call-to-arms
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More Land of the Dead details emerge from WAR dev
We've been hearing a slow trickle of details from Mythic these past few months about the new Land of the Dead zone in Warhammer Online. In his recent developer diary entry, Gabe Amatangelo, Senior Designer, Dungeons & Encounters Lead, shares new information about and inspirations behind the new Tomb Kings area.We learn that Gabe was given the go ahead to conceptualize the zone in September 2008, shortly after launch and that it will come in two forms: The Necropolis desert, which is an open, non-instanced zone and The Tomb of the Vulture Lord dungeon.Control over this dungeon will depend on a new Expedition Resource system, which will come as a blend of zone control and open RvR kills. Not only will you fight over the new dungeon, you will fight in it as well and the only safe spot will be the zone-in spot. The dungeon will have instanced encounters, but players will actually be able to storm instances and chase after enemies.As a PvE expansion to their newly announced RvR token system, monsters in The Necropolis desert will also drop tokens, which can be used to purchase powerful gear and crafting materials. If any of this sounds interesting to you, keep your eyes peeled for the April newsletter.
WAR 1.21 patch hitting the public test server this week
Mark Jacobs stopped by the official Warhammer forums to give players a list of highlights from the 1.21 patch hitting the public test server later this week. While the patch number suggests this won't be a major patch, the highlights suggest otherwise.Most people agree the biggest issue on Mythic's plate right now is combat responsiveness. Currently, players experience a sigificant "stretch" or "pause" when executing longer duration abilities (animation glitches don't help matters either). Mark says this issue will be fixed in under "normal" gameplay conditions, but may still exist to a degree under high server load.Other items of note are improvements to the keep siege system that will allow guilds who claim keeps to upgrade their defenses, a Beyond the Sands live event, more bug fixes, and special versions of the Gates of Ekrund and Nordenwatch scenarios.The balance issue with stacked ground target area of effect damage spells introduced in the previous patch is not touched upon in Mark's highlights, but Adam Gershowitz made a post on the Ranged Damage Dealers forum detailing the changes coming in 1.21. Overall, this is looking like a solid patch as fans await 1.3.
Mythic invites old subscribers to try WAR again for free!
Were you one of the 450,000 or so players that didn't stick with Warhammer Online after release? If so, you might not want to pass up this deal! Mythic is inviting all subscribers who quit WAR more than 30-days ago to give the game another shot for free. This isn't a new trial account either; you will get to play your old account.This is a great deal on many levels. Mythic recently consolidated 40 low-population servers into 16 stronger ones and launched a free trial (meaning you will have people to play with). They have also made huge game improvements since you left. The early tiers are reinvigorated with the release of the Slayer and Choppa careers. As if the conditions weren't ideal enough, you will also receive special buffs that increase your XP, renown, and gold, a few new quests, and a special item. To allow you to meet up with friends, you will receive one free transfer to any server of your choosing. All you need to do is reactivate your account and you're all set. Mythic put together a special FAQ that tells you everything you need to know. There has really never been a better time to give WAR another shot.
Massively re-arms for WAR: State of the opinion address
Mark Jacobs just released his WAR State of the Game announcement. I think this is a pretty important one because next week marks WAR's 6-month anniversary. Here are my thoughts about it.I found the intro paragraphs to be pretty standard for this type of announcement. On the plus side he's admitting that WAR isn't where they'd like it to be but he balances that by patting his own back. I realize he needs to say these things for shareholders, but comments like this always make me roll my eyes: "Given the proximity of these two releases, I think it is pretty safe to say that these represent one of the largest (if not the largest) amount of new content, tweaks, adjustments, etc. to any MMO over the course of several months." I simply love how someone can spin nearly 1,000 bug and polish fixes into a good thing (especially at the six-month point in the game's life cycle). It is and it isn't, y'know?Anyway, on to the meat and potatoes of the SotG. Mark mentioned 11 key areas of focus for the next few months. Here are my impressions of these sections (find his original text in the official SotG letter).
Warhammer Online's 1.2 patch might just bring you back
Not only is the 1.2 patch huge in terms of size, it is also huge in terms of the impact it will have on Warhammer Online. According to the table of contents, there are 75 sections and subsections in these patch notes. Yikes! Almost every area of the game is affected by 1.2, including combat and careers, crafting, itemization, quests and public quests, items, realm vs. realm, and the user interface.This patch is chock full of goodness but if you had to pick the top three highlights, they would probably be the Bitter Rivals live event, Zone Domination system, and fixes to combat and careers. Bitter Rivals is a weeklong live event that will provide you with plenty of fun tasks to complete, a new Twisting Tower scenario, and the ability to unlock early access to the new Slayer and Choppa careers. Zone Domination is an alternative way progress the RvR campaign more quickly. It also encourages more rigorous defence of objectives and keeps. Every single career in WAR had some of their abilities fixed or balanced, which makes this the most comprehensive career balance patch since 1.06 in early December.Make sure you read the full 1.2 notes because they cover so much more than this.
Massively re-arms for WAR: Slayer
Dwarf Slayers are just about ready to start hitting the live Warhammer Online servers for all their worth. With the orange tide imminent, I've been running around the test server for the past several days, looking to learn all I could about these wonders of Dwarven kind. Including -- but not limited to -- the underlying cogs of their special mechanic, how they handle PvP and PvE, and most importantly where they hide their booze -- here's a hint: it's underneath something.Now, with many honorable deaths under my massive beard, I've come here to present you, our dear readers, with a neatly packed bundle of information.
Massively re-arms for WAR: Meet Da' Choppa
With the release of the orc choppa only days away, Massively thought you might be interested in a career guide. I had a chance to try out the choppa this past weekend on the public test server (PTS). Mythic was giving out free rank 40, renown rank 41 templates and asked us to wreck some havoc in the world of Warhammer Online. I played my choppa extensively in open RvR and even tried a bit of PvE.IntroductionThe orc choppa is the most psychotic greenskin career. Heck, make that the most psychotic career in all of Warhammer Online! The goal of the choppa is to throw himself upon his foes and work himself up into a blind fury. The longer he stays in combat, the more damage he will do. Of course, with such little regard for personal safety, he will also become more susceptible to damage. This next part may seem a bit confusing, but realize that greenskins are actually quite simple: choppas are named after their weapons, which are called choppas. These implements are sharp and jagged hunks of metal strapped together with wood and leather. Choppas can use one big choppa or two smaller choppas. They are very basic but very deadly...
Massively re-arms for WAR: Meet Da' Choppa (part 2)
With the release of the orc choppa only days away, Massively thought you might be interested in a career guide. I had a chance to try out the choppa this past weekend on the public test server (PTS). Mythic was giving out free rank 40, renown rank 41 templates and asked us to wreck some havoc in the world of Warhammer Online. I played my choppa extensively in open RvR and even tried a bit of PvE.
Massively re-arms for WAR: Meet Da' Choppa (part 3)
With the release of the orc choppa only days away, Massively thought you might be interested in a career guide. I had a chance to try out the choppa this past weekend on the public test server (PTS). Mythic was giving out free rank 40, renown rank 41 templates and asked us to wreck some havoc in the world of Warhammer Online. I played my choppa extensively in open RvR and even tried a bit of PvE.
The Daily Grind: What excites you most about WAR's Call to Arms?
Today's the big day for Warhammer Online's Patch 1.2, and we can honestly say that you will be pleased at our coverage throughout the day. We have guides for the new classes and more on what this patch brings to the table. Now the question is, what are you most excited about?Are you excited for the Choppa, or perhaps you're more of a Slayer? Maybe you can't wait to get your hands on some official forum action? You might just be itching to dive into that shiny new dungeon or experiment with the new RvR or crafting changes. Or better yet, none of this new content may interest you at all, and you're just excited that hundreds of bugs will get squashed with this patch. No matter what it is that tickles your fancy today, we want to hear about it. Let us know!
Warhammer's 1.2 patch to go live March 3, 2009
The 1.2 patch for Warhammer Online is going to be huge. Mark Jacobs gave fans a highlight reel of what it will deliver back in early February, which includes fixes to over 500 bugs, two new careers, class balance, and much more. Since that time, Mythic put 1.2 up on the public test server for everyone to give feedback on. Here is a summary of some blog feedback we found (because not everyone can view the beta forums atm): Keen shared his thoughts on the new Choppa career. Book of Grudges has a good review of Slayers. Part 1 of Garrison of WAR's review (map improvements, realm status changes, and new mounts). Part 2 of Garrison of WAR's review (rage mechanic and how it performed in both PvE and RvR). Part 3 of Garrison of WAR's review [additional map improvements (more accurate group and warband dots), the new parties and warbands window, potions persisting through death, and how all MDPS careers will receive a pick lock skill that lets them enter postern keep doors]. Stunty Stomper and Obsessive Focus talk a bit about crafting changes. Arbitrary of the Book of Grudges is also reporting that the latest US WAR newsletter in her inbox says patch 1.2 will go live March 3, 2009. The Bitter Rivals live event will start March 4, 2009.
Mythic announces free 10-day WAR trials on FilePlanet
Mythic just announced free 10-day trials for Warhammer Online through FilePlanet, which is available to Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and U.S. residents only. Up until now, the only way to try WAR for free was if you received an invitation from Mythic's Recruit-a-Friend program. For a limited time, anyone to takes the free trial through FilePlanet will also receive $5.00 off the full purchase on Direct2Drive.You can download the trial here. The trial will expire 10 days after you activate your account, even if you don't log in. Trial accounts are restricted to tier one and capital city zones. You may purchase items from the auction house and receive in-game mail but you can not sell items on the AH or send in-game mail (to prevent spam/bot accounts). Trial characters can only be created on designated servers. Check the official free trial FAQ for more details.It is unknown when or if the 10-day trial offer will expire. The ideal time try WAR for the first time is probably in early March once they implement the 1.2 patch. Patch 1.2 will feature the Bitter Rivals live event (many interesting tasks, a new scenario, and will usher in the Choppa and Slayer careers), fix hundreds upon hundreds of bugs, and aim to balance almost all the game's careers.
Earn special character customizations for your Slayer and Choppa
Remember when Mythic said there would be incentives for being an active contributor on their new official forums for Warhammer Online? Apparently, they're about to give away the first of these in-game incentives we've heard so much about. Say hello to Snorri's Spikes and Chompin' Teef, two new customization options you can earn for your new Slayer and Choppa.Snorri's Spikes is an especially painful looking mohawk for your dwarf and Chompin' Teef will have you looking like a greenskin version of Jaws from James Bond in no time. You can earn these rewards by logging in to the Public Test Server and playing the heck out of the two new careers (Choppa and Slayer). Report any bugs you find in game or on the forums and provide any useful feedback you can think of. Mythic will reward top contributors with these character customizations. "Top contributor" criteria are unknown, which may promote people trying hard instead of just enough. The Warhammer community is speculating that the 1.2 patch will drop late next week or early the following, so you may want to start soon before you miss out.
Come on in, the WAR is lovely
Warhammer Online has plenty on their plate for the coming months. The whole Call to Arms expansion is bringing live events, two new classes, a brand new dungeon themed from the Tomb Kings, and plenty of changes and additions to RvR combat.So what does creative director Paul Barnett and executive producer Jeff Hickman do on their spare time? Well they go to the New York Comic Con and film silly videos about Warhammer with MTV Multiplayer! While the video is amusing, the two also get into some of the nuts and bolts of WAR, including a few reasons why any player should give their game a try and what they're doing to make the whole experience better. Also, they have giant foam warhammers. You just can't turn down giant foam warhammers.
Test server patch notes for Warhammer's "Bitter Rivals" event released
Patch days are like mini-holidays for MMO players. They're worth a beer, a cheer, and a heck of a lot of investigating. The upcoming Warhammer Online Patch 1.2 is worth a lot of cheering, as it ushers in the first of the proper Call to Arms expansion live events. What's more, at 55 pages, you'd cheer your throat raw before the improvements ran out. The biggest news, of course, is the addition of two brand-new character classes for the Greenskins and Stunties. The Choppa and Slayer will inject some much-needed enthusiasm into the game's playerbase. Here are some of the other highlights the devs have chosen to single out: A brand-new Tier 4 Scenario called the Twisting Tower. Much like the Reikland Factory during the Heavy Metal event, this is a limited-term engagement. Make sure you check it out while the event is up and running. All-new systems are being put into place for Open RvR! A "Rallying Cry" will draw players to conflicts in the first two tiers, while a new Zone Control Domination system will give players incentives to truly conquer those zones. Itemization has been revamped across the board, with dungeons, fortresses, and PQs all recieving tweaks and reconsideration. "Easy-mode" Public Quests are being added throughout the 2-4 tiers, allowing solo players and small groups to get that sweet PvE loot without having to grind Stage 1. Crafting is being given a significant overhaul. All the 'gathering' skills are now extraordinarily streamlined, and the 'creation' skills are now definitively associated with two gathering skills. Beyond the above there are numerous changes to classes, user interface improvements, brand new mounts, and an army's worth of bug fixes. The scope of this patch is daunting to contemplate, let alone read through, but if you want to give it a try the full and unadulterated list is available at the Warhammer Herald. Put on your helmed horn and go check it out.%Gallery-21882% Mythic has announced the first expansion to Warhammer Online! Check out the announcement itself, the two brand-new classes coming to the game, and the enormous new dungeon/zone slated for a few months away! Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Love is in the air as the Night of Murder goes live in Warhammer
Last week we brought you the news that the Night of Murder would be the precursor event to the ambitious Call to Arms live expansion to Warhammer Online. As February 14th inches ever closer (remember, your leveling partner might like a gift or two), the developers have pushed the first of these in-game events live to the servers. To accompany the new event, the Herald has a brand-new Grab Bag of bountiful information for you to sink your teeth into. Some highlights: All tasks for the event are unlocked from the get-go. No need to wait to get into the thick of it. Roughly 2 out of every 10 players will be marked, so there should be plenty of death to go around. Additionally, all keep lords are marked. Credit for marked kills goes to the group that killed the marked player; keep lords slain during the event bestow credit to everyone involved in taking out the keep. Rewards for the event include: a special title, a unique Night of Murder trophy, and at the top tier a unique trinket that will give you +5% renown when you're participating in RvR. That last item has a level 35 item restriction placed on it. For the full story, make sure to check out our interview with Jeff Hickman about the event, the official event page on the WAR site, and the full Grab Bag about the Night of Murder. Mythic has announced the first expansion to Warhammer Online! Check out the announcement itself, the two brand-new classes coming to the game, and the enormous new dungeon/zone slated for a few months away! Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Warhammer Online patch 1.1.1 drops onto the live servers today
Just a week after the announcement of the ambitious Call to Arms expansion for Warhammer Online, the first in a series of live events drops onto the game servers. Today sees the release of the 1.1.1 patch to WAR, bringing with it the sinister Night of Murder Valentine's Day event. This macabre outing (traditionally associated with the Witch Elf class) will give a poisonous new meaning to this traditionally saccharine-sweet holiday. Check out a snippet from our interview with Mythic's Jeff Hickman to get a sense of what you'll be doing for the next week.Other features of the 1.1.1 patch include the addition of new flight points throughout the game world, brand new quests from Keep Lords, and the launch of Warhammer Online in Russia. The Open RvR changes in particular are outstanding, continuing to build on the influence system the company put in with the last few patches. Full patch details are available on the Warhammer Herald site. Mythic has announced the first expansion to Warhammer Online! Check out the announcement itself, the two brand-new classes coming to the game, and the enormous new dungeon/zone slated for a few months away! Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Coming up in the month of February...
There's always something going on in the World of Warcraft, and the month of February is no exception. We've got the Lunar Festival in full swing, Love is in the Air on the horizon, and a Chris Metzen signing out in New York.Take a look after the break for our complete rundown of all the February events. And remember to check your in-game calendar to see what times these events begin on your sever, and then compensate for the time zone you live in.Of course throughout all this month we'll keep you abreast on the latest news!
Lands of the Dead vs. Darkness Falls: Don't mess with perfection
Mythic recently announced plans for a huge "live expansion" called Call to Arms that would span several months and culminate in the release of a new mega-zone called Lands of the Dead. LotD has been described by the developers as a spiritual successor to Darkness Falls, a dungeon that is considered by many as the best thing to ever come out of Dark Age of Camelot.This announcement has many people drooling and speculating on the possibilities because we haven't been given many details to work with. What we do know is that players will have to fight for control of it. The zone will be called Lands of the Dead (aka Nehekhara) and themed on the Tomb Kings. Controlling the zone will give you access to public quests, instance lairs, and a massive dungeon that holds secrets of something called the Casket of Souls (similar to the Ark of the Covenant).If Nehekhara is going to be as good for Warhammer Online as Darkness Falls was for Dark Age of Camelot, I believe Mythic must mimic its predecessor as closely as possible. Continue reading below the cut where we'll discuss how they can succeed and how they can fail.
The Daily Grind: What is the expansion of your dreams?
Last week's announcement of Warhammer Online: Call to Arms has a lot of folks re-examining their views on Mythic's baby. Some are frustrated that Mythic is taking their eyes off of bug fixes, while others can't wait to roll their first slayer. Regardless of personal opinion, Call to Arms has definitely gotten the playerbase talking. Which, of course, is what we always want to provoke from you in these morning discussion threads. Today we're wondering what expansion you want to see coming down the pipe for your favorite game.Whatever your game, what's the big chunk of content you want to hear them announcing? Do you want a return to Luclin in EverQuest 2? News of the Emerald Dream coming to World of Warcraft? Does the word "Rohan" hold any meaning for you Lord of the Rings Online players? Think big and dream big! New classes, new zones, maybe a whole new style of play? What would be the perfect compliment to the way you already play your MMO of choice? What would make it perfect?
