Warhammer Online promises such a great game. If your after a guild look for "Shadowsofsin.com" Were going to be a guild for the Destruction side and include the races of ORKs, Dark Elves and Chaos!
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.
57 comments
warhammer 40K would be cool, except how are you going to make an MMORPG with people just shooting eachother, the space marine race would get like two powers, shoot, and grenades. all the vehicles would be hard to incorporate too, i think that Warhammer 40K is an amazing RTS, and should stay thay way, its the old fantasy warhammer that needs to scrap doing RTS' and be the more mature, violent and in depth WOW that some people have been waiting for. Also the guild wars no subscription but still give out patches would be nice.
Screw this. If they did Warhammer 40,000 as an online MMORPG, I'd join come hell or highwater. I could care less for another WoW style game. Why would anyone want to wait til Q4 2007 to join an online fantasy game when they can join WoW & probably others that are readily available? Doesn't Mr. Softy have one? My recommendation is to scrap Warhammer & begin Warhammer 40,000. You can be a Space Marine & do battle on different planets or in space & the monsters are more interesting. You get death worlds & an entire universe to move around in. I smell a bomb with just basic Warhammer...
I don't expect WAR will be able to even remotely touch the userbase of WoW. Blizzard has never (imo) done well with in-depth game play, but they have always excelled better than any company I know of at accessibility. WoW taps into gamer demographics I would never expect a game could (namely, woman gamers and other casual markets). I expect WAR will be popular with the the hard-core gamer crowd, but I fear it will not do very well with non-Warhammer fans. The world is just too gritty and ugly, and it does not yet answer the question to the casual gamer "Why shouldn't I just play WoW?" My biggest worry about WAR will be balance amongst the factions. I can picture more than half the subscribers will want to play a Dark Elf (or maybe Chaos), while only true fans of the license would want to play an greenskin or a dwarf. I wonder how Mythic plans on balancing this. If WAR can at least get enough of a fan-base to keep itself going, and succeed in the face of the WoW 100-pound gorilla, then I will be happy. I am glad that Mythic is developping this game, because they have demonstrated that they know more about RvR and PvP (not that instanced crap in WoW) better than anyone.
This will, rock. I hope its like guildwars with no online fees. Then it will beat WoW into the ground. The requirements are probly gonna b high tho!
This game is gonna rule them all,together with star trek, wow is gonna have some serious competition.
Looks good, seen it's screenshot's etc. and found nothing negative about it, except that EA might screw it up
So from what I understand, the orcs are like the green pigmented counterparts of the 13th street gang.
lol @ "bunch of stupid spells" You'll need to learn how to deal with both, melee and ranged/casters, to hang in a fantasy based MMORPG. ;)
I dont know much about the warhammer universe yet I like what I have seen. I hope it fucuses more on the nitty-grity fighting and less on a bunch of stupid spells.
yeah u cant judge a good game on graphics i mean u look at the classic games like diablo 2 still played across the world so cant wait for this knock wow off its spot oh yeah bring down wow and bring on warhammer online msn = prestige05uk@hotmail.co.uk
This looks really original, planned out and most importantly interesting and accessible for all... Lets hope they give the same care to detail and support that companies like CCP do over say... oh I don't know.... Blizzard?
Stop whining! I crush you and I smash you and I slash you! In all seriousness, although the interview wasn't anything special, I'm kind of excited about the game. I've always been a fan of Warhammer, and it helps that they have two independant projects going on - Warhammer Online and Warhammer: Mark of Chaos. Though I like MoC's graphics better at this point. Still, this one is in early stages and isn't bad looking for an MMO. I'm personally excited about the Chaos side. Not because I think it will somehow overpower everyone (surely, they'll attempt to make every side balanced) but because their looks are simply bad-ass! 8)
"Romanticide :I wish everything didn't look so ugly. " There's a YEAR left to make the game! Get over the graphics! One: Graphics don't matter and Two: How can you judge a game with a entire year left to work on such things AS graphics.
Always been a fan of the Warhammer tabletop. Hope this will do the game justice! Looks like fun.
While Warhammer 40k dawn of war introduced me to the Warhammer world for the first time, the ONLY reason i am looking forward to this game is because of MYTHIC. They created Dark Age of Camelot, which is considered by alot of mmorpg gamers as THE best mmorpg ever created. And i hope they keep the same level of detail they gave DAOC.
The Warhammer 40,000 RTS games turned me into a casual fan of Warhammer mainly because of it's unique charm and individual touches. This will be a nice one to keep an eye on, but I won't get my hopes up though so might be plesently surprised.
I'm excited. I really want something to come up that at least has a shot of bringing down WoW, the MMO genre needs some more competetion so that dev teams are forced to try new, inovating things to gain the upperhand on rival companies. Big this with this game, for me at least, is for WAR to get an M for Mature rating. I think that this should be a bloody, mature, gorefest with a much grittier atmosphere than WoW...i'm sick of the bright happy colors and cute toons strolling around. I want to see limps being chopped off and hear terrible screams as i cut down all who step in my path!
"WAR insists too much on the RP part of the game, and will be suitable only for GamesWorkshop's true fans" That couldn't be further from the truth. WAR caters mainly to the RvR / PvP crowd, but since GamesWorkshop have to agree on every design in the game, the long time Warhammer fans won't be disappointed either. You can RP as much as you'd like, but don't go around thinking everyone else will too. Cause the majority of the people in this game won't, just like it is in every other MMORPG. WAR is coming!
This game will hopefully be different from WOW they have a great idea... The interview sucked but not on Gamespots part
WAR is not WoW. I'm sure all these WoW fans will be flooding to WAR the day it is released, and most of them get disappointed. WAR insists too much on the RP part of the game, and will be suitable only for GamesWorkshop's true fans.
I'm really looking forward to the game, but this interview was just dribble. I understand that they don't want to give out specific info about classes now since it's still far off release, but those answers did nothing for me. It didn't even get me excited!
This could be the best thing ever to happento MMOs but im dtill feelinh shaky after this interview. hopeflly we will get more news about in depth gamplay soon
This game will crush all other MMO´s ^^ Maybe =) I think WAR will be most appriciated by fans and PVP players, like me. WoW is for PVE players imo, even if the pvp is somewhat growing in WoW as well. I just hope WAR will bring me to a more gory, bloody and gruesome place then happy hippie disney looking WoW. Cheers.
That was a terrible interview...(sorry double post) It sounds like "steve" is making it up as he goes along... what about gameplay? I get that orc choppas get stronger, but explain that crap in context... "we crush them because we are awesome" yeah... great gameplay explanation there, pal. This was all theory IMO....release some realtime footage, man!
I hate rolling dice... Never understood the games... but I loved to paint and convert. Man did I waste a lot fo cash as a kid! Ive been waiting for this for a while.....
"personally, I believe that Warhammer Online will be the best-looking massively multiplayer RPG out there." Easily impressed? Why do the screenshots look so ugly?
Warhammer was where Warcraft got their ideas from. If I had to pick any game to kick WoW's ass, it be the folks they got their idea from. I hope this game puts WoW outta business, and sticks it to all those tools who lied to us about what WoW was about.
Oh fcol, another MMORPG? Well, whatever, MMORPGs bore me within minutes, too much running around for 1 fricking lousy item and so on... If I want to see the same attack over and over again, while that tiny red bar slowly becomes smaller, I could just as well play Runescape... ...Ugh, too many MMORPGs that look the same, GIMME SOMETHING ORIGINAL! Like Saints Row freeroaming online! Well, at least this one has better designs when it comes to Orcs... They should've made it 40K, at least that would be kinda interesting...
Been waiting for this one for sometime. I mean I enjoy WoW OK, to me its just another MMORPG only Solo friendly. In the end it falls from my interest for the same reasons that EQ, DoAC, and all the others did before it.
mehh.. sound boring.... WoW, maplestory is the best mmo game out there and hopely huxley too!!!!!
I just hope that they do the licence justice, and perhaps something original to hold our interest over, say, WoW.
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Game Info
- Release Date: Sep 18, 2008 (US)
- ESRB: TTitles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older.
- Release Date: Oct 28, 2008 (US)
- ESRB: TTitles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older.
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
- Publisher(s): EA Games
- Developer(s): EA Mythic
- Genre: Role-Playing
- Release:
- ESRB: T
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