American researchers have now discovered how players of different ages behave in World of Warcraft and in Second Life. Older players place more value on politeness and appearance, while younger players like to jump or walk backward, but also put more effort into chatting.
How do online players recognize the age of their peers?
American researchers – don’t you also love news that starts like this? According to a study by researchers at universities located in the USA (namely in Syracuse, the University at Albany, CSU, and Concordia University), the chat in online games is by no means the decline of civilization that many believe it to be. 201 players of the online game Second Life and – in a follow-up study – 375 players of World of Warcraft were examined for their behavior.
The study shows that players value expressing themselves. They use all the opportunities that the game offers them, both verbally and nonverbally. So it is by no means just the chat.
Players develop a good sense of how old their peers are, even though they never meet outside of the game. Indicators of this are the other person’s politeness, the level of language they use, and other ways of expression. It’s not just about what someone says, but also about what language they use and how they move in the virtual space.
Older players are vain, younger ones hyperactive?
In Second Life and World of Warcraft, older players, those over 30, express themselves more politely and are less emotional. In Second Life, they also prefer avatars that conform to typical beauty standards. Furthermore, they use only half as many emoticons as younger players.
In contrast, younger players tend to express themselves not only in words but also by utilizing the movement options of their avatar. They jump twice as much as older players, move 15% more in space, and go backward 30% more often.
This has also been noted in a gender study. Those who jump and walk backward a lot are highly likely to be male and under 30.
Surprise: Younger players put more effort into chatting
The interesting part of the study, which is set to be published in July, is that players under 30 use 47% more punctuation marks, correct their own spelling mistakes 20% more often, and have a vocabulary that is 20% larger.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
After the developers of The Elder Scrolls Online have mainly addressed the success screen in Patch 1.1.4, further bug fixes are now on the agenda for players of the online role-playing game. The developers have now rolled out Patch 1.1.5 on the title’s mega servers and are thus rapidly preparing for the release of Version 1.2.
Not long until Update 1.2
Generally, Patch 1.1.5 can be seen as a mid-patch or bridging patch until the release of 1.2. The Update 1.2 for The Elder Scrolls Online starts on June 23, 2014 – we can only keep our fingers crossed that this content patch, which integrates the Crypt of Hearts among other things, runs better than the major update before.
Improvements and Fixes in 1.1.5
With version 1.1.5, ZeniMax has been able to resolve several quest issues. In addition, the developers have made several corrections and improvements in the areas of combat and gameplay as well as in alliance war and group content.
If you leave a Fighter’s Guild in the online role-playing game The Elder Scrolls Online, it is no longer the case with the patch that entities and other companions disappear as well. The developers also point out a possible bug where you may see a loading screen even if you have not entered a new zone. Don’t be surprised – the client of The Elder Scrolls Online is simply overwhelmed then. If you want to view all the changes in detail, you should take a look at the German patch notes for 1.1.5.
If you want to mentally prepare for the upcoming Update 1.2, we have a small video for you about the new veteran dungeon.
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As with our other veteran dungeons, the story is continued here, and we raise the stakes with deadly new enemies and their leaders. The Crypt of Hearts offers you some of our toughest battles yet (…)
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Last week, the Electronic Entertainment Expo took place for the 20th time in Los Angeles, California. As every year, major companies in the gaming industry showcased their latest titles. What Darion’s highlights of the fair were and what he thinks about the titles is nicely packaged in a Top 10 – in no particular order.
What were your highlights? Perhaps the new Zelda with its picturesque graphics? Or maybe the new Far Cry? Or the new Battlefield? Feel free to write it in the comments!
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New announcements are generally always exciting. When it’s about a science fiction game – even better. And when this science fiction work is also set in the Star Trek universe, then YEAH!
Currently, science fiction games are enjoying great popularity. Whether it’s Destiny, Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous, StarCraft, and all the others. But even in the MMO sector, one finds Defiance, SWTOR, Planetside 2, Star Trek Online, EVE Online and others at the forefront of the list of popular works.
So it is no wonder that another company is jumping on the popular science fiction bandwagon and announcing a new sci-fi MMO.
No name known yet
As the headline already reveals, despite the official announcement, there seems to be no name for the new game yet. So let’s just affectionately call it Star Trek MMO, which comes from NGames and will be equipped with a free-to-play system.
In the new Star Trek MMO, you will venture into fluid space, where the United Federation of Planets and the Klingons are holding their well-known battle. Naturally typical for an MMO, it’s your task to firstly decide for one of the two sides and secondly to participate in the battles.
To do this, you will partially explore your surroundings, build stations in space, and enhance your valuable treasures in the form of ships with technological gadgets.
Release and further info
Since there isn’t even a name set for the new Star Trek MMO that NGames wants to bring to the market, one cannot even talk about a possible release date yet. However, new info about the new online game is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. If you are interested in further reporting, we look forward to your comments on this.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The producer of Final Fantasy 14 is currently in talks with Microsoft to address specific requests. You can probably guess what this is about: An Xbox One version of the online role-playing game Final Fantasy XIV – A Realm Reborn.
So far, the fantasy MMORPG is “only” available for PC, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. The fact that the online role-playing game is available on consoles is already quite pleasant. In the future, the creators of Final Fantasy XIV – A Realm Reborn are also planning a version for Microsoft’s Xbox One.
The hurdles of competition
However, there are still some problems … Producer Naoki Yoshida does not want to split the player community of Final Fantasy XIV – A Realm Reborn when it comes to the different platforms.
Currently, PC players can roam the lands together with PlayStation players. In the future, Xbox players should also be allowed to join this group. However, this would require Microsoft to agree to cross-platform play with its biggest competitor, Sony, with PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.
It’s really not that simple …
No decision yet
As Naoki Yoshida reveals, Square Enix is currently discussing the situation and the wishes of the Final Fantasy creators with Microsoft. For Microsoft and the Xbox One, a release of Final Fantasy XIV – A Realm Reborn would certainly not be a bad deal, as the online role-playing game has a very active and enthusiastic player community, which would certainly bring Microsoft some cents again. We are curious to see how the story will develop and will keep you updated as usual!
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If you want to learn more about the revamped MMORPG version of Final Fantasy XIV, we recommend taking a look at the Meta-Critic ratings. Our review of the popular online role-playing game will follow soon.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
At the Dreamhack in Sweden, Rdu and Amaz fought their way to the finals. Both relied on rather unusual decks.
Freeze Mage and Priest decks are the stars of the tournament
While druid decks dominated the Dreamhack in numbers, Rdu swore by a Freeze Mage deck. And Amaz even used a Priest deck. Many players consider the Priest to currently be the weakest class.
However, experts saw exactly this as an advantage. Such “offbeat decks”, which are rarely played, present an unusual challenge for conventionally designed decks. Those who play such decks at a high level will often find themselves in situations where they play against the currently popular decks and can perfect their strategies against them. However, the other players will have little to no experience in how to assess the underdog decks. And at that level, knowledge about the opponent’s deck and preferred strategies is crucial. A classic case of: “I know that you know that I know what you think I know about your deck.”
Before the tournament, a Hearthstone site asked 30 experts what would be played at the Dreamhack. The overwhelming majority leaned towards Miracle Rogue and Handlock. The Freeze Mage came in a distant 6th place, and the Priest wasn’t even mentioned. Yet, it would be these decks that made headlines in the end.
Exciting Finale: Freeze Mage vs. Druid, Freeze Mage vs. Rush Hunter
In an exciting finale, Rdu won with a Freeze Mage deck against the slightly favored Amaz, who chose a Druid deck in the first round, which struggled to defend against constant fire and board control.
In the second round, Amaz countered with a Rush Hunter deck. A deck that aims for a quick victory through direct damage and is also seen as a counter against the widely played Charge Druid and Miracle Rogue decks. Amaz managed to build a lead of 29 to 15 health points with just 5 mana. But in the end, Amaz was missing just one point of damage in that round. Rdu’s Freeze Mage deck held strong and secured victory in the end burst.
Manipulation through chat messages?
At the end of the second round, a small scandal broke out, as Rdu received hints in Romanian through the in-game chat system from someone on his friend list about which cards Amaz held. The tournament organizers decided that these messages did not affect the outcome of the match. It had already been decided at the time the messages came. However, Rdu had to delete his friend list to prevent such incidents from recurring.
The very active subreddit for Hearthstone exploded with numerous threads about the supposed cheating. In the subreddit, Amaz’s supporters dominate, often elevating him to a card god.
The Dreamhack: The story of Amaz?
Amaz found himself restricted to his Priest deck in the third round, with which he had previously excelled in the Dreamhack tournament. He had to contend with the Freeze Mage deck, against which he had already lost twice.
This is what Hearthstone looks like on the game board.
Before the decisive rounds, the commentators joked that Amaz had only lost twice to lull Rdu into a false sense of security. In their eyes, the evening should end with a 3:2 victory for Amaz and more breathtaking matches.
However, at the beginning of the third round, things looked bleak for Amaz, as Rdu, thanks to optimal draws, assembled his burn hand. Amaz was able to fend off the first attack with a very agile Ragnaros and heal back up to a safe value. But Rdu drew the Pyroblast, and in the end, luck was on his side. Rdu took home $10,000 in prize money. His Freeze Mage deck (New Age Frost) featured key cards Alexstrasza, Iceblock, and plenty of damage, which is celebrated as a renaissance of Freeze Mage and proved effective against the currently popular decks, and it is set to dominate the next meta along with Amaz’s unusual Priest deck.
The future of Hearthstone as an e-sport
Amaz, who was regarded as a “favorite of fate” before the victory, because he played fantastic matches in the rounds leading up to that and had to have made a Faustian pact with the RNG gods, emphasized in an interview how much he appreciated Hearthstone. He believes the card game is on the brink of a golden age with the Naxxramas expansion.
The commentators from viagame – including the well-known Starcraft caster Artosis – also confirmed a rosy future for Hearthstone as an e-sport. Artosis stated he had often been asked what Hearthstone needed to become an e-sport. His standard response: “Why? It already is one.”
The port of the game to Android could, in the commentators’ eyes, provide a boost, placing the game on an even broader base. The professional broadcasting on viagame with lively commentators and the presentation at Dreamhack were certainly of top league quality.
Update on 06/18/2014: The video of the finals is now online, which we will present to you shortly.
The “scandal” surrounding the alleged cheater Rdu took an ugly turn immediately after the tournament ended. By defeating the beloved Amaz, the first 17-year-old Romanian Rdu now seems to be trapped in a rogue role and faces aggression and a shitstorm, as only public figures usually experience (though they are often much older, have a team of advisors around them, and are trained in media handling).
The caster of the event, Artosis, along with other Hearthstone “pros”, took the side of the 17-year-old. Even his opponent Amaz requested in a video to the fans to let it go. Rdu himself addressed the fans on reddit, lamenting that his triumph, which he had worked hard for, was now tainted by the behavior of a “retard” on his friend list.
This whole situation also takes on strange contours, as online gaming magazines report not about the tournament itself, but only about the alleged scandal.
All those involved wish Blizzard would provide an option to suppress chat messages during such tournaments.
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In the SF-MMO WildStar, players follow a strict schedule. Before the release, it was announced that monthly content would be provided. The first 16 months have already been planned. Two weeks after the release, the schedule for the first content update has now been revealed.
With an impressive website, Carbine announces the first drop, which is what they call the content patches. The patch will be fully focused on the mysterious plague, the “Strains.” This plague is inseparably linked to the main story of WildStar, which players will experience over time through story quests. On June 18th, players can look forward to a “Flick,” a movie. It will likely announce the new content.
On June 24th, “Locations” are scheduled on the agenda. However, it is likely that this will not yet be the introduction of new zones, but rather a presentation of them. The “Rotting Refuge” and the “Northern Wastes,” as much as is already known, will primarily cater to solo players, allowing them to progress further in the story line and their personal gear progression.
Later, additional options will be presented to customize costumes or the hoverboard. New modules for housing are also on the way.
A dev-speak is announced for the end of the month, but the exact date for the patch is not shared by the website with the plague eye. It is assumed to be “early July.”
[intense_testimonies][intense_testimony][intense_testimony_text]Mein MMO says:
This is still relatively mysterious. At the moment, one could conclude from the announcement that the content is already coming at the specified time (and some websites are doing that) – but we (and most others) assume that on those days, only parts of the new patch will be presented. It seems very unlikely to us that a large update, like this one announced, will be released in small pieces.
Carbine will surely try to align the arrival of the first update with the end of the free month. If they can signal that work continues on the game and that there will be something new to do every month, it could certainly influence many players’ decision to extend beyond the free month.
Especially solo players, who shy away from dungeons or even raids and do not want to endure the hassle of the attunement quest, currently have relatively little to do in WildStar after reaching level 50. With the two announced new zones, opportunities for progression outside of group paths could open up.[/intense_testimony_text][intense_testimony_author image=”https://images.mein-mmo.de/magazin/medien/2014/01/Logo-022.png”][/intense_testimony_author][/intense_testimony][/intense_testimonies]
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The 27th episode of the TESO-Cast is fully dedicated to the The Elder Scrolls Online news from the past week. The German community member Kai Schober may have announced another faction alongside the Dark Brotherhood and the Thieves Guild that could eventually make its way into the game. It looks like we will soon have a total of 5 factions to choose from (both the Mage and Fighters Guild are already known to be in the game).
Additionally, at E3 in Los Angeles, a structured PvP mode was shown, where players compete in a “Capture the Flag” style 3vs3vs3. Could this mean that battlegrounds and arenas will soon be coming to The Elder Scrolls Online?
Lastly, there is also a “bad” news from Ireland. Around 300 support staff from ZeniMax have been laid off. What does this mean for the game? Should we be worried about the future of TESO now?
In the previous episode, the discussion was about the future content of the AAA MMORPG. If you want to know what content is meant, then check out TESO-Cast 26.
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After the expansion Curse of Icewind Dale was released in May 2014, it is now time for the first anniversary of the free online role-playing game Neverwinter. Of course, to celebrate the anniversary, the corresponding festivities in Neverwinter must not be missed.
To keep you engaged in the game, Neverwinter’s anniversary event offers, among other things, a few quests that you can repeat daily. You can also look forward to plenty of rewards, a new skirmish, and much more.
It starts on June 19, 2014
The festivities of Neverwinter will start on June 19 of this year at 7:00 PM CEST. Be sure to stop by the free MMORPG to take a look at the beautifully decorated decorations in the form of confetti, banners, pennants, and more. If that’s not enough, as mentioned, you can indulge in the daily quests or visit the new skirmish – which will adapt to your level.
On June 25, 2014, at 7:00 PM CEST, the anniversary banners of Neverwinter will be taken down again. Just before it kicks off this coming Thursday, the developers of the game will announce all the rewards and more details about the anniversary.
A little sneak peek
We will keep you updated when it is announced what rewards await us in the game. For a little sneak peek, however, the creative minds of Neverwinter have already released a photo (see above) that shows a kind of jester outfit in colorful colors. Would that be your thing, or are you hoping for some definitely more serious and somehow epic rewards than a costume in carnival style? We look forward to your opinions!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In an interview on the sidelines of E3, the head behind the development of the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, Matt Firor, talked about the stress after the launch, the adjustment of the PvP campaigns, and how the players continue to surprise him.
In a conversation with the English site mmorpg.com, a visibly relaxed Matt Firor discussed how The Elder Scrolls Online has been developing.
Seven weeks after the launch, the operation is now running smoothly. The game is developing well. And, Firor says with a smile: “We are all getting sleep again.” At the moment, the team is focused on balancing the game and, of course, new content. A small fix is due every week and a larger patch every 4-6 weeks.
Players surprise designers: Instead of 4-player groups, hordes of players in Kargstein
While the first content patch with Kargstein introduced a new zone, the second update will feature a veteran dungeon, the Crypt of Hearts, as well as some changes. Most further updates will follow this pattern: new content, new systems in the game, and some improvements. In the veteran dungeons, the story from the normal versions of the instances will be retold.
How the players reacted to Kargstein was a surprise for Firor. While they designed the zone, they had 4-player groups in mind, who would venture into the Trials and gradually conquer the zone. In reality, however, groups of 20 players rushed through the zone at launch, steamrolling everything. This was unexpected, but: “That’s great. As long as the players are having fun and are rewarded, that’s fine,” said Firor.
PvP campaigns change in summer – Firor himself a fan of the 90-day campaign
When asked about the change of the PvP campaigns, Firor indicates that he is a fan of the long campaigns lasting 90 days. This aligns with his personal playstyle. “The same people are always there, and you defend your fortress. When a campaign lasts only two days, it’s all more about bonuses.” However, Firor understands that many players are also hoping for shorter campaigns.
With the announced changes to the campaign, this time they already went to the forum during the planning phase to go through some ideas with the players. The feedback from the players has been overwhelmingly positive, with the adjustment of the campaigns planned for summer.
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In the recently released SF-MMO WildStar, players have been targeted by gold sellers from the very beginning. They still annoy players with arena invites and in-game mail. Additionally, a bug over the weekend caused a gold turmoil, costing some players their fortune and nerves.
Carbine wants to crush Gold Sellers
In most other MMOs, they are as common in the capitals’ chats as questions about Manrik’s wife in the Barrens or a cheerful “L2P Noobs” at the end of MOBA matches: the gold seller spam. The good news: there is none of that in WildStar. The bad news: instead, players regularly receive personalized spam, disguised as nice mail or even as arena invites.
The creators of WildStar declared war on spam and announced that they would crush the gold sellers.
We’re working on stopping Gold Sellers using Arena/Friend invites to advertise. Like the Lannister’s cousin we will crush them. KUH KUH KUH!
In a thread on mmorpg.com discussing the matter, players wonder why anyone would buy from gold sellers. After all, their prices are way too bad. Through the C.R.E.D.D. system, players can get much more for their euros.
The absence of gold seller spam is also positively noted by users on mmorpg.com; one even said that Carbine had done more against gold sellers in two weeks than other publishers in months or even years.
Carbine even destroys player wealth temporarily
Over the weekend, some players who had accumulated a fortune were shocked to find their gold supplies suddenly depleted. However, neither hackers nor robbers were responsible for this, but rather a mistake from Carbine. The EU authentication server briefly classified players as guests.
Guest accounts are limited to a moderate two-digit gold amount; therefore, anything over that was temporarily liquidated. Carbine has already fixed the error, the servers were briefly down, and they apologize for the inconvenience and will now send players the money via mail.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
An insight into the minds of the developers behind the buy-to-play MMO Guild Wars 2 was provided by the livestream on balancing.
Class balancing is one of the top topics in every game, including Guild Wars 2. Those with lots of armor and endurance should deal less damage than a class that has little armor and can take less damage, right? And those who give up mobility should be rewarded with range. Moreover, the class that is the hardest to play should also be the strongest in the hands of a master.
Thus, many ideas about balancing exist in the minds of the players. In Guild Wars 2, there was now the opportunity to compare these considerations with the ideas of the designers. How do players see their classes and how close is that to the intention of the devs?
Two of the game designers, Jonathan Sharp and Karl McLain, were confronted with player feedback on all eight classes and were able to address how ArenaNet views the classes themselves.
The Elementalist: For masters, then really
This is how players see it: For the Elementalist, the “ceiling”—the highest level that can be achieved—is particularly high. The class can do a bit of everything, is flexible, and shines with outstanding AOE potential. Players identify the class’s versatility as its weakness. Moreover, the class struggles to maintain high damage levels and faces problems with buffed opponents.
This is how the devs see it: According to ArenaNet, they definitely want to maintain the Elementalist’s versatility through various weapons. With most weapons, they slip into a support role. The low HP and vulnerability to burst damage is intended, as is the specific weakness against opponents who are under a boon, that is, under a buff.
The Engineer: Stationary All-Rounder
This is how players see it: The Engineer also shows high flexibility with his turrets.. His “skill floor,” that is, his requirement level, is relatively high and he has good crowd control. As a weakness, players criticize this flexibility. He is not particularly good at anything, and some skills are currently so strong that he is forced into certain builds.
This is how the devs see it: Debuffs, or conditions, are viewed as a “hard counter” for the Engineer, from which they find it hard to free themselves. Instead, they need to use their CC abilities to ensure that opponents cannot use them at all. This becomes difficult against multiple players. Engineers should struggle to achieve burst peaks, and they should also find it difficult to escape a fight—certainly much harder than a Thief or a Mesmer.
The Guardian: Tanky Support
The Guardian is seen in a support role at the front line. Unlike the Warrior, who is better at keeping themselves alive, he excels at supporting his companions with boons.
Weaknesses of the Guardian lie in its reliance on boons. Against classes that can steal them, he comes off worse. Additionally, the Guardian depends on his cooldowns to survive. The longer a fight lasts, the more difficult it becomes for him to survive.
The Guardian may enter a fight quickly but has difficulty getting out again. In assessing the class, players and ArenaNet agree, so they are pretty much on track.
The Mesmer: Assassin with a Twist
This is how players see it: The specialized class Mesmer relies on distraction, crowd control, and flexibility. Players point out his weakness in dealing with debuffs, the conditions. He also lacks AE damage and is limited to single-target damage. Mobility is a tricky issue for the Mesmer, as he’s not fast, but he does have portals. He can therefore withdraw well from a fight but cannot engage as effectively.
This is how the devs see it: Thus, it corresponds quite closely to the official design. They want to grant him access to important utility skills. His defense is maintained through stealth and evasion gimmicks; in one-on-one situations, he should perform well but show weaknesses when trying to maintain AE damage. He is vulnerable to conditions and when his illusions are countered. His Achilles’ heel is AE damage, which takes out his illusions. His susceptibility to burst damage is also intentional.
The Necromancer: Enduring and Wearing Down
This is how players see it: Players regard the weaknesses of the Necromancer as his lack of mobility and low burst damage. He is not particularly flexible. However, he trades this for the ability to drive opponents out of the fight.
This is how the devs see it: The Necromancer is designed by ArenaNet as a “sustained” character who can last long in a fight and grows stronger with increasing duration of the fight. He could still accept a bit more physical damage. Weaknesses should lie in mobility, dodging, and retreating from a fight. He should also struggle to maintain AE damage.
The Ranger – Sharpshooter and Glass-Cannon
The Ranger impresses with his DPS on a single target; he is the best class at range, even a bit ahead of the Mesmer. He should keep himself alive through skillful dodging. He is also fortunate to be able to maintain AE damage in melee.
Players assess the Ranger in line with how ArenaNet designed him. Weaknesses include that he cannot steal boons from his opponents. He is heavily reliant on his pet and does less damage without it than other classes. In PvE, the pet often causes problems in the endgame and creates more stress than it helps (well, that was surely not intended by ArenaNet). The lack of AE damage at range is also planned; for that, he hits really hard on single targets.
The Thief – Specialist for Burst
The Thief has his strengths in engagement; he can easily enter and exit a fight. By stealing boons and slipping away from potential sources of damage through stealth, he occupies a delicate special position in balancing.
Weaknesses are seen in his relatively low passive defense. If he wants to avoid damage, he must actively dodge. Additionally, he struggles to stay in a fight for long, being a classic glass-cannon due to his high damage potential. If he wants to withstand a fight for a longer time, he must make concessions on damage.
The Warrior – Fighting Machine with Toughness
The Warrior struggles to avoid damage but can deal substantial damage. With crowd control abilities in melee, he occupies an important role. However, he relies on his class resource, adrenaline, and finds it difficult when defense wanes. He is particularly vulnerable to conditions, i.e., debuffs.
Phew, that was a lot of information from a reliable source. You surely noticed that for the last two classes, the devs seemed to run out of steam a bit. Anyone wanting to read the written summary on Reddit or watch the livestream on Twitch can find corresponding links in the sources.
One of the toughest players of World of Warcraft is close to reaching max level. The catch: He plays a panda who has not chosen a faction, leveling up under extremely difficult conditions.
A few weeks ago, online newspapers reported extensively about a Ukrainian player who allegedly completed World of Warcraft: He achieved all the achievements.
Doubleagent, the factionless level 89 panda, is at least as tough, albeit in a completely different way. Unlike all his peers, Doubleagent has not chosen one of the two factions but maintains the neutrality of the pandaren people.
No trace of Lost: The panda does not want to leave the island
However, without taking a side, the panda cannot leave the starting island. He will never see higher-level mobs, cannot accept quests, visit instances, or beat mobs that could still give him experience points.
The only food source the panda has consists not of eucalyptus leaves, but of low-level ores and plants that he can mine for a homeopathic amount of EXP.
Panda watch on all channels
Until level 85, he had made it with this method by March. He assumed that he would need about another four months. But it seems he might be a bit ahead of schedule.
On Twitter, he regularly updates how much experience he still needs. The last announcement was 37.5% until Level 90. At his current pace, it could be possible within 7-10 days.
The little panda has gained some fame in the process. In the WoW section of the English forum reddit, he is currently topic number 1. The most common question there is not, “How crazy must one be?” Rather, players demand a special achievement for the panda. “Insane in the membrane,” the current feat of strength for particularly strenuous and quite ridiculous achievements in the game – is probably nowhere near enough to honor this effort.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMO is not just about the game itself, but also about the discussion around it – just like football. Today, we take a look at fanboys and haters, bashers and whiteknights, in short, the everyday madness surrounding the most beautiful distraction in the world. And we don’t mean sex or football.
Some fans refer to discussions after a game in the club pub as the third half. Everything and everyone, especially football, is discussed there. Gamers don’t need beer or pubs for that. They sip energy drinks and hang out in forums, on websites, and in social media. And it’s not about football, God, or the world, but about MMOs.
In our column “MMO Culture” at Mein MMO, we want to take a look at the different types in such discussions today and how strongly they feel connected to their game.
We have created a scale that describes the relationship of the player to the game and how willing they are to tackle or defend it in discussions. This highly scientific scale ranges from -3 (absolute hate) to +3 (unconditional dedication). Of course, in addition to the 7 points we specifically pick out, there are also some shades of gray that surely apply to anyone reading this who can analyze their MMOs passionlessly and completely objectively.
So please … don’t take it too seriously. It’s all just satire.
Point Zero on the Scale: The Neutral: Yeah … I’ve heard of it – it’s an MMO, right? What’s it like?
This does not include Grandma, who has nothing to do with video games, but rather someone who is potentially a customer for the game in question. However, they are neutral like Switzerland, have not yet formed an opinion about the game. And whether they will develop a serious interest in it is also not clear yet.
Normally, the neutral person has not yet purchased the game – unless it was in a Humble Bundle, along with 8 other games, of which they already own 2 and have heard that the other 2 are about the same.
Hardly any gamer manages to stay neutral while playing the game. It either tips in one direction or the other.
We at Mein MMO listened to this discussion: The strong man with the beard tries to convince his girlfriend of The Lord of the Rings Online.
A neutral person usually does not participate in discussions about the game – ironically, everyone else often talks about them. Because they are the “silent majority” that needs to be convinced from their own position. The neutral person is thus the grand prize in discussions about games: they have no opinion yet and can either be convinced to buy the game immediately and become a cult follower, or they can be successfully driven away.
Point +1: Types Who Like the Game: Was pretty okay, but … that goes a bit too far for me
The person who likes the game is someone who is currently playing or has already played the game. And they enjoyed it or at least found it generally okay.
On +1 on the scale, there can also be a fan who liked the game incredibly well, but their nature is rather introverted, and for them, a “It’s not bad” is already the highest praise.
Such players usually keep out of internet debates. If there is a way to support the game without getting involved in any heavy discussions, they gladly accept it. They like posts on Facebook, participate in surveys, watch videos and guides about their game, and are likely to also buy the follow-up title.[pullquote]It’s just a game!
Types who like the game are – like most people – rather conflict-averse. They don’t necessarily need to participate in a debate about a game. If they do, they try to remain factual. They generally see their game objectively, but with goodwill. They are people for whom the game doesn’t hold an incredibly high value. It’s a game, they’ve played it, now it’s on to the next.
In football, these are people who cheer for their team in front of the TV.
Point -1: The Type Who Just Doesn’t Like the Game: Pfff, I don’t care
The type who just doesn’t like the game is the opposite of a fan. They may have purchased the game and quickly uninstalled it. Or they don’t like the whole genre or had their gaming stomach upset by a previous title from the publisher.
When they think about the game, they might grimace a little, as if they had bitten into a lemon or, more likely, sucked on a lemon-flavored candy. They honestly can’t explain why anyone would play that game when it has such clear weaknesses. But on the other hand, the type who just doesn’t like the game knows that everyone has different tastes.
Hardly any MMORPG divides the player base like The Elder Scrolls Online. It’s just not everyone’s thing.
The type who just doesn’t like the game usually does not participate in discussions about the game. They won’t click on posts that have the MMO as a topic; they will simply try to ignore the game. If it gets too colorful for them and they are asked about the game, they might say: “It just didn’t click for me” or “I can’t get into it at all.”
However, they will not try to convince others of their opinion. At most, they will be grumpy. But that is already the highest of feelings.
Point +2: The Fanboy or Fangirl: Pink Rhapsodies in C-Major
The fanboy or fangirl li-li-liiioves the game. It’s a bit like being newly in love. Actually, it’s just like that! They want to shout their love for the game out into the world! Of course, they are a little irrational; they know that themselves. But right now, they don’t care. The fanboy likes posts, buys merchandise, and spends money.
They prefer to get informed on fan sites about the game. They write guides, tweet, and are on Facebook, possibly writing fan fiction, going to cons, and being part of the fandom. They really just love the game. It’s a part of their life that makes them feel good and brings them joy.
Fanboys love their game and want to show it by actively engaging in the community! (Image from Guild Wars 2)
In general, a fanboy stays close to their game. They are in the relevant forums or social media but usually don’t like to stray too far from their opinion. Because they know that in the harsh, rough world outside, they might face backlash that they don’t like and that could ruin their fun.
Of course, the fangirl also sees the flaws in the game and the things that don’t work well. But they believe that the developers will certainly do better – right away tomorrow or in the next patch; after all, they said so, and they would never lie! Someone who comes into their living room and wants to insult the game can’t understand them at all.
A subtype of the fangirl is the “reflected fangirl.” These are fans who wish they could love as unconditionally as the pure fangirl but remain too level-headed for that. They often write guides and actively engage in the community.
Other subtypes of the +2 types are the “helper sheriff” or “the mother of the company” – players who like to be part of a community and play a leadership role, whether as a moderator, guild leader of an important group, or as a leader of fan sites.
All these various variations of players who are ignited for a game with +2 see the game as an important part of their lives. They manage to perceive the MMO as a positive force in their lives. Even if they sometimes seem to outsiders to have lost touch with reality by denying even the gross weaknesses in their favorite games.
The football equivalent of fanboys and fangirls are ultras. They come up with choreographies, engage with the club management, organize fan culture, and believe, in their eyes, to be the backbone of the club. However, they also want to be respected for it. They want their performance for the club to be acknowledged.
Point -2: The Hater: Militant Ex-Fan with Bad Mood
The hater was often a fan or even a fanboy until love turned into pure hatred. The game has changed, not the hater. The motivation is: “What have they done to my beloved game? How has it all become so bad? Back in the day – yes, back in the day – when I played, it was all so – but now, how can anyone play it today!”
The hater often wants to work out their place in gamer life by looking down on others. They have outgrown the game long ago. The accusation is: Why hasn’t the game adapted to my needs?
No, unfortunately, that does not correspond to reality. Usually, it’s bitter battles until one gives in. Either World of Warcraft is dead or it’s the best game on the market. An opinion that a hater also likes to express in the chats of betas of other MMOs: “Your MMO sucks, WoW is way better”. And goodbye!
This type of hater is about as militant and popular as ex-non-smokers who immediately come at everyone with cancer pictures or give a “Ts-ts-ts, I used to be such a weak-willed addict until I overcame it” face.
Haters do not necessarily need counterwind; they’d rather be supported in their opinions by other players, so they tend to hang out in “neutral” forums that are not assigned to any game. In contrast to players with -1, they express negative criticism about the game there.
[pullquote]Haters leave no good hair on the game[/pullquote]The criticism can certainly be differentiated. The further the hater is from the type who just doesn’t like the game, and the closer they get to the basher, the less differentiated their criticism becomes. Hardcore haters leave no good word on the game in question. They argue passionately and are combative. Personal attacks are part of their rhetoric.
Sometimes, haters of a game can also be whiteknights for another. Then they love their own game so much that they go out into the world to put down other games. Especially in the console sector, it seems impossible to be an Xbox or PlayStation fan without simultaneously hating the other console to the fourth degree.
However, the impression is deceptive. A “normal” fan of Xbox or PlayStation is somewhere between -1 and +1 and therefore doesn’t go into such forums. There are colleagues who stay closer to the end of the scale or who have wandered into that forum over time. Such forums contaminate their members and pull them further towards the edge. So to speak, an … extremist boot camp!
Point Plus 3 – The Whiteknight: The Anger About Injustice Also Makes the Voice Hoarse
Whiteknights are fanboys with an agenda. They are tired of haters or even bashers coming into their forums and causing trouble. Anyone who does that will have to deal with them! They cannot understand how someone goes somewhere to ruin the game for the rest! There’s something wrong with them! They are tired of turning the other cheek, digging up the hatchet (or the phaser), and going on the offensive.
Unfortunately, many whiteknights eventually fall into the same patterns as their opponents and become destructive and unsound. The fruitless attempts to convince dissenters of the one true truth frustrate whiteknights over time and make their tone resemble that of a troll. For outsiders, conversations between bashers and whiteknights are about as pleasant as the marital dispute of the neighboring tenants or the sound of a dentist’s drill.
The worst thing you can accuse a whiteknight of is being a paid social media agent of the company for which they advocate. Because they are passionate about it … even while dreaming that such a job would be offered to them. The accusation of being a social media agent hits them hard; however, it does not stop them in the least from assuming that critics are surely paid by a competing company! In the MMO sector, the scoundrel is almost always Blizzard. In the console sector, it could be either Sony or Nintendo. Depending on which game the whiteknight advocates, a new axis of evil forms.
Besides bashers, gaming websites and journalists who express criticism about the game are natural enemies of whiteknights. They particularly target female critics. Many a gaming journalist has changed careers for this reason. Why it is that women in particular provoke their anger – that would be a case for psychologists. By the way, whiteknights are almost exclusively a male phenomenon.
Point Minus 3 – The Basher: Troll on Speed
The basher or troll is a hater on speed. They have made it their life’s mission to destroy the community of a game. A basher does not care about the issue or the game itself, but about the attention they draw from being against everyone.
Don’t feed the troll!
They prefer to invade the enemy’s cave, on fan sites of the game or in social networks, to drop stink bombs there. Anyone who contradicts them can take the rest of the day off; the basher has time and almost neurotic energy.
Often, they know the game much better than regular fans. They have statistics ready that prove the exact decline. They always speak in superlatives, absolutizing everything and leaving no counter-arguments. Anyone who contradicts them must be blinded, mentally retarded, or simply still “very, very young and inexperienced” (or on the payroll of the operator!).
However, they also have no answer to one question: “Why do they spend so much time on something that brings them so much displeasure?”
The equivalent of bashers in football, you guess, are hooligans. They have long stopped caring about football but instead look forward to a solid fight afterward.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Mike Donais, Senior Designer at Blizzard, shares tips for the perfect deck in Hearthstone, with which you can sweep your opponents off the board! We have added some of his tips and wish you lots of fun trying them out.
The most important thing is a strategy when assembling your cards. If you are pursuing a specific theme, you should first think about what you want. Should it be an aggressive rush deck that allows you to deal enough damage quickly with a bit of luck before your opponent gets into the game? Then use efficient minions with high damage, preferably with abilities like Charge, so they deal damage right away when you play them.
Or do you prefer to play a bit slower and safer? Then focus on opponents with Taunt and healing to be prepared for emergencies – and take the wind out of the rushers’ sails by using cheap Taunt minions to stop them. Of course, there is also the possibility of building entire decks around specific cards like Malygos – but for beginners, this is unnecessary at first.
Once your deck is ready, it’s time to open the game. Put together five to ten cards that only cost one to two mana – this way, you can send minions into battle right from the start without suffering from mana shortages. If all you have in your starting hand are good cards with significantly more mana, you should mulligan one to increase your chances of getting a 2-mana card. That way, with a bit of luck, you can make an impact right at the beginning.
Accordingly, it is important to save the strong cards with high mana costs for the hot end phase. It is also wise to include cards that allow you to draw more cards or use minions that do this automatically to have a greater selection in hand.
Your cards should not only include “bang-bang” attacks but also numerous minions that can keep the opponent in check – because while he is busy with the units, you won’t be attacked directly. If you even manage to have more minions than your opponent on the board, you can still go straight for him. However, always keep in mind that each class has abilities to clear the board.
Of course, all of this is a process, and your deck will get better, more refined, and stronger over time. Even if it doesn’t work out immediately – don’t get discouraged and try some unusual strategies! But no matter how skilled you are, the rule of thumb “planning is everything!” always applies – both when preparing the deck and in every single move, to cleverly exploit mana restrictions.
You should also consider using your hero ability – as it can save you the use of cards.
Some quick tips again (added by us):
Think about how you want to play
Use a mix of neutral and class-specific cards
with a card draw effect.
Ensure enough cheap cards for the beginning
and strong ones for the end phase.
Use minion and spell cards, including control effects and area damage cards.
Also include buff cards in your repertoire to strengthen your minions!
Some cards like the adorable Murlocs have great synergy together due to their buffs.
You can include cards multiple times in your deck to increase your chances of drawing them.
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Some weeks ago we introduced you to the new online action game Arena of Fate. After a period of silence regarding the game, information is now slowly trickling in again – including a fresh trailer from E3.
The developers have set themselves the goal of making Arena of Fate easier and fairer to handle than, for example, the most well-known representatives of MOBA like League of Legends and Dota 2, to make the game more accessible to the masses. They also want to win over frustrated MOBA players. From the beginning, it was important in the design decisions to eliminate “toxic gameplay elements” of the competitors.
In an interview with joystiq.com, Crytek Producer David Bowman mainly pointed out unfair last-hit loot distributions or unnecessarily prolonged matches. The team also wants the emphasis of a match to be back on the action-packed fighting and not on gold farming or the path to the shop.
In short: Just as the developers of WildStarwant to attract former World of Warcraftdefector players to their game, Crytek is trying to attract MOBA beginners. An author from the English-speaking website gamespot.com, who was able to test Arena of Fate at E3, described it as a casual MOBA, which he had immediate access to. For him, MOBAs had been a confusing fireworks display of colorful effects and complicated numbers so far, but he was able to immediately get on board with this title. He also praised the interesting setting of this beginner-friendly competitor to LoL and Dota 2.
To that end, fairy tale heroes and historical figures will be called upon, with whom you will compete in exciting 5 vs 5 battles. There will be a total of 30 characters to choose from, of which 16 are currently known:
Little Red Riding Hood
Fenrir (Fenris Wolf)
Jack the Ripper
Richard the Lionheart
Arachne
Blackbeard
Grendel
Chupacabra
Baron Samedi
Van Helsing
Nikola Tesla
Polyphemus
Robin Hood
Baron Munchausen
Joan of Arc
Frankenstein’s Monster
During the battles, you will earn points by destroying towers, killing opponents, or defeating a large titan on the map. Once you have collected ten points or 20 minutes have passed, the match is over.
The rule is: One for all, all for one. If you go for an opponent as a team, not only the player who gets the kill will be rewarded, but everyone equally. But that’s not all: Crytek does not want to integrate an item shop in Arena of Fate, where you can buy additional gear or boosts. This is intended to promote teamwork and eliminate injustices!
[intense_testimonies]
[intense_testimony]
[intense_testimony_text]A free-to-play MOBA without item stomping – this will be exciting! You can hardly imagine it, can you? If Crytek really pulls that off, it would be a real step towards fairness. But on the other hand, F2P games are currently monetizing themselves through that. Will something else cost money or will they perhaps save at the wrong end? [/intense_testimony_text]
While some players are already struggling with the normal 5-man instances in the SF-MMO WildStar and are frustrated, top European guilds have already begun with the raid instances and have defeated the first four bosses.
Players who played WildStar during the beta or informed themselves about the game already knew: WildStar is significantly harder than other MMOs. Even the first instance at level 20 proves to be too difficult for some players, who then share their discontent in the forums. After numerous wipes, the group regularly disbands. Even when they have completed the dungeons, the rewards are too low: There is too little EXP and too weak items, according to some players in English forums.
For some a dungeon, for others the longest wipe festival in the world
The combination of the group finder, which randomly assembles players into a dungeon, seems to lead to wipe festivals. The developer Carbine is aware of the issue. They take the complaints about the low rewards for the high risk seriously. They are considering increasing the rewards for the dungeons.
However, there is also a counter movement against the demand for nerfs. Some players are pleased with the challenging difficulty level. This faction of the player base argues that new players just need to get used to basic principles like constant movement or interrupting, which works differently in WildStar. Here, multiple players must use their interrupt abilities simultaneously, as only then does the opponent actually stop using their skill.
The first four raid bosses down, yet the raids deliver what they promise
At a higher level, raid guilds are also struggling with the demands of WildStar. A number of top guilds are currently struggling with the challenging raids in WildStar. The access quest is particularly troublesome for them.
While in other games “content clear” is reported after a short time, this is still a long way off in WildStar. An English-speaking guild with a tasteless guild name has now managed to defeat the first four raid bosses of the Gen-Archives. Supposedly, they defeated the first one with only 16 out of 20 people, as the other 4 had not yet completed their access quest. They defeated the second boss, Kuralak, with 19 players, and Phagemaw and Phagetech Prototypes, bosses three and four, probably yesterday with 20 people. We have already introduced you to the first raid boss of the Gen-Archives.
That only 4 raid bosses have been defeated two weeks after the release, despite the guilds having ample opportunity to test the encounters on the beta server, speaks for a remarkably tough raid. Especially considering the caliber of players, who have been battle-tested in numerous fights, competing for the first kills. The 40-man raid will surely ramp up, as the bosses there were not released for testing.
Carbine itself expects that it will take 1 month before the first guilds clear the 20-man raid and venture into the 40-man. They will either need an alliance with another progression guild or must funnel two complete raids through the 20-man.
However, the guilds will likely be somewhat quicker than the anticipated month. Currently, there are still 2 bosses and a number of mini-bosses in front of the leading guilds. By the way, there have been no calls for a nerf from the raiders.
Update 14.06.2014: The English guild has now defeated the fifth raid boss in the Gen-Archives. The Phageborn Convergence has also taken down their genetically modified weapons. 4 mini-bosses and the final boss “Dreadphage Ohmna” stand after the Phageborn Convergence, before a World First clear can be reported. However, other guilds have also progressed this far, so there could be an exciting race for the World First.
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In the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, a somewhat cryptic statement from a community manager is causing confusion. He hints that, alongside the Dark Brotherhood and the Thieves Guild, the Morag Tong, a guild of assassins, might also find their way to Tamriel soon.
It happened in the official German forum for The Elder Scrolls Online. A fan wanted to know if more factions would make their way into the game, which would then be associated with new skill lines – like the Warrior and Mage guilds so far. With the already announced Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild coming to the game, two are already known.
German Community Manager Speaks in Riddles
The German community manager Kai Schober had some fun and responded with a seemingly vague sentence:
There are still some organizations around that are more or less known apart from the existing guilds in Tamriel and that could still make it into the game.
Now it would be relatively unlikely for a community manager to write capital letters in such a wild manner. If you take the capitalized starting letters of this sentence together, you get “Morag Tong”: an assassin guild in Morrowind dedicated to the Daedric Prince Mephala. The Morag Tong is a legalized guild of assassins – corresponding contracts would certainly be exciting and bloody.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The World Championship kicks off tonight with the match Brazil vs. Croatia – and of course, the MMO world is not unaffected by this event. In Dragon’s Prophet , jerseys and a football pet have been added specifically for this, which you can purchase with dragon insignias among other things. Thank goodness the World Cup is still going for a while, so you have enough time to complete enough Daily Quests to collect the required currency.
However, the team from Wargaming did not want to settle for that. They have created a game mode specifically for the World Cup and implemented it in the fresh Patch 9.1! Yes, you read that right. Get the T-62A SPORT out of the garage and head to the battlefield… uh, football field, to engage in exciting 3 versus 3 battles. The main objective is, of course, to get the ball into the goal – or to prevent the enemy from doing so! Unfortunately, you can’t simply shoot them down, but must settle for stunning them with grenades or driving into their tracks. Don’t worry, there is no biased referee! 😉
A goal is counted in World of Tanks as soon as you have maneuvered the ball behind the goal line with your tank. Once you have scored three goals or seven minutes have passed, the game is over. For each completed battle, you will receive the following rewards:
The improved gun drive after 50 victories – but only once per account
+ 500 experience points for each participation in a match
+ 500 experience points extra for each won match
For your first victory in a football battle, you will receive the special medal “Football Player 2014”. The number in it indicates how many times you have been victorious in the World Cup event. The first time, the medal is still a bit bare, but from the 2nd victory, the count will then be displayed.
What about you? Are you annoyed by the World Cup hustle and bustle, the shocking reports from Brazil, and the hype around the players? Or are you already looking forward to exciting football matches?
I really think it’s a great idea that Wargaming has implemented. Especially since you really don’t associate tanks directly with football. 😉 That most MMOs offer jerseys, etc., in the in-game shop for money is… well, economically understandable, but I find the solution like in Dragon’s Prophet better, where you can simply earn the insignias.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Some weeks ago, rumors circulated that the developers of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn are working on a wedding system. Special costumes for this wonderful occasion have been promised and, of course, wedding rings would not be missing. However, after an announcement from 2012, this possibility was only valid for male and female characters. Regarding same-sex marriages, they wanted to wait for feedback from the community:
As for same-sex marriage, this is an extremely controversial topic that has been under discussion in the MMO world for the past few years. First we would like to start out with opposite-sex marriage, and then consider the feedback from our players in order to make a careful decision.
Then there was a long silence on the topic. At E3, the question was raised again at a press conference, to which Producer Naoki Yoshida replied in essence: The development team is still working on the idea – and more importantly: There will be same-sex marriages! You can marry whoever you want, regardless of what race, nation, or gender your partner belongs to. With this, they want to break common prejudices and not live these in Eorzea!
Unfortunately, not much information has leaked out yet, but it was confirmed in the interview that there will be special mounts for married couples that they can ride – possibly even together. It is also important: You should take good care of the ring, as discarding it is considered a separation!
What do you think of this change of heart? Does marrying even have a place in a modern MMO? Or is the discussion completely unnecessary, because love is love – regardless of gender?
[intense_testimonies]
[intense_testimony]
[intense_testimony_text]As a married woman, I can fully understand that the desire for a romantic wedding also exists in MMOs. It is simply one of the most magical and wonderful moments ever. Why shouldn’t one be able to enjoy that virtually? For role-players, this kind of normal life – with marriage and children – is often an important part of the game. Of course, one can also say “I do” in-game without a sophisticated marriage system, as people always found a way in other MMOs. But it’s a nice idea and I am very curious about the implementation.
The question of whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry may be controversial – but isn’t love love? Who would be a game developer to prevent that? What do you think about this?[/intense_testimony_text]
