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Choose My Adventure: Dat's it, boss, I'm outta here
As of today, I'm finished with Warhammer Online. Today is my final installment of Choose My Adventure, with the torch passing along next week to Larry Everett. Before anyone asks, yes, I'm definitely going to miss the feature... but that's not really what you're here for at the moment, is it? You're here for the fanfare, and it's all over but the depressing part. Last week's vote was overwhelmingly meta -- rather than a recounting of events, the audience clearly wants to hear my thoughts on the future of Warhammer Online, what worked and what didn't, and why the game followed the trajectory it did. (Also, an awful lot of people want to know about the Choppa Song.) I'm admittedly coming into the game late and with somewhat less passionate eyes than many of the game's fans, but looking at my experience, I think I found a lot of the game in microcosm. I see all of the things it did right... and in hindsight, where certain choices went wrong.
Choose My Adventure: Da udder half lives
I remember thinking quite distinctly that I was ready to be done with the Tier 1 scenarios, oh, forever ago. It's not that Nordenwatch is inherently a bad scenario; it's just that when you see it often enough, you start to get sick of it. So I was very happy when the voting closed on last week's poll and I saw that I had a very different list of scenarios available to me in Warhammer Online. That had probably happened several levels ago, sure, but I hadn't been queueing. Unfortunately, I found out that Oscar Wilde's old chestnut about the gods granting our wishes when they want to punish us proved entirely accurate. Jump on past the break for this week in Klurgind's somewhat less than epic adventure, with the caveat that it's going to be just a wee bit depressing in places. But hey, I never promised this story had a happy ending.
Comic-Con video extravaganza continues with Warhammer 40K: Space Marine
Despite being classified as a comic book convention, Comic-Con continues to hemorrhage gaming news, the latest interesting tidbit being this Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine gameplay video. Speaking with Gamespot, THQ's Daniel Isaac outlines how Captain Titus' jump-pack and Thunder Hammer will allow players to effortlessly murder tens of thousands of severely out-classed and under-prepared orcs. Isaac also details the title's class-based multiplayer, which we previewed last week, as well as Space Marine's one-billion possible armor customizations.
Choose My Adventure: Nuttin' happened, boss!
Ever thrown a birthday party and had no one attend? I haven't, but I experienced a similar sensation on Saturday, probably due more or less to my own poor planning. But it wasn't just events that didn't go according to plan this past week. Virtually nothing did, mostly due to real life intruding into my play time in frequently unpleasant fashion (not to mention a nicely bizarre computer problem that took several weeks of research and effort to finally identify and fix). So, awesome all around! So this week featured distinctly less choppin' than usual. But there are still interesting anecdotes to relate, even if I've got a bit less material about Warhammer Online than usual. Click on past the break for this week's exploits, the latest round of polls (a bit different than the predecessors), and the usual randomly assembled letters that form words which hopefully entertain the audience.
Choose My Adventure: Ork in da wild
Not to put too fine a point on it, but this past week was the sort of event that turns one's entire life upside-down. The stuff that happened was also pretty unambiguously good, yeah, but between that and my computer randomly screwing up, this has not been the best of weeks for Warhammer Online and myself. Which is odd, seeing as how there's been big (albeit secretive) news for the community, and I've still managed to sit down and get some solid time clocked in with Klurgind despite that. Last week's polls both indicated that I should follow the WAR Report around the map, and they also indicated that people would really like to roll up with some Massively warband action. So we're going to make an event out of it, based on the best details and planning I can provide. Click on past the break for a recount of Klurgind's most recent adventures in Warhammer Online, plans for the meetup on the weekend, and the new set of polls.
The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Climax's Warhammer Online
Let's begin with a little personal history. Back in 2008, I decided to get into the blogging scene by jumping on board the latest MMO hotness -- in this case, Warhammer Online. As I was growing increasingly tired of World of Warcraft, WAR seemed to offer a refreshing alternative: a darker world full of brutal PvP and awesome new ideas. So I joined the elite ranks of bloggers (hey, stop laughing so hard) and spent the better part of two years jawing about Mythic's latest fantasy project. And while Warhammer Online was, in my opinion, a solid product, it certainly failed to live up to the extremely high expectations held by both the development team and the players. No matter how it turned out, I really enjoyed talking about WAR, especially in the days leading up to its launch. One of the first articles I ever wrote for my blog WAAAGH! dealt with the first attempt to bring Warhammer Online into the MMO genre (as a fun aside, it was one of the first times I got my name on Massively!). It's a "what if?" tale that's tantalizing to consider -- an entirely different studio, Climax Online, creating a much darker version of Warhammer than we've ever seen online. The tale of the game's rise and fall (and subsequent rise and fall again) captivated me, and I wanted to expand my old article as part of our recent series into exploring MMOs canceled before their launch. So what if Climax had brought Warhammer Online to bear? Would it have eclipsed Mythic's vision or been its own animal? Hit the jump and let's dive into the pages of ancient history!
Choose My Adventure: I da popular ork
Klurgind may not be the smartest ork in Warhammer Online nor the strongest one, but he's certainly a popular greenskin. What is it about him? That beady, penetrating stare? The way he eulogizes Squig Herders on the fields of Nordland? His sharply alluring green-blue skin and bright orange tattoos? Or just the fact that everyone knew he was my character, thus ensuring that every regular reader went out of the way to shower him with praise, advice, and adulation? I don't know. But I do know that special thanks go out to Tsavonglah for some excellent in-game advice and a veritable wall of information in the comments, Daswagga for a large pile of Strength talismans, and the many people who gave me a wave or cheer for bring a touch of Massively WAAAAGH to the game. So read on past the break for talk about my adventures in the twilight of Tier 1, the dawn of Tier 2, scenarios, open RvR, and the general stages of the Choppocalypse.
Choose My Adventure: Cue da ork-estra
It took me some hunting to find a copy of Warhammer Online on shelves. I could have just bought one online, yeah, but I will admit to being a fan of sentimental clutter like retail boxes. Once I finally nabbed one -- an adventure in and of itself involving a trip around Farmington, CT in a dismally overcast evening -- I installed it and got busy making a character. Or at least, I would have, if not for the fact that one of the polls was a dead heat from start to finish. See, while my faction and class were apparently pretty easy to assign by consensus, getting my ork-or-goblin's class decided proved quite an ordeal. By the time the class poll closed, ranged DPS and melee DPS were in a dead heat. Well, I had to have a little executive initiative, right? Klurgind the Choppa was born on Gorfang and given the oldest and most intelligent ork face I could find. (I would have gone with Grignr, but it was sadly taken.) So jump on past the cut to see what I got up to during my first foray into Warhammer Online and to let me know where I'm going next.
Warhammer's 1.4.3 patch goes live today
It's patch day in Warhammer Online, and we've got your your 1.4.3 update at a glance. In case you're trying to sneak in a few minutes of play during your workday, we're sorry to inform you that Mythic's servers are currently down (the good news is that there's an expected up time of 1:30 p.m. EDT according to the note posted yesterday on the official website). So what's new and exciting in this patch? For starters, Sigmartide. This two-week live event sees Order players basking in the glow of the faction's first emperor while they "seek out corruption, cleanse the wicked, and honor the age-old bonds with the Dwarfs." Destruction types, meanwhile, will actively oppose all the revelry by desecrating celebration altars and doing all the things that bad guys do. Also falling under the 1.4.3 banner are new temporary RvR accessory sets and a shakeup of WAR's scenario lineup. Hit up the official website for more details.
Choose My Adventure: Marching off to WAR
The readers have spoken! More specifically, the fans of Warhammer Online have spoken, and so the game is my destination for the next several weeks. And what a surprising speech it was, especially given that I, my editor, and my co-workers all assumed that with RIFT on the ballot we might as well just close up the voting after half a day. But the forum thread on the official boards kept people coming over and voting, and thus I'm heading over into the world of Order and Chaos. I'm glad to see Warhammer Online as the selection, as it's long been a game and setting that I've found interesting even though it's never quite made it on my list of things to play next. The game has certainly seen its fair share of hardship over the past several years, so it's going to be interesting to take a look at the game as it exists now. So click on past the break to start me down the path that leads me into the game and check out my usual disconnected ramblings.
Dark Millennium Online to be playable at E3 2012
While last week's E3 is still fresh in our minds and hearts, THQ is giving us a great reason to look forward to next year's expo: the chance to get our hands on Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online. Eurogamer reports that THQ is committing to this time frame. Danny Bilson says that WAR40K will be the highlight of the company's display: "Next year, I promise you, next E3. I've already got plans for what the booth is like. The centrepiece of the booth will be that MMO." We caught only a glimpse of a teaser trailer for the game at this year's E3. Vigil Games is hard at work on the $50+ million project, and Bilson says that it's looking good and on track for a launch between April 2012 and March 2013. "It looks fabulous. I like it. I can't speak to it now, or people will kill me. But, I'll tell you what, it plays differently. A little bit... This thing is gonna be special," he said. "We're going to come out when we come out in a big way. I feel like we're fully competitive with the other guys. It'll be seven years in the making when it comes out. We're competing with the best games in the world. You can't mess around with this thing."
Dawn of War 3 further detailed by THQ's Danny Bilson
THQ executive vice president Danny Bilson is known for his many things -- his gorgeous shock of graphite hair, his devil-may-care attitude, a movie star daughter. But in the game industry, he's best known for speaking loosely and passionately about his company's yet-to-be-revealed projects. A recent interview with Eurogamer is no exception, with Bilson offering a small brigade of details on Dawn of War 3. Bilson says that the sequel to 2009's Dawn of War 2 is in development "right now," and is a mix of new elements with features from the first two titles. He also admitted that his company will be making a game announcement at GamesCom in the PC gamer-friendly country of Germany, which we're taking a wild guess is the official reveal of DoW3. We'll be on the ground in Cologne this August to bring you more details. [Pictured: Dawn of War 2]
May Warhammer Online community update details Sigmar Tide event
Sound the WAAAGH! Warhammer Online's May community update was released today and includes details on the upcoming version 1.4.3. Particularly, it outlines the upcoming in-game event Sigmar Tide. Due to the fact that the event won't be available on the public test server to avoid spoilers, the team at Mythic is taking the opportunity to give players an idea of what they should expect from the event. The event itself is based on a special date in Warhammer lore: the day that Sigmar, founder of the Empire, ascended to godhood. And how does the Empire celebrate this occasion? Exactly how you would expect in the Warhammer universe: killing the tainted, hanging witches, and burning heretics. This jovial holiday will introduce a new scenario -- the College of Corruption -- into the mix, and it will be available to all players of any level for the duration of the event. For more information on the event, head on over to the full article.
Warhammer: Dawn of War 2 soundtrack available May 24
If you were distracted from the fast-paced real-time strategy action of Warhammer: Dawn of War 2 by its own catchy ditties, you can soon allow the game's soundtrack to preoccupy you during your other, non-virtual tasks. THQ has teamed up with Sumthing Else Music Works to release the title's orchestral score on a two-CD collection, all composed by delightfully-named maestro Doyle Donehoo. Oh, that's fun. Doy-le! Done-hoo! The soundtrack will be available in tangible form at select retail outlets, as well as intangible forms on Amazon MP3, iTunes and Sumthing Digital's official site, on May 24. Until then, just keep humming that melody in your head as you shuffle your troops around. Or as you wash your dog. Or as you carry out the recycling.
THQ extends Warhammer 40K licensing deal
THQ and Games Workshop are happy with the sweet war they're making together and have agreed to extend their Warhammer 40,000 license agreement. The "multi-year" extension gives THQ exclusive rights to publish games based on the franchise for all platforms and demographics (core, social and mobile). THQ reiterated that it's currently working on two new IPs based in the futuristic fantasy universe: Warhammer 40K: Space Marine, a third-person shooter, is expected "later this year" (Note: the company previously stated "August"); and then there's the MMO, Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium, which is expected ... sometime in the future. We hope it won't become a contemporary piece for the year 40,000. We've followed up with THQ for a more detailed definition of "multi-year." We figure it's longer than a year but shorter than the amount of time one can safely store an Ork's head in a breadbox.
Warhammer community update talks crafting, scenario tweaks
Community update posts are piling up as the calendar rolls on toward May, and a new letter on the official Warhammer Online website adds Mythic's RvR title to the list. The letter addresses the recently released 1.4.2 patch as well as a tentative time window for 1.4.3 (late June). Crafting adjustments are also on the discussion table, and before you scratch your head regarding the importance of tradeskills in a kill-'em-all PvP-fest like WAR, someone's got to make all the bows and blades, amirite? Details are sketchy, but the update letter indicates that interested craftsmen should keep an eye on the dev discussion forums over the next week. There's a blurb about some upcoming scenario changes too. Gromril Crossing and Thunder Valley are expanding to include 18 players over the Easter weekend, and both instances will also reward combatants with double scenario tokens. Finally, Mythic is ponying up for a 50% renown and XP bonus for the weekend.
Dawn of War 2: Retribution 'Last Stand' mode to be offered as standalone game
Relic has announced that it's taking the popular Last Stand mode (a real-time strategy take on Horde-style multiplayer) from Dawn of War 2: Retribution and offering it as a completely standalone game. The resulting title will be released as Steam download for $10 on April 20, and players who want to upgrade to the full Dawn of War 2 will be able do so in-game for a reduced price. The name of this experimental paid demo/downloadable title? "The Last Standalone." We see what you did there, Relic.
Power play: Warhammer Online's 1.4.2 patch improves Tier 4 [Updated]
It's been a quiet month or so following Warhammer Online's 1.4.1 patch, so it's a relief to see Mythic swinging back into action with the sequel: patch 1.4.2. The servers are coming down this morning and should be back up and ready for action by 1:00 p.m. EDT. According to the patch highlights, patch 1.4.2's main focus will be on improving WAR's Tier 4 RvR combat. Power levels and power gaps are due for a tune up, and Mythic claims to have taken in a lot of feedback about the end game in order to make these changes. As it's done in the past, Mythic is changing the scenario lineup for this new update, temporarily retiring some of these PvP instances while bringing others back online. The patch will also introduce a couple additional vanity pets, including the powder monkey and imp skeleton, which can be purchased via the EA Store. Some of these pets give you 5% additional gold when you loot corpses, making them very desirable indeed. [Update: Mythic has posted the full 1.4.1 patch notes for your perusal!]
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine dev diary brings the greenskins
Orcs and goblins, man. It seems like no matter where (or when) you are, they always seem to crop up, ready to barbarically dismantle the human race. Check out the grim objectives and brutal methods of Warhammer 40K: Space Marine's emerald-tinted foes in the dev diary posted after the jump.
The Soapbox: Game developers are not rock stars
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. Take a moment to think of your single favorite game developer. Is this person your favorite because of his talent? Maybe he made a game that influenced you growing up, or he has a charming personality for interviews. Whatever the reason, we probably all have our favorite game developers whom we hold on a pedestal of greatness. But did this one person make the game entirely by himself? Did Sid Meier write every line of code for the Civilization games? Did Richard Garriott draw every texture in Tabula Rasa? No, of course they didn't, but their names are right there on the box, showing ownership. Despite my own fanboy appreciation of certain devs, the title of this article says it all. With a few notable exceptions, those who make our favorite games make up a collective group of talented people who come together under proper leadership and design guidelines to create something that keeps us entertained for hours/weeks/months/years. So why do we pick out one or two and treat them like rock stars?
