In Destiny 2, each season and episode brings new ornaments for Exos to the shop, which are then sold. Some are loved by fans, while others face question marks. However, one ornament has taken it too far and made a silly Exo even uglier.
Nevertheless, the Exo is popular among Warlocks and is therefore often used for tougher content. Fittingly due to its popularity, Bungie has now designed a paid ornament for the helmet, but unfortunately, this looks even worse than the plain headgear.
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Destiny 2: The launch trailer for the new episode ‘Returners’
With €6, you become the ancient statue
What does the ornament look like? The ornament is called “Hermetic Hood” and is offered for 600 Silver (approximately €6) in the Eververse. At first glance, the helmet looks like an ancient mask of a warrior when viewed from the front, but when you rotate your Guardian, you discover the distinctive, protruding point at the back of the mask. See for yourself:
The helmet without ornamentThis is what the ornament looks like (Source: pcgamer.com)
Looking at the helmet, one might think that Bungie mixed the Zenotaph Mask with the Titan Exo “Eternal Warrior” and gave it a pompadour for a nicer finish, making it look more rounded.
While the Zenotaph Mask looks like an abstract representation of a sea creature, at least with the Hermetic Hood, you can ensure that your Warlock has a face and not a gaping hole.
If you are interested in the helmet, you can wait until Bungie offers it for Glimmer. It is unclear when the helmet might be offered, but it seems that the last ornaments from the previous episode will only come to the shop in the new episode of Revenant. Therefore, it is likely that you will have to wait until the current episode is completed for the ornament to appear “for free” in the shop. How to get a free shader is shown here: Bungie is giving away a fancy shader in Destiny 2, and you only need 15 minutes to pick it up
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In a new horror game for the PS5, you can activate a feature that allows the monsters to hear you scream in front of the screen.
Which game is it? The mentioned feature will be available in the single-player horror game A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead. It is based on the namesake film series but tells an independent story.
The world of A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead has been overrun by murderous aliens. They are blind but have an acute sense of hearing. The protagonist of the game is the student Alex, who must survive as a pregnant asthmatic in a world where every sound can mean the end.
In a new trailer that shows a mix of live-action and gameplay, publisher Saber Interactive introduces a very special feature for the game. It’s called “Microphone Detection.”
You can watch the trailer here:
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A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead features a PS5 feature that allows monsters to hear you in real life
Monsters react to sounds in your room
What changes with the feature? If you allow the game to access your microphone, the monsters can hear you in real life. So whether you scream, whimper, or the phone rings – no sound goes unnoticed.
On the PS5, you can use the feature with the built-in microphone of the DualSense controller, while on PC and Xbox you need to connect an external one. However, you can also disable the feature and play through the game without having to pay attention to the noise outside of it.
When does A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead come out? The game will be released on October 17, 2024, for PC on Steam as well as for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Are you already looking forward to the game and want to use the feature? Feel free to let us know in the comments. Even without this feature, you must always be on guard in A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, as every movement creates sounds that the monsters can use against you.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In fact, the horror game Until Dawn was well-received by players on the PS4. However, the remake for the PS5 and Steam is not at all. At the launch of the game, the numbers look even worse than those of Concord.
What kind of game is this? October is the perfect time to dive into a horror game and prepare for Halloween. Sony must have thought the same, wanting to please players on PS5 and Steam with the remake of Until Dawn.
Until Dawn is a horror game where you influence the fate of the characters. Like in a movie, many of the events in the game are depicted through cutscenes. What’s special is that you, as a player, make the decisions for the characters.
A group of young adults sets out for the annual winter retreat. But when the group splits up, the winter paradise turns into an icy nightmare. You have control over what happens to each character.
Here you can watch the trailer for the remake of Until Dawn:
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Until Dawn is back and shows improved graphics in the trailer for PS5 and Steam
The remake is completely overlooked
What is the problem with the remake? Until Dawn was originally released exclusively for the PS4 in 2015. With the remake, players on PS5 and Steam were supposed to enjoy the horror game as well. However, the numbers at launch are even worse than those of Concord.
As reported by truetrophies.com, the game had 28.6% fewer players at launch than the biggest flop of the year, Concord. The game was already pulled by Sony shortly after launch. On Steam, the remake of Until Dawn only reached a peak of 2,607 players (via SteamDB).
For Until Dawn, various factors seem to make the game unattractive to players. On the one hand, there is the price, which is set at €69.99 for the remake. In reviews on Steam, some players state that this price is unjustified.
Another problem is the technical aspect of the game. On Steam, users complain in reviews that there are some bugs in the game. Steam user realTreqy writes, for example, that he “has to close the game with Alt + F4 every 30 minutes just because he wants to look at the totems, which are basically the core of this game”.
What new features does the remake promise? Even though the remake is not particularly well-received, it sounds quite interesting on paper. The game now runs on Unreal Engine 5 and has been given new music.
The new engine is also supposed to provide nicer graphics and characters. Some scenes have been expanded, and there are supposed to be new collectibles and additional dialogues. However, the basic story is said to have remained unchanged.
On September 10, 2024, Sony announced the successor to the PS5: The PS5 Pro. You can read all about the new console and its new features such as Ray Tracing and AI Upscaling here.
[toc]
What kind of console is this? The PS5 Pro is the direct successor to the PlayStation 5 and thus Sony’s latest console. Visually, it follows the design of the Slim model series of the PS5. The PS5 Pro will also not have a drive, but you can upgrade it like the Digital Edition of the PS5 Slim.
The most important things at a glance:
When will the PS5 Pro be released? Sony announced the PS5 Pro on September 10, 2024, which will be released on November 7, 2024.
Updates: The article was first published on September 10, 2024. On October 18, we added more links, additional information about PSSR, and condensed the beginning a bit.
Last updates: 10.18.24, 10.10.24, 10.09.24, 09.17.24, 09.12.24, 09.10.24
PS5 Pro: Overview of all new features
What are the important features of the PS5 Pro? The new console comes with several improvements over the old version. Sony has announced the following:
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PS5 Pro: Drive, differences to PS5, and side plates
How does the PS5 Pro differ from the predecessor model? In addition to new features such as improved hardware, there are also visual differences. The console, like the digital-only PS5, no longer has a drive. The design of the PS5 remains identical, although with ventilation grates on the sides. According to the PlayStation blog, the console is supposed to have the same dimensions as the original PS5.
You can read all the similarities and differences between PS5 and PS5 Pro in the following article on MeinMMO:
Will there be a PS5 Pro with an optical drive? The PS5 Pro will be sold as a console without a drive, but you can buy a drive later. This works just like with the PS5 Slim without a drive. The price for the drive for the PS5 Slim is €119.99.
Can the side plates be swapped? Yes, the side plates can be swapped. Currently, it is unclear whether the PS5 side plates will fit.
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Sony releases the official reveal trailer for the PS5 Pro
PS5 Pro: Performance and compatible accessories
How many FPS will the PS5 Pro achieve? According to Sony, the PS5 Pro is supposed to achieve stable 60 FPS at 4K. The frame rate is expected to be supported by AI Upscaling, dthe so-called “PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution” (PSSR), providing a better, sharper image.
Is the PS5 Pro compatible with accessories for the PS5? Yes, the PS5 Pro is compatible with accessories for the regular PS5. Specifically, Sony lists the following:
The German content creator HandOfBlood has built a career on YouTube with gaming videos but is now increasingly switching to Twitch. This is also the path taken by Germany’s original Let’s Play star: Gronkh. Both enjoy the new path more, but both also see that old fans do not feel engaged with this new direction.
Now he looks back on 9 months of Twitch: He enjoys the new content a lot and even wants to stream more and more regularly. There are talks of daily streams starting from October 9.
But his “old fans” on YouTube feel neglected.
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HandOfBlood: The most important thing about the YouTuber and Twitch streamer in under a minute
HandOfBlood’s YouTube fans feel neglected
What’s the problem? HandOfBlood says he initially wanted to release a video on the main channel on YouTube every month. But HandOfBlood and his team could only maintain that short-term while they were contractually obligated and had to adhere to placement agreements. Then, there was also a period of 3 months without anything on YouTube.
He understands the problem that some of his old fans on YouTube don’t feel as engaged with the Twitch content he uploads to YouTube. There is a difference,
whether you speak directly to the fans into the camera, as in a YouTube video.
or talk to the Twitch camera turned sideways while playing.
HandOfBlood says there have been many “frictions” with the fans, especially on the channel “HandOfUncut,” where he uploads Twitch material to YouTube:
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Here are the reactions to the announcement: Indeed, in the comments to the announcement that he wants to do even more Twitch, there are some disappointed fans. It seems to be primarily a matter of time. People would rather watch 20 minutes of high-quality content than have 6 hours of streams running in the background:
“Personally, I still prefer YouTube. I just don’t have the time to watch streams, but here on YouTube I can do that.”
“For me, Twitch is just not it. It’s simply a huge time waster.”
Some comments sound nostalgic and mourn the old times:
“I am and remain the typical YouTube fan […] Personally, I miss the old times a lot.”
“I have to admit, since you mostly stream, I hardly follow you anymore.”
HandOfBlood likes to dress “thematically appropriate” to the games he is currently showcasing.
Even Gronkh’s fans miss the good old days
What was it like for Gronkh? Gronkh is in the exact same dilemma, as he made clear in a video from July:
The “old fans” want him to create YouTube videos where he simply plays by himself – the Let’s Play series that made him famous.
However, he himself prefers to be on Twitch, interacting with fans and getting feedback from them while he plays.
YouTube offered a safe harbor, especially when the platform was enticing with exclusive contracts. On YouTube, content creators could also take vacations or dedicate themselves to other projects without immediately fearing that their income and thus their livelihood would crumble.
The “modern form” currently works like this: content creators stream live on Twitch and then repurpose clips from these streams on YouTube. This is cost-efficient and lucrative for them:
Most Twitch streams require neither preparation nor follow-up – either you play yourself or react to others’ content.
The cutting of YouTube clips from the streams is done by editors, the streamer himself usually has nothing to do with it.
As a result, you can earn money from subs on Twitch and simultaneously have a stream of videos on YouTube that are fully monetized.
The downside is: viewers on YouTube are no longer watching YouTube videos, but actually just clips from Twitch. They no longer feel like they are watching videos made directly for them. With this feeling, they are absolutely right.
But for the influencers themselves, this “casual” content on Twitch while interacting with the audience feels more relaxed and enjoyable than recording YouTube videos alone and putting in a lot of effort and time.
Anyone who was a gamer before 2001 probably knows the legendary Black & White. A clever mind behind it has now received a Nobel Prize, and his work on the video game is the foundation for that.
What kind of game is this? Black & White is a strategy game and a god simulation. In the game from 2001, you take on the role of a deity and can decide for yourself whether to treat your villagers kindly or cruelly. Your goal is to prevail against other gods.
The game also provides you with a servant. From a selection of creatures, you may choose the right servant who performs wonders for you and fights against other creatures. For this servant to act in your interest, you must train him.
If your servant does something you do not want, you can hit him for it; if he does something in your favor, you may give him affection. However, what is good and what is bad is solely determined by you.
Start video
In Germany, there are over 400 USB sticks protruding from walls – What is the ‘Dead Drops’ project?
From one AI to another
What does the game have to do with the Nobel Prize? Creating a servant according to your wishes requires machine learning from the game’s side. Demis Hassabis implemented this back in Black & White. These early approaches to AI shaped the developer, as his resume continued from Black & White into artificial intelligence.
In 2010, he became CEO and co-founder of DeepMind Technologies, which was acquired by Google in 2014 and is now known as Google DeepMind. While many significant works were done there, the work on AlphaFold2 is probably especially valuable for humanity.
AlphaFold2 is an AI tool that can predict protein structures. With artificial intelligence, this complex and time-consuming task can be completed much faster.
The tool is used worldwide by over two million researchers, for example, to understand how antibiotic resistance arises or to design enzymes that can break down plastic.
For what did he receive the Nobel Prize? Hassabis received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with two other scientists, Professor John Jumper and Professor David Baker. The latter focused, along with his team, on computer-aided protein design, which allows new proteins to be created.
Demis Hassabis and John Jumper share half of the prize for their predictions of protein structures using AI, while the other half was awarded to David Baker.
How does the former developer react to the prize? Even the CEO of a Google company is affected by a Nobel Prize. On the phone with the Nobel Prize team (via YouTube), he says:
“It is an incredible honor, you know, it is really a great honor. […] I am completely over the moon, it is so incredible, an incredible experience. I had an ordinary workday ahead of me, but I think that needs to change now.”
The first live tuning update for EA FC 25 is here. It weakens a sprint boost that was very strong. Additionally, certain shots and passes are nerfed. On MeinMMO, we present the patch notes for the first live tuning update.
What kind of update is this? The first live tuning update was introduced on the evening of October 9th in Ultimate Team. Unlike a season update, a live tuning update does not need to be downloaded separately and should appear directly in the game.
According to their customer support page on X, EA Sports recommends restarting the game after displaying the update message. This is to ensure that the changes have been properly integrated into the game.
These are the patch notes for the first live tuning update: Essentially, there are only 3 changes, each of which could have significant impacts on gameplay:
the flight height of the ball on high passes and crosses in Rush matches has been reduced
the precision of high volley passes and high through balls from sharp angles has been reduced
the unintentional rapid acceleration when a sprint is requested in certain situations has been reduced
Start video
EA FC 25 trailer shows new features for Ultimate Team
This is how the individual updates could affect the game
Below, we briefly explain what the updates mean exactly and how they could specifically impact gameplay.
Weakening of the unintentional rapid acceleration (sprint boost)
This is how the sprint boost was before the update: The initially secret sprint boost in FC 25 gave your players a huge speed advantage. Especially the fastest players in FC 25 became nearly uncatchable as they received an even faster start. Theoretically, however, any player could also use the sprint boost to their advantage.
What change could the update bring? The sprint boost is significantly weakened, perhaps even completely eliminated. This means that players now have to rely on other methods to get past their opponents.
Whether the sprint boost is completely removed or whether it can still be used in a weakened form by the truly fastest players in FC 25 needs to be tested first.
Reduced flight height of the ball in Rush
This is how the flight height was before the update: High through balls (L1 + Triangle on PlayStation / LB + Y on Xbox) and high passes and crosses (Square on PlayStation / X on Xbox) were played in too high a trajectory in Rush matches. This meant high passes arrived too slowly and were often easily intercepted by the opponent or goalkeeper.
What change could the update bring? With the adjustment of the flight height of high passes, it may now be possible to use high passes more frequently. Rush matches would thus become even more variable, likely resulting in even more chances and goals.
Reduced precision on direct high through balls
This is how it was with direct through balls before the update: An effective method against high defensive lines was to pass the ball to one’s own strikers at the halfway line, who could perfectly redirect the passes with their back to the opponent’s goal using a high through ball.
This resulted in many goal-scoring opportunities.
What change could the update bring? The direct attempts will have greater variability, especially if your player is not well aligned and/or lacks good passing stats. Whether the change also affects players with corresponding passing play styles (Further Pass and Key Pass) still needs to be tested.
The actual impact of the individual changes on gameplay needs to be tested for each update. Due to the weakening of passes and sprint boosts, the numerous five-man defenses in EA FC 25 will be even harder to overcome. Therefore, it may be prudent for you to have a player with unique dribbling skills in the future: In EA FC 25, you can get one of the best players of all time for just 20,000 coins
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny 2, there are often actions where Guardians can secure cosmetic items for free. This time, you can earn a stylish shader for your collection in 15 minutes; you just have to play a little.
What kind of shader is this? It is the shader “Celestial Ties”. The shader is awarded in cooperation with Discord, and all you need to do is play Destiny 2 for a short time.
The shader has a bluish-purple tint with black accents. Metallic armor and weapon parts will be colored in silver or gold. We will show you step by step how to get the shader in our guide.
Shader “Celestial Ties”
You only need Destiny 2, Discord, and 15 minutes
How do I get the shader? To get the shader, you only need Destiny 2 and a Discord account. Once you have both ready, proceed as follows:
Open Discord in your app or on your PC
Open your settings
Click on “Connections”
Press “Add” and select Bungie.net
Log in to your Bungie account now
Accept Discord’s access to your Bungie account
Once you have linked both accounts, go to the compass icon “Explore” in Discord
Now click on the tab “Quests” and then select the quest from Destiny 2
Then log into Destiny 2 and play for 15 minutes
Switch back to Discord in the quests tab and have the earned code displayed
Copy the code and enter it logged in on Bungie.net
Now switch back to Destiny 2 and fly to the Tower
You will now find the shader at the reward terminal next to Rahool
How long does the action last? The action started on October 8 and lasts until October 23. Once you have completed the quest, you can redeem the code until December 31 to collect it. If you miss the deadline, you will go empty-handed. In addition to shaders, players can also secure 6 new exotics in Episode: Revenant: All 6 new Exotics from Destiny 2: Revenant
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Morpeko makes its debut in Pokémon GO. We will explain how to use its special ability and where to obtain it.
What kind of Pokémon is this? Morpeko is a Pokémon with the types Electric and Dark. It has existed since the 8th generation and, while it has no evolutions, it has 2 different forms: the Full Belly and Hangry forms.
The special thing about it: It is the first Pokémon that can change its form during battle. We took a look at how that works and where you can get the monster.
Start video
Dynamax in Pokémon Go – How to participate in the gigantic battles
How to catch Morpeko – How to obtain the Pokémon
When can Morpeko be caught? The Pokémon is part of the first part of the Halloween event in Pokémon GO. This starts on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at 10:00 AM and ends on Monday, October 28, 2024, at 10:00 AM.
Where can Morpeko be caught? Starting with the event, until the end of the current season “Max Out”, you can receive Morpeko as a reward for completed battle sets in the battle league. The chance of encountering the monster is increased if you use a Premium Raid Pass and play the Premium set instead of the Basic set.
After the end of the event, you can still obtain Morpeko in the battle league. However, from that point on, you must have reached at least rank 16 in the battle league to receive the monster. The probability is also higher here if you play a Premium set.
How Morpeko’s form change works
How can the form change be used? Morpeko has the same charge move, “Aura Wheel”, in both of its forms, but it belongs to a different type depending on its current form. In the Full Belly form, it is an Electric type move, while in the Hangry form, the move is of the Dark type.
The move deals 100 damage in trainer battles and also increases the attack by one stage.
If you use the charge move Aura Wheel, you will change Morpeko’s form. This means that if your Morpeko uses the Electric variant of the move in the Full Belly form, the monster then changes to the Hangry form and the move becomes a Dark type move. If you use the move again, Morpeko’s form and the charge move will change once more.
Where can the form change be used? At the debut of the Pokémon, the form change cannot be used in all areas of the game. This ability can only be used in battles against Team GO Rocket and in battles in the battle league.
It is currently unknown whether the ability will also be usable in raids in the future.
Morpeko’s debut is just one of the new features and events coming up in Pokémon GO. If you want an overview of the activities awaiting you in the game in the coming weeks, feel free to take a look at our overview: All Events in October 2024 in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Healers in MMORPGs have a hard time. This is something that players on consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X are now experiencing as well. Experienced healers will read with both a laugh and a tear about how a healer is faring in Throne and Liberty.
This is what the healer says: A user on reddit, with the not-so-healer-like name “Sweetkilla16” writes:
He plays a healer in Throne and Liberty and says the MMORPG desperately needs a tracker that shows the toxic “kiddies with daggers on Xbox” how terrible they are at playing.
He says that he was in a group with 3 DPS players yesterday, and the first one basically just stood in two spots and took area damage endlessly. Then he died and complained about the healer:
“Apparently, I was expected to keep these idiots alive while they were AFK hitting the boss and ignoring every mechanic there is.”
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Throne and Liberty: Trailer presents the launch event ‘Siege the Day’
Healer says. They blamed him and kicked him out
That was the end of the encounter: After the second wipe of the group, everyone became silent and secretly kicked him out, replacing him with a new healer.
The healer says: There urgently needs to be a way to show how much damage everyone is taking in a dungeon so that the DPS idiots realize how bad they are, even though they think they are part of the elite.
This is the reaction: Many recognize this ultimate “the healer is always to blame” in the comments:
A tank chimes in, saying he knows the feeling that damage dealers refuse to move in any way out of fear of doing less damage. At the same time, they expect him to do everything perfectly and take damage without complaints.
Experienced healers give him the age-old advice: “Just let them die, that’s how they learn.”
While a player says he explains everything politely to those who are doing something wrong and has had good experiences with that.
This is what it boils down to: This discussion has been going on for as long as MMORPGs have existed. The WoW expert Uncle Barlow wonderfully outlined the different mentality of classes in his “Class Explanations” for WoW more than 10 years ago (via YouTube).
Especially melee DPS players are seen as typical examples of people who go purely for damage, standing in every fire, and blaming everyone else at the end of every wipe. As everyone knows: Anything that doesn’t deal damage is for pussies, and your mom skills Improved Sap! 12 of the most famous players from World of Warcraft
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A small hotfix in World of Warcraft has suddenly made some players millionaires – at least if they were online in time.
Those who want to earn large sums of gold in World of Warcraft usually need to invest a lot of time or have a good understanding of the market. However, last night there was a small hotfix that allowed many players in Blizzard’s MMORPG to acquire millions of gold if they were attentive at the right moment.
Start video
WoW: The War Within – Forces Within
Blizzard’s hotfix suddenly makes worthless items much more valuable
This is how players became rich in WoW in just a few seconds: In The War Within, there is the resource “Desecrated Tinder Box,” which is needed for many recipes. This is a rare resource that can sometimes be found in treasures or depths. The price of this tinder box was mostly between 6,000 and 9,000 gold pieces in recent days, and the demand was high. Anyone who listed a tinder box in the auction house could sell it almost instantly.
Blizzard believed that this resource was too rare and introduced a new method of acquiring it through a hotfix last night. Two blacksmithing supply vendors in Dornogal now exchange the tinder box for different items:
3x Bars of Resonating Depths
or 3x Vials of Kaheti Oils
or 3x Viridian Adornment Hats
or 3x Gloom Depths Skins
Borgos in the forge now sells the tinder boxes.
The catch: The materials mentioned above had a much lower value in the auction house. For example, then one could buy Kaheti oils for the ridiculous price of 3 gold – so 1,000 Kaheti oils for 3,000 gold.
For these 1,000 Kaheti oils, one could then buy over 300 Desecrated Tinder Boxes from the vendor and list them in the auction house.
Those who were quick enough could exploit the market and achieve huge profits
What happened then? Those who were sharp and immediately noticed the hotfix announcement could buy the cheap materials, immediately exchange them for tinder boxes, and relist them in the auction house before the market collapsed.
Thus, sticking with the example of 1,000 Kaheti oils, one could turn 3,000 gold into 1,500,000 gold, as a friend documented in screenshots:
“Lol Cortyn, I think I have never had so much gold.” – Anonymous warlock, now doing much better.
Of course, this could be scaled, and some big investors likely capped their gold at 9,999,999 gold within minutes last night – easier than it has been for a long time.
Is this still possible? No. Within minutes, the market adjusted, and prices normalized. Now, Kaheti oils and all the other materials cost significantly more, so 3 of the “cheap” materials now roughly equal the price of a tinder box. Those who did not react within a few minutes can no longer benefit from this.
In this sense, I sincerely apologize to everyone who bought my tinder boxes for 5,000 gold last night before the price fell to 1,700 gold a few seconds later. My repair costs for this expansion should be covered by that. Those who missed the moment yesterday will now have to farm gold the old-fashioned way. But that’s also quite easy in The War Within.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Throne and Liberty guilds are not only important, they also hold a lot of power. Therefore, when you join a community, you should pay attention to the fine print.
This video also addresses how important guilds are in Throne and Liberty:
Start video
Throne and Liberty: Deshalb ist eine große und aktive Gilde so wichtig
The Power Over Loot
What else do I need to know? The power of guilds or guild leaders also manifests when it comes to the distribution of loot that the community earns in group challenges. JayRupp writes on Reddit:
This has been bothering me for a few days. The fact that a guild can set its loot distribution so that members’ boss drops (even when they play solo) are automatically deposited into the guild bank and locked away is by far one of the most absurd things I’ve ever seen in an MMO.
Of course, there is the option to give guild members 5 minutes to claim an item before it is automatically gone, but for some reason many guilds don’t want to use this. I wonder why that is.
At the end of his post, JayRupp warns that you should always keep an eye on your guild’s loot distribution settings. There is no good reason for a guild to disable this 5-minute window for loot.
How does the community react to this feature? Several players have already had bad experiences or fear the worst:
Commander_Beatdown writes (via Reddit): “There are obviously good guild leaders, but the current system is a big, juicy, low-hanging fruit for all the sociopaths and narcissists out there who are attracted to positions of power and only instrumentalize their members.”
Classic_South_5374 explains on Reddit: “I recently joined a guild and noticed that the guild leader follows a greedy loot policy, so that all loot goes to the guild. This information is not visible or transparent before joining. Additionally, the guild leader can change the loot policy at any time. That is too much power.”
RenegadeReddit points out another issue on Reddit: “There is no way to specify what the setting is when choosing a guild. […] The guild leader can change the setting at any time, even during the boss fight. You will be banned for 36 hours if you leave a guild.”
How is loot distribution resolved in your guild in Throne and Liberty?
In Diablo 4, you can “gamble” for random items using Oboluses. Since Season 6, this has proven to be the most effective way to acquire the best items in the game. An expert now fears that this might soon be nerfed.
Which merchant is being referred to? It is about the Curiosity Dealer in Diablo 4, where you can gamble for items using Oboluses. You receive items from a specific category that you choose, which then have a rarity ranging from common to unique.
Since Season 6, holy items no longer drop at all, and legacy items (ancestral items) drop relatively rarely. Ancestral items always drop with the highest item power of 800 from Torment level 1. Only these items have Great Affixes – and always at least one. They are thus quite sought after.
In a livestream, Diablo expert and content creator Raxxanterax shows on October 9 how he spends all his Oboluses for a category of items at the “Gambler.” His yield led him to fear a nerf.
Start video
Diablo 4 shows the new level system and difficulty levels in the video
“Please don’t nerf it too hard”
What did the expert receive? In the livestream on Twitch, Raxxanterax goes to the Curiosity Dealer and spends his 2,393 Oboluses on rings. In the first round, he exchanges for 33 rings, spending roughly half of his Oboluses – 50 per ring. Of those, 10 are Legendary and three are Uniques.
In a second round, he can exchange for 30 more rings, of which 9 are legendary and two unique. Thus, for his total Oboluses, he received 19 Legendary and five Unique rings.
Previously, he gambled live on stream for items and exchanged his Oboluses for staves. One staff “costs” 100 Oboluses; he exchanged 1,500 Oboluses and received two Unique staves. These include the unique staff of the Spiritborn, Rod of Kepeleke. It is used in the strong Spike Salve build in the endgame, among other things: .
One of the staves was an ancestral item with a great affix. Raxxanterax says in the clip: “Are you kidding? Look at this. Are you serious?” Earlier, he explained that he received 4 of his 5 equipped Uniques from the Curiosity Dealer:
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In the Twitch Stream, the Diablo expert reports that he has sent feedback to Blizzard. Among other things, it also concerned the “gambling” at the Curiosity Dealer.
I told [Blizzard]: If you plan to nerf the gambling, please don’t nerf it too hard. Gambling used to be quite bad, and now it is probably the best thing in the entire game. I am truly afraid they will completely ruin it.
Raxxanterax thinks that gambling for Oboluses is the strongest element in the game. He supports this by stating that you can get ancestor items and Uniques at a fairly high rate.
Where can I get Oboluses? You receive the currency in various activities, such as during events in the open world of Sanctuary. According to Raxxanterax, you get the most Oboluses from the Grube. While you no longer get materials for completing your items there, it is worth it for farming Oboluses.
For 24 years, Cryptic Studios has been developing large MMORPGs in the USA. Currently, their last titles, the fantasy MMORPG Neverwinter Online and the sci-fi MMORPG Star Trek Online, are still active. However, another studio is now taking care of the games. It seems that the studio is now losing almost all of its employees. After the failure of an MMORPG related to Magic: The Gathering, the lights are going out.
For which MMORPGs is the gaming studio known? Cryptic Studios was responsible for second-tier MMORPGs in the USA. Generally, these are solid games that cater to a niche well, although they are sometimes criticized for their cash shops.
Especially free-to-play MMORPGs tend to increasingly rely on the cash shop as they age to better monetize the dwindling player base.
Originally, they developed the superhero MMORPGs City of Heroes and Champions Online
Neverwinter Online launched in 2010. The MMORPG set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons also came for Xbox and PS4, and it ran solidly for many years, until player numbers started to decline around 2020.
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Neverwinter PS4 Trailer
The MMORPG related to Magic was supposed to be huge but failed miserably
What was the problem? The “big next MMORPG” from Cryptic Studios was supposed to be Magic: Legends. With the license for Magic: The Gathering, they actually had a huge opportunity to develop a significant online RPG.
However, Magic: Legends died during development; it just never really worked out.
Without a new MMORPG and with the old games aging, the studio now seems to have no future left.
These are the new developments: Cryptic Studios has been part of “Perfect World” since 2011 – but this company was bought by the feared Swedish group Embracer Group in 2021, placing Cryptic Studios in a difficult situation.
The Embracer Group embarked on a brutal raiding spree, buying up companies everywhere, but then a central investor deal fell through, and since then, heads have been rolling. Studios that had been snatched up for a high price were suddenly sold off, projects were cancelled, and employees were laid off.
Six months later, it seems that this phase is now over. According to reports from the US site Massivelyop, almost all employees of Cryptic Studios have now been laid off. The future of the studio is uncertain.
When flying for a long time, it’s nice to watch 1 or 2 movies. Airlines usually have a quite large selection of various genres. However, on a recent flight, there was only one movie for everyone to choose from, and it was not exactly kid-friendly.
What happened? Qantas Airlines is an Australian airline. And like every major airline, Qantas offers the possibility of watching movies or series on board. They have a pretty good selection.
On a 10-hour flight from Sydney to Haneda in Japan, however, there were technical issues, preventing every guest from choosing their own movie. The staff had to select a movie that every guest had to watch – and apparently, they chose the wrong one.
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Daddio – Trailer for the Chamber Play with Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn
An Intense Chamber Play – But Not for Kids
Which movie is it about? As The Guardian reports, the individual movie selection did not work for technical reasons. After some guests complained, the crew decided to put on a movie for all guests. For unknown reasons, they chose Daddio.
Daddio is a film from 2023. Dakota Johnson, known from Suspiria, plays Girlie, who takes a taxi at an airport. The taxi driver, Clark, is played by Sean Penn. The drama is a classic chamber play that mainly takes place in the taxi.
In the taxi, the two engage in deep discussions about their relationships. It explicitly deals with sexual content and their past and present stories. In Germany, the film is rated for ages 12 and up, while in the USA, it is rated R for explicit language and content, meaning it’s for adults.
According to The Guardian, one guest described the film as 40 minutes of penis and breasts. Additionally, the guest reportedly said: These poor kids and their parents, because you should have heard the audible gasps throughout the entire airplane.
Another passenger took the opportunity to mock Madame Web: [In the film] Dakota Johnson starred in it, and I honestly thought they were playing Madame Web or something – I honestly don’t know if that would have been worse.
When the guests realized that the film was not suitable for everyone, the crew apparently changed it to a children’s movie. Qantas then publicly apologized in a statement for the unusual situation. If you want to watch the film, you need to buy or rent it. Currently, the film is not available for streaming. You can find kid-friendly movie recommendations on this list: 6 underrated animated films that every Disney and Pixar fan should see.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Leveling in World of Warcraft is too easy because you can’t die. Literally: It was impossible to let your character fall to 0 health points.
“World of Warcraft has become way too easy!” – Such statements are often heard, especially from Classic fans who believe that everything was harder in the past. However, this is not true when looking at the complexity of boss fights, such as in the World First Race. But in other areas, people were right because leveling in World of Warcraft has been easier than ever for several weeks because:
Players could not die at all; they were literally immortal while leveling.
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WoW: The War Within – Forces Within
What is happening in World of Warcraft? With The War Within, many new players have entered World of Warcraft. Newcomers are first guided into the “Dragonflight” expansion and must level up to level 70 before they can join the others in Khaz Algar.
However, these new characters realized in the past weeks: Somehow, everything here is strange, as you can’t die. No matter how many enemies you pull together and no matter how threatening your health points drop: You could not go below 1 HP. Dying was literally impossible.
Why was that so? Dragonflight was designed from the ground up as an area for veterans. Everything is a bit more complex, enemies have multiple abilities, and the fights are significantly more challenging than in many other areas. However, this meant that complete newbies in Dragonflight were overwhelmed when they entered these areas at level 10.
Therefore, Blizzard introduced some buffs that are only available to newcomers. They increase the strength of the character and also ensured that you don’t die easily. But something went wrong. Because you simply couldn’t die anymore.
What went wrong? Game Director Ion Hazzikostas explained this to Windows Central:
With The War Within, we introduced some “training wheels” buffs that thematically fit the dragons, intending to help new players during their first playthrough (when they do not yet have a max-level character and have not unlocked Chromie time). One of these buffs was a “Escape Death” that would occasionally trigger. Unfortunately, there was a bug that prevented the cooldown from being triggered.
This mechanic was supposed to trigger only once every few minutes at most. However, for several weeks, it had no cooldown at all. This led to characters simply being unable to die, as they were constantly saved by the mechanic.
The new online role-playing game Brighter Shores by Andrew Gower is set to be released on Steam later this year, which has been known for a while. Now, the MMORPG veteran has revealed the final release date for Early Access.
Update from October 10, 2024: On Steam, there is now official confirmation: The MMORPG Brighter Shores by RuneScape creator Andrew Gower will launch in Early Access on Steam on November 6, 2024. The early phase is expected to last about six months. Before the launch, the team aims to complete PvP, campaign episode 5, and the special abilities of the epic weapons.
How did the announcement go exactly? While the Steam product page of Brighter Shores still prominently displays “Q3 2024” and there are no regular updates, developer veteran Andrew Gower keeps releasing new nuggets of information on his X account – most recently in the form of a 68-second in-game clip.
In the clip on X, you see a player character entering an interrogation room from the lobby of the watch, starting an interrogation with a modernly dressed avatar named Andrew. The essential question that needs to be clarified: When will Brighter Shores be released?
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“When it’s done, of course!” is Andrew’s first response. However, the player character is not satisfied with this. He demands details, supported by a forceful bang on the table. Under the increasing pressure, the virtual game developer admits that creating such an MMORPG is a lot of work and that they probably won’t make the targeted third quarter.
No excuses, a date!
So when is Brighter Shores coming out now? Instead of a final release, there will be some kind of Early Access launch at the beginning of November. The developer is aiming for November 5, 2024. In a previous post on X, Andrew Gower had already explained that they were considering a release with Early Access status until the optional PvP content is implemented.
Who is behind Brighter Shores? Fen Research is the indie studio founded by Andrew Gower in 2010. The award-winning MMORPG veteran was a lead developer at Jagex for a long time, working on RuneScape, a genre-oldie that has broken various records over the decades (such as for most updates or the largest number of registered players).
RuneScape and the retro variant “Old School RuneScape” are popular MMORPGs on Steam:
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Old School RuneScape – Trailer for the Steam Release
What kind of MMORPG is Brighter Shores? Brighter Shores will be an online role-playing game with a Free2Play model, set to be released exclusively on Steam. The developers at Fen Research are focusing on a fantasy setting, nostalgic isometric look, and point-and-click controls.
The key features of Brighter Shores are as follows:
There will be three playable classes (Cryoknight, Hammermage, and Guardian).
A large number of professions are planned, such as Fisher, Cook, Miner, Lumberjack, Alchemist, Blacksmith, Merchant, and more. You can even become a detective.
The MMORPG is expected to be constantly expanded with story content in episode format. Each new episode brings not only quests but also new professions and regions.
For over ten years, the team has been working on Brighter Shores. The Free2Play MMORPG aims to finance itself through a premium pass, which allows you to unlock benefits such as player-to-player trading, name changes, exclusive armor dyes, and unique character names. More about the project: The developer is so rich that his new MMORPG on Steam is meant to make players happy
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
An actor who starred in the series Game of Thrones was in a deep crisis a few years ago. Only World of Warcraft saved him from it.
Which actor is being referred to? Kristian Nairn played the giant Hodor in Game of Thrones, who was always taciturn but nevertheless won a place in the hearts of viewers. His colleague Peter Dinklage was skeptical about whether the series would work. Fortunately, he was mistaken. Game of Thrones became a huge success and also brought Kristian Nairn a lot of attention. In addition to his work as an actor, Nairn is also active as a DJ and drag performer.
One of his biggest hobbies is gaming – he is particularly fond of World of Warcraft. When Kristian Nairn struggled with a strong addiction a few years ago, Blizzard’s MMORPG turned out to be his salvation.
Here you can see a cinematic trailer for the latest WoW expansion The War Within:
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Alleria: Light and Shadows – WoW Cinematic to The War Within
From morning till night WoW
What addiction is being referred to? In his book “Beyond the Throne,” Nairn talks about a time in his life when he was addicted to drugs. According to his own statements, he consumed cocaine and other substances to stand at the DJ booth all night long.
Before long, the actor’s condition deteriorated, both physically and mentally. This also affected his professional life, as his performance suffered due to the addiction.
Eventually, Nairn pulled the emergency brake and retreated to a bungalow in the mountains. There, he played World of Warcraft from morning to night and escaped into the fictional world. This distracted him from drugs and helped with the detoxification, which ultimately succeeded.
What type of player is Nairn? In his book, the actor emphasizes that he always embodies non-human characters in the game. He is human enough in real life, with all the problems that come with it.
In a conversation with Polygon, he explains that he is a really bad PvP player. What matters more to him is collecting and completing, the characters, and the story. He does not view WoW uncritically. He has already “lost” friends and partners to the game and another kind of addiction.
For Nairn himself, it was the right decision to withdraw a bit from the world through gaming. Today, he claims to be in a “much healthier place.”
Is he still playing WoW? Yes, he does, even on the go. On his travels, Nairn always carries a small laptop with him, on which the game runs. He has been playing the MMORPG for almost 20 years. The actor still loves it and is grateful to it – after all, an important part of his life has been decisively shaped by the game.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Not long now and fans of Arcane can once again immerse themselves in the world of Zhaun and Piltover with Season 2. This time, Vi and Caitlyn face not only familiar champions from Season 1. The trailer shows us Warwick, a character that was hinted at in the first season.
Attention Spoiler: The following article discusses events from Arcane Season 1 and its official trailers. Those who haven’t seen it yet should refrain from reading further.
Who is Warwick? Warwick is a veteran in League of Legends. Since the first release of the Rift, he has been one of the 20 original champions in the game. He is a mechanical werewolf with chemical tubes and metal claws.
Since the end of Season 1, LoL fans have been expecting Warwick to appear in Arcane, as he was indicated in Singed’s lab. In early 2024, there was practically confirmation in the form of a teaser that thrilled the fans.
In the teaser, we see Singed sitting in a room full of tubes and containers with green liquid. Above him, the silhouette of a large creature, which is clearly Warwick. This is recognizable by the claws and the green tank on his back. The series seems to build on the existing backstory of the champion.
You can see the latest trailer here:
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Arcane Season 2 Trailer – Nothing to Lose
A monster roaming through Zhaun
How did Warwick become a monster? Riot provides various lore stories for all of its champions that fans can check out outside of the game if they want to learn more about the characters. Warwick has one, and it fits quite well into Arcane.
Warwick was not always a monster, but a petty criminal who had already left his time of crime behind him. Despite his new upright path, he fell into the hands of the scientist Singed, who made a beast out of him.
The champion splash art of Warwick gives a good overview of what he looks like:
He equipped him with tubes and pumps that constantly pump chemicals through his body. This gave him a powerful regenerative ability, which Singed used to deform him slowly. Singed thought Warwick died during the process and disposed of him. However, Warwick survived.
While Warwick has fragments of his memories, his thirst for blood increasingly turns him into the wild beast that apparently randomly hunted people in Zhaun to get blood.
Who is Warwick in Arcane?From the last trailer, we now know for sure that Warwick will appear in Arcane Season. A well-known character is likely the transformed Warwick. This concerns Vander, the guardian of Jinx and Vi. He was also an old gangster who had moved on. However, at the end of Season 1, he apparently died when he fell into Shimmer.
The lore of Warwick on the official LoL website gives strong hints that it must be Vander. In his story, his past is mentioned at one point:
But then he heard a little girl scream. She shouted something he couldn’t understand. It sounded like a name.
At Vander’s death in Season 1, Vi separates from little Jinx, who is crying for her. In the same lore text, it is also mentioned that Warwick glimpsed a bearded man in the eyes of a beggar. Vander also had a distinctive full beard.
Several science fiction movies have already been released in 2024. With Dune 2, a new Planet of the Apes, and Alien: Romulus, genre fans had plenty of film fodder to enjoy in theaters or at home. However, one new animated film stands out among them all, both with critics and audiences.
Which film is it? On October 3, 2024, The Wild Robot was released in German cinemas. The film comes from DreamWorks and is a book adaptation. The studio had already achieved significant financial success this year with Kung Fu Panda 4.
You can see the first glimpse of the trailer here:
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The Wild Robot – Trailer for the Sci-Fi Animated Film by DreamWorks
Critics and audiences love the new DreamWorks film
What is The Wild Robot about? Due to a shipwreck, a robot ends up on an unknown island full of animals. To survive there, he befriends various animals. Along the way, he meets a small, orphaned goose, which he now takes care of.
You can already see the great animation style in the trailer, and the two main actors in the American version are big names. With Lupita Nyong’o and Pedro Pascal, well-known voices can be heard in the original.
If you look at the current numbers on Box Office Mojo (as of October 9, 2024), you can already see that the film is well received. With a budget of 78 million dollars, the film has already grossed 100 million worldwide. This number will likely continue to grow, as animated films tend to be relatively enduring at the box office.
The critics also love the film. The reviews of the film are impressive as well. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a critic score of 98% based on 168 reviews, which is almost a perfect rating. With over 2500 audience ratings, the film achieves the same score.
Thus, the film has a higher score than movies like Alien: Romulus, Dune 2, Planet of the Apes: New Kingdom, or Furiosa.
What do audiences praise? The biggest point for the enthusiasm is the animation style and the animation itself. Comparisons are made with old Disney. However, other aspects are also praised:
Humor and emotions are good
Suitable for the whole family
Important and inspiring themes
The Wild Robot is such a hit that it is a favorite at the Oscars. At the very least, the nomination for Best Animated Feature seems to be in the bag for the film. Over time, some animated films have also slipped under the radar. You can find 6 hidden gems here: 6 underrated animated films that every fan of Disney and Pixar should see
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
