In the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, the patch 1.2.5, which will be applied to the servers on Tuesday morning, will likely still not resolve the performance issues.
The 1.2.5 patch has already been applied to the US servers since Monday afternoon. The disappointing reaction from US players: Unfortunately, there has been no change to the FPS problems. They first occurred with the 1.2.3 patch, which, alongside the veteran dungeon Crypt of Hearts, also brought new lighting effects.
With patch 1.2.4, which was supposed to address them, the issues apparently worsened. Even hotfixes that were applied in the meantime could not manage to stop the frame rate drops. This primarily affects PvP players, who find themselves in stop-and-go traffic the closer they get to the action in Cyrodiil. The problems are puzzling: Some experience them more acutely, others hardly at all, and some suffer even in PvE. Some found relief through the hotfixes, while others barely noticed them.
So far, Zenimax had set the 1.2.5 patch as the target for a fix. Apparently, the problem is even more stubborn and serious than previously suspected. In the patch notes, it is acknowledged that even with this patch, the problems have not been fully resolved. They refer to a “partial correction” and assure that they continue to work on the issues. They have the highest priority.
You can read the full patch notes for the 1.2.5 patch here.
Update 12:00 PM: Zenimax has announced in the official forum that a solution to the problem has finally been found. A hotfix has been applied to the servers. Initial reactions from the community are positive. Apparently, Zenimax has managed to resolve the FPS issue. To benefit from the hotfix, players will need to restart the client.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The buy-to-play MMO Guild Wars 2 has doubled its player count in the past few weeks. However, this is not due to success in North America or Europe, but rather due to its expansion into China.
No, it is not the “Puzzles of Maguuma” that are leading to such a significant increase in players for Guild Wars 2. In the land of eternal smiles, China, Guild Wars 2 has reportedly hit around 3.7 million accounts on the Chinese servers, as reported by the website 17173. This is slightly more than the 3.5 million accounts that Guild Wars 2 maintains in North America and Europe, if the site’s figures are to be believed.
Guild Wars 2 launched in China with some fanfare and expectations. To make it more appealing for the Chinese market, some changes were made to the gameplay. For example, blood is purple, out of respect for the dead, the minions of the necromancer are displayed differently, and weapon skills are unlocked not through extensive use of the weapons, but with level-ups.
Since the open beta, it has become apparent that GW2 could succeed in China. Shortly after the release, half a million units were sold. Early in June, we reported that Guild Wars 2 is becoming an e-sport success in China, thanks to a very impressive presentation and generous prize pools. And a week ago, the amusing story circled the globe that a tourist discovered Gollum. However, it was an actor in an Asura costume who was filming a commercial for Guild Wars 2. The confusion brought 16 million clicks to the studio. Some even speculated it was a deliberate PR stunt.
However, there is a downside: According to information from the Chinese site “17173”, players are unevenly distributed across the servers. The two largest servers each housed over 300,000 accounts, while the smallest server, Ed Byrne, had just over 11,000. This will likely be negligible in the overall numbers.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Anyone who has endured a month with Carbine’s SF-MMO WildStar can now enjoy a proper face snuggler – thanks to a mutated space parasite …
The Squirg are somewhat like the creatures that jump out of the egg in Aliens – only cuter. As a reward for loyal fans, Carbine is now offering a transmuted (purple and tentacled) helmet for everyone. The face snuggler, Facesnuggler in English, is a cross-account item. So it can – once received – be activated for current and future twinks. The Facesnuggler is, unlike the dreaded Facehuggers from the Aliens franchise, simply adorable – although it would probably rather nibble on the player’s face.
Whether it will communicate with the player like a quest counterpart or a cursed sword from competing games is still unknown at this point. We will find out starting Tuesday, July 8, when the helmet will be a gift for all who redeem their WildStar key by then.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The fantasy MMO TESO, The Elder Scrolls Online, has made it to a small parody video by the American site “The Onion”. The target of the satire: Character creation.
For roleplay fans, character creation is half the battle. If there aren’t enough options, a game might be left untouched in the virtual trash can. For aesthetically-minded players, it’s crucial to create their avatar in the game exactly according to their own ideas. And if there are only eight – uniform – face shapes and no hairstyle is particularly appealing, the excursion into the foreign fantasy world can end right at character creation. The nightmare: Encountering your own clone or reflection in the open world! For many, it’s like running into an acquaintance at a birthday party who is also wearing your jeans and a standard top.
The Elder Scrolls Online, the fantasy MMO from Zenimax, has impressed many on the front and entices with countless sliders, allowing you to determine the exact chin length, eyebrow width, and type of tattoo. The American satire site “The Onion” now takes this to task, leading us not to Tamriel, but to a world where blood type and genetic integrity are also crucial during character creation. But see for yourself:
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Transformers Universe, a mix of MMO, browser game, and MOBA, affectionately named MOTA by developer Jagex, is entering Open Beta.
Jagex, known for Runescape and browser games like War of Legends, seems to be branching out into a new genre. MOTA (Massive Online Tactical Action) is what they call their Transformers game, which is not client-based but browser-based. “Next-Gen Browser Game” is also circulating as a description.
The gameplay indeed looks like a mix of League of Legends and a shooter. The unique feature: instead of sprinting like in other games, the Autobots and Decepticons simply transform into a vehicle and speed away or into the fight.
The individual bots are said to have different abilities and specialties (like in League of Legends), the gameplay is expected to pack a punch (like the Michael Bay movies), and the game is designed to be as accessible as possible.
Transformers Universe seems to be living up to the grand license based on initial reports. Jagex is also sparing no expense or effort to bring the game to the public. The launch of the Open Beta was celebrated with a grand gala. For particularly active players who infect their friends with the Transformers virus, there are high cash prizes at stake. And the trailers and gameplay videos look like a lot of fun.
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ArcheAge, an MMO with sandbox elements, is currently being ported from the Korean market to the European market, and with patch 1.2, it is undergoing its first major change. The process shows the difficulties that the concept of a “paid” alpha brings.
Even in “normal,” already released games, a patch triggers debates among players:
“My class was nerfed, what’s up with that? That wizard over there is much stronger than I am?”
“What? Now the Epics are much easier to get, which I just fought hard for last week, what is this nonsense?”
“That you are nerfing my playstyle is just typical! Why am I paying 12 euros a month? Subscription canceled!”
However, changes during the lifecycle of an MMO are often only marginal and usually do not turn the entire gaming experience upside down. Fine adjustments take place. Major upheavals in most games do not happen overnight, but over years.
Players in ArcheAge, however, are facing a much harsher fate. Because here, Trion Worlds is twisting the wheel of time, skipping entire stages of development that the game went through in Korea, and brings the game to Europe with 1.2.
This changes the gaming experience for many significantly: It will be harder to obtain coveted items, the stats scale differently, elaborate trade routes are introduced, and timers prevent quick progress. Additionally, with the “Patron” status, new hurdles for non-payers are introduced, and a lot of adjustments are made to the balance: In short, the world is turned upside down – or vice versa, depending on your point of view.
Players who have already played the Korean ArcheAge say that the 1.2 patch is quite sensible and responds to many developments in the meta-game that haven’t even occurred here in Europe yet. But for other players, it is clear: This is no longer the ArcheAge I signed up for.
And here, a problem with the founder package issued by Trion Worlds emerges. For 135 euros, one could buy access to the alpha. An exorbitant sum, which also now has repercussions on player complaints. Because while normally the whining in pay-to-play games leads to “What am I actually paying 12 euros a month for?”, players are now shouting, “What did I spend 135 euros on if I no longer like the game?”
Mein MMO thinks: Even though the situation with ArcheAge is now extreme with such significant changes, every player should be made aware: No matter how much money one spends on an alpha or beta, such changes can come at any time. The amount paid does not buy you a voice in the matter.
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The German sandbox MMO “Das Tal” has already been featured on several English gaming sites and has not only gained some fans in Poland and Russia but also in the USA. In Germany, the game has so far been rather quiet, although it is being developed by a young team in Munich from “Fairtytale Destillery”. Mein MMO spoke with the developer Alexander Zacherl.
The sandbox MMO already boasts some innovative ideas. It will bring PvP-oriented gameplay with some new features: The worlds are to be reset regularly; the tedious “grinding” will only be possible to a limited extent. Recently, “Das Tal” made headlines when it secured funding for the first production phase thanks to government support of over 80,000 euros.
We got in touch with one of the minds behind the game, Alexander Zacherl. We asked him how one actually comes up with the idea of starting their own development studio; what lies behind some of the design decisions of “Das Tal”; whether he dreams of working for a big game giant someday and how he got the Free State of Bavaria to support his game.
“PvP-focused sandbox MMO without grind is our niche”
I believe many of our readers or many MMO players have had the idea themselves: I might as well make an MMO! Therefore, I’m not asking how one comes up with the idea, but: How does one come up with the idea that it’s a good idea to try something like this?
Hehe. We hear that question often. Partially we are driven by nostalgia (we spent a lot of time in UO & Shadowbane), and partially by the conviction that our niche (PvP-focused sandbox MMO without grind) is simply not adequately served by anyone else. What is currently on the market does not make us happy – and we want to solve that problem now.
How does one actually become a game developer? By developing games
How does one seriously prepare for that? Do you study something, read books, hang out in forums? How do you acquire the qualities to then say: “Okay, I’m ready. I’m taking this seriously, I’m making an MMO?” How do you transition from the “I have a dream” phase to the “I’m doing this now” phase?
The best preparation is probably to first develop and publish other games. We did that from 2009 to 2012. 2013 was then focused on pre-production. We conducted interviews, developed prototypes, evaluated technologies, and crafted project plans. Because there were still many questions unanswered: “What are we doing? For whom are we doing it? Why is it fun? Who builds it all? How long will it take? What will it cost us?”.
“Game funding has matured”
How do you explain to your surroundings, your acquaintances, friends, and even relatives: I’m going to do something completely different now and become an independent game developer? Isn’t that a bit like saying: “I’m going to become a rock star or a footballer?” How do people around you react?
For me, that was in 2009 after university. My family and acquaintances already knew for years that I would start my own company after graduating. That it ended up being a game studio and not, for example, an agency, was not really surprising to them. More so for myself. Before that, I wasn’t really aware that something like this was even possible.
I read that when you were in the development phase, you lived off your savings. It is perhaps a negative question at first, but: don’t you sometimes feel like it’s getting hard and that time is passing and that the people around you might be in corporations or companies and they are working on their careers and you find yourself asking: “What am I actually doing here?” Are there phases of doubt? And if so, how do you get through them?
Yes, there are. But for me, not because of supposedly “lost” income. Because a start-up is simply a different calculation. Instead of “3 years at 60,000 EUR”, one calculates something like “1% chance of 50 million, if it works” (all numbers are purely fictitious). The phases of doubt come more often when things don’t really progress for a longer time or when you spend weeks doing work that is less fun than the actual development.
Educationally valuable thanks to the sandbox
How do you get the Free State of Bavaria to invest 80,000 euros in the funding of a sandbox MMO? And is it not a problem for the traditionally-minded Bavarians that you only make the game in English? Or is a German version still planned?
The Free State has become significantly more mature in game funding. While I used to feel that only projects that were “colorful and for children” were funded, today you can certainly submit projects for a more sophisticated audience. For example, we have exciting themes such as “Cooperation vs. Conflict” and “Dealing with scarce resources” in the game through its sandbox character, which meet the demands of a “culturally and pedagogically valuable game”. As for the translation: We will start purely in English, as this saves us a lot of time at the beginning and our core target group has no problem with it. The German translation will then come along with many other languages (Polish & Russian I consider very likely) later.
Stagnation is the end of every MMO
You have incorporated some interesting concepts in “Das Tal”. What did you think of the “Time-Limit” story? Are you cleverly avoiding the endgame issue and stagnation?
Exactly. Stagnation is the end of every MMO, and, unfortunately, it often comes too early for our taste. We want to give players a goal to work towards – a story arc, so to speak. And because our game worlds end, new ones always have to start as well. This is the opportunity for the players and us to build new worlds with new features, new balance, and completely different gaming experiences. Something new every day.
Many browser games with strong PvP factors have a strong, dynamic early period when everything is still in flux and land is still to be distributed, then it solidifies into fixed alliances: some are strong and others are weak. Did you want to avoid that?
We are back to the fixed runtime of the servers. Our entire game consists of this early period. Before the social structure has a chance to solidify too much, the game ends with a bang and we start anew. And here again, every player and every clan has the same chance to be successful in this new world.
Cooperation as the key to success, but also not a bed of roses
What is behind the idea of “limited grinds”, of the EXP cap per day?
Relatively simple: We do not want our players to have to grind for 12 hours every day to be competitive – or resort to macros and bots. Because unfortunately, that is exactly what happens when unlimited grinding is possible. We want our players to focus instead on the fun aspect of PvP (in all shapes, sizes, and colors) – even if they only have a few hours a week.
What I find interesting: You offer in your game the options to cooperate or wage war against each other, but in the end, there is always a “final battle” against outside enemies, right? Is there a bit of a moral in there?
Hehe. Yes, a bit of my conviction is already in there that one is only really strong in a group and must tackle really big problems together. This can be an economic crisis, climate change, or even breaking out of a fantasy prison. However, that does not mean that there must always be only a bed of roses and all players are in a big alliance. Because if we are honest: Not everyone has to get along with everyone, and in a game like ours, the competition makes a lot of fun.
I read that the game already has fans from Poland and Russia. And you were first discussed on massively and not so much in Germany. Is the German market important for you, does it have a special priority or is everything actually blending together today?
We really don’t care where our players are located. Sure, it’s easier to communicate with other Germans – there’s no language barrier. But in the end, we will distribute our servers worldwide and set them up where our players are. Because in a fast-paced PvP game, they also need a decent ping.
Alpha test starts in July
How does it continue for you? Where can we follow you, how can we support you?
We are currently preparing for the first alpha test in July. Anyone who wants to participate should register quickly. Until then, we will post important information on our blog (http://das-tal-game.com/tagged/blog) and discuss some design decisions with our community in the forum (http://forum.das-tal-game.com/). We are also available on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
Are you perhaps thinking long-term with something like this in mind: “This is now a project where we show what we can do – and maybe a studio sees it and thinks: The guys would be worth something for us?” Does one dream of what one could achieve with a bigger budget?
I dream of the budget, but not of a foreign studio. Because even if they have made great games: With big studios come rigid structures, motivational problems, and bad design decisions. We will build our own small studio based on our game and try to avoid the mistakes of the existing system. Economic sustainability, creative freedom, enjoyment of work. Although of course, we must first prove that we can do it better – that’s clear. =D
Imagine you have 30 seconds to convince as many MMO fans as possible of your game “Das Tal”. What do you say to them, what do you use to win them over?
Imagine you no longer have to grind. Imagine you can log into the game and have fun with PvP right away. Build a settlement. Conquer an area. No matter how much time you invest. Whether with 5 or 50 people. Imagine you can determine the rules for how your game world operates. Imagine that you can always try something new. That is “Das Tal”. And here you can sign up for it.
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This month the first expansion for Blizzard’s free online card game Hearthstone is coming. We have gathered information from the internet about what to expect in the Necropolis of Naxxramas.
Wings will be unlocked gradually
Naxxramas consists of different parts, five wings, if you will. The first wing, the Arachnid Quarter, will be open to all players and will be the only wing available in the first week. A new wing will be opened each week after the release. Access to these additional wings must be purchased by the players, either with gold or euros.
The game modes: Normal, Challenge, and Heroic
In these five wings, there are a total of 15 bosses, AI-controlled opponents, similar to the practice mode or tutorial. These bosses will be modeled after their counterparts from the World of Warcraft raid. Players who defeat one of these bosses will receive cards, including Legendaries. These boss fights in Naxxramas are referred to as the “Adventure Mode”.
Initially, there is only the option to defeat the bosses on “normal” mode. Those who succeed will gain access to the “Challenger” mode. Here, opponents must be defeated with a specific class. Then class-specific cards await as rewards: Raexxar, who leads all Hunter decks, must face Loatheb. If he defeats the ancient mushroom infection, he will receive the recently teased class card Webspinner, a 1/1 spider that summons a beast card upon death.
It is assumed that the Heroic mode will be unlocked when the Challenge mode is completed. In Heroic mode, opponents are expected to become significantly stronger, but will also grant more EXP and perhaps better rewards.
What is known about the bosses?
The 15 bosses of the Hearthstone expansion correspond to the final bosses from Naxxramas. Their card counterparts also replicate their abilities.
The Arachnid Quarter
Deathlord Anub’Rekhan – a formerly powerful Nerubian lord guarding the gates of the Arachnid Quarter and likely the first opponent adventurers will encounter in Hearthstone.
The Grand Widow Faerlina – a master of poisons, responsible for breeding the undead spider hordes.
Maexxna – a massive spider from the depths of Northrend, producing one spider after another.
The Plague Quarter
Noth the Plaguebringer – once a mage in Dalaran, now a necromancer in the service of Kel’Thuzad. Every time a minion dies, Noth summons a 1/1 skeleton. So a minion rush is imminent.
Heigan the Unclean – responsible for the plague, which gave the Western and Eastern Plaguelands their names.
Loatheb – a mutated fungus creature so corrupted that healing abilities directed at it instead affect the caster.
The Military Quarter
Instructor Razavious – the ruthless trainer of death knights. Is said to be so powerful that only his own students can withstand one of his strikes.
Gothik the Harvester – a masterful necromancer in charge of training young necromancers.
The Four Horsemen – the king’s guard of Kel’Thuzad consists of particularly powerful and outstanding death knights. Baron Rivendare will likely represent them in Hearthstone and will be accompanied by three skeletal rider minions.
The Construct Quarter
Patchwork – a pile of flesh made from corpses with a playful spirit. Patchwork is likely to receive a hook weapon with 5 damage and 7 durability in Hearthstone, hitting blindly on the opponent until one falls. A real DPS check indeed.
Grobbulus – a flesh giant that carries a plague injector instead of an arm. Created to spread the plague.
Gluth – an undead and extremely biting plague dog. Characterized by an insatiable hunger and a taste for dead flesh.
Thaddius – a soul-sucking construct of power, fed by constantly flickering bolts of lightning. Completing the Construct Quarter will reward the two minions of Thaddius, Feugen (4/7 at 5 mana) and Stalagg (7/4 at 5 mana) as playable cards. If both die in a match, Thaddius will be summoned, likely even stronger.
The Frost Wyrm Lair
Sapphiron – once part of Malygos’ blue dragonflight, was slain by Arthas and resurrected. Now combines the arcane powers of a blue dragon with a truly chilling breath.
Kel’Thuzad – the first servant of the Lich King, arch-villain, super-brain, cat lover, and the operator of the coldest hour hotel in all of Northrend. Defeating Kel’Thuzad will reward a legendary card, Kel’Thuzad himself. It costs 8 mana, has stats of 6/8, and resurrects deceased creatures at the end of each turn.
The bold information comes from cinemablend, which has interpreted the leaked screenshots. It is possible that this may change before release.
Card backs, how long does the season last and what comes next?
It is already known that the new card back with green and purple colors will depict a Naxxramas theme. It can be earned until the end of the month. To achieve that, rank 20 must be obtained. Season 5 begins on August 1.
The Naxxramas expansion could just be the first of many excursions by Blizzard into the Adventure Mode. With Naxxramas, they have now laid the foundation and completed the work so that future expansions can arrive much faster.
At the moment, it is not clear when exactly Naxxramas will arrive (only “in July” is known) or how much it will cost to unlock a wing.
What do you think when reading the boss descriptions? Do you have any ideas? Can Gluth heal himself by consuming his own zombies? Will Sapphiron clear the board with his class ability? And which deck do you want to use against the monstrosity Patchwork?
Here you can view the class cards in a gallery (the Hunter card is already shown above):
The Martial Arts MMO Swordsman (also known as Swordsman Online), which was announced at E3 2010, has made it to open beta. We introduce you to the game.
If you are like us, then after a day in MMOs, you can’t sleep, lying in bed at night and zapping around until you land on channel 28 with an Eastern from Shaw Film Studios or as it was said before: “with a Kung-Fu movie.” Tele 5 has been repeating them constantly lately. If you play your cards right, instead of watching TV, you could walk the path of the warrior yourself.
Swordsman is based on a novel that was published in a daily newspaper in the 60s and then made headlines with its film adaptations. The novel is about a manuscript that teaches an ancient and secret fighting technique. The legendary Shaw Brothers (known for epic Kung-Fu fight scenes and crazy weapons) made a film adaptation in 1978. Later, there was a sequel with Jet Li and seven different TV series. Anyway.
The 10 Classes at a Glance
In Swordsman, instead of choosing a class, you can decide from the start on one of ten schools. (Please note that we are only presenting very rough guidelines, without taking any responsibility).
Those trained in Shaolin will be adept with the staff and will deal out some serious blows – Shaolin students are considered “tanky”.
The Sun and Moon School focuses on mid-range DPS and equips its disciples with chain blades, similar to those known from the reaper in Tera.
A member of the Wu-Tang Clan (I know what you’re thinking) is a mid-range tank, primarily focusing on AOE effects. He is a friend of the two-handed sword.
The Five Venoms train finesse fighters who specialize in AOE crowd control and are feared enemies. Their favorite strategy involves a nasty stunlock. Weapons of choice: poisons and whips.
The Zephyr School sends out all-rounders with relatively easy-to-use skill combos. This can be useful, as the combat system revolves around dynamic action. They are masters of fan combat.
The Tong prefers firearms, fire in general, and fire-affine disciples. Here, the focus is on “fire” power and on harassing the opponent from afar.
In the Infinity house, one fights with the infamous dual sword technique and emphasizes a fluid and harmonious fighting style, chaining combinations together. Players choosing this path can expect a high skill ceiling (translated: those who get it right will soar like a cat).
The Harmony house is focused on assassins. Many players consider their students to be the best class currently available. But as everyone knows, this can change quickly. They act as glass cannons with long and short swords.
In the Splendor house, the nerf bat seems to have circulated, previously their students were considered hard-to-play killers with high burst damage.
And from the Emei house comes a healer class that everyone would love to have by their side.
Dynamic with Lots of Action and “Flash”
The MMO Swordsman relies on a classical Asia Martial Arts story, which has a certain pathos, fully focusing on skill-based and action-packed gameplay with an emphasis on graphics and PvP. Starting at level 30, you enter the wonderful world of player killing, guild and alliance battles. Especially much emphasis is placed on movement. As seen in the gameplay trailer, you can move through the air in unfamiliar ways – just like in the movies. Between quests, Swordsman Online is considered a fairly simple MMO, focusing on auto-path quests and a “flashy” appearance, often referring to the somewhat exaggerated Asian stunts.
In Germany, the game is distributed by Perfect World, who also already have Neverwinter and Star Trek Online in their repertoire. At the moment, the game is, admittedly, still relatively obscure in the European market, but the trailers look quite promising.
We have prepared a trailer for you and a link to register for the open beta. In the sources, there is a forum post that introduces the different classes in more detail.
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Arrows seem to captivate SOE chief developer John Smedley and the team behind the zombie survival MMO H1Z1. Now it looks like the game is finally becoming the dream of all Hawkeye and Arrow fans: incendiary and explosive arrows are said to be on the way.
While Robin Hood had to make do with boring regular arrows and could only light the arrow at most, superheroes Hawkeye and Arrow, the modern version of the Green Arrow, have moved on. There are explosive arrows being fired, bugs and grappling hooks used instead of arrowheads, even the occasional EMP arrow is included. H1Z1 may not reach that far, but the arrow obsession is hard to miss.
As Smedley nonchalantly announced in a tweet, it is indeed desired that players hunt deer or zombies with incendiary arrows. “Just torch it, deer don’t stand a chance in our game!” Smedley tweeted happily. As reported by the online site gameranx.com, explosive arrows are also part of the plan – and thus, it almost reaches bow-tastic dimensions.
If that is too much bow and arrow romance, players can look forward to a rich selection of melee and ranged weapons. However, firearms of military quality will be rare. It might be even harder to craft an M24 or a shotgun. It’s certainly easier to carve a bow and a few arrows.
Those who haven’t seen the E3 gameplay demo yet can catch up here. The video gives a good insight into the upcoming zombie MMO H1Z1:
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In the science fiction MMO WildStar, a month after launch, the first hints about player distribution begin to surface. The Spellslinger is emerging as the most popular class. Additionally, the developers provide a glimpse into the near and distant future regarding dungeons, loot boxes, and the next patch.
More Exiles than Dominion, but Dominion is a bit stronger in PvP
In a video podcast, Community Manager Tony Rey and Mike Donatelli, the Product Director of WildStar, were in good spirits as they answered numerous questions from fans. Between the lines, some valuable information could be gleaned. The agile and nimble Spellslinger seems to be the most frequently played class, which was already indicated in the beta. According to the developers, it’s not a huge lead, but a respectable one. About 7% to 8% more players are opting for it compared to the average. The Spellslinger is a ranged DPS; our YouTuber Darion has provided an extensive guide for it. However, whether it is also the best and strongest class remains open for discussion.
Surprising figures also emerged regarding the population distribution between the two warring factions. More players seem to play the Exiles, a band of fortune seekers and underdogs. However, Dominion appears to be slightly ahead in PvP. It was joked that Tony Rey’s disastrous PvP play could be the reason for the struggles of the Exiles.
Security will soon pay off even more, loot boxes will soon be of rarity
The 2-Factor Authenticator was another important topic in the podcast. Donatelli urged players to enable this additional security. Most bots are hacked accounts. Therefore, Carbine has a vested interest in having as many players as possible set up this 2-Factor Authentication. Currently, there are already 2% bonuses on experience, renown, and prestige; a costume and a title as rewards for security-conscious players. In the future, securing accounts should become even more rewarding.
The loot boxes that were available again on the PTR are reportedly even more valuable than players might suspect. There probably won’t be this form of loot boxes forever. In the future, a new version of the loot boxes may come into play, containing rewards that might not be as valuable and rare. Then, the mounts, costumes, and decorative items found in the loot boxes would become true rarities and collectibles.
A light dungeon for practice is coming, along with the next content patch
A “low-level, teaching dungeon” will be coming soon. In the next 2 patches, meaning within the next 2 months, it will not arrive yet. However, it is planned thereafter.
Carbine and WildStar have been criticized in recent weeks for the steep increase in difficulty. Especially the transition from solo questing to the first 5-man instance feels like throwing players into cold water. Apparently, they want to ease this with this training dungeon.
Rey and Donatelli were somewhat evasive, very much against their nature, about the next content patch, Drop #2. The patch will primarily focus on PvP, making many adjustments to balance and introducing more PvP content.
According to data miners, the PvP content is said to include a 15vs15 battleground called Daggerstone Pass.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the free-to-play fantasy MMO The Lord of the Rings Online, HdRO, the news that there will likely be no new raids in 2014 causes ongoing unrest in the official forum of the game. A community manager from Turbine has now clearly stated: “The forum is not representative of the player base.”
No more raids: Is Turbine developing away from the players?
In the near future, there will be no more raids. This decision by Turbine has been known since early 2014. This has been lamented in the official forums for six months. The active forum members demand these raids; they want to have a discussion about it. Whenever a developer speaks about the state of the game, the topic comes up.
The demand and focus are clear: Instead of introducing cosmetic changes, bringing new pets, a cloak, boots, or a hat, the developers should finally do what all players are waiting for – namely, more raids.
This creates the impression that a huge majority of players definitely want new raids and that Turbine is ignoring them, in fact, developing away from the needs of the players.
Raiders are a noisy minority
This impression is clearly contradicted by a Turbine employee, community manager Rick Heaton. He stated that raiders only make up a vanishingly small part of the player base. This has not only been the case recently, but has been true throughout the history of The Lord of the Rings Online. PvP players, who are involved in the monster game, make up a slightly larger group, but still a small one. Together, these two groups do not even represent 10% of the player base.
Is a Turbine employee running away from the loud raid players?
Just a little more than 10% of all players regularly post in the forum. However, raiders and PvP players make up a large part, over half, of these forum posters, creating a distorted image. Thus, forum posters are not representative of all players.
A tiny group (raiders) loudly draws attention to themselves and their wishes within an still small, but slightly larger group (the forum posters). However, this is by no means representative of the entire player base.
Mein MMO says: While this is a specific message for The Lord of the Rings Online, it can be assumed that it is similar in many other games. PvP and endgame PvE players invest more time in the game than others, engage more deeply with the mechanics, and are more willing to discuss. They are referred to as “competitive” players. They want to be better than others and are willing to invest more. The MMO also plays a role in their lives and thoughts, even when they are not currently playing.
The majority of players in HdRO (and probably in other games as well) are not in the forums. Only one in ten expresses themselves there. This could create a false image of player willingness. On the other hand, these 10% are often a crucial part of the fan base, as they act as multipliers and can carry the reputation of the game outward.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the online role-playing game The Elder Scrolls Online, significant changes to the veteran content are coming on Tuesday. Players should no longer feel like they are hitting a wall after reaching level 50 and in VR solo play, forcing them to play in a group to progress.
No one intended to build a wall
Things are changing in The Elder Scrolls Online. The developers at Zenimax are addressing the major points of criticism. Perhaps the biggest so far: after reaching the “normal” level cap of 50, players progressed to 10, now 12 veteran ranks. To advance here and level up to the next veteran rank, one had to either complete the quests of the two other factions or dive into a series of endgame activities. Many solo players found these game contents to be rather tedious and torturous, as the opponents were significantly harder than in the “normal” level areas. It takes an entire veteran zone to level up to a veteran rank, while in the level areas, it takes 5 to 10 normal levels to climb in the same amount of time. Zenimax itself is now talking about a “wall” that creates the feeling of “I just can’t get anywhere”.
[quote_right]The veteran wall is falling
This “wall” has been referred to by many players and critics as a fun killer. Zenimax has heard the fans’ complaints and announced a change in the veteran content a month ago. The first step will take place on Tuesday morning during maintenance: the game in levels 50+ and 50++ is to become more solo-friendly. Initially, they aimed to acclimate players to group play with the tough zones but have now decided to move away from that, according to a statement.
Veteran content is set to become easier to solo as of Tuesday
Zenimax has realized that players loved leveling up to 50 and want to continue playing at the veteran rank as well. They were frustrated about running into an artificial “wall” and being pushed into a play style they do not like. Therefore, starting Tuesday, some balance changes will be introduced to make life as a veteran more solo-friendly. The veteran zones will still be somewhat harder than the normal zones but should now also be manageable for lone wolves.
Nerf is just the first step in the overhaul of the veteran system
In the forum, it was announced that these changes on Tuesday are only the first step in a comprehensive overhaul of the veteran rank system. More information will be provided in the next letter from Producer Matt Firor. They also recommend checking out Quakecon in Dallas (or a stream of it). They have prepared further announcements for it.
As can be read in further posts from the community manager, these changes could also mean that the required experience points for leveling up within the veteran ranks may decrease. Update 06.07: The German community manager Kai Schober clarified in a post in the official forum that the changes on Tuesday are the first step towards a complete overhaul of the veteran content. Currently, the reactions of the forum community are rather mixed, while some welcome the nerf as the right step, others view it critically.
Mein MMO: It has been known for some time that with the next content patch, at the end of July, the PvP will also change significantly. The duration of a campaign will be reduced from now 90 days to a timeframe between 3 and 30 days. The change in the veteran rank is another sign from Zenimax to the community that they are ready to deviate from once-made decisions and design ideas and listen to the fans.
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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Second Season of the Living World is playable in Guild Wars 2 since this week. An important topic in the last weeks: The music. Now the six music pieces from the first episode are available on Soundcloud for you to listen to.
Music is an important topic these days in Guild Wars 2. The composer Maclaine Diemer flew all the way to Frankfurt (Oder) to record the soundtrack for the Second Season of the Living World live with the Brandenburg State Orchestra – with strings, brass, and everything that goes along with it. On Monday, we presented the first excerpts in a video. Now ArenaNet has uploaded six pieces, the music of the First Episode, to Soundcloud.
The six songs last just over 9 minutes in total, and if you listen closely, you can recognize the individual motifs and the dramaturgy that run through the new area, the Dry Top.
What do you think of this trend in MMOs? Do you have a favorite piece?
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Blizzard has provided some gaming sites with beta keys for Warlords of Draenor, the new expansion to their MMO World of Warcraft. The rush for these events, where a coveted beta key can be snagged, is enormous.
A few days ago, mmorpg.com had already offered 500 beta keys for Warlords of Draenor. They were gone faster than one can pronounce C’Thun correctly (the “h” is silent).
Now the site decided on a reckless stunt and announced that they would soon have more keys available – a fateful mistake. Especially since they named an exact time frame when they would release 500 keys to the fastest clickers. Hot-blooded and determined WoW fans who wanted their key showed up at the specified time with the F5 key pressed down, bombarding the site so hard that the servers crashed.
Craig McGregor from mmorpg.com later stated that they had never experienced such a rush.
Of course, no news posts could appear, nor could any orderly process take place. Somehow, they managed to keep their promise and funnel 500 keys into the database. They were gone in less than 60 seconds.
They have 4000 keys available for July. However, they have learned from mistakes and are moving away from the summer clearance sale principle of “Whoever grabs it first can take it home.” The remaining keys will be announced in a civil manner, and then a 3-day raffle will be held.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In a statement to Polygon, Blizzard made it clear that one of their goals in esports is to create a vibrant and inclusive community around the games. Organizers of events that do not support this cannot use Blizzard’s games. They are working with partners to achieve these goals.
Apparently, this announcement immediately resonated and the organizations in question have strayed from their position that there must be a clear separation between men and women if they want to be recognized as a legitimate sport. The tournaments that were intended solely for men are now open to everyone – this applies not only to Hearthstone, but also to Starcraft and other games. Parallel to the main event, which anyone can participate in, there are still games in Starcraft 2 and Tekken Tag Tournament exclusively for female participants.
As highlighted in the article by Polygon that accompanies Blizzard’s statement, the tournament organizers are indeed sensitive to the issue. While half of the players worldwide are female, women make up only a negligible percentage of esports athletes. The IeSF (the corresponding committee) will strive in the future to provide women with more opportunities to participate in esports, in order to promote gender equality.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the SF-MMO WildStar, players move on ground mounts. Yet the dream of flying is so close, as the game was designed with flying mounts in mind. Carbine’s president also promises flying mounts like players know from World of Warcraft (WoW). But only with restrictions.
In an interview with gamezone.com, Executive Producer Jeremy Gaffney gives the impression that flying will definitely make it to Nexus. After all, the planet was designed with flying mounts in mind. “We will probably do something like that in one of the content updates, but it will most likely not be free flying,” Gaffney continues. Instead, there could be lifts that players move between – or maybe gas stations where players must land repeatedly to refuel.
Anyone introducing something like flying must consider many factors. If done naively, for example, it would ruin open PvP. The world would stretch out significantly if there were not just two dimensions, but three. The world would become a cube. Players would be on different levels and could avoid each other.
Moreover, the possibility of free flying would simplify a large portion of PvE content to the point of irrelevance. There simply has to be a better solution, and a more interesting one, Gaffney adds.
Mein MMO believes: It is interesting that World of Warcraft is the only “major” MMO to have ever introduced free flying. Designers there are now struggling to eliminate it from the game. At least in the leveling phase, it will not work with Warlords of Draenor. And WildStar identifies exactly the problems that arise in WoW. It is difficult to give players a sense of danger when they can soar into safe skies at any moment. And how can one represent a hostile environment in which it takes incredible effort to reach a rugged cliff when this is accomplished in an instant by a pocket flying mount? Even if some players would enjoy the comfort and supposed freedom of movement and would like to explore the world from the back of a flying mount, game designers seem to increasingly see the challenges behind the concept. Ultimately, the fun in a game also comes from the obstacles that must be overcome and the limitations that players must deal with.
As a little anecdote: In Star Trek, “beaming” was introduced just to save the studio the costs of an elaborate landing on planets. But with beaming, every tension threatened to evaporate: At any time, Captain Kirk, Spock, and McCoy could be beamed to safety by Scotty – so every time something exciting was about to happen, the transporter had to fail, there had to be interference, shields, or special “solar storms”. All to make sure the miracle cure no longer worked. Game designers today face the same problems that the Star Trek creators did back then when they let players fly. As cool as it would be…
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, there is a new trend: the Emperor Farming. A guild dominates a campaign, appoints an emperor who abdicates, and the next one takes the disposable crown.
It’s quite a strange title that appears on reddit: “I am Taifuu, I am Empress and I want you to help me stop the farming of the emperor title.” Apparently, as indicated in the letter, a game mechanic that TESO introduced is bearing unwanted fruit.
There can be only one, but many ex-emperors
The emperor title is the highest goal that a PvP player in Cyrodiil can aim for. Whoever becomes emperor receives massive bonuses. The PvP player Pryda, whom we interviewed on the topic, mentioned that it is indeed possible for the emperor to deal with an overwhelming force. There are still videos circulating from the early days of TESO showing vampire dragonknight emperors keeping entire armies at bay, as if they had just emerged from another MMO where they acted as raid bosses. The fact that one individual can be so powerful is not something the players have much to complain about, after all, it is not permanent, and there can – like Highlander – always be only one.
However, former emperors retain a hint of their power, a glimmer of past days. This is now becoming a problem: Apparently, it motivates guilds to crown everyone in as empty campaigns as possible: The bonus is simply too tempting.
Taifuu, a member of such a guild, is annoyed by the behavior of her colleagues and now calls on the fighters to join her. She has long waited for this behavior to be condemned by Zenimax with bans, but nothing is happening. At the moment, she has tricked her guildmates into giving her the title under the pretense of wanting to give it back soon. But that was a ruse. Taifuu wants to stay in power and urges the fighters to support her.
Besides, this “putting on the throne”, “abdicating”, and then the next comes, seems to be quite widespread. In the Overdrive campaign Celarus, her entire guild was crowned emperor one after the other.
[intense_testimonies][intense_testimony][intense_testimony_text]The emperor title should actually be the highest goal that a player can strive for and one that requires a long effort. When a guildmate pushes like at the free beer stand, saying everyone should hurry, now it’s their turn, this effect dissipates or even turns into its opposite. The current “ghost” campaigns can be dominated by a small number of players. They then decide the fate.
Changes are expected in a few weeks. Whether it will improve with half of the campaigns and shorter play time remains to be seen. A well-intentioned bonus for “former emperors” is currently turning into a farmable mini-buff. This can only be detrimental to the fun of the game and the reputation of the emperor title. Certainly, the participating players are not breaking any rules in the literal sense, but they are against the spirit behind it.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Funcom’s Buy-to-Play puzzle-and-shooter MMO The Secret World is celebrating its second birthday with a bang: There are events, double bonuses, new content, and free months for every player you recruit.
Mission Pack for Tokyo
The Secret World wants to make a real effort for its second birthday. During the Steam Summer Sale, the game was available for 5 Euros. To ride this wave of new players, Funcom wants to offer something special for the second birthday.
This includes a new mission pack. In “Love&Hate”, players will embark on 5 missions in Tokyo. One of them is one of the dreaded “Investigation” missions, meaning it’s a puzzle task; the other 4 will be resolved according to character orientation with shotgun, sledgehammer, or magic in the classic cultist style. The mission pack costs 960 points in the store. Issue 9 is required to hunt through wild Tokyo. Those who complete all 5 missions will receive a Tattered Noh Mask as a vanity item and a “totally mysterious box.”
“Earn one, get two!“-Bonus Week
For every skill point earned from July 3rd to July 11th, you will receive an extra one. Additionally, during this time it will be easier to progress in the game. A bonus is available for a variety of activities: black bars, Aurei of Initiation, signs of Venice, and AEGIS research XP.
A special twist: Funcom is giving every player 10 invitation codes, which they can use to infect their friends with the TSW virus. If one of the buddies you send a code to buys the base game within 30 days, the player converted into a recruiter will receive an extra free month in addition to the usual veteran points.
So be careful if you’re approached by people this month; you should definitely give this hot MMO The Secret World a try – there’s just self-interest at play! Also included in the package: A new world boss has settled in Tokyo, likely a golem.
What’s next for The Secret World?
Game Director Joel Bylos is excited about the second anniversary of The Secret World, even if the game is still in its infancy compared to the teenager Anarchy Online (14 years) and the preschooler Age of Conan (6 years).
Overall, the letter from the Game Director has a “We have passed the worst” character; they thank the players who have stuck it out for so long. The great community motivates everyone at Funcom to always give their best to provide fans with a unique MMO experience.
In July, the development team is taking a short break to catch their breath and enjoy the summer, which is why there will be no letter from the Game Director this month; in the second half of the year, they plan to make a strong impact with issues #10 and #11.
In our review of The Secret World, we found that TSW, despite a weak start, is a good, albeit quirky MMO
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Blizzard’s Chief Creative Officer Rob Pardo is leaving the game studio Blizzard of his own accord. Pardo is regarded as one of the leading minds behind Warcraft III, Starcraft: Brood War, Diablo III, and Vanilla World of Warcraft. Thus, he has likely influenced how we play today more than just a few others.
Pardo had played a leading role in many of Blizzard’s classics and was currently involved in the development of Warlords of Draenor. He was also instrumental in Diablo 3. He is inseparably linked to the biggest MMO success in history, with World of Warcraft Classic. Together with Tom Chilton, who is regarded as a PvP guru, and Jeffrey Kaplan, a raid specialist nicknamed Tigole, who is now working on the mysterious Titan project, one could refer to Rob Pardo as one of the fathers of Blizzard’s World of Warcraft.
In 2006, Times named him one of the 100 most influential men shaping and defining our world. Moreover, Pardo had the dubious honor of appearing in the legendary Make Love, Not Warcraft episode of South Park.
Pardo reportedly looks forward to spending more time with his family and finally learning how to build a decent Hearthstone deck. He plans to spend the summer with his family, some video games, and contemplating what the future holds for him. At the moment, the gaming business is so exciting and changing that he is looking forward to his next endeavor with great anticipation.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
