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Massively goes to WAR: An overview of Ranged DPS careers for Destruction
Let's face it: DPS classes just have more fun. Tanks have to always worry about being between the squishies and the pointy things. Healers have to make sure their fellows are standing upright. All DPS classes have to do is be pointed in the right direction and relatively sober. That fun factor is even more true than the norm in Warhammer Online, as the Destruction races offer up some gloriously sadistic ways to squick the other side. There are three ranged DPS classes on the Destruction side, and with only their two melee counterparts to rely on they'll be taking up a lot of the damage-dealing slack once the game goes live. Players who choose these classes are going to have a heck of a lot of fun variously shooting, exploding, and damning the souls of their opponents. That's just how DPS players like it, too. Join us for a walk on the dark side with the Squig Herder, the Dark Elf Sorceress, and the Chaos Magus. 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 Zenke09.05.2008Mythic Entertainment's Mark Jacobs has started blogging
When you think of Warhammer bloggers, folks like Syp, Keen, and the guys at the Greenskin probably come to mind first. Then you'd probably think of Josh Drescher and Paul Barnett, two of the WAR team heads who have longstanding blogs themselves. Just recently added to the ranks of Warhammer bloggers is none other than Mythic's head honcho himself, Mr. Mark Jacobs. Jacobs has hung out his shingle at a site entitled Online Games Are a Niche Market, a reference to a bad conversation he had with AOL execs back in the day. Hard to believe AOL could be shortsighted about anything.He's already put up several interesting posts, which we think are well worth checking out. He reiterates and expands on some of the comments he made in his MTV article when discussing the role of WAR's success or failure in the market. He also directly answers questions from commenters in not one but two posts. It's great to see a busy guy like Mark getting into the trenches to address fan questions; perhaps you've got one for him as well? 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 Zenke09.05.2008Warhammer preview weekend+ patch notes
While the full 4.1 patch notes are still under NDA, the notes for this weekend's preview delve into Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning are free and clear for everyone to enjoy. And they're still pretty freaking huge. The full and mind-blowing notes are available after the cut, but here are some highlights:- You can now only belong to one faction on a given Realm. Picking Destruction or Order with your first character is now a permanent choice.- Every single class has received an overhaul, with the 'turret' classes (Engineer and Magus) and the Squig Herder getting the most love.- Quests and Public Quests have received a few tweaks thanks to Beta feedback.- Auction Houses and personal banks have been added to the game for the first time!For every gruesome detail, read on below the cut. 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 Zenke09.05.2008Anti-Aliased: I should market fanboi pesticide
This week's column is going to be a little different than the norm I usually cover, but it still falls into that which I love and dedicate my craft to -- the analysis of MMO culture. And who better to analyze than the bane of a game's existence, the fanboi!They're right, you're wrong. Their opinion is obviously the best opinion on the planet, even if it consists of "this gaem is teh rox, ur dumb and obviuosly a gey retard." (It always fascinates me how they can screw up a word like gay, but can somehow gain the coherence to spell retard correctly.) They clog up the message boards by defending everything the developer does, right down to eating an egg sandwich during their hour long lunch breaks.They probably mean well and want their game of choice to succeed, but they end up doing more damage to the community at large than good. So let's dedicate this column to the fanboi and how much they screw things up for everyone.
Seraphina Brennan09.05.2008PAX 2008: Appealing to an MMO Newbie
Worth it or not, to me personally, pay-to-play MMOs always felt like a ridiculous proposition. Paying to play a game I already paid for is like paying $5 to bite into a delicious burger I just got at the drive-through. Still, the genre continues to spawn new titles as proven at the 2008 Penny Arcade Expo.While many MMO titles were on display, two were the most talked-about massively multiplayer role-playing games of the show: Warhammer Online and Aion: The Tower of Eternity. Realizing my limited experience with MMOs in the past, the team at Joystiq tasked me with learning as much as I could about each title and see if they could appeal to a genre newbie willing to jump into the online fray.
Xav de Matos09.04.2008Analysts see into future, expect 650k US sales for WAR's first month
Here we go again, it's time for people to start predicting the sales of the next big MMO. So get out your thinking hat and grab ahold of your pie charts and bar graphs! Hm, somehow that sounded a lot more exciitng before we said it. Anyhow, Warhammer Online is nearly at launch day and has been given a 650,000 sales prediction for the first month in the United States from Lazard Capital Markets senior VP, Colin Sebastian. It's important to stress that this is for the US territory only, which means that's kind of a high prediction.Our guess for the reason behind the European exclusion is because it's a bit of a wildcard. Warhammer being a much bigger property over there means its sales could land almost anywhere. It could also be because Lazard Capital Markets only deals in US sales predictions, but we like to think they're scared of Europe, instead. All in all with first month US sales being predicted at over half a million, we have to assume many are expecting Warhammer Online to perform pretty impressively overall.
Kyle Horner09.04.2008MMO features that haven't made it into Warhammer Online
Among the legions of fortunate Warhammer Online fans that have played through beta and the preview weekend is Syp from the Waaagh! blog. He's always entertaining and it's clear he's passionate about Warhammer Online. So when he writes about features in other MMOs that he'd like to see in WAR, you know he's not bashing a game that's not even out of the gate yet. Rather, he's genuinely looking at ways the game could be better. Syp puts forth his ideal WAR feature set, which includes capturable and trainable pets similar to World of Warcraft's system and the player-created content and sidekicks of City of Heroes. Syp would also like to see WAR include an in-game music player like EVE Online, and other features drawn from Everquest 2 and Lord of the Rings Online. Have a look at the Waaagh! "10 features" post and see if you agree with him on what could make Warhammer Online a better title. 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!
James Egan09.03.2008A look at Warhammer Online's Guild Taverns
If you've got a guild in Warhammer Online that's level six or higher, then you can gain access to Taverns. These places of social gathering are located at each faction's capital city, permitted that city is at least rank two. The forces of Order gather at Sigmar's Hammer, while Destruction gather at The Viper Pit in The Inevitable City. Entry at guild rank six is gained by speaking to the Guild Merchant just outside of either Tavern. You could also try to punch the merchant in the face, but that's not likely to work out well, even for an Orc.Mythic plans to offer various NPC vendors and services within the Tavern based on your Guild rank. Examples given include a flight master, crafting merchant, renown merchant, siege merchant and a Guild Standard merchant. One especially interesting service is offered at Guild rank 16 and opens up a "Guild Leader Hall" that only guild leaders and officers may enter. This hall offers a rest bonus, giving all those inside rested experience. It doesn't really seem like the rested state is any better than a normal rested state, so don't flip out like a Witch Elf or anything just yet. Check the gallery for some images of the two Taverns and for more detailed information on the various merchants and services, head below the break.%Gallery-21881%
Kyle Horner09.03.2008The BigCast @PAX08 Special: Warhammer Online
Massively's sister site Big Download has a very special podcast with Jeff Hickman, Paul Barnett and Josh Drescher from Warhammer Online. Of course, you probably don't need us to tell you that these fellows made for a very interesting podcast, but what you do need to know is that this edition of the BigCast is very NSFW, so it may be wise to wear some headphones. As it happens, there isn't much talk about Warhammer Online. Instead, you'll hear a lot Mr. Barnett asking everyone questions and the ever-informative Josh Drescher pitch a very wonderful radio ad for Bacon Salt -- because everything should taste like bacon.As someone who was a part of this endeavour into the unknowns of German hotels, taxis and of course, Bacon Salt, this blogger can tell you it was a wild ride that you won't be remiss for listening in on.
Kyle Horner09.03.2008Exclusive WAR in-game item to be released with C&C: Red Alert 3
So you're one of the lucky few -- well one of 60,000 anyway -- who got your hands on the Warhammer Online Collector's Edition, and without any of the order snags people have been reporting. Well congratulations! You've got the Greenskin miniature, the graphic novel, the art book, the virtual items and the exclusive quests. So now you can sit back and relax, secure in the knowledge that you have the most badass collection of Warhammer Online gear ever assembled, both in-game and out.... right? Actually, wrong. For the Warhammer Online player who simply must have everything, there's one more step to go as it turns out. There's another exclusive in-game item called "Korssar's Helm" that allows you to transform into a bear. The catch? You need to order, or pre-order, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 to get the WAR item...
James Egan09.02.2008Mythic's Mark Jacobs really wanted to see Age of Conan succeed
MTV Multiplayer's Tracey John, speaking with head of Mythic Entertainment Mark Jacobs, has been exploring a line of questioning about the MMO industry in general. They noted the high failure rate for the genre, and the equally high expectations that are now placed on new games by fans and industry commentators. Jacobs offered up, as part of this discussion, some analysis on why Hellgate: London didn't make it, and why Funcom's Age of Conan has been having so many problems over their long first summer of launch. Of Hellgate, Jacobs noted that it's not sufficient simply to have really talented people on the team. That's a straightforward process. In addition to that, "sometimes just having talent is not enough. You need leadership and you need patience. And what's most important - something that so many developers forget - is you also need to deflate the ego a little bit."About Conan, which the site categorizes as 'failing to deliver on promises to players, Jacobs states that he actually really wanted the game to succeed. Now, with a summer of frustrations and player unrest behind them, he thinks they're in a tight spot. Ultimately, he just wants someone to show the world that MMOs don't have to be World of Warcraft to succeed. As for Mythic, "If we don't succeed with EA behind us, the 'Warhammer' IP behind us, with one of the most experienced teams in the industry, that's not going to be good for the industry. We need to show the world that it's not just Blizzard who can make a great game, and that the audience is absolutely willing to try new things and to play a game other than 'WoW." Having fun in Conan's homeland? Make sure to check out all of our previous Age of Conan coverage, and stick with Massively for more news from the Hyborian Age!
Michael Zenke09.02.2008Warhammer Online access details for pre-orders and Collector's Edition
Warhammer Online fans, the promised day is almost here. Mythic has announced early access details for pre-order and Collector's Edition customers. Pre-orders get a headstart and will be invited to play as of September 15th; those who sprung for the Collector's Edition get to trump everyone else, gaining access to WAR on September 14th in addition to some of those other sweet extras that come with the CE. Still, not all Collector's Edition customers are happy about how CE customers are being treated. One Collector's Edition buyer named 'Micah' had a nightmare of a problem with his order from Electronic Arts (EA). A simple request to not have his CE shipped to an address he no longer lives at was met with a bizarre choice to be made -- either cancel the order and lose out on the sold-out CE, or let the order stand and have it shipped to the complete strangers living at Micah's former residence. Check out the entire correspondence between EA and Micah at The Consumerist. We hope this is an isolated incident, particularly given the cost and apparent rarity of the Collector's Edition. 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!
James Egan09.01.2008PAX08: WAR's Jeff Hickman on patches, open beta and content rumors
After our interview with both Paul Barnett and Jeff Hickman at PAX08, we talked some more with Jeff about various subjects regarding the upcoming open beta and subsequent launch of Warhammer Online. It was a incredibly casual and open discussion on topics that are usually met with fiery bile depending on what part of the internet you happen to be at any given moment. One particular question we asked revolved around the choice to limit players in the open beta to level 20 out of the 40 total in the game. The move has of course spawned some skeptics of the existence of higher level content. Find out exactly what Jeff had to say about that below the cut.%Gallery-30683%
Kyle Horner09.01.2008PAX08: WAR's Paul Barnett and Jeff Hickman interviewed, page two
Massively: In the last three to eight months it's just been update, after update, after update. Massively: And there's been a lot of communication of the updates. Massively: Yeah.
Kyle Horner09.01.2008PAX08: WAR's Paul Barnett and Jeff Hickman interviewed, page three
Massively: This one's for all the Warhammer lore fans. Tomb Kings or Vampire Counts? If you had your pick- Massively: Tabletop, let's say...
Kyle Horner09.01.2008PAX08: WAR's Paul Barnett and Jeff Hickman interviewed
On the first day of PAX08, we sat down with Mythic Entertainment's Jeff Hickman and Paul Barnett to discuss several different topics concerning Warhammer Online. We've covered the game very extensively to put it lightly, so for this go-around our goal was to mix things up a bit for the dynamic duo of Jeff and Paul. (Josh Drescher was there, but he was embroiled in a deep discussion about Bacon Salt and its many uses) Let's just say we got some interesting comments about Vampire Counts and Tomb Kings. So, amidst the constant murmuring of the exhibition hall, we recorded the following interview for your listening pleasure.
Kyle Horner08.31.2008Seen@PAX08: Warhammer Online team going all out
We've spent a lot of time stomping around the exhibition hall at PAX this year and there are plenty of sights to see. One constant of the show floor was the never-wavering, always-happy-to-see-you team at the Warhammer Online booth. They also liked to make strange "w" signs with their hands at us. We think it's probably some east-coaster thing or maybe a esoteric European gang sign. It could've also been related to Warhammer Online, but that's probably unlikely.This was the first year that Paul Barnett, Jeff Hickman and Josh Drescher were there to answer questions, chat with fans and generally be cool, approachable guys. While hanging around the booth after our (soon to be available) interview with Jeff and Paul, we lost count of how many times they posed for pictures, signed things, repeatedly discussed issues, or just generally made themselves available for poking and prodding throughout the day.%Gallery-30683%
Kyle Horner08.31.2008PAX08: New features coming to Warhammer Online for the open beta
While talking to Mythic's Jeff Hickman at PAX08, he mentioned a rather large update coming for the open beta hitting around September 7th (the date of the Open Beta). Some of the content in the upcoming patch includes player vaults, guild vaults, auction house, tons of fun new emotes, and a lot of general effects cleanup. There's even a new Public Quest and standard quest tracker for the user interface. It sounds like Mythic is making a really big push for the launch of the game. So even if you're in the beta now, expect some pleasant surprises once you hit the Open Beta or Live game in just a couple of weeks.We've got tons more information coming from our time spent with the Warhammer Online guys at PAX08. Keep your eyes peeled for further updates.
Kyle Horner08.29.2008Warhammer developers own up to preview weekend issues
If you participated in the recent Warhammer Online preview weekend, you likely experienced a number of issues. AI pathing, pet behavior, client crashes and much more were all problems weekend warriors experienced. How do we know for sure? Because the folks at Mythic Entertainment (specifically Mark Jacobs) are owning up to every issue. In a post to the Warhammer Alliance boards, Jacobs lays out every problem players have been complaining about with notes about why it might be happening and what they intend to do about it. Some of the issues honestly don't sound like they're going to be addressed before launch, but the biggest problem (pathing) sounds like it's going to get squared away. Says Jacobs of the technical problems, "while some of you might be tempted to go all Samurai on us for a couple of the bugs, overall things went very, very well. As long-time readers of my notes now, I won't do a Nick Winters and we are anything but pathological liars so we'll always own up when we make a mistake and we made a couple here. So, let's talk amongst ourselves..." Apparently based on a dare from a forum-goer, Jacobs' address is full of Saturday Night Live references. Check out the post for more from that wild and crazy guy. 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 Zenke08.29.2008Warhammer's last pre-launch newsletter released!
The August newsletter for Warhammer Online is likely to be the last one released before the game launches on September 18th. The folks at Mythic have made it a great one, so buckle up for another big helping of WAR goodness. With the game coming out so soon there's a lot of 'business' to discuss. There's a reminder that Open Beta begins September 7th, and that characters played in the Open won't transfer to live service. The NDA has lifted, of course, and there are a few notes about what that means. They also reveal that there will be pre-paid game time cards available at launch, in 30 and 60-day increments. The Road to WAR is officially underway, and the newsletter discusses a bit about what they want to do with this unique marketing campaign. They link to that fantastic CG trailer, offering everyone another look at the forces of Order and Destruction in action. They offer up a brand new video, a trailer for the forces of Order talking about brotherhood and the ongoing war they're undertaking. There's a brand-new production podcast as well, this one consisting entirely of outtakes. Overall it's a bit weak, but you have to stay to the end for outtakes from Mark Jacobs' appearance on the cast and Josh Drescher's hilarious impression of Paul Barnett. Well worth the wait. A German fan trailer shows off the might and majesty of the city of Altdorf, and the dedication of the forces of Order. There are preview articles about RvR scenarios (Thunder Valley and Logrin's Forge) and a look deep into the dungeon known as The Lost Vale with an in-world fiction piece. There's tons more, including a snippet from the new Warhammer Online novel, Beta reports, player after-action writeups, more class mastery details, pre-order information ... etc. As always, you can sign up for the newsletter at the official Warhammer Online website. Tell em' we sent you.
Michael Zenke08.28.2008