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Warhammer Online's launch server names announced
The day has come, WAR fans! You knew it had to be soon. With the release of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning just a week away, the folks at Mythic have let loose crucial MMO launch information: server names. The official website has the complete list of server names for the Oceanic server group (Australia, New Zealand) and the North American server group. The North American listings are included right below the cut for your convenience. Over on the other side of the pond, the folks at GOA have released the names of the European servers as well.It looks like there are going to be four types of servers at launch: Core, Open RvR, Roleplay, and RP/Open RvR. The site details what each of these terms mean. As always, the concept of RP is a touchy subject; here's what players rolling on the RP servers are getting themselves into - "These servers are for those players who enjoy truly immersing themselves into the Warhammer lore by acting as their characters' personalities in-game. Players who opt to participate on a Role Playing server must agree to far more specific rules regarding naming, and it is suggested that players would adhere to WAR or high fantasy conduct and behavior." Click below the cut for those NA server names! Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Michael Zenke09.11.2008WAR's Public Quests get called anti-social
Ryan Shwayder has posted a short rant on why he feels Warhammer Online's Public Quests are anti-social. His reasoning behind the claim comes down to the notion that because players can be jerks, they'll always act the role. We're apt to not subscribe to the idea that everyone online become dissenting human beings, because if that were true than every MMO's social aspects -- which is all of them -- wouldn't ever work.We're not saying that PQs are perfect, but they're hardly breeding grounds for total infantile behavior. These are a new form of PvE and they're going to take some time for Mythic to work out the kinks. We're also inclined to mention that nobody wants to play with people who take every chance they get to screw someone over. Even with anonymity in play, people will still remember someone who was going out of their way to be a real pain in the neck. Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Kyle Horner09.11.2008Ultima Online's Stygian Abyss expansion site goes live
Mythic passed on word that Ultima Online, the game a lot of folks think of as the grandaddy of modern MMOs, is getting a new expansion. Alongside games like Meridian 59 and EverQuest, UO launched the US fascination with massively multiplayer games, as well as the careers of several of the country's biggest online designers. The expansion continues that fascination with the realm of Lord British in a new content pack called Stygian Abyss. Stygian Abyss will offer a number of new features and gameplay elements for die-hard UO players. First and foremost is the ability to create a new character of the gargoyle race! The gargoyles have come through a portal in the land of Sosaria, visiting the lands of Britannia from their original home on the world of Tel Mur. As a gargoyle, players will be able to fly overland and have basic familiarity with missle weapons and Mysticism from the get-go. Other features of the expansion have yet to be fully detailed on the website, but it sounds as though there will be at least one new dungeon, new spells, and new equipment. The full release is below the cut.
Michael Zenke09.11.2008Notes for Warhammer Beta patch 4.1.1
The newest patch to the Warhammer Online open beta is out, with servers still down and slated to come back up around 12:30 EDT. Unlike the preview+ patch (4.1) these notes are all free and clear. As long as you're waiting for your Waagh to come back online anyway, why not delve deep into the patch notes to pass the time? There are a couple of great changes in there, even on top of the ones we detailed in our 'what you might have missed feature. The overwhelming response to the Beta has given Mythic a chance to see what the game is like under a 'live fire' scenario. Read on through below the cut for the full formatted notes, but take a gander at these highlights first: There have been a number of general changes aimed at removing confusion and clearing up technical problems. Pet pathing and perfomance seem to still be on the dev team's polish list. Careers received only a modicum of tweaking; lots of abilities had their tooltips reworded to properly display damage information. There's a new help interface for things like CSR assistance, bug reporting, and feedback. The biggest changes have been to Tradeskills. Cultivation and Apothecary have recieved a number of tweaks, while Butchering, Magical Salvaging, and Talisman-making have been added into the game. Our favorite patch note: We have finalized our character introduction cinemas and narrations. Please note that during Open Beta only, for characters that already exist, you may see the introduction play at a random location upon first log in of each character. Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Michael Zenke09.11.2008Mythic explains additional RvR, guild changes in Warhammer
Mythic Entertainment has updated the official Warhammer Online site with details of more changes. Warhammer's much-vaunted RvR component is a central element to the game, and now new changes will see players receiving revamped rewards for participating. NPC Sargeants defending Battlefield Objectives will now have slightly better loot, to reflect the challenge of defeating them. Keep and Fortress Sieges are also more lucrative as well. Keep drop rates are now up to 12 from the previous number of 4. Fortress drops are up to 18 loot bags, from the previous 8. Overall more high end loot will be dropping from both experiences as well, as more 'gold' bags will be falling into player hands.The company also made a point of clarifying new guild features in the game. They describe the bank vaults, tax system, and tithe system that was added in the enormous 4.1 patch for preview+ weekend. The company goes into more depth than we did in our own description of the systems, which were a part of our what you might have missed gallery feature. Make sure to check out both updates to stay up-to-date, as Mythic puts in final tweaks in the week before launch. Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Michael Zenke09.10.2008A reminder from Mythic: Warhammer's head start begins this weekend
Mythic sent along a reminder that the headstart information we noted at the beginning of the month still applies: your very first chance to get onto Warhammer Online's launch servers is this weekend. Collector's edition preordering WAR-fans get in first at 7am EDT on Sunday the 14th. Everyone that preordered the regular edition gets in at 7am EDT on Tuesday the 16th. The game only went gold at the end of last month, after a beta period the developers have been running for more or less two years. This is the first time that players will be able to create characters that last longer than a few weeks; starting on Sunday September 14th, the world goes to war! The game launches 'proper' on September 18th. Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Michael Zenke09.09.2008A World of Warcraft player's guide to Warhammer Online
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/A_WoW_player_s_guide_to_Warhammer_Online'; Whether or not you see many similarities between Blizzard's epically popular title and Mythic's Warhammer Online, the reality is that World of Warcraft players are going to feel very comfortable in the brand-new game. Much of the framework that has made the world of Azeroth so successful over the last four years is in full force within Warhammer. Questing as a central component to leveling, an intuitive user interface, and combat very much like that found in Warcraft are all going to be great handrails to incoming players.There are plenty of MMO players (rightly) curious about what kind of game Mythic has created for them. For the curious Azerothian citizen, despite the familiar handholds, there are a number of big differences and additional features you're just not going to have experience with. Warhammer's a brand new world, with a lot of different sights, cultures, and expectations. To help you out as a brand new WAR player, we've compiled a guide to ease that transition, in the same tradition as our guides to Age of Conan and Guild Wars. WoW players, welcome to a brand new world ... one without gnomes! Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Michael Zenke09.09.2008WoW guide to WAR pt. 3
Tone and GraphicsAs was probably obvious in our discussion of world setting above, Warhammer is a much more 'serious' place than Azeroth. You won't find pop culture references thick on the ground, no Paris Hilton stand-ins selling merchandise in a tavern. This isn't to say that Warhammer is without humor. Quite the opposite, actually - the game is full of black humor and fart jokes. The tone is just very different than what you're used to from WoW.The graphics are an equally big departure. Bright colors and rounded edges are the exception in Warhammer, not the rule. The most 'pleasant' places you're likely to see in Warhammer are in the High Elf areas, and even there the ravages of war have left their indelible mark. The world as a whole is a pockmarked land of old battlefields and burned villages. Colors are muted and toned to match.%Gallery-21881%
Michael Zenke09.09.2008WoW guide to WAR pt. 2
ClassesAs a WoW player, you might initially find the number of classes in Warhammer overwhelming. Counting the Death Knight, there are ten classes available in World of Warcraft. There are exactly twice that many in Warhammer, and which race you pick dictates which classes you'll have available. Massively has been putting out a series of guides to help new players understand their options, and they tie into the faction/role combinations of each class. Essentially, you can think of each class as filling one of four roles: healer, tank, melee dps, and ranged dps.
Michael Zenke09.09.2008WoW guide to WAR pt. 5
Other Warhammer GuidesSince launch we've worked hard to provide a ton of additional information to new Warhammer players, be they WoW veterans or new MMO player altogether. We felt these guides definitely deserved to be mentioned here, and links are included for your convenience: Massively's Warhammer Online character creation guideAre you going to be a burly Chaos berserker, giant axe in-hand? Are you going to use your faith as your shield, serving the church of Sigmar? Will you scuttle through the underbrush as a goblin, or stealth through the trees as an elf? We've got you covered, with out wrap up of every character creation aide we've ginned together in the past few months. What makes Warhammer Online special, by Paul BarnettIn a conversation we had with the Creative Director via email Mr. Barnett offered up a few of his favorite things about Warhammer Online, things that he's noticed players have really responded to. What's the difference between WAR and WoW?Despite appearances of similarities, Warhammer Online and World of Warcraft are very different games. Looking at screenshots and videos will only tell you so much, because it's under the hood where you'll find the differences. That's where this handy guide comes into play. It's here to explain why certain quests in WAR are considered "public" and what "instances" are really all about. Unlike our previous guide, this is for the total MMO newb.
Michael Zenke09.09.2008WoW guide to WAR pt. 4
Player vs. PlayerWithout a doubt the biggest departure from the World of Warcraft experience is the role of Player vs. Player combat. Where competition with other players is a sideline activity to inject some differentiation into your experience in WoW, it's one of the primary things to do in Warhammer Online. That's not to say you have to PvP, of course, but it's a much more important part of the WAR experience. Players who choose to engage in PvP will gain experience, money, and a sort of PvP experience called renown for doing so. Gaining levels in renown allows player the opportunity to select tactics, slottable improvements to your character that change and shape your play experience.
Michael Zenke09.09.2008Warhammer's open beta goes great in US, epic failure in EU
Though for a while it looked like the European Warhammer community was online and in the Beta problems have continued to plague EU WAR players. These are problems persisting from this past weekend, and as a result the EU section of the Warhammer Alliance boards are full of ticked off players spitting invectives. It's easy to see why when when this official status update thread has such dire and worrisome phrases associated with it. Though players had already assumed as much, it looks like the blame for this failure falls at the feet of GOA. The European publisher for Warhammer (as well as DAoC and a number of other games) has a reputation among gamers for frustrations and customer service issues.Over at Mark Jacobs' blog, it sounds like Mythic made sure to communicate some of those frustrations directly to the French publisher. Says the CEO, "We had a number of conversations with them today about everything that happened. GOA messed up and their CEO has apologized and promised to do better going forward." He also notes his own frustration at some of the harsh words written over the weekend by frustrated players, noting that the game's Beta state means it's not ready for prime-time yet. Hopefully GOA will see this as a learning experience.Edited to reflect ongoing state of EU Beta. Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Michael Zenke09.08.2008What you might have missed in the new Warhammer Beta!
As we mentioned last week in our rundown of the newest preview+ patch notes, the full patch notes for Warhammer Online Beta Patch 4.1 are under NDA. That said, there is just a ton of new stuff that you might have missed between the end of the last Beta cycle and now. We're not going to temp Mythic's ire by laying out the notes for you, but we do want to make sure you know about all the cool new features and changes that have gone into the game. What we've come to as a compromise is a great gallery filled with imagery and information. It's a 'what you might have missed' guide to the brand new face of Warhammer Online. Click on through to our 'What You Might Have Missed' gallery to get the rundown on all the brand new fun and features floating around the world of WAR. There are Tome changes, class fixes, and even some brand-new game settings! Check out the gallery, and have a good Waagh! Check out the Gallery Guide >> %Gallery-21881% Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Michael Zenke09.08.2008Get to the Chaos capital, Mt. Bloodhorn, Blighted Isle, or Norsca at level 1
You've jumped into Warhammer Online, and you're ready to go. You've picked your terror-inducing class and you're happy with your class's vile mechanics ... but perhaps you don't want to play in your race's assigned tiers. You're a Chaos Warrior that wants to bash some stunty heads, maybe, or a Greenskin with a taste for human flesh. Whether you're heading to the Destruction capital city or one of the other starting zones, it should be as easy as hiking to the first RvR War Camp in your starting zone ... but where is that? If you've never played before, how do you know? Well, we've got what you need. Click through below the cut for full details and maps on how to get to the first war camps in Mount Bloodhorn, the Blighted Isle, and the zone of Norsca. Make sure you tell the flight masters that Massively sent you! %Gallery-34148%
Michael Zenke09.07.2008Rock, Paper, Shotgun discovers that WoW is a "dirty word"
Today we return to a debate that simply will not die. Gaming blog Rock, Paper, Shotgun -- a very smart blog that is a combination of progressive and traditionalist, if that makes any sense at all -- felt the need to defend itself after it previewed Warhammer Online and made numerous comparisons to World of Warcraft. It even inserted a WoW screenshot as a joke.If you've been following this debate (which already reached a raging napalmic inferno of internet vitriol when Richard Bartle compared the games in an interview with us) then you know that RPS was just asking for trouble. And trouble it got, in the order of more than 200 comments.The latest development: RPS blogger Alec Meer wrote a personal, diplomatic, and even impassioned post in which he attempted both to defend the comparison and to defend WAR in the face of said comparison. He also tried to explain why the connection infuriates WAR fans so much. The money quote: "Telling a WAR player that his game is similar to WoW is like telling a goth that he's emo." Needless to say, it's worth a read. Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Samuel Axon09.07.2008The Warhammer Online open beta test has begun
Mythic Entertainment just opened the virtual gates for the Warhammer Online open beta test. After fans spent half the morning expressing their impatience and Rickrolling one another on the game's various forums, the log in program/patcher suddenly stopped telling everyone they didn't belong and said, "Come on in and play!" Well, for most people anyway. It turns out that some folks still can't log in, but be patient; your time will surely come.We're sure you can expect massive lag and overcrowding if you try to play today (or probably at any point in the open beta, really) but if you're willing to weather such tribulations, then by all means, grab your own Warhamma' and log the hell in!If the lag proves too much for you today, or if the servers just explode, feel free to continue reading our extensive coverage. Otherwise, we'll slay you, err, see you there! Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Samuel Axon09.07.2008How to get to Altdorf, Ekrund, the Blighted Isle, or Nordland at level 1
You've jumped into Warhammer Online, and you're ready to go. You've picked your class and you're happy with your class mechanics ... but perhaps you don't want to play in your race's assigned tiers. Or maybe you just want to head to the mighty human city of Altdorf. We hear it's lovely this time of year. Heading to the Order capital city or one of the other starting zones is as easy as hiking to the first RvR War Camp in your starting zone ... but where is that? If you've never played before, how do you know?Well, we've got what you need. Click through below the cut for full details and maps on how to get to the first war camps in Nordland, the Blighted Isle, and the zone of Ekrund. Make sure you tell the Dwarven flight masters that Massively sent you!%Gallery-31341%
Michael Zenke09.06.2008Massively goes to WAR: An overview of Melee DPS careers for Order
You don't have to side with Destruction to do some damage in Warhammer Online. Order has two melee classes that crank out the dps up close and personal in two distinctly different ways. The Empire Witch Hunter uses a combination of rapier strikes to build up Accusations and then uses them to power a devastating Execution shot from their pistols. The High Elf White Lion wades into the thick of combat with his faithful pet lion by his side using it to distract and ravage his enemies.Read on after the jump for a more in-depth class into these two Order melee dps careers. Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Dan O'Halloran09.06.2008Massively goes to WAR: An overview of Melee DPS careers for Order - White Lion
Last month we covered some of the early levels of the White Lion career in Closed Beta including levels 1-5, 6-10 and a brief overview of the Mastery Trees. The basic skills for the White Lions remain much the same. From there you gain additional skills in each Mastery Path as well as special abilities in that path.
Dan O'Halloran09.06.2008PAX08: Joystiq sets its sights on MMO newbies
Our sister site Joystiq sent an MMO newbie to wade through the crowds surrounding the PAX08 booths of two upcoming MMOs. One of those titles was Warhammer Online and the other was Aion. The goal was to spend some time with each game, talk to the developers and see which title appealed more to an uninitiated MMO player. The results? Well, take a look for yourself.It's hard to spend a short amount of time with any game and draw a conclusion of some sort, especially an MMO. Even still, Initial impressions are just as important as long-term ones. Each of the two games chosen definitely give off an immediately different vibe. Most eastern MMOs from NCsoft tend to focus on the established crowd more than new players and Aion isn't an exception. Wheras Warhammer Online is doing more to appeal to a group of players who's first MMO was, well, World of Warcraft. So, as a newbie to the genre it's not hard to see where one might go.
Kyle Horner09.05.2008