World of Warcraft: Annual Pass was questionable in retrospect

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

The lead designer of World of Warcraft recently commented in an interview about the annual pass prior to the last expansion Mists of Pandaria. In retrospect, it seems it wasn’t a good idea.

The debate surrounding the Mists of Pandaria annual pass

The annual pass, offered to World of Warcraft players after the content end of Cataclysm, has been a hot topic of discussion ever since. The annual pass allowed players to play World of Warcraft for a year and granted them access to the then-upcoming Diablo 3. Many thought it was a great deal. However, most expected that new content in World of Warcraft would appear soon. They planned to pass the time with Diablo 3 until the expansion was available and then play it with the remaining time on the WoW annual pass.

These hopes and ideas from the players did not materialize. Mists of Pandaria took a long time to arrive. The World of Warcraft portion of the annual pass went unused for many, at least partially. New content only arrived when the annual pass expired. For many who entered the deal at that time, it remains a nuisance to this day.

How the lead designer of World of Warcraft views the pass now

Tom Chilton - WoW developer
World of Warcraft lead designer Tom Chilton

Blizzard seems to view the pass skeptically now as well. Lead designer Tom Chilton was asked about the topic in an interview with Icy Veins and stated that they thought it was a great idea at the time. They had this amazing game Diablo 3 in development and wanted World of Warcraft fans to feel they were benefiting from the deal and receiving a lot in return.

When they offered the deal, players were excited about it. Later, the reaction was more mixed. They also reflected on the annual pass and asked themselves: “Are our players now clearly happier with us as a company because of the annual pass?” It felt like it was up for debate and somewhat questionable: “And if that’s questionable, then we don’t think our players would want such a thing from us again,” Chilton continued.

Mein MMO thinks: In the interview, there seems to be the most cautious wording for “Yeah, it was bad. We shouldn’t have done that” in the history of mankind. When you talk to fans, the annual pass is still one of the biggest black marks on Blizzard’s otherwise fairly clean record even after two or three years.

The “mixed reaction” from fans is not without reason; the process had a strong dissonance. When commercial interests and content planning mix so intensely, it creates a difficult situation for everyone involved. Binding players to the game for 12 months (even at a significantly reduced price) led many fans to suspect that Blizzard already knew at that time that nothing would happen with MoP within the year. What would the numbers have looked like between expansions, during this long content drought, without the annual pass?

In our view, it is very commendable that Blizzard now distances itself from such actions, at least indirectly. Although, for our taste, it could have been a bit clearer.

What do you think? Did you take advantage of the annual pass back then? And did you regret it later on?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. www.icy-veins.com

Hearthstone extends Naxxramas invitation by one month

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

Blizzard extends free access to the Arachnid Quarter in Naxxramas for the free online card game Hearthstone.

Actually, the Arachnid Quarter was supposed to be closed by now and would only open its doors for 700 gold or some euros with a squeak. However, Blizzard has had a change of heart and extended free access until the end of September. Starting October 1, players will have to pay for entry.

Hearthstone Boss Maexxna
Likely the only one who has something against this news: Now gets a visit from free ticket faces for a month longer than intended.

Blizzard is apparently trying to entice as many players as possible with free entry to the Arachnid Quarter and tempt them with a taste of fresh cards. The offer of free access to the Arachnid Quarter is also being heavily advertised on banners.

With Naxxramas, Blizzard decided to introduce cards via “adventures”. Players could snag between four and seven new cards each week. The next influx of fresh cards, it is already known, will not come through an adventure, but through a “booster pack”. There will probably be an additional one alongside the current standard card pack for 100 gold, which will contain the cards from the new expansion.

The theme of this expansion and the possible price for the new “booster” packs are still up in the air. At the moment, Blizzard is focusing on this new expansion alongside the port of Hearthstone to iPhone and Android. Fans are anticipating this release even more than fresh cards.

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

ArcheAge: Tonight we will learn how it will proceed

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the Sandpark MMO ArcheAge, the fourth beta has ended, fans will likely learn what the further schedule will look like tonight. Is there another closed beta phase, will there be an open beta, and when will the game be officially released? When is the release of ArcheAge?

On the night from Friday to Saturday, Trion Worlds will host a reception at the Penny Arcade Expo, PAX Prime, in Seattle. It will start around 4 am and end around 7 am (our time; there it’s a nice evening event). They promised a “very special announcement” for this. They discussed the possibility of streaming the event live, but decided against it. The important announcement will, however, be made available on the relevant homepages as soon as possible.

What is in the box? What is in the box?

It is likely to be an appointment and thus the further schedule for the currently hotly debated game ArcheAge. So far, no further date is known, and the ArcheAge forum repeatedly points out the appointment tonight. It is hard to imagine that the “very special announcement” could solely be about a Rift news or the recipe for Scott Hartman’s best noodle soup. While that is not excluded.

It is likely that either another closed beta phase will be announced or the open beta will be dated. If a date for the open beta is mentioned, a release date could be mentioned at the same time. It will also be exciting to see how long a potential open beta will last.

ArcheAge reading material on mein-mmo.de, until it continues

ArcheAge Glider

If you want to pass the time until the announcement with reading material, we have prepared a small list:

And in this summary of a stream, you will learn the latest about the further course of the game: When does the alpha end? How much will the patron status cost? What release date could be likely?

To conclude the news: There was also a small competition in the last beta. This time the best screenshots were awarded. See for yourself on the official ArcheAge site.

What will have happened tonight in Seattle, you can read about tomorrow on our site.

Update Saturday 0:40: The signs are increasing that it will definitely be about ArcheAge. The official Twitter account of ArcheAge repeatedly mentions the appointment tonight as the location of an important “ArcheAge” announcement. Previously, it was not entirely clear, but now it seems certain that a major announcement for the Free2Play Sandpark MMO is imminent.

Update 6:00: We have put in a night shift, here are the dates.

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

Destiny: And the missing secret ingredient is … beards?!

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the luxury MMO Destiny, you have everything except facial hair. No joke, as reported, beards are the most requested feature and the number one topic of conversation in the design team.

As reported by Kotaku.uk, Destiny is absolutely into beards. This becomes clear in an interview with the Director of Production Jonty Barnes: “No joke, beards are the main topic.” The number of inquiries about this feature is enormous. Fans want to give their characters beards in character creation.

Destiny Beard
Dear Bungie developers, we achieved this in 5 minutes.

In the studio, they had once tried beards, but then decided that they weren’t that important. Now they want to take another serious look at it. Currently, they are working on the technical details of how to allow players to choose a form of facial hair if they hadn’t previously had the chance to wear facial fuzz. The graphics team of Destiny is only talking about beards now. And, as Jonty Barnes says: “If we have no other problems, that’s great.”

Destiny also makes no compromises on the B issue. If it is the will of the people to wear beards, they will give them beards: “We don’t know when they will come. But I’m sure, ultimately there will be beards. A lot of beards.”

My MMO says: Three questions: Where are Jan, Hein, Klaas, and Pit? And second: How could one ever underestimate the importance of the beard? Does Bungie not pay attention to trends at all? Who is responsible, and when will he apologize? And third: If Destiny gets Peter Dinklage to voice a robot and Paul McCartney for the soundtrack, who is going to design the beards? Who is the most prominent beard stylist in the world? Who is the US equivalent of Udo Waltz? Can we somehow find out who designed the beards of the dwarves in The Hobbit?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. www.kotaku.co.uk

The Elder Scrolls Online: Soon werewolves will be stronger

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online plans to empower those who walk in the footsteps of Hircine, namely the werewolves. They have been lacking a bit of bite since the release.

Werewolf: The misunderstood monster – a life in the shadow of vampires

Werewolves in Tamriel have a hard time. Not only do they constantly have to endure “Fiffy” jokes and are especially mocked by the nasty Khajiit. No, since the release, they are considered underpowered – quite weak. Additionally, a few months ago there was a bug that allowed them to be taken down in PvP by wannabe monster hunters with silver bolts, while their unloved cousins, the vampires, were having true blood frenzy highs and slaying entire hordes of enemies in God mode.

Werewolves across Tamriel howl: New abilities, better scaling, harder burst

The Elder Scrolls Online Werewolf
A werewolf in transformation. Spooky.

But the suffering of the werewolves in The Elder Scrolls Online could soon come to an end. Zenimax is considering buffing them. First, they want to lower the cost of transformation, then increase the burst damage, and adjust scaling a bit, so that abilities still make sense even with better gear. The bug that prevents werewolves in their transformed form from using their CC-break is also on the list.

Additionally, they are contemplating giving the werewolf three new abilities. A self-heal; an attack that knocks the opponent down; and an attack that hits multiple opponents at once. There is still no timeline for these abilities; for now, Zenimax is asking for feedback from the players.

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

President of WildStar resigns for personal reasons

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time < 1 minutes

Jeremy Gaffney, the president of the developer team Carbine, announced his resignation yesterday. In the WildStar forums, he was known as “CRB_Gaffer” and especially for his “No Bullshit” philosophy, which he passed on to the entire team – transparency and honesty towards players have long been one of Carbine’s great strengths.

Jeremy Gaffney WildStar
We wish Jeremy Gaffney all the best for his future.

Contrary to what one might suspect, Gaffney is not resigning because of the rather mediocre success of WildStar, but due to several family and health reasons.

His family lost six members last year, mostly to cancer, and he was also diagnosed with the disease – due to the stress of producing WildStar, but very late, as he did not take the signs seriously enough. However, his surgery went well and the cancer was defeated, but for Gaffney, this was a wake-up call: he needs a lot of distance and will only work in an advisory capacity on WildStar from now on.

He himself stated that he spent much of his energy on the game’s development in recent years and remains a fan of his work beyond this role, as he concludes: “My role is changing, but my voice is still there.”

The complete farewell posting is now also available in a German version and can be viewed here.

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

EVE Online: CCP closes US studio, has revenue losses

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The developer CCP, the minds behind EVE Online, is shutting down its branch in San Francisco and has laid off two executives from the Icelandic company.

As the gaming business site Gamasutra reports, CCP has parted ways with its development studio in San Francisco. The company’s revenue and earnings have steadily declined over the past few years. With this drastic cut, it is responding to the situation.

While revenue in the first half of the year remained almost the same compared to the previous year, profit shrank from 8.3 million dollars to 4.5 million dollars. High costs were incurred by CCP due to the cancellation of the MMO project World of Darkness. Contracts had to be terminated and severance payments made.

CCP’s manager, Hilmar Veigar Petursson, stated that the new focus of his company should solely be on the universe of EVE Online to help CCP remain strong.

Additionally, the company parted ways with Jon Gallo and David Reid by mutual consent. David Reid was the “Chief Marketing Officer” at CCP, and Jon Gallo was the “Chief Financial Officer.” Reid, as eurogamer.net writes, switched from Trion Worlds to CCP in 2012 and quickly gained popularity as a community manager. Eurogamer.net also does not know exactly what was being worked on at the San Francisco studio but suspects it was mainly in PR, sales, and marketing. The current separation from Gallo and Reid follows departures of other key personnel from CCP, such as EVE’s lead designer Kristoffer Touborg.

In July, CCP had already laid off 49 employees at its headquarters in Reykjavik as part of the cancellation of World of Darkness.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Gamasutra
  2. Massively
  3. Eurogamer

World of Warcraft: How the Content Drought of 2014 Came About

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

Thirteen months will have passed since the fantasy MMO World of Warcraft had fresh content when Warlords of Draenor comes out on November 13. Lead designer Tom Chilton explains how this happened and what changes they want to implement in the future.

Interviews with lead designer Tom Chilton are currently circulating after Gamescom. This time he spoke with Icy Veins. They asked him about the significant content drought that will occur between the Siege of Orgrimmar and the new expansion. Blizzard has repeatedly stated that they want to introduce new content at least every six months, so that players never experience such a content drought again like before the Icecrown Citadel.

Warlords of Draenor was actually supposed to be released a few months ago

World of Warcraft Crafting
They increased the team by 50%, which did not result in faster development but rather slowed it down. Much had to be redone for Warlords of Draenor.

Chilton responded that the criticism is certainly justified. With Mists of Pandaria, they managed to deliver new content regularly during the expansion. They had also hoped to launch Warlords of Draenor several months ago. However, the team expansion led to setbacks and slowed down the development.

They increased the team by 50%, according to Chilton. Most of the new hires had no experience with World of Warcraft, and many had never worked on other MMOs. This made it difficult for them to start their work immediately. Ultimately, they had to redo some of the work on Warlords of Draenor to meet the quality standards they envisioned. Additionally, the Garrison took more time than planned.

In the future, they want to prevent content droughts

Quality remains Blizzard’s highest priority, according to Chilton: “When we have the choice between being finished two months early or delivering a great expansion in November, the decision is easy for us.” Chilton believes they are now in a considerably better position to avoid future content droughts.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Icy Veins
  2. massively

Guild Wars 2: Crafting, Twinking, Looting – GW2 polishes core areas

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

New information about the feature patch coming in September for Guild Wars 2 has been released again, this time a game designer named Josh Diaz speaks up and reveals news about the item adjustments that are coming our way.

New Armor for the Leveling Phase

Experienced craftsmen will soon be able to create improved gear for their second characters. These items will have slightly better stats than those found during the leveling phase, making the journey to level 80 significantly more relaxed.

Those who do not master a crafting profession will not be forgotten either; the new items can also be found as drops – and optionally sent to twinks, as they are account-bound.

Backpacks for Professions

If your character has learned a crafting profession, they will now be able to visibly represent this, in the form of new backpack skins. The backpack for each profession will have its own appearance and will further be divided into different categories, depending on how advanced you are. While beginner blacksmiths might just have a small lump of iron on their back, more experienced anvil enthusiasts could place half a forge on their back.

Guild Wars 2 Crafting Rucksack

More Useful Loot

The loot system of Guild Wars 2 is also being revised. If you play a Mesmer, enemies will drop armor and weapons much more frequently that you can actually use. Naturally, you can still loot items that are not intended for your class and can sell them well in the auction house – but this will happen noticeably less often, to provide players more often with gear that represents a real improvement.

You can view the official contribution from Josh Diaz here.

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

WildStar: PvP no longer quite so unfair

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

For a long time, fans of balanced PvP skirmishes had to wait for actual action from Carbine, but that has come to an end today! The long-promised patch, which is supposed to address a large part of the current PvP issues in WildStar, found its way to the live servers yesterday, along with countless bug fixes.

What exactly has changed?

Until now, there were three different PvP sets available to purchase as rewards in WildStar. The first one did not require any special prerequisites and is commonly known as the “blue” set. The other two sets were of epic quality and required a battleground rating of 1500 or even 1800 to acquire.

The different strength of these sets had such an impact that it was impossible for newcomers or latecomers with their blue sets to defeat players who already had better gear – which is often a breaking point for skill-based PvP like in WildStar. Even now, there are three different sets, but their values are much closer together than before, which will bring individual player skill back to the forefront.

WildStar PvP

In short: The blue set has been elevated to the level of the 1500 set, the 1500 set has been slightly improved, and the 1800 set remains the same. The gap in item levels has thus closed, and the monopoly of PvP veterans on better gear has been broken – at least it seems so for now. Whether the changes have the desired effect will be revealed in the coming days.

In my opinion, this is a step in the right direction – previously, it was impossible to defeat players in WildStar who had either the 1500 or even the 1800 set, provided they played with more than two fingers. I must admit that these changes make me want to spend more time in WildStar – however, as a damage dealer. Healing remains useless in PvP, and the promised adjustments for it will likely only be included in the next major “Content Drop”.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. forums.wildstar-online.com

Bungie bets everything on the MMO Destiny, no side projects

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The developer studio Bungie is fully committed to the MMO shooter Destiny. They are in for ten years. They do not want to develop anything else alongside. Only then can they exceed themselves and create something great, said Jonty Barnes in an interview.

In an interview with totalxbox.com, the Director of Production at Bungie, Jonty Barnes, talks about the long-term plans for his studio. They can be summed up in one word: “Destiny.”

Barnes finds it hard to imagine that anything could distract from the focus on Destiny. They have clear plans for where they will take the game, and they have now laid the foundation for the universe.

Over the years as a studio manager, Barnes has learned that there is nothing better for a development team than to fully concentrate on a single ambitious project. Such a complex product requires the full attention of everyone. The more eyes are on a project, and the more experience is behind the decisions, the greater the chances of success.

Destiny is Bungie’s fate

When they took the step into independence, they were faced with the decision to either start multiple projects or go all in on one. They had enough resources for both options. In the current strategy of focusing only on one truly big project, they saw the greatest chance to create something significant and to surpass themselves: “For us, it’s all about Destiny.”

Moreover, the word “Destiny” in English not only refers to the name of the game but also means “destiny” or “fate.” At Bungie, they seem determined to take this name seriously. Very seriously.

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

ArcheAge: No more founder packs on Steam for now

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The Sandbox MMO ArcheAge is experiencing issues on Steam. Currently, founder packs are not being sold there. Trion Worlds states that they are working on a solution.

In a forum post, Community Manager Dave “Scapes” Berman addresses the ArcheAge player community and mentions that Trion Worlds is aware that it is currently not possible to purchase founder packs on Steam. They are in discussions with Steam to reintroduce these packs. Berman does not provide further information regarding the background.

Last night, the packs disappeared from the Steam store. At the same time, some players reported in the official ArcheAge forum and complained that they were charged for a founder pack without having ordered it. They mentioned hacks. Trion Worlds denied that there was a security flaw on their end. However, they promised the players that they would reverse the unauthorized charges. They asked players to change their passwords.

In the Alpha, there had already been difficulties with founder accounts purchased with illegally acquired credit cards. A few weeks ago, the founder packs saw an enormous influx on Steam and managed to rank in the Top 5 of the best-selling Steam products, despite their high prices. Additionally, Trion Worlds seems to be experiencing issues assigning the patron status, which comes with this purchase, to players who bought a pack via Steam.

Whether all these incidents or some of them are related is still unknown. There is no official statement on this matter.

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

TESO: What to do if the guild master is no longer online?

Björn Hallmann Björn Hallmann Reading time 3 minutes

What does one actually do when the guild master is missing in the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, TESO? Our columnist Björn experienced this and tells about it.

Generous Change of the Guild Master in The Elder Scrolls Online

As we know, big MMOs like The Elder Scrolls Online or WildStar launched this year. Initially, there was excited anticipation, perhaps followed by some disillusionment in the beta, and unfortunately, for some, there was only frustration after the release. The long-awaited new star on the MMO horizon turned out to be just hot air for some gamers. What a shame!

And it gets really annoying when among these passionate gamers is the suffering guild master of my favorite guild, and the guy or girl just leaves without any explanation. So, what now?

Without a word, the supposed leader, who founded our community with so much enthusiasm, disappears. Perhaps we already have a well-stocked guild bank, perhaps a dedicated trader?! Maybe we want a guild tabard and our own auctioneers now?! Well, that’s not possible, because the settings might be so poorly chosen that the officers – if they are still there – can hardly decide or configure anything themselves. So? A new leader is needed! BUT it’s not that easy!

The Elder Scrolls Online Guild Master Change
Changing the guild master? The support is here to help and even has a surprise in store.

To do this, the support needs to be contacted, and initially, you have to explain the situation to them. But the guys and gals there are really helpful.

The old guild master receives an email (see below), and – and this is a really nice marketing trick! – he also gets three days of game time for transferring the master title. This is, of course, also intended to remind the old player of what they have missed since their absence and whether a return to the atmospheric world of The Elder Scrolls Online is worth it. Unfortunately, in our case, it unfortunately did not lead to the player’s return, but it’s a nice and clever gesture from the creators of TESO!

“Greetings Sam*,

 

We have received the request to transfer the leadership of your guild “Auenwächter*” to someone else since you have been inactive for more than 30 days. Our investigation has confirmed this.

Although we regret that you are currently not playing The Elder Scrolls Online, your guild would greatly appreciate it if you would promote one of its members to the new guild master.

We are sending you a game time code for three days to allow you to log in and transfer the guild leadership. Feel free to use the remaining game time to explore Tamriel and see what has changed in the game in the meantime.

XYUNGELÖST*

We would be happy to welcome you back to The Elder Scrolls Online in the future! If you have questions or if we can do anything for you, let us know.

Best regards

Gandalf*

from The Elder Scrolls Online Team”

*Note: All names and codes have been changed, of course.

So:

Your guild master is also gone? Then contact TESO support, explain the situation, and probably grant the lady or gentleman 3 days of game time. Who could say “no” to that? 😉

And what are your experiences regarding this? Is the guild master still there, how are you doing with it in other games? Or asked differently, are you a master and players are leaving you? In TESO it has long been common to provide the statement “We kick you out after 20 days offline” when promoting a trade guild – which might not sound nice, but is fair! 😀

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

New trend in Hearthstone: top players as private coaches

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In Blizzard’s online card game Hearthstone, a new trend is emerging: The top players are earning a significant income as coaches. And this is much more than just pocket money. The fees for the best players are in the triple digits, and that’s per hour.

Rent-a-Coach: Some of the best Hearthstone players are available

In a feature by PCGamer, the reporter explores the new trend of coaching in Hearthstone. On the site ihearthu, some of the currently strongest Hearthstone players offer their services as personal 1-on-1 Hearthstone coaches. Like a tennis instructor, but for Hearthstone.

One can schedule an appointment with Rdu, the winner of Dreamhack in Sweden, or hire Ek0p for a training session. The arguably best German player has established himself not only as an excellent Hearthstone tactician but also as quite the troll, known for his “BM” – bad manners. This refers to dragging out a won game with some nonsensical actions. The prices of the coaches vary greatly.

The most expensive coach charges $125 per hour

Hearthstone Deckbuilding
The right deck is essential – there are a variety of card effects and combinations.

At PCGamer, they hire the most expensive player on the list: ThatsAdmirable, who has also made a name for himself as a caster. $125 is the cost for one hour with the pro gamer (almost 95€). He candidly admits that he has been doing this for six months. Coaching has become his primary source of income. Even if he confesses that he finds it “unusual” that his services are in such high demand.

For the price, he offers a coaching service that mainly consists of ensuring that the player asks themselves the right questions: Why am I building my deck this way? What are the underlying thoughts behind each move? How do I best recognize what deck my opponent is playing, ideally from the first moves?

Coaches can’t perform miracles, but they can change perspectives

According to ThatsAdmirable, most top players are terrible coaches at the start and only give a few tips on deck building and rough instructions on which card to play. He, on the other hand, focuses on improving the trainee’s understanding of the game. Miracles, he says, he also cannot perform. Climbing from rank 15 to Legend won’t happen overnight, even with his help. But for those who feel stuck and need outside impulses, professional coaching can indeed be helpful.

When asked who uses his services, the coach says there is no prototype. Some want to improve their card selection in the arena, while others simply want to polish their win rate. One thing they have in common: “They understand how valuable time is.”

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

H1Z1: Hunger, Durst und jetzt noch Seuche – Gefahrenquellen im Zombie-MMO

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 4 minutes

At the SOE Live in Las Vegas, the live gameplay of the survival MMO H1Z1 showcased the infection mechanics. Those who overlook these could become zombies themselves as players.

Hunger and thirst, as known since the first streams of H1Z1, will definitely need attention. Health and energy levels also need to be monitored. And those who move clumsily or like a gun enthusiast and make noises like a rutting deer or a gun-clattered rocker have a noise problem. And a noise problem is far more pressing in H1Z1 than in an apartment building, because in H1Z1, noise attracts zombies.

It now seems that H1Z1 has other dangers in store. One might also need to pay attention to personal warmth and to the dangers posed by the titular plague H1Z1.

H1Z1 Zombie MMO
Fire is indeed an effective means against zombies, but it also attracts more dangers.

Warning, Danger Alert: Before you continue reading, H1Z1 is not even in Early Access yet, and every detail we list could change completely before the final game. This is a result of SOE’s transparent information policy. The public is continuously informed about design decisions. However, these are not set in stone. This is all a snapshot. While it is likely that much of what is discussed will find its way into Early Access or later in the release, we would not be reporting on it otherwise.

Hunger, Thirst and Eternal Homesickness: The current UI marked sources of danger

Health Points – This is the typical health display known from every game. If it drops to zero, you are dead and respawn. Compared to other games, at least for now, it does not automatically regenerate but must be restored with bandages or other means. H1Z1 places a strong emphasis on realism: a broken leg or a zombie bite-sized flesh wound does not heal magically while chopping trees and hunting deer.

However, this could change depending on server mechanics or developer decisions. You lose health from zombie attacks, player attacks, wild animal attacks, hunger, thirst, falling, stepping on a landmine, or being in an exploding car – just like in real life.

H1Z1 Zombie Attack

Hunger – In H1Z1, you must eat regularly. This is part of the survival basics and applies – by the way – not just to Bear Grylls, but to everyone else too… except supermodels. You cannot simply gorge on raw meat from hunted animals; otherwise, you will lose health points. Therefore, one of the first tasks for every player is to set up a campfire or later a grill. In real life, you wouldn’t eat raw deer meat, no matter how proud you are of having brought down that beast with a headshot. By the way: In the current images, there are a lot more deer than planned. This is because they are using the “Horde” spawn mechanics. And as a second point: spear fishing is also set to be included in the game.

Thirst – A common issue in real life, but rarely encountered in MMOs. The nasty thing about H1Z1: drinking contaminated, brackish water from a puddle is not a good idea. It must be purified. Filter systems and the search for clean water will become part of the daily routine for players.

Energy – Energy or stamina is consumed in H1Z1 while sprinting. The value regenerates quickly. It is not inherently a “source of danger,” but if you imagine running away from a bear or a zombie…

Infection and Hypothermia: the two new sources of danger in H1Z1

During the SOE Live, it became clear that in addition to these four stats, which players could already read in the UI (bottom right corner), there will be others added.

The Infection Level – This level likely increases from drinking dirty water, eating contaminated meat, or contact with zombies. A zombie bite, everyone knows, is not beneficial for genetic integrity. How the infection decreases or can be fought is still open. SOE President Smedley reportedly mentioned penicillin or other means in a stream. This will surely be discussed in more detail soon.

H1Z1

Body Temperature – A while ago, the developers of H1Z1 went through a weather-frog phase. They mentioned that extreme temperatures affect the player’s performance. Walking around in a T-shirt during a snowstorm is said to be a terrible idea. How this will be implemented is – like so much else – still not clear.

Noise and Heat – the underestimated sources of danger

Two more “sources of danger” that do not manifest in a value but in attracting zombies are noise and heat. Those moving in large groups or using firearms create noise, which will attract zombies and animals. Some more, some less.

Developer Jimmy Whisenhunt has talked about introducing a subspecies of nearly blind zombies that are extremely good at hearing.

H1Z1 in the Dark
Cars also make a lot of noise.

Heat will also play a role. A campfire is not only highly visible to other players; zombies can respond to it as well. However, one does not always know what is worse in H1Z1: the visit of a looting neighbor or that of a horde of zombies.

And to conclude this article, we want to intentionally sell it as “low-key” for now: Next month, the Early Access of H1Z1 might finally happen. However, Smedley did not want to commit to a date when he mentioned it in his stream. Understandably, given the disappointed faces that resulted when the last announced date fell through.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. www.reddit.com/r/h1z1

Complaining Wednesday: Smite Pouting and Moba Grumbling

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

A new Wednesday, a new game. This time I turned to the game “SMITE” to get a little variety from WildStar – unfortunately, PvP is just no fun right now. As much as I enjoy Smite, I’ve never been welcomed into a game so unfriendly – something seems to be true about the rumors that the communities of MOBA games like “League of Legends” and “Dota 2” can sometimes be really vicious. But back to the beginning.

If I were you, I would uninstall!

I had to hear that and similar insults multiple times, although I generally don’t consider myself completely incompetent, but I was new and made sure to let my group know every time – they should know who they are dragging into battle. Not realizing what I was conjuring with that, I chose the heroine from the tutorial: Neith.

[quote_right]My prejudices against MOBA players have unfortunately been confirmed[/quote_right]And then the wild ride began! “Omg, only noobs play Neith”, “Neith no skill, pick other or leave pls” – of course, that is highly motivating to learn this game. After being told around my third match that I should better uninstall the game, my motivation hit rock bottom. So I gave in and uninstalled the game from my hard drive… Of course, I didn’t do that! I quickly motivated two friends (read: “forced”) to play along and learn Smite together, which made things much more fun!

My prejudices against MOBA players have unfortunately been confirmed. Unfriendly to the core – at least some of them. Unfortunately, the loudest idiots stick in your memory, while you often overlook the quiet or even friendly comrades or opponents. But seriously: A little more kindness would be appropriate now and then, after all, I am willing to learn the game – like almost all newcomers.

Cortyn Smite

HIREZ plea!

What is “Dear Blizzard” for World of Warcraft and “Rito pls” for League of Legends, are the forum threads with the beginning or end “Hirez plea” and then a great demand for why a particular hero should be strengthened, another weakened, or a new skin created in Smite. To immediately give in to the mainstream: HIREZ PLEA, give me a code for all heroes and all skins, I would deserve that alone for the struggles I’ve gone through.

Author Cortyn
Your Cortyn.

And while I’m at it: Why isn’t there a mythological succubus goddess? That would be good for the game, I already have a wonderful name idea… (Editor’s note: Due to Cortyn’s delusions of grandeur, this column has been shortened at this point. It’s for the best for all of us).

… you will hear from me next Wednesday. Let’s see who drives me to white heat then.

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

Star Trek Online: “Captain, we have a trailer” – “On the screen”

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

For the free-to-play science fiction MMO Star Trek Online, STO, the official trailer for the expansion Delta Rising has been released.

The Delta Quadrant, as every fan of the Voyager series knows, is not exactly an ideal vacation spot. Borgs are hanging around, the Kazon are causing trouble, and that strange killer species with the numbers in their name, which looks like a mix between Alien and Predator, keeps appearing. It’s no wonder that the trailer for the upcoming expansion of Star Trek Online is quite martial. Perhaps it shouldn’t be called “On Screen”, but rather “Load the Photon Torpedoes!”

The Class 6 ships will also be highlighted in Star Trek Online

Along with the trailer, a new blog post from the creators at Cryptic Studios was also released, intended to introduce the new ship Class 6. Cryptic is keeping the biggest secrets to themselves – nomen est omen. While it is revealed that there will be a new ship type and also a new kind of bridge officer, the guys are withholding details after making the reader curious. These will be revealed later.

New ships can also level up in Star Trek Online

It is known that the ships of the new Class 6 will scale their damage output with the rank of the captain. The ships can also level up in their own “level”. A ship starts at level “0” and later reaches level “5”, the mastery. Since such a ship can hardly develop new muscles, it is likely simulated that the crew becomes more familiar with the ship and the processes become smoother.

For more details about the Class 6 ships, you can check out the official blog post.

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

My MMO News #001: GTA Online, SWTOR: Galactic Strongholds

MeinMMO MeinMMO Reading time < 1 minutes

Our new YouTuber TheCadien will now support us alongside Darion with interesting gaming news in the form of videos.

In the first edition of Mein MMO News, he introduces you to the new flight school in the online version of GTA 5 . After the news about the cult game Grand Theft Auto, we move directly to the new expansion Star Wars: The Old Republic. Galactic Strongholds has been live on the servers since last week and is initially available only to subscribers. TheCadien also reveals more about GTA 5 and the new housing features in SWTOR in the video.

Last but not least, we can look forward to a new format: Playing Bad. What could that possibly mean? We will find out soon.

http://youtu.be/WaavScGC5L4
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Guild Wars 2: September Patch Overhauls Crafting Interface

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

To bridge the long wait until the next patch in Guild Wars 2, lead game designer Isaiah Cartwright has spoken up and reveals a bit about the planned changes to ArenaNet’s MMORPG that are coming in September. He begins with changes intended to improve the player experience in general.

Instances will no longer be tied to an “owner” starting in September – previously, one player in the group was effectively granted ownership rights, and if this player left the group early, everyone had to start over. In the future, an instance will only become inaccessible when all players have really left, making for a more pleasant gaming experience on some frustrating evenings.

Guild Wars 2 Crafting UI

The crafting interface will be revamped, and in the future, you will be able to filter for specific items – but even better: If the desired item requires components that you also have to craft first, you can easily click through to that recipe. This means the endless scrolling back and forth will be a thing of the past, allowing crafters to reach their goals much faster – and with fewer gray hairs.

But big promises are also made regarding the game’s presentation: Both the servers and the game client are said to work more resource-efficiently with the update, which should be particularly noticeable in large mass battles, such as fights against world bosses or in well-populated world versus world matches.

Cartwright promises to keep us fed with more information in the coming days; you can also view this promise together with the original announcement here. There you will also find the other improvements from the feature update that will be deployed to the servers on September 9.

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

Destiny: Does the second raid lead to the moon?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The MMO shooter Destiny currently has one confirmed raid in the game, leading ambitious gamers to Venus. A fan has now discovered hints about where the second raid could take place.

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” – if what a fan has now found out is true, this could soon be heard in the team speaks of the world. Because the second raid in Bungie’s luxurious MMO Destiny could lead to the moon.

Raids are endgame instances for six players in Destiny who have optimized their gear and want to test their limits. They must find each other through their friends list, as matchmaking is not supported. In the raids, they face some tough challenges.

The first raid, as we know, will take place on Venus – in Destiny, Venus is somewhat like a tropical jungle. The only confirmed raid so far is named “Vault of Glass” and has already sparked excitement among fans.

There is a hint on Destiny’s homepage

Destiny Companion
Notable: What do the symbols on the right edge of the screen mean? Source: www.bungie.net

Has Bungie now revealed with a screenshot where a second raid could be heading? It looks like it. Because on the Companion page on Bungie’s homepage, there is a screenshot visible right in the upper right corner of the image. And when you enlarge it, a series of symbols appears, including “Raid – on the moon.”

With a popular title like Destiny, every tiny hint that could be anywhere on the page is found. At the moment, Bungie has not commented on this find. However, they have never said that Destiny would launch with only one raid. It was assumed that they would design and create new raids for later DLCs as well. After all, Bungie has its own department solely devoted to designing these raids. Luke Smith, who handled the design of the Reach investment system in Halo, leads this team.
Destiny will be released on September 9 for Playstation 3 and 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. A PC version has not yet been confirmed, but is considered likely.

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