Thursday, December 26, 2019

WOW CLASSIC REPUTATION GUIDE


Being nice has its perks, but getting into trouble can sometimes be fun as well. Much like in the real world, reputation in WoW Classic is built up by doing good deeds such as certain favors or quests for other people and killing creatures that are bothering the neighborhood—the last one obviously isn’t relatable in real life. If you’re in need of familiarization with the reputation system of WoW Classic and how it ultimately affects the way you earn WoW classic gold, then you’ve come at the right place. With our WoW Classic reputation guide, you can learn important stuff such as how to increase your reputation and how to avoid getting your brownie points shaved off!

What exactly is Reputation?


The reputation of your character is determined by whether NPCs in WoW Classic react positively to you or try to cut your head off. Players usually deal with increasing their reputation during the endgame. The reason being is that since they’ve gotten all the gear they need and have participated in raids, the only way for them to make any sort of progress in the game is to bump up their reputation.

What are the different Reputation Levels you need to know?


There are eight different reputation levels that you can attain inside the game:

Reputation
Points needed to level up
Description
Hated
36,000
Oh boy, are you in too deep in this one. If your character is hated, Enemy cities and PvP factions will kill you on sight. Not just that, but this is set permanently. Meaning you’ll have to live the rest of your in-game life in WoW Classic in this state. It takes a lot of work to get hated this much, and the results that yield it aren’t worth the effort either.
Hostile
3,000
Enemy cities and PvP factions are required to kill you on sight. However, unlike having a Hated reputation, this is still temporary and can still, be undone by increasing your reputation points.
Unfriendly
3,000
Having an Unfriendly reputation leaves you unable to buy, sell or interact with the members in your faction. If you want to increase your reputation, refrain from killing any other members that are both within and outside your faction.
Neutral
3,000
This is the starting point for all the players who have just recently joined the faction. Whether it’s the Horde or Alliance, everyone begins with a Neutral reputation.
Friendly
6,000
In allied cities, chances are you’ll start with a Friendly reputation. The demeanor of the NPCs is more approachable compared to being neutral. However, no perks are given at this state.
Honored
12,000
Having an Honored reputation grants you a 10% discount on all items from the vendors of your faction and its allied cities. This is especially useful when you’re on a tight budget.
Revered
21,000
As if a 10% discount wasn’t enough, having a Revered reputation will earn you an additional 5% discount, totaling to a 15% discount on all the wares available for purchase in your alliance of choice.
Exalted
999
The Exalted reputation is the highest attainable ranking in all of WoW Classic. In addition to having a 20% discount, players with this reputation will also get access to special perks such as tabards and mounts.

Conclusion


Besides having the opportunity to do special missions that aren’t available in other reputation levels, having a high reputation bags you discount prices in all of the vendors that are in your alliance. Not only does this save you some WoW classic gold, but it also gives you some activities to do despite reaching the endgame. Overall, it’s best to always have a neutral to good reputation within your group (it won’t matter if you’re hated by the enemy clan since your quests will mostly consist of killing certain members there).

Monday, December 23, 2019

CS:GO 'ALEX' And The Rise Of British Esports Stars

ALEX the British Esports Star

British esports star Alex “ALEX” McMeekin had a breakout year in 2019 as he led Team Vitality to victory in several big CS:GO tournaments. The highlight came at the FACEIT ECS Season 7 Finals in June, where they beat FURIA 2-0 to seize gold in front of a passionate crowd in London. It was a great moment for British esports fans, as it finally allowed them to celebrate the success of a homegrown star.

The UK has certainly had an impact on the burgeoning world of esports, as Fnatic is based in London and it also yielded Team Dignitas, but British competitive gaming stars are few and far between. The highest-earning Brit in this arena is Wolfiez, who famously clinched a silver medal in the duos section of the Fortnite World Cup in New York this summer despite playing with a controller. The 15-year-old from Essex became famous overnight for his exploits and he earned more than $1 million.

Another Fortnite player called Mongraal is second on the list of the highest-earning Brits, followed by FIFA legend TekKz. ALEX comes in at 15th on the list, behind a bunch of gamers that made their money by playing Fortnite, Call of Duty and basically defunct titles like SMITE and Heroes of the Storm, but he arguably has the greatest potential of any British esports star.

An Upward Curve


ALEX earned just $3,000 in 2015, $10,000 in 2016, $17,500 in 2017 and just under $26,000 last year. He would also earn a nominal salary, but that is not enough to sustain a full-time career as a pro gamer. Yet his persistence paid off and he has earned more than $130,000 in 2019 thanks to Vitality’s success at various tournaments.

They beat highly rated Team Liquid to win cs_summit 4 in Los Angeles and lifted another trophy in Charleroi, while they took silver at ESL One Cologne and DreamHack Masters in Malmo and went to the quarter-finals of the Berlin Major. Vitality is now eighth in the HLTV rankings and they have FaZe, 100Thieves and Evil Geniuses in their sights, while they are now among the favorites in the esports betting odds on big CS:GO tournaments, so a burst into the top five looks like a realistic target in 2020.

A Big Break


ALEX’s career really took off when he moved to Vitality from Team LDLC in December 2018. The ambitious French team plucked him from relative obscurity and installed him as a key component in a star-studded line-up. He was known in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) circles as an aggressive rifler with an ability to conjure up a decisive moment of magic out of nowhere, but he was crying out for a big team to give him a chance.

Vitality had enjoyed some success in Call of Duty, PUBG, and League of Legends, but the franchise only expanded into CS:GO in October 2018. Yet it made an eye-catching entrance onto the scene after hiring a group of fantastic individuals, comprising NBK, apEX, Happy, RpK and the wunderkind ZywOo, who is now widely regarded as the best player in the world.

However, results were underwhelming and Vitality decided to jettison Happy out of the team and bring in ALEX to replace him. The idea was for the Brit to revitalizing the team’s CT sides along with the T-side mid-rounds, and Vitality’s form has improved considerably since his arrival. ALEX previously led Team LDLC, but NBK remained Vitality’s shot caller, allowing ALEX to focus on his own game.

Leading the French


This year, ALEX and NBK shared leadership duties until NBK was dropped in favor of shox following a disappointing showing at the Berlin Starladder Major. Now NBK has left for Team OG, leaving ALEX as undoubtedly the main man at a team bursting with promise.

It is hard to overstate just how talented ZywOo. Until this year, NaVi superstar s1mple was the best player in the world by a comfortable margin, but ZywOo has arguably exceeded the Ukrainian. He is primarily an AWPer, but he can pull off stunning headshots with pistols, rifles, and SMGs, and his stats throughout 2019 have been insane.

If ALEX can manage to harness ZywOo’s talents correctly then Vitality could be the team to mount a genuine challenge to Astralis’ hegemony over the CS:GO scene in 2020. It is interesting to see a Brit installed as the leader of an exciting French team, and it may ask British esports fans to wonder why a domestic franchise cannot offer him the correct platform for global success.

Lagging Behind


CS:GO is one of the top three most popular esports in the world. Only Dota 2 has given out more prize money over the years, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) has more pro players than any other game. Yet ALEX is the only Brit that is making a career out of playing it. Rory “dephh” Jackson and Owen “smooya” Butterfield have played in a few tournaments, but ALEX is the only one flying the Union Jack on a consistent basis.

There are no famous British players in the other big esports like League of Legends, Dota 2 and StarCraft II either. The competitive gaming scene has enjoyed huge growth in the past five years and it now boasts more than 450 viewers across the globe, but it is seemingly passing the UK by. China, Korea, Scandinavia, and North America are the global hot spots in terms of talent and taking the scene seriously, while Britain is lagging well behind.

For a small island, it has always punched above its weight within traditional sports and indeed entertainment forms like film, music, and TV, while London is a leader in the tech industry. It is therefore surprising to see that the UK cannot hold a torch to countries like Sweden, Denmark and South Korea when it comes to esports.

Reasons to be Cheerful


However, that could all change in the years ahead. The British Esports Association has been established to promote competitive gaming in the UK, increase its level of awareness, improve standards and inspire future talent. The British Esports Championships have been launched to give school and college teams a tournament to work towards.

ESL One returned to Birmingham in 2019 and London often hosts big tournaments. The LEC now has a UK team called excel Esports. London Spitfire has done well in the Overwatch League, and Brits continue to succeed at FIFA. Aspiring esports stars from the UK have a genuine star in ALEX to look up to and his exploits in 2020 and beyond should provide inspiration to aspiring esports stars of the future.


***DISCLAIMER***
This article is a Guest Post written by James Metcalfe from Unikrn.com



Friday, December 20, 2019

Path of Exile Jeweller’s Orb Guide

Path of Exile Jeweller Orb Guide


There are so many guides available for PoE currency already, but what about PoE orbs? No, we’re not talking about the premium currency; we’re talking about the Jeweller’s Orb that you use in the game for your skill tree! There’s still so much to uncover about this not-so-familiar item in the game. We’ll be showing you the methods of stocking up on these beauties as well as help you get to know more about what’s so special about them compared to the ones that you already know. So get comfy, grab a drink or snack and get ready to dig into this comprehensive guide. We’re about to get started!

What’s aJeweller’s Orb?


A Jeweller’s Orb is a type of currency that is used to re-roll the number of sockets on the weapon or armor that you want. Although you are limited by the type of equipment that you have and its item level based on how many sockets you can fit into, Jeweller’s Orbs are essential if you want to upgrade your equipment. Besides that, Jeweller’s Orbs also, give out random links or colors that can either benefit you or make your life that much harder when customizing your character’s stats.

A handy tip that we have about Jeweller’s Orbs is that while they’re not a precious commodity in the game, it’s better to keep then until you reached the endgame. This is because, during that time, they’re more useful since you’ll be focused on making your character stronger instead of the storyline.

Methods of Obtaining a Jeweller’s Orb


There are different ways of farming Jeweller’s Orbs. One of them is to simply buy them from one of the vendors around Path of Exile. A Jeweller’s Orb costs about 2 Alteration Orbs each, so be sure to save up on them. You can find the vendor recipe, Yeena, in the Forest Encampment. Besides Orb of Alternation, you can also trade in Chromatic and Orb of Fusing Orbs to her for Jeweller’s Orbs. Chaos Orbs can also be traded in, but we don’t recommend it as Chaos Orbs are a useful currency. These orbs can reforge a rare item with new modifiers.

Another way to get Jeweller’s Orbs is through killing monsters. By slaying monsters and other similar methods like destroying chests and opening strongboxes, there’s a chance to get Jeweller’s Orbs. The drop rate is low at 5.508%, but it’s not as bad as other rare items.

Can You Trade Items for Jeweller’s Orbs?


Yes. You can trade different types of orbs for Jeweller’s Orbs by visiting Yeena. If you don’t want to let go of your other orbs, there’s another alternative available. By selling an item that has six sockets in it to any NPC, you’ll be able to get six Jeweller’s Orbs. This is especially useful if you’ve already “outgrown” an item. Instead of selling it for gold, you can further enhance the equipment that your character is wearing by re-rolling the number of sockets that can be used to put in possibly more jewels.

Conclusion


Despite Jeweller’s Orbs being common, they’re actually pretty valuable. In fact, they are deemed as a Path of Exile currency (PoE currency) that’s pretty useful next to PoE orbs like the Chaos Orbs. What do you think? Are Jeweller’s Orbs essential for making your character stronger? Tell us all about it by leaving a comment or two down below!

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Small Tips to Leveling Up Your WoW Classic Shaman

WoW Classic Shaman Leveling


Shamans are your flexible all-around class. They can be damage-dealers, healers, or support buffers. With such a wide range of options for equipment and skills, what are you going to prioritize?
Whether you enjoy questing, exploring, or simply farming WoW Classic gold, shamans are a great addition to your character collection. Here's a comprehensive guide to leveling your shaman, so it can be exactly what you need for playing the game.

Basics

Always have a plan. Time is limited, and you need to make the best of what you have. With this guide, you can figure out an agenda, what to do and where to go at certain levels. Being efficient with time only means that you're doing something to further your level all the time. Sometimes that means not looting anything, so you don't have to go back to town to unload.

Along with that, supplement your level grinding with questing and similar XP rewarding activities. If you're going to grind defeating a certain creature, do a quest that asks you to do so as well. When you need ingredients for leveling your profession, do so as you farm XP in a nearby area.

The last thing you need to remember about this guide is that you have the freedom to follow (or not follow) it as you like. All of these are just suggestions, and if you find something that works for you, by all means, use it. It's not like this is the only way to get a level 60 shaman!

Builds

Part of the planning involves planning a build for your shaman. Do you want to be a DPS, healer, or support? Whatever your end build is, here are some recommended builds while you level.

From 1-20: Start out in the Elemental branch. You'll want to take advantage of the Searing Totem and any passive that enhances its damage. The Earthbind Totem is also a good one to focus on.

Level 20-40: You can re-specialize to the Enhancement branch of talents, or keep going with the Elemental branch. Doing the former lets you take advantage of any two-handed weapons you want to use, but you'll start dealing with physical damage.

Level 40-60: Here is when you solidify your final build. Will you go full Elemental or hybrid Enhancer? It's up to you.

Again, plan it out beforehand so you don't keep on resetting your talents and spending unnecessarily.

Useful Tips

Kiting using theEarthbind Totem is one of the most effective ways to mitigate damage. If you're new to WoW, kiting only means staying out of range of an enemy's attacks. Enemies in the open world are most likely to be faster than you in terms of both movement speed and weapon attack speed.

Using the totem will slow them down by half, allowing you to weave in and out of their range easier. If you stay still as you attack without it, you'll be trading one hit for every two you receive. Kiting is a damage mitigation skill you shouldn't underestimate. Some swing timing tracker add-ons will help with this.

Stock up on equipment that boosts your mana regen and healing abilities early. In your downtime, you can switch to them and recover your health or mana for your next battle. Shorter downtimes mean you can get more XP in the long run!

Make the most of your totem's area of effect and place them right in the middle of a group. Replacing them for every kill is slow and costly. This is something you'll get a sense of as you use or level up your character.

For Enhancement Shamans, choose gear with boosts to agility, strength, stamina, intellect, and spirit. That is also their general order of priority. If you want to be tankier, prioritize stamina. For Elemental Shamans, your priority is gear that raises spell damage, intellect, and critical damage, as well as spirit. Of course, you can still get stamina for more health for your Elemental Shaman. Just prioritize the listed attributes more.

Generally, quests and grinding are your go-to activities. When quests start becoming too high-leveled, grind for a while until you reach their requirements. Then you can start questing again. Repeating that cycle a few times will get you to level 60.

The last tip is for you to simply enjoy the game. Play how you want, and use the skills you want. Level up at your leisure, and you'll get there eventually. Efficiency is key if you want to go fast, but it's fine if you want to go at a slower pace.

Have fun with your WoW Classic Shaman!

Friday, December 6, 2019

OSRS - Top Tips and Tricks You Need To Know

osrs tips and tricks


The seemingly evergreen MMORPG Old School RuneScape has managed to remain relevant and sustainable for quite some time now. The game is subjected to regular updates and new content and is now available on mobile platforms. If you are a newcomer to the game, then fear not, as we have a bunch of quick OSRS tips and tricks right here to help you get started on your journey through Gielinor and beyond. So prepare yourself for adventure, as you slay demons, collect OSRS Gold (Runescape Gold) and much more in the wonderful world of Runescape!
Get Questing
This is a really common piece of advice for new OSRS players, but it is also one of the most important. This is because it is a solution to a common mistake that many new players tend to make, which is to jump straight into training and trading before focusing on what could bring you the most experience in the early stages of the game.
There is such a wide variety of quests within OSRS. These will range anywhere from gathering materials and chopping wood to slaying the mightiest of demons. And along the way, you'll be rewarded for doing so, whether with gold, XP, new items, or anything else that the completed voyage decides to compensate you with.
Master the Controls
This is something that will obviously come with time, but it does take some getting used to. You may have checked out the odd tutorial video here and there and wonder how seasoned players are able to navigate the game so easily—especially since you have just started out—and you're wondering how to get to grips with everything in the early stages.
OSRS operates a point-and-click movement style, which can most definitely take some getting used to. As you can imagine, it is hard to use this system, which isn't aided by the camera that is in place. With all this in mind, make sure to set aside ample time to get the feel of things.
Should I Get an OSRS Membership?
Once you have a better feel for the game and you have an idea of how you want to progress, you will be faced with perhaps the most important question you have to ask yourself: Do you want to become a member? It can be a difficult decision in terms of budget, but when it comes to the sheer amount of content available to you, then becoming a member is really the best option by far.
By becoming a member, you'll unlock a lot of new content, including eight more skills to gain, mini-games, as well as a threefold increase in map size. Most importantly, there are far, far more quests now available to you as a member, so if you are looking to play Old School Runescape either on PC or you download an OSRS Mobile app for the foreseeable future, then I would certainly recommend getting an OSRS accounts membership. If you are a bit more of a casual player and just want to enjoy the game at a more leisurely pace, then there is enough free content for you to enjoy.
Money-Making/Selling Items
You may have also heard by now that there are ways for you to make money in OSRS. As a matter of fact, it is pretty much unavoidable. What RuneScape does for players is it essentially rewards them for basically any task that is completed. This can vary from mining, chopping wood, fishing, questing and much more. So more or less anything you do will earn you money along the way.
As far as buy rs or selling your items goes, the best place to go would be the Grand Exchange. This is because you can buy or sell more or less anything here, which puts it above anywhere else when it comes to buying and selling. You will be able to find the Grand Exchange (often abbreviated to GE) in Varrock, though there is no need to rush here. The best course of action would be to rack up your inventory first then come back to make a reasonable profit for yourself.
Avoid the Wilderness
If you go the woods straight away, you’ll be in for a big surprise because chances are you're going to die. Heading into the wild early on can prove to be disastrous if you are unprepared, as this is an area where most players go to let off steam, so to speak—usually at your expense!
If you do happen to venture out into the wild, then remember to take a protection spell with you. If you fail to do so, you will lose pretty much all of your dropping items. With that in mind, be sure not to head out there while carrying items that you don't want to have taken off you.
Now that OSRS has expanded out onto the OSRS mobile platform, more and more players are looking to engage in the popular MMORPG. If you are one of these players, then you will hopefully have found these OSRS tips to be of use. Now that you are armed with the knowledge, it’s time to get out there and grab your OSRS Gold (Runescape Gold) along with a weapon of choice. Go forth and enjoy the online sensation that continues to delight fans even after all these years!