Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Waging WAR: And a pinch of warpstone, yes yes...]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/24/waging-war-and-a-pinch-of-warpstone-yes-yes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/24/waging-war-and-a-pinch-of-warpstone-yes-yes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/24/waging-war-and-a-pinch-of-warpstone-yes-yes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

After being slightly disappointed by the lack of response to last week's challenge, Greg was worried that he wouldn't have a topic for Waging WAR this week, and suffered a short-term bout of writer's block. But Serendipity and Providence once again shook hands, and two new announcements were made on the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning developer forums on Thursday and Friday earlier this week that would supply him with plenty of fodder for discussion in this week's column. Now, armed with the facts and a tall glass of creative juice, we can set things up properly, in all their italic glory.

The upcoming patch (1.3.6) for Warhammer Online promises a hefty amount of content, balancing, and changes. Highlights include the new armor vanity slots, the sovereign set revamps, the addition of the Against All Odds mechanic, and several class changes that have been needed for some time. In fact, it seems this latest career balancing pass has affected nearly every career available, and full mastery point refunds have been handed out to a whopping eight careers. The list doesn't stop there. Players will enjoy a new sticky targeting system, auction house interface, and loads of other new features including another batch of new art for the scenario weapons, and a revamp to the victory point system in the RvR campaign. There's even more still. You can read the full patch notes for patch 1.3.6, test the patch yourself (it went live on the PTS yesterday), or even take part in the developer lead focus tests on July 30th at 4 p.m. EDT and August 6th at 8 p.m. EDT.

But, of all the changes promised in the patch notes, one specific set of related changes has sparked my imagination for the future of WAR more than the rest. Find out what I'm talking about after the break.

Continue reading Waging WAR: And a pinch of warpstone, yes yes...

MassivelyWaging WAR: And a pinch of warpstone, yes yes... originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>against-all-oddsauction-housebioware-social-networkcareer-balancefeaturedfocus-testinggutter-runnerhigh-passland-of-the-deadmythicmythic-eaMythic-Entertainmentnecropolis-of-zandriostlandpatch-1.3.6red-plaguescenario-weaponsskavensovereign-setsticky-targetingtalabeclandtomb-of-the-vulture-lordtroll-countryvanity-slotsvictory-pointswarWarhammerwarhammer-eaWarhammer-OnlineWarhammer-Online-Age-of-Reckoningwarhammer-online-eawarlock-engineerwindow-of-perpetuitySat, 24 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mythic responds to negative Land of the Dead community poll]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/30/mythic-responds-to-negative-land-of-the-dead-community-poll/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/30/mythic-responds-to-negative-land-of-the-dead-community-poll/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/30/mythic-responds-to-negative-land-of-the-dead-community-poll/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Special thanks to Mythic Community Coordinator, Jess Folsom, for pulling together these responses for us.

Q. What do you make of community poll results?

We work very closely with our fan sites, especially Warhammer Alliance, and view the polls as a valuable source of player feedback. We take all poll results seriously, and carefully evaluate the subject of the poll, the wording of the questions, who is allowed to vote, and other factors, especially if there is an overwhelming majority vote. It's important to note that polls alone will never force a change, but we do take them into consideration, along with all other feedback we receive.

Q. What were you able to glean from the recent Land of the Dead poll on Warhammer Alliance in regards to its impact on open RvR? Did the poll results fuel any in-game changes?

The poll helped to confirm what we were seeing on our end -- the initial release of Rise of the Tomb Kings on June 24th did have an impact on open RvR activity at the time the poll was taken, particularly in Tier 4. We saw a large surge of players flocking to the new areas, and enjoying all of the exciting and innovative new content and RvR battles that the Land of the Dead offered. We see this kind of initial surge of interest any time we release new content such as weekend Scenario events or Live Events.

"Tier 4 open RvR is back in full force"
Now that the Land of the Dead has been out for a little over a month, and more players are equipped with the powerful talismans and vessel weapons available, players are often making the choice to continue to stay in Tier 4 RvR and fight in the campaign, even when their Realm controls access to the new area. As a result, Tier 4 open RvR is back in full force, with warband-on-warband skirmishes, epic Keep battles, and lots of Scenario action going on.

Players enjoy the added purpose to zone captures that ownership of the Land of the Dead provides, and appreciate that they have a choice to stay in the Tier 4 open RvR Lakes, or venture into the Land of the Dead, and feel that the choices complement each other. One change we made recently (7/23) to Expedition Resources was based on player feedback, and has had great results.

The number of Expedition Resources necessary to win control of the Land of the Dead has been reduced to 500, and the number of resources awarded from zone control is now 250. This will make the Expedition Resources earned from defeating enemy players in open RvR have a greater impact on securing the Land of the Dead. The number of Expedition Resources that drop from players and NPCs in Tier 4 RvR lakes and invaded capital cities will remain the same, which greatly increases their relative worth toward gaining control of the Land of the Dead.

What this change did, was encourage open RvR even more and allow for faster control of the Land of the Dead, and made player kills more valuable toward gaining that control. This is the kind of adjustment we can (and do) make as a result of player feedback from our official forums, in-game feedback forms, and fan sites.

Since the initial release of the Land of the Dead, and the Warhammer Alliance poll, we are now seeing very active Tier 4 RvR lakes, where the Land of the Dead is a reward for open RvR victories. If players still feel that the Land of the Dead is impacting open RvR, we absolutely encourage you to let us know and offer your suggestions on our official WAR forums. Our number one goal for the Land of the Dead is that is a fun, challenging, and rewarding place to control, and add a tangible incentive to participate in Tier 4 open RvR, not to take away from it.

We are continuing to evaluate Tier 4 open RvR activity versus the Land of the Dead, and encourage our players to continue to offer feedback.

MassivelyMythic responds to negative Land of the Dead community poll originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-to-armscommunityland-of-the-deadmythic-entertainmentpollrvrwarwarhammer-alliancewarhammer-onlineThu, 30 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mythic to show off WAR's Land of the Dead at Games Day Chicago]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/17/mythic-to-show-off-wars-land-of-the-dead-at-games-day-chicago/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/17/mythic-to-show-off-wars-land-of-the-dead-at-games-day-chicago/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/17/mythic-to-show-off-wars-land-of-the-dead-at-games-day-chicago/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


The third and final Games Day for 2009 is right around the corner, taking place on July 25th in Chicago. We had a hands-on look at Warhammer Online's Land of the Dead zone at a Games Day in Baltimore earlier in the year, before it was released -- but just because the zone is out now doesn't mean that it's no longer on show. Mythic will still be displaying the completed area to attendees of Chicago's Games Day, with developers on hand to discuss the "making-of" side of things.

Stopping by Mythic's showcase will also net attendees some swag, including the exclusive "Empire Cherub" shirts pictured above (if they're quick enough -- those are going to be in limited supply). In-game giveaways include:

  • A White Dwarf Beard character customization item
  • Chompin Teef, a steel jaw customization for Orc Choppas
  • Snorri's Spikes, a customization item for Dwarf Slayers that makes the character have a "mohawk" of nails sticking out of their skull (ow)
  • Shroud of Imrathepis, used to "regenerate minor wounds and injuries"
[via IGN]

MassivelyMythic to show off WAR's Land of the Dead at Games Day Chicago originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chompin-teefgames-daygames-day-2009games-day-chicagoland-of-the-deadmythicmythic-entertainmentshroud-of-imrathepissnorris-spikestomb-kingswarhammerwarhammer-onlinewhite-dwarf-beardFri, 17 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Are you enjoying The Land of the Dead?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/30/the-daily-grind-are-you-enjoying-the-land-of-the-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/30/the-daily-grind-are-you-enjoying-the-land-of-the-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/30/the-daily-grind-are-you-enjoying-the-land-of-the-dead/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


The Call to Arms live expansion for Warhammer Online was over six months in the making. It gave WAR players the Choppa and Slayer classes, RvR tokens, keep upgrades, and culminated last week in the arrival of The Land of the Dead mega-zone. Massively wants to know if you're enjoying it.

We've been keeping tabs on various WAR bloggers who have shared their thoughts. Keen feels that the zone flips a bit too easily but is happy with the new content overall. LotD isn't the mecca of RvR that Bootae had hoped for, but he's still quite pleased with the quality of it (over the quantity). As for Thulf, well he was actually drawn back to WAR after a couple months' absence to give it a shot. It's too early for him to tell whether or not he'll keep his subscription open for it.

This writer is still waiting for the dust to settle. I don't know if there are any major issues with the zone or its effect on RvR, but I'm hesitant to jump in head first and have my experience spoiled by anything. The ancient undead can wait a little longer for this explorer.

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Are you enjoying The Land of the Dead? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bloggingbootaecall-to-armsimpressionskeenland-of-the-deadmythic-entertainmentthulfwarwarhammer-onlineTue, 30 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Land of the Dead is open for business]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/23/the-land-of-the-dead-is-open-for-business/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/23/the-land-of-the-dead-is-open-for-business/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/23/the-land-of-the-dead-is-open-for-business/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Hot sun. Sandy beaches. Exotic creatures. It almost sounds like a great vacation spot until you realize the heat is unbearable, the beaches run alongside a poisonous river, and the creatures are determined to kill you and then mutilate your corpse. The Land of the Dead may not be for your average snowbird but courageous adventurers will find treasures and excitement in great abundance - and it all starts today.

Game Update 1.3 launched exactly one week ago and introduced a special Live Event called Rise of the Tomb Kings. The event pitted the realms of Order and Destruction against each other in a massive resource-race to determine who would gain first access to the Nehekharan desert via airship. That race ended this morning and Mythic just released a patch that grants the winners 24-hours of uninterrupted dungeon access.

The Land of the Dead was a massive undertaking by Mythic that began shortly after launch in September 2008 and it will change the way Warhammer Online fans play the game from now on. How will it affect open field RvR, city siege, scenarios and other raid instances? Only time will tell (and we'll keep our eyes on it for you).

MassivelyThe Land of the Dead is open for business originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-to-armsland-of-the-deadlive-eventslive-expansionmythic-entertainmentRvRwarwar-patch-1.3warhammer-onlineTue, 23 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mythic wages WAR in the East]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/20/mythic-wages-war-in-the-east/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/20/mythic-wages-war-in-the-east/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/20/mythic-wages-war-in-the-east/#commentsFiled under: , ,


While NCsoft prepares to invade the West with Aion this September, Mythic has their own preemptive RvR strike planned for the East. Both Mythic and Gigamedia are bringing Warhammer Online to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau on June 25th. This means people can now play WAR in North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia. That's quite a global presence.

It will be interesting to see what impact this has on WAR's subscriber count in the next quarter. When WAR originally launched in September 2008, they sold over 750,000 copies. That number dropped to 300,000 by December 2008. After a couple big marketing campaigns (recruit a friend and re-enlistment) and a launch in Russia, WAR's numbers held steady at 300,000 in March 2009.

Could this Eastern launch propel them beyond the 300,000 mark again? Based on all the Land of the Dead coverage and impressions we've seen, the new live expansion should have some sort of positive effect on the game as well. I guess we'll have to wait until the next EA earnings call to find out, which should take place in August.

MassivelyMythic wages WAR in the East originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eagigamediahong kongHongKongland-of-the-deadmacaumythic-entertainmentsubscription-numberstaiwanwaaaghwarwarhammer-onlineSat, 20 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The dead rise as Warhammer Online patch 1.3 goes live]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/16/the-dead-rise-as-warhammer-online-patch-1-3-goes-live/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/16/the-dead-rise-as-warhammer-online-patch-1-3-goes-live/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/16/the-dead-rise-as-warhammer-online-patch-1-3-goes-live/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Today is patch day for Warhammer Online players -- huzzah! Bug and balance fixes are of course in full swing, but the big news is the Land of the Dead live event launch. Of course, before getting to any of those juicy new content areas, players will have to participate in the brand new live event: Rise of the Tomb Kings.

This event is the final chapter for Mythic's Call to Arms content expansion and functions as a good intermediary between those initial massive updates and these new ones. So while plenty of content is indeed being added today, there's a lot more on the way in the coming months, too.

We'll be giving you plenty of coverage on the ins and outs of patch 1.3, so keep your eyes peeled for more.

MassivelyThe dead rise as Warhammer Online patch 1.3 goes live originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-to-armseaelectronic-artsgames-workshopland-of-the-deadmythicwarwar-patch-1.3warhammerwarhammer-onlineTue, 16 Jun 2009 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Pre-download now available for WAR's Game Update 1.3]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/12/pre-download-now-available-for-wars-game-update-1-3/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/12/pre-download-now-available-for-wars-game-update-1-3/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/12/pre-download-now-available-for-wars-game-update-1-3/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Warhammer Online's Game Update 1.3 (also known as the much anticipated Land of the Dead patch) has been locked in for release on the 16th of June, but if you plan on experiencing the new content the moment that it's available then you might want to consider pre-downloading the patch ahead of time. The pre-patcher file is 867MB's and is said to contain "the bulk of the update", meaning there will probably be a small amount leftover to download on the proper patch day. After opening the executable and installing, the game can be run as normal and the update will automatically activate itself when it's required.

The pre-patcher that we've been given so far will only work for North American and Oceanic game clients, but GOA will be bringing out their own version for European clients early next week. The NA and Oceanic file can be obtained directly from Mythic through this link.

MassivelyPre-download now available for WAR's Game Update 1.3 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaea-mythicelectronic-artsland-of-the-deadmythicmythic-entertainmentpre-downloadpre-patcherwarwar-game-update-1.3warhammer-onlineFri, 12 Jun 2009 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[It's coming for you: Land of the Dead dated for June 16th]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/12/its-coming-for-you-land-of-the-dead-dated-for-june-16th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/12/its-coming-for-you-land-of-the-dead-dated-for-june-16th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/12/its-coming-for-you-land-of-the-dead-dated-for-june-16th/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


We finally have a date on the release of Warhammer Online's brand new RvR zone, the Land of the Dead. Everyone make sure you have your swords sharpened and your armor ready for June 16th, because that's the day when the Tomb Kings rise from the south.

Land of the Dead will include a brand new zone filled with public quests, traps, and some intense RvR combat as the sides of Order and Destruction fight over control of the entire zone. To mix things up, many of the new quests will feature elements that have more in common with action RPGs than with MMO mechanics -- emphasizing movement, positioning, and cooperation over straight number crunching exercises.

We got some great interviews and a first hand look at Land of the Dead during Games Day '09, plus we also are hosting a Tomb King Cartouche puzzle contest where you can win an exclusive in-game item for WAR! So get your wagggghhh on, because the Tomb Kings are coming, and they're coming for you!
The sands of the Tomb Kings are coming as the final release in the Call to Arms live expansion, the Land of the Dead approaches! Massively has your back with coverage from Mythic Entertainment at Games Day '09, so get your WAAGGGHHH ready for RvR mayhem as Massively re-arms for WAR!

MassivelyIt's coming for you: Land of the Dead dated for June 16th originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-rpgblues-newsbreakingcall-to-armscartouchedungeonland-of-the-deadmythicmythic-entertainmenttomb-kingswarwarhammer-onlineFri, 12 Jun 2009 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's piece of the WAR Tomb King mystery has arrived]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/11/massivelys-piece-of-the-war-tomb-king-mystery-has-arrived/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/11/massivelys-piece-of-the-war-tomb-king-mystery-has-arrived/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/11/massivelys-piece-of-the-war-tomb-king-mystery-has-arrived/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


As mentioned in a post yesterday, Warhammer Online and Mythic are hosting an expansive community event like none they've done before. Today, we received our piece of this contest in the form of a human skull wrapped in mummy rags and hay. Yes, the hay is real, but the skull is not. Darn.

This contest was created to celebrate the release of WAR's Land of the Dead, later this month. Those who are able to decipher the hieroglyphs from a variety of MMO websites will be rewarded with exclusive in-game items. Follow along after the jump to find out more information on this contest, and to see the photos of our unique Tomb King Cartouche.

Continue reading Massively's piece of the WAR Tomb King mystery has arrived

MassivelyMassively's piece of the WAR Tomb King mystery has arrived originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cartouchecontesthieroglyphicsland-of-the-deadmythicwarwarhammer-onlineThu, 11 Jun 2009 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Big gear changes coming to WAR in patch 1.3 (part two)]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/big-gear-changes-coming-to-war-in-patch-1-3-part-two/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/big-gear-changes-coming-to-war-in-patch-1-3-part-two/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/big-gear-changes-coming-to-war-in-patch-1-3-part-two/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


The New System (post-1.3)

The greatest thing about the concept of wards is that they allow you to progress through more difficult PvE content without granting insanely large stat bonuses that negatively impact RvR. Wards are simply a flag that determines whether or not an NPC hits you for 50% damage or 500% damage (not the exact numbers but they do well to illustrate the point). The various sets (and set bonuses) do grant players an advantage in RvR, but the difference from set to set is fairly miniscule (i.e., roughly a 5-8% stat/attribute increase per set).

To bring more diversity and flavour to WAR's gear, Mythic will introduce a combination of three new features in 1.3. Disclaimer: These changes are currently on the Public Test Server and are subject to change.

Sigils

In simplest terms, sigils are like wards but don't require that you actually wear the ward gear. You will now get a Tome of Knowledge unlock when obtaining a piece of ward gear and from that point forward you will receive the benefit of that ward even when you wear a completely different piece of gear.

One of the biggest complaints about the various PvE dungeons is that the drop rate for ward gear is too low due to the small group size and variety of classes in each realm (exactly a 1/12 chance). The new sigil system will partially address this issue as well. After killing the boss X times (number unknown atm), you will be guaranteed to unlock the ward/sigil. Those seeking the actual piece of set gear will still have to grind for it, but at least you'll get the ward.

The sigil system means that it is now viable for you to equip your influence, PQ, or other rare drop gear in place of set gear and not have to worry about a lack of wards when raiding fortresses, cities, or a high rank instance (as long as you have the Tome unlock).

Vessels

Vessels are weapons that allow for much greater customization through the application of talismans and/or soul essences. The vessels we have seen so far on the Public Test Server work like this: Blue weapon has a competitive DPS rating, a single stat value, and two empty talisman slots (two-handers have three empty slots). Vessels are awarded as PQ loot, drops, and can be purchased with special tokens. There may be rarer purple vessels as well.

No longer are you forced to abide by WAR's strange and inconsistent itemization. You can tailor your weapons to suit your playstyle, augmenting the various strengths and weaknesses you want for your character. Currently, it seems like vessels are only available as weapons. I think most casual gamers and min-maxers alike would agree: let's see vessels reach out to armor and accessories and truly take advantage of the new sigil system.

Tokens

Land of the Dead tokens come in several forms; silver scarabs, golden scarabs, silver anhks, golden cartouches, and sacred masks. Tokens are gained from player kills, mob/boss kills, and PQ loot. The tokens are soulbound, which means you can't trade them. Personally, I dislike this feature, but it seems the route MMOs are taking these days. "More grind for the grind god!"

Scarabs are used to buy more common items like blue vessel weapons, souls, and special crafting items. Anhks and cartouches will get you powerful accessories like rings, necklaces, cloaks, and belts. The masks can be traded for some pieces of Tyrant gear, which is on par stat-wise with Warlord gear found in cities. Word is that Tyrant gear does not grant wards or sigils though, so it won't make Darkpromise, Invader, or Warlord gear obsolete.

Conclusion

As you can see, sigils will give players the benefits of a ward system, while increasing the diversity of gear in the game and not imbalancing RvR. Vessels and soul essences will offer even more weapon variety, giving players more customization options. The new tokens mean that even if you are extremely unlucky with drops in this PvE/RvR mega-zone, you'll still be able to work toward something.

These are great improvements to WAR's gear system. The next improvement I'd like Mythic to make would be some kind of token system or shift in the random loot mechanic in "old world dungeons" (e.g., city dungeons, Lost Vale, etc.).

Sigils allow you to get the wards from these dungeons eventually, but players going after the physical set pieces will still be subject to low and random drop rates. Would it be too difficult for them to add a token system to these dungeons? What about a mechanic where bosses only drop loot usable by classes that form the instance group? Nothing is worse than finally downing a boss and having him drop two pieces of gear that no-one in your group can use. Oh wait, I forgot... "More grind for the... ugh whatever." Prove me wrong! Please?

MassivelyBig gear changes coming to WAR in patch 1.3 (part two) originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-to-armsgearland-of-the-deadmythic-entertainmentwarwar-1.3-patchwar-patch-1.3warhammer-onlineWed, 10 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Big gear changes coming to Warhammer Online in patch 1.3]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/big-gear-changes-coming-to-warhammer-online-in-patch-1-3/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/big-gear-changes-coming-to-warhammer-online-in-patch-1-3/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/big-gear-changes-coming-to-warhammer-online-in-patch-1-3/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


After looking at the big gear changes coming to Warhammer Online in patch 1.3, Dorothy-type gamers might loudly exclaim "Sigils and vessels and scarabs. Oh my!" The first two features will be completely new to WAR, while the last one is an expansion of the current RvR token system.

Let's first take a look at how players currently earn and use gear in WAR and then discuss how it's going to change once The Land of the Dead introduces sigils, vessels, and scarab tokens. For simplicity's sake we're going to only talk about the endgame, which is rank 31-40.

Continue reading Big gear changes coming to Warhammer Online in patch 1.3

MassivelyBig gear changes coming to Warhammer Online in patch 1.3 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-to-armsfeaturedgearjoystiqfeaturesland-of-the-deadmythic-entertainmentwarwar-1.3-patchwar-patch-1.3warhammer-onlineWed, 10 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Crafty WAR marketing reveals the "Rosetta Bones," hints at upcoming contest]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/crafty-war-marketing-reveals-the-rosetta-bones-hints-at-upcom/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/crafty-war-marketing-reveals-the-rosetta-bones-hints-at-upcom/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/crafty-war-marketing-reveals-the-rosetta-bones-hints-at-upcom/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


First it was a movie and a box of hair dye that announced the coming of the Choppa and Slayer in Warhammer Online. Then it was the infamous "violent valentine" cards that announced the Night of Murder event coming to WAR. Now... now we have blogs receiving bones with glyphs and letters on them. You have to hand it to Mythic's marketing department. They have some pretty inventive ways to do announcements, one has to admit.

This announcement however, is pretty big. In conjunction with the release of the Land of the Dead, blogs all about the blogosphere will be getting "Rosetta Bones." These bones will feature different symbols on their faces, each linked with a letter of the alphabet. The bones will also be accompanied with a map that points out special tomb unlocks, a flag to show which version the bones belong to (Europe or North American audiences will be getting different bones) and a parchment page containing storyline clues for what will be occuring in the future.

Continue reading Crafty WAR marketing reveals the "Rosetta Bones," hints at upcoming contest

MassivelyCrafty WAR marketing reveals the "Rosetta Bones," hints at upcoming contest originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blogscall-to-armscartouchecontestland-of-the-deadmythicmythic-entertainmentpuzzlerosetta-bonetomb-kingstomb-of-knowledgewarwarhammer-onlineWed, 10 Jun 2009 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Jeff Hickman, FAQ, and Grab Bag are all about Land of the Dead]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/06/jeff-hickman-faq-and-grab-bag-are-all-about-land-of-the-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/06/jeff-hickman-faq-and-grab-bag-are-all-about-land-of-the-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/06/jeff-hickman-faq-and-grab-bag-are-all-about-land-of-the-dead/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Land of the Dead must be coming soon because Mythic has gone into marketing overdrive these past few days. Jeff Hickman just addressed the WAR community in an open Executive Producer's letter and we've seen the new RvR mega-zone featured in both an official FAQ and community Grab Bag.

It's a bit strange seeing Jeff Hickman in print since he's usually on the front-lines doing live interviews. Also, WAR fans have gotten used to seeing Mythic GM, Mark Jacobs, deliver these kinds of letters in the past. Actually, Mark has been remarkably silent since March when he delivered his 6-month State of the Game and 1.21 patch highlight announcements.

At any rate, you can find out pretty much everything there is to know about The Land of the Dead in these three recent articles. Want to know the ward requirements for the PQs, lairs, and dungeons? Curious about lockout timers? Wondering what the heck a "Vessel" is? Head on over and check these resources out!

MassivelyJeff Hickman, FAQ, and Grab Bag are all about Land of the Dead originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>faqgrab-bagjeff-hickmanland-of-the-deadmark-jacobsmythic-entertainmentwarwarhammer-onlineSat, 06 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Combat and careers update stripped from WAR 1.3 patch]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/04/combat-and-careers-update-stripped-from-war-1-3-patch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/04/combat-and-careers-update-stripped-from-war-1-3-patch/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/04/combat-and-careers-update-stripped-from-war-1-3-patch/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Yesterday, we mentioned Warhammer Online entered phase three of patch 1.3 testing and is finally letting players experience the Land of the Dead mega-zone. Today, we are getting word that a big part of patch 1.3, an extensive combat and careers update, is being stripped out to ensure Mythic stay on schedule and deliver a polished product.

In a bit of an "Oops" move, GOA delivered the unfortunate news before Mythic this morning. The original combat and careers updates proved to be a bit too ambitious with everything else going into this patch, so they decided to pull the changes out for now and introduce them in the next patch for fear of hurting the game.

Player opinion seems split. Some testers were extremely vocal about their dislike for the sweeping career changes on the public test server and applaud the delay for more polish. Others are questioning why Mythic is trying to cram so many changes into monster patches and wish they would release smaller patches more frequently like they did in the past.

MassivelyCombat and careers update stripped from WAR 1.3 patch originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>balancecombatgoaland-of-the-deadmythic-entertainmentpatcheswarwar-patch-1.3warhammer-onlineThu, 04 Jun 2009 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[WAR's Call to Arms live expansion wraps up with Land of the Dead]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/03/wars-call-to-arms-live-expansion-wraps-up-with-land-of-the-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/03/wars-call-to-arms-live-expansion-wraps-up-with-land-of-the-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/03/wars-call-to-arms-live-expansion-wraps-up-with-land-of-the-dead/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

We first learned about Warhammer Online's Call to Arms live expansion back in late January 2009. After nearly six months of tests, live events, content updates, monster patches, and an ongoing story arc, the expansion will come to an end some time this month. They have saved the best for last of course and Call to Arms will be sent off in style with the release of the highly anticipated Land of the Dead mega-zone.

This week may be your last chance to test patch 1.3 before it goes live. This (last?) phase will focus on the Tomb Kings zone itself. That's right; testers will finally be unleashed upon the desert of Nehekhara! As a special reward, random testers will be awarded special manticore and griffon mounts akin to those gained from Mythic's recruit-a-friend program.

Many players agree the game has improved by leaps and bounds in the last six months and population has been holding steady quarter to quarter. This new mega-zone may prove to be the extra push that encourages new and past players to hop aboard the WAAAGH! train and give WAR a(nother) try. Interesting times are ahead.

MassivelyWAR's Call to Arms live expansion wraps up with Land of the Dead originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-to-armsexpansionland-of-the-deadlive-expansionmythic-entertainmentpublic-test-serverrvrtesttomb-kingswar-patch-1.3warhammer-onlineWed, 03 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Paul Barnett interviewed at length on Land of the Dead]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/26/paul-barnett-interviewed-at-length-on-land-of-the-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/26/paul-barnett-interviewed-at-length-on-land-of-the-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/26/paul-barnett-interviewed-at-length-on-land-of-the-dead/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

If you've got time on your hands and are interested in reading the ramblings of Mythic Entertainment's Paul Barnett, then we'd like to direct your attention towards an interview at MMOGamer. Topics range from PR offices to all sorts of details on how Warhammer Online is doing and it's upcoming Land of the Dead update. We'll warn you now, a good amount of the meaty information is dispersed among lots and lots of strange Barnettisms and stories. We hope you like stories.

Granted, there's a lot more off-topic discussion, but it's all strange and left field type stuff so at the very least we found it endearing and strangely entertaining -- especially the story of Paul's son and his epic rise to being is father's ultimate griefer.

On a final, but definitely the most interesting note, it turns out that an in-game model of Paul Barnett was once used to test all the death animations. We kind of wish that such a thing could be seen by the public, and are considering writing a formal letter of request, asking Mythic to think of our dear readers.

MassivelyPaul Barnett interviewed at length on Land of the Dead originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 May 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaelectronic-artsland-of-the-deadmmogamermythicmythic-entertainmentpaul-barnettwarwarhammer-onlineTue, 26 May 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Games Day '09: Managing realm vs. realm combat with Jeff Skalski]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/19/games-day-09-managing-realm-vs-realm-combat-with-jeff-skalski/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/19/games-day-09-managing-realm-vs-realm-combat-with-jeff-skalski/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/19/games-day-09-managing-realm-vs-realm-combat-with-jeff-skalski/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


RvR is a carefully titrated, expansive system, and no one knows that better than Mythic Entertainment's Jeff Skalski. Jeff is the RvR team lead on Warhammer Online, and we recently had the chance to sit down with him at Games Day and pick his brain about many different aspects of WAR's RvR combat.

So what can we expect from city sieges in the future? What's the current priority for the RvR team? What's their plans for open RvR and keep sieges? What's it like designing a zone that includes a heavy emphasis on RvR and RvE working in tandem? These questions and more are answered inside this Games Day interview.

Continue reading Games Day '09: Managing realm vs. realm combat with Jeff Skalski

MassivelyGames Day '09: Managing realm vs. realm combat with Jeff Skalski originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 May 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-to-armsfeaturedgames-day-2009games-workshopinterviewjeff-skalskijoystiqfeaturesland-of-the-deadmythicmythic-entertainmentpvepvprvervrtomb-of-the-vulture-lordwarwarhammer-onlineTue, 19 May 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Games Day '09: Lands of the Dead design discussion with Gabe Amatangelo and Jeff Skalski pt. 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/15/games-day-09-lands-of-the-dead-design-discussion-with-gabe-pt2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/15/games-day-09-lands-of-the-dead-design-discussion-with-gabe-pt2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/15/games-day-09-lands-of-the-dead-design-discussion-with-gabe-pt2/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Now you guys have a really interesting design going on with Warhammer, regarding the City Siege system. You've basically built in your own cap on the game's system, which is very different from other MMOs in the market. What's it like designing something like Land of the Dead with that restrictive cap in mind?

Jeff: It's challenging. Sometimes it feels like we're splitting hairs, but we planned to do this type of stuff earlier on, so we left some space to design in. We wanted to make sure this was a free expansion that all players had access to that runs parallel to the tier four campaign...

Gabe: It compliments many different areas of our content. It compliments many types of players with many types of gear and gives them new objectives to achieve. But the top end, yeah, it's definitely a challenge, and that's the one campaign. We have three campaigns. The Warhammer world just has so much stuff in it. There are so many other armies and other things to be inspired by to make new content.

With all of that other stuff in mind, where would you like to take Warhammer if the decision was solely up to you?

Gabe: There's alot. You know, when we explored the RvR gated "Darkness Falls" dungeon, we explored a bunch of different things. We explored Mordheim, we explored Skavenblight, and then we fell across the Tomb Kings. This was perfect for us, as it allowed us to explore a bunch of different gameplay dynamics.

But still, I think Skavenblight is a very cool element. Then you have the whole Vampire Counts dark world...

Jeff: We still got Sylvania and getting out there to do. Personally, from a visual standpoint, I'd like to see Lustria. I think it's an environment we just don't have in the game at the moment, which was one of the reasons I was really excited about Tomb Kings. I like having a completely new environment and it's a setting we don't have at all in our game.

Gabe: And it also really depends on what we want to get out in regards to content. Is it a dungeon, is it a new open zone? That affects where we go with it. If it's a dungeon, oh well then we should go to Skavenblight as it's a underground thing over there. If it's a whole new mini-zone, then maybe we go to Lustria. Of course I'm talking in broad general terms, but that's the stuff that directs where we take it.

Is there anything that got left out of this expansion that you wish would have made it in?

Jeff: We accomplished alot, but there is that one thing we had to cut back on, as we needed to get moving with production, and that was being able to bring the Tomb Kings in as an ally in the RvR siege. In the early days of the design, we were thinking about giving the assistance of the Tomb King and his army out during city sieges.

Gabe: There were several ways we strayed away from that and one was certainly production issues, but another was that we wanted the campaign system to be the campaign system. Land of the Dead is gated by the campaign, but it doesn't hinder or affect the system in any way and we wanted to leave it like that.

The one for me was that we wanted people to be able to access Land of the Dead from level one. But, well, we just couldn't do that. We pushed it back to level 25.

Jeff: But the majority of our players meet that requirement anyway. The other other thing that we wanted was for instances to be able to let more players in. So there's six man runs right now, but there was this "other one" where we wanted to get that number higher, but we didn't get that in.

Gabe: *evil laughter* Not yet.

Now one of thing some of our commenters are going to point out as a problem is the power leveling. You can be level 25, then get bolstered to level 36 in Land of the Dead, and you gain level 36 experience at level 25. Why did you guys decide that?

Gabe: Well Darkness Falls was very successful as an alternate spot for power leveling. So we went and followed that form and put it into Land of the Dead.

The other thing to note though is that you can lose control of the Land of the Dead, and that will cause power leveling to spike. It's another carrot on the stick for players to gain control of the area. So I don't think it's going to be a problem, I think players are going to enjoy it.

Jeff: It gives you another track, an accelerated track, and it happens right at 25 for a reason as it's in that lull between tier three and tier four. It's going to be that extra push that will get people into tier four. We've done many things to help ease that lull, like new epic questlines and boosted quest experience, to get people into tier four.

So, ok, let's pretend I'm a newbie to Warhammer. Why should I come and play your game?

Jeff: If you want PvE content, we got the public quest system which is a trendsetter in the industry and I know we're going to see more of it pop up.

Oh yeah, Runes of Magic already jumped on that.

Jeff: Oh yeah, we know, and it's cool. It's just a good system because it helps get people together. From an PvP standpoint, our game was built for realm vs. realm combat. You can do it from rank one in our game. There are scenarios, there's RvR areas, they're dynamic, there's a lot of variety. We slowly introduce the player to harder and harder mechanics as they advance through the tiers, like keeps, and outer walls of keeps, and city sieges. To me, that's why players should come. If you want PvP then there's no other place to go.

Gabe: With Land of the Dead specifically, it's the pyramids and the necropolis. There's no other setting like that in modern MMOs. It's the action RPG elements and working together to overcome them as a group as well as individually. There's just nothing like it. You like Zelda, you like God of War? Then check this out.
The sands of the Tomb Kings are coming as the final release in the Call to Arms live expansion, the Land of the Dead approaches! Massively has your back with coverage from Mythic Entertainment at Games Day '09, so get your WAAGGGHHH ready for RvR mayhem as Massively re-arms for WAR!

MassivelyGames Day '09: Lands of the Dead design discussion with Gabe Amatangelo and Jeff Skalski pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 May 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-rpgadventurecall-to-armsdungeongabe-amatangelogames-day-2009indiana-jonesjeff-skalskiland-of-the-deadmythicmythic-entertainmentpvepvprvrtomb-of-the-vulture-lordwarwarhammer-onlineFri, 15 May 2009 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Games Day '09: Lands of the Dead design discussion with Gabe Amatangelo and Jeff Skalski]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/15/games-day-09-lands-of-the-dead-design-discussion-with-gabe-pt1/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/15/games-day-09-lands-of-the-dead-design-discussion-with-gabe-pt1/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/15/games-day-09-lands-of-the-dead-design-discussion-with-gabe-pt1/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


After saying goodbye to Paul and Josh, I soon found myself sitting down with Gabe Amatangelo, the senior designer on Land of the Dead, and Jeff Skalski, the RvR team lead, with the task of getting inside the Land of the Dead development process.

What I got were some great insights into how testing and development works at Mythic Entertainment, as well as some inside facts on Land of the Dead and some great reasons for why players should come back and try out some WAR. Interested in what sparked the movement to an action RPG dynamic? Wondering what features may not have made the final Land of the Dead cut? All of that and more is inside this Games Day interview.

Continue reading Games Day '09: Lands of the Dead design discussion with Gabe Amatangelo and Jeff Skalski

MassivelyGames Day '09: Lands of the Dead design discussion with Gabe Amatangelo and Jeff Skalski originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 May 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-rpgadventurecall-to-armsdungeonfeaturedgabe-amatangelogames-daygames-day-2009indiana-jonesjeff-skalskijoystiqfeaturesland-of-the-deadmythicmythic-entertainmentpvepvprvrtomb-of-the-vulture-lordwarwarhammer-onlineFri, 15 May 2009 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Games Day '09: A moment with Paul Barnett and Josh Drescher pt. 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/13/games-day-09-a-moment-with-paul-barnett-and-josh-drescher-pt/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/13/games-day-09-a-moment-with-paul-barnett-and-josh-drescher-pt/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/13/games-day-09-a-moment-with-paul-barnett-and-josh-drescher-pt/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

So, I know this is on many player's minds. Is this going to replace city raid content?

Josh: No.

Ok then.

Josh: Well, I mean the short answer is no.

Paul: My answer is totally no.

"This is a long term, total commitment from our studio to our players and to our newer players coming along."
Josh: Long answer, I've been with Mythic for eight years. I was here before Camelot launched and we know what this type of content does to a greater RvR campaign. While the RvR campaign is certainly more diverse and larger in Warhammer than in Camelot, but we know pragmatically that by tying the content to the campaign and requiring success on the battlefield to gain access to this content, that success may push you towards capital city content. Even if RvR is not your focus and your focus is to get down into the dungeon, you're going to wind up working your way towards the capital city. It just happens organically, so we're really not concerned about that too much.

At the end of the day, if people end up deciding that they enjoy this content more than city capture, we never felt that we need to integrate the players into the game in one set, specific way. Personally, I really love scenarios over everything else. I don't have much time to play, so for me, 15 minute scenarios are the way to play. That doesn't mean I won't engage in RvR, but overall I get 15 minutes here, 15 minutes there, and scenarios will always be my core fascination.

But there are other people who like large-scale raid content, who don't like RvR or PvP. This is a great way to have them go down and get that Disney Land experience while running through well-thought out content, but there's also that added danger that at any moment enemy players can swarm in. Also, as Paul likes to say...

Paul: I don't like building fart balloons.

*Laughs*

Paul: It's like the extended cut of a great movie. You have the main core of the movie, but you also have that extended stuff. You can watch the main core of the movie, but if you really want to obsess and you really want to see all of the detail you can watch the extended cut. It's more of the same, but it's new and cool. That's what it is. The movie is still the movie, our game is still our game, regardless.

Ok, so, this is basically a small expansion, honestly. Where do you see Warhammer going from here?

Paul: Go straight, go straight, go straight, go straight. This is a long term, total commitment from our studio to our players and to our newer players coming along. Try it out, it's never going away, it's only going onwards and upwards.

Josh: I agree with Paul. Our boxed expansion schedule, such as it is, is probably going to mirror very closely to what we did in Camelot -- an alternating sequence of free expansions via patches and then boxed retail expansion content. Almost certainly you will see retail expansions in the near future, but you will certainly keep seeing free expansions as well.

"To go to a person at a time like this when unemployment is rampant, the economy is in the tank, and retirement funds have gone away and say, "Hey, can I have 10 to 15 dollars of your money every month to play my game?" is actually a pretty bold request."
We've always felt the relationship we, the developer, have with our players should be something more than just simple money extraction. At least 50 percent of it should be grateful generation of wonderful things for them to have for free.

All right. Now the hard question. 300,000 subscribers -- how do you guys feel about that? It's the number you started with, and it's the number you currently hold now.

Josh: There is no start and there is no now. Now, as a company, we're legally not allowed to comment on those numbers any further than what was reported, but we're very happy with the enthusiasm and continued dedication of people all over the world who have played Warhammer for the last nine months.

It's been a really difficult time not just for the games industry, but for everyone. To go to a person at a time like this when unemployment is rampant, the economy is in the tank, and retirement funds have gone away and say, "Hey, can I have 10 to 15 dollars of your money every month to play my game?" is actually a pretty bold request. So for people to come to us and say that the commitment we've shown and the game that we've built is worth that kind of display, we have nothing but thanks for those people. We are unbelievably grateful that they've stuck with us and we hope that this type of content that we've been developing for the last nine months is an indication of our dedication to our end of this type of interaction. They trust us to do this, and we're trying to make good on our end of it and bring great things to them consistently.

We are very happy with where the game is. We would obviously love to have more people try Warhammer, which is why we have the trial out...

Paul: Which you can download right now!

Josh: And we're very happy to continue on into the future. Also, this event is the last thing I'm allowed to do before I go get married. I'm very excited, I'm getting married next Saturday.

Paul: It's an exclusive for Massively!

Josh: I love you Aubrey, please continue marrying me. Put that in big bold letters. Breaking news: Josh loves Aubrey.

I will totally do that. Josh, Paul, thank you so much for your time!
The sands of the Tomb Kings are coming as the final release in the Call to Arms live expansion, the Land of the Dead approaches! Massively has your back with coverage from Mythic Entertainment at Games Day '09, so get your WAAGGGHHH ready for RvR mayhem as Massively re-arms for WAR!

MassivelyGames Day '09: A moment with Paul Barnett and Josh Drescher pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 May 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-to-armsdark-age-of-camelotdarkness-fallsgames-day-2009interviewjosh-drescherland-of-the-deadmarriagemarriage-proposalmythic-entertainmentpaul-barnettpvepvprvrscenarioswarwarhammer-onlineWed, 13 May 2009 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Games Day '09: A moment with Paul Barnett and Josh Drescher (also, Josh loves Aubrey)]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/13/games-day-09-a-moment-with-paul-barnett-and-josh-drescher-als/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/13/games-day-09-a-moment-with-paul-barnett-and-josh-drescher-als/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/13/games-day-09-a-moment-with-paul-barnett-and-josh-drescher-als/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Even with all of the excitement occurring at Games Day, Mythic's Paul Barnett and Josh Drescher still had a moment to sit down with us at Massively and talk a little shop about Warhammer's overall status, Mythic's future direction of the game, and why players should come back and experience the Land of the Dead.

But they're tricky folks, Paul and Josh! They even tried to turn the interview back around at us at some points! But we stayed strong for you readers, and were able to get some interesting answers out of them regarding Warhammer Online. Also, we have exclusive coverage that Josh indeed loves his fiancee, Aubrey. Yay marriage!

Interested in the full interview? Hit that link and read on!

Continue reading Games Day '09: A moment with Paul Barnett and Josh Drescher (also, Josh loves Aubrey)

MassivelyGames Day '09: A moment with Paul Barnett and Josh Drescher (also, Josh loves Aubrey) originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 May 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-to-armscurse.comdark-age-of-camelotdarkness-fallsfeaturedgames-day-2009interviewjosh-drescherjoystiqfeaturesland-of-the-deadmythicmythic-entertainmentpaul-barnettpvepvpraiders-of-the-lost-arkrvrthe-mummythe-rocktrapswarwarhammer-onlineWed, 13 May 2009 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Games Day '09: All about Warhammer Online's live events with Mark Davis pt. 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/13/games-day-09-all-about-warhammer-onlines-live-events-with-pt2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/13/games-day-09-all-about-warhammer-onlines-live-events-with-pt2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/13/games-day-09-all-about-warhammer-onlines-live-events-with-pt2/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


How long does it take to put together your average live event?

We usually take about three to six weeks for brainstorming and conception. Then there's the approval process, where I send the ideas to my boss, who sends them to "The Hickman," who sends them upstairs, who sends that to Games Workshop to make sure we're staying true to their concepts. Plus we have to coordinate with all of the other departments, like RvR, the items team, and Combat and Careers.

Then the production side takes another three weeks to maybe seven weeks on top of that. We'll be planning and producing the event usually the version before the live event is scheduled to take place, otherwise it would never be done in time. Then after that we'll have the playtesting and the QA sessions to make sure the bugs are worked out, and that takes another week to two weeks.

So, in short, you're looking at three months of work from inception to the final event.

And these aren't available on the test server, right?

Well... they're not suppose to be available on the test server. They're suppose to be hidden.. *smiles* But we have little breaks where the live events show up on the test server for a couple seconds.

"Just the sheer joy these events provide players should be reason enough for another developer [to make them.]"
It amazes me because in that short period of time when the live event is available, somebody will screenshot all of the objectives for all of the quests and then have that up on the internet before we can get the live event down. We try our best, but it always seems to slip out for a matter of seconds.

We want to be secretive and we want players to have a sense of discovery with our live events, plus they really can't be tested publically in such a short window. Live events focus on the whole world, and getting testing and feedback done is not all that useful to us.

What's your favorite part about the most recent live event?

From a developer's perspective, it was the opening cinematic to the RvR public quests. We did a custom cinematic with an airship flying in and exploding which results in the start of the RvR PQs. That was surely my favorite part, it was glorious!

From a player's perspective, it was the RvR that occured because of the live event. We created a center point for RvR in the event in Thunder Mountain. There were a number of different tasks that centered on this one area and that area was a hot spot for RvR the whole week. From the warcamp landing to the hot spot, the travel time was only about 3 minutes, but people in my warband would be killing others the entire way there. Thunder Mountain was locked most of the time when I was fighting in this event, but the RvR was just hot all the time. Whenever I was looking for a fight, I just went to Thunder Mountain because I knew it would be there.

We had warbands coming in and attempting to camp the area, but they could only hold it for a small amount of time before another warband came in to unseat them. It was a lot of fun.

Many other developers don't bother with live events. Plus when they give out exclusive items, they always seem to show up later and become unexclusive. So what would you say to another developer who was thinking of doing these exclusive live events?

Just look at the metrics. For our game we get more gameplay, more people in the game, and a lot of positive feedback. These events are only a limited time, so players come in and play and the realize all of the possiblities our game has to offer in that limited time. Just the sheer joy these events provide players should be reason enough for another developer.

"Live events gets to take all of that great stuff and put it all together into this nice package of fun."
We even see all of this in the cold metrics. Look server population the day of the event and the day after the event, and the event population will be higher.

Every game has its niche. For Warhammer, it's the RvR, the public quests, the living guilds, the city sieges. You hear us harp on this stuff over and over, because it's what we do. Live events gets to take all of that great stuff and put it all together into this nice package of fun. We bring to the front what we do the best through our live events.

We've got events planned for the rest of the year. We just put up the Northern Watch weekend event, and it was immensely successful. There was only a title offered as the reward, and it was easily one of the most successful events we've done.

Any sneak peeks you can give us as to what's coming?

Ah... well I can't really say anything because we need to go through all of that long approval process first, but the live event in the summer is going to be doing something that I don't think any MMO has done before. Ever. It's that level of magnitude for that event. We're going to challenge what people have come to expect out of our live events, I will say that much.

Ha ha, sweet! Ok then, let's end it out. Order or Destruction?

Order all the way. Engineer, baby! I feel like the combat and careers guys made that class for me. You blow stuff up, you shoot people, you have explosions! What could be better?
The sands of the Tomb Kings are coming as the final release in the Call to Arms live expansion, the Land of the Dead approaches! Massively has your back with coverage from Mythic Entertainment at Games Day '09, so get your WAAGGGHHH ready for RvR mayhem as Massively re-arms for WAR!

MassivelyGames Day '09: All about Warhammer Online's live events with Mark Davis pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 May 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>developerdeveloper-interviewgames-day-2009land-of-the-deadlive-eventsmark-davismetricsmythic-entertainmentpqsproductionpublic-questsrise-of-the-tomb-kingsrvrwarwarhammer-onlineWed, 13 May 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Games Day '09: All about Warhammer Online's live events with Mark Davis]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/13/games-day-09-all-about-warhammer-onlines-live-events-with-mar/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/13/games-day-09-all-about-warhammer-onlines-live-events-with-mar/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/13/games-day-09-all-about-warhammer-onlines-live-events-with-mar/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


Mark Davis knows Warhammer Online's live events well. He should, because he's the man behind them! During Games Day '09, we had the chance to catch up with the live events lead and discuss some shop talk with him -- including a look at the newest live event, "Rise of the Tomb Kings," and a little about what goes on behind the scenes.

How long does it take for a live event to be produced? What are some of Mark's favorite moments? What can we expect in the live events to come? And, most importantly, what are we going to find in the Rise of the Tomb Kings? All of these questions, and more, are answered within!

Continue reading Games Day '09: All about Warhammer Online's live events with Mark Davis

MassivelyGames Day '09: All about Warhammer Online's live events with Mark Davis originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 May 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>developerdeveloper-interviewfeaturedgames-day-2009games-workshopinterviewsjoystiqfeaturesland-of-the-deadlive-eventsmark-davismetricspqspublic-questsrealm-vs-realmrise-of-the-tomb-kingsrvrwarwarhammer-onlineWed, 13 May 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Games Day '09: Our impressions of Warhammer's Land of the Dead pt. 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/games-day-09-our-impressions-of-warhammers-land-of-the-dead-p/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/games-day-09-our-impressions-of-warhammers-land-of-the-dead-p/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/games-day-09-our-impressions-of-warhammers-land-of-the-dead-p/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,


Get caught in one of the clouds and you'll find yourself teleported to the bottom of one of the nearby tombs, stuck in a sarcophagus, and taking damage from the curse. Your friends can't get into the tombs due to barriers that are placed over the doors, turning this into a race to get out of the tomb before you die. These moments were filled with frantic cheers and laughter as we all danced around trying to avoid the dust clouds, accompanied by laughs of anguish as people would get caught and stuck inside of the tomb.

Overall, the PQs are really enjoyable and a nice step away from "kill, rinse, repeat." Even if they involve killing monsters, there's usually some sort of trick to the PQ that makes it into a very active experience, rather than a strict button mashing period. Plus if that last boss battle sounded crazy, think of how it could go when the zone flips sides and the enemy begins running in. Now you have a boss, enemy players, and dust clouds. Fights in the tombs while curse is in effect, anyone? Luring enemies to stand in the way of dust clouds?

Eventually though, we were taken away from the PQs and had the chance to step into the Tomb of the Vulure Lord itself -- testing our mettle against the various traps. The first one that stood in our way was a hallway filled with swinging pendulum blades.

These blades were stacked very close together, with little room between them to stand without getting yourself sliced in half. One hit kills you, so don't try running through aimlessly because it's not going to end well. This trap is all about timing, placement, and pattern recognition -- a classic console adventure trap. What I liked the most about these traps was that they don't require the whole party to make it. Three people is all you need out of your group of six, and dying in the dungeon will just respawn you at the entrance (as long as you maintain control, of course.)

"It's very different, and it's alot of fun."
Eventually making it past that trap gave us access to the Terracotta Army hall -- a room filled with terracotta statues of soldiers and chariots. The whole room could be categorized under "things that never end well" because, as you would expect, walking next to some statues causes them to come to life. This whole encounter is a hybrid PQ/boss battle, as killing enough soldiers will awaken the final boss of the room, an angry skeleton who switches between different stances while you do battle with him.

Overall, I have to admit, I wasn't expecting this. I was expecting an area and a dungeon filled with standard MMO trappings of trash mob pulls, boring grindfests, and RvR mixed in with all of that. What I got was a very carefully crafted zone that caters to all types of MMO players and merges PvP content with PvE content in a really inventive fashion. Even the Tomb of the Vulture Lord doesn't feel like a traditional MMO dungeon. It's an adventure through a tomb rather than a series of trash pulls with scary bosses. It tells a story and immerses you rather than just throwing themed encounters at you. Sure, this mystique will wear off over time, but I don't see this dungeon becoming something like other MMO dungeons. It's very different, and it's alot of fun. Land of the Dead is totally something you need to experience.
The sands of the Tomb Kings are coming as the final release in the Call to Arms live expansion, the Land of the Dead approaches! Massively has your back with coverage from Mythic Entertainment at Games Day '09, so get your WAAGGGHHH ready for RvR mayhem as Massively re-arms for WAR!

MassivelyGames Day '09: Our impressions of Warhammer's Land of the Dead pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 May 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-to-armsdarkness-fallsgames-daygames-day-2009games-workshophands-onimpressionsland-of-the-deadmythicmythic-entertainmentopinionpqspublic-questspvepvprealm-vs-realmrvrtomb-of-the-vulture-lordwarwarhammer-onlineMon, 11 May 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Games Day '09: Our impressions of Warhammer's Land of the Dead]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/games-day-09-our-impressions-of-warhammers-land-of-the-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/games-day-09-our-impressions-of-warhammers-land-of-the-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/games-day-09-our-impressions-of-warhammers-land-of-the-dead/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,


So we've been over the cold, unfeeling facts about Land of the Dead. It's big, it's a throwback zone to action RPGs, it has RvR and PvE, and it's filled with mummies. But you don't want the facts, right? You want to know how it plays and you want to know if it's worth your time to pick up Warhammer or resubscribe to the game.

During my time at Games Day, I got the chance to participate in a bunch of the PQs in the new zone and try out a few areas of the Tomb of the Vulture Lord, the capstone dungeon of the whole experience. I got to be shanked by swinging blades, pierced by surprise dart traps, and I even got to wear the Sovereign armor set, the pinnacle armor of the game. (Yes, it looks completely badass.)

Continue reading Games Day '09: Our impressions of Warhammer's Land of the Dead

MassivelyGames Day '09: Our impressions of Warhammer's Land of the Dead originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 May 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-to-armsdarkness-fallsfeaturedgames-daygames-day-2009games-workshophands-onimpressionsjoystiqfeaturesland-of-the-deadmythic-entertainmentopinionpqspublic-questspvepvprealm-vs-realmrvrtomb-of-the-vulture-lordwarwarhammer-onlineMon, 11 May 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Games Day '09: An overview of the Land of the Dead, pt. 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/games-day-09-an-overview-of-the-land-of-the-dead-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/games-day-09-an-overview-of-the-land-of-the-dead-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/games-day-09-an-overview-of-the-land-of-the-dead-pt-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


All of this culminates in the Tomb of the Vulture Lord, a massively long dungeon filled with 7 public (in this case, your group) quests and 8 unique bosses. Between these events are your standard trash pulls, but there are also rooms filled with Indiana Jones-esque traps. For example, one hallway is littered with swinging pendulum blades while another has columns that shoot darts. Three people need to successfully clear these action/movement oriented traps so they can be shut down for other players to pass. Even to get into the instance you need to complete a public quest "puzzle" that involves your group attempting to open the doors of the tomb. Also... the final boss battle... let's just say that it won't be the last time you'll be seeing the king once you defeat him. You'll see him again very, very soon.

Finally, there's the infamous "purge" mechanic that occurs when the Land of the Dead changes hands over to the opposing realm. As mentioned before, when the zone changes hands, the prior owners lose the right to respawn. They will be alerted of the switch in ownership, but they will not be kicked out of the zone. Their new task will be to defend themselves as the new realm recieves quests to purge the enemy from the public quests and destroy the other realm's base camp on the other side of the map. Purging the enemy gives lots of experience and rewards, so it's a very lucrative thing to do, especially as you have free respawns and your enemy doesn't.

"Mythic has built in a purge mechanic for the instances as well -- giving the enemy the option to invade your instances while you're still in them."
At this point, smart players are thinking they can hide in the various instanced lairs and the Tomb of the Vulture Lord. Wrong. Mythic has built in a purge mechanic for the instances as well -- giving the enemy the option to invade your instances while you're still in them. Don't think of trying to do cooperative realm dungeon clears either, because the minute your enemy hits your boss, he'll no longer reward experience or loot. Dungeon crawling players will be informed that their instance has been invaded by the enemy, and they'll recieve the new objective of "survive for X minutes" while the other players have the sole objective of "destroy all enemy players."

If you're invading the Tomb of the Vulture Lord, beware! Defenders may not be able to respawn, but they do have the ability to reset the traps they've cleared in the dungeon! Players who progress further will be able to reset more traps to bide time against the invasion, allowing them to continue to clear bosses while the invading enemies wiggle their way through the traps littered in the instance.

Finally, it all comes down to loot. Land of the Dead will be offering loot that will be on par with and a little below the endgame gear offered in city sieges. This will come from drops, but it will also come from the various tokens that will be dropped by literally everything in the zone, from public quests to players. The big change comes with the new sigil system that's going to now encompass the prior ward system.

Wards will now be pieced together to form character-centric sigils, which are placed inside of the Tome of Knowledge instead of on the armor itself. These sigils are always active, no matter what armor you're wearing, eliminating the need to carry the right wards on the right parts. Prior players who are loaded with ward gear, do not fret! Your wards will combine together to form sigils right off of the bat, so you won't be outdated when the new system hits. Even if you don't have the right wards to get a sigil, you can now unlock "pieces" of the ward by completing achievement objectives, like defeating a boss that would give you that piece of ward armor X times. So even if it never drops for you, you'll still get it eventually.

Overall, the Land of the Dead is a very active zone with much going on inside of it and for it. Token drop system, new sigils, action oriented design, and crazy RvR objectives are simply a gloss over what this place has going on inside of it. Come back later in the day, when I'll be speaking on my direct experiences with the "dungeon zone" and what I enjoyed inside of it. WAAAGGGHHH!!
The sands of the Tomb Kings are coming as the final release in the Call to Arms live expansion, the Land of the Dead approaches! Massively has your back with coverage from Mythic Entertainment at Games Day '09, so get your WAAGGGHHH ready for RvR mayhem as Massively re-arms for WAR!

MassivelyGames Day '09: An overview of the Land of the Dead, pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 May 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-to-armsexpansiongames-daygames-day-2009land-of-the-deadlive-expansionmythic-entertainmentpatchtomb-of-the-vulture-lordwarwarhammer-onlineMon, 11 May 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Games Day '09: An overview of the Land of the Dead]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/games-day-09-an-overview-of-the-land-of-the-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/games-day-09-an-overview-of-the-land-of-the-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/games-day-09-an-overview-of-the-land-of-the-dead/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,


You've heard us talk about it, you've heard us discuss it, and it's now time for us to tell you exactly what it's all about. Land of the Dead is not your father's MMO dungeon -- it's a dungeon that is something more than just a dungeon. It's an entire zone filled with activities and sub-dungeons, all culminating in an epic instanced dungeon that features a face off with the first leader of the Tomb Kings himself, King Amenemhetum. (Try saying that five times fast. Heck, try saying that one time fast. Not even Gabe Amatangelo, one of the chief designers, can say that name properly. He got close to it though during his Games Day presentation.)

So how do you get down to test wits with the Tomb Kings? What public quests and objectives are scattered throughout the zone? What changes and improvements are coming with this addition to the game? Read on warriors, and find out!

Continue reading Games Day '09: An overview of the Land of the Dead

MassivelyGames Day '09: An overview of the Land of the Dead originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 May 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-rpgfeaturedgames-daygames-day-2009glyphsjoystiqfeaturesland-of-the-deadmythic-entertainmentnecropolispublic-questpurgerealm-vs-realmrvrsigilstomb-of-the-vulture-lordwardswarhammer-onlineMon, 11 May 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What are you going to do in Land of the Dead?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/the-daily-grind-what-are-you-going-to-do-in-land-of-the-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/the-daily-grind-what-are-you-going-to-do-in-land-of-the-dead/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/the-daily-grind-what-are-you-going-to-do-in-land-of-the-dead/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


We have a bunch of Warhammer Online coverage lined up for you this week, with everything from exclusive interviews with some of the staff of Mythic Entertainment to a complete overview of the new Land of the Dead zone that will be heading to WAR subscribers everywhere thanks to a free game update. With all of this new information comes more hype, so we want to know exactly what you're feeling about the new dungeon coming out.

Are you excited about the release of the spiritual successor dungeon to Dark Age of Camelot's Darkness Falls? Are you going to be jumping in to the new RvR zone with glee? Are you interested in the slew of new PQs that will be in the Necropolis, or are you looking forward to that new instanced dungeon? Or, maybe it's the tweaks to tier 4 that's getting you all excited?

Whatever it is, we want to know about it. Throw your comments in here and let us know!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What are you going to do in Land of the Dead? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 11 May 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-to-armscommentdaocdark-age-of-camelotland-of-the-deadlive-eventmythicmythic-entertainmentopinionpublic-questrvrthe-daily-grindwarwarhammer-onlineMon, 11 May 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The cake of WAGGGGHHHH!!!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/10/the-cake-of-wagggghhhh/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/10/the-cake-of-wagggghhhh/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/10/the-cake-of-wagggghhhh/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


This last Saturday was Games Workshop's Games Day celebration, and Massively.com was on site to get you the latest Warhammer Online coverage straight from Mythic Entertainment. Want to know more about Ultima Online's Stygian Abyss expansion? Curious about Land of the Dead? Interested as to the future direction of Warhammer Online? Do your favorite devs play on order or destruction? Find all of these answers and more in our full coverage of the event starting tomorrow, including our hands-on impressions of the new mega-dungeon, Land of the Dead!

In the meantime, if you're hungry for coverage, let your eyes feast on this awesome squig herder cake, made by Charm City Cakes. You know, Chef Duff from Food Network's Ace of Cakes? Yeah, he would be the guy who cooked this bad boy up. The cake lasted for the entire show, but we think there might have been some squig pieces shared amongst staff once the event's doors closed.

Excited? Come back tomorrow and check out all of the tasty coverage. The squig is only the icing on the cake! Ok, we're done with the bad puns now, we promise.

MassivelyThe cake of WAGGGGHHHH!!! originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 10 May 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ace-of-cakescakechef-duffevent-coverageexpansionfeaturedfood-networkgames-daygames-day-2009games-workshopjoystiqfeaturesland-of-the-deadlands-of-the-deadmythic-entertainmentpatchsquig-cakestygian-abyssultima-onlineupdatewarhammer-onlineSun, 10 May 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Winds of Change to blow through Warhammer]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/29/winds-of-change-to-blow-through-warhammer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/29/winds-of-change-to-blow-through-warhammer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/29/winds-of-change-to-blow-through-warhammer/#commentsFiled under: , ,


What's the worst case scenario for an MMO pitting hundreds of players against each other in epic large-scale RvR combat? Lag. Crashing. Rollbacks. Unfortunately, many Warhammer Online players have experienced all these issues while participating in open RvR. Mythic has been working on server stability since launch and now plan on taking a more aggressive stance by testing a new mechanic called The Winds of Change (WoC).

The WoC will basically teleport certain players to the nearest PvE safe spot (warcamp or chapter hub) when the server determines it is under enough stress to soon buckle. If people do not voluntarily leave once the WoC message is broadcast across the zone, dead players in the effected area will be teleported first, followed by the severely wounded. On the plus side, at least those players who qualify will still have a chance at rolling for rewards.

Some players believe the solution is not ideal because it forces people out of RvR, the game's bread and butter, but Mythic says the WoC only be a temporary fix until they can solve their server stability issues once and for all. One has to wonder if that is even possible given the game has been on the market for over 7 months already. Still, we remain cautiously optimistic. A more permanent solution may arrive with The Land of the Dead as we predict many players will flee the original open RvR campaign for RvR in the desert.

Update #1 - Mythic has released a server maintenance announcement.

Greetings!

Today, 4/29/09, all North American and Oceanic servers will be brought offline at 9:00 AM EDT for an update. We anticipate all servers to be back online by 1:00 PM EDT. This update will improve City Instances and server stability; in addition the Winds of Change feature will be removed from Dark Crag during this downtime.

Thank you and as always keep an eye on the Herald for the latest news and information during server updates!

Update #2 - GOA's Nilax has released this statement on the official European forums.

"After reviewing the metrics and community feedback Mythic have removed the Winds of Change feature from Dark Crag. As they will continue to look at this or similar options to improve stability I will leave this thread open for now."

MassivelyWinds of Change to blow through Warhammer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-to-armsland-of-the-deadlands-of-the-deadmythic-entertainmentpopulation-controlRvRserver-stabilitywarwarhammer-onlinewinds-of-changeWed, 29 Apr 2009 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Warhammer: Where are all the gank groups (part 2)?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/28/warhammer-where-are-all-the-gank-groups-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/28/warhammer-where-are-all-the-gank-groups-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/28/warhammer-where-are-all-the-gank-groups-part-2/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


I'm sure many players are applauding the fact that Mythic has systematically eradicated gank groups from the RvR experience in WAR, however, it is saddening for many others. Gank groups were the elite of the elite in DAOC, and whether you liked them or not (or died to them or not), they played a huge part in the RvR scene.

Put aside for a moment all the crashing cities and fortresses, overpowered crowd control abilities, class balance issues, and general bugs and performance problems in WAR. Does it not seem that for a game that was supposed to take RvR to the next level, it actually seems to have devolved it? If the holy trinity of class-balance is healing, tanking, and DPSing, it is my humble opinion that the holy trinity of RvR is the zerg, PuG, and gank group. I'm simply left wondering, where have all the gank groups gone?

The previous paragraphs illustrate what is hindering gank groups from gaining traction in WAR. With a few minor shifts in design, I believe it is possible to reunite the RvR trinity.

Step one is to overhaul crowd control. Every class should not have an arsenal of debilitating CC abilities like they currently do because combat becomes less about strategy and more about button-mashing CC when many players gather together. Step two is to place fewer rewards on objectives and more rewards on player kills. Step three will arrive with Land of the Dead if properly implemented. Hopefully, the zergs and PuGs fight over the main RvR campaign and there will be incentives for gank groups to do well in Nehekhara. Either way, the dual-endgame focus should split up the zergs substantially.

The final step lies with the players. Mythic can only guide us so far and unless more guilds are willing to organize 6-12-man gank groups, they simply won't happen in WAR. A PR push from Mythic might help but the best chance for this to blossom will come when a few pioneering guilds take up the mantle and own it. Open challenges on server forums are highly encouraged!

MassivelyWarhammer: Where are all the gank groups (part 2)? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dark-age-of-camelotgame-designgankland-of-the-deadmythic-entertainmentorganizationpick-up-grouppvprvrwarwarhammer-onlinezergTue, 28 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Warhammer: Where are all the gank groups?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/28/warhammer-where-are-all-the-gank-groups/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/28/warhammer-where-are-all-the-gank-groups/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/28/warhammer-where-are-all-the-gank-groups/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


You will commonly find gank groups in many PvP games. Gank groups are simply organized, pre-made groups, usually formed by members of the same guild that work extremely well together. Usually, a gank group will destroy a pick-up group (PuG) and zerg because they employ smarter tactics, keep cooler heads, and communicate more effectively.

Gank groups were very common back when I played Dark Age of Camelot from 2001-2004. These 8-man special-ops teams would sweep in at high speed, disable as many enemies as they could with crowd control, and then quickly pick off targets one or two at a time. Most PuGs and zerglings would panic, which made the job that much easier.

The true challenge would come when your gank group met an enemy gank group in the open field. The outcome would come down to a combination of skill, gear, timing, communication, ability timers (realm and master level), and even luck. Taking part in a gank group vs. gank group skirmish was probably the most adrenaline-inducing MMO experience I have had in an MMO and one I have been searching for in every new PvP MMO I try.

Continue reading Warhammer: Where are all the gank groups?

MassivelyWarhammer: Where are all the gank groups? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dark-age-of-camelotfeaturedgame-designgankjoystiqfeaturesland-of-the-deadmythic-entertainmentorganizationpick-up-groupPvPRvRwarwarhammer-onlinezergTue, 28 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Warhammer's Beyond the Sands event now live]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/21/warhammers-beyond-the-sands-event-now-live/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/21/warhammers-beyond-the-sands-event-now-live/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/21/warhammers-beyond-the-sands-event-now-live/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Starting yesterday and continuing on through Monday, April 27th, Warhammer Online players have access to the next phase of Mythic's Call to Arms live expansion, Beyond the Sands. The event focuses on both factions competing over artifacts of the Nehekharan Kings and to defeat their undeathly Liche Priests. According to Mythic, this particular event focuses primarily on RvR but does contain a dash of PvE as well.

Although those looking for more PvE content won't be waiting too much longer, as this is all leading up to the Land of the Dead update which is purportedly bringing new instanced dungeons. Then again, it's also bring a large new RvR zone as well, so all things in balance we suppose.

The content just keeps on coming for Warhammer Online players, and that's never a bad thing. With the biggest content still yet to come, there seems to be plenty about this game to remain excited about.

MassivelyWarhammer's Beyond the Sands event now live originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beyond-the-sandscall-to-armseaelectronic-artsgames-workshopland-of-the-deadmythic-entertainmentwarwarhammer-onlineTue, 21 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Land of the Dead draws nearer in Warhammer]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/20/land-of-the-dead-draws-nearer-in-warhammer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/20/land-of-the-dead-draws-nearer-in-warhammer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/20/land-of-the-dead-draws-nearer-in-warhammer/#commentsWarhammer Online's Call to Arms live expansion has been rolling along for months now and players are getting mighty excited about the prospects of the Tomb Kings and The Land of the Dead mega-zone. One WAR blogger is so fired-up he has an on-going guide feature dedicated to it.

Greg Moran, a fan favorite webcomic artist and owner of the Tome of Knowledge blog, just released part two of Bring Out Yer Dead. In it, he uses a hearty blend of Warhammer IP knowledge, Mythic promotional evidence, and speculation to provide details on what players might find once set loose upon the sands of Nehekhara. Part one gives an excellent primer on Tomb Kings history and lore.

The feature is supplemented by a number of fantastic original illustrations and links to external resources. We suggest you watch part one and two of Mythic's very own Land of the Dead production podcast at the very least. Part three will be released in the May newsletter. There's also a new Beyond the Sands live event running in-game from April 20-27, which will reveal many secrets leading up to the full-scale zone launch.

MassivelyLand of the Dead draws nearer in Warhammer originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beyond-the-sandsbloggercall-to-armsgreg-moranland-of-the-deadmythic-entertainmentnehekharatomb-kingstome-of-knowledgewarwarhammer-onlineMon, 20 Apr 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[More Land of the Dead details emerge from WAR dev]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/12/more-land-of-the-dead-details-emerge-from-war-dev/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/12/more-land-of-the-dead-details-emerge-from-war-dev/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/12/more-land-of-the-dead-details-emerge-from-war-dev/#commentsFiled under: , ,


We've been hearing a slow trickle of details from Mythic these past few months about the new Land of the Dead zone in Warhammer Online. In his recent developer diary entry, Gabe Amatangelo, Senior Designer, Dungeons & Encounters Lead, shares new information about and inspirations behind the new Tomb Kings area.

We learn that Gabe was given the go ahead to conceptualize the zone in September 2008, shortly after launch and that it will come in two forms: The Necropolis desert, which is an open, non-instanced zone and The Tomb of the Vulture Lord dungeon.

Control over this dungeon will depend on a new Expedition Resource system, which will come as a blend of zone control and open RvR kills. Not only will you fight over the new dungeon, you will fight in it as well and the only safe spot will be the zone-in spot. The dungeon will have instanced encounters, but players will actually be able to storm instances and chase after enemies.

As a PvE expansion to their newly announced RvR token system, monsters in The Necropolis desert will also drop tokens, which can be used to purchase powerful gear and crafting materials. If any of this sounds interesting to you, keep your eyes peeled for the April newsletter.

MassivelyMore Land of the Dead details emerge from WAR dev originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-to-armsdark-age-of-camelotdarkness-fallsdeveloper-diaryexpansiongabe-amatangeloland-of-the-deadmythic-entertainmentwarwarhammer-onlineSun, 12 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[WAR 1.21 patch hitting the public test server this week]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/30/war-1-21-patch-hitting-the-public-test-server-this-week/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/30/war-1-21-patch-hitting-the-public-test-server-this-week/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/30/war-1-21-patch-hitting-the-public-test-server-this-week/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Mark Jacobs stopped by the official Warhammer forums to give players a list of highlights from the 1.21 patch hitting the public test server later this week. While the patch number suggests this won't be a major patch, the highlights suggest otherwise.

Most people agree the biggest issue on Mythic's plate right now is combat responsiveness. Currently, players experience a sigificant "stretch" or "pause" when executing longer duration abilities (animation glitches don't help matters either). Mark says this issue will be fixed in under "normal" gameplay conditions, but may still exist to a degree under high server load.

Other items of note are improvements to the keep siege system that will allow guilds who claim keeps to upgrade their defenses, a Beyond the Sands live event, more bug fixes, and special versions of the Gates of Ekrund and Nordenwatch scenarios.

The balance issue with stacked ground target area of effect damage spells introduced in the previous patch is not touched upon in Mark's highlights, but Adam Gershowitz made a post on the Ranged Damage Dealers forum detailing the changes coming in 1.21. Overall, this is looking like a solid patch as fans await 1.3.

MassivelyWAR 1.21 patch hitting the public test server this week originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adam-gershowitzbeyond-the-sandscall-to-armsland-of-the-deadmark-jacobsmythic-entertainmentpatch-1.21sands-of-timewarwarhammer-onlineMon, 30 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sword of the New World expands with Nocturnal Sonata]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/sword-of-the-new-world-expands-with-nocturnal-sonata/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/sword-of-the-new-world-expands-with-nocturnal-sonata/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/07/sword-of-the-new-world-expands-with-nocturnal-sonata/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


IGN has a scoop on the new 'Nocturnal Sonata' expansion to Sword of the New World, an MMO also known as Granado Espada in Asia. Sword of the New World is a free-to-play title brought to North America and Europe by the K2 Network. Massively has looked at this game in the past and found it to be a quirky title; IGN describes its setting as 'the European Baroque period if it was designed by a modern anime artist'. Sword of the New World becomes even more surreal given that its old world setting is juxtaposed with a techno soundtrack.

Surreal qualities aside, the game has some interesting features, particularly the use of collectible UPCs, or Unique Player Characters. The concept is somewhat comparable to the Heroes in Guild Wars. You control up to three characters at once who are members of your 'family'; certain NPCs for whom you've successfully completed quests offer themselves up to be added to your family as UPCs and called upon to aid you in your adventures. They provide access to special hybrid classes with unique powers to match. There are over 40 such UPCs, and two more are initially being added in the Nocturnal Sonata expansion: Vincent Rio (who inflicts damage with music) and Baek Ho (martial artist extraordinaire). Yet more UPCs are to follow in the coming months, adding new gameplay possibilities to Sword of the New World. The Nocturnal Sonata expansion will be released on June 25, and closely follows the 'The Land of the Dead' expansion released only three months ago.

MassivelySword of the New World expands with Nocturnal Sonata originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>collectcollectibleexpansionfantasyfree-to-playgranado-espadaguild-warsheroheroesignk2-networkk2-network-incland-of-the-deadnocturnal-sonatanpcquestsurrealsword-of-the-new-worldtechnounique-player-characterupcSat, 07 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST