In Bless Online, a Korean MMO, the Northern Empire, Hieron, is at war with the Union in the South. We present to you the races of the South.
After extensively presenting the five peoples of the North a week ago, it is now the turn of the remaining five in the South. Bless Online features a classic two-faction war: The two kingdoms are embroiled in an almost endless struggle, just like the Alliance and Horde in World of Warcraft or the Dominion and Exiles in WildStar.
Amistad
The Amistad are a humanoid race that particularly values the concept of freedom. They are skilled in music and poetry and are committed to scientific progress. Some time ago, they were able to free themselves from the yoke of the North and have since been fighting, alongside the peoples of the South, for their independence.
Aqua Elf
After the downfall of the elven kingdom, these elves settled in the southern part of the land and began to call themselves “Aqua Elf”. They reside somewhat isolated from the rest of the continent on an island. Their highest good is personal freedom and self-determination. Therefore, they have allied with the other peoples of the South, as they see no other way to realize their quest for freedom and independence without being troubled by the North.
Iblis
The Iblis, like their northern counterpart, the Fedaykin, originate from another dimension. After a rebellion there turned everything upside down, the Iblis fled to this world and here to the southern continent to renounce their old roots. The knowledge of how they could once traverse dimensions also seems to be forgotten. They are castaways in a foreign world without a way back.
Pantera
The Pantera are proud and audacious warriors who only accept the law of the stronger. Divided into clans, they are dedicated to robbery and have become highwaymen and bandits. But the times of shattered irrelevance are over. In the Union, they hold an equal rank among the other peoples. Although wild and aggressive, they appreciate the glory and honor inherent in a glorious battle.
Siren
The original homeland of the Siren was destroyed by a volcanic eruption. Only a small group of them survived this catastrophe and landed as a group of castaways on the shores of the southern continent. They are closely connected to nature and strive to restore their civilization. They are known for their beautiful form and even more beautiful voices. Furthermore, they are excellent shimmerers, divers, and sailors.
The Korean MMO Bless Online is currently still in beta in South Korea, having received a large funding and found a publisher for the western market. According to the publisher, they plan with Bless Online to even surpass the success of Blade & Soul.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In WildStar, two raid guilds have been racing over the last few weeks to see who would be the first to defeat the bosses in the 20-man raid “The Gen-Archives”. A decision was made over the weekend.
Two raid guilds on German servers are among the ten most successful in the world and have been competing for the German PvE crown in recent weeks. The guild Unleashed from the German PvP server Progenitor managed to win the race. On the night from Saturday to Sunday, Dreadphage Ohmna was defeated. The boss is quite reliant on random factors, and fortune was not on the guild’s side for a long time: She just wouldn’t appear. Wipes with only 17,000 HP were to be endured. The Karma goddess consistently had her thumb down, and often just before happiness, it was “Back to the Start”. But after an excessive night shift, Ohmna was down around 3 a.m.
The night shift was certainly also motivated by a second guild, which had been closely following Unleashed in recent weeks. On the PvE server Ikthia, the guild “Chase” is based, which also made it to Ohmna. After the German first kill went to Unleashed, Chase managed to defeat the boss on Sunday. As reported, it was in a pretty bad try, but the random god had mercy and the boss’s abilities played out favorably.
Boss will be nerfed soon
The so annoying boss Ohmna is to be modified in the coming days so that randomness will play less of a role. A boss kill “Pre-Nerf” was therefore additional motivation and a point of prestige and honor for the two dedicated raid guilds.
In the coming weeks and months, both guilds will need to find 20 more players, equip them, and undergo a complicated attunement process in order to tackle the 40-man raid. Here, Unleashed clearly has the advantage: The second raid group has already achieved 4/6 in the 20-man raid; meanwhile, Chase is recruiting new members.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
While the first big content patch of the Sci-Fi MMO WildStar was dedicated to PvE, the second will fully focus on PvP. In Content Drop #2, there will be a brand new battleground called “Daggerstone Pass.” It is a 15 vs 15 battleground with the game mode Sabotage, fitting the name of the patch.
For a long time, European players in The Elder Scrolls Online have been struggling with poor server connection. Currently, it is located in Austin, Texas, and Europe is eagerly waiting for a relocation to Germany. But the longest wait is finally over! In the official forum, Community Manager Kai Schober announced that the move will finally take place – and that this week!
At this year’s Comic Con in San Diego, California, there was new information about the Warcraft movie. During the presentation held by director Duncan Jones and the production company Legendary Pictures, it was revealed what the film is actually about – and there is a release date.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
In the latest developer blog about the survival MMO H1Z1, everything revolves around the animations of the zombies, especially their walking style.
Shaun Johnston, a Senior Animator at SOE, is the man teaching the zombies to walk. They are supposed to look good in the upcoming survival MMO H1Z1 and not embarrass themselves as they stumble through the environment.
In the developer blog, Johnston reveals that the 80s movie “Tron” inspired him early on for animation. Everything that was possible in the film with computer technology impressed Johnston early and sustainably. Later, he spent so much time in front of the PC playing video games that his wife suggested he pursue it professionally.
As inspiration for his work on H1Z1, he names comic books, movies, and other video games. He was particularly taken by Left 4 Dead in zombie games, and when it comes to movies, he swears by the more humorous flick “Return of the Living Dead.”
H1Z1 seeks balance between fast and slow zombies
For H1Z1, the biggest challenge is finding a balance between two typical zombie poles. In World War Z, the zombies move extremely fast, while in the “Walking Dead” series, they are slow. Finding a middle ground here, so that the zombies remain threatening and look “right,” is the hardest part of his job.
Part of his work also involves moving in front of a camera and green screen using a motion capture procedure, as is used for Hollywood films. He and some designers teach the zombies how they will move later on in this way. The footage is then fed into various design programs and processed further.
Johnston is an experienced designer in the MMO industry. He has previously worked on Planetside 2 and numerous Everquest and Everquest II expansions.
The upcoming zombie survival MMO H1Z1 is set to release this fall for PC and Playstation 4 and will be free-to-play. It is currently facing an Early Access on Steam, which will be paid. An exact date for the Early Access is not yet known.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
For the god MMO Skyforge, a 15-minute video with English subtitles has emerged, providing a first deeper insight into the gameplay.
An intro video featuring alpha footage from a Russian player has met with the approval of the developers. Originally created to help alpha players overcome early difficulties, it has now received the green light from my.com, the developers of the game, and the video is now available with subtitles, allowing us to learn more about the game – although one notices while watching how unexpectedly many hissing sounds the Russian language contains.
The video already showcases some features of Skyforge. The combat system will be a mix of action and tab-based systems. While you “lock” onto a target using the familiar tab; standard abilities are triggered with a combination of left and right clicks. This resembles classic beat ’em ups.
The individual classes differ in their function and play style. The Cryomancer, recently introduced, plays in a way that you hold down a key for a bit longer to trigger a power-up effect and deal area damage. You charge an ability. This system resembles the superhero MMO DC Universe Online. Additionally, there will be a dash function to evade enemy abilities in a timely manner, as well as resource management. It will be important to kill the opponent with your finishing move, as this replenishes the class resource that determines whether you can enhance abilities or not.
In the quest system, Skyforge seems to adopt elements from Guild Wars 2, with location-based “quests” that can be completed in a given area. Even though the video is prefaced with a note stating that this is just alpha footage and no judgments about the quality of the finished game can be made from it, the game already looks quite good in our eyes.
Skyforge plans a “big announcement” regarding the beta at Gamescom in Cologne, which takes place in mid-August. One can assume that this refers to a launch date. At Gamescom, additional information about new classes is expected to be announced, as currently only 5 of the eventual 10 are known.
What do you think of the video? Are you interested in the game? Is it on your radar? Do you like what you see, or are you rather skeptical?
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Yoshihisa Hashimoto was previously the Chief Technology Officer behind the MMO Final Fantasy XIV and worked as Technical Director under Producer Naoki Yoshida on Square Enix’s current MMO flagship. Hashimoto led the Advanced Technology Department at Square Enix and played a key role in the development of the new engine Luminous.
According to a report from Polygon magazine, Hashimoto cites personal reasons as the cause for his withdrawal from Square Enix. Until a full replacement is found, his tasks will be taken over by other key employees at Square Enix. Additionally, he will continue to serve as a technical advisor until then.
As Polygon reports, Hashimoto’s departure is the latest in a series of exits that Square Enix has experienced in recent months. In December 2013, character designer Akihiko Yoshida, who contributed to numerous Final Fantasy games, announced his departure.
The sexism debate has now reached Riot after Blizzard. The MOBA League of Legends promises to move away from the 90-60-90 measurements of its female characters.
While there are indeed different body shapes among the male heroes, the female champions in the successful MOBA League of Legends all look quite similar: athletic, slim, and well-endowed. According to a statement from producer Omar Kemell at Comic-Con, this is set to change: body shapes and physiques – all of these are important parameters to create heroes and heroines that differ from the other fighters.
League of Legends will soon feature smaller breasts
A change in character design, also in appearance, is something that they want to focus more on in the future. At the moment, they are working on a heroine who is set to be released soon and who does not fit the Playmate measurements.
Apparently, they are even pleased at Riot that the latent sexism allegations give them a reason to assure how much they also want to design different heroines. It seems as if they are a bit tired of creating the same women with “hourglass” figures (large breasts, narrow waist, protruding backside).
In recent months, Blizzard had already responded to allegations that they had too few prominent female characters in their games. There, too, they promised to address the issue and examine it with more awareness.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Wargaming’s tank simulation World of Tanks is particularly popular in Eastern Europe and Asia. It is also gaining traction in eSports.
These days, a $90,000 eSports tournament is taking place in Minsk, Belarus, in World of Tanks. Out of the original 20 teams, only 4 remain. Two from Russia, and two others from former Soviet Union states. The event is the LAN finals of the Wargaming.net League (WGL).
The format used is called 42/7 – each team consists of 7 players who can distribute a total of 42 “Tank Points” among themselves. Each tank is assigned a “value” in this format that reflects its strength. So if one player chooses a powerful tank, another must select a below-average one. This adds an extra strategic component to each match.
The favorite for the tournament is the team “M1ND”. They remain unbeaten this season.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Transformers Universe, a mix of MOBA and tactical shooter, is getting two new bots. The game is currently in open beta.
Transformers Universe by Jagex brings two new “heroes” to the game. For the Autobots, Swagger joins, while the sinister Decepticons are reinforced by Diabla. These are the first playable characters to be added since the start of the open beta.
Both have no four wheels in vehicle form, but only two. They are motorcycles intended to provide more flexibility in the game. Swagger, the Autobot, will belong to the Interceptor class, have a cloaking system, and is primarily suited for guerrilla-style “hit and run” attacks. Ideal for catching a Decepticon who is behind the action and taking a break to refill its oil or catch its breath, or whatever those guys do. If Swagger plays it right, the Decepticon won’t even know what hit it.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Diabla, on the other hand, is a melee combat expert who feels most at home in the heat of battle and specializes in locating and eliminating individual opponents. A real femme fatale – if you’re okay with accepting femme fatales made of chrome.
Both bots deal more damage in motorcycle form than other bots, according to mmoculture, and are therefore predestined to catch and weaken opponents during pursuits through the narrow alleys of the combat map.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Transformers Universe is distributed by Jagex, a specialist in browser games, who clearly wants to get this game right. However, an initial look at the open beta by mmobomb a few weeks ago painted a rather mixed picture. It was noted that the game still lacks polish and content to compete with the top titles in the MOBA sector. Perhaps Swagger and Diabla will help the game get up to speed. In any case, they have secured a great license with the Transformers universe. And the idea of such a mix of MOBA and shooter seems attractive, especially for players looking for a quick round in between.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Druids in World of Warcraft will receive a new shapeshift form as an alternative to the cat form with Warlords of Draenor. This will come with a special talent at level 100 and looks pretty fearsome.
“The Claws of Shirvallah” is the level 100 talent that turns cats into real killers. The special thing is that each of the four races in World of Warcraft that can become Druids will receive its own subform, a different skin.
Tauren become lions
Worgen become snow leopards
Night Elves can shapeshift into panthers
And Trolls will turn into tigers.
The new shapeshift form is inspired by the “Saberon” of Draenor but is supposed to move differently than they do. The new forms serve as an alternative to the normal cat mode, where Druids take on the roles of melee DPS and its gameplay approaches that of a rogue. More precise details will surely be revealed in the coming days. Currently, it is being discussed that there will be a 5% bonus to versatility in the form, and spells that do not deal damage should also be castable.
You can see the killer cats in motion in this video from Wowhead.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
In an interview, the CEO of Trion Worlds, Scott Hartsman, discusses the intricacies of the payment model for the Free2Play MMO ArcheAge.
Hartsman discusses the differences between the western and Asian markets in an interview with Forbes. One of the most sought-after items in ArcheAge will be the gliders, a type of flying mount. In certain parts of the world, Hartsman believes it would be completely acceptable for the best and most exclusive glider to be purchased in the cash shop for real money. And that for a hefty sum. It might even be the most expensive item there, and no one would be upset about it. In the West, however, players absolutely do not accept such things. While a good glider could be offered in the cash shop, the best one must be available in-game, not in the shop, according to a Free2Play model.
Hartsman thus describes a middle ground for ArcheAge between a “puristic” Free2Play model and the frowned-upon Pay2Win model of other operators, where players are forced to spend money to remain competitive at a high level. Purists, on the other hand, demand that only cosmetic items that have no impact on gameplay should be purchasable in the cash shop. The position of Trion Worlds, the makers behind ArcheAge, Rift, and Defiance, lies somewhere in between. They believe that money and time invested in the game should be interchangeable commodities.
Two friends should be able to play at the same level if one invests more time and the other invests more money in ArcheAge. This philosophy also guides the design of the game.
However, Hartsman explains, in the West one must also pay attention to other circumstances. In Korea, for example, it is quite normal to register for a game using a “National ID”, a government identification number. This ensures that everyone can only create one account. Such a thing is unthinkable in Europe. Therefore, it must be ensured here that no one can disrupt the in-game economy with an army of Free2Play accounts. Such a safeguard does not exist in the original game, as this problem does not arise in Korea at all. Hence, preparations must now be made for this case, which also leads to changes in the Free2Play model.
In an interview with Forbes, Hartsman found the opportunity to emphasize the uniqueness of ArcheAge multiple times, offering a new MMO experience as a “sandpark” game (a mix of sandbox and theme park). He reiterated the game’s high ambitions: “We want ArcheAge to not only be the best sandbox MMO of 2014, but the best MMO overall.”
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the Fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, TESO, a long-awaited server migration will take place next week. The European megaserver is moving from the USA to a data center in Frankfurt am Main.
Update 28.07 6:30 PM: A specific date is now also known. On Wednesday at 2 PM, the server migration is scheduled to begin. It is expected to last the entire day. During this time, players will not be able to log in. It is anticipated that the EU server will be available again only after 11 PM. Zenimax explains the inconvenient timing for European players by stating that many technicians from North America are needed for the undertaking. They want to ensure that they can work focused and well-rested for the task.
One of the most frequently mentioned points of criticism regarding The Elder Scrolls Online will hopefully be resolved to the satisfaction of players next week. Next week, but not on Monday, the European megaserver is finally supposed to move to its home in Frankfurt am Main. This is communicated by the community managers of Zenimax in the official forum. The server is currently located in the USA, in Austin, Texas, which has been a source of ongoing criticism from European players. Especially PvP players have blamed the server’s location for their poor latency, sluggish gameplay, and disadvantages in combat.
The server migration has been on Zenimax’s agenda since release. This has been communicated and reaffirmed repeatedly. A possible date has shifted over the months from “very soon” to “soon” to “sometime in summer” to “end of July/beginning of August” – now the moment seems to have come.
Megaserver migration accompanied by maintenance
The migration will not happen completely smoothly but will be accompanied by an extended maintenance period. Players will notice the change of location. The scheduled maintenance usually takes place overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. Therefore, this date would be suitable. However, it could also happen earlier or later, in which case the planned maintenance might be canceled. This has occurred in the past more frequently, especially if a hotfix necessitated longer maintenance work.
The North American mega-server will not be affected by the migration and therefore serves as a possible alternative if you cannot stand being without The Elder Scrolls Online. We Europeans would like to provide a rough estimate just before the maintenance work about how long the server will be unreachable.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
WildStar has been struggling with the effects of some design decisions just under two months after its release. How many players really see the raid content into which so much work goes?
To shed light on the issues faced by WildStar, we take a brief trip into the deepest conceivable past, practically to the analog age. Back to a time when we had not been world champions in football for ages and our national players were named Odonkor and Neuville instead of Müller and Neuer. A time when Naxxramas was the hardest instance in MMOs ever and not a simple card game expansion for 18 euros. A time when raiding was still something for real men and women: Back to the year 2006.
The WoW Problem: Everyone Can Raid
At the end of Vanilla World of Warcraft, in June 2006, Blizzard introduced Naxxramas, a raid that the designers were incredibly proud of, as could be heard. But hardly anyone saw it.
The four Horsemen from the original Naxxramas – hardly anyone saw them and even fewer saw the bosses behind them.
The entry barriers were too high, the time until the expansion too short. Players had to clear all the raids beforehand to pass the hard gear checks, a set of access quests was thrown in for free by Blizzard: Moreover, the requirements within the necropolis itself were enormous. Raid guilds fell apart because suddenly eight tanks were needed for one boss instead of four. Consequently, main tanks changed guilds and servers just to play the fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth tank in a progress guild for that boss.
Those who survived spoke of the hardest raid of all time. They talked about Naxxramas like veterans from a battlefield, where they had become a man but also lost many of their friends.
It was a groundbreaking experience for Blizzard and the players. Although they initially stuck to the design decisions at the start of the “The Burning Crusade” expansion, by the end of the expansion, they gradually abandoned them, eliminating elaborate access quests and introducing mechanisms to help players catch up with gear deficits more easily.
A few years later, raiding in World of Warcraft in some modes was hardly more than a summer stroll. Every four months, previously hard-earned gear became significantly easier to obtain, and bosses in the raids were regularly nerfed. Where 40 players used to battle, only 10 remained today.
Blizzard made its decision: content that was created with much effort and dedication should be seen by every player. Even if it was just the Mickey Mouse version of it.
The WildStar Problem: Hardly Anyone Can Raid
As a result of Blizzard’s decision to devalue raiding or, to put it politely, make it more accessible to more players, many veterans turned away from the whole raid business. They lamented that it had become too “casual”, the competition with other guilds had dwindled, there was nothing left to be proud of – they wished for the raiding of old in World of Warcraft to return.
If we fast forward a few years to the development of Carbine’s WildStar, one often noticed a slight undertone in the developers’ statements: “If you truly mean it and want to raid like before, we will give you exactly that.”
And WildStar actually rolled back time to around June 2006. Again, there are rock-hard access quests, again the raids are demanding, and the competition is fierce. And they made it clear: this is how they want it. They would not follow Blizzard’s path and gradually nerf the bosses.
But what about Blizzard’s old problem? What if you create elaborate raids but simply cannot find enough players to see and experience them?
If a Boss Stands in an Instance and No Player Sees Him – Is He Still a Boss?
WildStar now finds itself precisely in this dilemma when looking at the numbers. According to WildStar-Progress, a site where guilds can record their achievements, 113 guilds worldwide have currently defeated the first boss of the Gen Archives. If you consider a dark number, you could double this number and talk about 5000 players who have defeated the boss and gotten to see all the stuff Carbine has hidden behind it. The second boss has been downed by 61 guilds, let’s say 3000 players.
The bosses beyond have a bit of the problem of a lonely tree in the woods. Are they still bosses if no one is there to fight them? Do they count for the gaming enjoyment of the unwashed masses, the PvE precariat, do they make the game better for non-raiders?
Resource Allocation a Sensitive Topic
Now it must be said that the numbers from WildStar-Progress are not absolute. And this should be stated here. Not every raid guild knows the page and dutifully records itself there (while, with other MMOs, especially WoW, it is almost a matter of honor to register on the respective sites), but the absolute numbers, even if only tendencies, are sobering. There are no exact player numbers known, an overly optimistic estimate of 1 million players circulated on an English-speaking site. More realistic might be 500,000. Then, with optimistically estimated 5,000 raiders, the content would be designed for 1% of the players.
However, having such hard raid content in the game like WildStar also creates a motivational effect. Players have a goal they can strive for. “If I get good enough and invest enough time, then I will see all this stuff that I would otherwise never get to see, and that 99% of others also won’t get to see.” Players say they will join later, need to gear up, and are looking for the right opportunity, the perfect guild. The plan is actually to raid when they have more time, when the stars are aligned better, or when they finally finish that cursed access quest that takes so much time and nerves.
At Carbine, it would be impossible to explain to fans that the raids are being weakened or changed, as they have repeatedly emphasized that they would deliver just the game they are currently providing.
The question is only: Are there enough players to justify elaborate raids? Or did Carbine fall victim to the phenomenon described recently by an employee of Lord of the Rings Online? Are raiders and hardcore PvPers in MMOs overrepresented in gaming forums and thus make more noise than their numbers would justify? What if there are simply not enough raiders for Carbine’s approach to work?
“If You Build It, They Will Come”
The question remains whether the invested resources in raids are worth it in this form or whether they would be better employed elsewhere. Even the biggest fans must agree that the two existing daily zones, each recycled variants of starting areas, deserved a bit more love and effort.
[pull_quote_right]Where are the raiders who have been calling for such a game for years?[/pull_quote_right]
When we see how many resources flow into the design of bosses that a large part of the players will not get to see in their current form, one can understand Blizzard’s decision in hindsight. And it will be very interesting to see whether Carbine remains steadfast and sticks to their decision to develop parts of WildStar really only for a “hardcore elite”. And to hide them behind a high wall, a harsh access quest.
This wall is currently causing many complaints among passionate raiders lately. Because even if one has the joy and satisfaction of having battled through the 20-man raid, there are still two new hurdles at the entrance to the 40-man raid: a lengthy grind in the form of the access quest and the fact that now they have to re-equip 20 new players and grant them access to proceed. Merging smoothly with another 20-man guild on the same level is a difficult story on many levels. Many guilds prefer to recruit to avoid losing control.
Currently, the first design concepts of Carbine are shaky. They likely want to reconsider the access quest in the coming weeks.
Carbine and WildStar cannot be blamed. They delivered the game they said they would deliver. The question is allowed: “Where are the raiders who have been calling for such a game for years?”
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The latest feature for The Elder Scrolls Online, known as Spellcrafting, does not have a release date yet, but at least the developers have revealed some information about it.
It is a mix of lockpicking, exploration, morphing, and crafting – and for good reason. First, you need to find the appropriate “recipes.” In the case of Spellcrafting, these are stone tablets scattered throughout the world, sometimes intact, sometimes shattered.
However, so you don’t wander aimlessly through Tamriel, you can learn a nice little searching spell from the Mages Guild. However, this is probably only after you have completed all the Guild’s quests. With this new spell, you create a magical orb that leads you to magical gateways or gates.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
In Blizzard’s free card game Hearthstone, the next wing of the Plague Citadel will soon open. We take a cautious look at the Plague Quarter while holding our noses. What will be next for Hearthstone players?
About three weeks ago, we analyzed the leaks that could tell Hearthstone players what to expect in Naxxramas long before the expansion’s release date. Surprise: We were right about the first three bosses of the Arachnid Quarter. They had exactly the abilities that were described in the leak. So let’s boldly assume that the next statements about the bosses in the Plague Quarter will also be correct. However, they are not officially confirmed.
Noth, Heigan, and Loatheb – The Hearthstone Plague Wing crew with their latest hit
Noth – Noth holds cards that kill all non-skeleton minions. He has a passive Hero Power that summons a 1/1 Skeleton whenever one of the player’s minions dies. In the HC version, these are 5/5 Skeletons.
Heigan the Unclean – Heigan, still famous for the legendary Heigan dance from Naxxramas, has as a little joke the Hero Power to deal 2 damage to the leftmost minion of the player for 1 mana. In HC, that’s 3 damage, and the ability costs him no mana. The catch in the fight: Heigan plays a card that allows him and the player to draw 2 cards and gain 2 mana. In the HC version, only Heigan gets 2 mana and 2 cards, while the Hearthstone player comes up empty.
Loatheb – Loatheb starts the game with 75 HP in normal mode. He has very strong and cheap cards that leave 0/1 Spores, which grant a bonus to the player with their death rattle. This way, he can give his own minion 8 attack points. In heroic mode, Loatheb has 99 health points. As a Hero Power, or rather Boss ability in normal mode, Loatheb creates an aura that deals 3 damage to the hero for 2 mana cost. In HC, the ability also deals 3 damage, but Loatheb uses it for free.
The Hearthstone versions of the bosses correspond in their abilities to the original World of Warcraft bosses and are modeled after them.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Guild Wars 2, images of the new armors have emerged that top PvP players can unlock during the All-Star tournament. They are exclusively meant for the world’s best PvP players.
ArenaNet regularly streams the show “Ready Up,” which covers PvP and PvE tournaments and events in a casual setting. Anything related to eSports happens here. In the latest episode, the armors that are rewards for those top players who prevail against the competition at Gamescom in Cologne were also showcased. For Gamescom, Guild Wars 2 is planning a selection tournament, inviting the best players from three continents to compete and providing them with flights, expenses, and in-game rewards. Recently, the normal players were allowed to vote on which “All-Stars” should duel in Cologne.
Thanks to a viewer with a quick screenshot button, we now have the first images of the armors in light, medium, and heavy variants. These armors are also expected to be obtainable in tournaments after Gamescom. However, for “ordinary mortals,” they will likely remain out of reach forever. That’s why they are exclusive.
By the way, the initial reactions from fans to the armors are not overly enthusiastic; they probably expected something more visually appealing from such a hard-to-obtain armor piece.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Imgur that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The screen with the title “Bonus” simply shows one of the three armors completely black, and there’s nothing magical about it.
Mein MMO thinks: The “Buy-to-Play” MMO Guild Wars 2 has seen a surge in popularity after a longer period of little happening. Currently, there is a new episode of the Second Season of the Living World every two weeks. The reactions have been positive so far. Additionally, the game is establishing a second pillar with PvP and is cleverly using Gamescom to draw attention to its growing eSports scene. A direction that ArenaNet clearly wants to pursue. The expansion to China also appears to have been successful.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The analyst Doug Creutz predicts a bright future for Bungie’s MMO shooter Destiny. Initially, 15 million sales were expected, but now 20 million is considered realistic. With such numbers, Destiny would be on track with Skyrim and other top sellers and has the potential to become a system seller for PS4 and Xbox One.
Destiny the hottest game in four years
Creutz is an analyst for Cowen&Company. For years, he has been monitoring the gaming industry, paying attention to sales platforms such as Amazon and inferring how a title is expected to perform. According to his observations, Destiny achieves the best value of all games in the last four years. The upcoming title in the “Call of Duty” series, Advanced Warfare, on the other hand, is underperforming. According to Creutz, this is because Destiny is encroaching on foreign territory. He refers to a “cannibalization” effect.
Does Destiny have what it takes to be a system seller for Playstation 4 and Xbox One?
It is assumed that Destiny will certainly sell 15 million units. And now it seems increasingly likely that it will sell 20 million units, according to Creutz according to the business site venturebeat. He even credits Destiny with having the potential to be a system seller and expects that the MMO shooter could boost the sales of Xbox One and Playstation 4. By the end, every second Xbox One and Playstation 4 could be paired with Destiny, according to Creutz. Higher sales figures are unlikely because next-gen consoles are not yet widespread. Here, the number of consoles caps the sales figures.
At the moment, an open beta test is taking place for Destiny. The demand seems immense; the manufacturer Bungie has not yet provided exact figures.
With 20 million units sold, Destiny would be in the same category of success hits as Skyrim or Battlefield III and in the region of successful parts of the “Call of Duty” series. The best-selling video games of all time are Tetris, Wii Sports, and Minecraft.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
One of the most important features of every Elder Scrolls title is the absolute freedom when it comes to leisure activities. If one had a slight kleptomaniac tendency and had to constantly hide something in their pockets, at the mere sight of a dresser, this poses no problem.
One just needed to be able to sneak, as one certainly didn’t want to be caught in the act, especially not by a city guard. They not only demand the stolen goods back, but they also want to collect a bounty. I would rather call that a bribe, but better not to say that to the guards’ faces.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
ArcheAge, the MMO with sandbox elements, has announced the date for the next beta weekend. It is set to be three times larger than the last one.
Normally, there was always about an hour of advance notice when it became clear that an additional server would need to be brought online, but this time the first one was full after just 18 minutes, according to Trion Worlds CEO Scott Hartsman regarding the success of the last beta weekend. The last test showed that the servers could withstand such a surge. Furthermore, it was valuable training in server management. While players explored the world of ArcheAge, Trion Worlds was already considering what adjustments could be made to make the experience even more engaging.
The second beta weekend is set to begin on July 30 at 7:00 PM and run until August 4 at 7:00 PM. This time, they want to bring in three times as many players through giveaways. Additionally, there will be a sailing event. Well, not a real one: players are encouraged to show their artistic side and design a motif for a sail (but no inappropriate content, it should remain family-friendly; perhaps it will even be implemented in the game later). The three best sail designs will be rewarded with delicious keys. That’s something.
The rush for ArcheAge seems non-stop; already in alpha, they had to significantly increase the servers. Before the start of the first beta test, Trion Worlds mentioned that over a million players had applied for the few spots available.
The free-to-play MMO Neverwinter will soon introduce a new race to the game. The Dragonborn will come with the fourth module, Tyranny of Dragons. For now, it is only available in a package at a price equivalent to that of full-price titles.
The beauty of having such strong source material like Dungeons & Dragons is the many inspirations one can draw from and the directions in which one can develop their MMO. Neverwinter takes this to heart, keeps its word, and actually brings more choices into the game. Recently, a new class, the Ranger, was introduced, with the Warlock planned next for Tyranny of Dragons, and now with the Dragonborn, a new race is also being added.
The newly introduced race of Dragonborn will be available in an opulent package with numerous bonuses, but it will also come with a hefty price. At the moment, it costs just over 70 Euros, and this includes a discount. Later, it will cost nearly 95 Euros.
For that, the player receives a new character slot, access to the race, glyphs, costumes, a 30-slot bag, and equipment that is especially suitable for fighting dragons. The items will become active on August 18, and then the Tyranny of Dragons is set to begin.
My MMO says: The games from Perfect World Entertainment are not exactly shining examples of free-to-play MMOs. Allegations often arise against the developers, claiming that they go a bit overboard with the cash shop and steer their games toward “pay-to-win.” Voices complaining about this will likely not quiet down with the package presented here. However, there are also free-to-play MMOs offered by PWE, such as Star Trek Online, where the cash shop is not so pronounced. Perhaps later, there will be an option to play the race in-game or acquire it for a “single price.” We will see with the release of the module.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Raiding in WildStar – 40 wild heroes – Is it still relevant?
