Yes, I know it has only been a few days, but the news coming from Gamescom is surely underwhelming so far. Take a look at some comments being made over at Werit. There are several people that are pretty down. This seems to be general consensus throughout forums as well.
That is the big problem about releasing little snippets of information here and there to your general audience. The player base has largely made this news out to be next to near the savior of Warhammer. Playable 3rd realms, huge RvR revamps, Vampires, Lizardmen, Skaven..... none of which was ever really even mentioned by Mythic themselves. People, myself included, hope for the best for games that they love. They will talk about it as if they actually know what is on the horizon. Which really only a small handful of people do.
Do I expect more information coming out of Gamescom over the next few days? Sure. But do I expect it to be some groundbreaking news? Hardly. If Mythic did announce any of the above I'd be shocked, not to mention ecstatic. Then again, it might only be adding a little more fuel to the hype machines fire again, at which point I'll simply reference you to this.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
1.3.6 and the Future
Well so far so good it seems for 1.3.6. Only time will really tell just how effective the new bonus to renown / xp / influence system is. As it is right now, I don't feel it has really done much to improve the so called balance we are looking for on Iron Rock.
The appearance system is a nice addition, but as I am currently playing a marauder I honestly can't find to many different looking pieces. That said it isn't really something that is going to affect me at the moment. Perhaps with the system in place it will shed some light on just how little, different looking armor there really is. I'd predict that everyone is going to be wearing the same thing, which really will make those looks stale after a while.
The patch itself went in pretty smoothly, with servers only coming down for a quick maintenance afterwards. I've noticed a little more lag around IC, but that could just be me.
We've also had some news from Gamescon in regards to the future of WAR. Looks like an increased renown cap and skaven are the biggest additions as of now. Should be some more on the near horizon though. It almost seems as if skaven will not be playable, at least playable in the way we are used to anyway. More details will be forthcoming though so we shall see.
The appearance system is a nice addition, but as I am currently playing a marauder I honestly can't find to many different looking pieces. That said it isn't really something that is going to affect me at the moment. Perhaps with the system in place it will shed some light on just how little, different looking armor there really is. I'd predict that everyone is going to be wearing the same thing, which really will make those looks stale after a while.
The patch itself went in pretty smoothly, with servers only coming down for a quick maintenance afterwards. I've noticed a little more lag around IC, but that could just be me.
We've also had some news from Gamescon in regards to the future of WAR. Looks like an increased renown cap and skaven are the biggest additions as of now. Should be some more on the near horizon though. It almost seems as if skaven will not be playable, at least playable in the way we are used to anyway. More details will be forthcoming though so we shall see.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Here's to Hoping
So the day is upon us with what everyone believes to be patch 1.3.6. I know I for one am really hoping that a lot of these changes being put in go a long way toward the future of this game.
There are several nice changes in this patch, along with the standard slew of bug fixes. I'm hoping the graphical bug that takes place when you change tactics while mounted is finally gona, as it really annoys me.
In addition we will be seeing some Zealot / Runepriest changes, the appearence system, auction house changes, LoTD tweaks, and the Against All Odds system for RvR.
While most of the above seems very nice, I am most interested in the Against All Odds system. What it does is increase the amount of experience, renown, and influence you receive when you are outnumbered in an RvR zone. These increases can be as much as 400%! I am really hoping that this helps promote some smaller scale PvP. I truely believe this game needs more 6 and 12 man RvR content to become more successful. Whether people know it or not, I think everyone benefits from it.
When you have good small man groups roaming the RvR zones, players recognize that. They want to go up against them. They want that sense of "OMG here comes xxx guild". It brings them out to the lakes more than any keep taking or BO humping could. With that it also brings more of a community feeling to a realm, instilling a common goal of defeating those groups, and not just defending an NPC Lord. It also helps promote individual players for their accomplishments, and recognizable faces to everyone. Right now on Iron Rock, sure I know some opposing Order, but not for the right reasons. There isn't a single person or group who I would feel nervous or anxious about fighting. That is a feeling I think most crave for though, in order to prove to our allies, foes, and ourselves that we are more than just another player lost amongst the zerg.
There are several nice changes in this patch, along with the standard slew of bug fixes. I'm hoping the graphical bug that takes place when you change tactics while mounted is finally gona, as it really annoys me.
In addition we will be seeing some Zealot / Runepriest changes, the appearence system, auction house changes, LoTD tweaks, and the Against All Odds system for RvR.
While most of the above seems very nice, I am most interested in the Against All Odds system. What it does is increase the amount of experience, renown, and influence you receive when you are outnumbered in an RvR zone. These increases can be as much as 400%! I am really hoping that this helps promote some smaller scale PvP. I truely believe this game needs more 6 and 12 man RvR content to become more successful. Whether people know it or not, I think everyone benefits from it.
When you have good small man groups roaming the RvR zones, players recognize that. They want to go up against them. They want that sense of "OMG here comes xxx guild". It brings them out to the lakes more than any keep taking or BO humping could. With that it also brings more of a community feeling to a realm, instilling a common goal of defeating those groups, and not just defending an NPC Lord. It also helps promote individual players for their accomplishments, and recognizable faces to everyone. Right now on Iron Rock, sure I know some opposing Order, but not for the right reasons. There isn't a single person or group who I would feel nervous or anxious about fighting. That is a feeling I think most crave for though, in order to prove to our allies, foes, and ourselves that we are more than just another player lost amongst the zerg.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Anticipation
If pleasures are greatest in anticipation, just remember that this is also true of trouble
Elbert Hubbard
As we sit and wait this morning for tomorrow's patch along with the long awaited news from Mythic / Bioware about what most are hoping for a new expansion, I am near giddy with excitement. Really other than a new Sovereign set for me though, nothing crazy is on the upcoming horizon.
With the Warhammer Blogosphere going crazy over the news Mythic will dish out at Gamescon, I really hope everyone's anticipation is not for nothing. The player base for the game I feel is steady right now and it worries me that if a major expansion is not released a lot of subscribers will leave. Only time will tell I suppose, but here's to hoping we receive the news we have been pretty much begging for.
On this Monday I'd like to give a thanks to Werit as well. As a community leader he took the time to even acknowledge this new blog on his site, and it does not go unnoticted. Everyone should hop on over there for some great reads. To any other blog / writer who threw this in their blogroll, thank you as well.
Friday, August 13, 2010
1.3.6 Friendly Collision Update
Well it looks like the devs have decided not to implement the Friendly Collision Detection that everyone has been toying with over the past few weeks. I for one feel as if this is a good thing.
It was nice to see developers really listening to the community about what amounts to be such a profound change. Implementing friendly collision detection could drastically alter game play and the combat system itself. While everyone wants a better and more fluid game, no one wants it at the cost of the strategy and combat that the game has already.
It was nice to see developers really listening to the community about what amounts to be such a profound change. Implementing friendly collision detection could drastically alter game play and the combat system itself. While everyone wants a better and more fluid game, no one wants it at the cost of the strategy and combat that the game has already.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Open RvR in Warhammer
In addition to letting everyone in on the tens of thousands of dollars spent (by me), and alienating your family and friends, I’ll also be throwing out complete banter about Warhammer Online and MMO’s in general. I’m currently playing Warhammer and have been since well before release.
Over at Wasdstomp, a little bit of a rant caught my attention about why Open World RvR “sucks”. This got me thinking, and I feel as if I need to respond to defend what I feel is a solid RvR game. By no means do I think it is flawless, but I do believe that since inception the game has evolved more into what players are looking for in a RvR based game.
I completely understand Wasdstomps frustrations about running for hours with what seemed like the hopes of a city siege, only to have people leave after locking zones. But this does lead to many other PvP opportunities in the game itself that actually promote your idea of not getting to a city every 3 hours. Yes, LotD opened. And just as the hordes of destruction ran there as they obtained access so did the hordes of order when they did. Why not go attempt to clear it for your realm mates? It’s definitely a shift in the monotony that locking zones sometimes brings, and it’s a heck of a good time.
The main actual problem I feel about the ORvR in Warhammer is one thing that you apparently enjoyed more than anything, and that is the zerging throughout the zones. When people think of Open World RvR, I’m pretty sure that they don’t imagine themselves running from BO to BO, and Keep to Keep with 100 other people just to lock the actual openness of the RvR. Yes, people can still go to the zones once they lock, but there is really no incentive to due to the shroud pulled over our eyes of zone flips and the domination system. There are too many zones, too many small maps, and too constrained of routes, and too little consequences for Open World RvR to be perfectly placed in the game of Warhammer as it is today. With such constraints currently enacted, it promotes the zerg mentality that is instilled in the majority of players. It makes small man RvR near irrelevant, and soloing a thing of the past and a lost art. The lack of pride in the game is due to this fact. When you run with 100 people, no real leadership or sense of worth is established. You simply just run to the next point wiping everything in your path. All strategy is out the window and the thought of actually losing something is long gone.
So yes, it is flawed, but I don’t think it should be completely dismissed. The combat is good, things are (for the most part) pretty balanced and there is always action somewhere if you’re looking for it. If some of the things I touched on here are addressed, I really think the community would be ecstatic. And let’s be honest, Mythic/Bioware is certainly attempting to address issues as best they can to improve the game and promote a long and healthy subscriber base.
Over at Wasdstomp, a little bit of a rant caught my attention about why Open World RvR “sucks”. This got me thinking, and I feel as if I need to respond to defend what I feel is a solid RvR game. By no means do I think it is flawless, but I do believe that since inception the game has evolved more into what players are looking for in a RvR based game.
I completely understand Wasdstomps frustrations about running for hours with what seemed like the hopes of a city siege, only to have people leave after locking zones. But this does lead to many other PvP opportunities in the game itself that actually promote your idea of not getting to a city every 3 hours. Yes, LotD opened. And just as the hordes of destruction ran there as they obtained access so did the hordes of order when they did. Why not go attempt to clear it for your realm mates? It’s definitely a shift in the monotony that locking zones sometimes brings, and it’s a heck of a good time.
The main actual problem I feel about the ORvR in Warhammer is one thing that you apparently enjoyed more than anything, and that is the zerging throughout the zones. When people think of Open World RvR, I’m pretty sure that they don’t imagine themselves running from BO to BO, and Keep to Keep with 100 other people just to lock the actual openness of the RvR. Yes, people can still go to the zones once they lock, but there is really no incentive to due to the shroud pulled over our eyes of zone flips and the domination system. There are too many zones, too many small maps, and too constrained of routes, and too little consequences for Open World RvR to be perfectly placed in the game of Warhammer as it is today. With such constraints currently enacted, it promotes the zerg mentality that is instilled in the majority of players. It makes small man RvR near irrelevant, and soloing a thing of the past and a lost art. The lack of pride in the game is due to this fact. When you run with 100 people, no real leadership or sense of worth is established. You simply just run to the next point wiping everything in your path. All strategy is out the window and the thought of actually losing something is long gone.
So yes, it is flawed, but I don’t think it should be completely dismissed. The combat is good, things are (for the most part) pretty balanced and there is always action somewhere if you’re looking for it. If some of the things I touched on here are addressed, I really think the community would be ecstatic. And let’s be honest, Mythic/Bioware is certainly attempting to address issues as best they can to improve the game and promote a long and healthy subscriber base.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
$15 a Month
$15 a month. Certainly doesn’t seem like that much right? For only $180 a year you can have near countless hours of entertainment right at your fingertips. You can battle through Azeroth, take keeps through Reikland, or capture a Relic away from Midguard, only for a mere $15. But is that the only real cost to consider in today’s MMO? Most doubtful…
Throughout this blog you are going to begin to realize the actual cost to you when partaking in the pay to play world. Sometimes the costs are going to be more than you could ever realize. Not only monetarily speaking, but socially as well.
I’ll show you how over the span of just a few years, someone can (and have) spend over $30,000 on today’s MMO’s. How you will build meaningful relationships and how you can lose out on some of the most important ones. I’ll bring forward to you the doubt cast on you by friends and family, and the dependence that these games can instill on ones psyche. Most importantly I’ll show you how you can achieve more than you ever expected, and how to lose more than you could ever imagine.
All that, for only $15 a month
Throughout this blog you are going to begin to realize the actual cost to you when partaking in the pay to play world. Sometimes the costs are going to be more than you could ever realize. Not only monetarily speaking, but socially as well.
I’ll show you how over the span of just a few years, someone can (and have) spend over $30,000 on today’s MMO’s. How you will build meaningful relationships and how you can lose out on some of the most important ones. I’ll bring forward to you the doubt cast on you by friends and family, and the dependence that these games can instill on ones psyche. Most importantly I’ll show you how you can achieve more than you ever expected, and how to lose more than you could ever imagine.
All that, for only $15 a month
Thursday, March 25, 2010
2v1 - Bad Etiquette or Fair Game?
Over on the Warhammer Online Iron Rock server forums, there is getting to be a lengthy discussion about a duo of WH's ganking people. Incomingray and Krieb. I believe both are RR 80, and well they are Witch Hunters....so they pretty much destroy face.
The post started with the following quote:
"I want a duel. 1 on 1. I want to see if you guys are so fail that you have to run around together."
Obviously that spurred a bunch of criticism toward the guy, generally with the standard "QQ someone died in RvR" I can certainly see his frustration though. They are both well geared and well skilled players, playing what is arguably an overpowered class right now. But is that their fault? Certainly not. I for one commend them for taking it to so many of my fellow Destro realm mates day in and day out.
The biggest thing about the situation though, is that they are actually friends that play together. Not just a guildmate, or another "E-Pal". Honest to goodness real life friends that play together, because well, that's what the whole damn game is about. It seems like more and more people whine because they were not given a fair chance in an RvR zone. It's a freaking WAR people, nothing is fair about it. At least go down with some dignity and not make a QQ post about how two superior players just killed you because you were outnumbered.
If you don't like it stick to PvE or find another person / group to roam with. Although those two could probably still kill you 2v6, at least then you should think it's "fair".
The post started with the following quote:
"I want a duel. 1 on 1. I want to see if you guys are so fail that you have to run around together."
Obviously that spurred a bunch of criticism toward the guy, generally with the standard "QQ someone died in RvR" I can certainly see his frustration though. They are both well geared and well skilled players, playing what is arguably an overpowered class right now. But is that their fault? Certainly not. I for one commend them for taking it to so many of my fellow Destro realm mates day in and day out.
The biggest thing about the situation though, is that they are actually friends that play together. Not just a guildmate, or another "E-Pal". Honest to goodness real life friends that play together, because well, that's what the whole damn game is about. It seems like more and more people whine because they were not given a fair chance in an RvR zone. It's a freaking WAR people, nothing is fair about it. At least go down with some dignity and not make a QQ post about how two superior players just killed you because you were outnumbered.
If you don't like it stick to PvE or find another person / group to roam with. Although those two could probably still kill you 2v6, at least then you should think it's "fair".
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Reason We Play
"You play to win the game" - Herman EdwardsLet's face it, no one plays a game to lose. Whether it's a football game, or an MMO. There is no better feeling than that of a victory over your fiercest rival, and no worse than that of a loss.
Maybe there are a few people out there who get their rocks off by getting stomped all over the place, but I assure you those people are few and far between.....(in reference to games anyway.)
Think about the first time you outright slaughtered your opponent in an MMO. How great did that make you feel? What an adrenaline rush, right? I often reminisce about those times long ago when I played MMO's 20 hours a day, and did nothing but beat people day in and day out. Alas, those days are gone, and I must try to relive those times as best I can.
Had a few months away recently due to having a new baby, but let me break it down real quick for you. I transferred all my DC Destro toons over to Iron Rock, and have been pleasantly surprised with the action so far. Made a lot of new friends (online), and even more new enemies (not just online). Been playing mostly a Shaman, and currently leveling a greatly underpowered Marauder.
Last night Order was at it again, as they generally stomp Destro into the ground with 150+ of them running around locking zones on the way to the king, and we had a lowly group of 9. It consisted of 3 Shaman, 1 Chosen, 1 Sorc, 2 Magi, 1 BO, and a WE. You might ask, what the heck are 9 people going to do against 5+ warbands of Order? At first I would have told you, not a damn thing.....but then something happened, and we started to win.
Some of the most amazing fights I have ever had on Warhammer, to say the least. While defending a keep, the 9 of us killing 100+ (based on some kill count mod), unassisted by any other Destro. Did that simply by running out the back of a postern and coming up from behind. There was no haxing, no afks.....simply good players, playing well. Quite frankly, we mopped the floor with the pug Order that was running around all night. It was great, and the reason I play. To beat the trash out of other people, until they take their ball and go home.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Long Time, No See
Well it's been a while since my alst update. I think about 3 months to be exact. I guess nothing really new for me in game much, Warhammer wise that is anyway. It got to be the same ole, same ole. Things have changed though since 1.3b, for the better it seems.
My guild has rerolled Destruction on Dark Crag. I'm currently in the process of leveling a DoK, we'll see how far I take her though. Being on an Open RvR server, is certainly different from the Roleplaying type. Not that I ever roleplay, but the PvP action is a lot more fruitful on Dark Crag.
Rerolling has brought a fresh new perpective to the game for me. It's nice to see how the other side works. Hopefully it's a change that lasts as I really enjoy Warhammer, but the lack of action in the past kept me from loving it. If someone feels the game is stale for them, I'd reccommend checking out the opposite faction.
My guild has rerolled Destruction on Dark Crag. I'm currently in the process of leveling a DoK, we'll see how far I take her though. Being on an Open RvR server, is certainly different from the Roleplaying type. Not that I ever roleplay, but the PvP action is a lot more fruitful on Dark Crag.
Rerolling has brought a fresh new perpective to the game for me. It's nice to see how the other side works. Hopefully it's a change that lasts as I really enjoy Warhammer, but the lack of action in the past kept me from loving it. If someone feels the game is stale for them, I'd reccommend checking out the opposite faction.
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