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Waging WAR: RvR packs, the "wait and see" edition
This week Waging WAR rides the double rainbow of gameplay customization via downloadable content and takes a cursory glance at the RvR packs being teased by the folks behind the development of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Let's follow along and see what Greg can unleash this time. It is difficult to talk about the future of WAR right now. Not because it doesn't have a future, but because the availability of information regarding it is not exactly easy to find. Actually, information on the future of WAR is all but non-existent, surrounded by controversy on all sides, and steeped in rumor, speculation, assumption and misinformation. The best I can put together is that we, as players, can look forward to some sort of set of three different "RvR Packs" allowing us to "customize" our gameplay experience moving forward. The packs have been called "Power," "Progression," and "Personality." What exactly each contains is a mystery, although the few talking points I was able to find regarding these RvR packs are speculatively disappointing at best. Although Carrie, Andy, and anyone else involved with the Mythic development team have said time and time again that they are not discussing moving toward the free-to-play business model, what they're proposing with these customization packs looks suspiciously like the item shop established by Turbine, implemented in Dungeons & Dragons Online and soon in Lord of the Rings Online as well. V.I.P. membership, anyone? Although concrete information is scarce and difficult to find, let's take a look at the most commonly referenced points of interest after the break.
Destroy all droids and nab some free loot!
What do bounty hunters and trade federation droids have in common? They're both rewards for playing through the upcoming Star Wars Galaxies trading card game scenario, "Destroy All Droids!"Yes, you too can bask in the glory of a rare card featuring bounty hunter Bane Malar and a nice piece of Star Wars Galaxies in-game loot for your house. All you have to do is simply complete the upcoming card game scenario, which will be released on April 15th. That's it!When you complete the small little storyline, the game will reward you with your card and a trade federation droid vendor for your house. If you beat it again with a new deck that has a different archetype you'll get another copy of the Bane Malar card, but you can only have up to four copies. So, if you're a Star Wars Galaxies player, you might want to check this out even if you aren't a rabid follower of the card game. Free stuff is free stuff!
LotRO dev diary, "Solving Problems and Making Friends, Part II" live
Earlier this week Matt "Scenario" Elliott posted part 2 of his "Solving Problems and Making Friends" dev diary on the Lord of the Rings Online official site. Right after Mines of Moria released, Elliott took a break from management and returned to the design trenches for a month. The second installment picks up in the fourth week of his life as a live designer.It's a short read, but an interesting one for anyone interested in how a design goes from concept to execution on a live MMOG. At one point, Elliot admits that time management is as important as the idea itself: "Nearly everything we dream up has to be scaled down to fit realistically within our schedules," he wrote. "In my case, I had a couple of ideas that either fell on the floor during planning or were cut due to the unnecessary complexity they added."
Video footage of WAR's Reikland Factory scenario
The Heavy Metal live event for Warhammer Online has been well-received, albeit with some complaints about scenario frequency. Reikland Factory is a unique 'event-only' scenario in WAR, which some players lament will end with Heavy Metal. If this is indeed the case, at least one blogger out there decided to capture it in video for posterity. Snafzg from The Greenskin blog has put up video footage of his participation in the Reikland Factory scenario. The footage, with Snafzg's commentary throughout, walks the viewer through the scenario and its multiple types of terrain, both indoors and open air. Snafzg is in combat for much of the walkthrough so it's an interesting way to get a quick visual tour of the scenario. You can find The Greenskin's "Reikland Factory Heavy Metal Scenario RvR" video embedded below the cut: Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Warhammer guides: Massively's Character Creation Guide and our WoW Player's Guide to Warhammer. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Building WAR's Reikland Factory
In a recent dev diary, Warhammer Online's Lead Artist, Russell Chamier, takes us through the process of creating one of the newest RvR scenarios coming to the game. The Reikland Factory is a Tier 4 scenario that will only be available during the Heavy Metal event. According to the diary, control of this key RvR location will dictate the region's war machine production.As far as the artistry involved in a project like this, Chamier says that the art team minimized recycled content from the launch library by creating all new assets. The step-by-step process is detailed in this dev diary by showing and explaining the concept art to finished product. Once this scenario goes live, you can have a greater respect for what went into building the location, as you spill your opponent's blood all over it.
Massively's WAR Camp: Tier 3 Scenario Guides
This week on the WAR Camp, we're hitting the scenarios again, and we're focusing on a couple of the offerings in Tier 3. In Tier 3, knockbacks really start to make a difference, with most classes by this point having received their knockback abilities. This allows for some new strategies in Tier 3 scenarios, and is reportedly the cause of a lot of keyboard-snapping and monitor-tossing, especially in a particular lava-ridden area -- you better believe it's one of the scenarios we checked out! Join us over the page to see the gallery guide from our trip to the molten rocks of Tor Anroc, and after that, we visit Talabec Dam for some bombing-run fun. 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's WAR Camp: Tier 3 Scenario Guides pt. 2
The Talabec Dam scenario may remind some FPS fans of a much older (but still popular) game, as it involves running a bomb or "Powder Keg" to a particular location in order to blow it sky-high. However, no one starts with the bomb in Talabec, and players must fight off the enemy team to have a chance to pick up the sole Powder Keg that lies in the middle of the map. Once this takes place, you'll either be pushing your team towards the bombing site, or trying to assassinate the bomb carrier or run his timer down and prevent the big boom! Click the button below to see our Talabec Dam gallery guide. To Talabec Dam << Previous page: Tor Anroc %Gallery-34148%
Massively's WAR Camp: Tier 2 Scenario Guides pt. 3
Stonetroll Crossing is the Tier 2 scenario for the Empire and Chaos pairing. The stars of this scenario are the Stonetrolls, who toss large chunks of rock all over the map at regular intervals. A Troll Pacifier is located in the center of the scenario, and can be used to pacify the trolls, earning points towards victory for your realm. It's not as easy as it sounds though, with both the trolls and the enemy players interrupting you every step of the way. Click through to our gallery guide below to preview the stomping grounds of these mischievous trolls. To Stonetroll Crossing << Previous page %Gallery-34148%
Massively's WAR Camp: Tier 2 Scenario Guides pt. 2
Mourkain Temple is the Tier 2 scenario for the Dwarf and Greenskin racial pairing. Its objective could be described as "murder-ball" -- there's an artifact to grab in the center of the map, and when you have it, everyone on the other team will be after your blood. The artifact provides bonus points to the holding realm when they get kills, and there is a bonus to the other realm if they can kill the carrier. This also gives them a chance to pick up the artifact themselves, if they're quick enough. Check out our gallery guide to see more of Mourkain Temple, and when you're done there, continue on for a look at the last Tier 2 scenario. To Mourkain Temple << Previous page Next page: Stonetroll Crossing >> %Gallery-34148%
Massively's WAR Camp: Tier 2 Scenario Guides
By now, people who picked up Warhammer Online at launch should have had a chance to play a bit, and many of them will be in Tier 2. This unfortunately means leaving the Tier 1 scenarios behind, but it also means that a whole new set of scenarios is unlocked. As in Tier 1, there is one scenario per racial pairing in Tier 2, totaling three new battlegrounds to visit. We've once again visited all three and documented our findings in gallery guides. Join us over the page, as we begin by looking at Phoenix Gate, the scenario for the High Elf and Dark Elf pairing. 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!
