Have you all emotionally and morally prepared for today’s patch day in the MMO Guild Wars 2? Yes, you read that right, it’s finally here. Don’t know exactly what to expect after the update? Then definitely take another look at our Special on the April Feature Pack.
A highlight of this huge patch is the wardrobe system, thanks to which you can now compare and try out all looks with just a few clicks. To get started with the styling right away, you will receive five transmutation charges for free if you log in by April 17, 2014, at 8:59 AM CEST. You can pick up this thank you for your loyalty in the shop actions.
Tip: Don’t forget to log in with all characters once after the update so that the wardrobe updates and you can also access your collected skins from your twinks. This will also sync the colors, which will also be cross-server in the future.
What I personally like about this update is the fact that I no longer have to check which server my friends are playing on, but the system (hopefully) assigns me to the right map so I can easily play with them. The combination of the Mega-Server and the account-wide features finally promises to relieve me from the decision of what I want to play where.
What do you like best?
Or are you one of those who no longer log in? Well, please – the feature pack definitely offers enough reasons to check back in, right?!
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For most players, the maximum level, Veteran Rank 10, is still a long way off, as Zenimax announces two more Veteran Ranks for The Elder Scrolls Online. They are expected to come along with the new adventure zone Kargstein.
Even More Veteran Veterans
The fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online officially launched nearly two weeks ago. While the “natural” maximum level is genre-standard at 50, players can climb further up the heroic career ladder, the so-called Veteran Ranks. Up to VR (Veteran Rank) 10 is currently possible. Players level up by completing the quests of the other two factions.
Last night, during a Q&A session from developer Zenimax, the new adventure zone Kargstein was examined in detail. A clever fan had already discovered a hero in a pre-released video who was stronger than what the system currently envisions.
Zenimax confirmed: “Kargstein and the trials will be for Veteran Ranks 11 and 12 (…)”
The Elder Scrolls Online Introduces the Time Run
For an MMORPG that values immersion and atmosphere as much as TESO does, this is rather unusual: In the adventure zone Kargstein, battles will be time-based. Groups will not only compete with monsters but also against each other for the best time. A separate instance of the zone will be available for each of the three factions. At the end of the week, the top players will receive additional rewards. However, even without a high score list, a run in the zone should be worthwhile, according to Zenimax. Many new items await the players, although a new armor style will not be included.
Fans already suspect that there will be shortcuts and tricks, a sort of “ideal path”, to complete the instance with as little enemy contact as possible.
Continuing the Lore from Skyrim and the Elder Scrolls Series
But TESO would not be TESO if it only focused on Veteran Ranks and Time Runs. The background story, the lore, is also significant in the first content patch. Zenimax promises to stay true to the world. With the Celestials, the mythical constellations, they aim to highlight and deepen aspects of the game world that fans are already familiar with from the previous single-player games:
The Celestials are a new concept based on the existing lore regarding the constellations from the previous The Elder Scrolls games. You will be able to discover some new things in Kargstein that should particularly interest fans.
More information about the trials can be found here.
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The NextGen version of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is now available on the Playstation 4. For a significant launch like this, a fitting trailer should of course not be missing. You can admire it at the end of the post.
After DC Universe Online, FF XIV represents now the second online role-playing game on the PS4. We have already discussed the successful comeback of the formerly withdrawn Final Fantasy MMORPG several times, which is why I will keep it a bit shorter now.
The game has consistently received positive ratings in the gaming press. The AAA MMORPG mainly excites fans of classic elements who want to experience them in a new guise. This doesn’t mean that the game doesn’t pursue any innovative approaches, of course, there are some, but at its core, it can be described as “classic”.
Visually, Square Enix’s work is a true feast for the eyes – the graphics stand out really well in a vibrant and atmospheric game world. The greatest strengths of the Final Fantasy franchise lie in the highly praised craftsmanship and the free class system. More information about the PS4 version and the game in general, including a “Does this MMO suit me?” checklist, can be found here.
Owners of the Playstation 3 are offered the opportunity to switch to the Playstation 4 version for free. It would be beneficial to actually own Sony’s latest console and only want to play on it from now on, because there is no going back.
What actually distinguishes the PS3 version from the PS4 version?
The graphics have naturally been polished – nothing stands in the way of an experience in Full HD (1080p).
Improved performance: Frame rate drops are not to be expected.
Remote Play over the PlayStation®Vita possible – collecting or crafting on the go? No problem!
Share features – share screenshots with friends or stream your own gameplay online.
Mouse & keyboard input devices are compatible with this version – certainly very useful for an MMORPG.
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This video directly follows the last TESO-Cast, which was about vampires. Since not all questions could be answered there, I have grabbed a real vampire today and conducted an interview with him.
In the conversation, we clarify many things, such as the question of how to become a vampire in The Elder Scrolls Online, what impact it has on gameplay, and of course how it changes the appearance of your character.
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Do you remember how you logged into World of Tanks for the first time three years ago and admired the amazing tanks? Yes, exactly, it has been three whole years…. What, you haven’t heard anything about the big birthday party of WOT? Well then, hurry up, because the big celebration ends tomorrow and it would be a shame if you missed out on the great bonuses.
Quickly log in and win a match – you’ll receive 5 times experience points for the first win
Buy vehicles, garage slots, equipment, crew retrainings, and consumables at halfprice (partially also for credits)
Premium time is also cheaper at the moment
To ensure you have enough gold for all the great offers, complete the four times a day mission “Anniversary of World of Tanks”. Use a tank of tier IV or higher and earn 10,000 experience points in any number of random battles – and the top ten EP of your team! As a reward, you receive 30 gold each time! The same amount is awarded if you win five random battles and have earned at least the top five EP of your team beforehand.
A little easier is the challenge to cause at least 7,000 damage points in random battles – but in one go! For that, you get three large repair kits.
You can only complete the mission “Happy Anniversary, World of Tanks!” once per player account, by finishing all weekend missions at least once. Okay, that’s a lot of work – but you will receive three days of premium time for that.
Not much left to say other than…
Happy Birthday, World of Tanks!
P.S.: For all statisticians among you, here’s a treat:
In the last year, 150,435,955 battles were fought
3,288,352,647 tanks were destroyed
42,942,110,895 shells were fired
2,973,817,585,621 damage points were caused
and 2,106,103 battles ended in a draw.
Insane, right?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Of course, the developers of WildStar will also be present at this year’s PAX East, a major gaming convention in Boston, USA. Most of the talk has been about the endgame of the wacky sci-fi fantasy MMORPG. This is also supported by the videos we are showing you here. The first illustrates the so-called Warplots, funny as ever, and with the second, we are given a glimpse into the variable 20- and 40-man raids, but beware, these are not for the faint-hearted!
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The endgame, or Elder Game, is the centerpiece of WildStar. If there’s one thing that the folks at Carbine Studios constantly preach, it’s that the ongoing enjoyment of gameplay at max level is definitely part of it. For this, we are already expecting a huge package of content at level 50 upon release, and in this case, the CBL (Carbine Studios Delivery Service) delivers at the expected time. On June 3rd, 2014, it will finally happen.
The Warplots promise challenging and diverse PvP in a whole new dimension.
For those of us who have no idea what Warplots are all about, here’s a brief and concise explanation: These are fortifications used in spectacular 40 vs. 40 PvP battles, meaning battles for up to 80 players!
We now know that coordinated PvP groups will clash in the Warplots. But fans of sandbox features will also have their chance, as you can expand your fortress in many ways. You can find more information about the war bases on the official page: http://www.wildstar-online.com/de/game/features/warplots/
Besides Warplots, WildStar offers plenty for those who prefer player versus player battles in smaller groups: In arenas and battlegrounds, you will have the chance to slay a manageable number of players.
In raids, Carbine is oriented towards Vanilla World of Warcraft. According to the philosophy of game designer Stephan Frost, raids are not for casuals anyway, and therefore, WildStar goes hardcore with 20-man groups. Once the 20-man raid Genetic Archives is completed, the 40-man Datascape will be even tougher (you can read more about it here).
The fantasy MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online is financially a tough place for everyone; with our tips for crafting and trading, you’ll get through the first dry spell and out of the red.
We present you with a variety of tips and hints that you can customize to your personal play style.
1. Be frugal
TESO is merciless, especially in the low-level area. Teleporting to a Wayshrine costs gold – and quite a lot. Teleporting from Wayshrine to Wayshrine is free. Also, the repair costs that occur after each death quickly add up to multiple times what a quest provides. And those are the main source of income for players, especially at the beginning. So: Port less, die less.
2. Don’t buy from the vendor
Unlike other games, NPC vendors in TESO can be quite tempting. They offer green and blue items, which are then hidden behind a gate in a legendary “go for broke” manner (Okay, in a backpack). The advantage: There can’t be a zonk inside. The disadvantage: The prices are steep.
Moreover, a weapon in TESO is not special just because it is “blue.” You need to change your mindset and become familiar with the item system. Because many “blue” items in The Elder Scrolls Online are not “rares” or special “uniques” like in other games, but simply items with arbitrary stats and a slightly larger budget. The same goes for epics.
There are also items with their own names – but they often drop from farmable named mobs – and are not as rare as one might think. Since the average cave boss in The Elder Scrolls Online drops loot for ten players upon each death, there is a chance that their preferred blue item will drop.
This NPC merchant, uh, armor looks quite tempting, doesn’t it?
3. Don’t sell everything to the vendor
Blue items or set items yield much more gold when you sell them to other players. You should join guilds for that. Then you have access to a sort of auction house. In the low-level range, green items sell for 150 gold, blue for 400 gold, and epics already reach around 1500 gold. That’s much more than a vendor offers. However, if you’ve improved your crafting skills, it may be more profitable to dismantle the items yourself – although the G-factor, luck, plays a role here.
Typical items sold to the vendor are low-level potions, processed materials that you can’t use, of course the loot items, and also white and green armor and weapons, although there can sometimes be a market for those, especially if they have certain traits.
4. Limit your collecting frenzy
Hand on heart: How many of you started collecting sets, firmly convinced you would use them for the next twink? Almost all of you, right? That’s not very productive.
Set items are plentiful in the mid-range. If you don’t plan to use them, it’s better to dispose of the items and get rid of them. You might still make a profit now, as other players are eager to complete sets. Over time, prices will go down, and anyone who really wants a set that grants special bonuses for a twink will easily be able to buy the items. For now, it’s best to exploit those who think they’re playing WoW or Diablo 3.
5. The money lies in crafting, but not like in other games
Crafting in TESO is vastly different from that in other games. The actual raw materials are not the key here. With a stack of planks, only white items can be crafted, which are worse than found items.
The trick is that you can upgrade an item in TESO to the next higher quality level (white->green->blue->purple->yellow). For this, you’ll need special upgrade materials, which are gained from refining raw materials or dismantling items. Naturally, each level gain is more difficult and each additional upgrade material is rarer and more expensive. And the process can also go horribly wrong if the player gambles and doesn’t use enough upgrade materials to guarantee a success. Then both the item and the upgrade materials are wasted … that’s a real gold sink.
“Upgrade” items bring in money on the open market. Ideally, you should skill in crafting the skills that promise higher yields when dismantling items. Please be careful about which traits you research. It’s not worthwhile investing time into researching completely pointless traits in items, as each researched trait doubles the time for the next.
The advantage of crafting is that you can create tailored items that have certain traits and – through enchanting – also have selected effects. However, when leveling, it is not worth making the items yourself; found items work just as well.
For now, it remains to be seen whether set items, which can only be crafted at special workstations in the world, will become as valuable as some think. Whether they can take the market by storm will only be revealed when many players reach the endgame. For most players, crafting is currently a loss-making business.
6. Twinks are in
Twinks in The Elder Scrolls Online are not just mules with cheap storage space; they can also become regular item suppliers with minimal effort. After the starter island, you simply send the characters a few items to dismantle, which increases their crafting skills. Skill points then go into the apprentice skill. This guarantees a regular supply of raw materials.
With 8 chars on one account receiving resource packages every day, you can accumulate quite a bit over time. Rumor has it that these resource packages can indeed contain real treasures.
7. Become a vampire and sell the bite for a high price
This is a piece of advice that speaks for itself. Currently, the bite is traded for between 20,000 and 40,000 gold. Vampires can pass on the bite once a week. If you want to get it without the help of another player, you face a quest – spawn points vary depending on faction. Our YouTuber Darion has already addressed the topic of vampirism.
8. Dance in multiple guilds
You can join up to 5 guilds. You should ensure that they are all active and engaging in trade. If the guilds refrain from tearing each other apart or exchanging resentment over national differences, that’s a nice bonus.
Are they discussing a trading guild here? Join others; it brings advantages!
Depending on the guild, you can sell different things. In general, green items sell well because other players like to dismantle them for higher skill gains and a chance at upgrade items. Many players are addicted to runes, wanting to skill enchanting. Raw materials are more lucrative than already processed resources. In many cases, they can simply be sold to vendors.
9. AE-farming
Already in the first weeks, early levelers uncovered and disclosed special farming spots. We could name them too; it would just be of little use, as they would then be overcrowded. Additionally, they are constantly changing, a bit like the location for illegal street races … at least if you believe the educational films of the Fast-and-the-Furious series.
They are always veteran areas with packs of low HP mobs and quick respawn times. Most farmers work in teams of 2 or more people. The more, the merrier. For such farming tours, a pack horse is also recommended. However, it probably won’t be worthwhile before veteran rank 1.
10. Farm raw materials
In The Elder Scrolls Online, anyone can pick up anything; no special skills are required. It helps immensely to invest a point in the tracking abilities. Then the plants and ore veins will glow white and are hardly overlooked.
However, a certain skill level is required to further process the items. Whether one wants to pursue that with the main char and in how many professions remains up to each person. TESO not only means the return of bank-twinks but also a revival of craft-twinks.
11. Maintain contacts
The Elder Scrolls Online rewards contacts between players. If you want to increase your blacksmithing, you can of course craft eight daggers and then dismantle them. But that doesn’t help. Someone else could dismantle those eight daggers and benefit much more from that; they trade other daggers or items, which you then dismantle with pleasure and inspiration. Win-win.
Perhaps you have wool that you can’t use, and a contact has raw ore lying around – a field where you’ve heavily invested points and can generally pull more upgrade items from it. Such partnerships should be maintained.
But beware of guilds: They are not like in other games, a gathering of friends or partners. Especially in trading guilds, the atmosphere can often be rough. Players tend to try to outsmart each other or argue about trading methods. You should only trust most guild members as far as you can throw them.
12. Take your time
I know many players currently find it hard to cope with the trading system in The Elder Scrolls Online. After the automated mechanisms in other games, it feels almost like stepping back to the Stone Age – especially without add-ons. However, it’s worthwhile to observe the market closely and engage with the desires of customers (i.e., other players).
From poor beggar to wealthy businessman? Anything is possible, but remember: Patience is a virtue.
The same rules apply as in our first article about gold in MMORPGs. Observe the market, observe your behavior, and ask yourself where the profit lies. And then grab it! How does the profit wolf do? Aoowwwww. Rhetorical question: He does nothing. His mouth is full of all the innocent sheep and lambs and their retirement plans!
13. Farm the cave bosses
Yes, I know, we already listed it as a thing that urgently needs fixing in a column.
The fact is: Cave bosses with a fast respawn timer are farmed for a good reason: It’s worth it. When you see 5 people standing in a spot and not moving an inch, that’s a wink from the karma gods to step aside and beat the boss until something blue drops. While this may not be innovative gameplay, it works.
The game and the market are still in a volatile state. This means much of what has been discussed here can still change if either the game mechanics are adjusted or the market develops differently.
What do you think? Have you made any observations on how to go from being a poor schlucker to a TESO millionaire? Then you probably won’t share!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
After we already presented you with keyboards, headsets and regular mice, we would like to present you today with special MMO mice that are tailored to the needs posed by modern MMOs to the little critters (as of April 2014).
Do you know Sebastian? Do you have such a guy in your friend circle? Once a year, Sebastian goes skiing and immediately buys a perfect ski equipment for 300 Euros. Then he plays football once and it has to be the right shoes from adidas. In his room lies a devilishly expensive electric guitar, on which he couldn’t even play “All my little ducks” and next he plans to acquire a mountain bike, a set of golf clubs, and a gaming mouse! Sebastian needs it for Solitaire and the latest Facebook games! Pah! Well, the ski equipment, football shoes, electric guitar, mountain bike, and golf clubs, the guy can buy them all he wants.
The mice we introduce are reserved for true gamers. Sure, they won’t turn a mouse-click dyslexic into a Korean e-sports star… but it’s a step in the right direction!
The G700 from Logitech has the wonderful characteristic of being wireless: No chance of a cable break and thus a long life. Despite being wireless, it reacts instantly to commands. The Logitech G700 is particularly suitable for shooter games – and what is good for Counterstrike can only be cheap for The Elder Scrolls Online. The Logitech features 13 programmable buttons, is relatively heavy and relatively small (and a charging cable is also included).
Its sensitivity can be adjusted to the player’s needs (100-8200 dpi) and it generally has a sleek and simple appearance.
For the mouse, the response speed, the grip sensation, the absolutely high-quality workmanship, and the elegant design speak in its favor. The steep price, the weight, and the relatively short battery life might be drawbacks. The thumb buttons are probably not made for eternity.
http://youtu.be/O_2SJRDipP4
Conclusion: An excellent mouse for anyone who perceives every cable on their desk as a personal insult and still wants to chase their heroes through dangers at top speed.
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Razer Naga Gaming Mouse
Razer has one of the most prominent names among gamers – for whatever marketing reasons. The Naga gaming mouse is also available for left-handers, who naturally have difficulty finding a decent mouse – and it is reportedly even sold by Ned Flanders at the Leftorium. However, this is not confirmed.
As a gaming mouse, the Naga shines with solid workmanship, a total of 19 cleverly arranged buttons, and a stylish design. Only the software to configure the mouse causes hair-pulling for some users. Like other mice from Razer, the Naga Gaming also has a somewhat dubious reputation regarding longevity. In this price range, it’s a tricky issue. Reports vary from “lasts forever” to “a new one every year and a half”. Certainly, this also depends on the careful treatment of the device.
For the mouse, an unparalleled grip feel, an elegant design, the prominent brand name, and that it is specifically designed for MMOs speak in its favor. The picky software and somewhat dubious longevity are objections to the mouse.
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Conclusion: For left-handers, there are hardly any alternatives in the gaming sector. For right-handers, the Naga is also an excellent choice once you have become friends with the software.
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Mad Catz M.M.O. 7 Gaming Mouse, 6400 dpi, PC and MAC
The MMO 7 Gaming Mouse from Mad Catz is known for its unique design, and they traditionally place great value on high configurability.
This mouse also features various sliding, pulling, rotating, screwing, and additional parts, allowing length and weight to be adjusted. One might get the feeling that the mouse could also grow two eyes and then try to take over the All-Spark.
In terms of the number of available buttons, the MMO 7 Gaming Mouse boasts quite a lot. 15 buttons can be assigned a total of 90 commands thanks to various tricks. There’s really still room for the last skill, some obscure chat macro, or something.
For the mouse, extreme accuracy, extreme configurability, and the overall extreme look of the mouse speak in its favor. It is also of high quality. The price and the fact that you probably have to engage with it extensively until it looks and functions as you want it to, are objections. Moreover, it could try to take over the world if left alone.
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Conclusion: The Mad Catz is an eye-catcher and definitely worth its price.
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Mein-mmo says: These are already three beauties we present here. No manufacturer would have been able to sustain in this price segment if they didn’t belong here. Whether there really needs to be such a mouse for MMOs or not – everyone must decide for themselves. However, Sebastian surely has one!
A provisional flight ban in the new zone, new character models, no more item upgrades, a healer nerf, no bonus for learned professions, and new information about the garrisons – over the past few weeks, a flood of information snippets about the new add-on Warlords of Draenor has poured down on the players.
We take a closer look at the announced changes in game design and wonder in which direction Blizzard wants to steer their giant World of Warcraft.
The flight ban – flying permitted only from 6.1
What is the news: You will not be able to fly in the new world during the leveling process to 100. Not even at level 100 immediately. With the first content patch (6.1), a quest will be unlocked that you must complete if you wish to fly again.
What is behind this: Flying in WoW is problematic for design reasons, as it takes danger out of certain situations: open-world PvP is trivialized, and players lose sight of the landscape. They zoom through areas that should convey a sense of the size and unpredictability of the new land.
Additionally, Blizzard wants to ensure that a player feels that flying is a reward and something special – not the norm. From the discussion, it was often read that game designers are generally dissatisfied with flying. Many competing games do not offer this possibility for good reasons.
Have there been negative reactions from the community? Many players fear that farming raw materials without a flying mount will be time-consuming and annoying. Additionally, rare and high-profile flying mounts would then have no more justification – and for some of them, players have spent real money or have pursued particularly difficult and lengthy missions (keyword: nether dragons).
In essence: It was never different than before. The leveling phase was managed on foot, and later, when the content had been seen up close, it became trivial from a bird’s eye view. Newer MMORPGs do not offer flying capabilities. Blizzard has historically parted with some design relics that seemed outdated. But a World of Warcraft without flying mounts? That would likely be hard to convey to the players.
The fast farming on the back of a flying creature has become a given for many players. Whether it trivializes content is irrelevant. The major challenges are waiting in raids – and there, the flight ban still applies.
Perspective: Without flying mounts, it would be possible to incorporate more challenging jump spots into the game (WildStar, Guild Wars 2) – or to give players a tighter feel for the landscape (The Elder Scrolls Online). Flying could eventually be a thing of the past if Blizzard continues to upgrade the engine or wants to take new paths. But that likely lies several years in the future.
New character models – from smooth to deep
What is the news? Blizzard has revised old models of player characters to match the level of newer races. However, it seems that not all will be finished by the launch of Warlords of Draenor.
What is behind this: The old models gradually appeared as foreign bodies in the world. A facelift was long overdue. It is a commitment by the designers to World of Warcraft. Blizzard naturally places a lot of importance on aesthetics and the “WoW” feeling with the characters. A large effort is involved with the new models.
Have there been negative reactions from the community? Not really. At worst, some anticipate that the extensive redesign will take away some time that would rather be invested in new content. But most agree that the facelift was urgently needed.
In essence: Mayors of cities where factories have settled often say: “As long as they paint the factory every two years, we don’t need to worry.” This decision by Blizzard can be classified similarly. It is a significant effort to keep the game attractive in 2014. For years, there has been speculation that Blizzard wants to let WoW run its course and focus entirely on “Titan.” The decision for the remodeling should silence such whispers for the foreseeable future.
No more Pimp my Item
What is the news? With patch 6.0, it will no longer be possible to upgrade items. Whether this will return later is currently unknown.
What is behind this? It is still unclear. Since item upgrades were introduced, Blizzard has regularly toggled them on or off. No one is particularly satisfied with the game mechanics. They mainly serve to extend content. While some dilution is necessary, it doesn’t exactly elicit applause.
In essence: In odd patches, new raid content is no longer added, but players continue to raid. With the valor points they earn per boss killed, they have the opportunity to marginally improve existing gear. This makes the raid easier and the character a bit stronger.
However, it is not the same as obtaining a new item; it feels more like a bureaucratic affair: first the weapon, then the set items. No one gets a thrill from finally upgrading the bracers by 8 item levels after the seventh successful raid of an instance.
Have there been negative reactions from the community? Item upgrading is still relatively new and not exactly loaded with emotions. Players have come to terms with the fact that it is a logical solution to some content problems. No one would particularly miss the possibility.
Perspective: As long as Blizzard doesn’t unveil some genius move, item upgrading will probably make its debut with patch 6.1, be deactivated again with 6.2, and return with 6.3. Not particularly exciting.
The healer nerf
What is the news? Healers will be significantly nerfed across the board. We have already reported on this extensively.
What is behind this? PvP balancing certainly plays an important role, as they want to remove as many instants and no-brainer heals from the game as possible. However, the healer also has a special role in PvE progression. A healer gets stronger with better gear, but this doesn’t necessarily enhance their enjoyment. As a healer gets better, they also heal less in a raid because the tank with better gear takes less damage, and damage dealers kill the boss faster. Hence, a healer with better gear heals less and shorter.
Blizzard wants to reverse this so that healers don’t end up on the bench at the end of an expansion because the instances can be healed solo or with two players, hence the nerf in item scaling.
Have there been negative reactions from the community? Absolutely. Nobody likes it when their class gets nerfed. However, there is a general consensus that healing became too easy again with MoP. It’s also not the first time such a thing has happened. Healers were hit by the nerf bat at the start of Cataclysm once before.
In essence: Blizzard wants to continuously challenge healers to decide which heal to use in what situation. This has been stated multiple times, and they intend to stick to this line.
The same among equals
What is the news? The bonus for learned professions is being removed. Previously, each profession at max level provided a specific, relatively trivial bonus to a skill, which they now want to eliminate.
What is behind this? One of those “We’re parting with an outdated game mechanic” decisions by Blizzard, which they have made repeatedly in the past. In other games, there are significantly fewer craftsmen than in World of Warcraft, where practically every character is required to strive for mastery in a profession.
Perhaps they want to make crafting in World of Warcraft more complicated and in-depth and associate it with more effort. At the moment, it is not a problem to train a character to become a mystical super-grandmaster, even if there is no interest in blacksmithing. It merely requires gold, access to the auction house, and a guide.
Perspective: This could have significant effects. The crafting area has long been a weakness of World of Warcraft. Major changes were difficult because most players had one or even multiple characters with maxed professions. Any changes would have impacted countless players, from the crafting nerd to the crafting reject (who, of course, still has four chars at max because they want to raid).
If you want to change crafting without having to consider every player, that’s a really nice thing.
What else is there?
About 200 small and tiny news items. Hey, hunters can now tame a hydra! One of the most important changes is certainly coming with the garrison for the players. It was so important to us that we reported on it in a separate article.
The information that came from Blizzard prior to the expansion indicates that they are proceeding cautiously and that no significant course changes are in sight. After the Mists of Pandaria expansion, Blizzard’s game is in a significantly better state than after Cataclysm. The ongoing issue will still be to avoid or mitigate larger content droughts.
Otherwise, it is still quiet about the Warlords of Draenor. No new class has been announced, and no new race. The garrison feature and the new character models are the two largest features announced so far for Warlords of Draenor. Neither of these changes has a greater impact on the philosophy or overall direction of World of Warcraft.
The garrison is likely to give crafting a somewhat higher status – but it’s still unclear whether it will really become a part of the “main game” or remain a side activity like pet battles or the personal farm in Mists of Pandaria.
From this image, you will soon see more – because this is the new login screen for Warlords of Draenor.
This is the challenge with World of Warcraft: If you make something important through bonuses, so that players gain a direct advantage in other areas of the game, you must consider both hardcore raiders and hardcore PvPers, and design the feature accordingly to be painless and straightforward. So that players can derive maximum benefits from it without feeling constrained or irritated by the feature. If you let it unfold parallel to the world (like the farm or pet battles), you trivialize it.
Blizzard is currently in a position where they want to open the game up to new buyer demographics but do not want to alienate their loyal customer base. It seems they want to first wait and see how customers react to the old-new continent and how they accept the fresh character models.
Evolution instead of revolution: polish instead of rebuild
Apart from the design decisions, Blizzard has distinguished itself in recent years by thoroughly thinking through what everyone else does and finding new ways to make it a bit better.
So there have been quests in World of Warcraft for 10 years and phasing for 6 years, but especially with the last add-on, Blizzard has shown that they can carry this forward and think about it further.
Especially storytelling, interconnected quests, and pushing a large storyline have been excellently executed by Blizzard in recent years. According to reports from dataminers, the new expansion will also bring back old acquaintances: Rexxar, Kil’Jaeden, and Gazlowe are reportedly on the guest list for the expansion.
[pull_quote_center]Polishing instead of tearing down and rebuilding: That could be exactly the right formula to ensure that the Warlords of Draenor brings new glory.[/pull_quote_center]
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As Zenimax recently announced, they have taken major action against thousands of fraudsters and cheaters in The Elder Scrolls Online. According to the English community manager Jessica Folsom, they have already banned several thousand users shortly after the launch of the fantasy MMORPG. Among them were botters, speed hackers, and gold spammers.
As expected, The Elder Scrolls Online title has already come under the radar of dubious providers who want to make quick money with the game or have fun at the expense of other users. Gold spamming was particularly noticeable in the starting areas. The spam went on for so many lines that it was almost impossible to put the spammer directly on the ignore list. Particularly brazen: Players are often directly messaged by gold spammers with the friendly headline “Dear Friend.”
Speed hackers made headlines especially in the PvP area Cyrodiil, but reports of shadowy figures moving much faster than allowed also increased in normal leveling areas. Just shortly after launch, corresponding threads appeared in relevant forums speculating about it – complaints weren’t long in coming. Such behavior, directly disregarding game mechanics, has previously been known mainly from online shooters, but it is not without example in the MMORPG sector either.
Botters, however, caused significant manipulation in the resources market shortly after the server launch. Some users complained that the resource deposits were becoming scarce. There were repeated demands, especially in the English-speaking Reddit forum, for Zenimax to take action against botters. Apparently, Zenimax has taken this to heart and has now responded quickly and firmly. Zenimax continues to ask all users to immediately report any irregularities in gameplay.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Only a few weeks after the release of Hearthstone, the next announcement about Blizzard’s free card game follows directly: the first adventure!
For defeating Heigan, you will receive a brand new card for your collection and one legendary card for each completed wing.
The expansion “Curse of Naxxramas” will thematically be heavily based on the well-known raid instance from World of Warcraft. The opponents will be none other than the well-known bosses from the MMORPG template, so you will face Heigan, Maexxna, and Loatheb and teach them a lesson in the card game.
The solo adventure will be divided into five wings (just like the original) and a new wing will be unlocked each week, allowing players to have cleaned Naxxramas from its undead inhabitants after a month.
Even though no release date has been announced yet, you should start saving gold now – because only the first wing is free, all further wings can be unlocked either with in-game currency or real money, and the price for that has not been announced yet.
In total, there will be 30 new cards that you can add to your collection by defeating all bosses and completing specific class challenges, at least 5 of which will be legendary – one per wing.
Last but not least, there will be a thematically appropriate, new game board whether this will only be available during solo play or also in the card battle against other players has not yet been revealed.
A first look at the game board in the necropolis, which also contains new interactive corners.
Even today, lost souls wander in Tamriel, searching in vain for an auction house in the world of The Elder Scrolls Online, until a desperate question in the chat about “Where?” reveals the truth: “No, there isn’t one!”.
Weeks before the release of the highly anticipated fantasy MMORPG, we brought attention to this fact. We associated it not only with dangers and disadvantages but also with much potential and some advantages.
Players are effectively forced, at least at first, to engage with other people. In online role-playing games, auction houses have become standard content, where trading usually occurs through a programmed intermediary. Not so in Tamriel, where different rules apply.
There is no trading house or similar in TESO. Since this question has come up more frequently lately, the developer Zenimax has issued an official recommendation on how one might still achieve their goals:
They advocate for trying out trading forums, in this case at TESOElite. Some time ago, the studio explained why they chose this path.
[pull_quote_center]You cannot ensure a healthy economy if there are no restrictions on the best items.[/pull_quote_center]
As all players are on a megaserver, the risk is high that an auction house could become flooded with the best items. This would quickly lead to price imbalances and detrimentally trivialize the game. One might think of the failed auction house from Diablo 3.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Few MMOs are changing as much as World of Tanks at the moment – Besides the new graphics and game physics, there will soon be changes to the game modes. But what can the developers do when the current map is not sufficient and most provinces are under the control of some top clans? You have probably also noticed that the chance to win a landing tournament is very small.
“The Fortress”
The new feature “Fortress” is meant to bring life back to the map and make the game even more exciting for everyone involved. Soon, your clan will receive a fortress to defend. Of course, several players will be needed for this – because alone or in pairs, it will be impossible to defend your home! But there you can not only lie in wait for enemies to give them a slap on the fingers – but you fill your fortress with life by building structures to gain economic bonuses. Behind this can be buffs like 10% more credits, extra experience points, or free experience in battles. This way, you will be able to deploy brand new features on the battlefield.
Order bombers
Conduct reconnaissance
Lay mines
Set up pillboxes
These structures do not arise by magic, but you need to gather resources to keep the construction going. Don’t worry, you don’t have to turn into a hunter-gatherer, but continue doing what you do best: Fight!
Gather and set out to loot the fortresses of enemy clans. But don’t worry, you don’t have to be afraid of being under fire right away. The attack and defense mode is only available when a fortress reaches its fifth upgrade stage. It will also be possible to participate in battles on the world map simultaneously.
With the upcoming changes, battles promise to become even more diverse and exciting – What do you think about it?
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After the Family & Friends Test, the upcoming Free-to-play online role-playing game ArcheAge officially enters the Alpha phase. To celebrate this significant step towards release, there’s also a trailer on top.
With this announcement, the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is also lifted, meaning the participating players can take pictures, record videos, and even stream live – and now comes the crucial point – they can also report publicly about it.
Initially, the diligent community members will receive the coveted entry into the game. However, it won’t be long before more chosen ones can get a ticket to the world of the localized version of ArcheAge. According to the publisher Trion Worlds, there will soon be key giveaways, and for players who have registered on the official site, there’s also a chance to “win” access to the Alpha from the random pool.
Alpha or not, ArcheAge is ready soon
Why a MMORPG that has already been released for quite some time still has to be labeled as Alpha remains a mystery to me. Since these terms are already totally blurred, it’s only a matter of time until development and testing phases after Beta are declared Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon.
ArcheAge is by no means still a game that needs to go through several development stages before release in the West and expand significantly in functionality, as it would otherwise be unsuitable for the market.
It’s known that the game is struggling with some weaknesses in Korea and Russia, but that’s rather due to the game design. Moreover, we know that the game is mostly already translated. While this might have been difficult, it has almost nothing to do with programming. The content that is changed in the course of westernization mostly involves adjustments and not entirely new content.
That said, I am really looking forward to my first visit to ArcheAge, because the open world offers, based on the renowned Cryengine, truly beautiful settings, interesting peoples and races, as well as a variety of features that nearly every MMO fan would relish. Whether it’s eventful sea adventures, ahoy, spectacular castle battles, boom, or the dream of having my own four walls, hurray – it seems that a lot of possibilities are offered here. The only question left for me is whether I will like the implementation.
Speaking of Housing
A guiding introduction to player housing and farms in ArcheAge was released almost simultaneously. Housing is a feature that has become indispensable in online role-playing games and is increasingly mutating into a must-have.
Additionally, this is a special form of housing because, unlike many other variants in the genre, these are not instantiated. If players collaborate properly and the structures created by the game allow it, villages or even imposing cities can be built collectively. Sandbox indeed.
Thinking back to Ultima Online, it was incredibly fun to be part of a neighborhood and chat with other acquaintances in front of your houses. The fact that one can also make a name for oneself as a farmer through the farms, in addition to the builder business, sounds very entertaining in combination with the player-driven economy.
According to the introduction, there are several plans for the houses available, meaning that depending on wealth, a whole range of possible dream houses in various dimensions is available: From a small hut to a middle-class domicile, all the way up to an opulent villa. Let’s hope that there won’t be any bottlenecks in the open world. This became a problem in Russia. After a relatively short time, most places were already occupied. You can reach the English guide here. If you are not proficient in this language, you can alternatively just watch the following video. http://youtu.be/n_TMl3a3Pf4
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Have you ever wondered when the servers of the online role-playing game AION will finally be updated to version 4.5? The solution is: It is here! Freshly released! Woohoo! Finally, all engineers can try out their second specialization and sweep enemies off the battlefield! Are you excited to try the new Aethertech or have you already been on the test server because you couldn’t wait out of curiosity? For everyone else: Take cover when the mech swings its Aether key!
But we have even more good news! The cooldowns for instances have finally been removed! After this change was first made in World of Warcraft, it is also finally available in AION. (Or vice versa? 😉 ) You can take advantage of this benefit directly in the eight new instances that await you. Get ready for breathtaking battles that will test your attention and skill!
The new instances are:
Ruin’s Protection Tower (East of the Underworld of Katalam) – 6 players – From level 65
Upper Abyss Area
Krotan War Fortress – Level 61 to 65
Krotan Legion Fortress – Level 61 to 65
Kysis War Fortress – Level 61 to 65
Kysis Legion Fortress – Level 61 to 65
Miren War Fortress – Level 61 to 65
Miren Legion Fortress – Level 61 to 65
Battlefield of the Steel Wall Bastion – 24 vs. 24 players – Level 61 to 65
If that’s not enough to do, prepare to hunt for Honor Points by completing quests, defeating boss monsters, or participating in fortress captures. This will grant you your new Abyss rank – but beware, it is not possible to earn Honor Points below level 50 or below 30,000 AP. And you can lose them. Not when you die, but every day when the rank recalculation happens at 12. So keep collecting and stay active 🙂
Tip: Check out your trusted merchant and keep an eye out for new skill books. Rumor has it, there are great new abilities for you. 🙂
Gladiator: Blade of Provocation I from level 65 (Deals physical damage to a target up to 21m away and increases its rage towards you.)
Templar: Flight: Confinement I from level 65 (Deals physical damage to the target up to 20m away and then pulls it directly in front of you. Can only be used in flight.)
Assassin: Evasion Increase II from level 63 (Evasion is increased by 350 for 20s after a successful dodge.) and Flight: Confinement I (Deals physical damage to the target up to 20m away and then pulls it directly in front of you. Can only be used in flight.)
Hunter: Weakening Arrow I from level 65 (Causes physical damage to the target. Parrying by the target is reduced by 300 for 10s, Evasion by 300 and Blocking by 300 .)
Sorcerer: Twinkling Shard II from level 63 (Deals magical water damage to a target up to 25m away and absorbs 50% of the damage as MP. AND Glare I from level 65 (Deals magical fire damage to a target up to 25m away. Chain skill level 3 Brand – Glare)
Summoner: Smoke Gas Explosion II from level 63 (Deals magical fire damage to a target up to 25m away and absorbs 100% of the damage as TP and 50% of the damage as MP. AND Wrath of the Wild I from level 65 Deals magical earth damage to a target up to 25m away based on accumulation level. It is an accumulation skill)
Bard: Melodic Cheer I from level 65 (Attack speed is increased by 20% for 15s.)
Now that looks good, doesn’t it?
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Guild Wars 2 is a success story. Launched with huge hype, the fantasy MMORPG received excellent reviews, sold incredibly well, and was praised for its innovative approach.
So why are we still playing another MMO?
And what are the reasons that Guild Wars 2 couldn’t conquer the market as many once thought? Our tester Schuhmann investigates these questions.
The Beta – Catchment area for failed MMO relationships
At the moment, I’m hanging out in many betas. Betas are kind of the catchment area for homeless MMORPG players. Or better yet: Betas are like those apartment blocks where only freshly divorced men live, pretending to enjoy a happy bachelor life while eating frozen pizzas. If you watch the chat, it’s all about the exes. And you pick up a lot:
So sound disappointed ex-gamers. There is almost never talk of EVE Online. Whoever has fallen for it seems to remain in space forever. Also, hardly anything is heard about The Secret World. If you ask someone about it, they raise their eyebrows in surprise: “Is that a TV series?”
By the way: The highly anticipated feature release coming out on April 15 might give GW2 a solid boost!
But when you chat with someone about Guild Wars 2, you get responses like: “Yeah, that’s true. That was quite good. I could actually play that again.” And then the beta player turns around, steers their level-4 character into a dangerous adventure, and seems to have forgotten the conversation already. Hmm! That got me thinking.
What does Guild Wars 2 lack to transform us all into marauding cats, tree people, or mesmer forever? And why am I not playing it right now?
Problem No. 1 – The missing Holy Trinity
The Holy Trinity is a simple concept. Tanks are there to tank, healers to heal, and damage dealers ensure that the mob falls quickly. This system has been known for decades. It has its problems:
The tank has an enormous amount of responsibility and an ungrateful job.
The healer has an ungrateful job and an enormous amount of responsibility.
The damage dealers often fight more for the top spot in the damage meter than against the boss.
Every class is forced into a specific role, the gameplay is somewhat monotonous, in PvP tanks are often redundant, and when a healer or tank wants to venture out solo, they have to switch to DD.
The unloved kiting
What could have been more innovative than to toss the system out the window? Everyone is a bit of a tank, everyone can heal a bit, and everyone deals damage well anyway. And thus the strange bastard class system in Guild Wars 2 was born.
Now – the system is fantastic for solo play, PvP, or the general game feeling, but in instances or during mass fights against world bosses, it feels chaotic, disorderly, and annoying.
If you ask a player how they experienced Guild Wars 2, they might say: “I played to the max level, then I completed the main quest, it was all great. Then I was in an instance and because there was no tank, we kited a mob around for hours and it was completely stupid.”
For some a boss, for others the biggest loot piñata in the world
Now there will surely be ways for experienced players to establish some order in a 5-player instance, but the impression of total chaos has stuck.
As a casual player, you encounter fantastic mass events: A new threat lands somewhere in the world. It requires hundreds of players to defeat it. But it ends up being 100 people standing around a mob and everyone bashing away like crazy. Because there is no tank to heal, the mob design is limited to AoE attacks, and in the end, it feels like you are beating on a massive piñata until it finally bursts open and the sweet loot spills out.
Conclusion: The lack of a holy trinity severely restricts encounter designers. Some players miss identification with their class.
Reason 2: The high barrier to entry in PvP
The PvP in Guild Wars 2 imposes high tactical demands: The single player is initially nothing. Only in the company of numerous others does he become something, namely part of a zerg. These masses of players stay together on the map, follow a leader, conquer castles and fortresses, and contribute to the success of the realm.
The PvP in Guild Wars 2 overwhelms every beginner at first with a plethora of information, requirements, bonuses, and other things. While the PvP in other MMORPGs is relatively easy to understand: “The one still standing wins.” Or limited to the well-known capture-the-flag scenarios, the PvP in Guild Wars 2 initially expects the player to really dive in.
And even if you have done that, you are dependent on the fate of your realm. Although Guild Wars 2 also has instanced battlegrounds that you can win and lose, the focus is on a battle that lasts a week, during which you are just a grain of sand on the beach. Sometimes PvP in Guild Wars 2 feels like being down 0:3 in a football game after just 2 minutes and only looking forward to the final whistle.
Conclusion: The entry into PvP is difficult and frustrating for many.
Reason 3: The lack of hunting and gathering
Every time I log into Guild Wars 2, I have no idea what I actually want to do. In other games, it’s clear: Finish that quest, farm reputation, join that raid, get a few more points in PvP – because then you get a better item!
So I do that, get a better item, log out, and feel stronger.
Diablo 3, the game that is currently driving half of the MMO gaming community into an early grave and into rampant madness (“Schnitzel!”) has perfected this behavior.
In Guild Wars 2 with the flat item curve, I can buy pretty good gear directly from the auction house. At boss events, little better drops. Somehow, you could have weapons crafted or farm some dailies or start with “fractals,” but even before that, there is a hurdle that a casual player will probably never overcome.
Conclusion: The item and character progression is unclear.
[What is it about Guild Wars 2 that I and many other players can’t overcome these three hurdles? Are you a certified Guild Wars 2 expert and can explain to us why it is your game? Do you have to really dive into the endgame to appreciate the mechanics? Or did you also quit Guild Wars 2 fairly quickly?
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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
“Polishing” is the magical word that has been circulating in the WildStar forums for weeks. It refers to the ironing out of bugs, improving the framerate, and balancing the classes. Essentially, the final touch – the last polish – before an MMO is unleashed on the player base.
And this final touch seems to have arrived for WildStar, and it has quite a few surprises in store!
In addition to the countless small class changes, some disruptive gameplay elements have also been removed: group play is now rewarded with significantly more experience points than when wandering through Nexus alone. Moreover, each character now receives an additional teleport spell that takes them directly to the capital of their faction – incredibly useful, as this means you have a total of three recall options with your own house and fast travel.
The Chua out of the bag: More character models!
This Chua is excited about this surprise!
The biggest unexpected change is the fact that each race will receive multiple character models and some new hairstyles.
Previously, there was exactly one model per race and gender, and the last statement was that this would not change before launch. Sometimes it’s nice when developers do not keep their promises! According to rumors, Carbine felt compelled to do this because many players criticized the reduction of the bust size of the Aurin in one of the past patches – now everyone might get their wish after all.
Due to maintenance work, we unfortunately have not been able to take a look at the new models yet. This will only be possible again on April 18, during the next beta phase.
Housing – More, Better
Further tweaking is also being done on the housing system: the previous number of neighbors has been increased from 25 to 100 – now everyone should be able to accommodate their friends list there.
In addition, it is now possible to furnish some of the “dead spots” on the property with furniture and decorations; now the entire area is really available.
Have you read my article about Housing in WildStar? I hope so! It contains over 100 hours of content! You should also read the preview by Schuhmann, it’s a must-read.
Many, Many Details
It would be too much to address each of the over 500 points here, but it’s clearly recognizable that the game is heading towards its final stretch: voiceovers for instances and cinematics are in, endgame and PvP are being rounded out, plenty of new icons, improved emotes, and a more sensible user interface.
If you want to take a detailed look at every change – and you are fluent in English – you can do so here.
Nexus, here we come!
http://youtu.be/ukb7oOCkhJw
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The launch of an MMO never goes perfectly. Even The Elder Scrolls Online couldn’t manage to eliminate the bugs before the game’s start and prevent the glitches. In this video, I want to tell you about some of the sometimes amusing, but at times also pretty serious errors.
For example, my Khajiit Nightblade suddenly defied gravity and flew/ran around in the clouds — at least until it fell down again and was eaten by slaughterfish. An undignified end for a cat, I might add.
The peaceful meadows of Middle-earth will soon tremble and nothing will be as it was…
Because Lord of the Rings Online is celebrating its seventh anniversary! From April 17 to April 29, 2014, the party will take place and promises not only a beautiful fireworks display. Depending on how old your account is and whether you are a Premium or VIP player, there are additional gifts. If you haven’t been playing HRDO for that long or don’t know it, here’s a short explanation:
Premium = Someone who has spent money in the shop or market or was once a VIP
VIP = Active subscriber
And what is there for these players now? Generally, the cut-off date is always April 30 of the year, so if you have been registered for longer than…
1 year registered: Anniversary fireworks
2 years registered: Three scrolls of perpetual speed (60 minutes duration), +5 % attack damage (90 minutes) x1, 10 battle-recovery potions
3 years registered: Three loot box keys
4 years registered: Azure festive clothing
5 years registered: A festive azure horse
6 years registered: A festive, azure cosmetic appearance for your warhorse
7 years registered: A shield cloak, a treasure chest key and if you have a monster-player character, the /dance emote and 5 % attack damage x5
Depending on the number of years, you will also receive a matching character portrait frame. If you can hardly wait, you will unfortunately have to wait until April 17, 2014, because then a large batch of gifts will be waiting in your inventory. If your bags are full, the rest will be delivered to you at the next login when there is space.
Don’t worry, even if you haven’t played for a while, you are not excluded from the action. Even if you can’t manage to log in during the event, the gifts will not expire.
Maybe the free-to-play players among you will gulp… But hey! You still get a firework!
There’s actually only one thing left to say: Happy Birthday, Lord of the Rings Online!
So seriously, what do you think about this? Is it okay that Premium and VIP players are prioritized? Are you disappointed as a F2P player? Do you not care? Do you consider people greedy for wanting more?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
And those are just difficulties outside the game. We don’t want to deal with those today. We’ll take a look at where TESO’s game design still offers improvement opportunities and glance at the two things in Tamriel that annoy us the most. We’ll leave bugs and lags aside and focus only on things that seem to have been intentionally designed this way.
Or to put it another way: Welcome to our first show at mein-mmo.de.
Welcome to“WTF Zenimax? Really?!”
We have already reported about end bosses in caves whose spawn timers are too low and whose loot is too good, we have already reported.
Thank you, I would like to do this alone
The quest system of TESO is highly praised, but it conflicts with the design decision to avoid instanced areas as much as possible and to keep the world open. This is something quite normal and known in the open field. If you need to kill 10 bears for a quest, then the game is designed to have 50 bears in a field: enough bears for everyone. In TESO, however, many quests lead in a tube-like manner toward a dungeon or a cave. And while there are also 50 bears, they all wait neatly in a row like dominoes.
This means a player enters a cave, wonders why there are only corpses lying around, pushes further towards the end, encounters a group of players who are currently squashing an unfortunate bear in a team of five, joins in, and – poof – suddenly six players are hitting the next fur carrier. But that one is also only designed for one player.
Unfortunately, too many quests in The Elder Scrolls Online play out this way.
This becomes unpleasant especially at the end of a cave when 8, 10, or 12 people gather around the poor cave boss, just to send him promptly to the afterlife. The good guy lives on average four frames.
When you compare this quest experience with the solo quests that a player experiences in the service of the Fighter’s or Mage’s Guild, there are worlds of difference in fun.
In other games, the run on certain quests eventually dwindles, but with The Elder Scrolls Online this is not necessarily to be expected due to the mega-server.
Why is this a case for “WTF Zenimax? Really?!”: Because it’s simply not fun to take the poor boss’s milk money with 12 people. We are not schoolyard bullies… (anymore).
What should change? It is commendable that Zenimax is moving away from instancing with TESO and towards an open MMORPG, but the opponents must scale with the number of players.
The fun that an anchor provides decreases exponentially with the number of players. If they are just dragged away from the spawn, it is not particularly enjoyable for either demons or players.
Where did I put that again?
The inventory system from Zenimax is a return to the origins – one could say it politely. In other words: it is simply outdated. Space is scarce in many RPGs, and players have to consider what they need and what they can leave behind. But the question must be allowed: Why is this the case? Does anyone enjoy this?
Guild Wars 2 or the new WildStar have found an excellent system to immediately remove crafting materials (boring, boring crafting materials) from the player’s focus and put them into a special bank. Nowhere would this system be more appropriate than in The Elder Scrolls Online, where every player can collect every type of resource. And every single damned thing takes up one of the few inventory slots.
Billions of different runes, trillions of different food additives, plus crafting stones to create various styles, and health potions! Oh God! Health potions! Any tiny difference in level immediately occupies a new slot. There are also mana and stamina potions!
Can you remember this graphic showing how many weapons are in the game and how much coffee everyone drank at Zenimax and how many played the beta and so? Why is the following number missing: We give you 80 inventory slots and 300 different food ingredients! Yeah!
Of course, one could now say: But that is realistic, no one can carry everything around. No, it’s not. Why do 3 health potions of level 14 only take up one slot in the inventory, while 2 health potions of level 14 and one of level 13 take up two slots? And why does a forty-kilo heavy chain mail take up as much space in my backpack as a single grape?
Additionally, there’s a really odd interface in the guild store and general frustration with the inventory. Who gets a kick out of coming home from an adventure and wondering whether an onion still has space in the bank or should be sold directly? And who wants to think about such things in 2014? And yes: you can expand the backpack, then you have 10-40 additional items that you have to decide whether to store in the bank or sell right away.
Why is this a case for “WTF Zenimax? Really?!”: Because the inventory system may be a concession to hardcore role players, purists, and nostalgics, but it is both pointless and pretty frustrating. If you want to stop players from hoarding, you should either forbid them from looting every cheese crate. Or you tie the abilities of gathering crafting resources directly to skill level – just like in other games.
What should change: A deep, long, and thorough look at the inventory and banking system of Guild Wars 2 or WildStar should solve this problem.
In the next issue of “WTF Zenimax? Really?”: The salt rice cracker of completion and the difficulties of proper localization.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
