Is a new MMO quietly sneaking onto the market? On May 12, 2014, Blizzard, known for games like World of Warcraft, Diablo, or Hearthstone, registered a new brand named “Metal Arms”. Unfortunately, not much can be gleaned from the registration for now, but if you were gaming 11 years ago, you might remember “Metal Arms – Glitch in the System”.
It is a third-person shooter where you take on the role of the robot Glitch and defend your droid planet against General Rostflug and the Mils, his minions.
Is game developer Blizzard looking to revive the old hype around the shooter classic from 2003 and planning a remake? Since Blizzard has been searching for a Senior Software Engineer for consoles on their website for several weeks, one could speculate that this is related. Back in April, Blizzard also registered the brand Overwatch. It is still unclear what this is about. The term “Overwatch” actually comes from the military and refers to a small unit providing cover for others. Is Blizzard therefore working on a tactic and action shooter with MMO characteristics?
Counter-Strike fans also know Overwatch as a tool from Valve that aims to give players the ability to deal with cheating and negatively behaving gamers. Is Blizzard perhaps going in a completely different direction and looking to ensure more fairness in their games?
In short: The rumor mill is boiling… What do you think this is all about?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Recently, The Elder Scrolls Online increased the maximum level from 10 to 12 with the first content update “Kargstein”. However, a player has now found an item that suggests a forthcoming increase of the maximum level again.
The item “Monumental Glyph of Health” is indeed designed for veteran ranks 10 to 14. Many players are now using this glyph as a basis for speculation. They see it as a plan that ZeniMax will introduce further ranks with every content patch.
Nintendo – Deal with YouTubers?
Last autumn, Nintendo announced that they would no longer tolerate the use of their games in the context of YouTube and its monetization. The result was widespread ID claims and copyright strikes. Consequently, this did not sit well with the YouTubers, many of whom distanced themselves from Nintendo.
Now, Nintendo has come to an understanding and allows YouTubers to receive at least a portion of the advertising revenue for their videos containing Nintendo content. To do so, they must apply and be approved by the Japanese company. Afterward, they may safely publish such videos again and will receive one-third of the advertising revenue.
WildStar – Headstart on Saturday
This coming Saturday is finally the day! WildStar celebrates its premiere and allows pre-orderers to finally play the finished game. To celebrate the launch, the developers have come up with something special and are giving us a video that briefly presents all the features of WildStar again. Additionally, the trailer promises that this is just the beginning.
The roadmap for the upcoming 14 months is already in place, and new content will find its way into the game through monthly updates. This will include both group and solo content. The headstart begins on Saturday morning at 9:01 AM German time.
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How time flies… Do you remember how the second season of Hearthstone started in early May? Now the month is almost over again and Season 2 in Hearthstone is ending. If you haven’t reached rank 20 in ranked games yet, you should use the long weekend and get to it! Because with the end of Season 2 on May 31, 2014 your chance for the fancy “The Black Temple” card back will also expire!
Do you feel like changing your card back? Here is a quick guide:
Press the Escape key to enter the game menu or click on the gear icon at the bottom right.
Then go to “Options”.
There you can scroll through your card backs at the bottom and confirm your selection.
If it didn’t work out this time, here is the good news: Season 3 starts on June 1, 2014!
Hot on the heels comes the bad news: The mobile version of Hearthstone for iPhone and Android is coming… sometime. There is still no date, although the app for iPads has been live since mid-April.
The #Hearthstone versions for Android and Windows 8 Touch will be released later this year.
The iPhone version of #Hearthstone will also be released later this year.
Of course, the game for mobile devices was only announced for the second half of the year anyway – but one can dream, right? Unfortunately, there was also a vague answer to the question of whether the release of the apps would be expected before or after the expansion Naxxramas .
So it seems we have to wait! Until then, you can pass the time with information about the upcoming expansion for Hearthstone:
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The hottest feature of the new World of Warcraft expansion: Warlords of Draenor is set to become the garrison, the home for heroes. Now details about the prestige project that Blizzard aims to excite the fans with have been revealed.
The clear message from the dev blog: The garrison will become an integral part of player life and is deeply integrated into the “normal” hero routine.
At the end of a normal zone quest, it will be possible to decide which building of the garrison should be upgraded. At the end of a quest, the player faces a decision: Does he build a sawmill or would he prefer to upgrade a training arena? The decision immediately impacts gameplay outside the garrison. The quests change accordingly. A sawmill requires different materials than an arena.
But not only will the garrison itself grow with each success, but also the crowd of its inhabitants. So much space wants to be populated. The garrison serves as a gathering place for allies, subordinates, and followers. The hero will slowly gather them in Draenor on his way to level 100. So that he can lead them into battles against the warlords who give the expansion its name.
The “followers” conceptually resemble pets. Each has its own weaknesses and strengths – some are better suited for one mission, while others are less suited.
Finally command someone around without being a raid leader!
According to Blizzard, they are currently working on improving the AI for the followers, so that they can logically go about their tasks in the garrison. The player will have the opportunity to command his subordinates appropriately:
A specific follower must know the location of a building to find his way there. This allows for significantly more natural and dynamic behavior; they also react more realistically to the events around them. Do you want to march through the city with your subjects in a conga line? Thanks to the improved AI and a new player emote, that’s not a problem!
No garrison obligation for slackers
There will be 21 building types; 10 can be built at the same time. In the individual buildings, particularly selected followers will work and provide the estate owner with delicious bonuses, such as better resource yield or access to crafting skills. There are various ways to obtain the blueprints for the buildings: Some are even obtained from the followers themselves.
However, the subordinates do not only provide the player with passive bonuses; the player can also send his gathered followers on missions, which continue even when he is logged out.
But Blizzard does not want to overdo it either. They are aware of the thin line between a great feature and a tedious obligation. Items that followers earn on their difficult missions should be obtainable by slackers in other ways.
In the buy-to-play MMO Guild Wars 2, the date for the start of the second Living World has been announced today. Fans will have to wait until July 1.
Players of Guild Wars 2 were surprised today with a photo and a date. “Season 2 begins on July 1” – no further information is available yet. Well, one more thing: Until the start of the second season, the Festival of the Four Winds will continue as an ongoing event. The announcing image only shows a portal. Fans are already speculating that with the new season a new zone will come as well.
Do you hear these sparrows as well, or are they singing something completely different in your ear?
Recently, we focused in a big special on the unique way Guild Wars 2 brings new content into the game. Reports that the content will then remain permanently in the game with the second season have not yet been confirmed.
However, it has been announced that the second season of the Living World will be even bigger and more spectacular. Greater upheavals in Tyria are planned. The sparrows are chirping from the rooftops that the Elder Dragons will play a huge role in it.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The exact names of the servers for the MMORPG WildStar are established. German is spoken on four of them.
A few days before the head start, the official realm list was published on Twitter. Future inhabitants of the planet Nexus can start discussing the choice of their home server with their friends and guild colleagues. Community Manager Jan Sterl had previously requested to wait with this decision, so that the already established server Ikthia would not be overcrowded at launch. Publisher NCSoft has a legitimate interest in ensuring that the player population is evenly distributed across the four realms.
Already during the open beta, it was apparent which servers would be available to players. However, with today’s announcement, additional ones have been added. The two continents of Europe and America now have a total of 22 realms. The German-speaking servers have also increased, which could be a sign that interest in WildStar has grown significantly in recent weeks. At launch, German-speaking players will have a total of 4 servers to choose from, which according to the creators are capable of supporting a very large number of players:
Kazor (PvE)
Ikthia (PvE)
Progenitor (PvP)
Toria (RP-PvE)
In the case of PvP servers, the biggest difference from the other server types is in open-PvP. Here, extremely involuntary player-versus-player fights can also happen outside of instanced battlegrounds, so in the open world. The so-called “ganking” could be common here. On Toria, the RP server, role-players settle down, following special behavioral rules and always speaking in the name of their characters. Kazor and Ikthia form the PvE duo, where no one has to fear being attacked by other players without warning. One less danger in the harsh environment of Nexus. Depending on the load, it is possible that additional servers may be added. That would be a great signal for an unexpectedly large success of WildStar.
Since the question is coming up more and more frequently, here’s the answer: The head start of WildStar begins Saturday at 9 AM. It won’t be long now. Which server will you choose?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMORPG “WildStar” is about to launch, as early access begins on May 31 for all pre-order customers. For those who are not familiar with the various races and how their backstories are interwoven, we offer a summary here so that you know about each race.
I will introduce the races in the order they appear historically – luckily it also fits wonderfully with their affiliation, as the Dominion races come to the fore first before leaving the field to the Exiles. I will primarily focus on the intertwining of the story rather than detailing the peculiarities of each race – if you want to read more about that, you will have to beg!
The Dominion
Mechari
The mysterious race of Eldan created this species on the planet Nexus to observe the various other worlds of the galaxy and ultimately report their discoveries back to their creators.
The Mechari resemble robots but possess consciousness and personalities stored in their “head crystals.” Although the Mechari were created by the Eldan and served them, they never fully grasped the extent of their creators’ plans.
Mechari do not require conventional food but still eat to give other species a perceived sense of normality.
Cassians
About 2000 years ago, the Cassians (= humans) from the planet Cassius experienced a significant technological advancement, attracting the attention of the Mechari, and ultimately, the Eldan.
At the command of their masters, the Mechari fleet landed on Cassius and demanded from the leaders of the humans the legendary Valkyrie “Tresayne Toria,” an exceptional warrior. If the humans resisted, the consequences would be terrible, but if they complied, they would receive a gift of immeasurable value. The Cassians agreed, and Tresayne was taken to Nexus. After some time, the humans received their gift: the human-Eldan hybrid Dominus, who claimed to be the son of Tresayne.
But that was not all: Dominus brought superior Eldan technology and promised that if loyalty was sworn to him, they would together build the greatest empire in the galaxy. The Cassians unanimously agreed, and Dominus became the Emperor of the newly founded Dominion while the Mechari continued to follow the commands of their masters and aided the Dominion in expanding the empire as soldiers and advisors.
Cassians can be “noble-born” or “of low birth” – depending on their ancestors.
Draken
About 340 years after the founding of the empire, the Mechari recognized that the Dominion needed new soldiers to continue expanding and proposed to recruit the Draken from the planet Mikros.
This clan-living, dragon-like species believes in strength and violence to earn respect. Therefore, Emperor Azrion (the direct descendant of Dominus) landed with his army on Mikros, where the largest clan of the Draken was gathered. Azrion challenged the clan leader Zhur to single combat, with the winner obtaining absolute rule over Mikros. Despite Zhur’s untamed strength and ferocity, he was no match for the Eldan-human hybrid Azrion and died after a long battle, which led the Draken to swear loyalty to the Dominion.
Since that day, Mikros has been part of the Dominion, and the Draken are respected warriors within their ranks – even if their blood rituals and somewhat barbaric lifestyles sometimes raise eyebrows.
Draken revere the hunt and love to collect new trophies.
Chua
Approximately in the year 450 AE (After Empire: “after the founding of the empire”), the Mechari noticed the forest planet Bezgelor and the primitive yet intelligent Chua inhabiting it. They were curious and quickly became capable of understanding technological concepts, and they had a strong sense of competition.
The Mechari initiated conversations with the Chua and, hoping to accelerate industrialization on Bezgelor, brought a few simple Dominion technologies to them. The furry folk promptly thanked them with a counter-gift: a Bezgelorian tar beetle. According to its nature, the beetle exploded immediately in the hands of its new owners and covered everyone present with corrosive slime – the laughter of the Chua was said to be heard as far as Cassius.
Nonetheless, these “negotiations” led to the desired success. Within a few decades, the former forest planet was overrun by factories, and the Chua had exhausted the resources of the planet, thus they were compelled to join the Dominion in 538 AE. Since then, they have produced a large part of the weapons for the empire and continually seek new methods to dismember, blow up, decay, or otherwise inflict suffering on their enemies.
Chua often speak in fragmented sentences to convey only the necessary information.
The Disappearance of the Eldan
Precisely in the year 600 AE, the Mechari received no further instructions from their creators, the Eldan. Despite their astonishment at this, the Mechari have since continued to carry out the last order: to support the Dominion and secure their rule in the galaxy.
What exactly happened to the Eldan is unknown and remains one of the greatest and darkest secrets of the galaxy, but over time, the once legendary Eldan have turned into mere stories and legends.
The Exiles
Granok
The stone beings “Granok” have lived on the planet Gnox for thousands of years, leading simple, uncomplicated lives. They grew grain, forged armor and simple weapons, drank a lot of beer, and engaged in lively bar brawls, after which they mostly made peace again – and drank even more beer.
Furthermore, they followed a simple teaching, the “Way of Stone”: No matter how much the world around them might change, the Granok remained the same and unchanging, like the living stone of which they themselves are composed. In 1219 AE, the Mechari envoys of the Dominion landed on Gnox and offered the Granok technology in exchange for their loyalty to the Emperor. The Granok refused, and after further discussion, transformed the envoy into a pile of smoking scrap, which led the Emperor to perceive the Granok as dangerous and declare war on the planet Gnox.
Despite their inferior technology, the robust Granok held out for months until the technological advantage of the Dominion slowly but steadily shifted the tide of war. A young war chief of the Granok named Durek did not want to accept defeat and chose to act against the “Way of Stone”: With some troops, he stormed the military camps of the enemy and stole a large amount of weapons and technology.
Without technological superiority, the losses for the Dominion became too great, forcing them to retreat from the planet Gnox.
Durek, who survived as a war hero, was banished by the other chiefs of the Granok for breaking the “Way of Stone” and has since borne the name “Durek Stonebreaker.” He was forced to leave the planet along with his comrades, which was made possible due to the stolen technology. Since then, these exiled Granok have lived as mercenaries throughout the galaxy, but their hatred for the Dominion still remains.
Although Granok are primarily made of stone, they still have functioning organs (primarily to get drunk).
Exiled Humans
As the Dominion Empire continued to grow, it became necessary to enact harsher laws to maintain control over the large numbers of inhabitants. Some of the laws displeased the humans, leading to the first protests against the Emperor around 1375 AE, which escalated into attacks on authority figures that were promptly crushed by the Cassian military – humans were thus killed by humans.
The military’s intervention led the highly decorated General “Serrick Brightland” to turn against the rulers, and his flagship “Star of Dominus” was used to provide shelter for the rebelling Cassians. Together with his loyal officers and soldiers, Serrick and the rebellion achieved several significant victories against the empire; however, the Dominion could draw on the resources of several planets while the rebels had no place for rearmament. Just in time, the rebellion realized that escape was their only option to avoid annihilation, and so the rebel ships fled into space.
However, time was not enough, and Serrick threw himself into the approaching Dominion ships to buy his followers more time. The Imperial ships were so surprised by this suicide attack that all rebel ships managed to escape, and against all odds, even the “Star of Dominus” later managed to rejoin the rebels. However, Serrick was so severely wounded that he has been in cryosleep since then – hoping to be awakened one day. The “Star of Dominus” was renamed “The Gambler’s Ruin” and has since served as one of the Arkships of the Exiles.
The exiled humans have lost their Cassian arrogance and judge individuals by their performance, not their birth.
Mordesh
When the Dominion encountered the Mordesh of the planet Grismara, they were already very advanced. An absolute high culture, the entire species was endowed with elegance, grace, longevity, and their knowledge in alchemy overshadowed even that of the Dominion – moreover, they speak in alliterations, which makes them particularly cool.
The future of this species would be glorious now that they had joined the empire – or so it was thought. In 1578 AE, the alchemist “Victor Lazarin” developed the Everlife Elixir, a mixture that would relieve all consumers of the burden of mortality. The Mordesh relied on Lazarin’s genius, and so the elixir was distributed throughout Grismara. However, enthusiasm quickly turned to dismay, as although the mixture halted the aging process, it also initiated a decaying decomposition of all consumers, paired with mindless, cannibalistic rage.
The Dominion reacted promptly and placed Grismara under merciless quarantine. Within a few weeks, the elven-like race was decimated to a fraction of its original size, suffering losses of over 99%. During this time, Lazarin developed the “Vitalus Serum” and administered it to those Mordesh who were still sane. The serum does not heal the necrotic decay, but it suppresses psychological symptoms like the unquenchable hunger for flesh.
In their desperation, the remaining Mordesh reached out to the Exiles, who gradually smuggled them out of Grismara. Since then, the Mordesh have been searching for a cure and are tasked with the continuous production of the expensive Vitalus Serum – for if they go 10 minutes without it, the Mordesh irreversibly transform into flesh-eating zombies.
All Mordesh are infertile and have bodies that appear to be 25 years old.
Aurin
For millennia, the Aurin lived in peace and harmony with nature on the planet Arboria until the Cassian rebel fleet arrived. The lively Aurin liked humans, and a friendship quickly developed between the two races.
To avoid attracting the Dominion to Arboria, the Exiles quickly left the planet. Despite all precautions, the Empire still managed to track down Arboria and declared the planet and all its inhabitants enemies for having helped the rebels, which led to the attack on the forest planet in 1656 AE.
The Aurin fought bravely, but they had nothing to counter the mechanical scythes, so the current queen, Myala Everstar, sent a distress call to the Exiles, who quickly devised a plan: they would evacuate the Aurin while pushing the Dominion back with Granok mercenaries – the rocky fellows had a score to settle anyway.
The plan succeeded, but it did not manage to save all Aurin, so Myala swore in 1658 to one day return and rescue the remaining Aurin. The fate of Arboria has been uncertain ever since.
Aurin often live in polygamous relationships, but monogamy is also present – each to their own.
The Discovery of Nexus
Immediately following the Arboria War, the planet Nexus was discovered, and the Exiles have set themselves the goal of populating this planet and establishing it as a new home, while the Dominion seeks to claim the planet for themselves, as it is said to be the original planet of the Eldan – the beings they have proclaimed rulers of the galaxy.
Which side will you stand on and with which race?
Now nearly 7 years have passed since the discovery of Nexus, and the colonization of the planet is still progressing slowly. Both the Dominion and the Exiles have a complex profile that makes it very difficult to categorize them into “good” and “evil,” as their “claim” to this world is no stronger than that of their opponents – especially since the planet itself also has inhabitants that need to be driven out.
This leaves only one question standing in the vastness of space: Which side will you stand on? With which race will you do that? And most importantly: Why exactly this species? Let me know in the comments!
The Dominion is a powerful, interstellar empire that relies on military strength, religious zeal, and advanced weapons and technology. It was founded by the Eldan themselves thousands of years ago. Now, they claim the planet Nexus as their rightful heritage and fiercely destroy all who question their claim.
The Dominion is led by the Luminai, a hybrid race, half human, half Eldan. Physically, they are not unlike humans, only slightly stronger and taller, but their facial features are clearly influenced by Eldan blood and have an alien appearance. In addition, their ornate robes and decorated masks give their appearance something simultaneously impressive and intimidating.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online, a recent increase in the maximum level to veteran rank 12 has occurred. Now, a glyph has appeared that is designed for veteran rank level 14.
The “Glyph of the Stance” was posted on Tuesday afternoon in the English-language reddit forum: A rather mundane item enhancement that gives an item an HP buffer. Nothing special in itself, were it not from VR 10 to VR 14. Only with the Kargstein patch was the maximum level raised from 10 to 12. The glyph is now prompting speculation about whether Zenimax plans to increase the level cap with each content patch. A clear break from previous MMORPG conventions in the West.
Problems for Players of the “Scourge” Campaign
In another thread on reddit, players of the closed “Scourge” campaign complain that while they were allowed to keep their alliance points and their PvP rank, they have to start at the bottom of the leader-board in the new campaigns. Their achievements are not fully transferred. Also, the rewards that would have been due to them in their old campaign, had the 90 days elapsed, are now denied to them.
The end of the PvP campaign occurred without warning and is clearly considered as if the players voluntarily switched campaigns. The affected players are not pleased about this.
Higher Veteran Rank as a Solution for the Rigid Item Budget
Mein MMO believes: That an MMO raises the maximum level after just a few weeks is unprecedented. In most games, it takes years to reach the first expansion, which then comes with new levels. On the other hand, an MMO like World of Warcraft brings items with a higher item level with each new content patch, thereby creating stronger characters.
Even there, players must work hard to be strong enough to tackle the new challenges. In The Elder Scrolls Online, levels are also not as important as in other games. No new skills are introduced to players, only the stats on the items increase slightly.
Since The Elder Scrolls Online does not possess item levels in that sense, an increase in the veteran rank is a logical step if one wants to give players an incentive to tackle the new content. “Better” items, in that sense, are currently not allowed without increasing the veteran rank.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
After yesterday, the Blade Dancer found her way into TERA and a suitable contest has now been launched: If you manage to be one of the first ten Blade Dancers on your server, you will win a permanent weapon skin. All you have to do is:
Create a Blade Dancer
Reach level 60
Take a screenshot of it and name it “The First 10 Blade Dancers of SERVERNAME”. Replace SERVERNAME with your realm name. Tip: You can hide your interface with the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Z.
Send the screenshot to [email protected] by June 1st at 23:59 MEST. In the email, you should also include the name of your character.
So far so good. However, the actually good idea has caused great discontent in the community. On one hand, there are issues with the launcher during patching once again, causing some players to be unable to play or only delayed. On the other hand, the free item for obtaining additional character slots was not sent to all accounts at the same time. Players whose slots were already full are now forced to either delete a character or wait. It is of course possible to buy the respective item in the shop for real money – but the discontent regarding this is significant.
With almost every release of new content and/or addons, the rush for server firsts begins – the purpose of which is often divisive in the community. If you dismiss this as nonsense or think of the people who set such goals for themselves, we would like to point you to our interview with Pryda who was among the first max-level players in The Elder Scrolls Online.
If you play Tera, will you participate in the contest?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Do you love games like World of Tanks or War Thunder? Then you are surely looking forward to the beta of World of Warships with excitement. In the third part of the Wargaming series, you can play with the warships of the 20th century and dominate the seas of the world.
If the developers’ roadmap is to be believed, the tactical shooter could be released in the fall of this year, but so far it has been relatively quiet around World of Warships. However, the (virtual) first page of the developer diary has at least been written, and we would like to browse through it with you.
Unlike World of Tanks, the first minutes in the battles of the massive giants will proceed a bit more sedately. Imagine you are the commander on board your warship – you hear the roar of the engines, give orders for the course, and look out for enemies. Suddenly, your crew or one of the devices alerts: Enemy in sight and you are fired upon by combat aircraft. Then… you are right in the middle of World of Warships!
To sink your opponents, you can rely not only on four types of battleships
Aircraft Carriers
Battleships
Cruisers
Destroyers
but also on aircraft that will give your opponents a fiery welcome. Of course, action and excitement are an important aspect of the war MMO, but you should never forget your tactical approach in combat amidst all the chaos. Each type of ship has different areas of operation. While aircraft carriers are suitable for greeting enemies from the air with bombs and torpedoes, you can heat things up for your foes on the water with destroyers. Submarines, however, will not be present in World of Warships, as they cannot be meaningfully integrated into the gameplay.
To make WoW as realistic as possible, members of the development team were sent to the USA to see warships on site. They were able to draw inspiration for the implementation in the game from what they observed there. Do you want to see what they have created from this newfound knowledge? Then be sure to take a look at this video – not only are the images for the trailer truly amazing, but it is also exciting to see how a new MMO is created:
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Only 4 days left until the first players can dive into the head start of WildStar to shake up the planet Nexus – and the developers keep releasing new videos!
A new trailer was released just a few hours ago, in which “DevSpeak” Stephan Frost goes over all the core features of the upcoming MMO, likely catering to pretty much every taste: action-packed combat, endless customization options, 40vs40 PvP battles, very challenging raids, and an exciting story. And this, as the trailer promises, is just the beginning.
It is already known that, after an initial adjustment period, there will be monthly updates for the game, bringing both new instances and new solo content – and the roadmap for the next 14 months is already set.
Anyone interested should also take a look at the Twitch channel of WildStar, as there are regular livestreams where you can grill the developers with questions while they, for example, complete an instance or philosophize in detail about the design ideas of individual aspects of the game – every now and then, they also tend to stylishly and amusingly insult each other. It’s definitely worth watching.
More interesting reading material about WildStar can be found here:
Some of the Asian MMOs never make it to Europe, but there is always hope that Phantasy Star Online 2 is not one of them and that we will soon be able to explore the atmospheric world of the free online role-playing game.
There, your task will be to discover new planets and species as a member of the ARKS in order to establish a new civilization – it will often get intense. The developers praise the revolutionary combat system, which is supposed to be very action-packed and involves the environment. In battle, objects in the surroundings can be destroyed. You will play with the three races Humans (solid fighters and survivors), Newman (appear somewhat fragile) or Cast (are skilled with ranged weapons) and choose one of the three classes:
The Hunter is the typical melee fighter with swords and spears.
Ranger prefers to take down enemies from a distance using rocket launchers, rifles, and pistols.
Heal and kill with their ice, fire, and wind spells.
You can combine any class with any race. So now that the news has been published that the game will at least be released in English on May 27, 2014, many gamer hearts naturally skipped a beat. But the bad news: Only in selected Asian countries. The rest faces an IP block. But now that it has been localized in English, the way to an official release in Europe or America should not be far away!
Of course, it is possible to try out the game through roundabout ways. For those who find that too complicated, we have selected two videos: Unfortunately, the trailer does not provide many insights, but if you like, you can check out a Let’s Play on it!
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[intense_testimonies]
[intense_testimony]
[intense_testimony_text]What do you think of Phantasy Star Online 2 or do you say “Not another MMO?” Visually, the online role-playing game at least looks typically Asian and the interface is very modern. Unfortunately, what the game offers lore-wise cannot yet be evaluated. 🙁 [/intense_testimony_text]
Dawid had already provided you with two exciting videos on H1Z1 weeks ago. However, at that time, the answer to the big question was still pending: When will the game finally be playable for backers of the project? Initially, everything pointed to the merry month of May. Unfortunately, that date passed without the “launch” of the zombie apocalypse MMO.
Now an interview has been published with Senior Designer Jimmy Whisenhunt, who quite casually responded to a question about:
We’re going to Early Access here in the next three or five weeks, something like that.
In short: In the next three to five weeks! So in June! Since the interview was conducted on May 16th, the answer could also be: Soon! Realistically, however, it is likely to be mid-June. Since there was already a suspected release date for Early Access, this could also just be a (not very nice) advertising gimmick to further hype the players. What do you think? Have you spent the 20 US dollars to be one of the first to go zombie hunting?
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And now comes the question of all questions: What gaming event are you looking forward to in the coming weeks? After The Elder Scrolls Online has been out for a while, Wildstar is eagerly awaited. But also Patch 2.8 for Star Wars: The old Republic promises plenty of fun in PvP and housing. There is a lot to discover in the coming weeks, and we hope that there is something right for you!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The fantasy MMORPG Guild Wars 2 relies on smaller events every two weeks, but can that keep fans engaged for longer? Rumors of a change in strategy are intensifying.
The Allure of the New Fades
The NCSoft financial report from a week ago made it clear: Guild Wars 2 earned a third less in the first three months of 2014 compared to the same period a year ago.
And that’s only natural. Every game and every MMO loses part of its player base after a while. Very few MMOs have managed to stop this downward trend with expansions and new content, the so-called content, including World of Warcraft, at least for a while, and a niche title like EVE Online.
Just World of Warcraft benefits enormously from the announcement, beta, and release of a new expansion – and with each major content patch that follows. During these times, fan interest, subscriber numbers, and media coverage increase.
Living Story: Constant Content Flow or Just Fast Food?
Guild Wars 2, on the other hand, has to do without these surges in popularity. Instead, it relies on smaller content morsels that are supposed to tell a larger story: the Living Story, the Living World.
The problem is: Much of this content consists of small events that quickly disappear from the game. This divides the player base.
While part of the fan base, often casual players, attentively listens to the background story and looks forward to what ArenaNet has thought up every two weeks, others are quite skeptical. In two years, too little has happened. There are still the same trains moving through the landscapes to complete certain event sequences. And aside from the fractals and a few goodies, not much has happened otherwise. The Living Story only provides content for a few hours and then becomes dull and uninteresting.
Are Players Simply Expecting the Wrong Thing?
This also raises the question of what expectations players can have of an MMO. Should it be the only game they play? Or a title they return to regularly, but can also leave untouched for a month? But then wouldn’t they have missed two smaller events in Guild Wars 2?
But perhaps Guild Wars 2 is primarily targeting casual players: With the daily and monthly tasks that can be completed in GW2, the game is heavily aimed at people who consume just a homeopathic dose of the game every day. Quickly completing 5 of the changing tasks in 15 minutes, pocketing a laurel as a daily reward (which must be collected for particularly strong items), and then logging out. The same routine the next day.
A behavior that resembles a browser game – or a game in a content drought.
The China Expansion Takes Priority
How ArenaNet views this is still a mystery. Some time ago, they made it clear that they do not rule out an expansion. Then it was said that this must wait until the expansion in China is completed. After that, they might comment on it, or maybe not.
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On May 13, Guild Wars 2 was officially released in China; do we have to wait for the expansion because of this?
Recently, a dubious recording of a conversation between a player and an alleged developer surfaced on reddit. The person expressed skepticism about an expansion. All the content that ArenaNet has released as patches, other publishers would have sold as paid expansions.
In the conversation, the alleged dev hinted that for the second season of the Living World, which is approaching, some significant plans have been made. The events are supposed to be even bigger and also leave lasting changes.
Are Different Laws Applicable for a Buy-to-Play Game?
When looking at the numbers and the reactions from fans, one has to conclude that the Living World model, with only small changes that quickly fade, has at least partially failed. It hasn’t been enough to keep all players engaged with the game long-term. Especially for gamers who want to be married to just one MMO, the seemingly constant content flow has proven too thin. These players would likely be the customers who would also invest in the in-game shop.
If ArenaNet succeeds in bringing new content with the second season that offers something to these players, Guild Wars 2 could stop the current downward trend. It is certainly important not just to introduce “more of the same” or cosmetic changes, but also to slightly alter the gaming experience.
The status of a “buy-to-play” game, where players pay once and can return to the world repeatedly, has recently shown its downsides. Some players are voicing complaints about unfriendly support treatment in the case of bans. In players’ minds, it immediately comes up: “They already have my money, they don’t need to be nice to me anymore.”
It is questionable whether a “pay-to-play” game could afford to imply relatively clearly that Europe and the further development of the game are being put on the back burner in favor of an expansion to China. On the other hand, World of Warcraft is by far the largest “pay-to-play” game and regularly allows content breaks of up to a year. In contrast, Guild Wars 2’s small China drought seems rather minor.
An announcement about where the second season of the Living Story will head is expected in the next few days. We will keep you updated on this.
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Long before the release of The Elder Scrolls Online, there was news that the game would not have a “real” auction house. This was a very surprising move for many players, as a solid trading system has become part of every good MMO these days.
But an auction house is very anonymous. You do not interact directly with other players, but only with lists of goods and their prices. You never get to see the people or at least the avatars of the people who have listed the items. Apparently, ZeniMax did not want that. They were more interested in having players interact directly with one another. They offer their goods in chat and then haggle over prices in open auctions or private chats. This gives trading a personal touch.
However, trading in Tamriel will change. Learn more about it in the video.
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Have you also followed the action from Blizzard and legendary motorcycle manufacturer Paul Jr. in the past few weeks? If not, here’s a brief summary: Two teams were formed, each designing a bike for the Horde and Alliance. After 6 episodes of Azeroth Choppers, the final episode is still pending, and then players will vote on which machine should be realized in World of Warcraft.
So far, both machines don’t look quite finished, but the last episode is eagerly awaited. There’s no question that they will be completed on time, despite the five-week deadline – but which one will be more impressive? Depending on which motorcycle wins the vote, it will then be available as a free mount in WoW.
In the 6th episode, you can slowly start to see what the final outcome should be. While the Alliance bike is characterized by flat surfaces made of aluminum and brass, the Horde trike will stand out with tusks and spikes. The voting for Azeroth Choppers begins on May 30th! So you still have a few nights to think about the question:
Sleek or angular?
Alliance or Horde?
Do you want to rewatch the last episodes?
1. The trailer:
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Shortly before the weekend, the Infernum management published an Open Letter to the community of Dragon’s Prophet. Among the usual thanks to the player base and announcements for the future, there was a quite exciting paragraph:
Regardless of further developments, one topic that is particularly close to our hearts and also to yours is the shop. We face the challenging task every day of providing you with a fair gaming experience. It must, of course, be ensured at all times that both further development and operation (servers, traffic, personnel, etc.) can be financed. A special thanks goes to all of our paying players, because without you both would not be possible. For this reason, we have decided to develop a special VIP system.
More detailed information will follow in the coming weeks, but the community’s reactions are already divided. Of course, the game has to somehow pay for itself, but the question of how far Dragon’s Prophet will become Pay to Win is also up in the air. Whether there will be a proper subscription system or whether paying players will only receive permanent bonuses has not been announced further.
However, the following changes and plans for the coming weeks and months are already confirmed:
The Nucleus of Time – the new raid dungeon – will be released soon.
There will be further adjustments to the Citadel Wars and PvP to make these aspects of the game more interesting.
The mastery system will be thoroughly revamped.
There will be more opportunities for treasure hunters.
You can become a dragon mom or dad.
The dragon arena will be expanded.
The starting area will be changed again to be more beginner-friendly.
What do you think of the upcoming changes – and especially the idea of a VIP system?
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For the science-fiction MMORPG WildStar, the hot phase begins, with the head start on May 31. In an interview, one of the leading staff clarified the ambitions of the game. They are targeting former players of the genre leader World of Warcraft.
In an interview with the American site mmorpg.com, Carbine’s president Jeremy Gaffney commented on the target audience of the MMO. He admitted that WildStar has few sandbox elements at first glance. These would only appear later in the game. At the beginning, the game is rather “theme-parky”. Some people may be a bit exhausted by that. However, it is much easier to guide newcomers into an MMO if they are taken by the hand a bit at the beginning.
The players who are currently playing World of Warcraft are not necessarily the focus of WildStar. Those who have been playing the game for 10 years cannot be lured away. “For every player who is currently playing WoW, there are ten others who have played it once. We want those ten,” Gaffney said in the interview.
500 Mods and Creative Housing Projects
As a weak point and a construction site, Gaffney currently sees the questing in small groups. Those who are out with two people today sometimes have to find twice as many quest items as when alone. They are currently working on that.
Gaffney considers housing a pleasant surprise. Players have embraced it fantastically and let their creativity run free. Some built mazes or jump puzzles on their houses. Gaffney is also pleased that the modding community is embracing WildStar so well. There are already over 500 add-ons available on Curse.
Two to Three Days After Release, the Test Server Should Go Live
Every month, WildStar aims to bring new content. To make that work, the test server must constantly be updated with the latest patch, the so-called drop. Just two or three days after WildStar launches, they want to try out the next patch on the test server. This will continue on a regular basis. The roadmap for the next 16 monthly drops is already set.
According to Gaffney, there is no other way. After all, a raid needs a good eight months of lead time in design; anyone who wants to pull something like that off from scratch is bound to fail.
Evolution Instead of Revolution
When asked the frequent question of what WildStar brings new to the MMO genre, Gaffney replies that while there have been games relying on an action combat system, none have applied that system to a sophisticated raid system. Even hardcore raiders from other games are impressed, and normally, nothing impresses them.
Gaffney finds the level of housing equally important, seeing its depth as unmatched. The fact that an MMO can present such a deep housing system right at launch is unique so far.
He also mentions the warplots and the path system. In the warplots, players can capture raid bosses from PvE and bring them into PvP to use against enemies. This has never happened before.
With the path system, players can delve deeper into their preferred play style: The mercenary path, which leads to more combat missions, is the most popular. “Despite the players who always shout No, no, not more combat missions, 26% of our player base is asking for ‘Give me more fights!’,” Gaffney says. Overall, WildStar is focusing more on evolution than revolution.
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Tank simulations are popular not only in Germany. Especially in Eastern Europe and Asia, the titles excite buyers. No wonder that the experts for the game are found rather east of Berlin.
The Polish online magazine gry-online.pl now places the top dog World of Tanks alongside War Thunder. This was provoked by the recently released Ground Forces update, which made an attack on the rival’s territory. Gry-Online now presents both titles side by side in tank combat. We summarize the magazine’s comparison for you.
Differences in Damage Model and Authenticity of Tanks
The main difference of War Thunder compared to WoT is the different damage model. In War Thunder, players are forced to aim precisely at the enemy’s damage zones. This also means that no damage is inflicted if a already destroyed part is hit again.
Although World of Tanks also has damage zones and it is possible to hit weak spots, the game is generally more random and predictable. 5 hits with the 76 mm cannon mean the certain destruction of a specific enemy tank. No matter where they hit. This is not the case in War Thunder. Gry-Online rates this more as a draw.
The magazine sees advantages in the authenticity of the individual tank models. World of Tanks had to make some compromises for historical reasons and at times used prototypes or vehicles that never came out of the planning stage. In War Thunder, there are advanced tank models that are based on the battles fought. Advantage: War Thunder.
New Features, Gameplay and Match-Making
War Thunder is also seen as leading in the complicated subject of matchmaking. It decides which tanks ultimately encounter each other on the battlefield.
In the actual gameplay, World of Tanks appears rather as an arcade game with an emphasis on action. War Thunder, on the other hand, places greater value on realism and positional combat. Since the game is still in beta and thus in its early stages, it offers fewer game modes in comparison; a similar point applies to the physics, which at this time are not always flawless. Here, World of Tanks is somewhat more mature after 4 years on the market.
Both games have a number of features and goodies planned for the future. World of Tanks is planning the introduction of clan wars. The highly anticipated feature of War Thunder lies in mixed ground and air combat. In addition, the game is easier for modders to access.
War Thunder as a True Alternative
In conclusion, the magazine recommends World of Tanks to all players who prefer a “Rambo” approach and want direct and fast action. War Thunder, on the other hand, is more for strategists who prefer a war where “every bullet” counts. In any case, War Thunder is a serious competitor to World of Tanks.
With enough time, one should spare oneself the decision and simply play both. After all, you can never have enough tanks!
Curious? If you want to try one of the two tank games for free, just follow the links that take you to the respective game: World of Tanks and War Thunder.
What do you think? Are you experts in one of the two games? Leave us a comment.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
