Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Q&A - Details on the Greenskin and Dwarf Factions
We catch up with senior designer Steve Marvin to get the lowdown on the greenskin and dwarf factions in Warhammer Online and find out how you can use them to own every battle.
Massively multiplayer role-playing games let you explore and adventure in huge virtual worlds populated by thousands of players. And the massively multiplayer RPG genre is going to get an influx of orcs, dwarfs, and other fantasy creatures next year when EA and EA Mythic release Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, a game that's set in the popular Warhammer Fantasy universe. Warhammer is better known for its tabletop miniatures game, but in Warhammer Online you will be able to create a fantasy character based on some of the universe's most popular races and then select a career path that lets you really explore the different facets of Warhammer. For more details, we turned to lead designer Steve Marvin.
GameSpot: Could you give us a brief update on the status of Warhammer Online in development? What aspects of the game is the team working on now?
Steve Marvin: Warhammer Online has just begun its internal alpha test, giving individuals within the EA family access to the game, and the response has already been gratifying. With a year still to go in development, we're excited both at how well it's being received and at how much more we're going to be able to do with it.
The team is working on all aspects of the game, of course, but we're particularly delighted with the progress on our public quests and with the feel of the careers. Our art team continues to amaze us with the spectacular look of the world and characters; personally, I believe that Warhammer Online will be the best-looking massively multiplayer RPG out there.
GS: At this time, we understand that EA Mythic has revealed its first "racial pairing," the greenskins and the dwarves. Tell us about the differences in these two factions, and why they make a good match for each other on the battlefield.
SM: Careful there, it's "dwarfs" not "dwarves" (or "stunties," as the orcs call them). These two races have been mortal enemies. The dwarfs because the orcs have invaded their lands and pillaged their ancient keeps, and the orcs because they just love a good fight, and "da stunties gives as good as dey get."
Dwarfs are tough and stubborn, as well as fiercely loyal. Dwarf tactics tend toward working well together and maintaining a solid defense until the right moment arrives, then striking with shocking strength. The ironbreaker and the runepriest units are excellent examples of this, as they maintain group integrity and health, so that the hammerer and the engineer can take opportunities to inflict maximum damage.
Orc tactics, on the other hand, are simple: scream and leap. However, they are so ferociously strong and seemingly unstoppable that this works for them. The terrifying assault of a berserk orc choppa can cut through the most stalwart defense, and the fearless might of a great black orc gives him astonishing staying power.
Goblin tactics are more of the "scream and leap away" sort; goblins aren't meant for front-line fighting. But they are quick and quite clever, and unlike their bigger brethren, they have the brains and the patience to use magic. Waaagh! magic, to be specific. Shamans' spells gain in strength with success in battle, allowing them to aid their allies and strike their enemies from a distance, while squig herders' mastery over their gruesome pets help keep them out of the killing zone.
GS: Tell us more about the orc choppa character class. What role will this class play in the game against environmental monsters and in player-versus-player battles? What kind of players will want to play as choppas?
SM: I think "scream and leap" says it all. Orcs aren't complicated, and the choppa likes it that way. They glory in the heat of battle and actually get stronger as the action gets thicker. When they go berserk, they begin to gain size and strength, their eyes and hands begin to glow with power, and they become a whirlwind of steel and fury.
Choppas will revel in mowing down one monster after another. Their strength is actually in staying in combat at all times...the longer they fight, the stronger they get. Choppas love nothing better than a field full of enemies, since that means they are going to get to fight for a very long time and get very, very strong.
Players tend to be tougher than monsters, but that suits the choppa just fine, since that means each individual fight is going to take longer. It's all the same to choppas, as long as they get to keep fighting. If you like handing out lumps, you'll love the choppa.
GS: How does the choppa fit into the orc faction--what role does it fill out for that side, and how does it fit in with the orcs' belligerent philosophy?
SM: The choppa is the epitome of the orcs' belligerent philosophy. The choppa can hand out more punishment than any other greenskin, while the black orc can soak up more damage than any. Shamans can heal and assist their pals, but aren't to be left out of the mayhem. Their spells can wreak havoc on the battlefield, as the ground-pounding fists of gork give testament. Squig herders are just plain fun, with a variety of squig pets they can send out to die for them in amusing and horrible ways.
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