The upcoming zombie survival game H1Z1 is about to enter Early Access. In an interview, Adam Clegg, one of the game designers of H1Z1, talks about zombies, more zombies, and how far the concept of zombies in H1Z1 is supposed to go. Should they, for instance, populate a world as large as the USA?
How much zombie is enough?
The issue of “too many” zombies has not gone unnoticed by the interviewer from Games-tm. He asks if Clegg fears gamer fatigue, especially since two rivals with similar motives, Rust and DayZ, are around. But Clegg dismisses the concern: “If people had had enough of jump-and-run games after Mario and Sonic, then there would never have been such games again after the 90s.”
When the designers first heard about the plan to create a zombie game, everyone was excited. After all, they are true zombie enthusiasts. They devour The Walking Dead, love The Last of Us, and even enjoy older films like “Land of the Living Dead.” One of the developers even had zombie films running non-stop, Clegg adds. It is particularly appealing to approach the development so openly and transparently, developing the game side by side with the later players.
Before concluding, the interviewer wants to know in which direction the existing world of H1Z1 will develop over the years as it continues to grow.
“I think that the world of H1Z1 will expand exponentially. The players start somewhere in the middle of America, but one day the world could become large enough to correspond to the entire United States. That is our hope.” With the world, the possibilities in crafting and exploration are also supposed to grow.
On Wednesday evening, a photo gallery was also released, giving viewers a glimpse of the dynamic weather effects in H1Z1.
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Since Tuesday, the FPS drops in the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online are a thing of the past. It is now known where the mysterious performance issues originated: An attempt to combat botters and cheaters is responsible.
For weeks, unexplained drops in frame rates caused long or frustrated faces in The Elder Scrolls Online. We have reported several times on how two patches that were supposed to help even worsened the problems at times and how hotfixes fizzled out ineffectively. Players were repeatedly assured in the forums that a solution to the problem was being worked on. Players of TESO as well as Zenimax employees were puzzled.
This led to wild speculation among players about what could be the cause, in which situations the FPS drops occurred, and which configuration was to blame. Only a hotfix early Tuesday morning could resolve the issues. The root of the problem is now also known: Introducing a new security check caused a congestion due to multiple threads overlapping, as several threads attempted to access the same data simultaneously, creating a sort of bottleneck.
In the official forum for The Elder Scrolls Online, the community managers of Zenimax responded to repeated requests and questions from the community on the subject, solved the mystery, and called for understanding. They stated that they are constantly striving to enhance the security of The Elder Scrolls Online to combat botters, cheaters, and spammers. In one of the recent rounds of improvements, they had introduced a security check that interacted with the players’ client in unforeseen ways. In combat-intensive situations (in PvP or raids), this led to frame rate drops for affected players. They thanked the players for their patience and support.
The initial reactions from the community to the forum post from the staff are positive. They wish for this level of transparency at all times and in every situation from Zenimax.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMORPG WildStar is currently very active in the fight against hackers and cheaters and rewards players who protect their accounts with two-factor authentication with a mount, the flying motorcycle Retroglider.
The reports about Carbine’s fight against botters and cheaters keep coming. Thousands are being banned, as a dev mentions how he personally wrote a ticket for each botter in the style of a space meter maid. Yet the complaints and issues are like a space hydra. Every fallen botter seems to be immediately replaced by two new ones. There are PvE bots that only become briefly visible when they materialize in front of the hard-working player to steal his resource nodes. And in PvP, bots make some battlefields unplayable.
At every opportunity, the developers encourage players to use two-factor authentication. Most of the bots are hacked accounts of players who haven’t protected themselves well enough. With two-factor authentication, players are on the safe side. Since the release, security-minded players have been rewarded with 2% more experience, prestige, and fame; a cybernetic eye patch and a title as “Certified Certified”.
In our news from the last Nexus Cast, we have already mentioned that Carbine wants to increase their offer here. Now it has also been revealed how: with a motorcycle.
Starting from July 10, anyone using an active authenticator will receive a not so fancy-looking, but actually brand new vehicle: the Retroglider.
It hasn’t been long since critical voices increased in the forums of Guild Wars 2. But since then, a few things have changed and the game is thriving again. To be precise, the number of sales has almost doubled – to now around 7 million. There are 2 reasons for this development.
The current success of GW2 is something that The Elder Scrolls Online can only dream of. The game released a few months ago seems to be struggling a bit and is therefore revamping everything. The main goal of these changes are the veteran ranks, which will be implemented in several phases.
The first expansion for Hearthstone will soon be released and now it is finally known how much one has to pay for it. “Curse of Naxxramas” will include 5 wings that will be unlocked weekly. The first wing, the Arachnid Quarter, is free, while all others must be paid for – with in-game gold or real money.
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In the SF-MMO WildStar, players are now discovering a trend: Shareconomy. Normally, you share a car; in WildStar, you share resources in your own house.
Shareconomy – this is a reaction of our society to increasingly smaller households and the breakdown of traditional family structures. According to the theory, 8 parties in an apartment building could share two cars and a whole range of other things: three bicycles, two washing machines, and cleaning services for the stairwell.
But what does this have to do with WildStar? Quite simply. Players can plant a garden in their houses above the stars and – depending on their profession – own resource fields, either for arcane relics, ores, or wood. The plants and resources grow and can be harvested after some time. The tricky part: They also grow when the player is not logged in, at work, or just sleeping. This means the player misses out on resource cycles because no new ore is generated in the mine until the old one is mined out.
On US servers (and it is rumored on some European ones), clever players have now founded so-called 50/50 circles. Here, a player teams up with others and makes them “neighbors.” Neighbors can maintain the houses of friends and also harvest resources. In the housing menu, you can now set that resources are shared equally between the owner and the “harvesting helper,” fifty-fifty.
A neighbor who has a different daily and gaming rhythm can scout the houses of sleeping or working partners, harvest the fields, clear the resources (if he has the corresponding profession), and keep half of the yield for himself. The actual owner of the property logs in the next day, after work or school, and receives his share of the resources, in addition to what is still growing.
You can adjust the distribution of resources by pressing Control and F2 on your property and then clicking the blue field next to your estate’s name.
Such fifty-fifty circles are specifically designed by WildStar’s game system and can enhance the community of players.
Perhaps after reading this article, you will start your own fifty-fifty circle? You will surely find like-minded people in the official forums.
It is a clever idea, after all.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Guild Wars 2 starts in a week with the second episode of this season of the Living World and provides a trailer.
It hasn’t been long since we at Mein MMO were wondering how Guild Wars 2 would manage to make headlines again. The game seemed a bit dormant just two months ago. Now it is summer, and Guild Wars 2 seems to be bursting at the seams. Sales are booming in China. The second season of the Living World is receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from fans.
Furthermore, there is no need to worry about staying in the conversation now. For weeks, there was hardly anything to report about GW2, and gaming sites had to highlight every discount promotion in the item store, but now they use the ongoing story of the Living World to stay relevant.
For the second episode, there is a trailer that plays with the “Fallout – New Vegas” atmosphere of the new area Drytop – and features some B-movie motifs.
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The third episode will be released on July 29, and the fourth on August 12. After that, there will be a short break until the next episodes are published. Players have just under a week left to log in and unlock the first episode.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Significant changes are coming to The Elder Scrolls Online. In a letter from development head Matt Firor, he discusses the relocation of the European mega-server, major changes to the veteran system, and the next update.
Matt Firor reaches out to fans once a month to give players a preview of upcoming changes. It has been known for some time that significant changes were planned for the veteran system. However, the extent of these changes is becoming clear only now. One could speak of a rebirth of the game, referring to The Elder Scrolls Online Reborn. The MMO is undergoing a transformation.
Veteran Points Will Soon Be Abolished
According to Firor, the plan is to comprehensively change the player experience after reaching level 50 in three phases.
Currently, we are in Phase 1. The difficulty of the zones will be reduced to allow players to progress even solo.
In Phase 2 , veteran points will be abolished and replaced with regular experience points to continue progressing. Additionally, the experience gain through PvP will be significantly increased.
In Phase 3 , a completely new system will be introduced that gives players opportunities to develop and customize their heroes. More details will be announced at Quakecon.
Mega Server Relocation at the End of July/Beginning of August
For European players, Firor has finally provided a more precise date for the relocation of the European mega-server to a data center in Frankfurt. The move is scheduled for the last week of July or the first week of August.
The Third Update Will Be a Guild Update
The next content update for The Elder Scrolls Online, following Kargstein and the Heart of Crypta patch, will focus on guilds. It should appear on the test server soon. On one hand, it will simplify the work of a guild leader and make it easier to create a clear structure within the guild with ranks and permissions. On the other hand, a new type of trading system will arrive in The Elder Scrolls Online with the Guild Casino.
Here, guilds can offer their goods to non-guild members as well. Apparently, there will be multiple NPCs that can be hired by different guilds. The auction of auctioneers, determining which guild will buy a merchant, will occur via blind bids .
With the third update, heraldry known from numerous other MMOs will also be introduced in The Elder Scrolls Online.
Item System Will Be Revamped
In the long term, Zenimax also plans to address the item system, which some players consider too boring. Players should find better items more frequently than what they are currently wearing. Additionally, armor visuals are set to become more distinct from one another. Armor colors will also arrive in Tamriel with the third update.
For the future, a system is announced that should make it easier for players to obtain set items more quickly. Quest rewards are also intended to be more logical and tailored to the hero’s class and skills.
Changes to Combat and Balance
Surprisingly, as it had never been properly mentioned before, Firor states that they also want to work on the combat system of The Elder Scrolls Online. Apparently, some animations and processes have come under the developers’ scrutiny. They aim to provide players with a smoother and more enjoyable experience. In battles, reacting to opponent actions will become more important.
In terms of balance changes, it is suggested that the werewolf, templar, and nightblade are to be further strengthened. For the dragonknight, they want to ensure post-nerfs that he remains fun and competitive.
Firor suggests in his letter to fans multiple times that major announcements will be made at Quakecon in Dallas.
Mein MMO says: This is quite a surprise that catches us a bit off guard, and we have been following the game for some time now. The details about the third update were clear. It was also known that they wanted to improve the items and endgame, the veteran system. However, how extensive this would be was not known. Here, Zenimax questions almost everything that was started three months after release. With changes to the combat system, they open another major construction site.
Implementing such significant changes in an MMO already in operation and after such a short period is relatively rare for AAA titles. Usually, such upheavals occur only with expansions, one or two years after release. The fact that they are already being discussed and are pending shows, on one hand, that Zenimax is listening to the players, and on the other hand, that many concepts did not function as intended.
Zenimax seems to have the unwavering goal of getting The Elder Scrolls Online in top shape for its release on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. PC players can only benefit from this. All changes appear, as far as we can tell, to make sense and have merit.
However, it would be desirable for the next changes to occur without larger bugs or lags plaguing the game for weeks. The last two changes to The Elder Scrolls Online sadly brought both technical difficulties for players.
You can read Matt Firor’s complete letter on the official site for TESO: elderscrollsonline.com
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Blizzard has just announced the prices for the first expansion of the free card game Hearthstone. The first wing in Naxxramas will be open to all players, while further wings will cost 700 gold or 5.99 euros.
Actually, this announcement was supposed to come out on July 1. It took a little longer after all. When Naxxramas opens its doors later this month, the Arachnid Wing with Anub’Rekhan, the Grand Widow Faerlina, and the giant spider Maexxna will be open to all heroes. However, this is only valid if they are present at the – as Blizzard calls it – “opening celebrations.” If you miss this time window, the Arachnid Quarter will also be behind a paygate.
When the Plague Quarter opens a week later, access will have to be paid for in any case. Either you pay 700 gold or 5.99 euros. With a week interval, following the Plague Quarter, the Construct Quarter, the Military Quarter, and the Frostwyrm Lair will open, provided the tribute is paid.
Blizzard offers packages that grant discounts when purchasing more than one wing at the same time. All five paid wings open for 21.99 euros, if you have unlocked one and want access to the remaining four, it costs 17.99 euros. Three can be had for 13.99 euros, and if only two wings are missing, they cost 8.99 euros. Outside of such package prices, a wing costs 5.99 euros or 700 gold, the in-game currency.
Blizzard confirms Heroic Mode, entices with card backs
Additionally, Blizzard officially confirms that there will be a heroic gameplay mode. Anyone who defeats all the bosses within a wing can face stronger versions of the arch-villains. Those who conquer each individual resident of the terror necropolis of Naxxramas in heroic mode will receive a special card back.
This news about the heroic mode is nothing new for regular visitors to our website. We have already inferred this from relevant sources in the “preview of Naxxramas”.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Gearbox, the minds behind Borderlands, have announced a MOBA called Battleborn that aims to conquer the genre. Already, the familiar mix of humor, clever game design, and substantial firepower characteristic of Borderlands is apparent.
That’s quite a surprise, dropping like a bomb. There was no mention of Battleborn at E3. They have saved the big reveal for the August cover of Gamesinformer magazine. On the magazine’s website, they plan to reveal a little more about the game every day.
What is clear is that Battleborn will be a mix of MOBA, first-person shooter, and the loot elements of RPGs. Just as Borderlands changed players’ perceptions of what a shooter can be, they now aim to alter perceptions of what a MOBA should look like.
The background is new. Battleborn takes place in a completely original world. A whole series of “extraordinary” characters, who share only a fondness for firearms and bloodbaths, fight over the last star in a fading galaxy. Players will unlock the heroes gradually. They are meant to resemble “archetypes” that seem to have sprung from other games: a tough space marine or a nimble elf huntress.
The game is being developed for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
From MOBAs, they want to draw the rapid gameplay style, fast leveling, and minion crushing, while from shooters, they seek the arena-like game feel. There should be more than just one game mode available. Gameinformer has already visited the developers, tried it out, and particularly enjoyed the “Incursion” mode, a 5 versus 5 game reminiscent of League of Legends or Dota 2. There is also expected to be a co-op campaign for 5 players.
The maximum level of the heroes will be 20. On the way to the max level, they want to provide players with various options to customize their heroes to their playstyle.
They especially praise the quirky humor of the creators, known from Borderlands, who can find darkly humorous aspects even in a post-apocalypse.
A first taste of the style of Battleborn can be seen in the short announcement trailer:
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World of Tanks is now available on PC, Xbox 360, and iOS. Producer Gareth Luke discussed the differences between the versions in an interview with an English website.
In an interview with examiner.com, Gareth Luke introduced the different versions of the successful game World of Tanks. They differ in order to meet the demands of the platform.
The PC version is aimed more at a “hardcore” player base that values the simulation aspect, according to Luke. There is also a strong eSports element, and the vibrant community constantly provides feedback that is integrated into the game.
The Xbox 360 version is focused more on fast-paced combat and action. Since neither keyboard nor mouse is available, the controls had to be made more intuitive. This makes the entire experience feel more arcade-like. Even the camera was adjusted to the typical couch-TV distance of 3 meters instead of the chair-monitor distance of 30 centimeters.
World of Tanks Blitz for iOS resembles the other two versions but is generally much faster. The maps are smaller, the battles shorter, and the level-ups and progress in researching occur more quickly. “It’s not designed to be played for 5 hours straight. Mainly because the batteries can’t handle that,” joked Luke.
A Android version is also planned for the future.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the free-to-play MMO The Lord of the Rings Online, update 14 is coming in a week. It brings so many features, quests, and new content that one could almost call it a mini-expansion.
A journalist from the US site massively was granted an appointment by Turbine to take a first look at the upcoming trip to Gondor, which will also be available to players in update 14.
And update 14 brings an astonishing amount of new content to Middle-earth on July 14:
5 new levels await the heroes
3 new quest regions
over 100 quests
a continuation of the epic story
and a new feature with the essence system.
In Aragorn’s Footsteps
The story follows the footsteps of Aragorn, who leads the undead oathbreakers into battle. The developers faced the question of what they could make the players do while Aragorn leads the oathbreakers: the caves would be deserted.
The solution was found in recalcitrant undead who are so bitter that they do not seek redemption from their fate but choose to remain behind. The army of the dead and their story will run like a red thread throughout the update. This will allow players to take a glimpse into the past to confront the oath-breaking. And they will visit a terrified village – the night before, Aragorn had stayed here… with his new troops.
Essences to be Introduced Cautiously
The colleague from massively raves about the Mediterranean flair of Gondor. It is just as beautiful and lovingly designed as Rohan, but with a slightly different twist.
The devs promise to introduce the new essence system cautiously. These are “essences” that players can add to their armor to achieve specific effects and further refine their character and item composition, their “build.” The essences are expected to be rare at the start of the fourteenth update to avoid flooding the market.
In a conversation with the massively reporter, the developers of The Lord of the Rings Online candidly acknowledged the challenges of working on an aging MMO in today’s market. However, the greatest strength of The Lord of the Rings Online, the fantastic book source material and world, remains unmatched.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The deity MMO Skyforge deviates further from the beaten paths of conventional Western MMOs. Now there will not only be no classes, but also no levels in the actual sense.
A bit of Final Fantasy XIV, a bit of The Secret World, but a whole god
In the latest news about the upcoming MMO Skyforge, we reported that the developers from Team Allods planned to forgo a conventional class system. Now they are also discarding the level and tier system and want to let a kind of “Gearscore” decide which tasks await the aspiring god or goddess, so to speak.
This concept is not actually new – in The Secret World, a game that also dispenses with classes and levels in a strict sense, the same design principles are followed. However, Skyforge seems to take its class orientation more from Final Fantasy XIV with the multi-classes, without having to level each class from scratch.
“Which instances you can enter depends on how much prestige the character has. The more developed the characters are, the more prestige they have and the more adventures they can undertake,” the team explained according to massively.
No date known yet
Conventionally, they remain consistent in other areas: Skyforge will be client-based. A mega-server is set to provide a home for the aspiring gods per region. The background for the hero saga is an invasion by foreign powers trying to fill a power vacuum left by the vanished main god. In Skyforge, the goal will be to withstand this invasion, to perhaps bring the fight to the aliens in a later expansion.
Unfortunately, in response to inquiries from the magazine “mmosite”, no release date is known yet, not even the timeline for the beta is currently set.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the fantasy MMORPG World of Warcraft, the wishes of many role-playing players are finally coming true: The nights in Warlords of Draenor will be darker again, allowing the day-night cycle to return more prominently to the world of Azeroth.
Nights in Azeroth used to be “dark,” but over time they became increasingly day-like, rendering the day-night cycle that many RPG players appreciate absurd. As the images from the beta of Warlords of Draenor now show, the night has indeed returned to World of Warcraft. Whether it will be as full of dread as in the Game of Thrones quote “The night is dark and full of terrors” remains to be seen.
And on Reddit, some are already mocking: One cannot speak of a real night. At most, it looks somewhat dim or shady in the pictures.
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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Producer Naoki Yoshida pulls back the curtain a day before the content patch and reveals: a cyclops. In the Hunt system of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, players will hunt down really big monsters.
Much was already known about the patch 2.3. in advance, but the “Hunt” system remained a mystery. A day before patch 2.3. goes live, bringing players Ramuh, the Crystal Tower, and desynthesis, producer Naoki Yoshida now reveals the intricacies of the hunt.
It somewhat resembles monster sightseeing. Because the oversized hunt targets will only appear under certain conditions. These oversized, often towering “elite” targets require more than just a brave hero. Entire groups should band together here to put an end to the “high game”. It’s good that it does not say “first come, first served,” but “free for all” – anyone can participate in the chase for such a giant. This giant monster cannot be shot down by a single group and claimed for themselves.
Those who bring down these elite targets will receive hunt badges. They can exchange these at their state society for items. There is no limit to how many the hero can hunt per week. In addition to these truly big targets, there are bounty lists featuring less troublesome monsters that provide less loot.
Mein MMO says: It seems that the high-hunt system could bring some variety to Eorzea. At the moment, players are chasing from Fate to Fate, from event to event, on relatively predictable routes. A kind of “world boss” that requires more than just one group and has an irregular spawn timer can hopefully bring some variety and danger. Because alone, one should definitely not get under the hammer of such beings.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
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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