WildStar fills a major convenience gap with Equipment Manager

WildStar, otherwise up-to-date, currently offers players no option to switch to previously saved gear at the push of a button. That is expected to change soon.

Players notice this at the latest when they venture into PvP or want to make use of the secondary specialization: In WildStar, you actually can’t save armor sets. Instead, the items of the secondary gear lie unprotected and unordered in the inventory and are in constant danger of being broken down into their components.

This glaring omission, which deviates from the now-standard expectations of MMOs, is even stranger in WildStar, as the game otherwise boasts all the comforts: mounts at the push of a button, a very friendly approach to modders, colors, costumes (strangely with a switching system), everything that the modern MMO player desires – only in this feature they bizarrely skimped.

All the more annoying, because the game grants every class a secondary role in the Holy Trinity, which requires different equipment. And for PvP, a different kind of gear is needed.

It’s a bit like getting into a luxury limousine that has every comfort from a DVD player to side airbags, a mini-fridge, and air conditioning, only instead of electric window lifts and a sunroof, they only move when you diligently crank the hand crank.

The API makes it impossible for the otherwise resourceful modders in WildStar to work around the problem without the help of Carbine. However, that is expected to change now.

The equipment manager is, according to CRB_BokehBot on reddit, hotly debated internally and is currently being added to the internal dev build. However, the step is too complex and important for a quick implementation on the live servers. Players should expect to see it in one of the next content drops.

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

The Elder Scrolls Online laments under dog days: Exclusive Steam pet arouses envy

Purchasing the Imperial Edition of the Fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online on Steam rewards new buyers with an exclusive pet, a gray hound. Loyal fans who already bought the Imperial Edition in stores are left out. And that causes problems.

The Steam Edition was 50% cheaper right from the start, and the Palomino horse along with other bonuses of the Imperial Edition were an additional perk, not to mention a “loyal wolfhound” in gray. One could naturally say, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” but not everyone saw it that way. Many loyal fans had long purchased the Imperial Edition with the firm belief that they would receive all the premium benefits and pets that Zenimax would offer with the base game. That seemed to be the implied deal.

Therefore, immediately after the announcement of the wolfhound, the somewhat angry question arose: “And how do I get the dog otherwise?” Would it be possible to become the proud owner of the gray quadruped through the item shop?

But that will not be possible. An “exclusive” pet, which was indeed advertised on Steam, cannot now be made available to everyone retroactively.

However, in the official forum, a “brown wolfhound” was promised, which players would then be able to purchase from the item store. The consolation prize dog will be called “Riften Wolfhound.”

Elder Scrolls Online Pet at Steam

Mein MMO says: As trivial and obscure as the news may seem at first glance, it is precisely such matters that annoy hardcore gamers. You introduce the Imperial Edition as a collector’s item and demand a pretty price for it, but also promise that one will receive all imaginable advantages linked to the purchase of the base game. To later introduce another version of the base game with other “exclusive” rewards is a sensitive matter. If one releases the ultimate “Lord of the Rings” DVD box with all the bells and whistles for a high price and then a year later lures with an even more ultimate DVD box, that may be common in the film business, but it leaves a sour taste in the realm of MMOs.

Once you open this Pandora’s box and entice with “exclusive benefits” here and there, you hit a strange note with collectors who want to have everything in a game. Though Blizzard has already taken the lead with such “exclusive pets” for very special occasions and conventions, the campaign with the double-exclusive rewards here didn’t seem to make anyone truly happy. How much players are agitated by such a supposed “triviality” is evident from the extent of the related forum thread: the English-language thread now has 27 pages and over 800 comments.

We at Mein-MMO.de feel especially sorry for the poor mud crab, the reward from the regular Imperial Edition, which is now shunned in favor of a prettier dog. Surely, no one is thinking about its feelings here.

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

World of Warcraft: Pruning Overgrown Talent Trees

In a forum post, Blizzard responded to the accusation that they reduce the complexity of World of Warcraft through excessive simplification, such as by trimming the talent trees. However, for Blizzard, this is a necessity.

If a game only grows linearly, Blizzard CM Micah Wipple (Bashiok) stated, one quickly ends up with a tangle of complexity. More and more abilities, more and more decisions, more and more game systems would be stacked layer upon layer until a game emerged that could not be reasonably developed further.

With an expansion, it is always appropriate and also a good time to review existing and increasingly complex systems and to critically question oneself.

Blizzard has two principles in their design philosophy: On one hand, it is about “concentrated coolness” and on the other, giving players choices in important decisions. It is not about letting them choose between a lot of actually meaningless stuff, but about having them make a few decisions with significant impacts.

The earlier talent trees were neither “concentrated cool” nor did they lead to important decisions. Instead, players were demanded to make many decisions with minimal impact (2% more of a stat). Additionally, the talent trees presented players with questions that had only one or two correct answers if they didn’t want to play a sub-optimal hero. Over the years, the developers have been scratching their heads over how to make the talent trees more appealing and fairer. Ultimately, it was decided that talent trees simply did not work for World of Warcraft.

It is nobody’s fault, but every system tends to become increasingly complex over time. Therefore, it is always necessary to take a step back, look at the big picture, and critically evaluate what exists. Otherwise, you end up with a bloated system that demands players to make a lot of decisions that are neither important nor fun.

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Source(s):
  1. us.battle.net

Bless Online: Germans serve as the basis for exotic race

Images of the five races available for the “Hieron” faction have surfaced for the Korea MMO Bless Online. The mix features a colorful assortment typical of Asia MMOs, including knights, elves, and shapeshifters.

The Korean MMO Bless Online looks so good that it is becoming increasingly interesting for the West, and information about the game is piling up. Recently, the publisher for China was confirmed, and now images of the races are emerging. Like many Asian MMOs, Bless Online relies on quite a wild mix.

Hawkmen

The Hawkmen are visually inspired by one of the most exotic peoples a Korean could imagine: the Germans or Dutch. They are earthy and homebound, brave, and loyal. Compared to the other races, they appear like a kind of “big brother”.

Bless Online: Race Hawkmen

Sylvan Elves

Bless Online: Race Sylvan Elf

The elves are elegant, graceful, and descend from an ancient kingdom. In the past, they had the longest lifespan of all races; today, they hardly live longer than humans. They see themselves as guardians of ancient knowledge and often appear to others as intelligent and noble.

Lupus

The Lupus lived in seclusion in a forest for centuries. They have developed a shamanistic appreciation for their environment and strive to exist in harmony with nature. However, when their animal instincts take over, the peaceful woodland dwellers can prove to be quite combative.

Bless Online: Race Lupus

Mascu

The Mascu are only half the size of the other Hieron races. They are still considered strangers in the land after a crash of their airship made them unwilling newcomers. Even though they still see themselves as foreigners and outsiders, they have become essential for trade in the country.

Bless Online: Race Mascu

Fedaykin

Bless Online Race Fedaykin

The Fedaykin come from another dimension, where they were supposed to serve as gatekeepers, but their spirits have been corrupted over time. Fedaykin are a religious people, covering their faces with cloth or veils.

While the Hawkmen, elves, and wolfmen are available for admiration in the next beta test, the introduction of the Mascu and Fedaykin is planned for later, as read on mmosite.com. A total of 10 races are planned for Bless Online. The 5 races of the other realm represent counterparts to the races of Hieron presented here.

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

Kingdom under Fire 2: A mix of action MMO and strategy goes into the hot phase

The series of next-gen MMOs with stunning graphics from Asia continues. There is good news for Kingdom under Fire 2, a mix of action MMO and strategy game reminiscent of titles from the Dynasty Warriors series: a publisher has been found for China.

Kingdom under Fire 2 will be published by ChangYou for the Chinese market. ChangYou has already secured the rights to Bless Online and Project Black Sheep. Because a war is raging not only on the battlefields of fantasy worlds but also in the business world. But it’s not about items or territories; it’s about the Chinese market. ChangYou intends to challenge the dominant player Tencent Games with an armada of new, stunningly beautiful games. The success of the massive corporation Tencent is based in the gaming sector on casual games and side-scrollers that are almost completely unknown in Europe.

Currently, there are 3 classes to choose from in Kingdom under Fire 2:

  • The Berserker is a melee fighter with a monstrous one-handed sword and magical firepower in his left paw. Visually, he at least resembles a Chaos Warrior from the Warhammer Online universe.
  • The Gunslinger is an elegant and delicate swordsman who carries a massive pistol as a ranged option. His combat style seems like a cross between a French musketeer and an efficient killing machine, straight out of Game of Thrones.
  • Spellswords are dark elves who, lightly dressed, aggressively and magically enhanced, sweep through the ranks of enemies, attacking them with a sword and various magical powers. They somewhat resemble a warrior amazon with a decent hint of a Marvel superhero.
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Kingdom under Fire 2 is – before anyone gets sweaty palms – like many other of these next-gen Asia games still in a development stage. An English version of the game is in open beta in Southeast Asia. According to information from mmoculture, there will later be a Playstation 4 version. Currently, new character classes are being worked on. Originally, the game was supposed to be released around 2010 but was likely stuck for a long time in varying states of crisis, related to uncertain working conditions, strong competition, and market adjustments (in Southeast Asia, one would likely have faced shipwreck with the hardware requirements at the planned release time). The news of a solid publisher for the vast Chinese market and the launch of the open beta should calm the spirits and may help bring Kingdom under Fire 2 into calmer waters.

The mix of an action MMO combat system (so nothing tab-based) with strategy elements looks promising in the trailer and recalls games from the Dynasty Warriors series. Most of the time, it seems that one seeks to slash through nameless foot soldiers of the opposing armies.

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Naxxramas Release, Elder Scrolls Online player numbers & attack on ArcheAge – Update!

The wait is over! The Curse of Naxxramas, the first expansion of Hearthstone, finally has a release date — and it won’t be long now. Already next Wednesday, on July 23rd, the necropolis will open its gates and players can finally enjoy new cards and bosses in the game.

Until now, numbers for The Elder Scrolls Online were difficult to find, as the developers kept everything under wraps. However, the market research platform SuperData has compiled a ranking of the most profitable MMOs from 2013 in an economic report. That World of Warcraft is in first place is no surprise, but surprisingly, the report also included information about the player numbers of TESO.

Another large MMO is currently still in beta in Europe. ArcheAge from Trion Worlds entered the closed beta phase last week, after being in alpha for some time. However, only players who were either very lucky or who purchased a “Founder” package, which is anything but cheap, had access.

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League of Legends: Jason, Hacker, 21, Asperger Syndrome

The process for a 21-year-old Australian who single-handedly caused a stir in the world’s currently most successful online game, League of Legends, begins on July 24.

In August 2012, a hacker known as Jason gained access to the North American League of Legends server and thus to, as he claimed, the data of 24.5 million accounts. Riot’s president, Marc Merill, reassured that no payment or billing information was affected but still urged users to change their passwords.

Famous streamer “Phantomlord” kicked from the game live

A year later, in August 2013, the hacker showed himself for the first time. The then-popular streamer James “Phantomlord” Varga lost access to his account live on air. It was then transferred to Brazil, forcing “Phantomlord” to play with lag and with and against Brazilians. This happened despite him being careful with his account information, never giving it to anyone or neglecting his account security in any way. He didn’t have to, as the hacker, known as Jason, had obtained it back in August 2012 and planned to cash in or at least have some fun.

He terrorized chat rooms and forums, transferred the accounts of well-known players to Brazil, and signed as Jason (optionally with the modest additional title God or King). He made a fortune selling skins to players that were no longer available in the game, known as legacy skins.

League of Legends Legacy Skins

Twitter account of Riot president taken over

When he also took over the Twitter account of Riot president Marc Merill and caused some trouble by leaking a card game planned by Riot, he likely went too far. Although he allegedly reached an agreement behind closed chat doors with Merill regarding the return of the Twitter account, the police were now on his trail, tracked him down, but allowed him to remain free pending a hearing.

Even during this transitional period, the hacker opened the website LoLIP-op.com, where players could order problems for the accounts of other players. They were either thrown out of the system or harassed with DDoS attacks during important games. This service thrived. Allegedly, the hacker made $1,000 a day from it. When he bragged about his power in the Reddit forum (he liked to consider himself on par with God), the community and some eSports journalists took notice of the “service” and reported it to the police.

The hacker received an internet ban from a judge until his trial began on July 24.

His mother does not see him as a criminal mastermind

The exact circumstances will become clear – at the moment, the statements of the hacker and the Riot employees contradict each other in some important parts, and the sources are not entirely clear. It is said that the hacker acted alone and on his own at least at times. Elsewhere, it is discussed that Jason was part of a larger organization, a hacker group, with still unknown members. For his mother, the hacker is not a criminal mastermind with great criminal energy, but rather someone who used information that was freely available on the internet. Some media believe they have at least found partial blame with Riot employees who, after the hack became known, did not change their passwords, allowing “Jason” to gain access to sensitive systems through a backdoor.

Some think he acted out of pure vanity; he himself repeatedly spoke of wanting to point out Riot’s security flaws and to get them to publicly acknowledge them.

According to information from Polygon, the hacker “Jason” is a 21-year-old Australian who lives in a rural village and suffers from Asperger’s syndrome. This is the personality disorder that Jim Parsons chose as the basis for his role as “Dr. Sheldon Cooper” in the series “The Big Bang Theory.”

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The Elder Scrolls Online learns from Skyrim: NPC faces and justice system

The future of the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online is currently taking shape. Some of the numerous agenda items include the waxy faces of the NPCs and petty thefts that some painfully miss in The Elder Scrolls Online. Apparently, The Elder Scrolls Online wants to become more like the single-player hit Skyrim.

A new program will ensure that NPCs’ mouths and text match

It has been and is one of the biggest criticisms of The Elder Scrolls Online: no matter how good the voice acting may be and how beautiful the scenery is – the faces of the NPCs during dialogues resemble a visit to Madame Tussaud’s wax museum. Whether they are telling you about the loss of their children or inviting you for a beer, the faces of the NPCs in Tamriel never come to life.

Many fans and journalists have criticized this. However, there has been nothing heard about the issue until now. At QuakeCon, the waxy faces were addressed for the first time, not only recognized as a problem, but Zenimax was also able to present a solution.

The program “FaceFX” will be introduced as an upgrade. It can already be admired in some games. It ensures that the mouth and facial features also adapt to the phonemes of the spoken words. A small video presented a before-and-after comparison.

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Updates on the Justice System

That in the future players could violate the law in The Elder Scrolls Online was already known; now there are some details. Players will be able to steal by sneaking and then looting chests or containers. The stolen items will have a value when they can be sold to a fence.

In addition, players will be able to murder NPCs when they enter “sneak” mode. A statement that Creative Director Paul Sage received surprisingly much applause and giggles from the audience. He also enjoyed his little “murder spree” in the presentation.

The mechanics will correspond quite a bit to the single-player title here. Players should not be caught by guards during their misdeeds, otherwise they will hunt and apprehend them, demand fines, or attack.

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What players will have ahead of single-player titles: players can earn the bounty on particularly notorious repeat offenders themselves and assist the guards in their hunt. This is intended to lead to a lively and exciting world PvP when the bounty hunter and the criminal play cat and mouse.

These are just some of the many changes that were highlighted at QuakeCon; we will also keep you informed about the rest.

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Source(s):
  1. dulfy.net

Destiny enhances the dubbing of Game of Thrones star Dinklage

The MMO shooter Destiny makes quite an impact and hires a star for the audio track, but that can also bring problems if the star isn’t as motivated as in other roles.

Peter Dinklage, who is not only the hidden star of “Game of Thrones” (he plays the dwarf character and bro friend Tyrion Lannister), was recruited as the voice of the A.I. companion “Ghost” for Destiny. The fans were initially really excited about this. Dinklage gained a lot of recognition in the target audience as Tyrion Lannister. But then the fans heard Dinklage’s voice in the Alpha. The eye-rolling over some allegedly (or even actually) cheesy lines he had to read was almost audible. Especially one line (“That wizard came from the moon”) he delivered with so little enthusiasm that it actually became a small internet meme.

Bungie, the makers of Destiny, have since responded, tweaking the settings and giving the voice a bit more enthusiasm.

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Hearthstone: Legendary card Loatheb increases opponent’s spell costs

A new card has been revealed in Hearthstone that will bring movement to the game. Loatheb can really ruin the opponent’s day.

Loatheb is not only the third and final boss of the Plague Quarter in Naxxramas, which is expected to open on July 30, but will also make its way as a legendary and playable card.

It is expected that every player will receive it upon completing the Plague Quarter, that is, by defeating the boss Loatheb. Similar cards will likely be available after completing each wing, so the successful Naxx adventurer will soon own Maexxna, Baron Rivendare from the Four Horsemen, and Kel’Thuzad. Instead of Thaddius, they will likely receive Feugen and Stalagg after completing the Construct Quarter, after their joint death rattle will then reveal Thaddius.

So far, Baron Rivendare is the only one of these cards that has been officially introduced and confirmed, but there are already accurate concepts for the other Hearthstone cards through a “leak” that has proven to be correct. This is also the case for Loatheb.

Hearthstone: Legendary card Loatheb

The mushroom monster is now confirmed as the second boss card and has the following stats: 5 mana, 5 damage, 5 health, and as a bonus ability, it increases the cost of enemy spells in the next turn by 5 points.

Due to the unique nature of its ability, several questions about Loatheb immediately arose, especially regarding its synergy with Milhouse Manastorm, who sets the cost of enemy spells to 0 in the next turn. If Loatheb is played first and then Milhouse, Milhouse completely cancels out Loatheb, and enemy spells cost no mana in the next turn. If Milhouse is played first and then Loatheb, all enemy spells will cost 5 mana in the next turn.

Anyone who plays Loatheb, bounces it back to their hand with Shadowstep, and plays it again sets the enemy mana costs for spells in the next turn to 10. Surely, Loatheb introduces a new tactical variant to the free card game Hearthstone.

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Source(s):
  1. www.hearthpwn.com

Neue Karte für HotS, Arenen für TESO & Neues zum Fliegen in WoD – Update!

Heroes of the Storm is expanding with a new map. It is called “Garden of Fears” and follows the classic model of 3 lanes. The twist is that there will be a day/night cycle that players can influence. During the day, mercenaries inhabit parts of the garden on the map, while at night they are replaced by night monsters. Additionally, visibility is reduced during the night phase. It will only end once all night monsters have been eliminated.

That the developers of The Elder Scrolls Online have undergone a shift in thinking has likely been noticed by some as the veteran ranks were completely revamped. Now they are focusing on the next aspect of the game, the PvP. According to Creative Director Paul Sage, players “can definitely expect arenas in the not too distant future”.

With Warlords of Draenor, Blizzard is once again faced with the difficult decision of how to proceed. The current plan is that flying will be disabled at the start of the expansion for the new areas. It will only be unlocked after a few weeks. However, the developers are still unsure how exactly. Perhaps simply via gold, or possibly through an epic quest. This will be decided in the short term.

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Elder Scrolls Online: Market analysis mentions subscriber numbers

A US site has now compared the revenues of various MMOs in an economic report. Surprisingly, the report also mentions clear subscriber numbers for The Elder Scrolls Online. These had previously been kept under wraps.

The site superdataresearch.com states that it received all figures from the developers or publishers. The site calculates a Top 10 of the most profitable games for the year 2013 and surprisingly also provides subscriber numbers for Zenimax’s Fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online.

For June, they were said to be 772,374. That would be a good success for the MMO, though not a triumph. Zenimax has not confirmed this number so far.

The last single-player entry in the Elder Scrolls series, Skyrim, has sold over 20 million copies, the majority of which were for consoles. A console version of The Elder Scrolls Online was pushed back from its announced release date in June to the end of the year. There are now increasing signs that it could even be pushed to a date in 2015. At the moment, Zenimax is working on a redesign of the game in various areas.

Mein MMO states: For the beta of The Elder Scrolls Online, 5 million players registered, and experts estimated that about 20-40% of them would buy and play the retail version at launch. That would have meant between 1 and 2 million visitors in Tamriel. However, sales figures are not known. If 772,374 were still playing after a mixed launch and the free month had ended, it would probably still be within the realm of calculation. Whether the data is correct will surely be clear in the coming days. They seem plausible in any case.

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Lord of the Rings Online: No Starting Area for Beornings

As soon as Update 14 for Lord of the Rings Online was released, the guys from Turbine are already teasing the next menu item on Tolkien’s epic menu. But there is also a dampener: There will be no separate starting zone for the new class, the Beorning.

Since they are skipping the second level cap increase (with Update 14 it first jumped to 100), there is now more time for other things.

However, the Beornings, the new class that is to be introduced later, will have to settle for a new intro. There simply wasn’t enough time for a completely new starting zone. By the way, those who want to play a Beorning will have to reach into their pockets. The new class aims to be funded with Turbine Points – just like it was with the Runekeeper and the Warden, the last two introduced classes, long ago. The time saved by foregoing the level increase will go into the new system for Legendary Weapons.

Before Update 15 begins, a smaller patch will be introduced, leading players into the Deathswamps. With Update 15, a new zone will come. For the heroes, it will then go to Pelagrir, against the Haradrim, nasty corsairs, and their allies, a gang of ruthless half-trolls. In an epic assault battle, players will try to retake the city of Pelagrir alongside Aragorn.

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The Elder Scrolls Online: TESO is now available on STEAM

The fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, or TESO, is now available on the gaming platform STEAM. To play there, players simply need to add TESO to their game library. Keys are not distributed to veterans.

The next few days will be critical and eventful for The Elder Scrolls Online. QuakeCon in Dallas is approaching. In advance, the TESO devs from Zenimax have opened up a variety of topics that are now all crying out for filling details. The veteran system is being revamped, the combat system is under review, and there will also be significant adjustments in PvP. Those who are optimistic even hope for information about the planned port to Playstation 4 and Xbox One. Hardly a stone will be left unturned. So there will definitely be enough to talk about in Dallas.

However, the convention started with a completely different announcement: From now on, The Elder Scrolls Online is playable on STEAM. But this won’t be a big deal, as STEAM will be leveraging TESO’s infrastructure and will use its payment system, launcher, and patcher. Active TESO players who want to use STEAM can simply add the game to their library. New keys are not distributed to veterans by Zenimax.

In advance of QuakeCon, there was also a preview of the guild heraldry that will come with the next content patch in August, which will be focused entirely on the guilds. The screens show numerous emblems from various sources that will soon be found as guild symbols in Tamriel.

Guild emblem in TESO

Mein MMO says: For TESO players, nothing is likely to change with this announcement. Rather, it is a signal from Zenimax that they also want to reach players for whom STEAM has become so essential that they don’t play anything that isn’t available on the Valve platform. And the fact that it was immediately marked as “50% Sale” and “Now available” on the homepage is surely beneficial for sales.

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Bless Online is expected to surpass the success of Blade & Soul in China

The Korean next-gen MMO Bless Online has found a publisher for the Chinese market. For some observers, Bless Online is among the major Eastern MMO hopes alongside Blade & Soul and Black Desert.

After recently Bless Online received a hefty funding boost – an investor injected considerable capital – there is now more good news for the MMO with stunning graphics, a PvP focus, and a seamless world without loading screens: With ChangYou, an excellent publisher for the Chinese market has been secured.

ChangYou took over the Chinese port of Blade & Soul last year and achieved great successes here. More than 1,500,000 units were sold, according to figures from January. For Bless Online, an even greater success is anticipated.

And who knows what the developers at Neowizz Games can do with such a well-filled war chest. Many fans here in the West, of course, hope for a port to our lands, but that is likely to remain music of the future for the foreseeable time.

Bless is developed with the Unreal 3 engine. The game is worked on by the “NeowizzBless” team, which consists of 150 people, including some MMO veterans who have previously worked on Tera, Aion, or Lineage 2.

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World of Warcraft: Shattrath celebrates a comeback

The alpha for World of Warcraft’s upcoming expansion Warlords of Draenor provides players with Talador, a new zone that Blizzard is now introducing.

For veterans of the Burning Crusade, Talador may sound unfamiliar. However, when speaking of the Fields of Terokkar, their eyes light up. Talador, located in the heart of Draenor, is the center of draenei civilization. Here lies the sparkling capital Shattrath, which will be under the grip of the Iron Horde when heroes arrive.

In the zone, some of Blizzard’s new storytelling ideas will be found. Because Warlords of Draenor is all about a continued war. When a zone is complete, a battle may be won, but not the war. In Talador, the heroes’ allies will have established an advanced base and will fight with Garrosh Hellscream’s horde for dominance in the strategically important heart of this new and wild land.

And the Iron Horde, as terribly weapon-clanging and bloodlust-driven as they may be, is not the only thing to fear in the woods of Talador. In the south, Gul’dan’s minions, led by Teron’gor, his right hand, reach for power. And there are also dangerous cultists to contend with.

World of Warcraft: Zone Talador

Talador is said to reflect the splendor and glory of draenei civilization and the diversity and richness of the draenei flora and fauna. The zone should captivate players and evoke another “WoW” experience.

The zone is intended to be diverse, ranging from deep, untouched forests to the vibrant, bustling trade metropolis of Shattrath. For the garrison, players can acquire an Arcane Sanctum or an Arsenal. The Sanctum will allow them, as long as they are in Talador, to summon a mystical servant who will flamboyantly assist them in battle: a real hothead. Choosing the Arsenal will provide more earthly support: an airstrike will then be available.

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ArcheAge: Beta startet mit 1 Millionen Bewerbern

Over a million gamers have applied for a spot in the Closed Beta of the European edition of ArcheAge.

The MMO with sandbox elements, ArcheAge, has been in Closed Beta since Thursday evening. Just like previously with The Elder Scrolls Online or WildStar, the Closed Beta will be conducted as a series of “events,” allowing the servers to be open for only a few days at a time.

Alpha was bursting at the seams, and the Beta is no different

Keys for the Open Beta are distributed by Trion Worlds either through registration on their site or through giveaways with partners. These are mostly MMO gaming sites, hardware providers, or similar. In ArcheAge, players also have the option to buy direct access to the Beta through a “Founder” package. So it is not that “closed” after all. After the “Closed Beta” events, there will be a short phase of Open Beta, which will run continuously before moving on to Early Access and the release.

The Alpha of ArcheAge was a great success, and the servers had to be significantly expanded, despite a relatively expensive entry price of 135 euros. According to information from Trion Worlds, the demand for the Beta also seems to be unceasing. Over 1 million players have applied for spots.

ArcheAge

German servers at release

Trion Worlds is looking forward to the start of the Beta and invites players to their version of the Korean MMO. To manage the influx, they have already opened two additional servers before the Beta start. Trion Worlds aims to adapt the originally Korean MMO to the needs of the North American and European markets. Alongside an extensive translation, for which more than 2 million words have been translated from Korean to English, adjustments to gameplay and microtransactions are also being made.

[quote_box_right]ArcheAgeMein-MMO interview with Trion’s CEO: Why ArcheAge is different[/quote_box_right]

As Scott Hartsman confirmed in an interview with our magazine, German servers are also planned for the release. A localization into German will also find its way into the game in a later Beta event.

We at Mein-MMO.de wish all Beta key holders a pleasant and enlightening time in ArcheAge and good luck to those without a Beta key in their quest to obtain one.

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H1Z1 bows to Fallout 3 and George Romero

The upcoming zombie and survival MMO H1Z1 (also known as Hizzy by some) pays tribute to its own genre with the latest in-game builds. A supermarket pays homage to two well-known genre giants: Fallout 3 and the original father of zombies, George Romero.

In Romero’s supermarket, a glimpse behind the scenes of the DayZ and Rust competitor H1Z1 is presented. 15 years after the outbreak of the virus, only a shabby and decayed remnant remains of a bright and vibrant place where one could casually purchase dinner, milk, and a six-pack of beer.

Fans immediately recognized the similarities to the Super Duper Mart from Fallout 3, another game for fans of fine decay. Adam Clegg, the designer in charge, was pleased that his work reminded people of Fallout 3. For him, it was the greatest compliment he could receive, as that was the aim he had set. Next, he will design a few shopping carts to make the space feel a bit more alive. Of course, in the finished game, this liveliness could be provided by other players or a few zombies.

Sony Only Entertainment does not win a subtlety award for the name “Romero’s Supermarket” – as George Romero is considered the father of the modern zombie genre, who lifted the “walkers” from Caribbean rites and brought them into the cities of the industrialized world. Originally intended as a social critique (mindless zombie consumers; or as “the Others”, a formless mass while one remains an individual), the zombies have since emancipated from their genre father and rage, bite, and spread across almost every narrative medium. Sometimes they are called zombies, sometimes they are the infected, and in other variations, they remain nameless (“We don’t use the Z-word!” as it is said in Shaun of the Dead).

In H1Z1, you can certainly say the Z-word. The zombie MMO is currently just about to enter Early Access on Steam, which will then be paid. Fairly, it must be said that H1Z1 has been in front of Early Access since May and has been postponed repeatedly. It is supposed to be released later this year for PlayStation 4 and PC and will then be playable for free.

And for those who can’t get enough of zombies, here the H1Z1 developers once again demonstrate their weather fetish and present: Zombies in the rain!

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Hearthstone: The Naxxramas wings open on these days

The first expansion to Blizzard’s free card game Hearthstone, “Curse of Naxxramas” will begin on July 23, Blizzard has just announced.

After it became clear that Naxxramas would not be released this week, but Blizzard confirmed that the release is still planned for July, only July 23 and July 30 remained as possible dates. Blizzard has now decided on July 23 in a statement.

It should be noted that on July 23 only the first wing of Naxxramas, the Arachnid Quarter, will open. The four other wings will open at intervals of one week. If everything goes according to plan, the schedule looks like this:

  • Nerubian Egg card in Hearthstone
    On July 23, the Arachnid Quarter opens; access to this will be free for one month; you can expect the Crypt Lord Anub’Rekhan, the Grand Widow Faerlina, and the giant spider Maexxna.
  • On July 30, it goes to the Plague Quarter with Noth the Plaguebringer, Heigan the Unclean, and – everyone’s favorite – Loatheb.
  • On August 6, you take your stand in the Military Quarter and get inspected by Instructor Razavious, take on Goth the Harvester, and check in on the Four Horsemen.
  • On August 13, players will face the following monstrosities in the Construct Quarter: Patchwerk, Grobbulus, Gluth, and Thaddius. Hopefully, they just want to play.
  • And on August 20, you will finally deal with Sapphiron and Kel’Thuzad himself in the Frostwyrm Lair.

If you want to find out what the first 10 bosses in Naxxramas are probably capable of, you can find out through this link. So much can be revealed: Blizzard has put in some effort to ensure that the challenges in Hearthstone resemble those in the old World of Warcraft raid.

Information about the costs of unlocking the wings can be found in this post.

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

Hearthstone: No nerfs of overpowering cards with Naxxramas

In Blizzard’s free card game Hearthstone, some cards are constantly accused of being too strong. Now, a Blizzard employee has commented on upcoming nerfs for the strongest cards.

It’s quite a challenge with the cards. The strongest ones are often in the opponent’s hand, and that’s when you really notice how incredibly unfair they are. Yes, they ruin the game and need to be nerfed urgently. Whether Leeroy Jenkins deals 6 damage for 4 mana cost as a cheap finisher or the early played Master Angler Nat Pagle is used for card advantage that decides the game. And those are just the small cards; we haven’t even mentioned the monster legendaries like Ysera, Ragnaros, or Alexstrasza. In many combinations, such cards can ruin a player’s match and day. One calls for a nerf.

The topic has become relevant again, as before the release of Naxxramas, some cards were revealed that will be there and look incredibly strong, likely shaking up the balance thoroughly.

So, a user’s question to Blizzard about whether they are currently planning to nerf significantly overpowered cards with Naxxramas to make the meta-game more balanced is understandable. However, Blizzard responded negatively. They currently have no plans in that direction. They are, of course, keeping an eye on the development.

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Source(s):
  1. www.hearthpwn.com