Baldur’s Gate 3: Gale is the best companion, because only he does the unimaginable for you

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

Gale is the best companion in Baldur’s Gate 3. Because where others smile crookedly, Gale gives you the ultimate proof of love.

In Baldur’s Gate 3, you have the agony of choice. You not only have to make big decisions for the storyline, but also constantly decide who you want to have in your party. While Larian is praised for almost all companions in Baldur’s Gate 3, the community is still debating who is the best of all.

Start video
Baldur’s Gate 3 is coming to PS5 – Trailer prepares for console release

In the post “Why Gale Deserves an Eternal Place in My Party”, 18frederickj explains in the Baldur’s Gate 3 Subreddit why the wizard has enchanted him and outshines all other companions.

A possible outcome of the storyline is that your character becomes a mind flayer to avert the final threat from the massive brain of Baldur’s Gate. While you are the great savior of the world, you have simultaneously shed a large part of your humanity – after all, you are now a mind flayer. A normal life as a human, dwarf, or tiefling is out of the question afterwards:

When the time came to make the ultimate sacrifice, I thought it was my Tav’s responsibility, considering how much he messed up saving the world.

So fast forward, I save the world, give the crown to Raphael, and go to the farewell party. As a mind flayer, my Tav faces the reality of spending the rest of his life alone in seclusion, while all my friends set out to enjoy a fantastic life.

No pretty sights for the hero who saved Baldur’s Gate. But there is one companion who apparently has no problem with the hero’s new appearance.

Out of nowhere, Gale, who has since taken a position as a professor of magic at some university, says that he offers me a position as a guest lecturer, thereby saving the rest of my Tav’s life from insignificance.

Thanks to Gale, your tentacled main character has something to do in the future that goes beyond “eating brains”.

More about Baldur’s Gate 3:
Baldur’s Gate 3 Coop Guide for PS5, PC, Xbox: Tips for Multiplayer
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Baldur’s Gate 3: Recruiting Minthara – How to Get the Powerful Companion
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True love withstands even tentacles

In the comments, EyebrowScar notes that Gale even goes further if you have entered into a romance with him. Because while the other heroes might struggle to adapt to a mind flayer, it’s different with Gale:

If you have a romance with Gale, he is also the only companion who will marry you in the epilogue, even if you are a mind flayer.

He even emphasizes how “wonderfully moist your tentacles look today”, he is 100% on board and loves you the way you are. He is a valuable man, love him.

baldur's-gate-3-mindflayer
As a mind flayer, you are not exactly popular. Only Gale thinks it’s okay.

While you can also convince some other companions to stay with you in mind flayer form – like Lae’zel, whom you can even divert from the crusade against Vlaakith – only Gale will marry you.

How did your ending in Baldur’s Gate 3 go? Did you find happiness with Gale or convince another companion?

If you should still feel lonely, you can simply have an army of 86 companions and comfort yourself with that.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

EA FC 24: New Season Pass for TOTS brings strong rewards – Here’s how to level up the fastest

Julian Schröder Julian Schröder Reading time 3 minutes

In conjunction with the big TOTS event, there is a new Season Pass in FC 24 that promises strong rewards. We will tell you what rewards are available and how you can collect them the fastest.

What is the Season Pass?

  • On Thursday, April 25, the new Season Pass was released in EA FC 24 Ultimate Team. It is available for 42 days and requires 40,000 XP to complete. Each level up requires 1,000 XP.
  • This time, the focus is on the Team of the Season, which is why there are also free TOTS cards. Additionally, there are loads of packs as well as player picks and new choreographies for your club.
  • The necessary experience points can be obtained by completing tasks.

If you want to know when each TOTS will be released, we have the TOTS schedule for you.

Start video
EA Sports FC 24: Update teaser for the UEFA Euro 2024

Season Pass in TOTS – All Rewards and How to Collect Them Quickly

The strongest rewards in the new Season Pass: Among the highlights of the Season Pass is definitely the strong TOTS Moments card of Mainoo (92) at Level 20. The card looks impressive and should be a solid boost for many in defensive midfield.

Additionally, there are some really strong packs hidden from Level 25 of the pass. There are many packs that guarantee cards with high ratings – quite practical since the strongest TOTS cards are currently in packs.

And finally, the Season Pass at Level 40 brings you Carlos Alberto (93), available in two different variants. Here you can choose between 5 stars for weak foot or skill moves.

Here’s how to level up most effectively:

  • The first tip is actually the most obvious one. Complete the daily tasks. They are easy and provide 150 XP daily. Additionally, you should complete the weekly tasks, which often include completing the daily tasks and are usually quite simple and can be done alongside.
  • Moreover, you can earn substantial XP by playing Division Rivals and Squad Battles. Here, your rank or division determines the amount of XP you receive. Completing a match in Division Rivals already gives you 700 XP. Plus, for 9 wins in the Weekend League, for example, you can earn 1,150 XP. The more wins you get, the more XP you earn.
  • Participate in the cups and pay attention to the associated tasks. The tasks related to the weekly friendly match cups are particularly lucrative. Here, you can earn XP not just for wins but also simply for completing matches. For your first game in the cup, for example, you currently receive 500 XP, and if you win three games, you get an additional 500 XP.
  • Try to complete multiple tasks simultaneously, if possible. Currently, one task requires a goal and an assist from a player from the WSL in 2 separate matches, and another task requires you to secure 3 wins with 6 WSL professionals in your starting XI. So, build a team of WSL professionals and complete both 500XP tasks in 3 instead of 5 matches.
  • Check whether the SBCs grant XP. Sometimes, tasks include XP for completing SBCs (Squad Building Challenges). Always look into the tasks to see if there are such options and complete SBCs to earn XP.
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All Rewards in the Season Pass: In this overview, we have left out cosmetic elements such as emblems or choreographies.

  • Level 1: Professional Selection – 1 of 3 rare gold players (80+)
  • Level 3: 80+-x2 Rare Gold Players Pack
  • Level 4: Premium Gold Pack
  • Level 6: 81+-x2 Rare Gold Players Pack
  • Level 8: 82+-x2 Rare Gold Players Pack
  • Level 10: Live TOTS Card Teze (90) – RB, RWB, and CB
  • Level 11: 83+-Rare Gold Players Pack
  • Level 13: 83+-x2 Rare Gold Players Pack
  • Level 15: TOTS Card Bowen (91) – ST, RM, and RF
  • Level 17: 83+-x5 Rare Gold Players Pack
  • Level 19: Rare Gold Player Pack (84+)
  • Level 20: TOTS Moments Card Mainoo (92) – CDM, CM, and CAM
  • Level 22: 84+-x2 Rare Gold Players Pack
  • Level 24: 84+-x2 Rare Gold Players Pack
  • Level 25: 86+-x3 Rare Gold Players Pack
  • Level 27: 85+-x2 Rare Gold Players Pack
  • Level 29: Professional Selection – 1 of 4 Rare Gold Players (85+)
  • Level 30: 85+-x7 Pack or 87+-x4 Professional Pack
  • Level 31: 84+-x5 Rare Gold Players Pack
  • Level 33: 85+-x10 Rare Gold Players Pack
  • Level 35: 83+-x5 Rare Gold Players Pack
  • Level 36: 84+-x10 Rare Gold Players Pack
  • Level 38: 87+-x5 Rare Gold Players Pack
  • Level 39: 88+-x3 Rare Gold Players Pack
  • Level 40: Ultimate Birthday Icon Carlos Alberto (93) or 85+-x20 Rare Gold Players Pack

If you want to stay updated on the upgrades of the new TOTS live cards, we have our upgrade tracker for you:

FC 24: TOTS Live Tracker: Which card receives an upgrade? – All players at a glance

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

A feature could come to the PS5 so that we never have to experience boring grind again

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 2 minutes

Sony has filed a patent that aims to allow games to be completed automatically. When this feature will arrive on the PS5 is unknown.

Imagine collecting certain ores for the twentieth time to upgrade your weapon. But instead of doing this tedious grind yourself, Sony’s new “Autoplay” feature comes into play: an artificial intelligence handles the boring grind for you while you can attend to more meaningful tasks.

Sony has just unveiled such a patent, which is based on artificial intelligence, that could “take over” game content for us. Because grind-heavy and repetitive gameplay is among the most boring content that players know.

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Patent aims to enable automatic gameplay

What kind of patent is this? Sony has presented a patent that could create an AI-controlled system allowing players to skip game sections using an “automatic play mode”.

According to the patent, the automatic play mode would use an AI model that learns how to simulate the gameplay style based on information from cloud-based services like the PlayStation Network (PSN). This was reported by user Hunter on Twitter/X, referring to the patent:

https://twitter.com/hunter_F9/status/1782053733788008783

According to the colleagues at Softonic.com, there are supposed to be more options. For example, the AI is expected to mimic a player’s gameplay style that it has learned from repetitive game sections. This means if you had to do the same thing again, the task would simply be handled by the artificial intelligence.

Additionally, there is the possibility of activating this option when particularly grind-heavy sections appear in the game. This gives you the chance to have especially boring gameplay automatically played, allowing you to focus only on the interesting things. The whole concept is called Anticipated Grinding Content (AGC).

Furthermore, according to the patent, you should always have the option to take control back. Or you receive a notification from the system once a repetitive section is completed and you can play again.

When will the feature be released? There is no specific timeline yet, as it is still just a comprehensive patent. In the past, Sony has frequently turned patents into actual features, such as the spoiler protection in games on the PS5.

So you should at least not expect to receive the feature in the next PS5 update and be able to avoid annoying grind.

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Not all PS5 features are immediately visible or known to every player. Some are cleverly hidden, others have simply been forgotten. MeinMMO presents you with 6 features that you should know about when playing on a PS5:

6 secret PS5 features you absolutely need to know

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Players of Escape from Tarkov are furious because the developers hide the new PvE mode behind 250 €

Dariusz Müller Dariusz Müller Reading time 4 minutes

Escape from Tarkov has managed to upset nearly the entire community with a single update. Particularly, EOD owners are angry.

Why are the players of Escape from Tarkov angry? In Escape from Tarkov (EFT), a new update called “The Unheard Edition” was released on April 25, 2024. This special version of the game costs 250 euros.

With the Unheard Edition, players gain access to a new PvE co-op mode. Additionally, some advantages for the regular PvPvE mode are included, which a part of the player base considers to be P2W.

Overall, the community is really furious with developers Battlestate Games for various reasons. On one hand, the price of the edition and related issues with the PvE mode are seen as problematic. On the other hand, some players take issue with the P2W content.

To make matters worse, the owners of the expensive “Edge of Darkness” edition from Battlestate Games feel deceived, as this version of the game originally guaranteed ownership of all upcoming DLCs.

Start video
Escape from Tarkov: Update 0.13.5 brings a new, nasty boss to the streets of Tarkov

What exactly is the problem with the “Edge of Darkness” edition? The Unheard Edition is not included in the previously purchasable “Edge of Darkness” edition (EOD), which players could acquire for around 155 euros. EOD owners only receive a discount and have to pay “only” about 100 € for the Unheard Edition.

According to Battlestate Games, the EOD version was supposed to grant free access to all “future released DLCs (Season Pass)”. Nikita Buyanov, the COO of Battlestate Games, also wrote in a two-month-old post that the offline co-op mode was an “EOD feature”.

It is unclear what exactly counts as “DLCs (Season Pass)” for the developers and how this differs from new content that comes into the game via new editions.

Escape from Tarkov Screenshot Edge of Darkness Edition Contents via escapefromtarkov.com
The contents of the EOD edition of EFT, source: escapefromtarkov.com (April 26, 2024, 11:00 AM)

In the end, it can be summarized that the owners of the EoD edition of Escape from Tarkov feel lied to by Battlestate Games and expected to receive new content like a PvE mode for free with Edge of Darkness.

  • ngmarr via Reddit: “The new PvE mode is an obvious DLC and EOD owners should receive it for free.”
  • Hambo_LD via X.com: “I bought EOD to get DLC. What is this now? Or are we now arbitrarily deciding what is DLC and what is not?”
  • endisnigh-ish via Reddit: “We were cheated, guys…”
  • Whole-Scholar-6840 via Reddit: “This is such crap. I am pissed off. The only thing I’ve wanted so badly is the PvE. It is definitely considered DLC, and anyone who says otherwise is lying.”
  • AnneMunition via X.com: “When I bought EOD, it said ‘free access to all further downloadable content’ – that is one of the reasons I bought it, so I wouldn’t have to pay more in the future. That is a scam, and you are trying to hide behind flimsy wording. I hope no one buys that.”

“No DLC, but a Feature”

What does Battlestate Games say about the players’ complaints? The lead community manager of Battlestate Games, Daniel “appl3z0r” Mavlyuberdinov, has commented on the issue.

On the official EFT Discord server, a player wrote that EOD owners should receive the PvE mode. To this, Daniel Mavlyuberdinov replied: “It is not DLC, but a unique feature of the newly added edition.”

Escape from Tarkov Screenshot Discord Lead Community Manager Co-op PvE Mode not DLC
The lead community manager of EFT on the co-op PvE mode (via Discord)

On April 26, Nikita Buyanov, the COO of Battlestate Games, posted on Reddit that the studio wants to “honor” the owners of the EOD version. To this honor, the development team plans to add various “new features” to the EOD version.

The new features will include increased base charisma, increased base PMC karma, and 6 months of access to offline PvE.

We have requested a statement from Battlestate Games regarding the topic and will add it to the article as soon as we receive it.
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What exactly is included in the new edition? With the Unheard Edition, you gain access to the beta of Escape from Tarkov – yes, the shooter is still in beta, and yes, the access still costs a lot of money.

Moreover, the Unheard Edition is the only way to buy and play the PvE co-op mode of EFT. This mode is supposed to have permanent progression in contrast to the regular PvE training mode in EFT and is not affected by wipes.

In addition to the new PvE co-op mode, purchasing the Unheard Edition provides you with the following advantages:

  • Increased stash size (10×72)
  • Increased starting level of character abilities
  • Larger PMC pockets
  • Additional equipment and resources in the stash
  • More slots on the flea market
  • Increased reputation with the dealer Fence

If you are now looking for new, interesting shooters, you can take a look at our list of promising titles that are set to be released this year: The 10 most promising shooters releasing in 2024

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Keanu Reeves turned down a movie offer of 12 million dollars, risking his career

Cedric Holmeier Cedric Holmeier Reading time 2 minutes

Keanu Reeves celebrated one of his biggest successes with Speed, but he declined to shoot Speed 2. Not everyone was happy about that.

Which movie is it about? Although Keanu Reeves is probably more associated with Matrix and John Wick, another film was also a huge success in his career. We’re talking about Speed, an action movie from 1994.

The film grossed over 350 million US dollars at the international box office and was among the most successful films at the time, with a production budget of only about 30-37 million US dollars.

After the first film was such a success, work on the sequel, Speed 2, began shortly afterwards. But when Keanu Reeves went through the script, he came to the conclusion: this is not for him.

Here you can see the trailer for John Wick: Chapter 4 with Keanu Reeves.

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John Wick: Chapter 4 – Trailer (German) HD

Keanu Reeves turned down the role and caused anger

Why did he turn down the sequel? For the second part of Speed, they approached Keanu Reeves again. They offered him 12 million US dollars for the role in the second part. As usual, the actor read the script before deciding against the role.

Years later, he told on the talk show with host Jimmy Kimmel about the reasons that spoke against the role. A bus, like in the first part of Speed, you can no longer associate with Speed, but a cruise ship is even slower. In the end, he thought: This won’t work – and he was right.

How did the rejection go down? The producers and the director of the film initially tried to convince Keanu, but when he ultimately declined, they were really angry with him. As 3DJuegos reports, the anger from several in Hollywood apparently went so far that it jeopardized Keanu Reeves’ successful film career.

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How did Speed 2 perform without Keanu Reeves? The film wasn’t a flop, but compared to the first part, it was a disappointment. The second part cost about 110-160 million US dollars and only grossed 164.5 million US dollars. A poor result, which probably also led to the fact that a third part of the series was never realized. 

As it became known, Keanu Reeves would actually be available for a third part of Speed, “you just need a good script.” The film rights to the series are said to now belong to Disney, and so far, there has been no indication of a third film in the near future.

Keanu Reeves will soon be co-starring with an actor who is incredibly excited about him: In the new Sonic movie, two real stars come together, one of whom can hardly wait for the collaboration

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. 3DJuegos
  2. Filmstarts
  3. Titelbild aus dem Trailer auf YouTube
  4. CNN

Many packs for TOTS in FC 24: How to increase your chances of getting strong players from the Team of the Season

Thomas Dummer Thomas Dummer Reading time 3 minutes

On Friday, April 26, 2024, the Team of the Season (TOTS) in FC 24 officially kicks off with the Premier League. Anyone who wants to pull TOTS cards here needs packs, or at least many players to craft packs in upgrade SBCs. We will show you how to get strong players or at least as much fodder as possible for free.

What options are there? FC 24 offers you more opportunities than ever this year to get packs and players.

You can get packs as rewards in Squad Battles, Division Rivals, or in the UT Champions Weekend League, for example. But you can also earn additional packs through objectives or by completing Squad Building Challenges (SBCs).

With our tips, you can quickly and easily accumulate a lot of player materials to be well prepared for the Team of the Season in FC 24.

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EA Sports FC 24: Update teaser for the UEFA Euro 2024

4 Steps to Increase Your Chances of Strong TOTS

Earn Packs and Players Through Menu Content

It is currently very easy to save packs in FC 24. As part of the TOTS Warm-Up Series, a number of new rewards have been introduced that you can get by completing simple tasks. And you don’t even need to go into a match for that.

Step 1: Daily Login SBC

In the daily login SBC, you just need to submit one bronze player, and you will receive a pack with two players rated 81+. Additionally, by completing the daily tasks, you will also complete more objectives and earn additional rewards.

Step 2: Daily Gold Upgrade

The daily gold upgrade has now become established in FC 24. You can complete this up to 4 times a day. All you need for each upgrade is eleven bronze and eleven silver players, which you must exchange in separate SBCs.

As a reward, you will get a pack with eleven gold professionals, one of whom is rare.

Small tip: To save time, let your assistant handle the team building. You can select the assistant for support before getting to the team building or call him in during the team building by pressing the left analog stick and selecting the assistant. Set the quality to silver or bronze and let your helper do the rest.

Step 3: Preview Pack

You should also check the shop daily and open the preview pack under “Classic Packs”. If you are lucky, you may pull a highly rated player over 86 or one of the numerous Team of the Week cards (TOTWs).

According to Futbin (here’s the link), the price for the cheapest 86 is currently 7,600 coins. If you want not only to open the preview pack but also to buy its content, you must pay 7,500 coins. However, there is no obligation to buy. If you don’t like your preview pack, just wait 24 hours and try your luck again.

All cards from 86 upwards are worth it.

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Additional Rewards Through Gameplay

Step 4: Bonuses in the Champions Weekend League

In the objectives, you will find the task complex “TOTS Champions Bonus”. Here you can secure additional upgrade packs through games and victories, which increase your chances of pulling a TOTS.

The Weekend League is, of course, the best option for guaranteed TOTS players. We have explained in detail what options the other modes offer to get TOTS cards in this article: The new rewards in FC 24 make all modes interesting again – So get your free TOTS

In the coming days, there could be more opportunities for extra bonuses, for example through daily play. Additional rewards in draft mode are also possible.

With this, you have all the options to quickly get packs and players at a glance. If you are still looking for a strong upgrade for your team for the Weekend League, then we have a recommendation for you: A player in FC 24 is one of the strongest cards and currently very cheap – Get her!

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Destiny 2 reverses the most controversial feature – You will either be happy or scream

Christos Tsogos Christos Tsogos Reading time 2 minutes

Bungie has made many questionable decisions for Destiny 2 in the past, and one of them was the sunsetting of old weapons. Those who have stayed strong and not dismantled them will be happy: You will soon be able to use them again in all their glory.

What is sunsetting? Sunsetting was a new system in Destiny 2 that was implemented with the “Beyond Light” DLC. It was supposed to ensure that older items receive a power cap that they cannot exceed.

The more seasons were added, the lower the power cap became, until the weapons were useless. A controversial feature, as many hours of hard grind were rendered pointless. Ironically, sunsetting was scrapped in 2021. Now, 3 years later, even weapons that have already been subjected to sunsetting are set to be made usable again.

With “The Final Shape,” new enemies will also enter the catalog. A brief insight can be found in the video:

Start video
Destiny 2 shows the new enemies “the Grievous” in the video

A change to celebrate? Not for everyone!

What has Bungie announced? In its latest TWID post (formerly TWAB), Bungie announced its change. With the release of “The Final Shape,” there will be a fireteam power that is based on the player with the highest light level.

Unfortunately, items from the sunsetting caused problems for this plan, and since the feature of shared power wanted to be implemented, the team decided to lift the power limits of old weapons.

This means that if you have been a fanatic collector and still have not dismantled your old weapons with the grayed-out logo, you will soon be able to use them again in all their glory.

As great as the news may sound, many guardians unfortunately can no longer do so, as they have dismantled many of their hard-earned collectibles. Our MeinMMO author Christos Tsogos is also affected and is now mourning his threat levels with base beams, faded, and ether doctor.

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Is there a way to get the old items back? Unfortunately not. Bungie knows that many guardians have dismantled their collectibles and are now angry, but they have not found a way to restore them.

However, not everything should be lost, as the developers are working on a way to potentially earn back most of these items. They are to be updated to the modern sandbox and will even possess original attributes. What sources Bungie will provide for obtaining the items is not yet known.

What do you think of the change? Are you part of the faction that has dismantled everything, or are you one of the players who will now pop a champagne bottle? Let us know in the comments!

Destiny 2 wants its guardians to suffer, starting a new raid 3 days after the DLC release

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The BlizzCon 2024 does not take place – That makes perfect sense

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 2 minutes

In 2024, there will be no BlizzCon. The cancellation makes a lot of sense, as Blizzard is likely simply “empty” at the moment.

Yesterday, Blizzard announced that there will be no BlizzCon in 2024. The large exhibition is important not only to the community but also to the developers, who always proudly present their work and plans there and come into direct contact with fans.

Even though many somewhat sarcastically say that Microsoft and Blizzard have laid off too many people to hold a BlizzCon anymore, the truth is likely much simpler:

They simply have nothing significant to present.

Start video
Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred – Teaser Trailer

Because when you look at the release schedule for Blizzard, it looks like this:

  • World of Warcraft: The War Within is set to be released in late summer, presumably sometime between August and September, assuming there are no major delays.
    • A little smaller is the “re-release” of Cataclysm Classic and various game modes like WoW Remix: Mists of Pandaria.
  • Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred is set to release “late in 2024” – so presumably sometime between October and December.

At least these are the two major releases still upcoming this year.

Additionally, Blizzard is currently undergoing quite a restructuring. After all, just a few months ago, the large survival game, into which years of development had been invested, was completely canceled.

The blunt, simple truth is likely: They simply have no major things to announce.

For a new Hearthstone expansion, a preview of a major content patch for WoW, a new hero in Overwatch 2, and two new minis in Warcraft Rumble, a BlizzCon would simply not be worth it.

Otherwise, everything already looks like the disaster of past years, which produced no major announcements and instead only very negative memes like “Don’t you guys have phones?”.

This is likely particularly disappointing for Warcraft fans. After all, Warcraft celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, World of Warcraft its 20th anniversary, and its 10th expansion. Although there are various events around the world for this, something is indeed missing without BlizzCon.

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To be honest, I also prefer that BlizzCon doesn’t take place every year. In the past, it sometimes seemed as if they were just “forcing” some kind of show together. The corresponding reaction was often that the big hits were missing and that BlizzCon wouldn’t have really been “worth it”.

Accordingly, it only makes sense to hold BlizzCon only when there is really at least one major announcement.

Of course, it’s a shame when an event that has come to be expected as “annual” no longer takes place regularly. But this is a good thing for the sensationalist fans and the developers when there is simply nothing big to reveal.

After all: BlizzCon will return. But only when there is really something to unveil.

But hey, this year there will probably be more time for me to deal with absurd dating games with old gods…

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Forget Fallout 4, you should start with Fallout 76 now

Benedict Grothaus Benedict Grothaus Reading time 3 minutes

The new series on Amazon Prime is creating a huge hype for Fallout. All parts of the series have seen a new influx of players – even the initially heavily criticized Fallout 76. Surprisingly, this survival MMO is currently your best entry point.

Here’s the current situation with Fallout 76:

By the way, Fallout 76 is considered one of the best survival games ever:

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von Benedict Grothaus

All Fallout games are currently experiencing a resurgence. There are constant reports on social media of new players discovering the wacky post-apocalyptic world – and tips from veterans on how to best coexist in the wasteland.

Fallout 4 is currently the entry in the series with the most players and seems to have gained the most from the hype. However, it doesn’t offer what you can experience with Fallout 76.

In the video, we summarize in 2 minutes what you need to know about Fallout 76:

Start video
Everything you need to know about Fallout 76 – in 2 minutes

Fallout 76 has what no other Fallout has

What makes the game so special? As the first Fallout ever, Fallout 76 offers a built-in multiplayer mode. Even more, you play with 24 people on a map. This is a feature that many fans of the series have wished for years, and Fallout 76 has delivered.

Additionally, Fallout 76 has no “end”. Previous Fallout games are played through. After the story, it’s basically over. With some mods or through the building system, you might squeeze out a bit more gameplay, but that’s it.

In Fallout 76, you simply level up further. You can even unlock additional skills, the legendary perks, even after reaching the actual max level of 50. You continually find new items or can buy them from other players to perfect your build – almost like in Diablo and such.

A bonus: You can easily recreate and play as the heroes from the series. For example, we already presented a build for Lucy with everything you need to play.

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How easy is it to get started in Fallout 76? Very easy. Fallout 76 takes you by the hand right from the start and guides you step by step through the wasteland. You should just loosely follow where the game leads you. There are some areas where enemies are simply stronger and can easily take you down.

The community is considered incredibly friendly. As in any MMO, there are a few griefers who want to make your life miserable, but they are in the absolute minority. Usually, veterans will throw you some resources unsolicited or even gift you really strong equipment – they have plenty.

If you still prefer to play alone or only with friends, you can alternatively start a private world. However, you’ll need a paid subscription to Fallout 1st for that.

Start video
Fallout 76: The German trailer for the update ‘America’s Playground’

Is Fallout 4 the “worse” Fallout?

Fallout 76 is the best option for anyone who liked the Fallout series and is now looking for a game to get started. Just because it’s the latest Fallout and receives constant updates as a live-service game. You’ll get the most out of it. And there’s still the game for free with Prime Gaming.

As a single-player game, Fallout 4 eventually comes to an end. On Reddit, players praise that even after the story in Fallout 76, they still have something to do, can explore the world, and experience stories.

Is Fallout 4 bad? No. It’s even considered one of the better games in the series. However, many fans rely on mods to make the game more enjoyable. If you’re looking for a single-player Fallout to get started, we recommend:

  • Fallout 3 or Fallout New Vegas as the best option, although they are a bit older, they are considered the crown of the series
  • Fallout 4, if you want more modern graphics, though at a slightly higher price
  • Fallout 1, 2, and Tactics are simply very old and have little to do with the new games, but are worth it if you want to catch up later
  • Fallout Shelter is ideal if you’re looking for a casual game in the Fallout universe that also works on mobile

In any case, it’s worth taking a look at the games. The Fallout series has a charm that no other game series has been able to replicate so far. A unique combination of wacky humor, adult themes, and pragmatic cruelty makes it one of a kind. The games are not without reason considered among the best post-apocalyptic games ever.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Do you want to make him cry?: One Piece fan plans perfect wedding gift, catching the saddest moment

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 2 minutes

There are many ways to please fans of One Piece. Numerous merchandise items such as plush toys, a trading card game, and figures have emerged from the manga, some of which have been created by hobby crafters. A 25-year-old woman is already thinking about marriage and wants to give her future husband a special gift. However, other users consider this to be an unfortunate choice.

What kind of gift does she have planned?  In the reddit forum, CuriousZero6 presents what she has planned as a future wedding gift for her boyfriend. He is also a huge fan of One Piece, which is why she has chosen a resin figure that depicts a scene from the anime.

The focus is on a pillar of flame engulfing the Flying Lamb. The ship breaks apart, and in the anime, it sinks to the ocean floor just a few minutes later. The Straw Hat Pirates are beside it in a small boat, having to watch as their beloved ship is destroyed.

The scene looks as if it is only one chapter out of many. The base of the figure is a book, with its open pages made of resin water. The girlfriend is considering whether to order the figure while it is still in the pre-order phase:

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Why is the scene so sad? In the anime, the scene is particularly dramatic as the Straw Hat crew is devastated and the “soul” of the Flying Lamb speaks to them. It thanks them for the journey so far. Especially for Usopp, this is a painful blow because he received the ship from his childhood friend.

Soon after, the Straw Hat crew receives their new ship, the Thousand Sunny, but the old one has served them faithfully until then. Therefore, this scene is an emotional farewell to the adventures they have experienced.

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What do fans say about it? In the comments, a user asks whether it is the girlfriend’s intention to make her future fiancé cry. They also point out that it is not a good idea to give such a gift at a happy event like one’s own wedding.

The figure itself is generally well-received:

  • oMugiwara_Luffy: “Maybe the best One Piece resin figure I’ve ever seen. I love that the water is the pages”.
  • Cap_levi_01: “I’ve never been so jealous”.
  • Sumraeglar: “Wow, it’s absolutely beautiful.”.

Others find the idea really lovely as well: They interpret the gift as a new beginning for the couple. They would expand their “crew” and therefore need a bigger ship. The Thousand Sunny would then symbolize life after the wedding.

The Thousand Sunny is currently anchored off Egghead Island. Check out the opening related to it:

Start video
One Piece – The 26th Opening for the Egghead Island Arc has been released

What decision did she make? After the feedback from the community, the user has decided to look for another wedding gift. However, she still wants to order the figure. She plans to give it for Christmas or her boyfriend’s birthday.

Now we are curious: What was the best One Piece gift you have ever received (or bought for yourself)? Write it in the comments!

MeinMMO has compiled the coolest ships that exist in One Piece. Unfortunately, the Flying Lamb did not make it onto the list: One Piece: Here are the 5 coolest ships sailing the oceans

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Pauses ‘Fantastic Beasts 2’ at the right place to discover 2 familiar faces from Harry Potter

Linda Baumgartl Linda Baumgartl Reading time 2 minutes

If you pause the movie “Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald” at the right moment, you can discover an astonishing detail.

The “Fantastic Beasts” film series is a prequel to Harry Potter. The films take place several years before the story of the world-famous wizard boy.

Some well-known characters appear, such as Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, or Gellert Grindelwald. However, new actors have been cast for their younger versions. Those who pay close attention will find two familiar faces.

Start video
The fight against Grindelwald begins in ‘Fantastic Beasts 2’

A tragic backstory

The past of Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald has already been addressed in Harry Potter itself. In their youth, they shared more than just friendship, which is also explored in “Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald.”

Grindelwald turned increasingly to the dark side, leading to a duel between the two, which ended fatally for Dumbledore’s sister Ariana. Later, Dumbledore would ultimately defeat his former confidant in a legendary wizard duel.

What do we see in Harry Potter? In “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1,” we see a photo of Dumbledore and Grindelwald from their youth. They were played by Jamie Campbell Bower (Grindelwald) and Toby Regbo (Dumbledore).

Harry Potter - Dumbledore and Grindelwald
Dumbledore and Grindelwald in Harry Potter. Image source: Warner Bros.

What do we see in Fantastic Beasts? These two actors returned to their roles for “Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald.” However, only for a brief scene, to be precise at minute 68:15.

Most of the time, Jude Law as Dumbledore and Johnny Depp as Grindelwald are seen. However, when Dumbledore looks into the Mirror of Erised and sees what he desires most, we see the two in their youth. These young versions were again portrayed, as in Harry Potter, by Jamie Campbell Bower and Toby Regbo.

This makes them the only actors to appear in both Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts.

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Who are the two? Even though their appearances in the Harry Potter universe have only been brief so far, you might find these two actors familiar.

  • Jamie Campbell Bower is primarily known as Caius from Twilight, but has also appeared in Sweeney Todd, Stranger Things, or City of Bones.
  • Toby Regbo is known for his roles in Mr. Nobody, Treasure Island, The Last Kingdom, or Reign.

Did you notice this little Easter egg in Fantastic Beasts 2? Feel free to tell us in the comments!

In Fantastic Beasts, we encounter several familiar professors from Hogwarts. But which magical teacher from Harry is actually the most powerful? In a power ranking, we have selected the top 10:

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Professors in Power Ranking – Which Teacher is the Most Powerful?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. 3djuegos.com
  2. Bild: moviepilot.de
  3. Titelbild: filmstarts.de

An important Free2Play MMORPG is shutting down after 10 years

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 3 minutes

On June 27, the European and North American servers of ArcheAge will shut down, one of the most important Free2Play MMORPGs of the last 10 years. The online role-playing game was released in 2014 alongside The Elder Scrolls Online and WildStar during the last big MMORPG year. In June 2024, it will come to an end.

When is it over? On June 27 at 10 AM, the servers of ArcheAge will close.

You can no longer purchase credits in the shop.

After the servers are shut down, customer support will continue to operate for 3 more months – it will also end on September 27.

Start video
ArcheAge Launch Trailer

ArcheAge talks about The declining number of active players

This is what Kakao Games says:

“After extensively discussing the performance of ArcheAge with XL Games, we have concluded that we are no longer able to offer the MMORPG that we envisioned. The declining number of active players means that the content of the game is no longer as accessible as it once was, and the experience of the game is different from what was originally intended. In light of this, we have made the difficult decision to end the live service of ArcheAge in Europe and North America.”

ArcheAge created hype in 2014

Why was ArcheAge so important? ArcheAge was released in September 2014 in Europe and North America and was one of the first modern sandbox games focusing on house building, economy, PvP, and guilds.

The rush at release was enormous because the game offered many features that domestic MMORPGs did not provide: In a land rush, players competed to secure the best plots of land that offered benefits in the game; later, it was about securing a fortress to dominate a server.

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Overwhelmed publisher and technical problems

What went wrong? The game had major issues with hackers, bugs, exploits, and microtransactions. It quickly felt like ArcheAge was not fair.

Even in the beta, ArcheAge stood out with an Energy system, similar to what is seen in mobile MMORPGs: the possibilities to act in the game were limited unless you spent money to renew your energy or just waited.

After the successful launch, it became apparent that the western partner, Trion Worlds, seemed overwhelmed with ArcheAge. The studio disbanded a few years later. The person responsible for ArcheAge at that time, Marv Lee Kwai, is now working with Amazon on Throne and Liberty.

In recent years, ArcheAge has tried various actions and measures to reconnect with its initial success in 2014 and even launched a new version with ArcheAge Unchained, but ultimately none of the measures were successful.

The game is now closing after nearly 10 years because hardly anyone plays it anymore.

ArcheAge gave us a taste of Asian MMORPGs and their problems

This is ArcheAge from MeinMMO’s perspective: For MeinMMO, ArcheAge was a defining game in 2014: it was alongside The Elder Scrolls Online and WildStar one of the 3 major MMORPGs that launched in the debut year of our site. ArcheAge had many enthusiastic fans back then, who were already familiar with the game from Korea and defended it passionately against criticism, partly because they had invested money in the game and hoped for profits from a dominant position in it.

Ultimately, ArcheAge, despite all its new and exciting features at the time, is an example that exciting ideas may create initial hype, but for long-term success, other qualities are needed, such as polished gameplay, a sense of fairness, and technical competence.

It also highlighted the problem of MMORPGs with a focus on PvP: When it comes to dominating a server and being the best guild there, why continue playing when one guild is clearly dominant?

Ultimately, ArcheAge was a game where servers quickly lost their appeal, and players always waited for a new server to start, where guilds could compete to be dominant again.

Other games from that era, like The Elder Scrolls Online, have evolved over the years and have had peaks again and again. With ArcheAge, they later tried everything to bring back the hype, but they never really succeeded again.

However, it could continue soon:

The new MMORPG ArcheAge 2 aims to appeal more to us Western players, removing PvP content for that purpose

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. mmorpg

You can buy a robot dog with a flame thrower, seems like Aloy’s worst enemy

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 2 minutes

A US company is selling a robot dog with a flamethrower. The model costs less than 10,000 euros and is legal in several US states. In Germany, you should rather not buy the device.

A US-based company is taking orders for the world’s first robot dog with a flamethrower, simply called “The Thermonator”.

As Ars Technica reports, the Cleveland (Ohio) based company Throwflame is selling the strange robot dog for $9,420. That’s about 8,770 euros. It is a four-legged robot equipped with a state-of-the-art flamethrower on its back.

The hellhound is likely not allowed in Germany, but it is in many US states

What can the dog do? The dog is equipped with a fully electric ARC flamethrower, which is produced by the company “Throwflame” itself. The device weighs just under 20 kilograms and looks as if it escaped from Horizon: Zero Dawn.

The robot dog moves forward thanks to LiDAR. LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging and allows for distance measurement between the object and vehicle. The principle is based on laser signals that are sent into the environment and their reflections are analyzed. This technology is primarily used today in the field of autonomous driving (via fraunhofer.de).

Is such a thing legal in Germany? No, in Germany you are not allowed to use such a device. According to German weapons law, items are prohibited if “gaseous, liquid, or solid substances leave the item intentionally and burning with a flame longer than 20 cm.” And the dog would likely fall under this category.

In the USA, however, this is different: IGN reports that the robot dog should be allowed in 48 US states. At least, the ownership of flamethrowers is not restricted by federal laws in most US states. Nevertheless, the company kindly points out that buyers should please inform themselves about local and state laws and regulations before making a purchase.

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Other companies also seem to sense a big business in the robotics field. One company is currently building a giant robot that stands over 4 meters tall. However, very few private individuals are likely to be able and willing to afford the high price of 2.8 million euros:

Company builds you a 4.5-meter giant mech for only 2.8 million euros

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Pokémon GO: Why you should definitely hatch eggs now

Max Handwerk Max Handwerk Reading time 2 minutes

In Pokémon GO, you should keep an eye on your incubator this weekend. Because hatching is worth it.

What’s happening in Pokémon GO? On Sunday, April 28th, the Hatching Day with Pii will take place. It will run from 2 PM to 5 PM and will give you some bonuses related to hatching eggs. However: one bonus starts today.

This bonus is already active: Starting Friday, April 26, 2024, from 10 AM, there will be a halved hatch distance for all the eggs you put in the incubator until April 28 (5 PM).

This means you can hatch particularly many eggs on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. You will therefore get to the Pokémon hidden in the eggs much quicker. Moreover, it’s a very good opportunity to thin out your egg collection a bit and make room for new eggs in case you have some you want to get rid of. Because you can’t delete eggs.

Additionally, there will already be field research tasks related to Hatching Day starting Friday. They will earn you more Stardust and XP.

Beware! Here’s what you should keep in mind: There’s a bonus you should be aware of, which is only valid on Sunday from 2 PM to 5 PM: double hatch candies.

If you have specific eggs in your collection that you hope will hatch into good Pokémon and from which you could use double candies, you should only hatch them during the event period on Sunday.

Start video
Pokémon GO: It’s time to #RediscoverGO!

All Bonuses of the Pii Hatching Day in Pokémon GO on Sunday

Here we summarize all the bonuses you can expect on Sunday.

These bonuses are provided by Hatching Day: On April 28, 2024, from 2 PM to 5 PM:

  • Pii will hatch more frequently from 2 km eggs.
  • You will receive double hatch candies when hatching eggs.
  • You have an increased chance of shiny Pii from the eggs.
  • You will get more 2 km eggs from PokéStops.
  • The hatch distance is halved, but this is already valid from Friday morning as described.

Additionally, a free limited research will be unlocked, which ends with the event. If you complete it in time, you will receive XP and a Super Incubator as a reward.

In the shop, there will also be another optional, paid limited research available for 1 US dollar (expected comparable price in euros). If you buy it, you will also receive double hatch Stardust for the event. Completing it will then reward you with 1 Star Piece, 1 Super Incubator, and XP. But it will also only be available until the end of the event.

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What do you think of the egg bonuses? Will you make use of them this weekend, or is hatching not really your feature? Let us know in the comments.

Otherwise, the month is slowly but surely coming to an end. There are only a few more dates left that you can check out in the event calendar. To have the complete overview, take a look here: All Events in April 2024 in Pokémon GO.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

A beloved MMORPG has been dormant for 11 years, receiving more work time and a new director

Schuhmann Schuhmann Reading time 2 minutes

The award-winning MMORPG Guild Wars 1 is in a strange situation: It was released in 2005 and has actually been in maintenance mode since 2013, so for 11 years, it is no longer being developed. ArenaNet’s focus is on Guild Wars 2. But somehow, there is still something happening with Guild Wars 1, especially for its 19th birthday. While Ubisoft simply shuts down old games, ArenaNet continues to support them.

This is the situation with Guild Wars 1:

  • Only one developer at ArenaNet, Stephen Clarke-Wilson, worked as a “part-time janitor” on Guild Wars 1. He himself refers to his role as “part-time Game Director, programmer, janitor, and so on.” In 2018, there were still 2 developers, Clarke-Wilson still had the help of Bill Freist.
  • Clarke-Wilson has been with ArenaNet for 19 years and is actually the “Vice President Technology.” In this role, he worked on the development of online platform strategies.
  • Since April 2024, however, his role has changed to “Game Director Guild Wars” (via linkedin), which seems absurd: Why does a basically dead MMORPG need a Game Director?

Guild Wars 2 is actively being developed, and discussions about a Guild Wars 3 are currently taking place:

Start video
„This is how to make a trailer!“- MMORPG Guild Wars 2 delights with the launch trailer for the new expansion

Experienced developer is now Game Director

This is what the developer says: He talks about a post in the game’s wiki (via wiki.guildwars), saying that his working hours have been redistributed for a few weeks. Previously, he worked 10% of his time on Guild Wars 1. Now it is 80%.

He has largely handed over his previous tasks.

So what is he doing with Guild Wars 1? The veteran developer first lowers expectations, stating that Guild Wars 1 is still in maintenance mode. There are no plans for new content.

He still has a lot to do in the game’s backend, but he will fix some “long-standing issues.” He hopes to improve the player experience in Guild Wars 1.

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Unusual gesture to put so much love into an old game

This is what lies behind it: Stephen Clark-Wilson began his career in 1978, 46 years ago, and has been with ArenaNet for 19 years. The man seems to have a status within the company that allows him to do what he wants, and he obviously wants to polish and improve Guild Wars, fix bugs, and put the game in a better state.

This is a nice, unusual gesture from a company and a developer to dedicate themselves to an old gem instead of always working on new projects.

ArenaNet is a counter-model to Ubisoft, which even intentionally deletes games from players’ libraries.

Perhaps it is worth a visit to the game: In Guild Wars 1, the birthday celebration has been running since April 22 and will last until May 6. They are celebrating the release of the game on April 28, 2005.

Recently, there has been a stir around the publisher of Guild Wars:

Guild Wars 3: Finally a new MMORPG has been announced, but the announcement was terrible

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

„The community is not toxic at all“ – WoW beginner is amazed that everyone is so nice

Cortyn Cortyn Reading time 3 minutes

The community of World of Warcraft has a bad reputation. But is that really true? Newcomers have completely different experiences.

When you ask people why they haven’t given World of Warcraft a chance yet, a common answer is: “The toxic community.” Similar to many other online games, World of Warcraft has a relatively bad reputation in that regard. Players are said to be unfriendly, and newcomers have a very hard time if they want to find their footing in the game. This deters many, and they don’t even try WoW.

Start video
WoW: The War Within – All the major features of the new expansion

But is that really true? Is the WoW community really that bad?

Not always. At least that’s the experience of TonTonOwO in the WoW subreddit. In his post “As a new player, I find that the players are not as toxic as I read online,” he describes his experiences and first steps in World of Warcraft.

I am a complete newbie in WoW and play as a tank. I have messed up several times, but each time the group consisted of helpful people who calmly explained the mechanics to me. Everyone says that the community is so toxic, but I have seen very little of that so far. I previously played Final Fantasy XIV, and that is hardly different.

The reasons why the community has such a bad reputation and why the actual experiences can often differ are then actively discussed below the post.

Ihatepaladins writes:

On Reddit (or in other forums), you only hear about the bad experiences, rarely about the good ones. I have been playing for ages and am only very rarely insulted or see others getting flamed (except for obvious trolling, of course).

A much more pragmatic opinion comes from Mosgos1:

The reason you see mostly negative posts [in forums] is that the remaining players don’t care or are busy playing the game.

Or as epicgeek describes it:

Normal people make up the majority of the characters, but the minority in your chat window. Toxic people are the minority of players but the majority in your chat window.

Others believe that there is indeed plenty of toxicity, but mostly only in certain areas of the game – such as in PvP or the LFR.

Ironically, many believe that the toxicity in retail has decreased since the different classic versions of the game came out. fryerandice, for instance, says:

Classic is a wonderfully isolated area for the worst people I’ve ever dealt with in this game. On the other hand, retail is a breath of fresh air.

In fact, there will likely always be a kernel of truth to all the claims. Personal experiences can, of course, turn out negatively, but newcomers do not necessarily have to have a fundamentally bad experience in WoW – and if they do, it might be due to other factors that Blizzard is also recognizing.

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WoW: Midnight Tier List – Ranking of the Best Classes for DPS, Tanks and Healers
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Cortyn says: Of course, I cannot speak for everyone and can only share my personal experiences. However, I have largely had good experiences with other players so far. Sure, there are a few “complete idiots,” like the very angry “heroes” during the Plunderstorm event.

In dungeons, raids, and the open world, I have mostly found that the vast majority behave decently. Only in the LFR, which is also affectionately known as “idiot lottery,” are there always one or two people who can’t wait fast enough and who think they have the wisdom in spoonfuls.

When I hear that others have had so many bad experiences, I often wonder if it’s a “you get what you give” situation. Because if you join a group with the expectation that everyone else is just mean, you probably won’t behave very considerately yourself. But that’s just my assumption.

WoW Aldor RP
On RP-realms it is sometimes noticeably more relaxed. As long as it doesn’t involve RP discussions.

However, I also play on an RP-realm, and the interaction among players is generally a bit more harmonious – at least as long as no one starts a discussion about what constitutes “good RP and bad RP.” Because then the logout button is probably the healthier choice for one’s mental health.

In general, in WoW as in most other MMORPGs, it is advisable to find a stable group in the form of a guild or another community. Because then the chance is significantly greater that you will have exclusively positive experiences – even if you make some truly terrible “noob mistakes.”

Or how do you see it?

Also fresh in WoW is the Season 4 of Dragonflight – this is the perfect time to get started.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. reddit.com/r/wow/

Player gets complete gaming setup for 930 euros because the old owner prefers to ‘touch grass’

Benedikt Schlotmann Benedikt Schlotmann Reading time 2 minutes

A user explained that he had acquired an extensive gaming setup and did not pay much for it. The former owner wants to switch to outdoor activities now.

What exactly did the user acquire? A gamer writes on reddit that he had purchased a complete gaming system including a desk and accessories. According to his own statement, he paid no more than 1,000 US dollars (about 930 euros) for it. He bought, among other things:

  • A gaming PC with Ryzen 7 7700X, an RTX 4060 Ti, 32 GB RAM, and 2 TB SSD.
  • A gaming desk, including a gaming chair.
  • Two gaming monitors, each 24 inches and 165 Hz.
  • A gaming headset and the popular Xbox Series X Elite Controller with accessories.

For less than 1,000 euros, that sounds like an excellent deal. The seller wrote in his statement that he is “interested in trades for outdoor items. Dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles, fishing gear, hunting equipment, and much more.”

A comment that has received almost 2,000 upvotes jokes: “He became addicted to touching grass.” And another one adds: “He has discovered fresh air for himself.”

But what is actually behind the meme that someone should touch grass? And why do gamers always have to hear it?

Famous Meme Reminds of Stereotypes Against Gamers

Where does the meme come from? Touch Grass or in German “Gras berühren” is a popular meme that one often encounters online. It is meant to tell others to go outside instead of spending so much time indoors and at the computer. Because the excessive online consumption has already made their head all mushy.

Where the meme originally comes from is not known, explains the website Knowyourmeme. However, it has become increasingly used since 2019 and has become especially popular on Twitter and 4chan.

The “exit” from gaming is repeatedly discussed. For instance, someone explains that an acquaintance of his has taken the same step and sold all his equipment, such as computer and console, and still does not regret it:

A friend of mine did the same to lose weight. He parted with his PC and console to spend less time in front of them and more time engaging in activities in nature. He says he does not regret it.

It is a somewhat extreme measure, but his weight became uncontrollable and although video games were an escape, he was still unhappy.

It is one of the many stereotypes against gamers that they do not go outside. Gamers often have to hear that video games are a waste of time anyway and that violent games are the reason for aggressive behavior.

For many, the streamer Asmongold is the epitome of the typical WoW nerd: long-haired, questionable hygiene, and a room full of junk food trash. And a girlfriend could also not have Asmongold because of his nerd status.

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But even Asmongold’s image has changed by now. It even went so far that he took the time and effort to clean up his messy room. You can find the entire background directly on MeinMMO:

Asmongold says goodbye to his messy room – The end of a Twitch legend

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Final Fantasy 16: The producer should take a leaf out of the 2nd DLC for his own MMORPG

Jasmin Beverungen Jasmin Beverungen Reading time 4 minutes

After Echoes of the Fallen, players in Final Fantasy 16 head into a new area with The Rising Tide. The design of the region impressed MeinMMO author Jasmin Beverungen so much that she wishes for a similar landscape in Final Fantasy 14.

What is special about the DLC? The Rise of the Tide takes you back to a corner of Valisthea that was not included in the main game. This time, we visit the hidden realm of Mysidia, which needs our help with the troubled Dominus of Leviathan.

When the veil around Mysidia lifted and I was allowed to enter the new realm, I was thrilled by the dreamlike scenery. While the landscapes in the main game are mostly barren and desolate, I was welcomed here by a true paradise.

Final Fantasy XVI DLC
So, do you also get Dawntrail vibes?
Final Fantasy XVI DLC
A densely forested area.
Final Fantasy XVI DLC
The wave looks simply breathtaking.
Final Fantasy XVI DLC
The view over the forest.
Final Fantasy XVI DLC
There are waterfalls as well.
Final Fantasy XVI DLC
Do you also get Dawntrail vibes here?

Mysidia is a densely forested area with some mountains. The green nature shines in bright colors and attracts with waterfalls in the distance. Behind the forests lies a landscape of ruins, where there is even a very special temple that I liked the most due to its design.

Over time, it became increasingly clear to me that this landscape reminded me of something. The ruins, forests, and waterfalls directly transported me back to the past where I, as a younger Jasmin, first watched the trailers for Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail.

If you want to know which trailer I’m talking about, check it out here:

Start video
Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail – Trailer for the new expansion

Especially the sequence at the beginning, where you sail towards a new island, is similar in both games. Afterwards, the trailer for Dawntrail showcases tropical forests, impressive waterfalls, and ancient temples. Exactly what defines the landscape in the second DLC of Final Fantasy 16.

I liked the environment in the expansion so much that I would have loved to see more of it. After just four hours of gameplay, I had already finished the DLC. I hope that FF16 producer Naoki Yoshida, who is also the producer of Final Fantasy 14, can transport this feeling that the landscape has evoked in me into the MMORPG.

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In the DLC of Final Fantasy 16, the battles were my highlight, I was especially pleased about one of them as a player of Final Fantasy 14
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What does the DLC offer? The Rising Tide features the following:

  • A main story that ends after about 4 hours
  • New abilities related to Leviathan and another being
  • Kairos Gate with extra challenges for Final Fantasy veterans
  • Increase of the level cap by 10 levels
  • New skins for the sword and sheet music for the orchestrion

The abilities related to Leviathan are fun. Especially one skill transforms Clive’s arm into a submachine gun that can shoot quickly. I had the most fun with this skill.

Unfortunately, the skills of the other being only become available after finishing the story of the DLC. Consequently, I was unable to test the skills, as I had no incentive to continue playing after completing the story. Since I already had trouble with the boss, I didn’t want to venture into the challenges of the Kairos Gate.

Pros
  • Beautiful forest landscape
  • Optional challenge for veterans
  • Fun skills with Leviathan
Cons
  • With just under four hours, it’s relatively short
  • The most interesting skills come only after the final battle

Who is the expansion worth it for? The expansion comes at a price of 19.90 euros. In a bundle with the first DLC, it even costs 24.99 euros. If you, like me, are only interested in the main story, I would recommend spending your money elsewhere. However, if you want to face the challenges in the Kairos Gate after the story, it might be well worth the money.

The main story is simply too short. While the new characters from the DLC are interesting, they do not get the stage they deserve. In the end, I wished that the DLC had been part of the main game. Then the story would have had the space it needed to fully unfold.

Another DLC for a Final Fantasy game is coming this year with Dawntrail. MeinMMO introduces the three classes that will join the MMORPG: Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail: An overview of the 3 new classes

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

A class in Baldur’s Gate 3 is so amusing that it is even worth stopping a running run

Fabienne Kissel Fabienne Kissel Reading time 2 minutes

In Baldur’s Gate 3, the Bard stands out and provides for a particularly entertaining run. Many players rave about this class. MeinMMO reveals to you what makes the Bard so special.

What makes the Bard so special? The Bard distinguishes itself from other classes in Baldur’s Gate 3. Bards are known for their charming and entertaining nature. They are versatile, can deal a lot of damage, and most importantly, can also do one thing: support their team. A characteristic of the class is Bardic Inspiration, an ability with which they can empower their allies with special advantages. Overall, the Bard can be labeled as a jack of all trades and is counted among the best classes in the game.

Always ready for a nasty remark: As a Bard, you also have a cantrip called Sneering Taunt, which makes your run entertaining by itself. Because every time you use the cantrip, you throw out nasty comments and creative insults.

Especially good in conversations: Thanks to the significant advantages that Bards receive on Charisma-based rolls, they are also perfectly suited to lead dialogues. Bards are masterful storytellers, which is shown in the unique dialogue options available in the game – exciting many players.

Spoiler: The article spoils about dialogues and options that the Bard has.

Start video
The best class for beginners in Baldur’s Gate 3

Just for the dialogue, it’s worth playing a Bard

What do the players say? Players who play the Bard in Baldur’s Gate 3 rave on Reddit especially about the captivating dialogues that this class offers.

A player shares on Reddit that he previously played a rogue whose dialogue options were rather serious. He started a new run as a Bard. Unlike the rogue, he finds his Bard character’s dialogues refreshingly funny. It’s worth playing a Bard just for the dialogue.

In the Reddit thread, personal highlights from Bard players were shared, including the following:

  • You can convince the fish people, the Kuo-Toa, that you are the true BOOAL. That is, the revered god of the Kuo-Toa. The dialogue about this is said to be extremely funny.
  • As a Bard, you can sing a duet with Alfira when you meet her and also at the Tiefling party.
  • You can sing along with the Myconids in the Underdark.
  • Bards insult Nere in particularly nasty ways in the first act.
  • The Dark Urge run as a Bard is said by players on Reddit to be very worthwhile. One writes: That was my second run and it’s still my favorite run.
  • As a Bard, you can even defeat one of the toughest opponents with a joke in Act 1.
  • And much more.
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All in all, it is exactly such moments and experiences that make the Bard in Baldur’s Gate 3 one of the most popular classes. So if you are eager to experience the unique dialogues, humorous interactions, and versatile capabilities of the Bard, it might be worth starting a new save.

Or to start a second run after your first one. It might even be worth considering respecing to Bard midway through the run with Withers.

What do you think? Have you played a Bard yet? What moment did you celebrate? Feel free to tell us in the comments.

MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus is simply thrilled with the Bard. Here he shares what makes him so great: Forget Monks: the truly best class in Baldur’s Gate 3 can do everything

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The e-sport of LoL is doing so well that Riot Games is planning to add another event

Fabienne Kissel Fabienne Kissel Reading time 2 minutes

For over a decade, two major international events have dominated the esports scene of League of Legends: the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) and the World Championships (Worlds). These events are highlights in the calendars of fans and professional players alike. However, it now appears that another tournament will be introduced in LoL.

What kind of event? LoL is undoubtedly one of the dominant titles in esports. With its massive fan base and high viewer counts at tournaments and events around the world, the game has an impressive global reach. Recently, a new record was set at the LCK final with 2.6 million viewers.

According to Sheep Esports, Riot Games is set to include a third major international event in the LoL competitive calendar in 2025 (alongside MSI and Worlds). This new tournament is expected to take place between the winter and spring splits of the annual competitive calendar.

Start video
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Future of LoL Esports: Third Major Tournament Planned

What does it look like? Although details such as the exact location, format, and name of the tournament are not yet known, there are already early indications of how the event could be structured. Reportedly, one team from each major region (LEC, LCS, LCK, LPL) will be invited to this event. However, it remains unclear whether teams from smaller regions will also have a chance.

What could change in the plan? The introduction of this new event could have far-reaching implications for LoL esports. It is speculated that the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) may take place later in the year in the future to make room for the new tournament. The timeframe for the new event is expected to fall between March and April.

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Moreover, the new tournament could lead to significant changes in various leagues worldwide. For instance, the LCS and LCK could switch to a 3-split format. In the LEC, 3 splits per year are already a reality. Similar adjustments may be expected in the leagues to ensure an adequate qualification path for the new tournament.

For the Summer Split 2024, LCS is reportedly (Dot Esports) returning from Best of 1 to Best of 3.

When will there be more information? According to Sheep Esports, Riot Games has confirmed that there will be an update on the 2025 schedule in June 2024. So, you will have to wait a bit longer to find out whether and when the tournament could take place.

The LoL esports scene can also be quite emotional at times: 25-year-old cries after defeating everyone, even surpassing Faker, after 7 years

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Dot Esports
  2. Sheep Esports