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Ring in the new year with Warhammer Online's Keg End

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Warhammer Online, News items

Amidst the news of server merges, Warhammer Online fans could probably use something to celebrate, something to lift the spirits a bit. So it's fortunate that the annual Keg End celebration is just around the corner, giving everyone a chance to get drunk and rowdy even by the already aggressive status of the world's inhabitants. Running from December 14th until January 4th, Keg End is a chance to celebrate in style in the Dwarven tradition.

The rewards for the event haven't changed much this year, with the usual assortment of Party Kegs, Keg Taps, and Battlebrew Backpacks. There are giants roaming the field looking for their own ale and a handful of sporting battles, and there are plenty of special drinks to be sampled just for the event. So get yourself ready to log in tomorrow and take a nice roll through fields filled with blood, beer, and battle. Especially beer.

Ring in the new year with Warhammer Online's Keg End originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Choose My Adventure: Dat's it, boss, I'm outta here

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Choose My Adventure

As of today, I'm finished with Warhammer Online. Today is my final installment of Choose My Adventure, with the torch passing along next week to Larry Everett. Before anyone asks, yes, I'm definitely going to miss the feature... but that's not really what you're here for at the moment, is it? You're here for the fanfare, and it's all over but the depressing part.

Last week's vote was overwhelmingly meta -- rather than a recounting of events, the audience clearly wants to hear my thoughts on the future of Warhammer Online, what worked and what didn't, and why the game followed the trajectory it did. (Also, an awful lot of people want to know about the Choppa Song.) I'm admittedly coming into the game late and with somewhat less passionate eyes than many of the game's fans, but looking at my experience, I think I found a lot of the game in microcosm. I see all of the things it did right... and in hindsight, where certain choices went wrong.

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Dat's it, boss, I'm outta here

Choose My Adventure: Dat's it, boss, I'm outta here originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Choose My Adventure: Da udder half lives

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Warhammer Online, PvE, Opinion, Choose My Adventure

I remember thinking quite distinctly that I was ready to be done with the Tier 1 scenarios, oh, forever ago. It's not that Nordenwatch is inherently a bad scenario; it's just that when you see it often enough, you start to get sick of it. So I was very happy when the voting closed on last week's poll and I saw that I had a very different list of scenarios available to me in Warhammer Online. That had probably happened several levels ago, sure, but I hadn't been queueing.

Unfortunately, I found out that Oscar Wilde's old chestnut about the gods granting our wishes when they want to punish us proved entirely accurate. Jump on past the break for this week in Klurgind's somewhat less than epic adventure, with the caveat that it's going to be just a wee bit depressing in places. But hey, I never promised this story had a happy ending.

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Da udder half lives

Choose My Adventure: Da udder half lives originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Choose My Adventure: Ork in da wild

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, PvP, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Choose My Adventure

Not to put too fine a point on it, but this past week was the sort of event that turns one's entire life upside-down. The stuff that happened was also pretty unambiguously good, yeah, but between that and my computer randomly screwing up, this has not been the best of weeks for Warhammer Online and myself. Which is odd, seeing as how there's been big (albeit secretive) news for the community, and I've still managed to sit down and get some solid time clocked in with Klurgind despite that.

Last week's polls both indicated that I should follow the WAR Report around the map, and they also indicated that people would really like to roll up with some Massively warband action. So we're going to make an event out of it, based on the best details and planning I can provide. Click on past the break for a recount of Klurgind's most recent adventures in Warhammer Online, plans for the meetup on the weekend, and the new set of polls.

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Ork in da wild

Choose My Adventure: Ork in da wild originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warhammer Online bringing 1.4.1 out for testing

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, PvP, Warhammer Online, News items

Scenarios have formed one of the PvP cornerstones for Warhammer Online, leading to a large-scale overhaul of Scenarios several months ago. Certain Scenarios were placed on a weekend rotation, while others were permanently available at different level bands for players to enjoy. Patch 1.4.1, which is due to hit the public test server, Warpstone, tomorrow, is making some alterations to which Scenarios may be played at all times, with some cycling into a permanent slot and others entering retirement for a time.

While the shifting lineup is certainly one of the big elements of the patch, it's not the only one. Balance changes have been made for several Skaven abilities, including several overhauls for the Packmaster class. A number of item sets have had their Renown Rank requirements lowered, as well, to give players easier access to the items; there has been a new set added to fill the newly created gap between the Warlord and Sovereign sets. Warhammer Online players can examine the current patch notes and take part in the testing starting tomorrow.

Warhammer Online bringing 1.4.1 out for testing originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Night of Murder brings holiday butchering to Warhammer Online

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Warhammer Online, News items

It's hard to deny that Warhammer Online takes place in the most metal universe anywhere. That becomes especially clear during the Valentine's Day event in the game, which features absolutely no affection between characters but a great deal of rampaging bloodlust. The Night of Murder event is upon players once again, giving everyone an in-game opportunity to completely bypass the usual plethora of chocolates and cards in favor of battleaxes and bloody vengeance.

Running from February 8th until the 22nd, the event is a celebration of Khaine, during which even the forces of Order wind up drifting close to the chaotic side. Players taking part can net a variety of rewards, including the quite desirable Butcher's Blessing buff, which increases both Experience and Renown gains by 10% for three in-game days. Hop in now to enjoy Warhammer Online's senseless slaughter, which includes nearly as many hearts as the usual take on the celebration (except that the usual holiday involves those hearts remaining within the ribcage).

Night of Murder brings holiday butchering to Warhammer Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warhammer Online offering free server transfers as prelude to two server shutdowns

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Warhammer Online, News items

If you're playing on the Iron Rock or Volkmar servers for Warhammer Online, it's time to get ready to say goodbye. The development team for the game has just announced that free server transfers are being unlocked for both servers, allowing players to transfer to Gorfang to help bolster the population. That in and of itself wouldn't be all that unusual, except that when the transfer starts, both Iron Rock and Volkmar are being flagged as Legacy servers to prevent any new characters from being created.

Starting on February 9th, transfers will be enabled and the Legacy flag will go into place. After three weeks of open transfers, both Iron Rock and Volkmar will be flagged as "Retired," meaning that any characters not transferred off the server will have to be transferred to Gorfang (or Badlands via a paid transfer). That means that two of the game's remaining four American servers will be removed in the near future, and while the population boost will no doubt help Warhammer Online's RvR battles, it's still a shutdown for two servers.

Warhammer Online offering free server transfers as prelude to two server shutdowns originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: Tapping the keg

Greg Waller — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Warhammer Online, Waging WAR

Mythic has released the Keg's End live event in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, and this week in Waging WAR, after falling off the wagon and bumping his head, Greg talks about all the things to see and do in-game during this holiday season. Don't worry, though -- we were able to get him to stop singing carols after the swelling went down.

It's that time of year again, and most everyone is celebrating something in some fashion. Whether it's Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or Festivus, ultimately, it's a section of the calendar that many of us can appreciate and look forward to. On that note, I would like to extend my warmest and sincerest Season's Greetings to all Massively readers out there, wherever you are. And as fun as it is with the gift giving, merriment and world-peace-wishing, the best part of the season is when we get hammered and smack-talk our families. Wait, you don't smack-talk your family at your house? You mean... the season really is all about warmth, love, and mistletoe mischief? Hmm... well, it seems as though my family missed that memo. Behind-the-back dirt-dishing has been a staple at my house for as long as I can remember. But enough about that, let's talk about Warhammer Online and the Keg End live event -- something I can relate to. Forget about religion, politics, and corporate pan-handling; let's get out the gourds, chug a frothy or two, and loudly proclaim our bravest victories in that barrel-chested manner we're all so accustomed to (OK, maybe not all of us, but play along, will ye?).

Read on after the cut to learn about all the fun things you can look forward to with WAR's Keg End live event.

Continue reading Waging WAR: Tapping the keg

Waging WAR: Tapping the keg originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 18 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ring in the end of the year with Warhammer Online's Keg End

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Warhammer Online, News items

Warhammer Online players have things to be thankful for this year, not the least of which being the 1.4 patch. And as the end of the year approaches, it's the traditional time for players to celebrate the passing of the old year in the game via copious amounts of liquor and the usual helping of ultraviolence. That's right, it's time for another round of Keg End, with Order and Destruction alike taking part in the festivities and competing for chances at the coveted Golden Stein.

Aside from the boastworthy exploits of the festival, players will also have giants to face off against, with special rewards for those capable of felling these enemies. There are also rare world drop items for players to look for, including your own personal keg handler or a battlebrew backpack. Warhammer Online players are encouraged to take a look at the official preview of the holiday event, which runs until January 4th to ensure that everyone has plenty of time to ring in the new year with a proper toast. Or a proper inebriated violent rampage, one or the other.

Ring in the end of the year with Warhammer Online's Keg End originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: On the distant horizon

Greg Waller — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Waging WAR

It's that time again! Yes, Greg's imagination has escaped its tiny 3x3 cell and is off spreading ruination and ruffling feathers across the countryside, armed with absurd notions and a not-so-surprising lack of reason and logic. This week's Waging WAR attempts to follow along in its wake as we take another look at the potential future of Warhammer Online: The Age of Reckoning.

WAR released with an impressive lineup of playable armies and careers, setting the stage for the Age of Reckoning with a 3v3, two-sided RvR layout. In the summer following the official release of WAR, we got our first free content expansion featuring the Tomb Kings in the Land of the Dead. Just recently, we finally, at long last, got our Skaven wishes granted. In the spirit of the holiday season coming up, I've decided to look ahead at what may come in the future as we approach new horizons in WAR. Even if we discount Brettonia as another flavor of civilized human (akin in many ways to the Empire), the Daemons of Chaos as being already represented in some form or another as a part of Tzeentch's Warhost, and the Ogre Kingdoms (and other assorted Dogs of War) as being more-or-less an NPC army, we're still left with some excellent offerings from Warhammer lore as far as where WAR can go in the foreseeable future.

Follow along after the break as I take another look at what's left on the table to play with for future packs and expansions for WAR.

Continue reading Waging WAR: On the distant horizon

Waging WAR: On the distant horizon originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: Inside patch 1.4

Greg Waller — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Expansions, Patches, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Waging WAR

The Verminous Horde game update aka patch 1.4 for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is pretty much old news by now. Despite that, Greg takes a look at some of the highlights from the patch as well as the RvR Packs in this week's Waging WAR.

Wow! What a patch! There are so many new little tidbits, toys and tweaks in this patch that it's really sort of hard to describe them all in the space of a single issue of Waging WAR. On top of all the free content in the patch itself, there are also the progression and personality packs available on the EAStore ($10ea/$15combo). In fact, there is so much new content in WAR right now, it's going to take quite a bit of time for us to exhaust it all and start complaining about stagnation again.

Follow along after the break as I talk about some of the highlights from the patch.

Continue reading Waging WAR: Inside patch 1.4

Waging WAR: Inside patch 1.4 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: Battle for Badlands season 3 finale

Greg Waller — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, PvP, Warhammer Online, Waging WAR

With so many awesome things happening for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning lately, with the Verminous Horde expansion, the new store, patch 1.4 and all the rest, Greg has decided to turn his all-seeing eye sideways, to a land called the Badlands, and take Waging WAR along to explore a community-driven event that has been held there for nearly a year now with great success.

Since launch, WAR has enjoyed a great community. With every great community, a great event is inevitable. I've been around the block since WAR was released and have experienced the game on several different servers. I originally rolled my first character, a Swordmaster named Xiimmel, on Iron Rock. Later, I rolled an Archmage named Feiyen on Dark Crag, who I eventually moved back to Iron Rock where she was renamed Veeo. I never did get a chance to explore Phoenix Throne, which was collapsed along with Dark Crag some time ago. Recently, I joined the Badlands community on the side of Destruction with a variety of new characters, and the community there has been good to me so far. Part of that experience the last few weeks has been the opportunity to participate in a community-driven phenomenon known as the Battle for Badlands. Since this is all quite new to me, I decided to do a community spotlight on the event in today's Waging WAR.

Read on past the cut where I play 6Qs and deliver the details about the Battle for Badlands while I try to answer your 5Ws and maybe an H.

Continue reading Waging WAR: Battle for Badlands season 3 finale

Waging WAR: Battle for Badlands season 3 finale originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 13 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warhammer Online reveals the classes of the Skaven

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Previews, Warhammer Online, News items

While last year was technically the Year of the Rat, the rodents seem to have taken over this year as well in the form of the Skaven. Players were excited when it was first announced that Warhammer Online would at last feature playable Skaven, even though it was stated that there would be certain limitations. A new document about the creatures has just gone up, with both fiction to explain the presence of the creatures on each side and a breakdown of the abilities they will bring to the battlefield.

Like other races, the Skaven have four classes unique to them. Warlock Engineers deploy support equipment while fielding powerful effects borne of Warp-Energy, Gutter Runners stay in the shadows and sabotage enemy fortifications, Rat Ogres sow confusion and panic with their powerful frames, and Pack Masters support the nearby Rat Ogres and spur their allies forward. Take a look at the full document for more details on these long-awaited additions to Warhammer Online -- and don't mind the scurrying sound from the walls.

Warhammer Online reveals the classes of the Skaven originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 18:00:00 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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Waging WAR: Chaotic zeal, part two

Greg Waller — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, PvP, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Hands-on, Waging WAR

In this week's installment of Waging WAR, Greg returns to the Chaotic Zeal series and peels back another layer or two of the Zealot career in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. He tells us about his experience through tiers 2 and 3 and talks about what makes the zealot stand out in the chaos crowd. If only we could get him to eat his onions with the same fanaticism...

At the end of the first issue of the Chaotic Zeal series, I left off by saying that I was happily looking forward to playing through tiers 2 and 3 and the promise the Zealot would bring. I'll kick off this second article in the series by saying that I wasn't disappointed in the least. The Zealot is an absolute pleasure to play as a PvP healer, despite the settings and circumstances I was presented with. The career's growth is robust and meaningful with a variety of attractive tactics and morale abilities, while the playstyle becomes more and more refined over time. I could fill an entire column with anecdotes and memories of my time with the career through the middle tiers, as the Zealot is a career experience that tends to be quite engaging and memorable. Instead, I'll focus on my impressions of leveling through them. Thus, with my Zealot poised on the precipice of tier 4 at level 30, I'll look back and recall the issues I faced getting there.

Follow along after the cut as I discuss the middle tiers with the Zealot career.

Continue reading Waging WAR: Chaotic zeal, part two

Waging WAR: Chaotic zeal, part two originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 16 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: The new RvR... Are we there yet?

Greg Waller — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, Expansions, Patches, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Hands-on, Waging WAR

This past week was an exciting week for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning as the new RvR systems were released for testing on the public test realm of Warpstone. Greg took part in both the Wednesday night and Friday afternoon sessions, and writes about his experiences and impressions in this week's Waging WAR.

When Mythic said that testing would begin in October, I don't think anyone expected to get his hands on the new changes to the RvR system so soon. Wednesday night was the first focused test, and I made it a point to take part. I also took part in the European-friendly session scheduled for Friday afternoon. Both events took place in the Tier 3 (Chaos vs. Empire) pairing across the zones of High Pass and Talabecland. There are certain issues that I feel are important enough to discuss regarding the way the new battlefield dynamics will bring about a golden age for melee careers, but this week, I want to focus on the RvR itself. Things have well and truly been shaken up, and this fresh experience is going to take some serious adjustment for veteran players as well as newcomers to the game.

Continue along after the break for more discussion on the topic.

Continue reading Waging WAR: The new RvR... Are we there yet?

Waging WAR: The new RvR... Are we there yet? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 09 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warhammer Online brings open RvR modifications to test server

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, Previews, PvP, Warhammer Online, News items

Warhammer Online recently turned two years old, and while it's been an occasionally rocky two years, the development team has been focusing in on making the core of the game the best it can be. That's been the motivation behind the plethora of RvR updates that have been pushed live over the past year, culminating in recent news regarding the much-anticipated RvR pack. There's a lot more to come, however, and the team is giving players a chance to try out some of the coming changes early, with the updates to open RvR scheduled for public testing.

The first massed public test of the new mechanics will be taking place on Wednesday, October 6th, at 8:00 p.m. EDT on the Warpstone test server. Tier 3 combat is on the menu, with templates provided for players who don't happen to have a character that fits the criteria. No word on whether or not participants will be eligible for prizes, but considering past test realm events, rewards for players seem like a distinct possibility. Warhammer Online players are encouraged to set some time aside for the Wednesday event and should prepare themselves for Warpstone access ahead of time.

[Editor's note: We've corrected the error in the original post. Thanks to those readers who alerted us to the mistake!]

Warhammer Online brings open RvR modifications to test server originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: Coming soon, to a theatre of WAR near you

Greg Waller — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Game mechanics, Patches, PvP, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Waging WAR

We interrupt this week's scheduled career spotlight on Waging WAR to bring you Greg's impressions of the latest and greatest news from the floors of GamesDay: UK regarding Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and the new RvR content coming soon to a theatre of WAR near you.

OK. So. Take everything you know about the Tier 4 RvR Campaign in WAR and press the "Delete" button right now. In fact, press it a few times. Actually, keep going. Keep pressing it until all you're left with is three pairings with three zones each, each zone containing four battlefield objectives and two keeps, and two cities as the capstone for each realm. OK. Now access that part of your brain that stores silly words and euphemisms regarding "the problem with WAR." See that entry for "Waithammer?" Delete it. "PvDoor?" Press the button. Actually, just go wild. Take every criticism you've ever had for WAR's endgame and just throw it out. We're talking total tabula rasa here (and not the ill-fated game). OK, stop. That should do. With an open mind and absolutely no knowledge of in-game mechanics, you're now primed to understand what I'm about to describe regarding the changes that are on their way, and more importantly, why I believe those changes are so critical to the glorious future of WAR.

If your curiosity is even remotely piqued, click the "Read more" button.

Continue reading Waging WAR: Coming soon, to a theatre of WAR near you

Waging WAR: Coming soon, to a theatre of WAR near you originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 02 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: Chaotic zeal, part one

Greg Waller — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Waging WAR

Continuing in the tradition of the Nagarythe Chronicles, Waging WAR moves forward this week with the first issue of another multipart career spotlight for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. This time, however, Greg has defected to the velvet darkness of Chaos. Brandishing a skull in one hand and a twisted dagger in the other, Greg rolls a zealot and starts down a road of uncertainty, where the only constant is Change by the will of Tzeentch.

It has been a long time since I've played the game on the side of Destruction. Actually, truth be told, I've never really been serious about any Destruction character I've ever rolled at all, with my highest level being somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 or so on a blackguard when the class was first released. It has also been quite a while since I've done any career spotlights for the column. With those facts in mind, I've decided to do a multipart series for the zealot and to take a look at how they play and what makes them tick through the various tiers of growth up into Tier 4. The reasons I chose the zealot for the series are simple and few. First of all, the last time I had my hands on the zealot career was long before the new Harbinger mechanic was released, and I want to try it out for myself. Second, I have a considerable amount of experience healing (and DPSing) with my archmage, so I have a baseline for comparison. Finally, I thought a defection would be fun as I level and discover new areas, quests and storylines that I never gave myself a chance to become familiar with.

Follow along after the break as I take a look at the zealot through levels 1-11 in Tier 1.

Continue reading Waging WAR: Chaotic zeal, part one

Waging WAR: Chaotic zeal, part one originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 25 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: The blame game

Greg Waller — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Warhammer Online, PvE, Opinion, Humor, Waging WAR

In this installment of Waging WAR, Greg flips the world all upside-down-like and examines the soft, warm underbelly of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. The PvE side. He holds a mirror to some of the questions he's found himself asking in bad situations involving mean, unforgiving bosses, and he shows us all how not to play The Blame Game. Oh, and HAPPY SECOND ANNIVERSARY, Warhammer Online!!! Ahem, we now return you to our regularly scheduled Waging WAR content.

Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is primarily about the RvR. As such, we don't often discuss some of the things in the PvE instances throughout WAR that we've all experienced at least once (or at least most of us, anyway). Whether you're heading into Hunter's Vale in Tier 1, setting up for a boss in the Tomb of the Vulture Lord, or preparing for any number of instances in-between (I can name five major ones off the top of my head), we've all been there and done that. Things have inevitably gone south for all of us at least once. For some of us, things have gone south repeatedly, on the same boss, with the same group, in the same instance. Frustration and enmity start to set in, and people start wondering, "What is going on here?" What follows then is usually a series of questions tracing a certain pattern that we ask ourselves as we try to figure out what the problem is. I guess it is only human nature to enter into this type of internal dialogue when faced with problem solving in social situations.

Follow after the break to see what I'm talking about.

Continue reading Waging WAR: The blame game

Waging WAR: The blame game originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 18 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warhammer Online details plans for buffing turrets and daemons

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Previews, Warhammer Online, News items

Pets of any kind can pose some issues in games. On the one hand, you want both temporary and permanent pets to provide a utility; on the other hand, you don't want someone crippled without the pet. Warhammer Online has a number of classes that use both permanent and temporary companions, and as part of the next update for the game, the team is working on making the engineer's turrets and the magus's daemons more useful for players in combat.

Both daemons and turrets will now scale with the owner's stats, allowing their growth to keep better pace with more powerful characters. Equally important, however, is the new stacking buff that both types will receive when the engineer or magus remains near their pet. The buff will increase damage gradually while the player remains nearby, up to a 20% buff to damage output. Take a look at the full details from the development team in this small preview, a welcome promised bone for Warhammer Online players.

Warhammer Online details plans for buffing turrets and daemons originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More RvR pack details in the newest Warhammer Online producer's letter

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, PvP, Warhammer Online, News items, Races

The beginning of a new month is upon us, and that means we're due for another producer's letter for Warhammer Online. This letter is coming on the heels of the major announcement of the RvR pack, so it was inevitable that the letter would have a veritable buffet of information for players, and it doesn't disappoint. As the letter explains, the addition of the RvR packs is the capstone on the design work that's been done over the past several months, focusing on the battles of RvR and trimming away the extraneous elements.

Naturally, there's more information on the role of the Skaven, who will be playable by either realm rather than simply being an NPC faction. There's also more talk about the increase in the RR cap, with the goal being a closer approximation of Dark Age of Camelot's similar system. Carrie Gouskos also re-emphasizes that the game isn't going free-to-play at the moment and the team has no plans to change that. Warhammer Online fans should be very happy about the newest letter -- it promises many good things for the game in the near future.

More RvR pack details in the newest Warhammer Online producer's letter originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warhammer Online's RvR pack announced

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Game mechanics, Warhammer Online, News items, Races

Mention "Skaven" to your average Warhammer Online player, and you'll be treated to an almost instant recitation of all the reasons why the race ought to be playable. It appears that players might be due to get that wish -- as well as a few more wishes -- with the announcement of the RvR pack for the game. Although we only have the broadest strokes of an outline for the pack, it promises to expand the game's core focus of PvP with an increase in the renown ranks to 100.

Executive Producer Carrie Gouskos has confirmed the involvement of the Skaven, although she's stated that they'll not be playable directly from level 1. How the integration will take place is unclear, as are most of the fine details, although the pack will clearly be a big change for the game's overall structure. The pack is also meant to move away from the "huge expansion" model that's common in the MMO genre, with the company presumably moving to several smaller expansions on a quicker timetable. It's good news for Warhammer Online players to see what's coming around the bend, especially if players can run about sowing chaos as ravenous rat-men.

Warhammer Online's RvR pack announced originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Warhammer Online drops 1.3.6 today

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST

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

The odds weren't in favor of us seeing the newest patch for Warhammer Online so soon... but that works just fine, since the patch itself is Against All Odds. Even if you're not using it to set up a lame joke, however, patch 1.3.6 is going live today after slightly extended server maintenance, bringing with it several updates and improvements to the game. The eponymous Against All Odds mechanic is one of the central changes, giving a side without sufficient numbers in an RvR lake bonus rewards for persistence.

1.3.6 also brings two major changes to items in the game. The first is the addition of an appearance system, allowing players to make their armor look like whatever set they want without losing the benefits of high-end rewards. The second is equally significant, splitting the high-end Sovereign armor into two sets to celebrate alternate playstyles for each class. As always, there are a number of adjustments and bug fixes listed in the full patch notes, but Warhammer Online players should be happy enough knowing that the game's latest patch is live and ready to enjoy.

Warhammer Online drops 1.3.6 today originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The details on playing dress-up in Warhammer Online's upcoming patch

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, Warhammer Online, News items

If there's one overriding impulse that goes into nearly every MMO, it's the urge to look good. You spend so much time staring at your character that you want to look appropriate -- ominous, or dignified, or just plain cool. That's the motive behind Warhammer Online's new appearance system in patch 1.3.6, and it's a significant upgrade to the game's setup. Designer Sean Bosshardt has penned a developer diary explaining how the new appearance system works in practice, which essentially gives your equipment its own set of equipment.

The short version is that when looking at your character's equipment, you can flip over to their appearance slots, and then each eligible item can have another item placed within the appearance slot. However, the new appearance doesn't consume or use the item which granted the new look, and it stays with that piece of armor -- so you can change the look of a pair of shoulders, and that look stays with them until you change it again. It's an interesting system with several nuances, so Warhammer Online players are encouraged to read the full diary to see just how nice they'll be looking when the new patch hits.

The details on playing dress-up in Warhammer Online's upcoming patch originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: Gamescom and Mythic's anti-hype

Greg Waller — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Waging WAR

In light of Gamescom coming next week (August 18th - 22nd), this week WagingWAR looks forward to what could be coming for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. But beware: Since Mythic has been so secretive about the future of WAR, we've been forced to compromise and offer mere conjecture. Unchained by reason or fact, we follow in the wake of that terrible beast known only as "Greg's Imagination."

With less than a week left until Gamescom, I find myself more and more excited by the potential of what Mythic could be set to reveal, regardless of the fact that it's given me nothing to chew on. I am hyped by the anti-hype. What follows is the result of that hype. There are no facts, rumours, hints, or tips to back up what amounts to totally unbarred speculation. I have organized the aftermath of my brainstorm in terms of what would excite me, from most to least, followed by why I believe these additions could make sense, and how they might be implemented. Keep in mind that some of what follows could simply be passed off as madness; it might be totally unfeasible, even by the most adept and well-financed of development teams. I'm fully aware of that. The point here was to just "let it go." And I did.

Crazy, or uncanny -- you decide. Follow along after the break.

Continue reading Waging WAR: Gamescom and Mythic's anti-hype

Waging WAR: Gamescom and Mythic's anti-hype originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively's Community Detective, Issue #4: Warhammer Online [Updated]

Jef Reahard — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Community Detective

"Don't roll a black orc, they'll just piss you off [since] newbies don't know how to back you up," said one of the helpful folks on Warhammer Online's Badlands server when I asked about class choice. While you may disagree with his assessment, he was one member of a very friendly community, and one of many that took the time to answer questions and make a new player feel welcome on multiple occasions.

Unfortunately that's more than I can say for Mythic's customer service department. When it bothered to respond, it wasn't inclined to help with the simplest of support tickets, nor provide any sort of explanation.

~~Waaagh~~ WAAAGH! past the cut for more.

Continue reading Massively's Community Detective, Issue #4: Warhammer Online [Updated]

Massively's Community Detective, Issue #4: Warhammer Online [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: A healer's advice for melee-DPS

Greg Waller — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: PvP, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Hands-on, Humor, Waging WAR

Waging WAR starts the month of August with a look at archetypes in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and the way they work together in RvR and scenarios. Although Greg's rules apply to pretty much any class-based, group-based, PvP-centric game, he prefers to think of them as particular to WAR, since there's a bunch of game-specific slang in there that he's too lazy to change.

Having a role to play is integral to the massively multiplayer online experience, but when the term "roleplay" comes up, it usually means something very specific and closely related to dramatic acting. Taken in a broader sense, it means that we choose our roles when we project the most imaginative aspect of our psychic selves and ask the question "who (or what) do I want to be?" Thus, our vicarious adventures begin. For the purposes of social gaming, it should come as no surprise that those classes usually fit another staple in the MMO universe -- the role trinity of tanker, healer, and damager. While the bond between the healer and tanker is obvious, the unspoken pact between healer and damager is just as sacred and yet all too easily forgotten. For those who were unaware such a promise existed, it goes something like, "I, the healer, promise to keep you alive so you can kill stuff in the face (better)." However, in many cases, the damaging character is delegated an expendable role, compared to the tank's priority or the healer's own survival. These are exceptions that the melee-damager is usually aware of and even comfortable with.

But today I'm not here to challenge those roles like I normally would when talking about damage-healer hybrids. As a specialized healer, I've defined a few, easy-to-remember rules that I believe every melee-damage player should follow in group situations (PUG or premade - there is little difference when it comes to these rules). Solo play is an entirely different realm and beyond the scope of this column; I want to focus on the special synergy between healer and melee-damager, and to dispense advice to those brave, wayward souls in their never-ending quest to face blades as they bring their own to bear.

I'll bestow these tidbits of wisdom after the break.

Continue reading Waging WAR: A healer's advice for melee-DPS

Waging WAR: A healer's advice for melee-DPS originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Aug 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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July letter available from Warhammer Online's executive producer

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Patches, Previews, PvP, Warhammer Online, News items

Back when she was first placed in the position of Executive Producer for Warhammer Online, Carrie Gouskos promised to try for a letter every month. She's stayed true to that promise, and as the end of July approaches at breakneck speeds, there's a new letter for the fans. After a quick recap of the known news about the game (the testing of patch 1.3.6 and the European migration), there are several other updates, starting with the return of the Wild Hunt to the game with the coming patch.

The letter also contains the promise of a new 6v6 scenario for the Weekend Warfront rotation, citing the matchup as a popular format that needs more representation. We also get a hint of future plans to help encourage RvR whilst leveling, said plans involving new enemies with high XP values being added to the RvR lakes. There's also a promise of a rework to the mechanics of some of the ranged classes, a coda to the most recent letter which should have several points of interest for dedicated Warhammer Online fans.

July letter available from Warhammer Online's executive producer originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patch 1.3.6 available on Warhammer Online's Warpstone server

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST

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

It's been a quiet month for Warhammer Online players, unless you've been part of the transition of management over in Europe, but change appears to be on the horizon. Patch 1.3.6 has been in development for a little while now, and the players are getting to take it for a spin this weekend, as it's just been launched onto the Warpstone public test server. As usual, the development team is hosting a Q&A session as well as a stress test during the test phase, and while the official announcement doesn't mention any giveaways, history would seem to imply they'll be there.

Of course, all of the testing is well and good, but what does the patch actually contain? Fear not, as the full patch notes are available to read, with the major highlights covering item sets and RvR balance -- the latter addressed via the new "Against All Odds" system that gives a bonus to the underdog in RvR lakes. Items will now be customizable via appearance slots, and the Sovereign armor sets have been split into two potential sets for different playstyles. Take a look at the patch notes, and be sure to head on to Warpstone for a preview of the latest and greatest addition to Warhammer Online.

Patch 1.3.6 available on Warhammer Online's Warpstone server originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Greg Waller — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Game mechanics, Patches, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Hands-on, Waging WAR

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...

Waging 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.

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Waging WAR: The Nagaryth Chronicles, supplemental

Greg Waller — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Patches, PvP, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Hands-on, Waging WAR

During the last three weeks, Waging WAR took a look at the shadow warrior career in Warhammer Online, in an attempt to gain personal experience and insight into the complaints that most players have with the class. Due to popular demand, this week we return (albeit briefly) to the shadow warrior class to touch up a few frayed ends. We also set our sights forward and look ahead to future issues of Waging WAR.

I felt that my review of the career was based on solid ground, given the scope, and taking the setting and focus into consideration, and considering the fact that I had to grind the levels relatively quickly in order to stay on-time and deliver the column promptly. Despite my original intention to simply gain personal insight and experience with the class in an effort to have greater understanding of its hot-button issues, many of the Waging WAR readers who left comments were disappointed with my experiment, as I didn't have time or space to have a serious look at the skirmish and assault trees. So, throughout the last week, I felt obliged to play my shadow warrior, focusing all of my mastery points in either skirmish or assault (starting at rank 30, there are more than enough points available to explore an entire tree, and even a few inter-tree synergies).

Follow along after the break to find out how things went for me.

Continue reading Waging WAR: The Nagaryth Chronicles, supplemental

Waging WAR: The Nagaryth Chronicles, supplemental originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 17 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: The Nagaryth Chronicles, part three

Greg Waller — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, PvP, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Hands-on, Waging WAR

This week bears with it the final installment to Waging WAR's Nagaryth Chronicles, which took a long-term, in-depth look at the Path of the Scout mastery tree available to Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning's shadow warrior. Admittedly, Greg didn't have time to take his character all the way through to rank 40/40, but this past July 4th weekend's double XP and renown bonuses allowed him to level through Tier 3 relatively quickly. He's also promised us that he'll continue to play her casually as a break from his Archmage main, from time to time.

Again, I would like to take a moment to respond to some feedback left as reader comments to last week's column:

@Taawa -- According to my experience, festerbombs are absolutely deadly (think: "BOOM Headshot!"), possibly even moreso than any sort of infiltration attack by stealth-class melee-damage-per-second (MDPS) careers. If you're the type who enjoys sneaking around terrain and quietly selecting a target while taking time to prepare a guaranteed kill, you'll enjoy this build. I'll explain more after the break.
@Kyelthis -- Again with excellent feedback: the Steady Aim (SA) - Replenishing Strikes (RS) - Rapid Fire (RF) combination (a combination that had never occured to me until you pointed it out) is almost always as effective as Lileath's Forgiveness (LF). However, I feel that my use of SA is slightly more productive. I'll explain why after the break.
@Hal900x -- I'm pretty sure you're mistaking Unshakeable Focus with SA. Also, Shadow Sting (SS) is extremely short-range (45'). My ideal build (complete by rank 35) was focusing on extremely long-range, high-burst, sniping -- which is why I opted for Fell the Weak (FTW, 100') instead, since it has the same effect except instead of requiring an ailment, the "mortal strike" component requires Vengeance of Nagarythe (VoN, and is one second longer in duration to boot!). Finally, SA applies a 50% increased critical chance to damaging attacks, not to the overall critical chance of the character; thus, any attack during those six seconds has its critical chance treated like a coin flip: heads for a critical, tails for a normal hit.

So, why do I think that shadow warriors are fine and don't need the attention that everyone seems to claim they need? I'll discuss my side of the issue after the break.

Continue reading Waging WAR: The Nagaryth Chronicles, part three

Waging WAR: The Nagaryth Chronicles, part three originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Update on the Warhammer Online transition for European players

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Warhammer Online, News items

If you've been enjoying Warhammer Online over in Europe, it's been impossible to miss all of the information about Mythic Entertainment taking over the game's operation. Much as it did with the Dark Age of Camelot transition earlier this year, Mythic is replacing GOA as the direct operator. The team behind the game has been trying to keep the process of transition as transparent as possible, and the result has been that it appears to be clear sailing for the switched operators, according to the most recent announcement.

Although the original timeline called for the transition to run until July 7th, it appears that the change has been completed, with all existing accounts transferred over with the suffix "_EUR." (So "Facemasher" would be "Facemasher_EUR" to log in.) While the team doesn't anticipate any problems, it's continuing to improve French and German customer service bases. As such, the team is asking for players to submit English requests when possible during the transition period. Warhammer Online players should be pleased at the smoothness of the transition, but are still advised to keep their eyes open on the off chance something went strange.

Update on the Warhammer Online transition for European players originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: The Nagaryth Chronicles, part two

Greg Waller — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, PvP, Reviews, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Hands-on, Waging WAR

Waging WAR continues this week with the second installment of the Nagaryth Chronicles -- an in-depth look at the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning's shadow warrior. We'll talk about how the career performs through tier two, identify key abilities, and open the floor to discussion about how we might begin to remedy some of the most basic issues with the career. So nock another arrow and let's get started.

First things first. I want to quickly respond to a few of the reader comments left on last week's column.

@MiloMenderBender: After you pointed out my target selection could be wrong, I started paying attention to my damage vs. the varying enemy careers. Your suggestion to pay closer attention to damage-per-kill rather than overall made perfect sense, and I'm now making more careful and efficient targeting decisions -- with satisfying results.
@Kyelthis: Your keybinding suggestions were excellent and definitely worth trying out.
@ShadowWAR: After reading your comment, it took only a moment to pay closer attention and confirm that the stances are not on the global cooldown (GCD) and skirmish stance does indeed return 1:1 ballistics to strength from items only.
@ the rest: Thank you for your contributions, and, although I'm hesitant to have this series turn into a conversation about mirrors, issues with the game in general or concerns with other careers, I want you to know that I read all of your comments and appreciate your feedback.

Moving on, let's continue with my impressions and issues with the shadow warrior through tier two after the break.

Continue reading Waging WAR: The Nagaryth Chronicles, part two

Waging WAR: The Nagaryth Chronicles, part two originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 03 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: Patch 1.3.6 and the proverbial DPS-Healer

Greg Waller — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Patches, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Waging WAR

There aren't very many companies that open up planned patch changes to their players and fans for discussion; however, Mythic is one that does. This week, Waging WAR focuses on the suggested career balance changes for the Zealot and Runepriest coming in patch 1.3.6 for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. We'll cover the issue as well as the proposed solution for these careers. We'll also discuss the impact that these changes might have on the affected careers and on the community in general. There's also a part where Greg throws some drama at the fan and rants about "DPS-Healers."

Let's start by clarifying the main issue and the proposed change. Currently, the other healing careers (Archmage, Shaman, Warrior Priest and Disciple of Khaine) have their mastery paths organized by the role which they might play (i.e. damage focus, healing focus, etc.); whereas, the Zealot and Runepriest don't. Their mastery paths are organized by the delivery method of their healing (i.e. over time, direct, or area). The problem is, after deciding whether to specialize offensively or defensively and gearing to that role (a freedom of choice that they should be given), the Zealot and Runepriest are left with only one-half of an effective skill-set -- the other half of their skills being rendered ineffective by role choice and gear itemization. To bring these careers in line with their archetypical cousins, a new mechanism is proposed which gives Zealots and Runepriests a chance to retain some effectiveness in skills that are outside their chosen role.

Continue reading Waging WAR: Patch 1.3.6 and the proverbial DPS-Healer

Waging WAR: Patch 1.3.6 and the proverbial DPS-Healer originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: Revisiting the new player experience

Greg Waller — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Reviews, Warhammer Online, Opinion, Promotions, Waging WAR

Waging WAR moves a step backward this week to take a fresh look at the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning new player experience. Greg gives us his take on what he thinks we can expect from the Endless Trial or a Re-enlistment subscription with a new character. He takes us through his experience over a few casual days of play and tells us about the leveling process, scenarios, RvR, twinking and more.

Lately, I have spent quite a bit of my time on my rank 40/70 Archmage, focusing on emblem collection and participating in the newly formatted Tier 4 city sieges. Earlier this week, as I considered topics for this weekend's column, I realized that it had been a while since I had experienced the low-level content. Conveniently enough, I was just starting to suffer a bit from healer's burn-out (thanklessly healing day after day can wear a person down), and decided I would take a break and tool around on a lowbie for some fresh kicks and giggles.

Continue reading Waging WAR: Revisiting the new player experience

Waging WAR: Revisiting the new player experience originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Waging WAR: An in-depth look at the Producer's Letter

Greg Waller — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, Patches, Previews, Warhammer Online, News items, Opinion, Rumors, Waging WAR

This week, Waging WAR is going to take a deeper look at the Producer's Letter for this month of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. There are lots of new promises coming down the pipeline, and plenty of speculation to follow. Let's sift through some of the hubbub and get into the nitty-gritty of it all.

First of all, there's a serious cliffhanger in the notes suggesting that we'll be given a reason to wear all the sovereign gear that's being won in the new city sieges. Currently, there is good reason to wear (or at least acquire) warlord gear if for nothing other than the wards they provide -- and thus the significant advantage they give in the new city sieges. However, there is nothing in the game that requires the wards that the sovereign gear provides. If we insert tab-A into slot-B, the only real conclusion we can come to, speculatively, is that a new expansion is just beyond the horizon, and close to being revealed. Such an expansion could very well add a new tier (and new wards and warded content), in addition to buckets of other new content, such as a new pairing (as has been speculated many times in the past -- Skaven vs. Lizardmen, anyone?) On this point, I suppose we'll have to apply the "wait-and-see" motif, and just wait and see. Also, E3 is also coming up very soon (June 14-17). Could the EA/Mythic booth have some big news secretly tucked up their collective sleeves? As a disclaimer, this is only wild speculation by this particular columnist and nothing above should be taken as official suggestion of anything mentioned at all. But we can hope, can't we?

Continue reading Waging WAR: An in-depth look at the Producer's Letter

Waging WAR: An in-depth look at the Producer's Letter originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 05 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cosmetic armor and more promised in Warhammer Online's May producer letter

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, Warhammer Online, News items

The recent release of patch 1.3.5 has brought with it the complete death of Warhammer Online, if you equate a more active city siege environment with "complete death." Even though it came late in the month, it's certainly a major point of discussion for executive producer Carrie Gouskos, and it's addressed in the most recent producer letter for May. But that's the least of what needs to be discussed, and the talk starts with a reversal of the prior announcement that 1.3.6 would allow players to create characters of both realms on the same server. Fan reaction was negative enough to change the decision.

Moving along, the producer letter promises the introduction of armor appearance separate from armor stats, similar to how Lord of the Rings Online allows players to wear a purely cosmetic set. There's also the promise of major updates to the Runepriest and Zealot careers, to make both of them more active and engaging to play in either healing or damage. Fans of Warhammer Online should take a look at the full producer's letter to see more discussion about what's coming around the bend for the game.

Cosmetic armor and more promised in Warhammer Online's May producer letter originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The siege begins with Warhammer Online's patch 1.3.5

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, PvP, Warhammer Online, News items

If there's been a recurring theme in recent news about Warhammer Online, it's been the promise that 1.3.5 will be a glorious patch to behold. At the heart are the revamped RvR-focused City Siege events, letting players assault the center of the enemy's power. Last week was the public testing of both redesigned cities, and it must have gone quite well, because the patch has hit the live servers. Now, instead of fighting against the city's ruler in a PvE format, players will fight alongside the heavy hitters in a 24 vs. 24 battle.

The changes to the cities aren't the only improvements to the game, however. Mythic has also added several quality-of-life improvements such as changes to inventory spaces and mini-map highlights to help point players to regions of interest. City sieges are the lynchpin, however, and as was discussed during our recent chat with executive producer Carrie Gouskos they're part of the game's major push to celebrate RvR in all its forms. Warhammer Online players can take a look at the full patch notes here -- or just get in the game and into the action as fast as possible.

The siege begins with Warhammer Online's patch 1.3.5 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 19 May 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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