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New TERA gameplay clips feature dungeons, boss fight, exploration

Jef Reahard — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, TERA, Dungeons

TERA has fallen a bit off the radar due to the lengthy gestation period of its North American client release. The game launched in Korea a year ago, and so far En Masse Entertainment hasn't managed to nail down a definitive launch date for the western version.

Fortunately, there are fan sites to pick up the slack, and Steparu has updated with a trio of TERA gameplay videos sure to warm even the most jaded Arborean heart. The clips are all fairly lengthy, and they feature a Castanic Slayer in various gameplay locales including dungeons, boss fights, and the open world (specifically, the picturesque New Ellenon zone). We should also point out that the main character in all three clips is a female Castanic, so fair warning to those who take offense to skimpy armor.

Continue reading New TERA gameplay clips feature dungeons, boss fight, exploration

New TERA gameplay clips feature dungeons, boss fight, exploration originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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War of the Immortals' Slayers rock out with their blades out

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Classes, Free-to-play

As War of the Immortals continues the epic journey through beta, Perfect World Entertainment is trying its darndest to show that it plays no favorite among children. And by "children," we mean "classes."

On tap for today is a spotlight on the Slayer class, which recently gave up knitting in favor of dishing out extreme pain and suffering. Wielding dual blades, the Slayer uses cunning tactics and sneaky magicks to get up close and personal before seeing how many tiny pieces it can make out of its enemy. On its off-hours, the Slayer likes to ride around on his direwolf mount and smash mailboxes with a baseball bat.

You can see if the hyper-kinetic Slayer is your kind of fella by previewing the class trailer after the jump!

[Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release]

Continue reading War of the Immortals' Slayers rock out with their blades out

War of the Immortals' Slayers rock out with their blades out originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively exclusive: WindSlayer 2 PvP dev diary

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, PvP, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries

The fount of information about Ignited Games' WindSlayer 2 continues to gush forth, as the studio continues to release developer diaries about its upcoming title. We've already heard about WindSlayer 2's economy, ranged classes, and melee classes, not to mention an overview of the game proper.

Today it's all about the brutal, cutthroat element of PvP combat. Hit the jump to read our exclusive dev diary on the subject!

Continue reading Massively exclusive: WindSlayer 2 PvP dev diary

Massively exclusive: WindSlayer 2 PvP dev diary originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RuneScape sings, gobbles, and slays its way through November

Justin Olivetti — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Patches, Previews, RuneScape, Free-to-play

RuneFest, Halloween, and Bot Nuking Day may be over, but the RuneScape team is far from taking time off for good behavior. If anything, the devs' eyes are as big as their stomachs as they detailed plans for the game leading up to Thanksgiving.

Speaking of the holiday, a turkey invasion led by the fearsome Captain Turkerton is imminent and only the players will be able to negotiate a truce before the gobblepocalypse arrives. As incentive for participating in the event, RuneScape is planning to award Thanksgiving crests and turkey pets for the diplomatically savvy.

Jagex has a lot more on its plate for November, including revamping elements of the interface, overhauling the website design, and introducing the Slayer-centric Polypore Dungeon. Additionally, the November quest, "One Piercing Note," is a first for the game: a fully voice-acted experience that will incorporate singing and dancing into the story!

Following Bot Nuking Day and the resulting dip in population, Jagex has consolidated several servers into new multi-country European worlds. The team is also hard at work addressing some current issues with players having problems logging in and experiencing lag. A fix is scheduled for later today.

RuneScape sings, gobbles, and slays its way through November originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TERA class videos explode from Frogster!

Larry Everett — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Classes, New titles, News items, TERA

Bluehole Studio has been a bit silent as of late regarding its action MMORPG, TERA. But today, European publisher Frogster treated us with not one, not two, not even three, but eight trailers from the lands of TERA. These stunning videos give us a taste of each player class: Warrior, Lancer, Slayer, Sorcerer, Archer, Priest, Mystic, and Berserker. Despite what it may look like, each teaser is shot using TERA's in-game engine and textures -- there's no outside studio work here. Never-before-seen class features are showcased, and Frogster hopes to whet your appetite with these action-packed videos.

Follow after the break to judge each class video for yourself. So, truthfully, do these videos make you more excited about TERA?

Continue reading TERA class videos explode from Frogster!

TERA class videos explode from Frogster! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free for All: Is free to play turning our kids into Vegas pirates?

Beau Hindman — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real life, Business models, Culture, Opinion, Free-to-play, Humor, Kids, Free for All

I think it's the hair. In fact, I know it. The constant flicking -- it drives me nuts. How in the world did wearing your hair like 60-year-old businessmen become such a fad? I've now had my groceries bagged by 16-year-old kids with eyeliner on and dual piercings in their lips. When did looking like a Vegas pirate become so popular? The flicking of their hair -- it does something to them. Justin Bieber, in a recent interview, said that he was crazy. He insisted on it. Of course, his agent wanted to push this tiny public cry for help off as some sign of genius, but we all know what Bieber meant: "This hair is *flick* driving me *flick* flat-out bonkers."

What also seems to be an issue with the youngins these days is an unfiltered access to the internet. I'm not kidding -- next time you're at the mall, ask the kid with the 30 Seconds to Mars t-shirt on who the vice president is. Then ask him to spell "lose." See, on the internet and inside any number of free games, he doesn't need to know this information. After all, the only time he might be worried about "loosing" anything is when he is busy PvPing.

I might be onto something. Get the hair out of your eyes, join me after the cut, and we'll discuss it further.

Continue reading Free for All: Is free to play turning our kids into Vegas pirates?

Free for All: Is free to play turning our kids into Vegas pirates? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Class abilities come to light in Faxion Online announcement

Beau Hindman — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Launches, PvP, Free-to-play, Humor

It looks like players of the highly anticipated PvP-centric free-to-play MMORPG Faxion Online will use a wide variety of abilities and powers to experience the core of the game. While someone will raise those levels and sharpen those skills the old fashioned way, she can also improve on those abilities using queued, offline skill training similar to EVE Online's. Abilities include Shockwave, a wave of force that will knock back enemies and deal damage; Legion, an ability that only Hell players will get (because Hell is the cooler side) that releases spirits into the bodies of its victims (hopefully while Raining Blood plays in the background;) and Tribunal, which allows players to flourish a weapon, causing all sorts of bodily damage to nearby enemies.

That's not all: there are 50 abilities per class available at launch, allowing multi-class cleverness or single-specialization accuracy. All of the abilities grow normally with time, but their advancement can be sped up using microtransactions. Some abilities will be level-limited, however, to ensure that no one player has such an advantage.

We visited UTV True Games during GDC Online, so check out that tour here. The game seems to be in great hands -- its developers harken from the lands of Ultima Online, Shadowbane, and many other popular titles. Keep an eye out because the game is expected to hit beta stages later this year.

That means you still have time to download some Dio. Or, if you're on the Heaven side, here's something more your speed.

Gallery: Faxion Online

Class abilities come to light in Faxion Online announcement originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: Hands-on with Thanquol's Incursion

Greg Waller — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Previews, PvP, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Hands-on, Waging WAR

This week, Waging WAR brings you Greg's hands-on impressions of the new RvR 24v24 instanced dungeon coming soon to Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. With true grit, determination, a staff, sequined robe and his trusty wizard hat, Greg brushes the dust off of his Archmage skills and reviews Thanquol's Incursion.

I was able to put together everything needed on Wednesday evening, so setting up for Friday afternoon's scheduled test of Thanquol's Incursion didn't take long at all. I didn't want to get tied up in learning a new career along with testing completely new content, so I decided to stick with what I know best and roll my Archmage on the PTS. Luckily, I tend to go light in the add-on department, so after getting my keybindings ready and scattering my UI all over the screen in my own (olympically) special way, I flew to Praag and found a warband in no time flat. Friday's event started up right on time, and the testing was under way. The warband headed out to one of the various instance gates and we zoned in.

Follow along after the break as I discuss my first-time hands-on experience with the new RvR gated 24v24 instanced dungeon: Thanquol's Incursion.

Continue reading Waging WAR: Hands-on with Thanquol's Incursion

Waging WAR: Hands-on with Thanquol's Incursion originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 23 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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En Masse revamps TERA website, adds dev blog and class skill videos

Jef Reahard — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, New titles, News items, TERA

TERA's visual style is a big part of the forthcoming title's identity. From the high poly-count graphics to the controversial outfits and animations, En Masse Entertainment's Asian import is covered in a shiny, shimmering gloss. Earlier this week, the publisher revamped TERA's official website to match, doing away with the older Flash design for a sleeker, slicker content-focused look.

The site boasts an array of new features, including a new developer blog section and a media area with several new class videos viewable among the entries. In addition to the game's trailers, check out the skill-based videos for the various classes, including Lancer, Berserker, Priest, Slayer, Archer, Mystic, Warrior, and Sorcerer (the last of which you can also view after the cut).

Continue reading En Masse revamps TERA website, adds dev blog and class skill videos

En Masse revamps TERA website, adds dev blog and class skill videos originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Exclusive: TERA lore - The Slayer's Spark

Jef Reahard — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, New titles, News items, TERA

Yesterday we brought you news of En Masse Entertainment's new Race and Class series, which kicked off with a profile of castanics and slayers, as well as a collation of TERA's extensive world lore. Today, Massively is proud to bring you an exclusive look at even more of the upcoming action MMO's backstory, courtesy of En Masse scribe R.K. MacPherson.

Join us after the cut for The Slayer's Spark, a master and apprentice tale featuring the no-nonsense castanic Isaura and a fresh-faced amani Vanguard recruit named Jahangir.

Continue reading Massively Exclusive: TERA lore - The Slayer's Spark

Massively Exclusive: TERA lore - The Slayer's Spark originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Battle of the Immortals reveals classes

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, New titles, Previews, PvP, Free-to-play, Battle of the Immortals

Perfect World Entertainment has spent a fair amount of time talking up their upcoming PvP-focused game, Battle of the Immortals. The game certainly looks gorgeous, but we've only heard bits and pieces about how it will actually play. The most recent update, however, certainly provides a fair bit more information on how the game, as it details the game's classes -- Berzerker, Heretic, Magus, Slayer, and Champion. Each class is given a brief writeup of their strengths, weaknesses, and preferred opponents.

In no particular order, Slayers deal a mix of physical and magical damage at close range but have next to no defensive abilities. Heretics are a combination of priests with more sinister magics, dealing damage and healing as well as inviting a few obious comparisons. Magi (or maguses, if you prefer) are... well, okay, they're kind of obvious. Berzerkers have an errant "z" in their name and focus on dealing out physical damage at the cost of some defense, and Champions wield a weapon and shield to be all but indestructible. The classes seem set to provide a fair mix of the usual "holy trinity" mechanics and PvP skills, so take a look at the official preview to get a clearer picture of what you might want to play once the game goes live.

Battle of the Immortals reveals classes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dungeon Fighter Online trailer shows classes and gameplay

William Dobson — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: New titles, Free-to-play, Dungeon Fighter Online

Not going to be at Comic-Con to see the Dungeon Fighter Online preview that will be on show? Fear not, as Nexon has provided us with a new trailer for the game that gives a short introduction to its story and its five classes, as well as showing a tiny bit of gameplay at the end -- it's pretty much the perfect way to get acquainted with the game if you haven't looked into it yet.

Head past the break to meet the Slayer, the Fighter, the Gunner, the Mage, and the Priest (each with their own incredibly cheesy catch phrase), all while getting worked up listening to the adrenaline-filled arcade-style tune pumping in the background.

Continue reading Dungeon Fighter Online trailer shows classes and gameplay

Dungeon Fighter Online trailer shows classes and gameplay originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apparently, the reaper likes to WAAGGGGHHHH!

Seraphina Brennan — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, MMO industry, Warhammer Online, News items, Humor

Here's something we never expected to put in the same sentence -- Blue Öyster Cult and Warhammer Online. Yes, you heard us completely correctly and this isn't some kind of hallucination.

Eric Bloom (a level 40 sorcerer on Ironfist, mind you) and fellow bandmate Richie Castellano went for a tour of the Mythic Entertainment offices back in March. What ended up happening after was not only a tour but also a step into the recording booth as they teamed up with Paul Barnett, Josh Drescher, and Brad Derrick to record "Kiss My Axe (While I Drink My Beer)!"

The song is a ballad dedicated to the dwarven slayer's ways of drinking, killing, killing, and did we mention drinking? If there's any man who doesn't fear the reaper, it's certainly a dwarven slayer.

Mythic is offering their song free for download over at the Warhammer Online main site.

[Via Giant Bomb]

Apparently, the reaper likes to WAAGGGGHHHH! originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mythic invites old subscribers to try WAR again for free!

Brooke Pilley — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Warhammer Online, News items

Were you one of the 450,000 or so players that didn't stick with Warhammer Online after release? If so, you might not want to pass up this deal! Mythic is inviting all subscribers who quit WAR more than 30-days ago to give the game another shot for free. This isn't a new trial account either; you will get to play your old account.

This is a great deal on many levels. Mythic recently consolidated 40 low-population servers into 16 stronger ones and launched a free trial (meaning you will have people to play with). They have also made huge game improvements since you left. The early tiers are reinvigorated with the release of the Slayer and Choppa careers. As if the conditions weren't ideal enough, you will also receive special buffs that increase your XP, renown, and gold, a few new quests, and a special item.

To allow you to meet up with friends, you will receive one free transfer to any server of your choosing. All you need to do is reactivate your account and you're all set. Mythic put together a special FAQ that tells you everything you need to know. There has really never been a better time to give WAR another shot.

Mythic invites old subscribers to try WAR again for free! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively re-arms for WAR: State of the opinion address

Brooke Pilley — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Warhammer Online, Opinion

Mark Jacobs just released his WAR State of the Game announcement. I think this is a pretty important one because next week marks WAR's 6-month anniversary. Here are my thoughts about it.

I found the intro paragraphs to be pretty standard for this type of announcement. On the plus side he's admitting that WAR isn't where they'd like it to be but he balances that by patting his own back. I realize he needs to say these things for shareholders, but comments like this always make me roll my eyes: "Given the proximity of these two releases, I think it is pretty safe to say that these represent one of the largest (if not the largest) amount of new content, tweaks, adjustments, etc. to any MMO over the course of several months." I simply love how someone can spin nearly 1,000 bug and polish fixes into a good thing (especially at the six-month point in the game's life cycle). It is and it isn't, y'know?

Anyway, on to the meat and potatoes of the SotG. Mark mentioned 11 key areas of focus for the next few months. Here are my impressions of these sections (find his original text in the official SotG letter).

Continue reading Massively re-arms for WAR: State of the opinion address

Massively re-arms for WAR: State of the opinion address originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: Choppa madness!

Krystalle Voecks — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Screenshots, One Shots

With the Choppas and Slayers running crazy in Warhammer Online, you can imagine what the different areas have been like - or you'd have to imagine if you weren't here! Luckily for us, Massively's very own resident screenshot fiend, Kyle Horner, caught a screenshot of the action when he started his own Choppa in Warhammer Online and passed it along for us to enjoy today. Kyle reports back: yesterday was the very first day players who completed the Bitter Rivals event were able to play the Choppa career. As you can imagine, many of the quest zones and particularly the early public quests looked a lot like this. Scenarios were also full of the chop-happy Orc players swinging about wildly. All-in-all, it was a pretty awesome day.

Hey WAR players - we want to see your shots of carnage! Just email your screenshots to us at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the game it's from, and a quick note about what we're seeing. We'll post it here and give you the credit for sending it in.

Gallery: One Shots

One Shots: Choppa madness! originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Digital Continuum: Beyond Warhammer Online patch 1.2

Kyle Horner — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Warhammer Online, Opinion, The Digital Continuum

Warhammer Online players are in the midst of the Bitter Rivals live event, plus another big new patch. I'm going to guess that it probably took a lot of development muscle to get the Black Guard, Knight of the Blazing Sun, Slayer and Choppa in a fun, playable shape. Not to mention the improvements to open RvR, Scenarios, PvE and general quality of life fixes.

I have no doubt that the east coast developer has the next several patches planned out to some degree. Nonetheless, Mythic, Warhammer Online and its community are at a development crossroads -- and so today I'm going to explore a few possibilities.

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: Beyond Warhammer Online patch 1.2

The Digital Continuum: Beyond Warhammer Online patch 1.2 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warhammer Online's 1.2 patch might just bring you back

Brooke Pilley — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Warhammer Online, News items

Not only is the 1.2 patch huge in terms of size, it is also huge in terms of the impact it will have on Warhammer Online. According to the table of contents, there are 75 sections and subsections in these patch notes. Yikes! Almost every area of the game is affected by 1.2, including combat and careers, crafting, itemization, quests and public quests, items, realm vs. realm, and the user interface.

This patch is chock full of goodness but if you had to pick the top three highlights, they would probably be the Bitter Rivals live event, Zone Domination system, and fixes to combat and careers. Bitter Rivals is a weeklong live event that will provide you with plenty of fun tasks to complete, a new Twisting Tower scenario, and the ability to unlock early access to the new Slayer and Choppa careers. Zone Domination is an alternative way progress the RvR campaign more quickly. It also encourages more rigorous defence of objectives and keeps. Every single career in WAR had some of their abilities fixed or balanced, which makes this the most comprehensive career balance patch since 1.06 in early December.

Make sure you read the full 1.2 notes because they cover so much more than this.

Warhammer Online's 1.2 patch might just bring you back originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively re-arms for WAR: Slayer (part 2)

Kyle Horner — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Patches, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Massively Hands-on

Continue reading Massively re-arms for WAR: Slayer (part 2)

Massively re-arms for WAR: Slayer (part 2) originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively re-arms for WAR: Slayer

Kyle Horner — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Patches, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Massively Hands-on

Dwarf Slayers are just about ready to start hitting the live Warhammer Online servers for all their worth. With the orange tide imminent, I've been running around the test server for the past several days, looking to learn all I could about these wonders of Dwarven kind. Including -- but not limited to -- the underlying cogs of their special mechanic, how they handle PvP and PvE, and most importantly where they hide their booze -- here's a hint: it's underneath something.

Now, with many honorable deaths under my massive beard, I've come here to present you, our dear readers, with a neatly packed bundle of information.

Continue reading Massively re-arms for WAR: Slayer

Massively re-arms for WAR: Slayer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earn special character customizations for your Slayer and Choppa

Brooke Pilley — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Forums, Patches, Warhammer Online, News items

Remember when Mythic said there would be incentives for being an active contributor on their new official forums for Warhammer Online? Apparently, they're about to give away the first of these in-game incentives we've heard so much about. Say hello to Snorri's Spikes and Chompin' Teef, two new customization options you can earn for your new Slayer and Choppa.

Snorri's Spikes is an especially painful looking mohawk for your dwarf and Chompin' Teef will have you looking like a greenskin version of Jaws from James Bond in no time. You can earn these rewards by logging in to the Public Test Server and playing the heck out of the two new careers (Choppa and Slayer). Report any bugs you find in game or on the forums and provide any useful feedback you can think of. Mythic will reward top contributors with these character customizations. "Top contributor" criteria are unknown, which may promote people trying hard instead of just enough. The Warhammer community is speculating that the 1.2 patch will drop late next week or early the following, so you may want to start soon before you miss out.

Earn special character customizations for your Slayer and Choppa originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Allakhazam get the spoils of WAR at New York Comic Con

Brooke Pilley — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Expansions, Game mechanics, Warhammer Online, Hands-on

Darryl Gangloff of Allakhazam made the trip to New York Comic Con last weekend and got the inside scoop on what Mythic has planned for Warhammer Online in the near future. He caught up with Associate Art Director, Adam Gershowitz, who walked him through new features such as the Slayer and Choppa, Bitter Rivals live event, Twisting Tower RvR scenario, new guild reward mounts, and much more.

NYCC attendees were given the opportunity to try out in-development alpha Slayers and Choppas, which seemed to have the desired effect of whipping them up into a frenzy. The three Choppa masteries will be Path of Da Savage (straightforward mixed path), Path of Da Hitta (focusing on single target spike damage), and Path of Da Wrecka (focusing on high level beserk and AoE attacks). The Slayer will share similar mechanics to the Choppa and will boast many customization options including at least seven different mohawk styles and a number of body tattoos. Both careers are intended to have a more simple playstyle than some of WAR's other careers. For more insight on some of the specific updates Adam mentions, take a look at these 1.2 Public Test Server patch notes hot off the presses.

Allakhazam get the spoils of WAR at New York Comic Con originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sneak peak: WAR's highly anticipated 1.2 patch

Brooke Pilley — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:30:00 EST

Mythic gave everyone something to look forward to with their recent Call to Arms live expansion announcement last week, but there was a very loud outcry from players asking when the real issues would be fixed. To address this, Mark Jacobs announced three big patches that would be landing shortly called 1.1.1, 1.2, and 1.3. Patch 1.1.1 was announced to little fanfare (although it did address some T4 concerns with fortresses) and it was noted that many of the fixes originally intended for 1.1.1 were bumped to 1.2 because they needed additional testing.

Mark just made a post on VN giving everyone a sneak peak of what to expect in patch 1.2; a patch he has officially titled the Bugs, Careers, RvR, Bugs, Items and Bugs Patch. It seems like they're bringing out the electric fly-swatter for this one. Highlights from this patch include: over 16 pages of bug fixes, introduction of the Slayer and Choppa, tons of career balance tweaks, the Zone Domination System, improvements to keep siege, itemization, rewards, crafting, the UI, mail system, and client stability, easy PQs for the remaining tiers, the Bitter Rivals live event, and a new scenario.

Dare we call this a "miracle patch?" 1.2 should be on the public test servers next week.

Sneak peak: WAR's highly anticipated 1.2 patch originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Choppa. Slayer. So what's the big deal?

Brooke Pilley — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Lore, Warhammer Online

With today's announcement that the Slayer and Choppa careers will be added to Warhammer Online, you may be asking yourself, "So what's the big deal?" Most of the people asking this probably aren't WAR followers, which is understandable. There are, however, people who play WAR that don't really think these two careers should be a priority for Mythic right now given all the other issues. I'm writing this article to prove the non-believers wrong and shed a little light on why the Choppa and Slayer are so cool for the Warhammer novice.

First, let's look at the main similarities between these two careers. The Choppa and Slayer were both tested back in WAR beta. Actually, the Slayer was called the Hammerer back then, which was basically a cheap knock-off because Mythic and Games Workshop couldn't work out lore issues. The basic concept of the Hammerer was quite Slayer-esque in that it was a surly dual-wielding melee DPS dwarf. Mythic decided that the Hammerer and Choppa weren't quite on par with the other careers so they were cut (along with the Blackguard and Knight of the Blazing Sun) from release. Note: the BG and KotBS were added shortly afterward.

Continue reading below the cut where we'll continue to look into their similarities and specific characteristics.

Continue reading Choppa. Slayer. So what's the big deal?

Choppa. Slayer. So what's the big deal? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Dwarf Slayer and Orc Choppa coming to Warhammer Online with a live event

Michael Zenke — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Events, in-game, Expansions, Warhammer Online, Massively Interviews

The Mythic developers have been having a little fun with the blogosphere over the last two weeks, sending out clippers and movies hinting at what might be coming down the pipe for Warhammer Online. Despite the teasing, it looks like fan supposition about what these gag gifts mean was entirely accurate. Today we've been walking through a discussion we had with Mythic's Jeff Hickman, and he confirmed that the Dwarf Slayer and Orc Choppa are indeed going to WAR.

In fact, the very first event in the Call to Arms live event expansion will be Bitter Rivals, an event much like the one that introduced the Blackguard and Knight of the Blazing Sun to the game late last year. Join us below the cut as we talk to Jeff about the new classes, the event that will introduce them, and how Bitter Rivals differs from the much-beloved Heavy Metal live event.

Continue reading The Dwarf Slayer and Orc Choppa coming to Warhammer Online with a live event

The Dwarf Slayer and Orc Choppa coming to Warhammer Online with a live event originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mythic announces the first live expansion to Warhammer Online!

Michael Zenke — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Expansions, New titles, Warhammer Online, Massively Interviews

Massively.com recently had the chance to speak with Warhammer Online Executive Producer Jeff Hickman. Mr. Hickman laid out for us the much anticipated 'bombshell' news for their PvP-focused MMO: an entire expansion being released over the next few months as live events.

Warhammer Executive Producer Jeff Hickman: We've been launched for four or five months now, and all we've done for this time is looking at the game, listening to our players, playing the game ourselves. We've been drilling down into all of the little pieces that weren't quite right for us. We've been looking at client/server stability, what we can do with the RvR system, introducing the two new classes ... we've drilled down on any and all concerns that players might have to perfect the game as it stands right now.

With that starting to be under control, we looked ahead and said to ourselves, "we have about four or five months to do some really interesting, cool new events." We're calling it a live expansion. We're trying to hit really hard for players that haven't tried Warhammer, or perhaps players that tried it and then went off to play Lich King or something like that. We want them to come back, see all the improvements we've made, and all the new content coming up.

We're calling it "a Call to Arms."

Read on below the cut for full details on the expansion, head over to the official site for their take, or click through to one of our related posts for further information:

Gallery: Warhammer Online: Concept Art

Continue reading Mythic announces the first live expansion to Warhammer Online!

Mythic announces the first live expansion to Warhammer Online! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mythic prank hints at Orc Choppa career coming to WAR next week

James Egan — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Warhammer Online, News items, Races

The folks at Mythic Entertainment recently gave a pretty big hint about a new Warhammer Online career to be introduced, through a creative gag. They sent hair dye and a trimmer to WAR bloggers Keen and Graev, a nod to the upcoming Dwarf Slayer career. Lightning has struck twice now though, with what The Greenskin posted yesterday.

Mythic Entertainment sent The Greenskin a DVD of Predator, with instructions to go to the meme Schwarzenegger shouts at 1:16:06... "Get to da choppa!" With this hint, it seems a given that the Orc Choppa career is coming to Warhammer Online. The DVD also came with the hint that there would be "more to come" on January 29th.

[Thanks Brooke]

WAR has gone 1.1! Check out our full coverage of the 1.1a patch, along with our interviews exploring upcoming content and the open RvR changes. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

Mythic prank hints at Orc Choppa career coming to WAR next week originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Creative gag hints at new Warhammer Online class reveal on Jan. 29th

Kyle Horner — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Warhammer Online, News items, Rumors

We've known that it was likely Mythic wouldn't be bringing back one of the original melee DPS classes to Greenskins and Dwarves. Of course that doesn't mean the two races won't even have a new class -- as evidenced by the mind games Mythic is now playing with the Warhammer Online community.

The box contains orange hair dye, a hair trimming kit and the ominous note that says, "More to come 1-29-09" How is this significant? Take a look at some official Warhammer Dwarven lore:

"A notable aspect to Dwarf culture is the Slayer Oath. A Dwarf who has suffered a great shame, loss, or humiliation will dye his hair and beard orange, and cut it into a Mohawk using pig grease to stick it in place."

Was this a little bit blunt? Maybe, but we don't mind, since it's got us excited for a possibly very awesome new class for Warhammer Online. We only hope that when the Greenskins get their melee DPS class it's as interesting as this announcement.

Creative gag hints at new Warhammer Online class reveal on Jan. 29th originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vampire MMO Darkeden launches open beta

William Dobson — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, DarkEden Online, New titles, Silkroad Online

Razorwire picked up on a new MMO to enter the open beta phase, with the intriguing vampire theme. From Joymax, the creators of Silkroad Online, comes Darkeden, a 'horror MMORPG' set in a futuristic fantasy world. Those joining the open beta will be treated to 200% experience gain to assist in seeing what the game has to offer and testing content, in the 'near-complete' build.

The features page of Joymax's Darkeden site fleshes out the concept: players will choose between the Vampire or Slayer races, with Slayers being more powerful during the day and Vampires at night. The races work on completely different leveling systems, and each will have their own methods of transportation (including motorcycles, helicopters, warp tunnels, and of course, bats). There will be battles for territories, both small and large scale, between the Vampires and Slayers.

Those interested in becoming a Vampire (or killing them) can visit the Joymax portal and make an account, then go to the Darkeden site to download the client.

Vampire MMO Darkeden launches open beta originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 16 Dec 2007 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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