Melee Healers And Why They Don't Need Nerfed

There has been talk recently (actually it's been going on since day 1) about melee healers and how they tend to be over powered.  I must say that I used to feel the same way, but after thinking about it rationally I have changed my opinion. 

Both DoK's and WP's are very hard to kill.  Both of them have great group heals, making up for their lack of single target healing viability.  Those two points tend to be the most complained about aspect.  There are also complaints of their melee abilities, detaunts, armor.....etc..

I feel as if they can't be OP.  Reason being is that both sides, Order and Destruction, have access to them.  If you really feel they are that overpowering, roll one.  Zealots and Runepriests have better single target healing, and insta cast heals.  This enables them to heal themselves on the run.  AM and Shaman have good group utilities in buffs and hots.  DoKs and WPs have the group heal.  Why must a "squishy" healer have the best of everything?  As a DoK, I certainly can't run around as heal spec and expect to effectively heal my group.  I have to stand there and just take it like a man.  This is why they wear heavy armor. 

People argue that they are melee healers, and as such should have to melee in order to heal their group.  Honestly I don't get this really at all.  Should AM's and Shaman have to DoT up people in order to heal their group?  After all, that's how their mechanic works.  If you really want DoK's and WP's to melee only, there are some big changes that would have to happen, such as the below:

• Change regen rate of Soul Essence
• Make Rend Soul a group heal
• Add SE regen to offhand weapons, not just books / chalices
• Rend Soul / Consume Essence may have to ignore armor

Those are just a few things that come to mind.  If you don't change those things then a melee healer simply becomes just another melee character.  Other healing classes do not have to worry about SE regen or armor factor of an opposing player when healing.  If a DoK or WP could only melee to heal, how would they be an effective healer at all?  Especially with the addition of the new armor sets, Fortitude, and new Realm Abilities. 

If anyone can please provide rational ideas to the so called problem, please feel free to present them.  Other than that, stop your whining. 

Ding, Yet Another 40.

This time it was another DoK.  Yes, another.  This is my third.  Reason I had finished leveling was simple really, I only want to have a single account.  At the moment I have entirely to many accounts, most with only a single character on it.  I decided there is no reason to keep more than one subscription active, so I had been leveling characters recently.  This however leaves me with quite a few accounts that I'll more than likely never play again.  What to do, what to do?  Per the EULA, I can transfer the rights to an account.  Maybe I'll just raffle them away?  Perhaps have some kind of question posed on the site and whoever gets the answer correct first wins?  Eh....dunno about that.  Are there many people out there who even want a high ranking Zealot, Choppa, DoK, BO, WE, SH?  Those are just a few accounts mind you. 

Anyway, after finishing my DoK yesterday, a few guildmates and I ran Eternal Citadel a few times.  I must say it's good fun, when matched up correctly.  When you get a Premade Vs. Pug though, forget about it.  /AFK a few minutes.  Is the scenario matchmaking system working properly yet?  I felt like it was much of the same yesterday.  I wish more details of the system were released so we knew how it worked, but I do know how that could lead to potential exploits. 

Another thing I realized yesterday is that DoK's are disgusting as a healer.  I'm only renown rank 31, but I was dishing out near 200k in heals in EC.  AoE detaunt is great, and the tactic choices I have as a healer are very nice.  I've never seriously played a DoK as a healer before, anyone have any suggestions for me?  I'm sure there is a ton I could learn. 

$414, is that enough?

As a follow up to this post, I wanted to touch on the dramatic rise in prices for a Warhammer Online account.  As predicted, the new Skaven and RvR patch has really brought out people from the woodwork, and populations have grown quite significantly over the past few days.  With such a turn around happening, more and more people are selling and buying Warhammer accounts.  It's easier than ever to remain anonymous with the new server transfers, and with EULA it is even apparently legal to transfer ownership of an account.  

Over the past few days I have been scouring the auction sites to find a price range that we are looking at.  There have been highs as much as $1,000 and lows as little as $60 that I could find.  Both for a single renown rank 80 character.  In finding the average price, I went through dozens of auctions looking for what sellers were getting for their accounts.  The answer is actually more than I thought, $414. 

Is $414 enough though for you to sell your account?  All that time invested for $414? For a single character, I would say yes.  For an account with multiple characters, which most of us have now, probably not.  Keep in mind I would not purchase any account for such a steep price, as I feel it is much easier to level now than ever before.  With the recent poll I had going, there was a 50/50 split on whether or not people would sell for $1,000.  I'd imagine the figures would drastically change with the price point of $414.  With the current state of Warhammer, what would you pay for an account?  What if it were rank 100, with all the end game gear?  That might be something to think about, as we're sure to see them for sale soon...

So Far, So Good

Initial impressions are in for 1.4 and the new expansions, and all signs point to go.  With the exception of city sieges actually occurring more frequently and lag from the recent onset of new players, the patch has gone off without much of a hitch.

On Iron Rock, the population boost is a very welcome addition.  We all knew that subscribers would come back, but weren't really sure of the numbers.  I would say that we have seen a near doubling of players on IR, just a guestimate though.

There will be some patches in the near future for sure.  Things to address server stability first and foremost.  I've had a few client crashes when around heavily populated keeps, as have others.  They also must address keep difficulty and the rate of which cities are sieged.  I foresee those changes taking place rather quickly.

I kind of wish another week or two of testing on the PTS would have taken place, but I understand the hurry that EA/Mythic is in with Cataclysm due out soon.  They couldn't risk losing more of a population to WoW again.  It was a good choice.

So with that said, good luck in 1.4 and enjoy the plethora of city sieges while they last.  I'm sure that thing's are going to be changing in the near future, and constant city sieges will be a thing of the past.  

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love Ya, Tomorrow

It's only a day away!

That's right folks, 1.4 and the RvR Packs are only a single day away.  Tomorrow, I'm assuming after patching, the EA Store will have the RvR Packs available for purchase and we'll be on our way to Rank 100!  Not to mention doing it with snazzy new pets and maybe a face lift for a few of us.

I'd like everyone to keep in mind that while we are all very giddy with anticipation now, tomorrow is still a patch day.  We all know what usually happens with bigger patches, so please do not be glum should there be some issues.  I expect crashes, slow downloads, and lag.  Let's not add to it with whining on blogs and forums, and unsubscribing.

After thinking about it a bit, I've decided I'll be playing my Marauder with the patch.  Then again, I'm a constant flip flopper so we'll see how long that lasts.  We'll also see if the general populations increase at all over the next few days.  I'd expect them to, at least a bit.

So today, everyone enjoy your last experiences with the current renown and scenario systems.  Stock up on any potions, liniments, dyes, or whatever think you will benefit from after we patch.  I'd also recommend checking out the new Renown and Character Builders that are available.  There are going to be a lot of options, and I'd advise at least getting to know them a little bit beforehand.

Oh yah, before I forget.  Carrie mentioned on twitter that "More Sex" was a feature people were looking for, so you never know just what we'll get tomorrow!  I mean how many more positions can we see a damn near naked Witch Elf in?

Developer Live Stream Q and A! - 11/17/2010

Be sure to check out the Herald, and the Livestream event that is taking place tomorrow (11/17/10) at 7PM EST!

Here is the direct link to the stream for your reference!

Decisions Decisions

Decisions decisions.  With 1.4 coming out this Thursday, I have a lot to think about.  Mostly, what in the hell class do I choose?  Here are my options:

• Rank 80 Marauder
• Rank 80 WE
• Rank 60 SH
• Rank 65 Sorc
• Rank 30 Zealot

Recently, I've been leveling and loving the Zealot, but how long will that love affair last?  I mean, he's a healer.  Something I'm not really accustom to playing.  I've also been playing the SH more recently, with the others shelved.  But again I have the dilemma of playing the Marauder with the new buffs they will be receiving, which will be awesome.  

I just can't decide.  From the above, it looks like I've all but ruled out the WE.  She just doesn't interest me as much right now, as I just don't feel as if they bring as much to a group as my other choices.  I also feel like I'm nixxing the Sorc, as I'd much rather play the SH as a ranged dps.  

Only time will tell I suppose, and that time is only a mere few days away.  Who's ready?  

Out with the Old, In with the....Old?

With the onset of the Verminous Horde, there are sure to be more than a few new subscribers over the next few weeks.  Overall, the reviews from the PTS have been on the good side, and forums are giddy with anticipation for the new ORvR content.  Things really are looking on the up and up for the game, and I am very pleased with how things are turning out.

Over the past few months, we have really seen Mythic step up their efforts to lure back old players.  Free T1 play forever, Free 10 days with no cc info, Free transfers for people away for 3 months.  Not to mention all of the press they have been slowly releasing with the upcoming patch.  While I'm sure a there have been a few former subscribers to again pay to play, what about the literally hundreds of thousands that are still out there?  If you all remember, Warhammer Online started with something like 1,000,000 original game sells (please feel free to correct me, this is from memory).....in turn creating that number of accounts.  What is the population now though?  100,000 max?  Obviously EA does not release those numbers, but we are all more than aware of the current state of the realms.

Please don't get me wrong here, I am in no way trying to bash the game.  Tonight I was talking to my brother-in-law who previously played a Rune Priest on Phoenix Throne.  I always try to pressure him to come back, and of course I told him about the new stuff coming in.  Unfortunately though, the beginning of Warhammer really tainted the game for him.  Thus, I truly believe he will never again play.  He, like many others, really hated Warhammer originally.  Justifiably so, as there was not much to offer.  But there is so much more to the game now, and it has grown by leaps and bounds recently.  So much has been added over the past year, and I really feel terrible for those who did not stick through till now.  I know without a shadow of a doubt that my brother-in-law, and others, would surely love the new content.  The RvR is great, and getting better.  The renown abilities will be completely game changing.  Time-To-Kill is slower.  Scenario matchmaking.  More attainable gear.  More customizations.  Just so much more coming into the ever changing world of Warhammer.  How else can Mythic get back a larger part of those old subscribers?

I definitely foresee a jump in the numbers over the next few weeks and months.  Maybe as many as 10,000 even.  How though can Mythic go beyond that, to say 500,000?   What other ideas can they come up with to entice players back?  A free month?  A free rank 40/40?  A free "re-enlistment" weapon?  Maybe something that can be traded between characters on an account?  I know they are doing a lot, but I believe more can be done.  I'm not putting this out there to bash, but putting it out there to garner some positive feedback which is hopefully seen by someone in a position to change things.  So with all that said, all ideas are welcome.  Please leave a comment or send some tweets to @Andy_Mythic with ideas.  Let's get this game the attention it deserves.

1.4 Renown Builder

Not sure if it's been seen yet, but I came across this new Renown Builder today.  I'd suggest everyone check it out.  Coupled with Werits Arsenal of War and The WARdrobe, we may have all we need!

I also came across a new Career Builder called, Warspec.  I'm gonna try that out as well. 

The Rise of Warhammer Online, an Account Price Perspective

Example Account Selling

With the announcement of the RvR Packs and 1.4 coming to a near paramount, I think we are about to see a sharp rise in the amount of subscriptions that Warhammer has open.  Obviously this can be surmised from what we have seen recently.  The PTS server being full (no, I didn't get on) being one example the other night.  There has also been a pretty good reception of the price points of the soon to be released RvR Pack, and the Verminous Horde.  One other thing that has led me to believe that Warhammer is again on the rise, is the prices now that accounts are being sold for.  Yeah yeah I know it's illegal to sell / buy accounts, but the fact of the matter remains that it's being done and will continue to be until something is done by Mythic to prevent it. 

Recently on various account buying and selling sites, prices for Warhammer Online accounts has sky rocketed.  Over the past year or so, the median price point for a renown rank 70 character has been $150.  Yes, they could have definitely been found for less.  However over the past few weeks, these sites have boasted accounts of renown rank 80's for upwards of $1,000!  Pretty crazy right?  After all Warhammer is not WoW, where accounts have been sold for well over $10,000.  In my mind in no way does a rank 80 account, let alone any account, justify the price of $1,000.  If you take a closer look at the picture to the right, you will see a total of five accounts for sale, for well over the price of $300.  A price which I feel is more realistic for a rank 80 character. 

No I don't expect most people to believe that $300 is a fair price, but to be quite honest, it is.  In the past I have done plenty of account buying and selling, and can promise you that NO ACCOUNT is worth more than this.  No matter the gear, rank, characters, etc...  If your plan is to just sell an account, never put more than a single character on it.  So what is prompting people now then to ask such absurdly high prices for their accounts now?  Is it what is on the horizon for Warhammer?  I'd like to think so.  One thing you can always break it down to is supply and demand. 

Form w/ Account Selling

Accounts have been selling like hot cakes over the past few weeks.  An account is posted on a site, and usually within 48 hours it is sold.  This was rarely the case over the last year, as near all Warhammer accounts went unsold.  You couldn't give a Warhammer account away until recently.  Now it would seem you would be hard pressed to find a reasonably priced account for Warhammer.  I hate to say it (and do not condone it any longer) but now would be a great time to sell your account, if you're looking for a quick cash grab. 

Another reason I believe accounts have been selling more recently, is that it can most definitely be done now with a sense of anonymity.  The recent addition of $20 server transfers has enabled this.  Someone can go buy an account, transfer servers, and no one would be the wiser now.  There are some that say $20 for a single character transfer is nuts, and I agree.  But for someone who just spend XXX number of dollars for an account, $20 is more than reasonable for a sense of security from other players. 

So be ready to see a bunch of new high ranking players on your server who you don't recognize, because they are coming.  People want to play Warhammer now, and it has been showing in the amount of account buying and selling that has been taking place.  While I don't condone, it selling your account gets you an easy way to several hundred dollars if not more.  If you could make upwards of $1,000 for your account, would you sell? 

Where is my Snotling? and EA Discount Codes!

Why can I no longer purchase a Snotling?  I would think that if any items were still available to purchase it would be that, due to the 3% speed bonus granted.  I sincerely hope this is just an oversight, and not something that is gone for good.  Maybe I just can't find it at the EA Store? 

Also, here are a few discount codes I came across that work at the EA Store, so enjoy

• EASTORE10 - Save 10%
• VoucherCodes.com25% - Save 25%

@Andy_Mythic - Scenario Matchmaking

Well if any of you follow Twitter, you may want to add @Andy_Mythic to your following list.  Today he tweeted the following:

Coming in 1.4: Scenario Matchmaking system...more details soon!

Dun Dun Dun!  What could it mean?  Who really knows?  My guess is something to level out the Renown Rank of players who join a given scenario.  Hopefully it also involves cross server queuing.  Only time will tell I guess. 

Mythic Certainly Gives Us Material

Well if there is one thing that is true of EA / Mythic, it's that they certainly give us plenty of material to write and talk about.  As I'm sure everyone has seen, the new "Account Entitlements" have gone public.  All of which don't leave people with the feeling of entitlement at all.  These "Micro-Transactions" as they had been deemed could not be further off base. 

Here are some examples of player frustrations:

• http://social.bioware.com/forums/forum/1/topic/231/index/5161831/1
• http://social.bioware.com/forums/forum/1/topic/240/index/5164260
• http://social.bioware.com/forums/forum/1/topic/240/index/5164362

Mythics pricing scheme, in my opinion, is completely off base.  $20 for a SINGLE character to move?  Yes I know WoW has a similar pricing plan, but guess what, this game is by no means WoW.  $10 for a SINGLE level?  Really?  I could go buy a Renown Rank 80 character should I choose to, with minimal effort, for $60. 

Who is in charge over there at EA/Mythic, and with Warhammer?  Are they really out of touch with their own game?  It is very disturbing to me, and a lot of other players.  While these entitlements could have been one of the best things seen for Warhammer in quite some time, the complete opposite reaction of what I'm sure they had been expecting has happened.  

icon New Account Entitlements come to WAR!

Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning proudly introduces an all new service for our players; Account Entitlements!  These services are available now for purchase from the EA store and include the following features offered at special introductory prices:

• Server Transfer - $19.99 USD, this will grant you a code that can be redeemed for one server transfer for a single character. 
• Starter Mount Pack – $8.99 USD, all characters on an account will receive a deed to obtain a mount usable at level 2 giving players a 25% speed boost and have a 100% chance to dismount upon damage.
• Trusty Mount Pack – $9.99 USD, all characters on an account will receive a deed to obtain your choice of a new mount usable at level 20 giving players mounts of up to 60% speed boost and have a 55% chance to dismount upon damage
• Trinkets of the World Pack – $4.99 USD, all characters on an account will receive two tokens to spend at the new Trophy Vendor in the capital cities. Each token can be used to purchase one of 14 different trophies.
• Specialized Training Pack – $9.99 USD, all characters on an account will recieve one War Tract that will allow them to immediately advance one full level when used
• Herald Pet Pack – $9.99 USD, all characters on an account will be granted adoption papers to the Snotling Herald vanity pet. This pet will follow you around and give you a boost!

For a list a Frequently Asked Questions, please read here!

Account entitlements are now available, so be sure to visit the EA Store today to check them out! 

(Prices may vary by region, please refer to the EA Store for pricing)

 

Not to sure how I feel about these yet.  $10 for a single level is crazy.  I can go buy a rank 80 for $50 should I want to.  I don't really find anything to appealing here I guess.  

 

 

 

1.4 Patch Notes

Check Em Out Here

More of the Same

Ugh, nothing but more of the same tonight on Iron Rock.  Little Destruction resistance against quadruple our numbers of high ranking Order.  Not much fun right now.  It doesn't help that scenarios don't pop because Order is wide eyed for their free bags.  Destro is pretty much left mailbox humping yet again. 

Other than play yet another alt, anyone have any ideas of just what to do?  I want to play my squiggy, yet can't due to the fact that it is just completely ineffective, and 0 fun against such overwhelming odds.  

Obligation to End Game

The current state of Warhammer on Iron Rock is less than appealing. People are leaving for other games or other servers left and right, and it really leaves the server to be dead at most times. Another issue is the severe population gap between Order and Destruction. I cannot remember the last time Destro outnumbered our Order counterparts, and often we are outnumbered 3 and 4 to 1. Yes the AAO is nice, but let’s be honest here; eventually you get tired of being rolled due to numbers alone.

Yesterday afternoon was a prime example of our server population, or lack thereof. Order, with relative ease, pushed IC with no real resistance at all. So, in the hopes of me winning a gold / purp bag, I joined my first city instance immediately after the zones locked. Obviously I zone in and check out the scenario scoreboard to find that I had been put up against the usual Order premade of high renown ranking characters. I waited a few minutes for a few more Destro to show up, but only a handful did. Just enough to fill out two groups, so I left. After returning to the Maw, I waited about five minutes and joined another scenario. I was placed in a completely new instance, but it was much of the same. Destro could only manage to fill a few groups against another Order premade. So again, I left. Rinse and repeat several times over, and upon entering three completely different city sieges, it was the same story in each. I even wound up in the same instance on two separate occasions, and neither was nearly close to filling a single warband. Clearly, it is evident that the population is completely out of whack. Do you really expect a Destro player to sit through a city siege for 30 minutes (estimate) for a single Royal Crest? Hardly worth it. At that rate, it would take roughly…..oh I dunno…..100 years to complete a Sovereign set.

Much to my chagrin I hopped on my DoK alt and played around in T3, which low and behold was rocking with action. But that’s the problem; T3 was filled up with great action while a freaking city siege was taking place. It’s sad that no one even cares anymore. It’s just another day on Iron Rock with Destro being beat down. People have grown tired of it, and could care less about IC.

I think something needs to happen that would make it so it is more beneficial to defend your city, rather than to just hop on an alt. Maybe if the opposing side is victorious, you cannot gain access to LoTD for a full day, or you gain a reduced amount of XP for your realm. Maybe even close off IC for more than a few hours, something like a complete day. Right now there is just no incentive to defend your realm on Iron Rock. Hopefully this changes with the implementation of 1.4 and the RvR changes, but unless there is a major population shift I can’t see it.

Time To Rank Debate

It's been a strange few weeks for me with Warhammer.  I've been having a great time on my SH, Hobgobblin.  I'm managed to already take him to rank 54 in just a few weeks.  I find myself near unkillable in a 1v1 (granted I can't beat a good tank, but at least I get away).  I've been running in small groups with some guild mates and we have fared quite well against double our numbers.  I still need a new weapon, but that will come with time.

I have been noticing the past few weeks though what appears to be a steep decline in the overall population on Iron Rock, and it's making me nervous.  My guilds onliners has recently seemed to plummet.  People seem to be checking out other games as we await the release of the new RvR dungeon and 1.4.  I can't say that I blame them.  There are some really nice looking and fun games out there right now.  Not to mention, if you already have a couple rank 80's, Warhammer can get stale fast. 

My question is, will these players come back?  The answer with most will more than likely be yes, but I do fear that the games overall population will struggle a bit further.  Is it to late for the game?  Doubtful.  The next few months seem very promising for Warhammer, and I am more than exciting to try it all out.  Past that though, what do we have?  At some point people will again cap out at rank 100.  What will entice them this time that we don't currently have?  Personally I think think the time to rank (TTR) from 80 to 100 should be crazy hard.  Something that an average player probably will never attain.  If TTR was actually difficult, people may not be getting so bored so quickly.  The right balance of Renown vs. Time has to be achieved, and I don't think it is something we currently have. 

Some suggestions might be as follows:

• Removal of damage / healing renown (only based on player kills)
• Removal of renown for BO's and Keeps
• Slightly increased renown for successful city siege
• Removal of renown for zone flips
• Slightly bit of renown for a lock in a zone pairing
• No more renown bonus items

I guess those are just a few ideas.  I understand why TTR is so low right now, with the new dungeon right around the corner and the rank 65 requirement.  Perhaps have some of the above instituted past rank 80?  Anyone else agree with me, and have any ideas on how to improve it? 

Highway To The Skaven Zone! Mass Playtest !

 Woooooo, read below and check out the Herald!  New Skaven Dungeon Mass Playtest announced!

It's time for another Developer Hosted Public Test server event!

Everyone is invited to come out to the Warpstone Public Test server this week to help put the all new RvR Skaven Themed dungeon, "Thanquol's Incursion", through it's testing paces. We're going to be kicking things off tomorrow, 10/20/2010, at 8:00 PM EDT/02.00 CET with your first ever look at this RvR Dungeon. We'll be hosting a second, more EU friendly test this coming Friday, 10/22/2010, at 3:00 PM EDT/21.00 CET. 

Be sure to read up on the dungeon before joining in the fun, as we're planning a night of furious (and fun) testing!

Not Rank 40? Not to worry as templates will be provided for all players! 

For more information on how to access the Warpstone Public Test Server, please read here!

Thank you for your continued support and we'll see you on Warpstone!

WAAAGH!

Hobgobblin Update

Haven't had a lot of time to post....reason being is that I'm on vacation.  Doesn't make much sense eh?  Well with my vacation time, comes house work and baby responsibility time. Therefore, no blogging. 

Hobgobblin, my wee lil Squig Herder, has hit rank 40 after a long 18 hour grind session in LoTD.  I also hit renown rank 43 today with the insane amount of renown being given due to AAO.  No complaints from me. 

I may or may not be around the remainder of the week.  I recommend hitting up my blogroll for all your updates, as there are plenty to be had right now. 

The Week That Was

All-In-All, a pretty crazy week for Warhammer if you ask me.  The news grabbing the headlines though would have to be that of EA Louse.  Honestly I don't even want to link the write up, but here is a brief rundown.  A soon to be former employee of EA Mythic lets loose on the many over the years failures of the company.  Names are dropped, and the industry reaction is quite staggering.  Just do a simple Google search and you'll find it.  I personnaly want to obstain from any reaction.  I understand the writers frustrations, but there is a better place to expose ones frustrations than an anonymous online article. 

We have also seen the closure of Wardb.com.  A site that was created well before Warhammer Online was ever released.  It was a very useful tool in it's time, but over the past year really fell off the map.  With tools like Werits Arsenal of War, and the new WARDrobe, we may not even miss it all that much.  All we really need now is an updated Mastery Path Calculator, and we're good to go.  Here are a few other links for your viewing pleasure from the past week:

• Hadrune's Ammo Dump.  A great read, with great information. 
• As always, check out Bootae

Quite honestly, this is all I can conjur up this morning.  I just came across even more comments regarding the EA Louse thing.  It's frustrating to say the least.  Warhammer has so much upcoming over the next few months, and all this fool is doing is garnering negative attention to the company.  It's been said that any publicity is good publicity, but I don't think this will help anyone. 

Squiggy Update

There is so much taking place in Warhammer right now, and unfortunately it couldn't be happening at a worse time for me.  With so much taking place in the real world for me, I hardly have time to be checking out the PTS at the moment.  I am seeing good things though.  I am really excited to see how it all finally plays out in the coming months.  I highly recommend checking out my blog roll to the right for all the updates. 

One thing I have been focusing on when I have time to play is my wee little Squig Herder, Hobgobblin.  I just took him out of T3 and into the big boy world of T4.  Kind of unfortunate if you ask me.  I really like T3.  I almost feel like there was more balance there than in T4.  As it stands now I run around T4 getting near one shotted by high ranking Bright Wizards and Witch Hunters.  I am only level 32 though.  I would imagine that I will have him to 40 by weeks end.  Honestly I really don't have that much more to go.  I have two Golden Writs I can use to purchase War Tracts from, and the free level quest.  So really only 5 more levels, which I can grind out in either LoTD or PvP.  I have no desire for the free mount from the writ either, if you're asking why I'd use both on a free level.  It was cool when my Marauder was the only one on the server with one, before the free ones were issued.  Now they are completely fotm, and everyone has one.  So I'll pass, and just ride in style on my white wolf of doom. 

The Week That Was

We've seen a lot this past week with Warhammer.  The PTS events are taking place, new mounts, changes to the guard mechanic and so much more.  It's been a busy week for me and unfortunately I haven't been able to check out all the amazing things.  Check out Werits video for more on the PTS server. 

• Lokax brings us Gorbad Ironclaw
• Kruelhand breaks down the guard changes
• WWGD this week?
• More guard discussion with Bruglir.
• Hypothetical breaks down ToVL

There is a lot more going on right now with Warhammer, and I strongly encourage everyone to check it out.  At the moment, I'm short on time and I have to keep the post as such.  Don't worry, all is well, and I hope to be back in my normal form next week. 

T3 is Bumpin Bumpin, Order go Boom Boom

Like any veteran of a game, sometimes we forget just where and when we once had come from in terms of level. If someone sticks around in end game content for a while, often things can become a bit stale at times and a refresher is needed. All too often do I find myself camping a mailbox or sitting around waiting for a queue. So to those of you who are in need of a change of scenery I recommend T3 on Iron Rock.

Over the past week or so the battles in T3 have been tremendous. Much better from what I remember 2 years ago. There is constant action.  It also helps being on the winning side for once. Whether it is skirmishes, keep takes, fighting over champion mobs or a gutter runner assault, there is never a dull moment in T3. I actually found myself not wanting to level out of it last night. While at the champion rat mobs, which you can find over at WAR Aura, I got 2.5 levels in approximately 30 minutes. So now I sit at level 29/24. I could have continued leveling and at that pace would have certainly been in T4 in no time. Why would I want to do that now though? The action is so good, and I have enough T4 characters right now.

I'm also not sure what it is, but everything seems a bit bigger to me. I think it may have to do with the map layout and the keeps in different zones. It also could be that not everyone has a mount; therefore groups don't cover as much ground as quickly. The environment is so much more crisp and clean too. I touched on it a bit yesterday, but I can't believe how much better and more detailed things look in T3. In Saphery yesterday, I could actually count the individual leaves on the trees. That's not something I ever noticed in a T4 zone. The keeps seem a lot more detailed too, and more in depth. After experiencing T3 again and taking notice to all the subtleties, I really wish the game was held off a bit longer before release. T4 could really use a lot of the detail that is clearly prevalent in the earlier stages of the game.

So thank you to Mythic for changing the restrictions on LoTD.  T3 is alive and well, and there are still spots to grind should you choose to.  Go check it out, and revisit some things you may have missed the first time (or few at this point) around.

Highway To The Skaven Zone and Hobgobblin!

Although I completely missed it, Tentonhammer had an exclusive interview with Carrie Gouskos this weekend and some pretty good information was released regarding the new Skaven Zone.  I recommend checking out Bootae as he has all the details.  It appears as if the new zone will be a 24 vs. 24 instance based dungeon.  Much like the current city siege, it will include some Skaven bosses which both sides must fight while dealing with the opposing faction.  Oh, by the way, you'll need to be renown rank 65 to access it.

Zealot vs. Zealot

I wanted to do something a little different today, so I decided I'd pit characters from different games against each other.  This may be a reoccurring theme here, or it may not be.  I guess we'll see how much fun I have doing it.  Clearly this is nothing scientific, just something fun.  I'll do the judging based on four categories.  Looks, Gameplay, Lore and a Community Poll.  I'll give 1 point for Looks, Gameplay, and Lore, with 2 points given to the community.  We will start with a Zealot from Warhammer Online, versus the Zealot from Starcraft. 

The Week That Was

Again, everyone is ripe with anticipation for the upcoming RvR Pack and 1.4.  Yesterday the new Producers Letter was released, and in it not a whole lot if any new information.  We have to keep in mind that the letter is really intended for those of us who don't live Warhammer 24/7, and is really for your more casual player to keep them a breast of what is on the horizon.

• WWGD?  I guess we'll find out soon enough eh?   
• Bootae had a lot going on this week, and a nice Q&A with Andy.  I suggest everyone head on over and check it out. 
• There are definitely a bunch of tactics that are rarely used in Warhammer.  Lokax started to throw out some good ideas when it comes to Tanktics
• KruelWAR put out a new Marauder Video here. 
• Tirew also destroys some Destro with his Engi video.  Rifle spec?  Really? 
• Squibblebut still holds out for a 3rd realm
• Portraits of WAR released some new sketches. 

For me personally it's been a slow week when it comes to gaming.  I've been meaning to check out Civ V, but just don't have time at the moment.  Pretty busy with things personally.  I did start a new Zealot last night, Sosiq.  Ran around T1 with Dr. Sparkles and Mimmi on their Marauder and Choppa.  I didn't realize I guess all the new stuff in T1 that there is, scenario weapons specifically.  I can only imagine how insanely OP certain classes can become now in T1.  I'll probably find out this weekend I guess. 

The Social Aspect of Gaming

In addition to my normal babble, there are other topics that are on my mind when it comes to video games and MMOs in general.  I'd like to think I've experienced a lot when it comes to my past decade or so of MMOs.  Not only with the game aspect, but with the social aspect as well.  Very important periods of my life have been covered with me playing these immersive games, and definitely not always for the betterment of me, my friends, or my family. 

Random Banter - We Need Banner Changes

Why is it banners in Warhammer really aren't what they were originally intended to be?  I feel as if they really are next to worthless, other than for a few extra renown and a quick rez.  Sure they give you some bonuses, but no one really carries them around when in a warband.

I want them to be able to be seen from clip range.  I want them to be seen while mounted.  I want enemies to know just who is coming, and not have it be just another warband.  When a guild claims a keep, I want their banner to be seen from every corner.  There should be more incentive to taking an enemy guilds banner, other than a few renown.  Renown is easy peasy to get at this point.  Why not it grant your group / party / guild a bonus to stats or something for an hour?  Maybe the higher rank guild banner you take, the more bonus to stat you receive?  Maybe you can wear your enemies banner symbol on your arm for a day?  Something to just rub it in your enemies face that much more.  How cool would that be? 

Let the Flaming Begin!

Obviously with any potentially good news, there are those who only can see it as potentially bad.  Gamesday has been talked about by everyone now to death it seems and while most are excited and really looking forward to the change, there are others who pretty much have written off Warhammer because of the new information.  Why such hate? 

Yes, I understand the game may not be what you wanted or expected since launch.  It has most certainly taken a turn for the better recently.  Yes, there are sure to be flaws with any new system that is going to be put in place.  Can we at least reserve judgement for the PTS?  I must admit, that I myself am guilty of being frustrated with the information that has come out recently.  Not because the content is bad, but because I just want more!  There are some though that are just trashing every aspect of the information that was released over the weekend.  Saying the implementation of Skaven is terrible, vanity pets are a waste and now required, purchasable mounts are dumb, the new resource system is laughable......etc, etc.  And for anyone to suggest that Mythic ISN'T listening to their customers is just nuts. 

People should definitely be cautious with the new changes.  They should definitely question every aspect of every portion of the information.  That is what makes a game better.  But to completely flame Mythic, the Developers and the game is just absurd.  We all need to take a step back and remember that nothing is certain as of yet.  Let's just wait and see how the PTS is once these changes begin to be tested.  Then we should all do as much praising and/or bashing as we can. 

Iron Rock Update and Account Transfers

So my post this morning left me feeling a bit blah.  Most other WAR bloggers out there are very excited about the release of information this past weekend, as they should be.  I just think I have a case of the Mondays.  The new changes will be good for sure....I'm just so nervous and the anticipation is killing me!  I'm sure the new changes will promote even better action than we have seen over the past few weeks on Iron Rock.  If that's the case be ready for a heavy subscriber increase, and even more RvR action!

Thoughts on the Gamesday News

Well the weekend has come and gone, and here we are back to the grind of real life.  We did get a lot of interesting news though from Gamesday from the likes of Bruglir and WAR Aura.  I suggest you head on over to their sites for all the details.  From Vanity Pets and Mounts, to the Campaign changes and Skaven, there is a lot of information in there.  I'm very interested in and looking forward to seeing what is posted on the Herald over the next month.

The Week That Was

Another week gone by as we wait for 1.4 and the RvR Pack.  Post is a little later than usual today, been sick and haven't felt up to it today. 

• Some Marauder changes on the horizon.  Must say I'm happy about this, and it's about time
• Wardrobe updates on the horizon.  I'm really looking forward to this. 
• Bootae has some great pics of the action on Norn.  I must say, it looks bloody awesome.  We need more action like that on Iron Rock.
• Black Orcs.  I don't know much...but I know I love you.... that may be all Mmmmm Gud needs to know.
• Another Eternal Citadel weekend.  Gaar breaks it down. 

A lot of people have been trying out the new Civilization V.  I myself want to check it out as well, but it's going to be tough with this weeks Weekend Warfront.  I need Insignias!  

Iron Rock And The Future

After reading Wasdstomps post about Badlands and what the future may entail, I figured I'd shoot out issues that may plague the smaller population servers (like Iron Rock).  Wasdstomp brings up some very valid questions about the future of Badlands, and ones that will definitely need answered.  They have already been taking steps to address population issues on Badlands, as seen by the ending of trial accounts and free character transfers to the server.  I would imagine that the free character transfers will extend to paid character transfers, once that service is implemented.  Although that certainly does depend on the current state of the game / server at that time.

Am I Cut Out for MMO's?

With Warhammers two year anniversary upon us, I decided to take a look back at the past few years of the game and reflect on what I've come to enjoy.  There has been good and no doubt some bad between 2008 and now, but all in all I think Warhammer is in a good place. 

Over the past few years I have played more characters than I can honestly even remember.  It started out with a Witch Hunter, Vizo, on Phoenix Throne and slowly progressed to roughly two dozen total characters (all 40) across the realms and servers.  Here is a list below, at least of the characters I can remember:

Marauder Love!!

There's a reason why my profile pic is that of a Marauder.  It's because I think they are the best class in the game.  Now when I say best, I am referring to the most fun.  In this case however the former might be true, in that they may now just be the best class in the game.  What am I talking about?  Well if you don't know or aren't aware, Marauders are getting some serious and well deserved love.

What's Missing From MMOs Today?

The Missing Piece

As I've been thinking about the best PvP game I have played, it really got my mind stemming off in other directions about things.  Not just about PvP and RvR, but about MMOs in general.  Since my days of playing Dark Age of Camelot, I have felt that there has been something missing in every MMO since.  The problem is, I can never put my thumb on just what that missing piece is. 

Which MMO Has The Best PvP?

In response to the article over on Massively about which MMO has the best PvP, I figured I'd make my first poll.  It's pretty simple, which MMO do you feel has / had the best PvP?  Currently the comments are garnering all kinds of responses.  From Planetside, to EVE, to Darkfall.  If you decide to select other, please leave a comment as to which and why. 

Personally I think Dark Age of Camelot had the best PvP of any MMO I've played.  Three realms, open zones, clear objectives (relics), and small group fighting really made it appealing to me.  Of course back when I played DAoC I had much more time which allowed me to be fully immersed in it.  I'd imagine there are people now who say the same about other games. 

So, go ahead and vote.  We'll see in a week what game will be crowned king of PvP, at least in the eyes of readers of this blog. 

Warhammer, Two Years and Counting

What a weekend for Warhammer.  With it's two year anniversary this past weekend, the double xp / renown bonus was in affect and it made for some great and crazy battles on Iron Rock.  I received as much as 16,000 renown for a solo kill this weekend.  It was at a BO in Dragonwake, and I was on my rank 50 DoK.  Some scrub of a Witch Hunter could not finish me off, I honestly felt bad for him.  Overall I only gained about three full ranks this weekend on my DoK, Luvsiq.  Wait a minute, did I say only?  Thanks to what could possibly the biggest and most overlooked change to the game since day one, people are ranking up faster than ever. 

Gamers Unite - Brian Wood Memorial Trust

As an avid reader of online publications, I came across a write up on Yahoo! that really caught my attention.  It really stuck out in my mind as something everyone should get behind.  It is about a game designer, Brian Wood, who was tragically killed by a drunk driver earlier this month. 

I'd encourage everyone to take a minute and give the article a read.  As a gamer I can appreciate the time he took to make our lives enjoyable.  As a new father I can appreciate the sacrifice he made for his family.  While in the gaming world, we sometimes can forget even for a second that real life supersedes everything, but that's what the game is created for.  As Brian was someone who created environments to help forget our real life issues for a few moments, let's get together and help his family out with one of their own. 

The Brian Wood Memorial Trust has been created to help his wife and baby through this difficult time for them.  I recommend everyone go ahead and donate, even if it's a single dollar.  Brian's wife and baby would definitely appreciate it. 

Brian's wife, Erin, has also released an email to the general gaming community thanking everyone for their support.  In the letter it talks about how close knit the gaming community is and how special gamers are as people.  Let's show her just how close knit we are, and help her and the new baby out.

The Week That Was

Not a whole lot of news taking place right now on the Warhammer front.  With the RvR packs and 1.4 coming out soon, people are growing giddy with anticipation.  There has been a lot of speculation as what exactly will take place and rightfully so.  One site in particular that I have come across, Hypothetical WAR, has been doing a lot of talking about what possibilities there are with it.  Check it out.  A lot of Skaven information there, and it really gets you thinking.

• Rank-N-Vile and his wife decided to stick it out.  While his wife isn't a fan of the RvR aspect of WAR, I think they are making the right choice with so much we have to look forward to. 
• League of Legends sounds interesting from Wasdstomps opinion.  I may have to check it out. 
• You're always dressed to kill and you feel like you owe it to the world, but you owe it to yourself to check out Werits blog and the winners of his contest.  By the way, I miss NFG. 
• Solid idea from Bootae about scenario leeching.  I couldn't agree with him more by the way.  The amount of renown a solo healer can earn is absurd.  Not to mention it really hurts the rest of the scenarios groups.
• Who's your daddy now?  Grimnir lets us know.  

I also want to again point out Werit's Arsenal of War.  Such a useful tool that should not be overlooked.  I find myself using it a bunch.  Not much going on by me on Iron Rock at the moment.  Just been out in the lakes on one of my numerous Witch Elves.  I also realised I can't even remember the names of all the rank 40 characters I have in my possession.  Clearly that's an issue, and one for another post. 

Great Times on Iron Rock

As we draw upon the two year anniversary of Warhammer Online, I've been reflecting on some of the best times I've had in the game since closed beta.  One of those times just happened to be last night on Iron Rock.  The south keep in Chaos Wastes was being attacked by Order, and one of the best keep defenses I have ever seen was on...

Paying it Forward in WAR - Inspired by the NHL

So as a very avid hockey fan and Pittsburgh native (Go Pens), I came across this article that just says how there is a small group of Hockey agents and NHL Players "paying it forward" on a daily basis.  Just doing little things like filling up a neighbors boat with gasoline, buying some coffee for a homeless man, or donating toys to a shelter, can really inspire people to do greater things.  This got me thinking about all the "noobs" that there are in Warhammer Online, and MMO's in general these days. 

Werit's Arsenal of War!

With all of the anticipation of Skaven and the RvR packs that will be introduced to us in the (somewhat) near future, I'm really hoping that Werit's Aresnal of War is not overlooked by the community.  It is a great resource for veterans and newbies alike. 

Gone are the days of outdated Wardb information.  You can browse by Career or Stat, and has a great search functionality.  With over 8,000 items encompassing the database and growing every day, it will prove to be a wealth of very valuable information for everyone. 

Everyone check it out, and give Werit some credit for the hard work he has done for us. 

The Week That Was

Figured I'd post a bit of a recap much like Werit does for readers of the Warhammer community to see.  As he is the one always doing the recaps, he isn't getting the exposure to his own site that he is due.  As one of the best bloggers for the Warhammer community, I highly recommend checking him out.  To start off the recap I'd like to congratulate WAR Bureau on one full year.  Let's see what else has gone on:

• Werit is constantly updating his Arsenal of WAR for us all, not to mention providing us with some sick pics of peoples characters.  Go and Vote!.
• Bootae's been up to his usual Blorc banter.  Pretty soon you will all fear the Gashcheese!
• Taransula is apparently an end game boss, winning 2v10's left and right.
• Grimgor Ironhide, as seen through Mmmm Gud's eyes
• Backseatdev is sick of spawncamping.  Who isn't?  Let's get this fixed!
• Mobile Siege anyone?  Yes please.

All in all not a bad week.  A lot of opinions and predictions swirling around with the anticipation of 1.4 and the slow release of new information.  It's really keeping everyone on their toes though, which is a good thing right now.  In relatively short time the xpac will be here, and true open RvR will dominate again! 

Keeping it Fresh

During my usual trolling of blogs and forums this morning, I came across Wasdstomp's, in regards to the mass exodus that certainly does appear to be happening to Badlands.  I can certainly relate to what he is saying.  I originally started playing Order on Phoenix Throne which slowly went to the wayside.  Then deciding to roll Destruction on Dark Crag, which again, slowly came to an end.  Now I find myself on Iron Rock as Destruction, and again it has the feeling as if it is slowly progressing to the abyss known as deletion.  Although Destro does its best to combat the massive outnumbering they have against them, there is not much we can do.  This really leads to a loss of moral within the losing realm, and slowly creates the "grass might be greener" feeling.  Something a third realm certainly would help with, but that's for another post.

End Game Debate

This morning Werit posted the remaining Q&A from Andy over on the forums, and something really struck me odd.  It was actually what I had touched on at the end of my post from this morning, Alt-Itis,  Just what struck me as odd is as follows:

Thank You Rock-Paper-Shotgun

I never really paid much attention to the whole "stats" section of blogger, as I generally don't want to be disappointed by the lack of readers I attract.  For some reason this morning though ThePriceofWargh wasn't loading, so I decided to check it out. 

Apparently over the last day or so, I have had near 2,000 page views.  This caused traffic errors for people when attempting to access the site.  I have the people over at Rock-Paper-Shotgun to thank.  They apparently came across my Thank You to EA / Mythic and I've gotten a ton of exposure for it. 

So go ahead and give their site a view, it's worth checking out. 

Alt-Itis

Much like Bootae, I'm currently having a case of Alt-itis.  I had been playing my rank 80 Marauder for a few months again, and miss the sweet scrolling of purple numbers across my screen.  Being that I still haven't been able to complete my Sovereign set, I wanted to at least feel like I was accomplishing something.  So, I logged on my DoK.

Follow Up to the Royal Crest Problem

Just following up on my post from yesterday, I decided to do the very simple math and calculate the number of days it would take for you to attain enough Royal Crests through city sieges in order to complete your Sovereign set.  With having a lockout timer of 5 days, it would take you 705 days and 141 instances to complete your set.  Now obviously you can obtain Royal Crests outside of the cities, but not really that many. 

Royal Crests and Stage Three Gold Bags

Over the past few months, since about April I'd surmise, Mythic has really done a bang up job with Warhammer Online.  They have implemented things like the new city sieges, 1.36, and AAO.  All of which have gone a long way to promote a more healthy and stable player base so the future of WAR will thrive.  There is one facet of the game however that needs addressed, and that is the system we currently have for loot.

Time to Kill

Late last week Rancid had posted his Q&A with developer Nate Levy.  The very first question was that of Time to Kill, which is exactly what it sounds like.  I was happy to see that TTK was a bit to quick in their eyes, as it is in mine as well. 

A Grind, But Why?

I wanted to further a discussion and follow up to a Rank-N-Vile post having to do with gear grinds.  In today's MMO most players, casual especially, feel as if the game really comes to a grind at the later levels or end game.  Understandably so.  Gone are the days of being a part of a larger community where the end game is to protect or capture a city for your realm, rather than rank and gear up a single character.   But when and why has all this changed?  There are a few reasons in particular that I believe contributed to the fall of a true community gaming experience, and implementing what we have now.....gear grinds.

Keep Sieges

In response to Wasdstomp's, RvR Pack 101: Keeps, I'd like to continue the discussion.  For whatever reason this really seemed to ignite a fire in my pants and I had to get my thoughts out to everyone.  I definitely agree with Wasdstomp in that the current mechanic needs changing, but I disagree about the way he is proposing to do so. 

Eternal Citadel Thoughts

Well, for me the weekend is most certainly over.  I must say that I believe it was a rather productive one, I think...

The Eternal Citadel came and went by almost as quickly as the matches themselves within the new 6v6 Scenario.  Most were happy with it, but there were some who weren't to impressed.  Everyone can agree however that if you needed to farm Insignias, this was the place to do it.  With the average match lasting no more than 5 minutes, it was a prime time to grind out your Royal weapons.

Official Q&A on RvR Pack Up!

Check out the official Q&A for the RvR pack! 

Please be sure to do the following as stated in the thread

• This thread will be heavily moderated.
• I cannot talk about any other features aside from what we have discussed already. The topics we're discussing right now are: The tiered structure of the RvR Pack, the raising of RR to 100, Skaven joining the WAR, ORvR being re-envisioned, the new Skaven RvR Area and the reworking of the Renown Ability system.
• Please simply ask a question, do not add commentary, do not respond to answers. This is a Q&A Thread, not a discussion thread. If you wish to have a discussion, please start another thread.
• I will do my best to be as forthcoming with information as I am allowed to. Some topics I won't be able to discuss or go into detail on. Flames regarding this will not be tolerated.
• Please review the entire thread to make sure you're not repeating a question someone else already asked.

Also, anyone like the new banner?  
Update:

The below points get me pretty excited, as active renown abilities would really go a long way and I'm all for breaking up the zerg. 

firengrot wrote…


Hello,

You said you were going to sort of revamp the renow points system. Does the new system will still be based on buying caracteristic points like it is now or will we be able to buy more specials skills like resolute defense? if yes are those new skills be based on archetype?

As we’ve previously stated, we’re seeking to remove the restrictive nature of the current RA system and instead move to something that takes inspiration from the DAOC RA system. Yes we are considering more “active abilities” being part of this redesign, however we’re not quite prepared to discuss what those abilities will be. The one thing I can say about the abilities is that we intend for them to be compelling and unique, much like we want for the new armor set bonuses to be.  - Andy

Tellaria wrote…


With the redesign of ORVR, do you have any plans on getting players away from mindless mobs of the “Zerg” and having people focus more on organization with coordination and strategy?

Design decisions being made now are with the mindset of dispersing the zerg. How we’re accomplishing this, we’re not quite ready to discuss. - Andy

Give an Inch, and They Take a Mile

As I was running in an ORvR group the other night on IR, a funny thing started to happen.  People were complaining about the amount of Renown they were getting, and the state of the Against All Odds mechanic. 

As destruction on Iron Rock, we are constantly outnumbered.  The numbers game is never in our odds, and I would venture to say that it seems to be at a near 2:1 ratio.  With the implement of AAO last week though, the Destruction players hadn't really complained much, till now.  After slowly losing the arduous battles in Chaos Waste and Caledor, the complaints started to roll in:

A Thank You to EA Mythic

This morning I wanted to give a thank you to a Mr. Todd Gropp of EA / Mythic.  Although he may not see this blog, I'm hoping that others due and can really see just how much EA / Mythic cares about their customers.

Random Updates

• Werit has posted some more good info on Skaven and the RvR pack
• The AAO mechanic is nice, but really out of control in my opinion.  4k per solo kill???
• Gaarawarr punted me off the Caledor bridge and killed me last night, listening to this.
• I was trying to be nice!
• Shadow-War beat the game.  Grats, now get 100.
• Sver is a Iron Rock Legend, and will be missed.

Twitter Much?

So I am slowly going to implement tweeting(?) into my posting.  There are a lot of things I cannot see during my normal posting hours so I'm thinking this is going to help

The Price of Wargh Tweets

http://www.twitter.com/thepriceofwargh

Skavenville

Unfortunately I'm at work and can't view the below, but from my droid it looks sweet.  Can you even imagine the possibilities something like this can lead to? 

http://www.gamereactor.eu/images/?textid=4654&id=222028

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.4

Weekend Recaps

Well with the weekend come and gone, we did receive a bit more news in regards to the future of Warhammer.  Bootae, Werit, and Gaarawarr all break things down nicely and I'd suggest checking them out.  My feeling are mixed at the moment about the news.  While we all look forward to the more than welcome changes in the ORvR and the campaign overall, I'm really hoping that things do not go the way of Trials of Atlantis as they did with DAoC.  There are definitely great things on the horizon, let's just hope they are implemented correctly. 

Gamesday, more like a dry hump

Really?  "No Comment"? 

Other than the fact that the new zone will not be accessed in the same way LoTD is, we have essentially learned absolutely nothing of the so called MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT. 

Okay, so there is a new zone that is presumed to be Skaven themed.  They are increasing the renown ranks (which was a given), and there are purchasable options with the RvR pack. 

To me this is almost as bad as no news at all.  The Power, Progression, and Personality purchasable expansions better be amazing.  Right now Mythic is doing nothing to help their cause, and only living up to the negative stigma that the whole gaming community has come to expect.

Here's a jump to Werits blog, breaking it all down

Speculation on the Bioware / Mythic Chat

Today 20th August at 15:00pm CET, Bioware Mythic allowed us to ask questions regarding the new “RvR Pack” and below is a complete list of all questions.

Hello everyone, Carrie and Stuart here from BioWare Mythic, coming to you live from GamesCom!!!
Carrie – The news is all being shared at GamesCom, but the press are hitting up a lot of different places, so they need time to write it up! If you’re eager for WAR news, keep an eye out there, we’re giving several interviews a day!

DAoC Realm Ability Examples

With the speculation of "Active" Realm Abilities comming to Warhammer, I figured I'd post the below. These are current  active Realm Abilities in DAoC.  These are all purchasable through use of your "Realm Points" which could be compared to your Renown Points.  Please also keep in mind that each are not simply 1 point, and you may be able to buy them in tiers similar to Warhammer. Obviously these are just an example of some possibilities that could arise with such a system in place.  These can all also be found here and here.

Active Abilities.....

I just wanted to bring to the forefront a post I made in 2009 in regards to Active Abilities. There is currently some speculation that they may return in some form. I for one support active abilities, as I think they really enhance the game. Please keep in mind that the below was written during 1.2, so some information may be a bit outdated. You'll get the idea though...

Bioware Mythic Webchat

Well it looks like there is a webchat being hosted this morning at 9am from Gamescon. I'm hoping to listen in, but it might be difficult for me this morning.

Hopefully we get some more news, and much better information than what has been presented to us already. I'm also fairly interested to hear about DAoC, as that was really the game that brought me into MMO's, and probably the best one I have played to date.

Taking Notice

Looks like Mythic has taken notice toward the general feeling of negativity in regards to the "news":

Andy Belford


Created about 9 hours ago
Folks,

I know that everyone is eagerly anticipating any sort of news regarding the future of WAR. My Apologies for not posting earlier than this (it's about 3 AM here...jetlag is teh debbil.), however after a long day at the show I needed some time to read all of the feedback and fully gather my thoughts. That being said, here goes:


We are not, at this time, prepared or ready to divulge full details of what is being included in the RvR Pack aside from what we will continue to comment on here at GamesCom. Be sure to continue checking your favorite Gaming News outlets for interviews we're conducting while here in Cologne.

There are features that we're simply not ready to discuss yet, however we made a commitment to the Community to have news about the future of WAR before summer's end. Over time, the picture of the RvR Pack will become much clearer as we will continue to involve the players in the development process of WAR.

We want to reiterate that this is a RvR Pack. We are dedicated to our continued focus on WAR as a RvR game.

As Carrie has stated, Free to Play is not something currently in consideration. Something that wasn't mentioned in the article was further explanation on what we mean by the statement "customizing your game experience" (paraphrasing): We currently plan on offering the RvR Pack with multiple purchase options which we're calling Power, Progression and Personality. I'm not ready to go into details on what exactly that means (yes, evil at work, however I just can't right now) but the focus is to allow you to purchase what you want and build your own experience with the new content.

I'm confidant that every talking point we currently have planned to discuss (both at GamesCom and Games Day) will be reported by those in attendance at Baltimore.

I am humbled by the dedication that so many of you have to WAR and it's future. Please stay tuned for more details, "In Development..." posts, Video Grab Bags, Developer Diaries and Dev Q&A's as we bring you updates surrounding this exciting new development for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.

The Hype Machine Strikes Again

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

$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