The well-known YouTuber JayzTwoCents bought a used gaming PC for 500 euros. But how bad is the device really? The YouTuber tested the device extensively.
JayzTwoCents is one of the most recognized tech experts on YouTube, testing hardware and advising his viewers. Just recently, he explained, that he has serious health problems and wants to produce less content in the future.
In a recent video, he purchased a gaming PC from a user on Facebook for 500 US dollars (about 460 euros). On the way to the seller, he fears that it might not work out. After all, he is buying here on Facebook where there are many scammers.
What kind of PC did he buy? For about 460 euros, he bought a used gaming PC with the following hardware.
Processor: i7-11700F
Graphics card: AMD RX 6600 (8 GB)
RAM: 16 DDR4
Storage: 500 GB NVMe SSD and 1 TB HDD
Power supply: 600 watts
Upon first looking in the trunk of the purchased PC, he realizes that he primarily bought standard items: The RAM is standard, the NVMe SSD is okay, and the seller used a standard cooler. There are no real highlights. He dryly explains that he “got what he paid for” and nothing more.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
JayzTwoCents tests a used gaming PC for less than 500 euros.
YouTuber can improve performance by almost 40% with two BIOS settings
How bad is the gaming PC really? In an initial test, he finds that most games are “playable”, but in a first benchmark, he realizes that performance drops significantly.
For this reason, he goes into the BIOS. Here, he finds that the user did not enable the XMP profile for the RAM. JayzTwoCents therefore first activates the corresponding profile.
In a second step, he changes the CPU watt limit from automatic to 125 watts. This means that the i7-11700F can theoretically draw double the amount of watts.
And the result surprises even the YouTuber. In the first test, the PC achieved “only” 10,116 points in Cinebench R23. In a second test with the new settings, it was then 13,835 points. That is an increase of about 37%.
Was the computer worth it? The YouTuber explains that he got a really good gaming PC. For 500 US dollars, it would currently be rather difficult to build a PC with similar components by himself. The easiest upgrade for the PC would be a significantly better CPU cooler, as this would likely improve performance even more.
Baldur’s Gate 3 follows the rules of the well-known role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. These allow players a lot of freedom – in some cases, freedoms that would be unthinkable in other games. One player has now broken all the rules of the genre and casually wields 2 staffs as a wizard. And it works.
What kind of ability is that?
Dual Wielding, or fighting with two weapons, is a skill that rogues and bards particularly like to use. It allows you to wield one weapon in each hand.
The advantage is that characters have an additional attack as a bonus action. Assassins are particularly strong with this ability because they gain special advantages when they attack first in a fight and initiate the battle.
However, players have discovered that Dual Wielding also works with completely different weapons: with staffs, which are popular among monks, but especially among spellcasters.
How exactly does it work? Staves in Baldur’s Gate 3 have the property “Versatile.” This means: You can carry them one-handed or two-handed. You can generally carry any one-handed weapon in either hand (unless a specific description forbids this).
Normally, only “light” weapons are intended for Dual Wielding, as you do not incur any disadvantages when attacking with them. With the right talents, you can amplify their effect even further.
If you use non-light weapons, you have penalties on your attacks – but that might not matter to you. Sorcerers, wizards, warlocks, and other spellcasting classes only want the effects and skills that staves provide. And they stack.
From role-playing games and RPGs like World of Warcraft, most players are used to staves being two-handed weapons. You either use it alone or pair it with a magical dagger in your off-hand. In Baldur’s Gate 3, you can simply carry 2 staves.
Do you want to maximize your options? This way you can cast multiple spells per turn:
Start video
Baldur’s Gate 3: Cast two spells in one go
“That’s why the spellstaff was my best weapon for so long”
Staves usually grant passive bonuses or active skills that you can use per long or short rest. Some combat staves are only useful specifically for monks. However, most are the classic “magic staves” as carried by Gandalf, Saruman, and others.
This opens up entirely new possibilities for you as a spellcaster. On Reddit, players discuss which combinations of staves are particularly strong. One user mentions that you can easily cast six 6th-level spells per long rest as a wizard:
At level 11, you already gain a slot at this level.
The Staff of Power from Raphael’s House of Hope allows you to cast a spell for free.
Markoheshkir, a legendary staff from Act 3, also grants this effect.
The staff also grants the ability Chain Lightning once per short rest – which is already a 6th-level spell in itself.
The Spell Amulet of the Warden from the Towers of Moonrise allows you to restore one spell slot once per long rest.
As a half-illithid, you can cast a spell per short or long rest without expending a slot.
Sorcerers even have more options by using Metamagic to, for instance, twin spells. This will make you a true spell slinger – or you can find other combinations. One user, for example, has the spellstaff, one of the best weapons from Act 1, carried for a long time to use the Shock Charges with it.
If 2 staves are too much for you, you can alternatively carry something else in your off-hand. A dagger or a shield, for instance, if you are skilled in that. A shield grants you 2 additional armor classes, which is certainly welcome for “soft” spell classes.
However, it is often wiser to be able to quickly kill the opponents. In Baldur’s Gate 3, as in Dungeons & Dragons, the philosophy holds: offense is the best defense. A dead opponent can no longer harm you. That’s why you don’t really need a healer: If you still have a healer with you in Baldur’s Gate 3, you’re making a big mistake
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
May in Pokémon GO brings a lot of events again. Here you will find all known dates, details, and which events are worth it.
What events are there in May? As usual, May in Pokémon GO will bring spotlight hours, raid hours, community day, and more events. Highlights may include the debut of Kopplosio and Muramura, but other events are likely to bring exciting content as well.
In the following list, you will find all already known dates for May. Details, as far as known, can be found under the linked event titles.
Basically, May still belongs to the season “World Full of Wonders”, which runs until June 1, 2024. Therefore, it is likely to reach its finale this month. You can watch the trailer for the season again here.
Start video
Pokémon GO: This is what the new season ‘World full of Wonders’ looks like in the trailer
Ultra Space Wonders: Here it will likely be about the Ultra Beasts and the debut of Kopplosio and Muramura. Although these are regional monsters, they should still be an exciting target for all trainers. The list of Ultra Beasts is almost complete – only the evolution of Venicro and the debut of Necrozma at the GO Fest. are still missing.
Community Day: Is always an important date, but it is still unclear which monster will come. What is certain is that you will get a good shiny chance and a decent bonus.
Diancie: Starting May 1, there will be research about Diancie. If you don’t have it yet, you can look forward to a new Pokédex entry and a strong attacker. If you already have it, you will receive candies for strengthening.
During the Eligella-Valorant tournament, Twitch streamer HoneyPuu injured her finger so badly that she had to go to the emergency room. Nevertheless, she didn’t let that stop her and later even participated in the semifinals.
Who is the streamer?
Isabell “HoneyPuu” Schneider, also known as Isa, has made a name for herself in the world of live streaming.
She started her Twitch career in late 2018 with League of Legends. By early 2024, HoneyPuu was in the midst of the Minecraft hype, making her the most-watched woman on Twitch at that time.
She is especially known for her “Just Chatting” sessions and various gaming formats.
You can learn more about HoneyPuu here:
Start video
Whether on Madeira or at the mixing console – These are 5 of the biggest German Twitch streamers
What kind of tournament is this? Recently, HoneyPuu participated in the “Eligella Cup,” a tournament organized by the well-known content creator EliasN97.
Game: Valorant
Number of teams: Eight
Date: May 21 and 22
Prize pool: 11,000 € (2,200 € per team member)
How did the tournament go for the streamer? HoneyPuu played in the Eligella Cup on Team Chefstrobel, together with Fibii, Mertabimula, and MausAbi. They won the first matches, which allowed them to reach the semifinals against Team Unfair.
A dramatic accident in Team Chefstrobel
What happened before the semifinals? Before the semifinals took place, HoneyPuu played some practice rounds with her team and wanted to prepare some food before the crucial game. She had another match from the tournament running in the background while she went to the kitchen.
Shortly after, she returned crying, holding her hand and panicking in the Discord call that she couldn’t participate and had a problem. However, no one heard her since everyone had their microphones muted. Only Chefstrobel had his sound on, but he wasn’t at the computer.
Through tears, HoneyPuu explained: “I cut my finger. It hurts so much. You can see everything inside, it’s so gross.”
Did she have to go to the hospital? The chat urged her to go to the hospital. She replied uncertainly that she didn’t know if she was insured since she was currently in Madeira. She continued: “It’s very deep. If I take the skin off, I can see everything underneath. Luckily not just bone.” Shortly afterward, she turned off her microphone and left the room in a panic.
Her team quickly became aware of the situation and tried to reach her multiple times by phone. Eventually, it was announced that a driver from her management took her to the hospital, as he happened to be just a few minutes away.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from TikTok that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
What exactly happened? About an hour later, HoneyPuu returned to the camera smiling and sat back in her place.
In the Discord call, she explained to her team how the accident happened: “And suddenly I feel like, why does this hurt so much. I go outside, look at my finger, and I see the flesh hanging out. You could see inside. Then I got a paper towel, pressed it down, and it was full of blood. I opened it up and saw that it was still hanging loose. Then I got a new paper towel, tried to reach you, you weren’t there, and then I went to the hospital.”
What did they tell her at the hospital? HoneyPuu further stated that the wound was glued at the hospital and that she should keep an eye on it. When her team asked if she could still participate in the tournament, the streamer explained that she was told at the hospital that she could keep playing, but she should not use her left middle finger, where the wound is.
She added that she would take some pills now and then see how she could adjust the key binding to still be able to play. The streamer and team member Chefstrobel commented dryly on this: “Yes, that’s crazy. One of our best players is handicapping herself.”
How did the semifinals go? A short time later, HoneyPuu made herself a Nutella sandwich in front of the camera and continued to train Valorant with her bandaged finger. Determined, she participated in the semifinals, but unfortunately, her team was eliminated despite their efforts.
At the beginning of the tournament, she had joked that she would like to buy a new handbag with the prize money – after the exciting events, she now joked that she wanted to treat herself to a new handbag anyway due to the experiences.
Here you can find an update from her about her finger:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from TikTok that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The German influencer scene is currently in turmoil. Following allegations from his ex-girlfriend against Twitch streamer Simon “Unge” Wiefels, content creator Vik aka iBlali is now also sharing his experiences.
Viktor Roth appears online as Vik – he was known as iBlali for many years. He is a German YouTuber and Twitch streamer. In 2021, he moved to the Portuguese island of Madeira, which is considered an influencer paradise due to its beautiful, stable weather and also the tax benefits.
However, the island dream ended in early 2022, and Vik returned to Cologne. In a video from May 27, 2024, the content creator now talks openly about what he believes happened back then.
The German influencer scene is currently shaken by one scandal after another:
Start video
Reved explains on Twitch how much she suffered in the relationship with Anni The Duck
Unge sees Madeira as “his island” – Means it seriously
What is supposed to have happened between Vik and Unge? Vik says he asked Unge for the contact details of a German-speaking contact person shortly before his move to Madeira, who could help newcomers with local bureaucracy. Unge allegedly declined the request and told him that he could not stop him from moving, but did not want to have anything to do with him.
When Vik then had a viewing for an apartment on the island, Unge publicly criticized him regarding his flight trip to Madeira during the Corona pandemic. The YouTuber believes Unge knew how important that appointment was for him and wanted to put pressure on him in this way.
Back then, he avoided a big public conflict, Vik says.
After his move, the YouTuber was reportedly ostracized by the local influencers. Allegedly, Unge started a sort of campaign against him and advised others to stay away from him.
Vik says he was already asked before his move to Madeira if he was sure and if he believed he would really be happy on the island. Back then, he thought some people were taking “Unge’s island” too seriously. There were 250,000 people living in Madeira; he and Unge could coexist.
What is behind this? The story of the content creators goes back several years to 2015. Vik says they got along well at that time, filmed videos together, and also met privately.
According to Vik, their relationship broke down when Unge entered into a relationship with his ex-girlfriend “Mara” and kept it secret from him. Vik said it took him a long time to process that situation, and he even went into depressive phases. Ultimately, however, he resolved the situation and felt that he was getting along well with Unge again.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Comments in a WhatsApp group provoke the wrath of the ruler of Madeira
Years later, Vik joked in a WhatsApp group with some friends about the incident at that time. From his perspective, this joking was later clarified with Unge.
Nevertheless, this joking is said to have been the reason Unge wanted to “scare” him away from the island in 2021. Vik says Unge only pretended that everything was fine between them when others were around. However, he apparently still harbored a grudge, which he let out in 2021.
Vik says he encountered rejection everywhere in Madeira. A German woman he met told him she had heard that Vik was someone to be “avoided.” This made Vik feel extremely uncomfortable in Madeira. He even believes he lived in a dissociative phase for a while.
The years 2015 and 2021 were the worst in his life, Vik says. And in both cases, it had something to do with Unge.
Unge published a statement on the night of May 27 (via X).
Vik’s video comes after a former partner of Unge made some serious allegations against him in her own video. She ended her statement with the suggestion: “What do you think is the reason iBlali is no longer in Madeira?” Since Unge’s involvement was already on the table, the content creator took the opportunity to share his own perspective. You can read more about the allegations here: Ex-girlfriend makes serious allegations against Twitch streamer Unge
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
As usual, in May 2024, there will be several Spotlight Hours in Pokémon GO. We will show you what to expect during each Spotlight Hour.
What kind of event is this? The Spotlight Hour is a recurring event that takes place every Tuesday. For a period of 60 minutes, a Pokémon appears in very high numbers in the wild.
In addition to the Pokémon, a bonus is always active during a Spotlight Hour. This bonus can be extra experience points, stardust, or candies in various forms.
Start video
Pokémon GO: This is what the new season ‘World full of Wonders’ looks like in the trailer
All Spotlight Hours in May 2024
When do the Spotlight Hours take place? A Spotlight Hour always occurs on Tuesdays from 18:00 to 19:00. You can find out which Pokémon and bonuses you will receive on which dates in May 2024 in the table below.
Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? On May 7, there will be two Pokémon featured in the Spotlight Hour. These are the fighting-type Pokémon Nockchan and Kicklee, both from the 1st game generation with no evolutions.
What bonuses are active? If you transfer Pokémon to the professor during this Spotlight Hour, you will receive double the amount of candies for each transfer.
Is the event worth it? If you plan to use Nockchan and Kicklee in battle leagues or raids, you will be disappointed. Both Pokémon are not strong attackers and should not be used in these situations.
If you have Pokémon saved up that you want to transfer, and you have for example already marked them a day beforehand, you can take advantage of the event. With the double amount of candies upon transferring, it becomes even more worthwhile.
Can you catch shiny Nockchan and Kicklee? Yes, the shiny forms of both Pokémon are already active in the game.
Spotlight Hour on May 14
Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? In this Spotlight Hour, you can encounter Abra. This psychic-type Pokémon from the 1st game generation has two evolutions: Kadabra and Simsala. Simsala can even temporarily evolve into Mega Simsala if you have the required mega energy.
What bonuses are active? During this Spotlight Hour, you can enjoy double experience points when you evolve Pokémon.
Is the event worth it? Abra and its evolutions are not particularly good Pokémon for the battle leagues or raids. Simsala is at least acceptable as a psychic attacker, but only shows its true strength in its mega evolution.
If you are focused on collecting experience points and have many Pokémon saved up to evolve, then you can make good use of the event.
Can you catch shiny Abra? Yes, you can also encounter the shiny version of Abra during the Spotlight Hour.
Spotlight Hour on May 21
Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? On May 21, Pygraulon will await you in the Spotlight Hour. This Pokémon from the 5th game generation is of the psychic type and has an evolution: Megalon.
What bonuses are active? If you catch Pokémon during this Spotlight Hour, you will receive double stardust. This applies regardless of what Pokémon you catch.
Is the event worth it? Neither Pygraulon nor its evolution Megalon are among the strongest attackers in Pokémon GO. You should rely on other Pokémon for raids and battle leagues.
However, the event is more worthwhile for collecting stardust. If you have Pokémon saved from field research that already yield more stardust, you can use this event to get a good amount of stardust.
Can you catch shiny Pygraulon? Yes, during this Spotlight Hour, you may encounter a shiny with some luck. Pygraulon is already available in its shiny form in Pokémon GO.
Spotlight Hour on May 28
Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? In this Spotlight Hour, Garstella will take center stage. This Pokémon comes from the 7th game generation and possesses the types poison and water. When you evolve Garstella, you will get Aggrostella.
What bonuses are active? In the Spotlight Hour on May 28, you will receive double experience points for catching Pokémon. This bonus applies to all Pokémon caught during the hour.
Is the event worth it? Aggrostella, the evolution of Garstella, is a solid Pokémon in the Super League. Beyond that, it is not suitable for further battle leagues or raids.
Additionally, the experience points bonus for catching Pokémon may be interesting for you if you are currently active in leveling up your character.
Can you catch shiny Pygraulon? Yes, Pygraulon can also be caught as a shiny Pokémon with some luck.
In addition to the Spotlight Hours, there are of course many other events waiting for you in May. We have also put together an overview of all events in May 2024 in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Elden Ring contains over 300 weapons that can be used to take down small and large bosses in all the ways possible. But even after two years and countless hours, a player discovered a weapon that he had never seen before.
What weapon is it? Anyone wandering through the Lands Between in Elden Ring is better off being well-equipped. After all, various dangers, mostly in the form of dangerous enemies, lie in wait.
In Elden Ring, players have plenty of choices when it comes to weapons. You can find an overview of the 309 items in our Tier List. Time and again, players encounter new weapons on their adventure that they have never seen before. Such was the case for Reddit user ChiefLeef22.
He posted on Reddit: “After over 500 hours, 2 years, and a bazillion playthroughs, I see this brand new weapon… this game has endless content.”
He also posted a picture of the weapon “Mönchsflammenschwert”. In English, it is called “Monk’s Flameblade”.
The weapon has a base attack value of 134 (physical), deals 100 critical damage, and initially scales with strength and dexterity at D each. To wield the sword, you must invest 18 levels each in strength and dexterity.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Reddit that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The reason the player discovered the weapon only after over 500 hours is simple: it is very rare. Anyone looking to obtain it must go to a very specific location in the game.
Elden Ring shows the DLC ‘Shadow of the Erdtree’ in the story trailer
Only a single enemy drops the sword
How do you get the weapon? As some commenters under the Reddit post emphasize, it is not so easy to obtain the sword. It is therefore not surprising that user ChiefLeef22 found it so late.
The weapon is a drop from the fire monks. But not all of them. Only a single one drops the sword. You need to go to the “grave of the heroic giant slayer” on the peak of the giants to do so.
From the grace, go down the stairs and pass the first fire monk. On the right side, there is a hidden path. Jump down there and ignore the enemies. On the right side, there is a passage with a flame trap. The desired monk is also located there. Kill him and hope that he drops his weapon for you.
Because: the drop chance is low. It is only four percent with a discovery value of 100. This makes the sword one of the rarest weapons in the entire game. Those who find it by pure chance, like the Reddit user, can consider themselves lucky.
How does the community react? ChiefLeef22 did not intend to farm the weapon indefinitely – because he didn’t know it existed at all. However, other players were indeed searching for it. They write under the post:
“A single fire monk. In a crypt. Hidden in a niche. One single enemy in the entire game drops this weapon, although many monks carry it. Why?”, asks Quelana’s Disciple.
“If an enemy uses a weapon, it should be able to drop it,” thinks Own-Corner-2623, criticizing that only this specific monk has the drop.
“Miyazaki enjoys our suffering, that’s why it is this way,” writes Piltonbadger.
“What is even crazier is that it (the weapon) is not very good,” points out MushroomBeginning520, to which SweedDreams responds: “But it looks cool.”
There is disagreement in the community about whether the drop is good or not. What is clear is this: It is very rare, and anyone who has the weapon drop at their feet can consider themselves lucky.
With ingenuity and craftsmanship, even the high-tech suit from Dune can be recreated in just one day. But is the recycled drink really tasty? Fans have tested it.
What kind of suit are we talking about? Apart from sandworms and their native habitats, which are the vast amounts of sand in the deserts of the planet Arrakis, the stillsuits of the Fremen are among the most recognizable elements from the science fiction universe.
The suits recycle the expelled water (urine, breath, sweat) in the scorching hot atmosphere, making human life possible without carrying vast quantities of water. While largely unnecessary on Earth, fans wanted to find out: Can we recreate something like this? And how does the result taste?
What was Dune again? The original novels were written by Frank Herbert. Recently, Dune (translated as “The Desert Planet”) gained renewed fame, especially thanks to the films by Denis Villeneuve. The second part (Dune: Part Two) premiered in German cinemas in February.
But the Dune universe also has something to offer in terms of video games and even MMOs. May we introduce? Dune: Awakening:
Start video
Dune: Awakening – From Book to Film to Video Game
Hobbyists Build Their Own Dune Suit and Test It
On their channel Hacksmith Industries, some YouTubers with crafting talent grabbed some commercial supplies to recreate a suit; as well as to taste it and the body-water product.
What do they use? Generally, the suit consists of the following parts: A white, airtight lab suit, which is covered with a standard Tyvek suit for insulation after the first tests, to maximize heat, and all this is visually completed with a costume of a stillsuit. They want to look stylish while experimenting.
They capture the air with a mask connected via a tube to a thermoelectric cooler. The power is supplied by a battery.
How does the suit work? The warm, humid breath is directed through the cooler, where the air temperature is lowered. This causes the water to condense. This condensate flows through a tube into a reservoir. There, the body water collects, which can be sucked up through a thick straw built into the mask.
Is urine also recycled? No, the hobby inventors do not go that far. But who knows? Maybe they will dare to attempt even bolder constructions in the future to enable survival in earthly deserts.
After some (strength) exercises and visiting a self-built sauna, quite a bit has accumulated. So cheers!
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
How does the water taste now? On a scale from 1 to 10, the tester of the suit and his own sweat gives the self-made drink a solid six. It doesn’t taste that bad, he notes, and the surprise is audible. He expected worse, a three. However, what is disturbing – and would probably be even more annoying in Dune – is the temperature of the drink: quite warm.
If you feel inspired to create your own stillsuit after reading this article, we can’t help you on the spot; we can only refer you to your own workshop. Now you know how it’s done.
But if you’re now feeling inclined towards Dune but aren’t sure if the second film is for you, you can do two things: First, just watch the first part. And second, read the opinion piece by MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya on Dune 2. There you will find out why she believes she has already seen a classic of science fiction.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The genre of MMORPGs has fascinated and excited millions of players for decades. In a multi-part report, MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz sheds light on the roots, development, and future of online role-playing games. Part 1 focuses on the pioneers of MMORPGs.
Let’s first clarify the basics, so that even game enthusiasts who have never played an online role-playing game can follow along. MMORPG stands for “Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game”, meaning a role-playing game that takes you into a persistent online world where a large number of other players roam.
The term “persistent” should be taken with caution, as it primarily means that the game world, with its content and challenges, continues to exist even when you are offline. However, persistence only goes so far in exceptional cases; for example, you can place an item in the world, and when you come back later, it is still there.
When players today discuss the beginnings of the MMORPG genre, titles like Meridian 59 and The Realm Online from 1996 or Ultima Online from 1997 quickly come to mind. However, the roots of online role-playing games lie much deeper, in the so-called MUDs.
MUD stands for Multi-User Dungeon, referring to games that allow multiple adventurers to explore any form of dungeon or virtual world simultaneously. The first of its kind, MUD1, was created in the late 1970s. The focus here was still on social interaction, allowing up to 36 players to play at the same time.
In the 80s, the new genre gained significant popularity as affordable home computers became available. At the same time, the first commercial projects hit the market.
Among these was the text-based MUD Sceptre of Goth, which was based on the popular pen-and-paper role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, allowed up to 16 players to enter the dungeons simultaneously, and even made PvP possible. The cost was nearly three US dollars per hour.
Island of Kesmai utilized ASCII representation, also used in classics like Rogue.
Another commercial multi-user dungeon was released in 1985, named Island of Kesmai. The game offered
a character creation (with choice of class, origin, and gender)
a chat room
a virtual world where up to 100 players could wander
five regions with 62,000 places
around 2,500 creatures and NPCs
rewards could be earned through quests
the game used ASCII graphics to represent player characters, world boundaries, opponents, and loot
Interested players could experience Island of Kesmai through CompuServe’s online service for about twelve US dollars per hour. Yep, those were different times.
Avalon: The Legend Lives In 1989, this text-based online RPG by Yehuda Simmons was released, featuring remarkable systems for economy, agriculture, and jobs. Additionally, it included a player-controlled government, with ministers and elections, as well as conquest battles where entire legions, trenches, minefields, and fortifications were involved.
In short: The developer aimed to create a believable world where players could lead a virtual life (via Wikipedia). Avalon: The Legend Lives was thus an evolution of Habitat from 1986, which aimed for a similar direction.
Dungeons & Dragons in a different way
The next important milestone for the MMORPG genre came in 1991 from industry veteran Don Daglow, who has a portfolio that includes classics like Dungeon (1975), Utopia (1981), Amnesia (1986), and Stronghold (1993).
He got to develop a new game for the Dungeons & Dragons universe with his studio Stormfront, and the result was Neverwinter Nights, which is now considered the first graphical MMORPG (not to be confused with the 2002 Neverwinter Nights by Bioware).
A spiritual descendant of Neverwinter Nights – the MMORPG Neverwinter Online:
Start video
Neverwinter PS4 Trailer
While “Neverwinter” refers to the city of Neverwinter from the D&D universe, the “Nights” was a nod to the fact that AOL’s online service (and thus the game) was initially only available at night and on weekends – due to the high costs of renting the available telecommunication lines at that time.
Neverwinter Nights used the venerable Gold Box engine from SSI (known for Eye of the Beholder, Stronghold), but featured a multiplayer mode, allowing players to form groups, complete quests together, and even band together into guilds. The battles occurred in a sort of real-time system, and there was a chat to coordinate.
The Neverwinter Nights from 1991 brings graphics to multiplayer fun.
Initially, AOL supported a capacity of 100 simultaneously active players. However, due to high demand, this value had to be adjusted to 500 – making Neverwinter Nights the most populated online experience up to that point. There were still queues, which AOL monetized due to the per-minute connection charges.
The first crafting in an online world
As a kicker from the era of MMORPG pioneers, we have Legends of Future Past from 1992 for you. This commercial multi-user dungeon was no longer offered only via an online service like CompuServe, but also through this new thing called the Internet.
Legends of Future Past is noteworthy for two additional reasons. The game by NovaLink offered the first proper crafting system in an online game. Adventurers could gather resources like ores, furs, and herbs to craft weapons and armor or enchant items.
Additionally, it introduced paid game masters for the first time, who organized events, helped newcomers, and supported the community.
DOTA 2 is the major competitor of League of Legends and a constant hit on Steam. Behind Steam and DOTA 2 is the same company: Valve. With a seemingly unremarkable update 7.36, the developers are currently reshaping the balance of DOTA 2. With facets and talents, two game-changing features are being introduced for all 124 heroes. This can be afforded because they are foregoing the large sums of money that cosmetics in the Battle Pass have brought in over the years.
What happens in the patch? The current patch 7.36 has fundamentally changed all 124 heroes in DOTA 2 in two ways.
Each character now has an “Innate Ability”; previously, only 7 characters had one.
Furthermore, all 124 characters now have two facets: players must choose one of the two variants that change the gameplay style of the chosen hero before a match starts.
Many saw the big update “New Frontiers” as DOTA 3:
Start video
Dota 2 – The New Frontiers Update
Every Hero in DOTA 2 has 2 Facets
What does that look like in practice? Every hero in DOTA 2 has 2 facets. The hero Pudge, known as “Patchwork” to WoW players, now has to decide:
Either his skill Dismember becomes stronger, where he hacks away wildly at an opponent while healing himself
Or his famous hook deals more damage the closer he pulls his victim to him
The unique talent, in turn, makes the heroes fundamentally more individual. The abilities are active from the beginning of the match, and each hero has a unique talent.
Dawnbreaker can now reveal the entire map when dawn breaks.
DOTA invests less working time in cosmetics, more in gameplay
Why is this happening now? Valve decided on a change of direction in DOTA 2 in June 2023. For years, they have invested their working time into cosmetic items so that the “Battle Pass” offers enough content to be an attractive purchase for players.
However, they recently decided not to invest their working time in cosmetics anymore, but in game systems. The results were already visible with the “New Frontiers” update.
With the current patch 7.36, Valve demonstrates once again what happens when one foregoes cosmetics and invests in the game.
Through a Wuthering Waves web event, you can secure a 5-star Echo with a bit of luck, which will then be sent to you in the game. You can find all the important information about the “Forte Awakened! Summon Event” here.
What kind of event is this? Currently, during the web event “Forte Awakened! Summon Event,” you can secure an Echo and Astrites. You will have access to not only weaker Echos but also 5-star Echos, one of which you can easily secure through the event.
How does the Echo Event work? To draw the Echos, you must complete missions. For example, just for logging into the event page, you get four attempts. Sharing the page, inviting friends, and following on Twitter also give you turns.
Then, you draw on the Echos in Gacha style, hoping to get a particularly strong specimen. Pay attention to the colored borders, as they reveal the level:
Gold: 5-star Echo
Purple: 4-star Echo
Blue: 3-star Echo
Green: 2-star Echo
Gray: 1-star Echo
So you should try to complete missions (the Daily Missions reset daily) until you receive a gold-bordered Echo to secure a 5-star Echo for the game.
Remember to secure your desired Echo by the end of the event, or else you won’t receive it after the event ends.
A small note: Even if you have already drawn and secured the perfect Echo, you should continue drawing until you have received 30 different specimens of Echos to unlock all Astrite rewards of the event.
The developer Bungie, creator of Destiny 2, has obtained a court ruling against the cheat provider “Phoenix Digital”. They are known as AimJunkies. This is the first ruling of its kind in this form: Bungie has received money worth a good car, slightly more than 58,000 euros. For a company like Bungie, this is just a small amount. However, the ruling could have far-reaching consequences for the gaming industry.
Bungie accused the cheat developers: Bungie accused the cheat providers, four men, of having developed and sold cheats that allow players in the first-person shooter Destiny 2 to see through walls and instantly kill their enemies. These cheats gave users unfair advantages.
This behavior would harm the player base of Destiny 2, the developers said. They received 6,000 complaints about the cheats and had to spend millions of US dollars to protect the player base.
They wanted compensation for this, hence the lawsuit.
Start video
Destiny 2: The Most Epic Moments of the Light and Darkness Saga
Cheat providers feel bullied, file countersuit
What the cheat developers said: They, in turn, filed a countersuit. The lawyers said that Bungie behaves like a schoolyard bully and wants to intimidate the other side: “The big company bullies the smaller ones.”
The cheaters accused Bungie of having illegally accessed one of their computers and thereby violating copyright.
Bungie countered that this is the standard procedure to find cheaters and is covered by the terms of Destiny 2.
Cheaters are sued directly for the cheats
What makes the process so special? In the past, gaming companies have won against cheat providers through copyright law: The cheat firms were not sued for the cheats and their effects, but because the cheat programmers violated the code of a game to design a cheat code. In doing so, they broke copyright.
Therefore, gaming companies could only sue cheaters indirectly.
However, Bungie’s current process is now specifically about cheating for the first time and was decided for the first time by a jury court, where it concerns compensation for the studio’s expenses.
This is how the jury decided: A jury of 7 people awarded Bungie damages of 63,210 $.
The cheat company has announced it will appeal the case.
Even though the ruling is relatively mild for the cheating company and the fine is manageable, the specialist press sees this decision as groundbreaking and believes it will be easier to take legal action against cheat providers in the future.
Bungie had already collected 4.3 million $ from AimJunkies
The currently won 63,000 $ pale in comparison to the 4.3 million $ that Bungie obtained from AimJunkies in February 2023: The millions of US dollars were obtained due to exactly these copyright violations.
The Starship from SpaceX is on everyone’s lips, but do you know one of Germany’s flagship space projects? We introduce you to a company and its rocket that are preparing to respond to Elon Musk from Europe with high-tech.
What kind of German rocket is this? The Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) has developed an orbital rocket that is now ready for its maiden flight from Unst. This summer, there is a lot of activity at SaxaVord Spaceport amidst idyllic yet rugged scenery.
While the waves crash at the foot of the steep coast, tests are being conducted above for the fiery ride to orbit. State-of-the-art engines will be responsible for the spectacle, matching those from the USA in (almost) every aspect.
Once it takes off for the first time, the rocket named RFA One will inaugurate the first spaceport in the United Kingdom.
From here, the RFA One is set to take off for the first time, at the SaxaVord spaceport. Image source: RFA
Across the Atlantic in Texas, an unprecedented private industry has been operating at full throttle for years: Elon Musk is building the Starship, the largest rocket of all time, with SpaceX. This will open up the Moon and eventually Mars for humanity. After three test flights, the goal is increasingly within reach.
In Germany, a company is pursuing more modest goals. We explain everything important about the RFA One and why it carries the hopes of a young industry that has lain practically dormant in Germany for decades. Germany wants to have a stake in one of the future economic sectors: commercial space travel.
What is the RFA One?
The RFA One is a 30-meter high and two-meter diameter orbital rocket. It can carry around 1.3 tons into low Earth orbit (LEO). Here we find a variety of conceivable uses for satellites, such as Earth and weather observation.
Should SpaceX be afraid? Elon Musk aims to bring more than 100 tons into similar orbits with his SpaceX-built Starship and Super Heavy booster (over 120 meters tall and nine meters in diameter).
Nevertheless, the design of the RFA One is noteworthy as it is the most powerful rocket from Germany and relies on a high-tech engine (Helix) of its own development, as well as expertise from the luxury automotive industry.
Intended Series Production
Steel and parts from luxury cars are being used for the orbital rocket: In production, RFA, similar to SpaceX, does not rely on composite materials, but instead on steel. This is more cost-effective. Additionally, modified parts from suppliers of German luxury limousines are being used to reduce costs for the engines. The main advantage: proven mass production also lowers costs here.
Special components primarily developed, built, and delivered in small quantities for space travel are exorbitantly expensive.
The launch has not yet occurred, but it will look something like this once the SaxaVord spaceport fulfills its purpose for the first time thanks to the RFA One. Further down you will also find a launch render video and a fiery test of the engines. Image source: RFA
This makes the RFA One a product of the New Space industry that could economically threaten Musk’s company for lighter loads from European customers. The German rocket promises to transport smaller satellites (weighing a maximum of 500 kilograms) into orbit efficiently and cost-effectively.
What about the Ariane rocket? Germany is centrally involved in the Ariane 5, as well as many other international space projects, but it is not a German rocket. The Ariane is constructed by a subsidiary of Airbus – a European consortium.
Additionally, it has operated (and still operates) in different market segments. It was far more expensive and also more powerful than the RFA One. The same applies to the Ariane 6. It ranks in performance between the RFA One and the Starship, roughly on par with SpaceX’s Falcon 9. However, thus far, only Musk’s rockets have been reusable. RFA plans this for the future.
The preparations for the maiden flight are still ongoing. But we already have a rendering of the maiden flight here for you as a video:
Start video
RFA One: This could be the launch of the most powerful German orbital rocket
Rocket Engines Explained Simply, the Short Version
If the RFA One is remarkable, the engine stands out as unique. It is the first of its kind from the European Union. But to understand that, let’s quickly solidify the basics:
How do rocket engines work? Whether the first rocket engines that powered the infamous V weapons of the Third Reich or the world’s most modern engine named Raptor by SpaceX, they all rely on the same principle: pressure equalization.
It’s always about getting matter from pressurized tanks to exit through a nozzle as quickly as possible. Since the 1940s, we have basically only been able to build much more efficient and powerful engines.
Overpressure thanks to pumps: To increase the pressure, all modern engines use turbopumps. These pump previously compressed material into the combustion chamber, where fuel and oxygen are mixed and ignited, expanding explosively. This creates the tremendous thrust.
However, the pumps need to be driven, which is done by additional turbines. These are fed from the normal tanks, whose contents are also used to lift the rocket into orbit. However, with conventional methods, such as those used in the Merlin engines of the Falcon 9, potential thrust is lost because part of the fuel escapes as exhaust gas. Most rocket launches today are still carried out using engines with an open combustion cycle.
The RFA One with graphic representations of the separated stages. Image source: RFA
The Helix Engine: High Tech from Germany
What makes the Helix different? The Helix uses a staged combustion cycle (Closed Staged Combustion Cycle). This means that no exhaust gases escape from the engine prematurely. All material arrives in the combustion chamber. This is significantly more efficient.
The launch site has historical significance
Click to expand
Those familiar with history may recognize the intriguing irony of the partnership between Augsburg and the United Kingdom. Once, the V-rockets of the Third Reich terrorized England. They were powered by nothing other than the precursors to all modern engines for launch vehicles. In the future, one of the hopes of German space travel is set to launch from the land of the former enemy into orbit – the greatest progress often lies in lived cooperation.
There are not many such engines. The Soviets were long leaders in this field. Nowadays, mainly the USA, apart from SpaceX, relies on this technology. The Space Shuttle used the RS-25 for the first time, and the NASA still relies on the product, regarded as excellent, for the Space Launch Systems (SLS). Jeff Bezos sells and uses the newly developed BE-4 engine from his company Blue Origin. The Helix joins this class of excellence.
And what about SpaceX’s Raptor? The Raptor is one step above. It is the holy grail of chemical engines. It uses a full-flow combustion cycle (Full Flow Staged Combustion Cycle). The efficiency is even higher, as both fuel and oxygen arrive completely gaseous in the combustion chamber. A more detailed explanation would be beyond the scope here.
Next is a video of a hot-fire test of the first stage of the RFA One. It is exactly what it sounds like: it’s going to be fiery. All four installed Helix engines will be fired for an extended period and tested across various power levels.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
In the final configuration, nine of these engines will launch the rocket into orbit before the second stage takes over and lifts the payload with a single vacuum-optimized Helix further into the target orbit. Finally, a third stage with a mini-engine can make further adjustments to the orbit, for example, to deploy multiple payloads sequentially.
Are there other German rockets? Yes, there are. Apart from RFA, Isar Aerospace and HyImpulse are currently developing and building orbital rockets as well. The latter even took off for the first time in Australia recently, albeit with a far smaller and weaker test rocket compared to the RFA One.
However, both competitors are still exciting. HyImpulse utilizes candle wax and Isar Aerospace uses manufacturing processes like 3D printing, even if their Spectrum rocket is less powerful than the RFA One.
If you are interested, we would be happy to introduce you to both companies and their rockets, or would you like to read more about SpaceX’s Starship? Let us know in the comments! If you are intrigued or have long been drifting mentally into the vastness of space, you should check out our recommendations for movies that resemble Interstellar.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins was the absolute star on Twitch from 2017 to 2019 and the face of the online shooter Fortnite. On May 24, 2024, he now says: Fortnite is for losers. The reason for this change of heart is the new season in Fortnite, Chapter 5, Season 3: The current “vehicle meta” does not appeal to the streamer at all.
This is what Ninja says:
Ninja describes the current situation with the new season in Fortnite like this: You land somewhere, collect loot, grab a vehicle, don’t attack anyone, and play like “the biggest losers in the world”.
If he were a 5-year-old who still loved cool cars, he would find the season great.
But he is 32, an adult, and enjoys shooting at things in video games. But now he has to drive around in a vehicle and pray to encounter other people who have worse vehicles than he does.
Start video
Through Fortnite to the largest streamer on Twitch – Who is Ninja and what is he doing today?
“So Ninja has turned into a Boomer”
How is this being discussed? In the comments on Twitter, Ninja is largely mocked and criticized for his playstyle, which is seen as outdated by his critics. People are poking fun: Ninja could only spam buildings like crazy and is not adaptable.
People are writing:
“Has he ever tried to do something other than just spam builds to counter everything?”
“Ninja shouldn’t complain. The man hasn’t been good at Fortnite since Chapter 1 ended.”
“He is just complaining, can’t he adapt?”
“So Ninja has turned into a Boomer.”
Besides the people who mock him slightly, there are also some who agree with him and say: The current season is indeed a bit strange.
Here you can see Ninja’s rant:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from Twitter that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
How good was Ninja? Ninja had his dominant phase very early in Fortnite, around 2017. Back then, hardly anyone had a clue about Fortnite and building: Ninja, as a shooter professional coming from Halo, dominated lobbies of random players and racked up many kills with an aggressive playstyle.
However, this high-flying period didn’t last long. After a few months, new players came to Fortnite who were better than he was. As Fortnite became professionalized in the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup and many young professionals emerged, Ninja fell further behind and failed to qualify for the World Cup.
Ninja is a good shooter player and even dominated Fortnite in the first months. However, he has not been among the world’s best since 2019.
Aspiring pro players want as stable shooter gameplay as possible, where skill in shooting and building determines the victory.
But Epic wants to keep shaking things up with crazy ideas, bringing in unbalanced items and features that allow casual players to win and disrupt the balance. Earlier, this included things like mechs or planes.
The current “vehicle meta” is the new manifestation of this discussion, which has been ongoing in Fortnite for years. And Ninja, who has been playing Fortnite for 7 years, has become a symbol figure. Ninja appeared to be a laid-back guy with blue hair and his attitude, but upon closer inspection, his defining character trait has always been extreme ambition: Fortnite star Ninja: Funny on the outside, fierce and incredibly ambitious on the inside.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
After Twitch streamer Simon “Unge” Wiefels made allegations against two of his female viewers and his ex-girlfriend, the former partner of the content creator has now spoken out.
What is the current situation regarding Unge? In the night of May 16, 2024, the Twitch streamer and YouTuber Simon “Unge” Wiefels published a detailed statement on X, formerly Twitter. Apparently, he wanted to preempt allegations that he was the male counterpart to the disgraced Anni The Duck. He apparently anticipated that he would soon be in the crosshairs of a public accusation.
In a YouTube video, Rachel has now spoken out, two weeks later, and made serious accusations against the content creator.
The German Twitch scene is currently in turmoil:
Start video
Reved explains on Twitch how much she suffered in the relationship with Anni The Duck
Ex-girlfriend reports on abusive relationship
What does Rachel say? In her video, Rachel talks about how she experienced the relationship with Unge. He is said to have exhibited abusive behaviors. Rachel reports that the content creator pressured her early on to move to Madeira with him.
As soon as she got there, however, Unge increasingly distanced himself from her and isolated her socially:
She was not allowed to visit her family in Germany
Contact with her sister was unwanted
Moreover, he is said to have socially isolated her
In the relationship, there is said to have been a constant back and forth between rejection and so-called “love bombing.” This is a manipulative approach in which the affected person is overwhelmed with affection, especially after a fight.
Unge is said to have had a feud with her cat
Rachel also reports that Unge is said to have had a kind of feud with her cat, Tyga. He allegedly yelled at the cat, took away the frightened animal’s retreat options, locked it out, and even threw objects at it.
When Rachel intervened, Unge reportedly also threw her to the ground. There are also claims that there were physical confrontations.
You can watch the entire video here:
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
What does Unge say about it? The Twitch streamer responded later in the afternoon of May 25 to his ex-girlfriend’s video. Unge admits that there was “misconduct” on his part in the relationship, but states that these are mixed with strong exaggerations in the video.
Unge particularly distances himself from the allegations that he mistreated Rachel’s cat. He does not want to be associated with such claims. The Twitch streamer points out contradictions that he sees in the allegations.
Fans and colleagues are shocked by the allegations
How is this being discussed online? Many users on social networks are shocked by the allegations. On X, the term “Unge” is trending, with more than 9,500 posts. Many find it hard to believe that the Twitch streamer, as a vegan and alleged animal lover, could have treated an animal so poorly.
Many fans have followed Unge for years and grew up with his content. One moderator from Unge’s Twitch chat writes that the allegations are “a blow to [his] childhood,” and that he hasn’t been this sad in a long time (via X).
Other content creators also don’t know what to make of the whole situation: rewinside writes, for example, that he no longer believes anyone in this scene and is “just sad and disappointed.” (via X)
2024 will be a year in which parts of the German influencer scene are “exposed,” with many content creators showing their true faces. The beginning was made by allegations against the Twitch streamer Anni The Duck, who lost a good portion of her fans within a short time, most of whom she had built up over seven years. Since then, many have been wondering which influencers might be “next.”
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Diablo 4 has received some changes with Season 4, the biggest being to the loot system. Blizzard is making it easier and more comfortable for players in every aspect. However, one of these comfort changes could quickly cost you your Uber Uniques if you click carelessly.
Diablo 4 Season 4 “Loot Reborn” in the gameplay trailer
What happens when I press the button? You will actually break down all items in your inventory – including legendaries, uniques, and Uber Uniques. The only exception is favorites.
You would have had to manually shred all legendaries with the old system. However, since Season 4, it is actually useful to destroy Uber Uniques, because you can craft new Uber Uniques yourself.
Now, one click on ‘Salvage All’ is enough to throw your entire inventory into the furnace and get the materials back. Experts complain that uniques are useless since Season 4, but a mistake can still be frustrating.
If you really want to salvage your entire inventory with the press of a button, you should definitely keep a few things in mind beforehand:
Check which items represent an upgrade to your equipped items.
Mark equipment you want to keep as favorites. This can be done on PC using the spacebar, on Xbox with the X button, and on PlayStation with square. Caution: You are also marking items as junk!
It’s best to store equipment you want to look at later directly in your stash.
You should especially be careful if you have just unequipped equipment you are currently wearing for any reason. The game shows no mercy in this case and irretrievably shreds everything.
Even the streamer and expert Raxxanterax was surprised during his stream that the function really destroys all items – even his Uber Uniques, as he realized. In general, however, the new system improves many aspects. You can find tips on crafting here: Hardening and Completion – How to turn your items into God Rolls
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Editor-in-Chief Leya visited the 11 Bit Studios and played Frostpunk 2, the sequel to their successful strategy game. Everything is on fire within no time, but she still had fun.
I knew from the start that Frostpunk 2 and I would not get along well. How could we? The first part of the series is considered a difficult strategy game and I have nothing to do with this genre.
But now I am here at the developer studio 11 Bit and get to try the story mode of Frostpunk 2. “Why am I even putting myself through this?” crosses my mind. The answer is simple: Frostpunk 2 is a very special strategy-building game.
The scenario is literally cool. In the first part, you have to survive the longest winter in history and secure humanity’s survival. It is about much more than just expanding the city or optimally managing resources. As is typical for the studio, morally difficult decisions must be made.
Frostpunk 2 takes place 30 years after the events of the first part.
The apocalyptic winter is now permanent, civilization is almost completely destroyed, and with you as ruler, a new society is forming. Different factions are emerging, which you must somehow satisfy – and they often think what you are doing is pretty stupid. Naturally, these factions have conflicts with each other. Some are traditionalists, others are progressive; there are religious and atheists, idealists and materialists. The big question in Frostpunk 2 is: where do we want to go as a society after the apocalypse?
This entire moral aspect and setting appeal to me greatly. It’s all too exciting! So I grit my teeth and let’s go.
Not tolerated after 20 minutes, banished after 35 minutes
I reach the test PC assigned to me, start the game, and immediately feel helpless and overwhelmed. Just to be safe, I set the difficulty to “easy” right away.
I am to build a new society in the middle of the ice desert
My first round goes as catastrophically as it can. I get the task of getting a stove burning so that my people do not freeze in the cold. I am to ensure shelter and food. Sounds doable and simple.
While I am still trying to orient myself and click through the menus, my little civilization is already starting to scream: We are hungry and it is freezing cold!
I first have to break up all the ice to even build something. Well, what do I mean by I? My people are doing all that while I watch them toil. They don’t seem to be in particularly good spirits, but I can’t blame them.
As I will find out later, I choose the most foolish routes to get to my resources. Everything is going way too slowly. My people are starving, they are freezing, and I lack the funds to build. One by one, they become ill and start dying off.
Start video
Frostpunk 2 creates goosebumps with new trailer
I barely play for 20 minutes before the message comes that my people can no longer tolerate me as their ruler. I don’t understand it. So far, only about 3/4 of the population has died.
I see the population count continuing to plummet. I must do something. Time for radical measures! There is the option to have people work double shifts. Then the food will arrive faster.
Bad idea, now they are really mad. They also get sick faster, and I just have more dead.
After 35 minutes, almost nobody is left, and everyone has finally had enough of me. They send me into exile. I can’t even get past the tutorial.
Game Over.
This is the Frostpunk experience: Tips from the Lead Developer
About this time, I am led to my interview appointment with head developer Jakub Stokalski. Damn, I haven’t thought of any great questions about the gameplay yet. In my mind, I still see my city going up in flames.
I decide to tell Jakub outright how I completely failed in his game. This at least elicits a genuine laugh from him. Encouragingly, the developer tells me that this is the completely normal Frostpunk experience and that I haven’t done anything wrong.
Frostpunk 2 is designed to build a lot of pressure so that tough decisions have great significance.
Now I feel a bit better and ask Jakub directly for tips for an absolute strategy novice like me.
Play the game at your own pace.
Don’t hesitate to play at the difficulty level that suits you best. This is not well developed in this build yet, and we are still working on it. The game should not mentally punish you for playing at your difficulty level. Easy doesn’t mean you’re bad.
Don’t be too hard on yourself.
Frostpunk 2 is quite complex and challenging. Consider every mistake as a learning experience. Games are just like life itself.
Use the pause.
Pause the game and think about what you want to do next. We support active pauses in Frostpunk 2. Get an overview and think about what could go wrong. I even believe that playing slowly is the best way to play Frostpunk 2. Don’t rush; quick play is for very experienced players. When I play Frostpunk 2 at the office and rush, I usually end up losing.
Lead Developer Jakub Stokalski gives beginner tips for Frostpunk 2
After the interview, I have time to delve further into Frostpunk 2 and play.
Especially the tip to use the active pause more consciously has helped me a lot as the game progressed. I quickly notice a learning curve and succeed in the tutorial on my second attempt.
At the end of the tutorial, you immediately get insight into what it means to make tough decisions in Frostpunk 2. Here comes the moral component into play.
Before going into the real game, the stockpile becomes a topic. I can decide to kill some seals for food. They are the last of their kind. Just as my oldest residents are willing to simply go into the woods to die and thus provide more resources for the young.
But I can also refuse both and start with scarce supplies.
Since I want to respect the wishes of the old, I send them into the forest to die and begin with more supplies by reducing my civilization. Beautiful new world.
Making everyone happy is the most challenging way to play Frostpunk 2
As our conversation progresses, Jakub admits to me that he is not really the best player either and often fails at his own game. He says they even have a laugh about it in the office.
When I ask him what his weakness is, he gives me an unexpected and quite exciting answer: he plays too nice.
My weakness is that I want to please everyone. Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions, and I apparently fail to do so.
Making everyone happy is the hardest part of Frostpunk 2. It is not impossible. That is one of our design philosophies. We do not try to glorify “bad” decisions so that you cannot make “good” decisions. We design it so that you can play well without having to do bad things. But for that, you really have to be good at the game.
I try to achieve that, and since I am not such a good player, I make it hard for myself.
Lead Developer Jakub Stokalski on the hardest way in Frostpunk 2
And it is true. Morally questionable behavior can bring benefits. Double shifts and sending the old to die in the woods have already been mentioned.
Then there are the different factions in the game, each with different ideas about the future of the new society. Jakub explains to me that the team researched the entire history of humanity for this – at least as far as it was possible in the four years of development time.
Different factions are formed, each with their own values
The community system is meant to represent different ideas found in the history of humanity. This is all simplified to work in the game.
The deepest level of Frostpunk 2 makes the game special
This very moral dilemma eventually put me into a flow state. I have never experienced that with a building game before. Normally, I always forget in between what I actually want to do, and chaos ensues.
However, since the factions reach out from time to time and story events take place on the map, I am curious and want to see where my civilization develops. This really makes Frostpunk 2 something special and also motivates me as a strategy novice.
At the end of our conversation, Jakub confirms this.
The truth is: Any kind of ideology in the history of humanity, if you take it too seriously and start to see ideals instead of people, always led to a tragedy. And that is the deep level of Frostpunk 2.
We hope this is the part you start to see as you play the game. There is never a good reason to place ideals above people.
Lead Developer Jakub Stokalski on the core of Frostpunk 2
When the test session is over, I am surprised at how much fun I had with Frostpunk 2. I did not expect that. I think it really has to do with the deeper level of the strategy-building game that sets it apart from other genre representatives.
If you are in a similar situation as I am and the game still appeals to you, it might be worth giving it a try and just trying it out. I can also advise you to seek help if you get stuck.
If I must criticize something, it is the lack of clarity of the mechanics at the beginning of the game. There are menus where everything is explained, but it is already difficult to find your way around. Especially when playing in easy mode, a few more explanations in the tutorial would be desirable.
From time to time, I had to get help from the 11 Bit team when I didn’t understand something, and that helped me progress step by step. Without this help, I would not have made it further.
From my perspective, it is worth sticking with it for a special gaming experience.
In Pokémon GO, trainers are currently supposed to catch Kapuno to solve a challenge, but this is causing many players headaches. We at MeinMMO explain what it’s about and give you tips on how to find the monster.
What challenge is it about? The Ultra Dimension event is currently taking place in Pokémon GO, which is active until May 28, 2024, at 8:00 PM local time. During this, you can not only secure the new Ultra Beasts Agoyon, Muramura, and Kopplosio, but you also need to complete three collector challenges.
These mostly revolve around Pokémon that spawn in the wild during the event. You need to catch Kapuno, Kindwurm, and Shardrago, as you have to capture three raid bosses as well. But this is currently causing significant problems for some trainers. We have summarized what problems the trainers are facing and what you can do about it below.
Start video
Pokémon World Championship 2024: Trailer for the Event in Hawaii
That’s why trainers are currently in despair over Kapuno
Why is Kapuno causing frustration? Kapuno is a Dark and Dragon-type Pokémon from the 5th generation of games. During the current Ultra Dimension event, it should be available in level-1 raids. Therefore, it is one of the monsters that you can easily defeat alone in raids.
Nevertheless, this Pokémon is presenting quite a challenge to some trainers, as the corresponding raids simply cannot be found in the game. The Reddit user therealSteckel publicly vents his frustration and writes in his post the following:
Kapuno raids are a myth …
… invented by Niantic. I have checked the local raids every 30 minutes for the last 3.5 days and have not seen a single Kapuno. I am convinced they are either fictional or region-locked. And yes, I have gone to populated areas to search for them. No chance. […] Does anyone even get them or am I just this unlucky?
How are other trainers reacting? In his post, therealSteckel speaks for many players, as they have also been desperately searching for the Pokémon for days and simply cannot find it.
However, there are also trainers who are experiencing the exact opposite. They can barely get away from Kapuno but cannot find the other monsters in raids. In the comments on Reddit, you can read the following:
ImACoach51971: That’s true!!! We haven’t seen ANY (and we’ve traveled and played through 4 states in the last week)!
sdrawkcabsitho: I just checked Poke Genie. There are 1,700 people in line waiting for raid invitations.
mshan1991: For me, it was the exact opposite. All I could find were Kapuno raids, I couldn’t find any Kindwurm raids. This morning, I was lucky with one that appeared at the arena before work.
Wait_Another_One: For me, it’s Shardrago. I have never seen one and have not seen it in any of the raids since the challenges began.
Why is this a problem? The collector challenges in Pokémon GO are time-limited. Therefore, trainers only have until the end of the current event to catch the monsters. If they do not succeed, the rewards and the medal for completing this collector challenge will be lost.
This is particularly frustrating because many players have already battled the other sought-after monsters in raids to collect them and invested raid passes or even valuable remote raid passes for that. Unlike other research tasks, there is no reward for the individual quests, but only a total reward when everything is solved.
How can you still find the missing monsters?
Pokémon in the wild: Those who, like therealSteckel, simply have no luck with suitable raids can also secure Kapuno in the wild. While it does not appear particularly frequently there compared to the current event Pokémon, there is a chance, as Reddit user Pubkit confirms. But you will still need a considerable amount of luck.
So it’s best to use your daily adventure incense, as it attracts rarer monsters as well. The same goes for your missing encounters with Kindwurm. This monster can also be occasionally found in the wild.
Field research: Unfortunately, Kapuno cannot be found in the current field and special research. If you want to secure it through research, you can only find it in older tasks with a bit of luck. This is different with Kindwurm.
This Pokémon is currently hidden in two field researches according to the overview from LeekDuck. However, you should note that when catching dragon-type Pokémon, you might also encounter Dratini or Milza instead. Keep an eye out for the following tasks at PokéStops to find Kindwurm:
Land 2 excellent throws
Catch a Pokémon of the Dragon type
Rocket Grunt: Kindwurm is also currently part of the dragon team from one of the Rocket grunts. It can therefore be captured after defeating it in battle. However, we cannot confirm with certainty whether it counts towards the challenge in its shadow form.
Remote Raids: Additionally, you can also be invited to remote raids by other trainers, allowing you to secure Kapuno, Kindwurm, or Shardrago this way. If you cannot mobilize your trainer friends to invite you or if they cannot find suitable raids either, you can alternatively use special apps.
For this, you can connect with other trainers for raids via the Niantic app Campfire or use platforms like Poke Genie.
How far are you with the collector challenge? Have you already secured all the monsters? Or are you still eagerly waiting for raids? Feel free to let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO and discuss it with other trainers. Here we show you how to do remote raids using Poke Genie.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Star Citizen , players buy virtual spaceships even before the release. On May 23, CIG introduced a particularly stylish ship: the “Ironclad Assault.” The ship seems to fulfill the imagination of many players so much that so many jumped at the chance and got it as an affordable upgrade that the developers raised the price during the sale without informing the players.
How is it with Star Citizen?
Star Citizen has raised an enormous amount of money through crowdfunding, and the game is currently approaching $700 million.
Most of the money comes from the sale of virtual ships. Even though the MMO is still a long way from release, some players are stocking up on ships that are sometimes absurdly expensive. The largest package costs 53,121 euros and 60 cents.
Proponents of the system say: It’s not that critical for the game, as large ships require large crews. The people who buy ships are collectors – and one should not view all this too critically.
Start video
Inside Star Citizen: Ironclad is Rad
New ship fulfills many players’ “I am independent” fantasy
This is the new ship: On May 23, CIG presented the new ship “Ironclad Assault” (via youtube). The ship is operated with 6 people, and CIG emphasizes that it is “self-sufficient” and can provide for itself:
The ship can transport heavy vehicles and infantry
But also has firepower through turrets
It also offers a garage on board that can create new components for vehicles
How was the ship received? In the video introducing the ship, the reactions are overwhelmingly positive. Apparently, the Ironclad seems to fulfill the imagination of many players in how they want to play Star Citizen:
One pilot says: It’s the “perfect sandbox ship” and aligns exactly with his idea of how he could play Star Citizen. He could host gladiator fights from the ship.
Another says: “Damn, what a wonderful ship. I have always wanted a flying chunk.”
Players do not buy the ship but upgrade their old one for $5
Here are the aftermaths: Three days after the video, on May 26, a user noticed on reddit that CIG increased the price for the “Iron Clad” by $10. The price increase takes effect when one wants to upgrade from another ship, like the M2 Hercules, to the new ship.
There is a discussion about whether the price increase was a reaction from Star Citizen or whether the originally stated price was a mistake. It is criticized that such a “silent price increase” is in any case the wrong behavior from Star Citizen. The developers should have owned up to the mistake and continued to offer the old, cheaper price.
In the discussion, it turns out that many players apparently took the opportunity to upgrade from the “M2 Hercules” to the new, more attractive ship for only $5 more.
It is therefore suspected that many players did not buy the ship at full price but instead obtained a very affordable upgrade to enhance their existing investment in the game.
Because the M2 Hercules seems to fulfill a very similar power fantasy but not as well as the new, slightly more expensive ship.
“The marketing team is surely not satisfied with that,” believes one player.
Numerous players state that they immediately jumped at the new ship and secured the new version for only $5.
In the discussion, some are happy that they managed to grab the ship at the old price just in time. Others defend CIG and dismiss the whole discussion as irrelevant. The price increase is not even 2%; it’s peanuts. But one user says it is madness to discuss a ship for $500 in a game. For him, it is insane. The comment goes almost unnoticed, with only one upvote. New package in Star Citizen costs 53,121 euros and 60 cents – More than a gross annual salary in Germany
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A player is considering buying a gaming PC with RTX 4060. However, he thinks that his wife won't allow it. But there are also other good reasons,such as family and buying a house, which also need to be considered at the moment.
What kind of PC is it about? On reddit, the user explains that the wholesale chain Costco currently has a gaming PC on sale that he would like to buy:
Processor: Intel i5-13400F
Graphics card: Nvidia RTX 4060, 8 GB
RAM: 32 GB DDR5
Storage: 2 TB SSD
Accessories: Keyboard and mouse
The whole hardware costs around 700 euros, and that is an excellent deal. Some calculate that you would normally have to pay double for the hardware. That's why many are surprised that he is even listening to his wife regarding such a great offer.
Family buys house and expects child, so a gaming PC is not a priority
That's why he asks his wife: Some players in the thread accuse him of simply not having enough self-confidence to stand up to his wife. Many have the cliché in mind that women don't appreciate their partners’ gaming hobbies.
However, the player explains himself that it has nothing to do with that, but that there are very valid reasons why they decided not to buy the computer. And also that he discusses the purchase of a gaming PC with his wife has reasons. He explains in several responses:
He and his wife share all household expenses, so large investments are always discussed together, and he wants to be transparent with such expenses.
They are currently buying a new house and expecting a second child, so the purchase of a new PC currently has the lowest priority.
Additionally, his old gaming PC still works perfectly, and he doesn't necessarily need a new one right now. It would have looked different if his computer had broken down; then he would have also bought the PC.
The reactions are negative: It is somewhat shocking how many negative comments the user receives. Many tell him that he should rather "upgrade" his wife. One of the few positive comments states that it is good that he listens to his wife's advice (via reddit):
Anyway, that's a damn good deal for a prebuilt and would be a serious upgrade over your current PC, which you already know.
But it's good that you listen to your partner's advice, especially when it comes to money. I do the same with mine.
