Warhammer Online

Post by **Dog Pants** » January 22nd, 2008, 10:35

I'm sure I've put up a post of this somewhere before, but I can't find the bloody thing so I'll start again. It's probably on t'disco board or something.

There's a four page article on this on this month's PCG (predictably, after it appeared in RPS), and despite the reservations of all you pessimistic bummers I'm having to restrain myself from getting too excited.

I'm not a massive fan of the whole Games Workshop thing - I used to play their stuff a lot as a teenager and it all got extremely commercial - but I have to admit that it has a very rich and interesting history that would make a superb MMONG.

So, setting aside, why am I excited? It seems like they're hellbent on making it a lot more PvP than other WoW clones, with a Realm vs Realm systems that was apparently used in DAoC to good effect. At the moment their aim is to make every PvP fight and every PvE quest influence a server-wide war that will end in the siege and sacking of one of the two capital cities. Sounds good to me - it works well in Eve. The PvE looks quite different too; while one big group is doing an instance, the game caters for solo PvEers by allowing them to do little things that will indirectly help the main instance. In the other faction the same will be happening to cause an opposing effect.

The example given was of a group of orcs trying to stave off a giant invading the village, but soloers can collect beer barrels so that the group can get the giant pissed and on-side to encourage him to attack a nearby dwarf stronghold. In the meantime a dwarf group is working towards setting up siege weapons in order to defend against said giant, while soloers find barrels of gunpowder to hurl at him.

This might not survive the beta, but if they stay on track it could turn out very interesting. They've expressed a desire to keep the game light enough to be able to dip into for half an hour, so it might have the PvP draw of Eve without having to give up having a life to play it.

Sheriff Fatman · Post by **Sheriff Fatman** » January 22nd, 2008, 12:41

I am quite looking forward to this as well. I'll remain cautiously optimistic until I get my hands on it however, the PvP in DAoC was/is very good, probably the best I have played. A friend I introduced to it still plays eight years and one divorce later.

Everything I've read about WAR I like, shame I am really not a fan of the Games Workshop artistic stylee.

buzzmong · Post by **buzzmong** » January 22nd, 2008, 12:58

I just hope PVP will be eve like in the losses incurred (so, risk vs reward, better items give you better chance, but if you get killed, they'll get looted and not be yours anymore) rather than wow's version of risk free pvp.

Hehulk · Post by **Hehulk** » January 22nd, 2008, 13:30

Actually, I take it back, that sounds like it might have potential (if I ignore the fact that it looks like WOW)

Post by **HereComesPete** » January 22nd, 2008, 13:32

I'm looking forward to this. I haven't played the tabletop stuff in years, but I still buy the occasional white dwarf too 'oooh' at all the 'eavy metal painting. I wonder if they'll put some high level AI types in that represent the great names of the races, King louen leoncoeur, Archaon, Teclis etc.

Also, still really want a 40k version.

Hehulk · Post by **Hehulk** » January 22nd, 2008, 13:39

HereComesPete wrote:Also, still really want a 40k version.

Rumour has it, Relic are working on that.

Lee · Post by **Lee** » January 22nd, 2008, 13:59

I'm also quite interested in this. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be a WoW clone.

Post by **Dog Pants** » January 22nd, 2008, 15:12

buzzmong wrote:I just hope PVP will be eve like in the losses incurred (so, risk vs reward, better items give you better chance, but if you get killed, they'll get looted and not be yours anymore) rather than Magical Gaaay Fairy Land's version of risk free pvp.

I don't want that. One of the reasons I don't play Eve any more is because I don't have the time to devote to making isk so that I can replace the inevitable PvP losses. I don't want it to be completely risk-free either though, and I like the idea of being able to loot gear from defeated foes. I'd also like to think that there's always the risk in PvP nomatter how well kitted out you are that the little guy can get lucky. PvP in almost every game has too many people with too much time who just roam around pwning casual players like me. makes it not really worth me bothering with.

Hehulk wrote:Rumour has it, Relic are working on that.

This ^

Lee wrote:I'm also quite interested in this. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be a Magical Gaaay Fairy Land clone.

I think that's what everyone's hoping. If last year's terrible run of MMONGS has taught us anything, it's that you can't beat Warcraft at Warcraft. The only other successes (Eve mainly) are the ones who try to be different.

Baliame · Post by **Baliame** » January 22nd, 2008, 15:13

Lee wrote:I'm also quite interested in this. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be a Magical Gaaay Fairy Land clone.

Fact: It already is. Mostly.

Post by **Dog Pants** » January 22nd, 2008, 15:24

Baliame wrote:Fact: It already is. Mostly.

Fact: Most statements beginning with "Fact:" aren't. Mostly.

Baliame · Post by **Baliame** » January 22nd, 2008, 15:40

Dog Pants wrote:
Fact: Most statements beginning with "Fact:" aren't. Mostly.

Fact: cupcake! Mostly.

Post by **Dog Pants** » January 22nd, 2008, 15:50

Baliame wrote:
Fact: cupcake! Mostly.

Fix'd

My point is though that unless you've played the beta you can't really make assumptions like that. It might look similar (although I've yet to see a screenshot) but that doesn't mean it will play the same.

Lee · Post by **Lee** » January 22nd, 2008, 16:11

Dog Pants wrote:It might look similar (although I've yet to see a screenshot) but that doesn't mean it will play the same.

It does have a similar graphical style to WoW but in my opinion thats a good thing since it looks good while not needing a powerful PC and it ages well unlike alot of MMOs that look horrible even on the release day. Hopefully that's the only thing thats similar though.

Post by **Joose** » January 22nd, 2008, 17:49

From what ive read about it so far (ive been keeping quite a close eye on it as I was a bit of a warhammer geek when I was younger. Well...not so much with the younger, actually...) its really *not* a WoW clone. At least one dev has physically recoiled when the interviewer suggested it might be similar to WoW, and the features thus far confirmed makes it sound very not WoW.

It sort of sounds like Fantasy MMO meets Beef2, with the whole leveling and quests and whatnot of MMO's, but with the whole point of absolutely everything being this massive pvp battle with a front line that moves up and down the world map. Even the pve stuff will have direct effects on the overarching pvp battle.

Post by **Dog Pants** » January 22nd, 2008, 18:10

Shame they're using levels. The Warhammer pen-and-paper RPG had a great career system with primary and secondary classes and associated skills, and I think you could dabble in as many mini-careers as you liked. You upped your skills with experience points rather than levelling. Was quite a grim game actually.

spoodie · Post by **spoodie** » January 22nd, 2008, 19:08

Dog Pants wrote:Shame they're using levels. The Warhammer pen-and-paper RPG had a great career system with primary and secondary classes and associated skills, and I think you could dabble in as many mini-careers as you liked. You upped your skills with experience points rather than levelling. Was quite a grim game actually.

I don't know if you've seen it but this video shows the lvl/skills/etc. system - http://www.gametrailers.com/player/29564.html
Might be interesting.

Post by **Roman Totale** » January 22nd, 2008, 19:19

Serious Sam posted about this a while ago, and I have to say I've been quite looking forward to it for some time. Never got into the whole GW thing myself, but I've always been mildly intrigued by it.

The cutscene thingy trailer for it was also most win.

amblin · Post by **amblin** » January 22nd, 2008, 23:36

Post by **HereComesPete** » January 22nd, 2008, 23:47

I went to a few gamesdays, best I did was second round with a tau crisis battlesuit, spent almost as long painting it as most of the rest of the army. Purple and black, with an orc being squished underfoot, I used green biro ink for the orc blood, took almost a week to dry but it looked amazing.

Hehulk · Post by **Hehulk** » January 23rd, 2008, 0:10

I did look at entering GD one year in the young bloods section, but after spending somehting like 20 hours on a dark angels librarian, I put it next to pictures of previous winning entries and decided I didn't stand a chance.

But Yes, Dark Angels/Tau in MMO. Giev!