Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Preview (Part 2) [Archive]

RainOfTerror

02-10-2007, 01:50 PM

WorthPlaying (http://www.WorthPlaying.com) visited the newly renamed EA Mythic offices to see the more representative RvR aspect of its MMORPG Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and get in some more playtime with the newer PvE areas (the Empire and Chaos starting areas). Earlier we covered RvR (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24791), and in this 2nd part of the article, we'll preview the PvE aspect of Warhammer Online, touch on the Empire and Chaos races, their classes, and the overall experience of playing through the starting areas.

The Chaos starting area is a somewhat fresh take on what most people would consider the normal content to be, as when you create a Chaos character, your first overall goal in life is to attack an Empire village under siege by your fellow comrades. While doing so, players will set fire to houses, kill legions of Empire spearmen and tower guards, ransack the town's supplies, and murder named leaders of the defense effort.Check out the WHO: Age of Reckoning preview (http://www.worthplaying.com/article.php?sid=40343) (part 2).

Echani

02-10-2007, 02:05 PM

I'm happy to say that I've absolutely no interest in any MMORPGs until this one comes out, so this'll be my reward for quitting WoW and staying clean for a few years. I personally can't wait to see models for the other races; I'm all for scenery shots and I love concept art, but I've seen enough stunties and greenskins for the time being. I was reading about the Public Quest and Zone Control systems earlier on in the week, and it's sounding very promising from a theoretical standpoint - I hope they can pull it off.

lockwoodx

02-10-2007, 03:08 PM

Hope your not too dissapointed it's a total WoW clone then.

Echani

02-10-2007, 03:22 PM

Hope your not too dissapointed it's a total WoW clone then.
Of course it is, this game that's at least half a year from release which you've presumably never played. What tipped you off? The graphics engine or the dwarves and orcs? I've never seen those together in a fantasy setting before. Anyway, Penny Arcade said it better than I ever could (http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2006/20060410.jpg).

PS: "you're"

Herald42

02-10-2007, 03:33 PM

You said it much more eloquently than I could have, Echani.

I can't wait to breed me some squigs.

Goronmon

02-10-2007, 04:10 PM

Hope your not too dissapointed it's a total WoW clone then.At first this post annoyed me, then I realized it just helps you appreciate the fact that most EvAv posters aren't dumbasses.

Mashidar

02-10-2007, 04:46 PM

I'm not a warhammer buff or fan really, but this MMO has the makings of the first MMO that might make a dent into the WoW player base. Perhaps I say that though because this is the first MMO that's really made me excited for an MMO since WoW was released.

Khash

02-10-2007, 04:53 PM

I never played WoW due to its focus on PvE. The last MMORPG I played was DAoC which was also made by Mythic. This looks to be the spiritual successor to DAoC with a retooled RvR system. Can't wait.

Mausinator

02-10-2007, 05:00 PM

I'm really considering trying out his MMO, but I don't know I don't want to get addicted like I did to WoW. I'm so happy I quit.

randir14

02-10-2007, 05:06 PM

I'm starting to think dwarves and orcs/goblings are the only races in this game.

bryan

02-10-2007, 05:09 PM

I'm really considering trying out his MMO, but I don't know I don't want to get addicted like I did to WoW. I'm so happy I quit.

this is my concern as well; life is actually so much better without playing WOW. However I plan to have my life firmly sorted that whatever MMO I play will just slot in somewhere in my schedule and not be all consuming like WOW was for me.

Lint of Death

02-10-2007, 05:22 PM

I'm starting to think dwarves and orcs/goblings are the only races in this game.

An astute observation, to be sure, especially when the entire article is about playing as the Empire and Chaos.

randir14

02-10-2007, 05:35 PM

An astute observation, to be sure, especially when the entire article is about playing as the Empire and Chaos.

What I mean is we've seen no other races ever since the first screens were released.

Captain Awesome

02-10-2007, 06:06 PM

At first this post annoyed me, then I realized it just helps you appreciate the fact that most EvAv posters aren't dumbasses.

hahaha...

http://content.imagesocket.com/images/wowdeatha5d.jpg

Lint of Death

02-10-2007, 06:10 PM

What I mean is we've seen no other races ever since the first screens were released.

Oh, that's mostly a consequence of how they are publicizing the game. The dwarves and greenskins are the only ones that are really fleshed out, but Empire and Chaos have been worked on for a little while now (since around September) so information about them is still growing. If the newsletter is any indication they've hardly even started work on the elves, so we haven't seen anything about them.

The latest online newsletter has some very small sneak previews of the Bright Wizard and Magus in game, and some concept art for the otherwise unannounced Chaos DPS class. And lots more, it's delicious.

I wish the newsletter for Spore was anywhere near as good! I've been signed up for that one ever since it was available a couple of years ago and I haven't gotten a single email.

Mausinator

02-10-2007, 07:36 PM

this is my concern as well; life is actually so much better without playing WOW. However I plan to have my life firmly sorted that whatever MMO I play will just slot in somewhere in my schedule and not be all consuming like WOW was for me.

Yep, time to learn self restraint or stick to playing non mmorpgs. WoW has been the only game that really got me addicted like that. No other has been able to do the same thing so far.

Echani

02-10-2007, 07:59 PM

Yep, time to learn self restraint or stick to playing non mmorpgs. WoW has been the only game that really got me addicted like that. No other has been able to do the same thing so far.
That's a bit of a concern alright, considering that when WAR is released I'll either be in 1st year medicine or sitting around studying my arse off (as I'm doing this year) for a second shot at the entrance exam. I figure that if I've learnt enough self-restraint to stay away from MMORPGs for the last few years, I'll be able to play one without getting completely hooked again.

Right?

bryan

02-10-2007, 08:02 PM

Get a pretty good schedule of other stuff to do, then find an MMO to slot in. Right now I'm playing squash and badminton every other day and plan to get back into rugby. Get yourself committed to something else. If you have too much free time on your hands and can't control your addictions, don't touch an MMO.

KamaItachi

02-10-2007, 08:34 PM

I have managed to avoid MMOs for the most part, but damn, if this isn't an incredibly tempting game. Good thing it's not due 'til much later this year, I'll have a better excuse to grab a new PC then.

Now the real question, Troll Slayer or Slanneshi champion?

Draft

02-10-2007, 08:59 PM

Hopefully it won't be a faction imbalanced mess like DAOC. WoW has that shit too, but at least most pvp takes place in instances with balanced teams.

Crabby

02-10-2007, 09:42 PM

Hopefully it won't be a faction imbalanced mess like DAOC. WoW has that shit too, but at least most pvp takes place in instances with balanced teams.

The RvR instances are tuned to allow for matching of an even number of live players and bots to fill in the rest. Theorectically, if the sides are absolutely not balanced, you might see a lot of 1v1 player games with bots filling out the rest of the x slots, in order to maintain fairness.

But really...that says nothing for the overworld stuff such as ransacking cities.

Draft

02-10-2007, 09:47 PM

The RvR instances are tuned to allow for matching of an even number of live players and bots to fill in the rest. Theorectically, if the sides are absolutely not balanced, you might see a lot of 1v1 player games with bots filling out the rest of the x slots, in order to maintain fairness.

But really...that says nothing for the overworld stuff such as ransacking cities.Bots suck major ass in WoW, and I bet they will suck major ass in WHO too. Something about MMO PVP, doesn't lend itself to AI.

Tricky Thumb

02-10-2007, 10:02 PM

Bots suck major ass in WoW, and I bet they will suck major ass in WHO too. Something about MMO PVP, doesn't lend itself to AI.

I know this is nit-picking and shit, but it's WAR not 'WHO' as Worthplaying Pimp RainOfTerror seemed to decide to post. The WAR fan-base and the Devs have been referring to it as that forever.

I've played an early Alpha build of WAR and I can easily say it possesses more promise than even WoW did. Also yes, PvP doesn't lend well to AI bots running around constantly but people usually still try nonetheless.

Vyzov

02-11-2007, 01:59 AM

I've been stoked for this game since it was first announced. I'm loving the newsletters and hopefully my name comes up sometime soon in them :D

Herald42

02-11-2007, 08:22 AM

Regarding bots: It can be done well, if the bot is made specifically for that purpose. For example, there used to be a LUA plugin for WoW that would automatically choose which heal spell to cast for priests. Our guild's healer used it for a short period of time, and it was amazing -- and he never seemed to run out of mana. Now, combine that with a script to select the party member that most needs healing and cast at them -- all the sudden, you really only need to push one button. At one point, the healer was stumbling drunk and running a dungeon with a 4-man team, and we still did fine. Automate that button push, and hey -- you've got yourself a fully functioning heal bot.

torrefaction

02-11-2007, 09:58 AM

This may actually draw me into this genre.

Nothing before has, so we'll see.

Goronmon

02-11-2007, 10:51 AM

At level 66 in WoW, I am already getting sick of playing that game. WAR better be good and different enough, or it'll be a long wait for the next decent MMO.

S1n1star

02-11-2007, 02:49 PM

Unfortunately, it will be neither good nor different. I've peeked behind the curtain and this one is all cockney-accented windbaggery. Keep your expectations Gnoblar low and you MIGHT not be disappointed, but you won't be playing more than 3 months tops and even then you will be wishing that Mythic knew what an animator and a sound designer are. Keep looking on the horizon for the next big thing, folks, this one aint it.

reimomo

02-11-2007, 09:51 PM

Borthcollective

02-12-2007, 05:26 AM

I played it at Gencon. It needs some real work. The gui in unresponsive and you were required to tab target. I was told at the time that the game I was playing was several revisions old, but why demo the old stuff. PVP was boring and drawn out.

Zacharai

02-12-2007, 09:24 AM

I was told at the time that the game I was playing was several revisions old, but why demo the old stuff.
The 'old stuff' is likely a more stable revision than the newer versions of the GUI. That is how software development works. Between the choice of showing a nice, (hopefully) intuitive interface that crashes occasionally, and the older one that doesn't, it's a simple choice.

People in games journalism often get annoyed with how closely some companies guard their games in development - only using pre-approved screenshots, signing NDAs, etc. This comment is an example of the reason why.