Final Fantasy XIV: Now available for free play

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The MMO Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn now has a trial access and a “Recruit-a-friend” program.

That was quick. On July 23, we had an article stating that Square Enix plans a trial and a “Recruit-a-friend” program. And hardly a week later, both are already live.

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.

You can find more details on this page: http://www.ffxiv-freetrial.com/de/

The “Recruit-a-friend” program follows similar patterns as corresponding programs from Blizzard.

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

World of Warcraft: Blood Elves – old face, new world

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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.

World of Warcraft Remodelling

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.
Source(s):
  1. wow.joystiq.com
  2. eu.battle.net

WildStar: Shock turns to Joy – Carbine resolves World-Boss Bug

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the SF-MMO WildStar, some players were horrified to find that their progress in a strenuous quest was deleted. Carbine is now sparing them this quest step.

To be able to raid in WildStar, an elaborate access quest is required, reminiscent of the tasks of Hercules. One of the most tedious steps in it: defeating 12 world bosses. A quest that requires other players and demands quite a bit of effort, though it is not impossible to complete. Because low-level world bosses also count towards its completion. However, it certainly requires a lot of time, and especially on smaller servers, it is tricky.

After yesterday’s patch, some players logged in and found that their progress in this quest had been reset to 0%, even though they had already defeated some of the 12 required bosses. The game simply forgot that. The outcry in the forums was huge.

Carbine responded by removing the quest step from the players entirely. During the next downtime, every player currently stuck on this quest step will have that task completed and will be directed to the next one. Otherwise, it would not be possible to resolve the issue “fairly”. This was announced by CRB_Cougar during the live stream “WildStar Weekly”.

German Community Manager loses duel against Head Designer

WildStar Duel

In the stream, the German community manager Jan Sterl faced off against the head designer Stephan Frost in a best-of-three duel. It went suboptimally for the German. In the first duel, he forgot to equip his weapon with the unfamiliar PTR character, he won the second duel, and lost the third narrowly. Sterl, also known as CRB_Bronn, played Esper, while Frost played the Stalker.

Seemingly unfazed by the defeat, Sterl announced that they want to hold arena matches between devs and arena players at Gamescom in Cologne. He could probably say this with a grin and fearlessly because he will also take a seat in the commentators’ chair.

Content Update #3 brings back PvE and another zone

Furthermore, it was heard at WildStar Weekly that Content Patch #3 will bring another zone in which the story of Drusera will continue. Currently, players are mistakenly being sent into the zone with a quest. However, that currently leads nowhere. Content Patch #3 is supposed to focus again on PvE. The second patch released yesterday mainly revolves around PvP.

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

Black Desert: Publisher hires reinforcements from the West

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The Korean MMO Black Desert has found a publisher for the West in Daum, who is now recruiting veterans from the gaming industry.

In an interview with mmoculture, Brian Oh, the Director of Oversea Business of Pearl Abyss, the developer of Black Desert, talked about the unusual publisher choice. After all, Daum is a Korean publisher that has little experience in the West. Among the fans, there are doubts about whether Daum will be able to find its way in the Western market and do justice to the game.

When asked about the gaming scene being somewhat in shock that the choice fell on Daum, Oh replied that they did not make this decision lightly. After a long evaluation phase, they chose Daum, also because their support after the agreement in Korea was so valuable.

According to Oh, Daum is working to establish itself in the West. They are currently recruiting veterans from the gaming industry with Western experience. Additionally, they have just merged with “Kakao,” the largest publisher for mobile gaming platforms in Korea.

Oh sees no difficulties in that a publisher inexperienced in the West may be responsible for delays. The previous collaboration has shown that Daum works reliably and quickly.

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

Hearthstone: Cheap Trick Defeats Naxxramas Bosses

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In Blizzard’s free card game Hearthstone, a flaw in the artificial intelligence of the opponents in Naxxramas leads to cheap victories. A 2-mana combination from the Priest takes down the bosses.

Yesterday, a video surfaced on YouTube showing how to trick the A.I. of the heroic bosses in Naxxramas with a cheap trick. The bosses appear so confused that they don’t play any cards and ultimately die from the fatigue penalty. This penalty is incurred by players and A.I. opponents when they have to draw cards but have none left in their deck. The player can avoid the drawbacks of fatigue by healing in the meantime with the Priest’s hero power and certain cards to offset the HP advantage of some heroic bosses, who start with 45 instead of 30 health points.

The simple trick works with a Priest deck. You only need the 2-mana card “Doomsayer”, which is then silenced by the 0-mana spell “Silence”. The “Doomsayer” would normally destroy all minions at the start of each turn. However, this ability is negated by the silence. For some reason, several bosses in Naxxramas cannot handle this.

The video is already hotly debated on Reddit, and people are trying to draw conclusions about the “artificial intelligence” of the bosses in Naxxramas. However, it is assumed that Blizzard will soon adjust this to put a stop to the “cheap tricks” in Hearthstone.

So much for “No cheap tricks allowed”

On the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, the Plague Wing, the second section of the Naxxramas expansion, opened. At launch, it was ironically revealed that the previously “cheapest trick”, the card Alexstrasza, would not work against the crucial third boss Loatheb. The Dread Lord Kel’Thuzad was allowed to announce: “This is the heroic mode. No cheap tricks allowed.” Apparently, Kel’Thuzad is still unaware of the Silence-Doomsayer combo.

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  1. www.reddit.com

H1Z1: What Would the World Look Like 15 Years After Its End?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In the zombie survival MMO H1Z1, the virus of the same name has been raging on Earth for 15 years, leaving its mark: Not just on humans, but also on buildings.

We now know how the zombie apocalypse affects people. They become at least as biting as a striker from Uruguay. But what actually happens to our world? What happens to open-plan offices, intersections, supermarkets, gas stations, and our cars when they’ve been rotting away for 15 years? And how can a whole, growing, sprawling world be efficiently recreated and constructed?

A team of graphic designers at H1Z1 is addressing these questions. They have now illustrated through a series of images how the design of such a rapidly spreading world works.

H1Z1 House Design

From scratch and over weeks, they designed the main street of a small settlement and documented their successes. Here you can see how individual buildings slowly become a street and thus a world. For the look of the street, they started with a small shopping mall, single-story buildings, and a gas station. Then they added office spaces – with the typical “Cubicles,” the tiny, partitioned workspaces that can make you feel like a zombie even without the virus.

H1Z1 Interior

The differences can be clearly seen in the pictures. While the main street appears deserted in one of the early working phases, it does not look “good” in the zombie sense, but rather in the bad sense of “something is still missing for me to believe that”:

H1Z1 Apocalypse

the street looks much more believable and “lively” with a few additions:

H1Z1 New Design

With an abandoned police station, a few different fundamental buildings, and other facades, a diverse and vibrant picture emerges. In doing so, the urban landscape is given the morbid look of an area where no one has found the time to maintain anything for 15 years through a “wear and tear” program.

These “building block cities” are particularly important for the survival MMO H1Z1 because after the release, they want to constantly expand the map and bring new variations of villages and towns into the game. The fans’ reaction to these pictures has already been positive. Fans are especially impressed by how the quality of the design increases significantly with just a few additional models and elements.

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

“Coffee, Kupo?” – “Final Fantasy XIV” café opens in Tokyo

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

In Tokyo, there is a new mecca for fans of the MMO Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.

The Final Fantasy franchise thrives on its recognizability, its focus on aesthetics, and a distinctive style. Many fans drawn to the MMO now have played the earlier installments of Final Fantasy in their childhood. The game and the franchise are so immensely popular in Japan that it was not such an outlandish thought to try it with a “theme” café. The Eorzea Café opened yesterday on July 31 in Tokyo and impresses with its attention to detail. While the Hard Rock Café showcases memorabilia from rockers or stars on the walls, here you find Moogles, swords, shields, and other artifacts.

The dishes also come with a nice Final Fantasy touch. And for those who can only think about gaming while eating: Of course, there are PCs with internet access in the Eorzea Café. Installed is – of course – Final Fantasy XIV.

You can find more pictures in the sources.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. kotaku.com
  2. game.watch.impress.co.jp (Quelle für die Bilder)

Defiance still not Free-to-Play for PS 3 and XBox 360

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The fans of the MMO shooter Defiance are still waiting for the promised transition to the free-to-play mode for the consoles Playstation 3 and XBox 360.

Originally, the switch to a free model for the consoles was planned for July 15, but it was postponed at short notice to an indefinite time. According to Trion Worlds, new elements were introduced into the game in conjunction with the television series, which made the MMO shooter unstable. And they did not want to burden the expected newcomers with such a gaming experience.

Clearly, the work is taking longer. Even more than two weeks after the missed deadline, a date for the switch to F2P on Playstation 3 and XBox 360 is still not known. A community representative from Trion Worlds recently mentioned that they at least want to provide a new date for the transition soon. We will keep you updated on the developments.

Mein MMO thinks: This is definitely not the polite way to announce a date for a transition, cancel it at short notice, and then leave the fans in the lurch. It especially leaves a sour taste that players were drawn to a game by advertising it as “free.” Tempted by the offer, some may have acquired Defiance somewhere cheaply because they did not want to wait any longer for the F2P transition.

Others may have lost interest in the game if the date could not be held for so long. In any case, it is an unfortunate situation. Hopefully, it will be resolved in the coming days.

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

WildStar: Sabotage hits the servers!

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time < 1 minutes

You log in unsuspectingly, and it’s already that time again: Just under 4 weeks after the last update, the latest WildStar patch, aptly named “Sabotage,” is ready for download.

This content update is fully dedicated to PvP, as it introduces the new map “Dolchsteinpass“, where 15 players from each faction can beat each other up. In addition to three capturable control points, you will also be able to blow up enemies and their bases with large bombs – due to the increased battlefield size, you can also use your mounts and hoverboards this time.

Additionally, the healer-friendly change to PvP values (PvP Power now increases healing done) has been made, with the main focus on class balance: Espers can look forward to increased damage and higher mobility, while Assassin tanks have had to sacrifice some of their survivability, and Spell Slinger will have to settle for smaller telegraphs.

Moreover, there are some new housing items that can now be found in PvP reward boxes. Lastly, there has been an effort to fix as many bugs as possible, especially the erroneous path missions should now be manageable without problems. You can see a complete list of all changes in the patch notes.

So far, the developers have been delivering a big update every 4-6 weeks as promised – let’s hope this frequency will be maintained!

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Elder Scrolls Online – Imperial City (PvP Dungeon)

MeinMMO MeinMMO Reading time < 1 minutes

Before the release of The Elder Scrolls Online, it became known that the capital city, the Imperial City, would keep its gates shut upon launch. The reason given was that the city had been conquered and occupied by the hordes of Molag Bal. It is now up to you to drive them out of the city and gain control over it, but that is not so simple.

First of all, you must manage to get into the city at all. To do this, your alliance must control most of the 18 strongholds in Cyrodiil. Then, and only then, can you enter the Imperial City through an entrance in the sewers. There are 3 separate entrances, one for each alliance, but only one will be open at a time. Which one that is can change quickly.

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World of Tanks: More beautiful, harder, cozier

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In Wargaming’s World of Tanks, the patch 9.2 is coming to the servers today. It beautifies the tanks, makes the maps slightly harder, and brings a cozy feeling to the otherwise steely tank game with its own fortresses.

“Fiery Ground” is the name of the new map that is coming with 9.2. According to Wargaming, it is a revamped version of the map “Prokhorovka”. Additionally, changes have been made to eight other maps based on player suggestions.

Furthermore, the tank mechanics at Wargaming have done a great job. Players can now experience four of the tanks in high-resolution textures: specifically the Soviet IS and SU-100, the German StuG III, and the British Churchill I.

However, the actual new feature is the “Fortresses,” which have been announced for a while and were extensively tested in recent weeks. The fortresses are the pride and joy of every clan, provide bonuses, and give the commanders plenty to do. Wargaming’s management is promising that the mode will bring more gameplay depth at the meta level, variety, and new tactical elements.

World of Tanks Fortresses

Twitch is expanding

In World of Tanks, there is not only something happening in the game but also around it. A real cult is slowly forming around World of Tanks, and the eSports factor is being expanded further. Just this weekend in Minsk, a $90,000 tournament took place as a closing event of the Wargaming.net League, and there are regularly clips on social media featuring the most absurd or coolest tank kills.

Wargaming has recognized the signs of the times and understands that there is no better advertising than having players that you can watch while they are having a great time playing. Thus, they are doing everything to make it easy for players to stream their gameplay. With just a push of a button, as they advertise, you now land on Twitch.

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Neverwinter: Free2Play MMORPG coming to Xbox One

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The Free2Play MMORPG Neverwinter will be available on Xbox One in the first half of 2015.

As Perfect World Entertainment announces in a press release, a port to Xbox is practically a necessity; a quality game like this must be accessible to console players. PWE believes that the action-oriented combat system of the game will be well suited to the console and its peculiarities. Therefore, a port is a logical choice. For Perfect World Entertainment, it is a significant milestone, as they are stepping out of the PC market for the first time. A dream is coming true.

Controls and Payment Model of the Xbox One Version; no information yet on Playstation 4 port

For the Xbox One, no compromises are to be made. There will be the same races, the same classes, and all areas as in the PC version. With “some minor” exceptions, the game will therefore be identical. Xbox One players will get their own server; cross-play like in Final Fantasy XIV is not planned. At the moment, they are keeping silent about whether they plan to expand to other platforms. The Playstation 4 would be a logical choice.

The biggest challenge will be, as they told the US site ign.com, to adapt the mouse and keyboard controls to the controller. They plan to display abilities at the bottom of the screen that can then be activated with the buttons on the controller. A classic console model. Selection should be swappable with a press of LB. Then, less frequently used skills will be available.

Currently, the payment model looks like Neverwinter will only be available to users who have activated an Xbox Gold membership.

In China, the Xbox One version will be available this year, while the rest of the world will have to wait until the first half of 2015.

On PC, the reign of dragons will begin soon

Neverwinter: The Dragonborn Race

The next major update for the PC version of Neverwinter is coming in two weeks. On August 14, the fourth module “The Tyranny of Dragons” begins. A new class and a new race have already been announced for this.

The new race “Dragonborn” has recently caused a stir as it will come at a substantial price and will be associated with some advantages.

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

Defiance: Next week it’s heading to Silicon Valley

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time < 1 minutes

The free MMO shooter Defiance will receive the expansion “Silicon Valley” next week.

On August 5th, Defiance fans will be able to enjoy the completely free expansion “Silicon Valley”. The expansion introduces encrypted items as a new feature in the game, which deal 3% more damage or provide shield performance.

The storyline of “Silicon Valley” revolves around Karl Von Back, who promised his followers a bright future, a paradise on earth. However, things are set to unfold differently than he planned. A cult has taken over the area, and there are Grid swarming everywhere. Someone will have to come to clean up.

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

Guild Wars 2: Stylish new outfits have appeared

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The latest patch for Guild Wars 2 not only brought a new episode of the Living World, but also new outfits.

The most popular hobby of hardcore fans? Data mining, of course. As soon as a new patch is applied, a close look is taken at what the patch notes leave out but the data reveals. Three screenshots showing new “outfits” have now surfaced on reddit.

  • Guild Wars 2: New Outfits
  • Guild Wars 2: New Outfits
  • Guild Wars 2: New Outfits

While fans find the outfits quite nice, some would wish that ArenaNet would design new clothing pieces again. These could then be combined with the existing clothing. Others argue, however, that a piece of clothing would then have to be matched with every other to avoid clipping issues. That would be extremely cumbersome. Outfits are much more practical in that regard. And they are stylish too.

By the way, the thread creator on reddit still hasn’t figured out which of the outfits fits the Sylvari. How to squeeze oneself into the stylish attire is also not yet known.

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

The Elder Scrolls Online: Server migration successful

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The European megaserver for The Elder Scrolls Online is now located in Frankfurt am Main. The actual move took only six hours instead of the planned nine.

“The move was quick,” is technically correct in this case, but also a bit inappropriate. Although the long-anticipated relocation of the European megaserver from Austin, Texas, to a data center in Frankfurt took about three hours less than expected, fans had to wait almost four months for it.

In any case, everything went smoothly, and the first reactions from freshly logged-in fans are positive: Ping is better, and the gameplay feels improved. The night and the next few days will show whether everything went as smoothly as it seems right after the move.

The Elder Scrolls Online

The relocation of the megaserver from the USA to Frankfurt was one of the main criticisms of the game. In social media, some former players are saying that now, with the server located in Germany, they want to give the game another chance. Players returning now hopefully find an improved and strengthened The Elder Scrolls Online. Shortly after the release, the game struggled with bugs and growing pains. Even in recent weeks, there have still been problems with the technical aspects of the game, especially after major patches. However, improvements have been noted since the release.

To resolve design missteps and change gameplay aspects, Zenimax is currently planning a whole series of changes, most of which will become active in the coming months. Our YouTuber Darion presented and discussed some of the planned changes for The Elder Scrolls Online last week.

For Returning Players: What’s Coming in the Next Months

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

Hearthstone: Kel’Thuzad doesn’t like cheap tricks

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

In Blizzard’s card game Hearthstone, no cheap tricks are allowed in the heroic mode of Naxxramas.

Spoiler Warning: Beware, the text contains hints about bosses in the heroic mode of Naxxramas.
The second wing of the first expansion for Hearthstone opened last night. The abilities and stats of the bosses have been known for some time or at least as good as known. Players and experts have therefore already devised certain strategies to deal with particularly nasty bosses without any problems. However, Blizzard has thought ahead and has put a stop to cheap tricks.

“Not like that, buddy”

Kel'Thuzad card

The heroic bosses in Naxxramas all have significantly increased HP. They typically have 45 health points instead of just 30. This made the legendary card Alexstraza particularly valuable in the first week, as it can set an opponent’s HP to 15. While it only deals a maximum of 15 points of damage against “normal” opponents, that’s already 30 in heroic mode. When it became known that the final boss of the Plague Wing, the mushroom monster Loatheb, would have 99 HP in heroic mode instead of 45, experts’ eyes lit up: Against him, Alexstraza would deal 84 points of damage! The rest would be no problem. The boss mechanic (annoying spores and so on) could simply be ignored.

Internet personality Athene faces a nasty surprise

Reports suggest that the polarizing “internet personality” Athene has transferred to the Chinese server specifically to clear the heroic mode in the Plague Wing first. And of course, he aimed to show Loatheb HC what Alexstraza can do. However, Blizzard’s voice manifested in the form of the necromancer Kel’Thuzad, who said: “This is the heroic mode. No cheap tricks are allowed here.” And so the card dedicated to the aspect of life vanished. Alexstraza left empty-handed, and Athene looked a bit like a drenched poodle. Because against Loatheb HC, this card is simply ineffective.

The dataminers from Hearthpwn have found more such sound snippets and suspect that there are other secret card restrictions in the game. One of the next trick bosses will be the four horsemen, who would be very vulnerable to some cards. Again, Blizzard seems to have taken precautions. Kel’Thuzad certainly has more “Not so cheap, buddy” texts ready.

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

ArcheAge: Players should learn new ways from each other

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The fantasy MMO ArcheAge introduces some elements that are unusual for a modern MMO. But how can players get to know these systems? Best by learning from each other, say the developers in an interview.

Curiosity as a driving force: “The farm looks great – how can I get one?”

In a podcast interview with mmorpg.com, two ArcheAge team members answered questions. A few days ago, an article appeared on the interviewer’s website that raised the question of how ArcheAge would present its deeper and freer gameplay elements. And whether hiding them might cause boredom.

For the developers, it is clear that players learn best from each other. An experienced player can take a “beginner” under their wing and simply take them on a tour on their ship. Or players would wander around, see another’s farm, and decide: “I want that too!” That’s how the devs themselves experienced it in the game. But of course, they are working to point out these elements of the game through conventional quests as well. Those would also introduce the deeper gameplay elements.

Farm in ArcheAge

Interest in beta not only high, but overwhelming

At Trion Worlds, they have been overwhelmed by the response to ArcheAge so far. They were surprised by the rush for the beta, even though they had already raised their expectations. Before each beta event, they roughly estimate how many of the invited players actually log in. This depends on the overall interest. With ArcheAge, they had already anticipated “high” interest, but it was overwhelming. Therefore, they had to double the number of servers after just 18 minutes to avoid players being stuck in queues for too long.

It is also possible to reach endgame as a crafter and pacifist

ArcheAge Crafting

In a casual chat, the conversation turned to crafting. This highlights the difference from today’s established theme park games. The game’s producer, Victoria, explained that there is a real way to progress in ArcheAge without indulging in the genre’s typical monster-slaying. She is an avid crafter and has not killed anything in the game for a month and a half. She crafts items for her guild (the best ones are only craftable) and receives protection on her trade journeys, certain lootable materials in return, or simply gold. They support each other, everyone fulfills their role, and they have a great time doing it.

Even as a pacifist, she enjoys the adrenaline rush that an open-PvP system can provide. This keeps you alert and makes you think carefully about which “war” zones you want to roam and whether you should seek protection for that journey. However, she finds it quite possible to avoid PvP.

The developers did not want to commit to a possible release date in the interview. Only the number “2014” was extracted from them. The rest depends on numerous factors. It is now important to incorporate the beta feedback from players to fine-tune certain aspects.

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

World of Warcraft: Nat Pagle, Master Angler becomes Follower

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

Fishing in World of Warcraft is inextricably linked to Nat Pagle. With Warlords of Draenor, the dream comes true: Finally, you will be able to command Pagle around instead of hauling fish to him as if he were a gluttonous orca. Pagle will be one of the followers hanging around in the garrison, and he will be a very special one.

World of Warcraft and Fishing – A Love-Hate Relationship

Nat Pagle – how many hours have been spent in World of Warcraft securing his favor? From expansion to expansion, Pagle wants us to do the only thing a hero in Pagle’s eyes must do: fish, fish, fish.

Many players associate fishing in World of Warcraft with a love-hate relationship. For hardcore PvPers or endgame raiders craving action, there’s hardly a sillier activity than sitting motionless by a pond for hours, waiting for something to bite.

Of course, it’s not that bad. Blizzard has continually paid attention to fishing: Every expansion introduces new achievements, and for good buff food, one often needs seafood. Additionally, there are rare items that can only be fished up, most notably the sea turtle. Nowadays, Blizzard is making an effort, and a real cult has formed around fishing. Although some achievements – like the giant rat in the sewers under Dalaran – do reignite the love-hate relationship.

Nat Pagle at Your Service

With the next expansion Warlords of Draenor, players will be able to recruit Nat Pagle for the garrison. To do this, the player must have built a fishing shack in their garrison, be a seasoned angler (700 points), and convince the good Pagle through a questline that they really have what it takes.

As a reward, there’s Pagle, a level 100 follower of rare quality. He will then likely be sent on missions alongside other followers. But Pagle also has a passive effect. Those who have him in their service can fish for “Lunkers”, rare fish, in the new world without bait. It is still unclear what these “Lunkers” are useful for, but it is assumed that they will be important for a series of recipes. After all, they are “rare”, thus “blue”.

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

Swordsman: Free Kung-Fu MMO has been launched

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

Yesterday, Swordsman Online, the free Kung-Fu MMO, launched. Perfect World released some amusing numbers for the beta, and the first reactions to the game are already in.

Swordsman Online is a Free2Play MMO in Wuxia style. This means the fights are not realistic, but exuberant. Just like in those movies where fighters can jump eight meters high from a standstill and strikes generate enough force to heat the air (due to friction). The classes in Swordsman feature the typical combat styles from respective films. Depending on the type of weapon you prefer, you can choose the suitable class in Swordsman Online.

Swordsman Infographic

We have already presented the classes in a special. The most popular in the beta were Splendor (16%) ahead of “Sun and Moon” and Harmony. This also reflects our class presentation; even then, Splendor (Burst-Killer) and Harmony (Glass-Cannon with Short- and Long-Sword) were considered the players’ favorites. The “Sun and Moon” school equips its students with chain blades.

The beta ran from July 3 to July 29. And there were quite a few player kills. 231,000 player kills occurred during this period. As you can see, Swordsman ramps up significantly in PvP from level 30 onwards.

Initial Reactions Instead of a Test

Initial reactions to the game were quite mixed. At mmorpg.com, there was a humorous video about the game, poking fun at the exaggerated drama in the introduction villain of the first hours. They also found humor in the alcohol consumption in the game and complained that the hero could wonderfully tumble around and parkour over the pagodas; however, this was limited to situations where the player had no control over the hero.

We at mein-mmo.de also tested the game and chased our Swordsman through the first 20 levels. The game has a fairly simple combat system in the early levels, a somewhat unconventional menu navigation, and an interface that does not quite meet triple-A standards. However, the world is richly equipped with amusing details, and those who can approach an MMO with a smile will find it quite rewarding.

Typical for Asia MMOs is the auto-pathing, which feels rather unusual to us. The game sometimes feels like it’s being remotely controlled. However, after just a few hours, one cannot judge it, especially since other sources say that the strengths of the game lie in PvP, which only begins in the mid-game.

Anyone interested in the game can sign up through this link and try it for free.

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

ArcheAge Cash Shop: How high is the Pay2Win risk?

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The upcoming fantasy MMO with sandbox elements, ArcheAge, will launch with a Free2Play model complemented by a cash shop. Are there items in the cash shop that look like Pay2Win?

ArcheAge’s payment model features a “Patron” status, which is only available to players who either subscribe or obtain this status through a tradeable license within the game. In addition to this “quasi” Pay2Play model, ArcheAge has a cash shop. These are common in Free2Play games but remain a sensitive topic: How powerful are the items available for purchase there? Can players buy advantages that cannot be obtained otherwise?

The US site mmorpg.com has taken a detailed look at the items available in the ArcheAge cash shop and reassures that a large portion of the items there are purely cosmetic. However, two exceptions exist regarding inventory and storage space expansion.

5 Categories of Items in the ArcheAge Cash Shop

The items roughly fall into five categories:

  • Clearly cosmetic items such as alternatively colored mounts; costumes; the ability to print one’s seal on items; special furniture; unique colors. In short: “Vanity” items. Eye-catchers and attractions for other players. These items also indirectly affect gameplay, as one might buy a Euro-mount with in-game currency instead of a standard mount, but typically this should remain within reasonable limits.
  • Useful, permanent items: Currently, there are still few of these, and most relate to mounts. The shop includes some faster mounts and moderate equipment for them, as well as gliders with a special skill. How these items affect balance will be seen. They likely are not items that would provide significant advantages in the endgame.
  • Typical account service stuff: Also in the cash shop are character services that one would need an account service for in WildStar or World of Warcraft: gender changes or facial shape adjustments.
  • Potions and scrolls that grant temporary bonuses: This is the type of item known from browser games or Guild Wars 2. Convenience items intended to make progress a bit easier for the player. For one hour, there may be more EXP or more honor points, armor does not degrade upon death, and one can access the mailbox from any location—typical stuff as found in F2P or Buy-to-Play games.
  • Quasi-must-buy shop-only items: Mmorpg.com finds and criticizes items that they feel should not exist in an item shop. The criticized items all revolve around inventory expansion—either for the warehouse or for the player themselves. Currently, it seems that there is only a visit to the cash shop to expand the space. However, this might just be an oversight or a snapshot, and a later patch may reintroduce an in-game method, perhaps during crafting.
ArcheAge PvP

My MMO says: The Pay2Win risk seems manageable in ArcheAge. It currently appears that the specifics of the western market are being considered, and the topic is being handled sensitively. Everything is still in flux. How it will be under “real conditions” will only be seen at release. However, one should not be overly skeptical. On one side is the commentary from the Trion chief, and on the other is the history of Trion Worlds: There, Free2Play models have always been fair and player-friendly. Of course, Trion Worlds needs to earn money somehow.

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