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MTV previews Warhammer Online, finds five things interesting
MTV's Multiplayer blog sent its resident Warhammer geek (Joe DeShano) into the Warhammer Online beta. He came out with five key observations and published them on the blog. The observations: the game's world is at war, PvP is constant, the Tome of Knowledge should please Warhammer fanboys, the Empire's capital city is both cool and big, and applying dyes to armor is an awesome reminder of nerdy miniature-painting sessions.He wrote up a general preview around those five key points (and a number of screenshots), and while you're not likely to learn anything totally new from it if you've been following the game, it can't hurt to read someone's hands-on impressions. At the end of it all, he seemed to have a high-ish opinion of the game, calling it "World of Warcraft 2.0." 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!
Ask a WAR Beta Tester: Greenskins and Chaos and Dark Elves, oh my
The road to Wahammer Online's release has been a lengthy walk for everyone. We've all been through ups and downs, but now that it's almost here we're more than happy to answer whatever questions are floating about your minds. So, in our second installment of Ask a WAR Beta Tester, we offer up some insight into the cut careers, leveling time and other questions of intrigue. All for the sake of satiating your burning desire to know more. Of course, we know that no matter how many answers are given there will be more questions asked. So if you've got something banging around in your brain that we haven't addressed, feel free to post a comment containing your question.
The Daily Grind: Do you play goodies or baddies?
Earlier this week we began our Ask a WAR Beta Tester series, and in response to a question about factional balance this blogger made an observation about the propensity for players to pick humans. There was a bit of disagreement in the comments on that post, and it prompted a few questions of our own. So we wanted to ask you more directly about this phenomenon. What do you prefer to play in an MMO? Think about the characters you have realistically, not just what you like in the abstract. Do you play humans? "Good guys?" Or do you play non-human "baddies"? Would you prefer a faction at least offer you the option of a human-like character? Does how pretty your character is matter to you?
MMOs on Big Download's most anticipated games list
In addition to offering game-related downloads, our sister site Big Download covers PC news in general -- not just MMOs. But when it put together a list of the most anticipated games of the coming season, two MMOs figured prominently: Warhammer Online and World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King.In addition to simply listing the games, Big Download rates each release's chance of success. Of WotLK it says "near-perfect ... as close to a slam dunk as you're likely to get." On the other hand, it's a bit more skeptical about Warhammer Online. The article says that WAR's chances of success are "in question" because new MMOs in general usually have a rough time of it.Check out the feature for more details, and to see what the other games on the list are if you're into more than just MMOs.
Warhammer Online has gone gold!
It looks like the long wait is almost over! Electronic Arts and Mythic Entertainment have announced that Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning has gone gold. This means, essentially, that the game is ready to be sent to store shelves. Discs are being printed to go into boxes to be delivered into the waiting hands of anxious WAR fanatics. The press release for the announcement reminds us that the title will be launching on September 18th, with a retail price of $49.99. The collector's edition, of course, will see players in the game servers even earlier than that.Said prolific Mythic CEO Mark Jacobs, "We've done our best to create the next great MMORPG experience, but it's the fans that will bring our world to life ... The Day of Reckoning approaches and it's going to be glorious! It's time to go to WAR." The game is set to launch in North America, Europe, and Oceania on the same day, meaning that all across the world we'll be readying for WAR together. Nothing left to do now but wait for the servers to reopen on the 7th. WAAUGH!
IGDA calls Mythic 'disrespectful' for not crediting all Warhammer devs
In a turn of events that doesn't really surprise us given its source, IDGA chairperson Jen MacLean has said in the group's recent newsletter that Mythic's choice to not credit all those who worked on Warhammer Online is, "disrespectful of the effort of the game developers who worked on the game, and misleads both consumers and game industry peers," While the choice doesn't particularly sit well with us either, the IDGA is taking the news very gravely. And so they should, seeing as they represent game developers around the world. "Some people claim that providing complete credit information...encourages people to leave their job before a game is complete," continued Chairperson MacLean. "These reasons are simple window dressing for policies that are arbitrary, unfair, and in some cases even vindictive, and they simply don't hold up." Finally, she made her case against those who would call credits unimportant because nobody reads them by saying, "The number of people who read a game's credits is irrelevant. Even if only one person reads the credits of a game, integrity demands that all work be accurately and honestly represented." Our stance on the issue is the same as it was before. If Jon Doe worked on a game for eight months before leaving a development team for whatever reason, that should not suddenly make his hard work null and void.
Ask a WAR Beta Tester: Laying the groundwork
Last week we turned to you, the Massively community, for questions about Warhammer Online. We've been in the Beta for a while, and we've got lots of information about the game just stewing in our brains. Hopefully features like Massively Speaking #19 and our State of the Game piece have conveyed some of the ways we're thinking about the game. But your questions are really what we want to get answered. Today we're going to take a first crack at what was asked last week. We're going to take care of some of the most basic questions, clarifying things like server balance, armor differentiation, and whether the game is any fun at all for non-Warhammer IP fans. We're betting that these answers will prompt even more questions, and that's good! Every time we put up an "Ask a WAR Beta Tester" article, we want you to throw us more questions in the comments. Click on below the cut to read our answers, and to give us even more questions!
Massively goes to WAR: An overview of Tanking careers for Order - Swordmaster
This tank relies on Elven agility and combo moves combined with their enchantable Great Sword to battle their foes and protect their friends. Starting in normal Balance, the Swordmaster can use special attacks to progress to Perfect Balance where they can unleash some of their most powerful moves.
Massively goes to WAR: An overview of Tanking careers for Order
Massively goes to WAR this fine Monday morning with an overview of tanks on the side of Order in Warhammer Online. The Dwarven Ironbreaker and the High Elf Swordmaster have two very distinct styles and ability sets, but they are both very good at what they do. Let's look further into the two careers that are the crux of any successful group.The Dwarf IronbreakerThis career is more like a classic tank you would see in other MMORPG's: various taunts, damage skills and shield maneuvers keep the attention of the enemies while the others in the group pour on the damage and/or healing. The unique abilities that set this career apart from the High Elf tank are the Grudge and Oath Friend mechanics.Every time your dwarf is struck in combat he gains 5 Grudge. Every time the Ironbreaker's Oath Friend (see below) is struck in combat he gains 10 Grudge. Grudges can then be used to unleash powerful abilities. The dwarf can build up a maximum of 100 Grudge points, but they will fade after 30 seconds out of combat.
The Digital Continuum: Memoirs of a WAR beta tester
I've given my thoughts on the Dark Elf section of Warhammer Online, but now that the whole NDA is lifted I can finally speak about my experience with the beta as a whole. I've been in it for a long time. A really long time, in fact. We're talking about, well, since the thing started. Which gives me something more to say than the typical tester talking about this game. In my time interacting as a member of the beta community with Mythic -- concerning Warhammer Online, of course -- I think I've seen more progress made on any MMO in the span of about a year than I have in any other in beta. And I've been in a lot of them.So what's the big deal? New MMOs are always facing the issue of going up against World of Warcraft's several years of polishing. Everyone has always wondered what it would take to deal with that issue, too. Mythic seems to have decided it will take raw, unadulterated determination. The kind that a child displays when presented with the opportunity to have a new toy. It also helps to have a license that Blizzard themselves once attempted to acquire because of its depth. Ironic? Only if WAR really does take a big chug out of the World of Warcraft milkshake.
Check out video of Warhammer Online's /special emotes
In most MMOs, avatars have the opportunity to get down with their bad selves. The /dance emote is a perennial favorite emote, begun in the days of online gaming lore and arguably perfected by World of Warcraft's hilarious pop-culture shout-outs. Warhammer Online is a different sort of animal, though. You don't dance during war, damnit! When this was first announced back in March, people were a bit confused. Is Mythic anti-fun?It turns out they're just anti-dance. Every race in Warhammer Online has at least one wacky antic they can do by typing /special. In fact, typing /dance actually prompts you with the text "[your character] doesn't feel like dancing, they feel like doing /special." Not all of them are in the game yet, and some of them still have to have some kinks worked out, but we have videos of everything in the game as of right now. Click on through below the cut to check out the first (and funniest) of the WAR /specials: The Greenskins! 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!
Video of Warhammer Online's /special emotes pt. 3
The Empire /special This is the special used for all three Empire classes: Bright Wizard, Witch Hunter, and Warrior Priest. We imagine eventually that talking hand is going to be covered by a puppet ... maybe? It looks like the character is taking something out of his pocket, but we can't be sure. We hope that additional specials highlight the intrinsic weirdness of some of the Empire classes; if our Bright Wizard /special doesn't set us on fire, I don't know what will! The Dwarven /special The Dwarves are a comptemplative lot, apparently. All three classes (the Engineer, the Ironbreaker, and the Rune Priest) currently use this pipe-smoking emote. We're thinking the Engie at least needs something more evocative. Maybe a nice "say hello to my little friend" moment with a handy turret? We're just saying ... The High Elf /special Right now the elves are missing their mirror, but you get the idea. We think the White Lion class definitely deserves it's own emote; we'd put money on something awesome like braiding the kitty's hair, or petting the giant man-eating death machine petitely on its head.Obviously not all of the /special emotes are in the game yet, but they still have some time before launch to get them in. Others aren't finished, but those will take even less effort to to get them finished an into the game world. We hope you've enjoyed this unique look at one of Warhammer's special features! << BACK 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!
Video of Warhammer Online's /special emotes pt. 2
The Chaos Chosen / Marauder Special Raaaa! These two fearsome warriors ripple and surge with energy when they /special. We're hoping the Marauder eventually gets some sort of tentacle-based hilarity here. The Magus / Zealot Special The arcane workers of the Chaos faction have a lot of power rippling through their frames. As a result, they've got enough to spare to just 'hang out'. Not only would that be fun at parties, but we think it'd be great for relaxing after a hard day of slaughter and soul-draining. The Dark Elf Specials ... are not in the game yet. We imagine Mythic wants to put some polish on these savage raider's 'fun'.Now click through to check out the specials of Order! A /special emote each for the High Elves, Dwarves, and Empire humans! << BACK NEXT >>
Massively goes to WAR: Character creation video for Destruction classes
We've already posted video of character creation from Warhammer Online's Order races. Now it's time for video of Destruction creation (oxymoron? You decide.) The three vids after the jump show different options for the Goblin, Chaos (Human) and Dark Elf races as well as different gender models where applicable.You'll notice that there are no female choices for any Goblin career, no female choices for the Chaos tank and melee dps career and no male option for the Dark Elf Witch Elf career. We guess Marilyn Manson in a bikini wasn't that appealing when it came down to it.
Massively goes to WAR: Character creation video for Order classes
Those who bought the Collector's Edition of Warhammer Online get their preview weekend in a few days. And open beta will start soon after that. But for those who can't wait, we've recorded video of some of the character creation options in the game.After the jump you'll find three videos, each covering one of the races of Order: Dwarves, Empire (Human) and High Elf. We recorded both male and female choices and a number of different random variations to give you an idea of what you can do.Looking forward to playing Destruction instead? Those racial videos are right here.
Mythic: Warhammer Online contributors to go uncredited
Mythic's version of Warhammer Online has been in development for around three years now and many people have worked on it over that period of time. The random nature of life has meant that there have been individuals who actually worked on the title for some time, but are no longer with Mythic Entertainment. Recently, Mythic made the statement that those people will not be accredited for their work on the game.Mark Jacobs told Shacknews, "Accreditation in Warhammer Online recognizes the incredible team that has poured their heart and soul into making WAR an amazing MMORPG experience." The problem is that apparently -- once again, according to Shacknews -- there are many developers who've put in countless days-worth of menial work to help make Warhammer Online a reality. They're not getting credited. This isn't a localized problem with Electronic Arts either, it's happened before, and is common in the games industry.An excuse given says that hundreds of people have worked on the game over the years. That's no excuse, if you ask us. Something as trivial as having "hundreds of people" doesn't stop movie credits from listing everyone involved in the creation process. 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!
Massively goes to WAR: An overview of Healing careers for Order
If this was any other game, our discussion of the healers of Order would be pretty darn borning. Most MMOs portray healers as nancy boys in dresses or effete tea-sipping high society ladies, content to stand in the back and give a good "here, here!" every once in a while. Sure, they cast a lot of spells and they're always appreciated but ... isn't there something just a bit suspicious about someone who is always in the back row? That's not a complaint you could possibly level against the men and women who heal for Order in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. These stalwart soldiers of the faith, bastions of runic power, and masters of the arcane arts are front-line fighters all. They might not do as much damage as their DPS comrades, but they're certainly not all 'hanging out' near the back either. Join us for a stroll with the healing heavyweights of Order: The Archmage, The Rune Priest, and the head-cracking Warrior Priest.
Massively's state of the game: Warhammer Online beta
During Age of Conan's launch, we took a final look at the game as it existed in Beta, a 'state of the game' that took in everything we knew about the title at that point. Today this blogger has attempted to do the same for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, the fantasy MMO slated for release by EA and Mythic Entertainment on the 18th of September. If anything, Warhammer Online is a title with a more tightly-wound, highly anticipatory audience than Conan was. The long history of the Warhammer IP, the evocative nature of the tabletop roleplaying game, and a legion of wargaming followers across the globe has made this a must-play game across numerous demographics. Adding on to that the game's lengthy development lifetime and very aggressive marketing campaign leads to a recipe for hype few MMO titles have seen before. Reading the blogosphere in the last few days might have lead you to the conclusion that Warhammer is the second coming. Or, alternatively, that it's an unfun grindfest that apes World of Warcraft poorly. As is so often the case, the truth falls somewhere in between. In actuality, I believe Warhammer Online offers a fundamentally fun experience. It's a tried and true variation on the core fantasy MMO trope, with a few substantial departures from the 'norm' ... possibly enough to change the direction of this genre for years to come. Read on for this blogger's view on where the game is today - regardless of problems, pitfalls, and promise. 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!
Ask a WAR Beta Tester: Let's get this show on the road!
Given all the posting about the Elves of WAR in the last few weeks, we're sure you won't be surprised to learn we've been playing a bit of Warhammer Online. In fact, some of us have been playing for quite a while. We've got loads to tell you abou - we've got a ton of features planned; classes, RvR, zones ... lots of great stuff. But we're also willing to bet there's a ton you want to know that we won't cover in our guides.We want to answer as many of your questions as we can, and we're going to do it in a series called "Ask a WAR Beta Tester". We've got a panel of Warhammer Beta experts standing by, poised to answer the smallest question you might have about the game. Want to know about the Greenskins? Maybe something about those quirky healing classes? put your question in the comments, one per post please, and we'll address them right quick here on the site. We're going to try to do this on a regular basis, so drop your questions early and often! Fire away! 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!
The Daily Grind: Is WAR the WoW killer?
The Warhammer Online NDA has been lifted, and a veritable tidal wave of WAR-related information has struck the internet. The open beta test is imminent, but countless pre-order customers are already in the closed beta. The game's launch is only a month away! So this is a great time to ask for your predictions: is Warhammer Online the long-awaited World of Warcraft killer?Some folks hoped it would be Age of Conan, but while that game is doing all right, it hasn't lived up for the hype for everyone. Are all your hopes placed in WAR now, or will it take BioWare's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Online or Cryptic's Star Trek Online to move the genre into the next era? Hell, maybe WoW will never be dethroned by one game.Make your predictions here, but we have a disclaimer: we won't be held responsible for any shame and embarrassment when you're proven way off base in the future!
