon in June, Activision Blizzard CEO Eric Hirshberg spoke about the importance of the older console generation: “When you listen around, many are talking about switching to the next generation. But they haven’t done that yet. So you simply can’t ignore the platforms where most players are currently playing.”

Bungie has done a lot to ensure that Destiny is fantastic on the older consoles

Phil Spencer has now also spoken up in a tweet. A user complained on the social network that he couldn’t afford an XBox One to enjoy Destiny on. Spencer responded: “I wouldn’t dismiss the XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 version so quickly; Bungie has done a lot to make it great.”

Bungie is already planning for the future. Anyone who buys the digital edition of Destiny for PlayStation 3 or XBox 360 by mid-January can later switch to PlayStation 4 or XBox One. They can take their Guardian along with all gear.

More about Destiny can be found on our topic page.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Spencer Tweet
  2. Gamespot
  3. Polygon Interview Hirshberg

Destiny: When does it start for owners of a digital edition?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

Since 2:00 PM our time, the servers for Destiny are up. This divides the gaming world into the lucky and the waiting. Because not everyone can play: Those who own a digital edition are enviously looking at those with a retail version.

The gaming world is split. Since 2 PM – when it became Tuesday in New Zealand – the servers for Destiny have been open. Those who own a retail version of the game (for example, because they ordered from a retailer like Amazon who delivered it earlier) can start leveling up their Titan, Warlock, or Hunter right now.

Those who bought a digital version will have to wait until midnight in the original country of the store. Australians who purchased a US version of Destiny to save money will also have to wait until it becomes Tuesday in the USA.

For us in Germany, that means: Waiting until midnight. Attempts to fiddle with the Xbox or PlayStation and change the region settings until something happens have proven fruitless. It looks bad. And even going to the store to try to grab a CD version of Destiny will probably end in disappointed faces. Although we wouldn’t be surprised to read somewhere tomorrow about crazy raids on innocent electronics stores (Please, don’t get any stupid ideas!).

Whether the live streams from major sites, YouTubers, and “gaming” personalities who are clamoring to share their first hours of Destiny with the world really offer relief or if the agony of not being able to play is only reinforced, everyone has to decide for themselves.
On our topic page, you can find everything we have covered about Destiny so far.

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

Destiny Classes: Titan, Hunter, Warlock – short class guide

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 4 minutes

In the shooter MMO Destiny, which is just about to be released, the hardest decisions must be made right at the beginning: What do I play? Which class is right for me? Which one suits me? Which class is the best?

Our short class guide hopefully helps you with the difficult question of class choice.

The races don’t matter in Destiny

Destiny_Hunter
Some might not even be able to spontaneously decide on a class if the nice gentleman with the pistol asked them to.

First the good news for everyone who stands in front of the chip shelf for twenty minutes because they can’t decide: The race choice doesn’t matter in Destiny. Everyone can just choose what they like best. There are no race bonuses or anything like that. One less difficult decision to make.

Whether you choose the human race or prefer the blue-skinned and rather esoteric Awoken, or even warm up to an Exo, a kind of cyborg: There are no gameplay differences.

With the classes, it looks different. Three starting classes are available, which may choose one of two specializations at level 15 (that is, approximately in the mid-game). In an MMO shooter that relies on 6-man raids, the question is trickier than it seems at first glance. From the MMO scene, many joked at the beginning: “LFM 5 other ranged DPS for the first raid!” In practice, it will be different.

Elemental damage could influence the group composition

Destiny Shooter

At the moment, it is believed that in the higher difficulty levels of the raids, mobs will appear that are particularly susceptible to certain types of damage. There are three such damage types in the game. Each of the six subclasses causes one of these damage types as a standard option. Therefore, for example, the magazine vg247 recommends mixing these damage types so that the completed 6-man team does not find out that an important damage type is missing and now has to compensate in another way.

At the moment it is:

  • Hunter Gunslinger and Warlock Sunsinger deal Solar damage
  • Hunter Bladedancer and Titan Striker deal Arc damage
  • Warlock Voidwalker and Titan Defender deal Void damage.

So if you plan to play as a trio in Destiny or even to go in a six-man team, this could play a role.

The Titan is the one for the really tough tasks in Destiny

The Titan is the man (or woman… or robot) for the tough tasks in Destiny. In its basic form, it is all about steel, steel, and more steel. In MMOs, it would probably be the “Tank” or at least the “Off-Tank”; in shooters, maybe a grenadier, the guy with the rocket launcher, or another heavy-hitter. A frontliner, indeed.

Destiny_Titan

From level 15, the Titan goes into two specializations.

As a Defender, he acts as a mix of tank and supporter, likely playing the central role in the 6-man raids. Here, he buys valuable seconds for the rest of the team and takes on a tactical key role. Visually, he resembles a walking arsenal of firepower, especially preferring thick armor on the upper body.

As a Striker, he is a kind of off-tank, a heavily armored melee fighter with shotguns, grenades, and melee weapons. So a suitable choice for people who prefer direct combat.

The Hunter – quick on their feet, quick in their mind

The Hunter is an agile ranged or melee fighter in Destiny, ensuring that enemies fall quickly and, to survive longer, should avoid being hit as much as possible. A kind of modern rogue or sniper or blades master or something in between.

Aesthetically, he appears as a post-apocalyptic Robin Hood or a cross between a character from “Dune” and the hero of the Assassin’s Creed games that so many adore.

Destiny_Sniper

At 15, the Hunter must choose one of two paths.

As a Gunslinger, he takes on the sniper role, as known from shooters. Here, he must pay attention to the same thing as a home buyer: Location, location, location. Only with proper cover can these beautiful headshots be made with the necessary precision to earn so many likes on YouTube, accompanied by nu metal.

As a Bladedancer, he comes close to the classic MMO rogue. “Hit and Run” is his creed, striking undetected from ambush is his lifeblood. And quickly vanishing afterward is likely the best method to pursue his career for as long as possible and avoid pre-retirement through enemy contact.

The Warlock – refined poet, plasma ball thrower

The Warlock is a kind of destructive mage or a range fighter with magic support. He plays the role of a “glass cannon” in Destiny: Deals damage like a horse, takes hits like a mosquito. Therefore, he should get hit even less often than the Hunter. If the Warlock doesn’t have to worry about enemy contact, he can rain fire and brimstone on enemies from the back rows (or plasma and something else, depending).
Visually, he prefers masks, long coats, and special effect plasma balls.

Destiny_Warlock

At 15, the Warlock also goes in two different directions.

As a Voidwalker, he is a grenade and magic slinger who, like a Duracell bunny, continually deals damage. He leans more towards direct damage.

The Sunsinger, on the other hand, is more suited for more refined players (i.e., for people who listen to Mozart while laying waste to the world). He can buff team members, works with “damage over time” attacks, which are poisons or curses in other games, and can even return from the dead.

You can also see the classes in action in the live trailer. By the way, the lady is the Warlock.

More about Destiny on our topic page.

Recommended editorial content

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

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the external content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. VG247-Klassenübersicht
  2. VG247-Elementarschaden

World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor contains Hearthstone items

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time < 1 minutes

It is a well-known fact that Blizzard’s card game “HearthStone” is thematically set in the World of Warcraft, and theoretically can be played in any tavern in the world by travelers, thus the next step is only logical: HearthStone finds its way into the world of WoW.

Hearthstone Board in World of Warcraft

Although not in all its beauty and tactical depth, players will be able to purchase three items from an NPC named “Benjamin Brode” (a nod to HearthStone developer Ben Brode), which among other things allows the famous game board of the card game to appear in the world. “Benjamin Brode” is located in the players’ garrison if they have the appropriate buildings.

In addition to the game board, one can also purchase a “booster pack” and the “victory hand”, which when used will play the characteristic sound effects of the card game and come with a nice animation.

It is still unclear whether these items require any specific prerequisites (such as an active HearthStone account), but at the moment it seems this is not the case.

Recommended editorial content

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

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

Landmark Beta-Keys as a consolation prize for the failed Kickstarter project Yogventures

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The failed Kickstarter project Yogscast is now providing disappointed backers with Landmark keys. As reported by PCGamer, the 13647 backers of the failed Kickstarter project “Yogventures” will receive free keys for Landmark.

The backers had invested a good half a million dollars into the project, which failed in mid-July because the studio “Winterkewl,” commissioned by the British YouTuber group “Yogscast,” found the project was too ambitious – or maybe even two sizes too big.

At that time, Yogscast informed the fans that the project had become too ambitious for the mere six developers of Winterkewl. Therefore, they decided to cancel “Yogventures.” However, this was good because now they want to develop the game “TUG,” which aligns more with Yogscast’s vision.

To sweeten the deal for the somewhat sour fans, Yogscast came to an agreement with SOE to provide the backers of Yogventures with beta keys for Landmark.

Anyone who wants to check out the Landmark beta without having their heart broken by a Kickstarter project can sign up here: https://www.landmarkthegame.com/yogscast

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. www.pcgamer.com: Yogscast give Yogventures backers free Landmark key
  2. www.pcgamer.com: Yogscast respond to cancelled Yogventures

Grown too fast: MOBA Strife releases 30 employees

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

S2 Games, the developer studio behind the MOBA Strife, is laying off almost half of its staff. They cite mismanagement as the reason.

As reported by mmobomb, the news of the layoffs first appeared in the English forum reddit. A representative of S2 Games surprisingly spoke openly and clearly to the fans: They had to lay off developers because the team had grown too quickly ahead of the open beta, and they could not financially sustain such a large team.

Strife is not doing poorly; the open beta has gone solidly – they simply hired too many employees. They compared it to Heroes of Newerth, which had a launch team of 20 employees. For Strife, it was 80. A number that might sustain the game if it were “fully developed,” but at the moment, they are still in growth and cannot manage that.

The farewell of the employees last Friday was difficult. There were tears, not just from those leaving. However, they remain optimistic for the future and are determined to grow more responsibly. 50 developers remain in the team.

Recommended editorial content

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

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

H1Z1: Has a hint about the early access appeared on Twitter?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the survival MMO H1Z1, there might be a hint on the Twitter account about when the MMO could finally enter Early Access.

At the moment, it is speculation, but since the date for H1Z1’s Early Access has been overdue for a while, everyone is obviously keeping an eye out for hints. Many actually expected that an Early Access date would be announced by the latest during SOE Live in the middle of last month. But that didn’t happen. Now, SOE President John Smedley mentioned in a stream that it could happen in September with Early Access. However, he doesn’t want to commit to anything. Since he mentioned “in four to six weeks it will start” back in April and that turned out to be wrong as they changed their strategy, Smedley has become more cautious.

H1Z1 Zombie MMO

So why are we reporting on the topic again? On the official Twitter account of H1Z1, a tweet from graphics card giant Nvidia was retweeted. They announced a big event, a “PC Gaming Day,” for September 18th. Unbelievably important things are supposed to happen there, mysterious secrets will be revealed, and absolutely spectacular things will take place, although they are not revealing a word about it.

This hint can not only be found on the Twitter account of H1Z1 but also on those of Sony Online Entertainment’s other games… only there isn’t really a big PC announcement to be expected – except maybe the Open Beta for Landmark. The other SOE games are more oriented towards consoles. It could also be that Nvidia is simply linked on the company Twitter accounts as part of a collegial or strategic partnership.

But since “Game Reveals” are also on the agenda for Nvidia’s event, and the Early Access of H1Z1 is overdue, it stands to reason that something could happen. Perhaps H1Z1 fans should mark September 18th in their calendars. However, nothing is officially confirmed. But… at some point, it has to happen.

H1Z1

It is now known that Sony Online Entertainment takes unusual paths, seeks new forms of communication, and is willing to leverage such synergy effects as a big NVIDIA event would offer. Therefore, it could well be that they use such an event to reach a broad player base and broadcast outside their own follower ship. They would anyway catch on to such an announcement.

Since SOE has assured that they will notify fans a week before Early Access, and since the event takes place on September 18th, Early Access could potentially begin at the end of September. Any longer and it would become a running gag.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. twitter.com/H1Z1game

3 Reasons why you should start with EVE Online

Nico Saborowski Nico Saborowski Reading time 3 minutes

EVE Online has been suffering the same fate for more than 10 years that WildStar is currently experiencing: “It’s dying“. True to the motto “Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” EVE has always evolved and, to the surprise of many, remains the prime example of a sandbox RPG: Unlimited freedom instead of dull “Kill 10 monsters here and there” quests. But there are also other reasons to dive into the EVE universe.

Freedom – A Double-Edged Sword

As already mentioned: In EVE Online, there are no quests per se and there is no linear story. After the start, you choose between different directions, but you can abandon or pause them at any time. Career missions give you a small insight into what is possible: Miner, mission runner, producer, trader. You can also join an alliance and engage in PvP or gank unsuspecting beginners in seemingly safe areas, or be a miner and mine minerals in space, or…

Price Development EVE Online
As a trader, you monitor price development

Anyone starting EVE Online should say goodbye to terms like role or class. Anyone can do everything as long as they have the right skills. The skill system in EVE Online operates in real time. You reach level 2 of a skill in a few minutes, but some skills may take up to 30 days to master. You can always add or remove new skills from the queue. This and the endless possibilities that arise in the sandbox are also the reason why EVE is often considered not beginner-friendly. In fact, seasoned MMO veterans have difficulties with the options at the beginning. But once you come to terms with the freedom of EVE Online, it is more of a blessing than a curse.

CCP – The Developer with Humor

Blizzard, Carbine, NCSoft: These developers and publishers dominate the MMO world. However, EVE Online comes from the Icelandic company CCP Games. For a long time, this science fiction MMO was the sole project of the Icelanders. Accordingly, a lot of love goes into how they engage with the community. Once a year, the EVE Online Fanfest takes place in Reykjavik. Here, fans and game creators meet to exchange ideas about the current status or simply to celebrate a wild party. At the Fanfest, new content is presented and workshops are held. For example, the professional trader learns how prices for Titans have developed or how much inflation has risen in the EVE universe. The Fanfest is just one example of the customer proximity that CCP demonstrates. The developers and game masters also don’t shy away from rapping for the community.

Recommended editorial content

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

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

A statue that CCP has placed in Reykjavik has caused quite a stir. The monument is engraved with all player names! So, if you expect more than just the weekly Blue Post, EVE Online is the right place for you.

EVE Tutorials – Now Also for Beginners!

I already mentioned it: EVE Online is not very beginner-friendly. However, this reputation is no longer entirely justified. In recent years, CCP has done everything to ensure that newcomers can quickly integrate into the universe. The tutorial at the beginning and the career missions are just part of it. EVE has its own wiki where almost everything about the game is documented. There are also dedicated chat channels that are suitable only for beginners in EVE Online. Here, you can ask any question without being judged. MOBA players will believe they have landed in community heaven.

Beginner Help EVE Online
In the rookie channel, you’ll get help around the clock

It is also advisable to join a beginner corporation. There, you will be assisted and every question will be answered. If you ask nicely, the members will even fly missions with you or invite you to the dangerous 0.0 area. The German-speaking contact point is the EveGer Forum: Here you will find numerous threads, posts, and corporation requests.

EVE Online – It’s Worth it!

A sandbox where you can’t distinguish between good and evil, a deep connection of the developer to the players, and a helpful community that probably doesn’t exist anywhere else – all of this and much more is EVE Online. Not everyone likes the science fiction setting or unlimited freedom, but if you even just like a little bit of Star Wars and don’t want to kill wild boars anymore, you should at least try the 21-day trial!

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

Destiny as a system seller: 399 Euros for MMO + PS4 or Xbox One at Amazon

Dawid Hallmann Dawid Hallmann Reading time 2 minutes

The MMO shooter Destiny will be released on September 9 and is already a real blockbuster: Never before has a video game with an unknown franchise been pre-ordered so often. But to fully enjoy Destiny, shouldn’t a next-gen console be gracing the living room?

Amazon is also thinking along these lines and is making an attractive offer to fans, which will surely entice some: For only €399, you can currently get the Playstation 4 or Xbox One, not alone, but in a bundle with Destiny. A good time to switch to the new console generation.

At the moment, the entire gaming world revolves almost entirely around Destiny – even some major newspapers are extensively reporting on the system seller, which is said to be the most expensive video game in history. It makes sense for Sony and Microsoft to bundle the MMO with their own next-gen consoles to benefit from the game’s attraction. This way, they want to boost sales of the Playstation 4 or Xbox One.

We at Mein MMO have been following the hope-bearer for quite a while. If you want to delve deeper into Destiny before landing on Venus, Mars, or the Moon, you can do so through the following articles:

Oops, unfortunately this affiliate widget is no longer available.
Destiny Amazon Xbox

Update: Microsoft has since caught up and is now selling the Xbox One console together with Destiny for only 399 EURO. You can reach the offer page on Amazon through the image.

Recommended editorial content

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

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the external content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. PS4 und Destiny im Bundle bei Amazon

World of Warcraft Garnisonen: Invasionen, Handwerksvorteile und Questreihen

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

On Twitter, two of the leading developers of World of Warcraft, namely the Lead Game Designer Cory Stockton and the Lead Narrative Designer Dave Kosak, took the time to answer a lot of questions from the community about garrisons on Twitch; we have summarized the most interesting statements for you here.

Crafting Benefits of the Garrison

It is already known that garrisons will play a more important role than originally planned. Crafters benefit in several ways from them. If you equip your garrison with a crafting building that you know how to use (for example, you are a tailor and build a tailor shop), you will have access to particularly powerful recipes, and the daily cooldown of your special resource will be reduced.

Garrison Crafting in World of Warcraft

However, if you construct a building for a profession you do not master (for example, you are a tailor and build a blacksmith), you will be able, with the help of your NPC companions, to craft all items of that profession, except for the highest quality ones – logically, because you would need to be a blacksmith for that.

Long-lasting Questline

Your garrison has its own questline that will be unlocked gradually, presumably on a weekly basis. For about the first eight weeks, you will meet characters and be able to recruit them, before ‘the more interesting things’ happen. What exactly that is, of course, has not yet been revealed, but so far there are enough quests to keep the system running for 16 weeks – so 4 months until a possible patch continues the storyline. Although the quests can be completed alone, it should not be a problem to tackle them with other players.

Fight Back the Invaders – Invite Your Friends!

World of Warcraft - Garrison Horde

Occasionally, your garrison may be attacked; the game will ensure that this happens a little differently each time. The enemies will try to break your walls and capture your NPCs, and you must prevent this, of course. Depending on how well you perform, you will receive a medal at the end: bronze, silver, and gold, each with varying rewards. If you don’t get ‘gold’ right away, it pays to invite a few friends next time, as they can help you in battle – an important social component of the garrison.

Death Knights Get a Special Treat

All Death Knights can look forward to a small additional feature – if the undead knights are revered with the “Order of the Ebon Blade”, they can replace all their garrison guards with Death Knights. With that, nothing stands in the way of the dark fortress!

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. twitch.tv/wow

State of Decay as MMO? – Will DayZ and H1Z1 face more zombie competition?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The signs are increasing that the zombie franchise “State of Decay” might be planning an MMO spinoff. With Patrick Wyatt, one of the founders of ArenaNet, they have brought a multiplayer specialist on board. Are DayZ and H1Z1 soon to face even more competition?

Undead Labs hires MMO veterans

Techtimes.com reports that State of Decay is planning to enter the big multiplayer business after a deal with Microsoft. At the moment, zombie MMOs are trending. With DayZ and H1Z1, competition is on the start line.

Undead Labs, the studio behind State of Decay, has secured a real MMO expert in Patrick Wyatt. Wyatt has worked for Blizzard, co-founded ArenaNet, and also contributed to En Masse, the publisher of Tera. In a blog post, Wyatt wrote:

“I can’t talk about what I’m doing here … not yet. But … I’m a bit specialized in developing really big multiplayer games. So I guess I’ll be working on something in that direction as soon as I get one of those cool lab coats that everyone is wearing around here.”

Techtimes believes that Wyatt’s MMO expertise could already manifest in the State of Decay “Year One Edition” in 2015. However, it is also possible that they are planning their own MMO against the backdrop of the State of Decay world.

My MMO thinks: How much truth there is to the rumors is still unknown at this time. With the new generation of consoles being even more connected to the internet than previous ones, a trend seems to be emerging where the Xbox One and Playstation 4 are clearly opening up to MMOs. However, these often turn out to be hybrids or models in which only certain classic features of an MMO are implemented.

Even if this term will be defined more broadly: In the coming years, many well-known franchises could plan their own MMO spinoffs or at least heavily steer their current games in this direction.

Recommended editorial content

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

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

Destiny actually only starts at level 20 – but “WoW in space”

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the recent blog post, the developers reveal their plans for the endgame in Destiny. MMO veterans will recognize many familiar gameplay principles: reputation farming with factions, item level, heroic difficulty.

In the last blog post, Bungie addresses the fans’ question about what the endgame in the MMO shooter should look like. The clear answer: “Destiny actually only really begins at level 20.” From this point on, players could collect better equipment, become more powerful, and face tougher challenges. Last week, Bungie confirmed, that there would be legendary weapons and set items in Destiny.

After level 20, levels continue to increase with better items

Destiny Jump

From level 20 onwards, players will continue to rise in “light level”, a sort of “level after the level” as they collect better equipment. For this purpose, players might choose to represent one of three factions. Participation in PvP (in the Crucible) or PvE (in strike missions) will be rewarded with a special in-game currency. With this, they can then purchase equipment from the factions that fits their play style.

After level 20, players will also gain access to new game modes with weekly heroic strikes and daily heroic “story chapters”. For the weekly “heroic strikes”, there will be three modes – the first one is designed for a level of 22.

The first raid remains closed in Destiny for a week

Destiny

The heroic game mode is Bungie’s way of sending players back to familiar terrain, but this time under significantly harder conditions. In addition to these “general” parameters (like heroic), there will also be specific ones. For example, a certain weapon type may deal much more damage in a particular strike. And since this applies to both enemies and guardians, these strikes will require new combinations and play styles week by week, providing variety.

The first raid on Venus, the “Vault of Glass”, is designed for a “light level” of 25. It will remain closed for the first week. Meanwhile, fans have already found methods to bypass the missing raid finder in Destiny.

Where have we heard this before?

Mein MMO states: These are all classic elements from MMO design. The “light level” is basically a type of gear-based endless leveling that will increase with new content and DLC. With daily and weekly “quests”, players, who have hardly anything left to do, are also sent out into the world in World of Warcraft. And the system of factions, special equipment, and items that can be purchased for specific tokens sounds somehow familiar…

Destiny will be released on Tuesday for Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 3, and Playstation 4. We have an article on the suspected start of the servers.

Recommended editorial content

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

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

The Secret World: New mission pack “The Last Pagan” presented

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The horror MMO The Secret World, the game with the conspiracy, returns from its summer break and presents a new mission pack.

For the last two months, there has been little news from the Buy2Play MMO The Secret World. This was also planned: The team reduced activity during a summer break. Now the Game Director returns and introduces a new mission pack: “The Last Pagan.”

The missions will involve a Japano-Rockabilly gang – sort of an Asian version of Dick Brave & the Backbeats. Now, The Secret World wouldn’t be The Secret World if everything were really as it seems.
The six missions also include an explosive sabotage mission and two of the highly feared investigation missions.

In other news, Funcom has successfully integrated a feature that allows the awarding of emotes as rewards. Those who manage the sabotage mission in “The Last Pagan” without being detected will be rewarded with a dance emote.
Additionally: A notification system through which players should never miss a call from their faction again, and two fresh AEGIS abilities come with the update into the game.

More about the game can be found on our topic page for The Secret World.

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