Since last night, the new patch for The Elder Scrolls Online, TESO, is live on the US server; European players will get it only today.
Once again, Americans are being used as guinea pigs for us European players. They have had the 1.3.3 patch since last night, and as this is a major content patch, problems have predictably arisen. A thread on the topic in the English-speaking subreddit for TESO cleverly quoted Murphy’s Law with, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”
Not all achievements are displayed, and there are also problems with accessing the guild bank
The new armor dyeing is linked to achievements. Some of these achievements were newly introduced with the patch and should actually be credited retroactively to players. However, this is not functioning properly. Issues arise: players do not have the achievements they should have, and therefore also do not have the correct colors. Zenimax is working on it and provides a current list of the status here.
The second problem is due to the new guild ranks. Players are complaining that they can no longer access the guild bank, regardless of their rank. This issue particularly affects guilds whose guild leader is inactive. These were rather isolated cases until the evening, but then they multiplied. Eventually, Zenimax decided to temporarily disable all guild functions. It is still unknown what impact this will have and whether European guilds will be affected as well.
Problems since the server migration
A major topic once again is lags and delays – since the migration of the European mega server from Austin, Texas, to Frankfurt am Main, some are struggling. Social media is filled with complaints from TESO players: gameplay frequently stutters and there are small rollbacks. Other players cannot log in at all and have not been able to play for days. Zenimax advises to reset the graphic settings and to write a ticket to support. There seems to be no universal solution for this.
Undocumented changes in the patch: There is a two-week campaign in The Elder Scrolls Online after all
Contrary to what was originally intended, Zenimax has decided to introduce a medium-length campaign after all. One of the 7-day campaigns has been turned into a 14-day one. Now campaigns of 5, 7, 14, and 30 days are active. There are two 5-day campaigns, divided into veteran and non-veteran.
According to reddit, the patch also brought other undocumented changes for The Elder Scrolls Online. For instance, the “fishing achievements” for the starter zones are now reportedly fixed, invites pop up in the middle of the screen, and silently replaced old with new map icons for public dungeons, trials, and delves.
Update 11:00 AM: The patch is now also live for us; the maintenance was fairly quick. Zenimax has also temporarily disabled the guild functions in Europe. The technicians of The Elder Scrolls Online have identified the cause of the problem and are working on a fix. Once that is settled, the guild ranks should be reverted to their status before the update. Good news in the end: On the US server, the colors are well received. Apparently, the level of detail of the system is convincing: it offers a lot of possibilities to experiment and create the perfect look.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the Arachnid quarter, you face Maexxna, a “large spider” and the third boss in this wing. She must return 2 enemy minions from the field to the hand each turn due to her hero ability, which is both a curse and a blessing for players. I tried to exploit this by relying on many minions with “Charge” and healing effects. With Alexstrasza or Leeroy Jenkins, the fight would probably have been a bit easier, but unfortunately, I do not have those two cards.
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Blizzard announces that on August 14th, it wants to reveal the release date of Warlords of Draenor. The next expansion of their MMO flagship World of Warcraft is highly anticipated.
On August 14th in Los Angeles, it should be time. Then they want to reveal when it will finally be back to Draenor, at least to the past of a parallel world (regardless, it’s complicated). In addition, they will present one of Blizzard’s renowned cinematic trailers, which are universally acclaimed.
Furthermore, at WoW, they are pulling out all the stops. But there’s no reason for heightened panic. In the real world, those are not Thrall, Proudmoore, and Vol’jin, but Chris Metzen, Mike Morhaime, and Ion Hazzikostas. Developers and specialists known from interviews or under their aliases in the WoW forums and not as heads of a pillaging army.
After the cinematic trailer, there should also be an opportunity for a developer interview. The interview will likely frame a major announcement with a show and the ever-popular bullet-point graphics.
By the way, the whole thing takes place parallel to the Gamescom in Cologne, where a live stream should be broadcasted. This happens around 6:30 PM our time, while the Hollywood stars in Los Angeles are still asleep, as it is just after 9 AM there. Blizzard seems to be indeed aiming for Cologne.
Hardcore fans can already pack their bags and travel to L.A. Because the early bird gets the worm, and they can attend the announcement. The first visitors will also receive a Warlords of Draenor beta key.
Mein MMO says: This can only happen at World of Warcraft, that even the announcement of an announcement delights the fans, and it becomes the most important news of the day, at least in the MMO and gaming sector.
We don’t want to bother you much with speculation about the release date. We actually guessed September/October from the beginning and haven’t bored anyone with “Oh my God, it could come as early as June” rumors, because … hand on heart, it’s Blizzard. They are not exactly known for staying ahead of schedule. But since a few things shifted in the beta, it could indeed slide to November. But well, we don’t need to speculate much longer. It’s soon enough.
The first reactions from the beta are unfortunately a bit mixed. The spark does not seem to have jumped over to the journalists testing it. The big new feature is missing so far, and some are disappointed with the Garrison. But many fans are also looking forward to returning home, to Azeroth. The content drought has certainly lasted long enough. The last patch in WoW that brought something new, “The Siege of Orgrimmar,” was released almost a year ago.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the god MMO Skyforge, the class system has now been explained in more detail. Apparently, the free class system was inspired by MOBAs like League of Legends, where players are not locked into a single class.
Recently, a detailed press release from Team Allods was published, which shed light on the class system in Skyforge. They indicated that the decision to abandon rigid classes was inspired by the MOBA trend. Today, it is no longer up-to-date for players to be fixed on a single class. In MOBAs, they can change their heroes and thus their playstyle from match to match. This is what they also want to represent in Skyforge.
Classes fall under a three-tier hierarchy: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced
The Team Allods also revealed that the classes in Skyforge are not equal. Players start as one of only three “Basic” classes. As they continue to play, they unlock “Intermediate” classes and finally “Advanced” classes.
The three “Basic” classes are Lightbinder (a healer), Paladin (a tank), and Cyromancer (a DPS). After that, there are supposed to be five “Intermediate” classes and five “Advanced” classes. The press release does not specify how this will be distributed. So far, besides these three basic classes, only two others are known, which were also fixed in the press release: The Gunner (Ranged DPS) has been classified as “Advanced” and the Berserker (Melee DPS) as an “Intermediate” class.
To quote Team Allods: “The class-switching system is designed so that upon the first switch, the new class is developed to the same extent as the previous class. This is possible because the main attributes are linked to the character and not to the class.”
From 10 to 13 classes at launch?
My MMO states: A three-tier hierarchy among the classes is something new. Final Fantasy XIV has a two-tier hierarchy. There, the “Jobs” serve as prestige classes starting from the mid-game and unite two basic classes.
The class system in Skyforge will depend on the extent to which “skills” from one class can also be utilized by the other classes. So: Is my Cyromancer stronger if I have also unlocked and developed the Berserker? Since Skyforge will not have a “level” system, but rather operates on the Ascension Atlas as a kind of huge skill map, where classes are developed gradually and also on two levels, the whole concept is relatively hard to imagine. And since only five classes have been introduced so far, it seems some time away before the system becomes experiential. At Gamescom in Cologne, further classes are to be introduced, and there will be a possibility to test Skyforge. Hopefully, we will know more in a few weeks.
It is definitely interesting that the press release now assumes 13 classes: 3 basic, 5 intermediate, 5 advanced. So far, only 10 classes for release have been mentioned.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The eSports management platform “Battlefly” has now released statistics on the top 10 most popular eSports games for 2013. Even though MMOs have recently started to discover the eSports field for themselves, MOBAs remain dominant, with the top spots far ahead.
The first two games on the list are reserved for “League of Legends” and DOTA 2 – both games are also at the forefront on raptr or Twitch. At the moment, MOBAs are on top. Following them are two outliers, Fifa and Pokemon 2, whose success is due to their exceptional status in their respective genres. In positions 5 to 9, you find the usual suspects: renowned shooter franchises like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Counterstrike. The former champion Starcraft 2 has aged a bit and is in 6th place, while the Street Fighter series is in 8th place.
The only one that is at least “a bit MMO” is the lagging World of Tanks trundling to the finish, although a fan base has formed around it in Eastern Europe.
Even without MMOs, the number of eSports tournaments in North America is steadily increasing. This year, estimates suggest there will be nearly 48,000 tournaments held in North America. In 2011, there were still 8,809 tournaments. Perhaps Hearthstone will also appear in the list for 2014, as it is gaining popularity in eSports.
Other MMOs like World of Warcraft have often toyed with the idea of an “eSports” tournament, but want to regulate it internally through specific tournament and arena formats, which apparently never quite worked out.
Apparently, most existing MMOs with their advantages through items, different skill trees, and frequent balance changes are not suitable for eSports. Especially since combat systems are often not skill-based. Also, WildStar, with a skill-based combat system, does not seem to attract eSports players or competitive PvPers in droves. Recently, it was announced that due to a lack of interest, they want to reduce the endgame PvP, the war bases, from 40 players per team to 30.
What do you think? Can the item and character progression of an MMO be reconciled with the equal opportunities of eSports? Or does every MMO that looks towards eSports handicap itself too much?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The survival MMO H1Z1 from Sony Online Entertainment has been on the verge of launching into Early Access for months. Fan interest peaked in April and May, but is now fading.
The MMO H1Z1 has been heavily discussed by the press and by SOE itself several times. It was supposed to enter Early Access in May. Then in June, it was said it would be by July at the latest. Dates kept coming up. Dates kept being pushed back. Now we are in August and still no date is announced. The “soon” or “very soon” remains unchanged.
The problem here: When it is officially stated that “it starts in June,” any small detail later is enough to stir new rumors in the press. Every time some online retailer lists a date for the game, it’s seen as the new major information. But even the concern “Now I’ve heard a release date!” that many chased in June seems to be out of fashion by now. Fans appear a bit burned out. Interest is simmering on low flame.
SOE suffers from these “misfires.” Google Trends, a sentiment barometer based on search queries, clearly shows how hard it is to keep interest in H1Z1 simmering after a peak already in April and May:
SOE was not satisfied with the version they had for the planned Early Access release date. The game, it was said later, did not meet player expectations, not even for an Early Alpha. Therefore, they decided to first implement all “minimal” features into the game, so as not to scare away players who expected more from H1Z1 with the Early Access.
In less than two weeks, SOE Live, the in-house convention of Sony Online Entertainment – similar to BlizzCon – will start. Various “keynotes” and “panels” for H1Z1 are planned. On Friday afternoon, August 15, a H1Z1 keynote panel is scheduled.
Then would be a good time and place to announce an Early Access. SOE has stated that they would notify a week before the Early Access starts when it would be ready. For the game and its fans, we can only hope that a start into Early Access will be announced during SOE Live for late August. Otherwise, fan interest could fall even further. And unlike zombies, there is no guarantee that it will come back.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Blizzard’s free card game Hearthstone, new wings of the terror necropolis Naxxramas open every week. This brings new cards into the game. On Tuesday night at 11:59 PM, the Military Wing opens, and it has some attractive new cards in store.
As usual, there is a new card for each boss kill on normal, and one legendary for completing the whole quarter. Additionally, the Warlock and Shaman have their class challenges waiting for them in the Military Quarter. They will also be rewarded with cards.
Once again minions with Deathrattle, but this time with negative consequences for the player
Dancing Swords This 4/4 minion for 3 mana is available after defeating Razuvious. 4/4 for 3 mana is strong stats; however, the minion comes with a built-in catch. As a deathrattle, the opponent can draw a card from their deck. Hence, the Dancing Swords give the opponent a tempo advantage upon their demise. A double-edged sword, so to speak. However, it could fit well in aggro decks.
Spectral Knight A 4/6 minion for 5 mana that cannot be targeted by hero powers or spells. You get it after a successful visit with Gothik the Harvester. The Spectral Knight is considered extremely strong by some experts, as he can excel against spell-heavy decks like Miracle Rogue or Mage variations. Some sort of Faerie Dragon on steroids, without its susceptibility to AOE. Many believe that due to the numerous new Naxx minions, the focus in the meta-game will shift towards decks with many minions – like Zoo. Thus, the Spectral Knight could be weaker than it appears at first glance. He is a great card if the opponent has nothing on the board. However, the meta-game is currently shifting in a direction where he will almost always have something on the board. Nevertheless, a strong card.
Deathlord A 2/8 minion with Taunt for 3 mana. His deathrattle allows the opponent to bring a card from their deck into play. The card is significantly stronger than any other taunter for 3 mana. Normally, you would have a Bear with 3/3 or similar cards here. 2/8 and Taunt is amazing. However, the downside is heavy. The deathrattle could, if the opponent has a removal, lead to a strong enemy minion entering play early. Since the trend is moving away from such “Maxi” decks, the card could become extremely strong. If the opponent can play an 8-mana+ minion after killing a Deathlord, you quickly find yourself at the other end of a card sequence that appears on YouTube under “lolololol” and is set to K-Pop. Stat-wise, it’s still an incredibly strong card.
And here comes your boss
Baron Rivendare A 1/7 minion for 4 mana that doubles the deathrattles of your own minions. Definitely not an Arena card, but only useful in Constructed and then only for specific decks. The cards presented here from the Military Quarter should not be seen together with Rivendare. Cards like Bloodhooves, Loot Hoarder, Leper Gnome, and the usual rubbish are much more welcome. You can really get value for 4 mana here. The stats are weak, and the card could just be gradually overwhelmed without anything happening for 4 mana. In some decks and situations, it may be as valuable as the Auctioneer, but decks must be built around it.
The card is available after successfully completing the Military Quarter on normal.
The class cards of the Military Quarter: Warlock and Shaman
Reincarnation – A Shaman spell for 2 mana. It destroys a creature and brings it back with full health. A strong, situational card, but it also needs the right combination to shine.
Voidcaller A Warlock minion with 3/4 for 4 mana, which has a deathrattle that summons a random minion from your hand to the battlefield. The stats are below average for 4 mana. The card is really only worthwhile in a Demon deck, and those are currently played very little. If the meta in Hearthstone changes, the card could become more attractive. At the moment, rather weak.
It is still unclear whom Warlocks and Shamans need to defeat with a fixed deck to receive the cards.
If you want to inform yourself now about what tricks the bosses in the Military Wing have in store, we recommend you this link.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the free fantasy MMO Rift, Patch 2.8 is coming on Wednesday, which is set to prepare for the next expansion.
Trion Worlds teases with a short banner the Pre-Expansion Patch 2.8 for Rift. While nothing official is currently announced, they only state that more information will be released soon. However, from previous statements, it’s known that Patch 2.8 will address issues with the auction house that have been frustrating players for a long time. Additionally, the patch, known as “Awakening Madness,” will prepare for the expansion “Nightmare Tides”. So there might already be a first new dungeon.
The expansion “Nightmare Tides” will delve into the planar realm of water, but this water is not the source of life; rather, it is more like the resting place of unspeakable, ancient creatures with a few too many tentacles, akin to H.P. Lovecraft.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
This week, a new wing in Naxxramas will open in Blizzard’s free online card game Hearthstone. This time, the military wing awaits brave adventurers.
Familiar faces await Hearthstone players in the military wing. Instructor Razuvious, Gothik the Harvester, and the Four Horsemen are the opponents. From a leak, some of their abilities were known weeks before the official release of Naxxramas. Dataminers at hearthpwn uncovered further cards. We were correct in our assumptions about the last two wings. However, the abilities of the bosses are not officially known.
Razuvious, Gothik the Harvester, and the Four Horsemen – What do they have?
Instructor Razuvious – Like in the original World of Warcraft raid, Razuvious is a trick boss. He has a weapon card, a massive runeblade (5/2), that deals double damage to the player and costs only 3 mana. In heroic mode, the blade even has (10/2) for the same price. If Razuvious gets an open field on the player in normal mode, 10 damage will come down (in heroic mode even 20) and the matter is quickly settled.
Razuvious enters the battle with two 0/7 minions, his students. The player will be able to take control of them using a mind control crystal. Apparently, he also has some buff cards with which he can strengthen his students. The fight will likely revolve around having enough taunt minions up so that Razuvious finds a more rewarding target than the player, preferably the controlled students. As a hero power, Razuvious deals 3 damage for 2 mana, in HC 4 damage for 1 mana.
Gothik the Harvester – Gothik the Harvester has 3 special minion cards: For 1 mana he summons a 2/2 minion, for 3 a 3/4, for 6 mana a 5/6 minion. These minions leave behind a 0-attack minion with a health value of 2, 4, or 6 after they die. These ghostly minions deal 1 damage to the player at the start of each round.
So, he should find a way to give them some taunt, boost their attack points, or regularly clear the board. As a hero power, Gothik can draw a card for 2 mana. In HC mode, he gets a card and a mana crystal for 1 mana. In HC, his minion cards also become stronger.
The Four Horsemen – The Four Horsemen are represented by Baron Rivendare. He starts the game with three minions, the other horsemen, who have 1/7 and have the ability to make their hero immune. Rivendare himself has only 7 HP, then 14 in HC. He has weapons and cards that become more powerful when one or all of the horsemen have died. Additionally, he plays a “buff” that gives all minions and weapons +1/+1. In HC, the horsemen start with 2/7 and the other cards are expected to be stronger.
With the Four Horsemen, it will likely be about evenly reducing the health of the horsemen so that they can be taken out with one blow and burst the Baron himself within a few rounds before he gets any stupid ideas.
As a hero power, Rivendare can draw 2 cards for 5 mana.
The three Hearthstone bosses from the military wing once again represent their counterparts in Naxxramas. The last wing opened – with much fanfare – on Tuesday night at 23:59. So far, no official time has been announced for the release of the military wing. Blizzard has been struggling with transaction issues since last week.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the SF-MMO WildStar, the third content patch has appeared on the test server. After the second patch addressed the PvP issues of the game, the third will fully focus on PvE again.
It introduces a new story zone and revamps mob abilities across the world. A new 20-man raid and a 5-man instance are also available on the test server.
The third content patch clearly follows in the footsteps of the first. Again, it will revolve around the mysterious plague “The Stain.” Therefore, the patch is named “Defile” or “The Corruption.”
The story of the presumed ghost girl Drusera continues in the new story zone “The Eastern Tomb.” The Drusera missions form a common thread throughout WildStar and are what one would call in other games an “epic quest.”
5-man Instance for “Beginners” in the World of WildStar Instances
The new 5-man dungeon “The Ultimate Proto-Games” is a kind of game show hosted by the green capitalists of Protostar.
Soon you will surely find out if we survived the Ultimate Proto-Games.
According to information from a stream a few weeks ago, this new 5-man instance will also feature a mode that turns it into a kind of “beginner” dungeon. So far, switching from questing to the world of instances has been quite harsh. The two dungeons awaiting players at level 20 confront dungeon newcomers with the harsh realities of group play in WildStar. It has been a rude awakening for some.
With the “Tutorial” dungeon, they hope to soften this culture shock. However, the instance is currently only playable on the test server in the level 50 mode.
It is also not yet clear whether the “Tutorial” mode or the level 50 version will even make it into content patch #3. According to a dataminer, the “Ultimate Proto-Games” are only intended for the fourth content drop.
20-man Raid Harder or Easier than the Gen-Archives?
Very little is currently known about the new 20-man raid. It will not go live with this drop yet, as it simply is not ready. Carbine seems to have already pushed the raid “Augmentor 20” onto the test server just to gather feedback.
It is unclear whether the new raid will be easier than the Gen-Archives or harder than the current 40-man raid. The topic of “raid difficulty” in WildStar is a sensitive one. With the newly surfaced 20-man raid, Carbine could adjust things or not – that will reveal itself in the coming weeks and months.
By the way, the raid is planned for content drop #6 in the “potential” timeline, so not until the end of the year.
Many Balance Changes and New Quotes for the Taxi Driver
Content drop #3 does not only kick off at the end and pile ice cream scoops into an already full cup, but also aims to change quite a bit about the experience up to that point. So, mobs across the board will receive new abilities. The Technologist (a sort of futuristic drink brewer and consumables crafter) will be revamped – and the taxi driver will finally get new quotes. The old ones have become dull. The taxi driver in WildStar is a chattering robot modeled after a New York cab driver.
As is typical for Carbine, the patch notes are the size of a small-town telephone book. You can find them in the sources. Finally, we recommend taking a look at the new zone, compiled by wildstar-arkship.de:
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A talented fan has created two atmospheric trailers for the fantasy MMO Guild Wars 2. In his opinion, GW2 has a potential to engage the masses that is not tapped into by the official marketing.
Guild Wars 2 places great importance on storytelling, atmosphere, and compelling narratives. Gee Kim, a fan of the game and, as it turns out, an extremely talented video artist, found that ArenaNet’s marketing did not do justice to the game. Additionally, he wanted to try his hand at video creation.
Therefore, he sat down and created an “epic trailer” for the first season of the Living World, which received enthusiastic reactions from fans. After the site “Kotaku” took notice and reported on it, Kim released a second trailer.
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A gag that was winking at feminism has now been removed from Hearthstone. It has been replaced with a more neutral joke.
The sexism issue somehow does not let Blizzard go.
Just a few weeks ago, they received fan criticism for not valuing prominent female characters enough and giving them too little to do in the storylines. Blizzard responded with an open letter, vowed to improve, and promised to pay more attention to these themes in the future.
Furthermore, the discussion around Hearthstone tournaments that exclude female players caused negative PR. Even though Blizzard immediately countered, they probably want to play it safe now. The creators of Hearthstone seem to have noticed that a small joke about the card “Baron Rivendare” could come across as unfortunate in light of recent events. Although the card is not yet in the game, it will be released next week. The card text has already been read by data miners and has now been changed.
Originally, the card description of the Baron was supposed to read: “Lady Blaumeux is a little hurt that they don’t call themselves The Four Horsepeople.” Translated roughly: Lady Blaumeux is a little upset that they do not call themselves the four riders.
The “Four Riders” in Naxxramas, which Baron Rivendare leads, are a reference to the four apocalyptic riders from the Bible. In English, they are called “Four Horsemen” – and the “men” is what upset Lady Blaumeux, as she does not see herself represented grammatically in that.
The new card text for Baron Rivendare removes any reference to this theme and replaces the jest with an internal World of Warcraft reference regarding the death mines, which are said to be a more interesting workplace for the riders because there are better perks.
Mein MMO says: A harmless jest against the “genderization” of the language, one might think. Whether anyone would really have gotten upset about it is anyone’s guess. The fans are discussing not the flavor text of the Baron Rivendare card but rather the effects of his special effect (double deathrattle of each of your minions) on the meta-game.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The zombie survival MMO “H1Z1” is set to launch with four different types of zombies. This is revealed in a new developer blog that focuses on the design of zombies. Additionally, new playable characters and high-end gear are discussed.
H1Z1 is still awaiting its Early Access launch. A series of developer blogs continuously reveal more details about the game. While recent blogs have focused on weather effects, spawn points, or building design, Matt Broome is tackling the core of the game, the zombies. He is a professional graphic artist and has worked for Marvel, DC, and renowned film studios before moving into the gaming industry and joining Sony Online Entertainment.
Brawler and Creeper – different zombies with strengths and weaknesses
In the blog, he reveals that he is currently working on the hairstyle of the zombie species “Bob”, the second type of zombie in H1Z1, following the normal, relatively slow zombies that can be seen all over the streams and videos. The name “Bob” was actually given by fans. After “Bob”, a “Brawler” is next, which is a particularly large and strong zombie that takes care of everything in its way – like a zombified wrestler, so to speak. By the way, this one doesn’t have a name yet. Broome is asking for suggestions via Twitter.
After the slow primordial zombie, Bob, and the Brawler, there will also be “traditional” zombies introduced to the game, in advanced stages of decay. At launch, the plan is to have four different races in the game that will differ in their appearance and movements. Thus, the normal, slow zombies are intended to be the foundation of H1Z1, but there will also be faster zombie types, stronger ones, and the so-called “Creepers”, which can only crawl along the ground because they lack legs.
Loot alert in H1Z1: Shotgun, sniper rifle, and special ops gear
Broome also provides insight into the arsenal that will be available to players. He enjoys designing equipment used by special forces, like SWAT teams: night vision devices, bullet-proof vests, he is a fan of all that.
By the way: A day prior, Broome’s colleague, game designer and weapon fan Jimmy Whisenhunt, leaked a shotgun and a sniper rifle on Twitter. So there will be more than just a bow and arrow in H1Z1.
Not only in zombies is there choice, but also in characters
Broome also gives a small insight into the selection of playable characters. So far, only the male type is known, which the team affectionately named “Ivan”. They plan to introduce new variants soon. Female models are at the very top of the design list and enjoy top priority.
In the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, TESO, players will enjoy the next content patch early Tuesday morning. 1.3.3. is known internally as the “Guild” patch, but it also brings the new campaigns.
The patch 1.3. has been on the test server for a while and is scheduled to go live Tuesday morning with the regular maintenance. It is the third major update for TESO. In addition to numerous fixes and minor balance improvements, the following major changes are coming to Tamriel:
Armor dyeing is new to the game. The individual colors will be tied to in-game achievements. For example, if someone has been a vampire once, they can dye their armor in a specific shade of black. We have extensively presented the new color system in an article.
New campaigns are coming to Cyrodiil and the old ones are closing. Instead of the previous 10 campaigns, of which 9 run for 90 days, there will now be 5 campaigns with a duration of 5 to 30 days. The two shortest campaigns will also be differentiated between veteran and non-veteran players. Detailed information about the changed campaigns can be found here.
The weapon swapping should occur faster from now on. Changes have been made to the animation and the cache. From the public test server, it is known that these changes are significant: weapon swapping happens noticeably faster, and the flow of combat is no longer slowed down.
And that’s why 1.3. is also referred to internally as “Guild-a-palooza”
Managing a guild should become easier. This introduces 10 guild ranks, with which a guild leader can fine-tune the hierarchy within their guild. Specific rights can be assigned to individual ranks.
Guild heraldry and tabards are coming. Once a guild has at least 10 members, the guild leader can decide on the symbols that players will wear on their also newly introduced tabards. There are over 250 colors, 63 backgrounds, and 136 actual symbols. This enables guilds to present themselves as a unit externally.
Guild auctioneer expands trading opportunities. Guilds also gain the ability to bid on an auctioneer, who will then offer the goods from the guild shop to non-guild members as well.
The patch will carry the version number 1.3.3. and is expected to be between 5.5 and 6.5 gigabytes in size.
In the sandbox MMO ArcheAge, there are communication issues. Are German servers coming or not?
Trion Worlds CEO Scott Hartsman confirmed in an interview with our magazine a few weeks ago how important the German market is for his company. Therefore, alongside a nearby data center, there will also be a dedicated localization and dedicated servers for Germany. Contrary to this statement, however, streams and the official forum have excluded language-specific servers.
Just a few days ago, a community manager confirmed again that they are not planning “language-specific servers”. The forum post has since been deleted, but the confusion remains: one says this, and others say that. What should we make of this?
We have once again inquired at Trion Worlds and asked for clarification on this question. We received the following response:
We confirmed German as a language, and that we will have servers in the EU. People can set the language to whatever they choose. We expect that we’ll note which servers will be recommended so people can find each other by language, once we get a way to do that.
This translates to mean that there will be German as a language option, and there will also be servers located in Europe. Players will be free to choose their language. Currently, Trion Worlds expects to recommend servers for specific languages once they find a way to do so.
My MMO thinks: For us, this means that German servers are coming, even though the commitment now sounds much looser than in the interview with us. Regarding formalities: Other MMOs don’t do it differently either.
You can also play on an English server in WoW with a German client and only speak German. The only thing that really makes the English server “English” is that it has an [EN] label behind it. If the German servers are marked in some form with [DE] or [GER], they are German servers in our view. What else should they do? Portraits of Merkel on every tree? Craftable bratwurst?
The now looser wording: “once they have found a way to do so” – sounds strange, and the communication issues are irritating. There is a difference between recommending a server “somewhere” or doing so officially in the client selection. Perhaps ArcheAge wants to wait and see how the response of the German players is in the beta to decide how exactly to make the recommendation.
Update: After the announcement of the servers, everything now indicates that there will be no servers labeled by languages at launch. Therefore, this matter is settled for now.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Blizzard’s free card game Hearthstone, the fifth season has started. As a reward for reaching rank 20, players receive an Ice Crown card back. However, players are currently facing other concerns: double bookings and authentication issues are blocking progress in Naxxramas.
Ice Crown card back for Season 5 sparks speculation about the next expansion
Players who reach at least rank 20 in the current season, which runs until the end of the month, can look forward to this stylish card back. It has received much applause from players, who also speculated about a possible next expansion by the end of the year. After Naxxramas, it could be time for the Ice Crown Citadel. That would make sense.
Blizzard stated that with Naxxramas they laid the foundation for an adventure mode in Hearthstone and did a lot of groundwork. Thus, a next expansion could come to the game much faster and more smoothly.
Problems with the Plague Wing in Naxxramas persist, Blizzard works through the weekend
Of course, this announcement from Blizzard is currently overshadowed by the problems that have arisen with the Plague Wing in Hearthstone: Transactions have been anything but smooth. Players purchased access to the new wing with euros or gold but did not receive it. They now have to initiate chargebacks. There have been hotfixes, double bookings, and long waits for authentication.
Even four days later, the problems are not fully resolved. Blizzard is still working on the “Naxxramas” issues.
iPad users should contact Apple directly
As of Saturday afternoon, Blizzard seems to be on the trail of the causes of the problems and does not intend to rest over the weekend until the issues are clarified. The schedule indicates that the next wing is set to open in the middle of next week, so Blizzard is under time pressure. The problem is complicated by the numerous ways Hearthstone can be played and how payment for the expansion can be made. Therefore, iPad users are advised to contact Apple directly.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
After what feels like an eternity, I turn to you again in a column. The last push for this came from this Hearthstone news from Schuhmann, because I am a bit tired of getting upset about this topic again and again: So I will self-therapy a bit and let all my frustration flow into this article here to finally come to a conclusion (and on a second reading, I even notice that it rhymes)!
Topic 1: Exclusion from the game based on gender
We do not need to argue that a separation of men and women in the physical real sports area makes sense, but that is why we will leave that one out.
Blizzard rewrites e-sport rules: Women cannot be excluded from tournaments.
Since this was the drop that overflowed the bucket, I will start with that right away. First of all, I believe that it was a good decision by Blizzard to take a clear position: Anyone who organizes tournaments with their games should not exclude anyone, especially not because of their gender.
But if we are honest for a brief moment: What choice did they actually have?
If they had not made a clear statement, no two days later, headlines would have emerged that corresponded to the tenor of “Blizzard supports sexist competitions” or “Blizzard is against equality”. That everyone is aware that you cannot take such a risk is clear.
However, I find it puzzling how the anti-sexism front counts this as a great victory while simultaneously saying that there will still be tournaments where only women are allowed to participate. I don’t say this lightly, but sexism works both ways. If they had spoken a little more clearly and said that gender segregation is generally absurd and should not occur, that would have been far more effective.
[quote_right]It creates the impression that women cannot perform to the same level as men.[/quote_right]From my perspective, they have now cut into their own flesh because what impression is conveyed? Women are now allowed to participate in one of the big (men’s) tournaments (which is good!), but they also still have their tournaments in which no men are allowed to participate (which is utterly ridiculous).
The message that is conveyed is relatively clear: Women still need their own tournaments to celebrate their successes, which apparently cannot be done if men participate. Through such half-hearted approaches, the impression is created that women cannot deliver the same performance in a game – and that is precisely the sexism that was supposed to be prevented.
Topic 2: Big breasts and bulging muscles
TERA: The Castanic radiate with sex appeal, and this eroticism is even part of their backstory.
The second point that has endlessly annoyed me for years is the complaint about the portrayal of characters in MMOs, and here the criticism primarily comes from the female side. Sometimes the breasts are too big and wobble too much when walking, sometimes the hips are too wide, and then the clothing items are too provocative. Some games even deliberately exaggerate these characteristics; I will only mention “Scarlet Blade” and “TERA” as two examples.
But before I go into that, I will turn the tables coldly. Has anyone among the complainers ever looked at the male character models? They can just as easily be reduced to just two stereotypes: Either they are strong, muscular warriors who look like they could still do push-ups while sleeping and eat steroids instead of muesli, or they are androgynous scrawny figures that look like they jumped straight out of a Japanese Yaoi manga (and those who do not know what that is should urgently google it with the image search – at their own risk).
Amazingly, the outcry regarding male models is rather low, although one could just as well start a debate if one wanted to.
But back to the women: I admit, I still do not understand how the Aurin with the largest possible breasts can walk upright or why the human women wobble so much with their hips while walking that they dislocate their joints with every step.
The male elf in TERA
But you know what? I don’t care! I find it absolutely fine because this exaggeration fits perfectly with the world of WildStar, where everything is taken less seriously. The same applies to other games, like TERA: The Castanic radiate with sex appeal, and this eroticism is even part of their backstory – of both genders. Also among the elves of this game, stereotypes can be observed again: They all look somewhat noble, yet they conform rather strongly to a beauty ideal that is very hard to find in reality. Before someone screams: The male representatives of the race are, by the way, again the Yaoi/Hentai variant.
Topic 3: Reducing women to appearance
Often you also hear that women in video games are only portrayed as the “desirable doll” that needs saving and is, of course, overloaded with visual appeals that a strong hero can rescue. But have people with such accusations looked at games in the last ten years? Only a very few games still operate under the Super Mario principle: “I hero, you princess, I save you, you are grateful.”
Female characters are no longer inferior to male characters in a variety of MMOs; they are mostly interesting and well-thought-out personalities who make independent decisions and do not let themselves be pushed around. Some examples would be Jaina Proudmoore (WoW) and Myala Everstar (WildStar) – the latter even has her own ‘harem’ of followers. Just imagine the uproar if that had been a male character…
It is completely unquestionable that in most MMOs there is clothing that showcases characters in specific ways. Whether it is a “Robe of Insight” in WoW or the “Slave outfit” from SWTOR, there isn’t a big difference. Do I have a problem with that? Absolutely not; why should I?
Final Opinion
I cannot understand how people are consistently upset about large breasts, deep necklines, and plate bikinis, because seriously: You don’t have to play such a character if you don’t want to.
The variety of characters in most games is increasing, and even when it is less, like in TERA – where everything just looks hot or cute, you can inform yourself about the game in advance. The fact is simply that such stereotypes are well-received, even by me. I like beautiful women who can wear interesting dresses, and I am also attracted to muscular warriors who could lift three Aurin at the same time on each arm. Are women restricted to their appearance because of this? No.
Men generally just enjoy looking at good-looking women and women just enjoy looking at attractive men – at least in bulk. Can’t we just stay grounded in reality and accept that these worlds are games that should be fun for us? Where is the huge problem if characters are exaggerated? Games are a leisure activity, and we are talking about virtual people.
And even if I am going to receive backlash: A fantasy world becomes truly exciting because of a touch of sexism sometimes and makes a world seem tougher and more unfair – since it’s just a game, I have my fun with it. Do you see it differently?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMO Shooter Defiance is closely linked with the eponymous TV series. Both take place in a shared universe and cooperate. But what would happen if the show were suddenly canceled? Would that also mean the end for the MMO?
Though the TV series Defiance is doing well, with solid reviews and ratings, according to Polygon, the broadcasting channel Syfy is not particularly known for its long-running series. So what would happen with Defiance, the video game, if there were suddenly no season 3?
The reaction from Trick Dempsey, the lead designer of the game, is pragmatic. After all, they had to survive for 9 months after the first season ended without the show, and it went very well. So there are no worries here. However, Dempsey does not want to miss the collaboration with NBC.
Defiance, the MMO, is responsible for the heavy lifting
In the TV series, one can focus more on dialogue and character development, while in the MMO Defiance, they deal with gunfire, violence, and falling things from the sky. Action is much cheaper to implement in the game than in a TV series.
Dempsey seems to have taken a liking to the collaboration with the TV show and wants to intensify the partnership for the future. However, should there be no third season, they are already making preparations: The end of the second season is to be left open, to give the Defiance universe more room to grow and breathe.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Up to level twenty, Final Fantasy XIV can now be played for free. That sounds little, but given the rather slow pace and the many activities in the game, that’s surprisingly a lot of content. Of course, there are also certain restrictions here, as with other games. The whole thing is meant to be a trial offer and entice purchases.
If the “friend” you invite takes out a 30-day subscription, both players receive a friendship bracelet that increases experience by 25%. Additionally, the inviter can teleport to the friend.
If the friend takes out a 90-day subscription, the player who recruited them receives a tandem Chocobo with space for two.
Apparently, Final Fantasy XIV wants to be seen and played by more people
My MMO says: Since Final Fantasy XIV was available for around 5 Euros on Steam and other providers in recent weeks, the trial program is now consistent and another sign from Square Enix that they are ready to show the game to as many people as possible and expand the player base. With the last Patch 2.3. came further new features to the game, such as the monster hunting, although it may still need some fine-tuning and has already drawn some criticism. But in general, Final Fantasy XIV has really been a “feel-good” story in the MMO sector over the past few months, whose stories often end so disappointingly.
Perhaps the game will achieve something that many dreamed of with Star Wars: The Old Republic or still dream of with The Elder Scrolls Online: after a problematic start, turn things around and still become the game that the fans of the franchise and the name deserve. For FF XIV, it seems to be on a good path. This is also evident from the fact that in recent months, almost all MMO magazines have suddenly featured articles and specials about the game. Hardly anyone would have thought that possible after the launch and the first months back then.
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The new animations of the races of World of Warcraft are progressing well. Only the Blood Elves probably won’t make it by the launch of the expansion “Warlords of Draenor.”
So, the Blood Elves will catch the brunt: they will wake up at the launch of Warlords of Draenor still with the old face, while the world, enemies, and friends around them will look different. The remodelling process is proving to be incredibly labor-intensive for Blizzard. In numerous Artcraft blog posts, it is pointed out how much effort it costs, how many hours it requires, and how much more challenging it is now to bring the faces to life.
As if one had to recreate all races anew
If one had relied on some tricks ten years ago and basically just painted facial expressions, because there was no better way to do it, today everything must look organic and be made “legit.” The new models will no longer forgive tricks like glued teeth or a forced smile; the face has to move. The result can be appealing, but it also involves a hell of a lot of effort.
From a design perspective, it’s as if one is working on an expansion and already designing a lot of new “art,” thus heavily burdening the design department, and in addition, instead of creating only two new races as in the past, one now has to redo all of them. Originally, the plan was to start the expansion with just a few “refurbished” races and gradually update more via patches. However, they actually deviated from that because it would have been “not ideal.” It is still mentioned in a blog post from July 30, which gives the impression that everyone will make the beauty treatment by the time of the expansion.
However, a day later, it was already stated on Twitter that it was becoming clearer that the Blood Elves would not meet Blizzard’s standards by the launch of the expansion.
Industry press shows understanding
The industry press expresses understanding for Blizzard’s decision. WoW Insider comments: Although the Blood Elves are one of the most popular player races and therefore many players are waiting for the new models, the Blood Elves are also one of those races that have always looked relatively aesthetic, and if cuts must be made somewhere, it makes sense to delay them.
The announcement also means that the trolls will soon become the focus of the next Artcraft. Their remodelling is still pending.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
