Warhammer Online Gameplay Video

At the Games Convention 2008, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning named Best Online Game. Here is a WAR gameplay video.

Warhammer Online beta Impressions

Beta Impressions Part 1


Altdorf Slums

I'm going to start off these impressions by hitting a few key topics then I'll move on to some bigger stuff. I'll be doing a few entries today as well as happily answering any questions you have in comments or emails.

Realm Balance - Overall I would say that the two realms are fairly balanced on the whole. I definitely don't get the sense that one realm is naturally more powerful than the other. Population-wise it has been lopsided the entire time I have been in beta in favor of Destruction. On average Destruction will have 1300 people and Order will have about 800-900. *These numbers are examples. In terms of class balance there are still several issues that I will go into at a later date.

Zergs - The power of the Zerg manifests itself strongly in Warhammer Online. A group of 6 will not be able to take more than 2x their numbers even if they are incredibly skilled. Open-world RvR has proven, so far in my experience, to attract zergs. This is nothing new for those who have played DAOC. People tend to gravitate towards one another for safety. With the open-group system this is much easier. Is this a bad thing? Yeah, if you're one who likes to solo or move in small groups all the time. The plus side to the zerginess is that it brings about a LOT of epic battles... I'm talking 50 on 50 clashes. INCREDIBLE fun.

Crowd Control - In DAOC terms it's almost nonexistent. There are short stuns, knockbacks/downs and snares but nothing like mez. There will never be a time where you stand around waiting to do something. In some ways I miss mez... don't ask me why.

Stealth - Most of you know about this. It's in the game for the Witch Hunter and Witch Elf but it's not your normal stealth. When active it drains AP and lasts a short duration with a cooldown. It's enough to maybe sneak away or into a fight without being seen but it's definitely not the backbone of these classes in any way shape or form.

Bears Bears Bears - This is one of the things I feel let down about. When Paul Barnett discussed the "bears bears bears" stuff I thought this applied to 'normal quests' and not just "Kill Collectors". I thought that if I was out killing bears then I found a quest that needed me to kill bears then I could get credit for that quest. Unless I have TOTALLY missed something (and I doubt it) this theory of getting credit for things you've already done applies only to kill collectors who want you to kill a very specific type of mob and will reward you some experience for doing it. Color me disappointed on that one.

Siege Weapons - They are nothing short of awesome. I love using rams of doors and having multiple people participate in them. I love how they are so easy to take control of and use with a little interface that comes up giving the option to aim then, repair them, or release them. When aiming it's almost a mini-game in itself because you have to aim the thing - sometimes ground target sometimes reticule - and adjust for wind. Hellblasters and Catapults are downright nasty and oil that can pour down on people attacking doors makes me laugh hysterically EVERY time it kills people.

Questing - For the most part it's standard mmo questing. This is where the annoying "zomg it's just like WoW" crowd can actually speak without me wanting to force choke them through the internet. It's EXACTLY like WoW in this regard. So what? Are you going to try and justify that this is a BAD thing? It's a fantastic thing. WoW's questing-to-level was mostly polished. But wait! There's more! WAR takes it a step beyond WoW and introduces more types of quests, a much better tracking system including map waypoints that will tell you where to go (they can be turned off), and rewards you can actually use. But wait! There's EVEN MORE! You don't have to do them if you don't want to! Unlike WoW where the only alternative to questing is grinding... you can RvR in WAR or grind or quest!


Capital Cities - Inevitable City and Altdorf

Inevitable City

Both cities are nothing short of amazing. When Mark Jacobs told me to my face that he feels they have the best cities in any game he was not just boasting their accomplishments; he was stating a fact. Their capital cities ARE the best I have ever seen. There are people walking the streets, details on every building, and a sense of atmosphere that takes them that extra mile. "Living Cities" is exactly how I would describe them.

Of the two cities I would have to say Altdorf is my favorite. While Inevitable has a great atmosphere and really gives that "chaos" feeling, the level of detail put into Altdorf makes my jaw drop. They've captured something special in Altdorf; maybe it's the Empire lore. The city is divided into districts (seamless) like the slums and docks. In the marketplace you feel like you could actually stand around hawking your wears. On the docks you feel like you could actually take a ship to some distant land because it has that ... gosh what's the feeling I'm looking for? It feels like a real dock or an airport where you know people are coming and going from all over - although no one really is which is sort of a bummer. I wish I could take a boat to another continent or something just for the sake of being able to do it.

The cities have everything you could want. Quests (tons), shops (tons), banks (more than one), Auction Houses, DUNGEONS, Tome unlocks, legendary locations from Warhammer Lore like the Blowhole and Bright Wizard College tower thingy, and more.

While I'm a Destruction guy at heart, I have to give Order a small victory by saying their city rocks.


Crafting

Quest Hub

I have done some limited testing of the crafting system and have mixed feelings. Right now Talisman making is not in the game so the only real crafting is Apothecary. Mark Jacobs' vision of crafting is that everything you do contributes to the realm war in some way. Thus crafting is not a way to get rich quick, it's not a means of decking yourself out in gear, and it's not an aspect of the game that you can devote your entire playtime to like in some games where you can truly just be a crafter (EQ2 or SWG come to mind). It's not that crafting is an afterthought, although sometimes I truly think it may have been, it's just not an integral part of the game. You can make potions for RvR and they DO help... but they're potions. Talismans can be attached to armor and provide bonuses - how much of a bonus right now I'm unsure - and will definitely give an obvious edge against those who don't have Talismans on their armor.

The part of the crafting system that I really like are the gathering professions. You can scavenge, butcher, and that sort of thing. In beta this has been a really nice source of income, tome unlocks, and has been effortless. Everything I kill seems to be useful and everything I need comes from what I kill. There's no roaming around to find nodes or any of that nonsense that always turned me off of gathering. This information has been available to people for some time but I feel the need to confirm it for you becasue of how sketchy some of the past details have been.

More to come...

WAR kills AoC, not WoW

The most frequently asked question I got now the WAR NDA dropped was "Is WAR the WoW killer". Answer: No, it is not, don't be silly. WAR *will* take a large bite out of WoW subscription numbers, but not enough to cause WoW to die. In my opinion Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is of similar quality as World of Warcraft, doing some things better, some things worse, and having a different focus for the end game. Many people will enjoy both games, and then decide for one or the other depending on things like timing, what their friends play, or personal preferences between raiding and RvR. WAR will probably lead to a much decreased activity on WoW servers between its release in September and the Wrath of the Lich King release (probably around November). But many people won't cancel their WoW account before having seen both WAR and WotLK. Nobody knows how that will work out in the long run.

One big factor here, to which we don't have an answer yet, revolves around the quality of the WAR servers. Recent changes made at least the European beta servers more laggy, but as the release servers will be totally different hardware, it is simply too early to say how smooth the servers will run on release day. That is somewhat self-limiting the success of WAR: If WAR is too successful, the servers will have more problems, driving more people away again.

But while WAR won't kill WoW, it could possibly deal a fatal blow to Age of Conan. AoC fans were disappointed this week to hear that the latest mega patch still didn't introduce a PvP points and rewards system. Many players reached level 80 by now, and there simply isn't enough to do. Warhammer Online on the other hand already in the beta has a completely working PvP system, and more content for all levels than AoC has months after release. WAR is more mature in its lore than WoW, while avoiding the big nekid boobs kind of "mature" AoC has. So unless you are a huge fan of the more twitchy AoC combat, there really is no reason to not switch to WAR instead.

The current closed beta version of WAR albeit is not quite feature complete. For example the bank and auction house NPCs are there, but aren't functional yet. And as the crafting system depends on players exchanging materials, that part of the game isn't fully tested yet either, with some indications that the higher level recipes are still missing. There doesn't appear to be a system yet in place to balance server populations to prevent either Order or Destruction outnumbering the other side. Nevertheless WAR is already a lot more bug-free than Age of Conan, and could really hurt that game.

WoW meanwhile escaped into iMMOrtality, and will easily survive the next 5 or even 10 years, even if subscription numbers will probably decline slowly. I'd say not even Blizzard could really produce a "WoW Killer". There might be painful things ahead like server mergers, but I don't think it is possible that subscription numbers drop so low that it isn't commercially viable any more to keep the servers running for years. WoW lives forever, like it or not.

WAR Goes Gold!

EA and Mythic Entertainment Announce That Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Has Gone Gold. According to Josh's Blog and Business Wire, WAR has gone gold!

FAIRFAX, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GET READY FOR THE WORLDWIDE WAAAGH! Electronic
Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) and Mythic Entertainment today announced that the
highly-anticipated MMORPG, Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning™ (WAR), has gone
gold and will open its servers on September 18, 2008 at an MSRP of $49.99 in
North America.

“We’ve done our best to create the next great MMORPG
experience, but it’s the fans that will bring our world to life,” said Mark
Jacobs, vice president at EA and general manager of Mythic Entertainment. “The
Day of Reckoning approaches and it’s going to be glorious! It’s time to go to
WAR.”

Guild Highlights: Keep Claiming

In WAR, guilds play an integral part in claiming keeps for their side. Not only can you fight together with your banner held high, but those banners can be used to benefit everyone in the area in keep defense once you’ve claimed the keep as your own. Not only that, but your guild will gain certain benefits and advantages just for owning a keep. Imagine your colors flying high for the masses to see. Stir passion in your allies and instill fear into the hearts of your enemies as they come to recognize your colors!

Warhammer story: Finishin da Job

Riggle was mad.

No, beyond mad. He was furious. A shaman of his stature (not that he had gained that much stature in the first place, being that he was a goblin), sent to take care of some of the dwarves left after the battle of the Eight Mountain Tops?

The dwarves had fled from the onslaught of goblins and barricaded themselves on the walkway to the food storage chamber. Tables, wheelbarrows, broken barrels, all of them formed a makeshift wall across the path. The goblins had taken the chamber below, but the walkway was still not theirs. Almost a score of goblins and at least a pair of orcs had already fallen to the dwarves pestering them with crossbows, yet the Goblins couldn't retaliate because their bows didn't have the range.

As Riggle approached the Goblin-held side of the walkway, he found his charges, along with about two score goblins and a single black orc... The orc seemed promising, perhaps they had given him more power than he had presumed.

"ALL RITE YOUSE LOT! GIT UR LOWSY RUMPS IN DERE AN GIT DEM STUNTIES!" Riggle screamed at the little miscreants.

One seemed made more eager than the rest by Riggle's little speach and leaped forward to gain some respect....or something like it. The poor eager greenskin fell backwards with a bolt in his head. The rest of them slunk away from the doorway. The black orc cut one in two to try and motivate them, but that just made them avoid him as well.

"Stupid cowardly gits, gotta do everyting myself," Riggle mumbled to himself as he summoned the power of the WAAAGH to his command. He sent it into the bodies of the goblins around him.

Suddenly they no longer cared for their own well being, and even started to fight amongst each other. One got stuck through by anothers spear before Riggles got them to do what he wanted.

"GIT DA STUNTIES!" he screamed, and finally they rushed through the door in good old fashioned goblin disorder. The black orc followed closely behind them, and Riggle behind him. In their frantic rush to get to the dwarves, several goblins died to crossbow bolts, but more died to being pushed off the walkway by other goblns. Only about ten reached the dwarves. Not good odds for the goblins, but that was okay, they were just a distraction.

Summoning once more the power of the WAAAGH, Riggle summoned something about the dwarves and goblins fighting in front of him. A green mist swirled in the air about the combatants as a large green mystical foot appeared above them and stepped down. As the foot dissipated, the goblins, dwarves, and the barricade all had been eliminated.

Riggle was pleased with his job well done. Turning around, he started to walk back off the pathway. He didn't notice a single dwarf stand back up after the battle, a dwarven hammerer. Seeing how his kinsmen had been brutally murdered by the savage greenskins magic, he vowed he would end the Shaman's life.

As the dwarf charged forward with a yell, Riggle heard him and spun around. There was not enough time to call on the WAAAGH again, and Riggle panicked and ran. Normally a goblin could easily outrun a dwarf, but under these circumstances the dwarf would not be denied.

Suddenly, a large object stood in the way of the dwarf and his prey. The black orc stood ready with choppa and shield to take on the stunted juggernaut. The dwarf brought his hammer down on the orc's shield, and obliterated it. Coming around for another swing, the orc sidestepped the dwarf. The hammerer's own momentum carried him to the edge of the walkway, and with a swift kick the dwarf was over the edge and down to his doom in the hall of his ancestors below.

Riggle looked at the black orc and smiled. "Dis looks like da start of a pretty friendship." The black orc looked at him and nodded in agreement.

Warhammer Online Preview

Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is EA Mythic's persistent state world interpretation of Games Workshop's venerable wargame property, now 25 years old. Players will be able to choose among six factions aligned into two groups and three pairings. The Human Empire, Dwarves and Elves represent order, while the Greenskins, including Orcs and Goblins, plus the Chaos mutants and Dark Elves stand against them respectively.


Commendations
The Warhammer franchise provides a rich backdrop with extensive lore, several other armies that can be added, and a distinctive personality including liberal doses of humor. For PvP fans, there will be a strong inter-realm element in which the ultimate goal is to capture the capital city of your factional enemy, while others can focus on various types of quests. Based on limited hands-on time, the learning curve feels moderate, and the combat system, which offers both tactical and morale-based special attacks, seems to have a pace that's accessible but not too slow. The graphics are certainly competitive, with lots of opportunity for character customization.

Reservations
While it's understandable given the target launch date is 2007, there's still a good deal we don't know. For example, what we've seen to date has basically been limited to the Dwarves and Greenskins, meaning little or nothing about the other four playable options. The competitive environment is tougher than ever, and rates to be even more so by the time the title goes live.

Considerations
In terms of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning looking likely to be a solid release, the encouraging indicators clearly outnumber the major question marks, although there are enough of the latter that we can't predict a surefire hit. That said, it appears to have a substantial upside if the team can realize its considerable potential.

Warhammer Wiki Online - Age of Reckoning

One of the most anticipated games of 2008 isn't Wrath of the Lich King, and its not the already released Age of Conan. It is Warhammer Online, which has been delayed multiple times and really reworked from the ground up by EA Mythic.

This game is going to solely based on masive multiplayer PvP action, in clan versus clan and even World (read server) versus server embattlement. To a PvP lover such as myself, I love an ever changing battle, one that is not scripted, and requires players to make smart decisions with catlike reflexes. Warhammer seems to fit this bill quite nicely.

This is a game type that Blizzard has never been able to commit to with World of Warcraft, as the game is mired in PvE content... which I have also come to love over time. However no game has tantalized my senses as much as Warhammer, they have been teasing me for a year and half with this game... and the payoff is close at hand finally.

I had delayed taking action after hearing that players who purchase the Warhammer: Age of Reckoning Collector's Edition would get guaranteed access to the upcoming open beta. Finally yesterday I went in search of a copy... only to find that they were all sold out at the major retailers listed on the Warhammer website.

After a diligent search I did find a copy for myself. This has only been available for Pre-order for a mere week, and with an exorbitant cost over and above the normal game of an extra $40. So its easy to see I am not the only one very excited about this game.

Players will most likely flock to Warhammer, just as they did with Age of Conan... in fact I would venture to guess that Warhammer will break AoC's record of release date subscriptions and first month subscriptions!

Guess How Many Copies WAR Will Sell

Via Book of Grudges I found this interesting tidbit of information Mythic revealed the Warhammer Alliance forums: To go from closed beta to release, Mythic is adding 9 million Euros (USD 13.5 million) worth of server equipment to a new datacentre. And that is just for Europe! Big business, indeed, compared to most single-player games. Now I have no idea how many players fit on 9 million Euro worth of servers. But if I take the retail price of the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning box, deduce an estimate of the cost to actually make that box, and then divide 9 million by that number, I come up with something in excess of a quarter of a million. WAR would need to sell a quarter of a million copies in Europe just to pay for the servers. Of course that is a gross simplification, as it doesn't take into account monthly fees, nor development cost, nor operating cost. But it shows the order of magnitude Mythic is shooting for.

And as predictions are a fun way to get egg on one's face, here is mine: Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning will sell over 1 million copies worldwide before the end of 2008. Note how I'm hedging my bet by just stating a lower limit, because the upper limit will be a lot harder to guess. I'm guessing the lower limit using parameters like the total size of the market, number of beta applications, and the boredom index of the average WoW player. The upper limit will depend a lot on early word of mouth, which depends on how smooth the release goes, and MMORPG releases are anything but safe bets. But just to increase the chance of looking silly by predicting something totally wrong, I'd say the upper limit is under 2 million copies sold worldwide before the end of this year. So, provided that Mythic ever lets us know their number, I'll post around end of 2008 whether my prediction of between 1 and 2 million copies sold worldwide was correct. Copies sold, not subscribers, because there will be some interference in subscription numbers due to the Wrath of the Lich King expansion release of World of Warcraft. And press releases more often cite copies sold, not subscribers.

So here is your chance to upstage me: Make a better guess than mine. Either if you think that my lower limit is too high, or upper limit too low, by guessing a number or range of numbers outside my range. Or, if you think that I am broadly right, by guessing a much smaller range. How many copies do you think WAR will sell by the end of 2008?

Warhammer Online will go gold in no timie

Creative director Paul Barnett told IGN that the client code, basically what customers will pay for in the box, will go gold sometime next week. With the big Games Convention in Leipzig scheduled for next week as well, it wouldn't be surprising to see Mythic make the big announcement there. Barnett also said that Mythic will work on tweaking and optimizing the server code right up until launch in mid September.

Aside from that, the game was on display, showing off its relative high state of polish as large-scale player-versus-player battles were under way. Warhammer Online has entered its beta testing phase, and Barnett said that 50,000 players were recently admitted to the game. Another number that he threw around was that apparently there have been 130,000 pre-orders for the game, which he described in classic Barnett style as "all the best bits of fantasy with all the crap bits thrown out."

WAR Preview Weekend

The Preview Weekend now has an official date, August 22-25th, as per the Herald.

WAAAGH!!!

Over 100,000 people are preparing to descend into the Age of
Reckoning, we have invited the vanguard host to join us this weekend (August
22-25) to an exclusive Preview Weekend event!

Attendance is by
invitation only and is guaranteed to all Closed Beta participants, Collectors
Edition Pre-Order customers, and the first lucky 50,000 Standard Edition
Pre-Order customers to register their accounts in the new Mythic Account Center.

Invites have already started to go out, check your Account Center for
either Closed Beta or Preview Weekend, all guests will also be notified via
email.

This weekend will be an exciting chance for many to see Warhammer
Online: Age of Reckoning for the first time. We can't wait to welcome you!

See you on the battlefield,
- The Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
Team

More Guild info for Warhammer!

All you guild leaders and officers, this is news for you! New info on Guild Tactics has been released via the the Herald.

This week’s Guild Highlights features an innovative and exciting guild function: Tactics! Guild Tactics provide a way for guild leaders to choose extra bonuses on the battlefield for anyone who is in range of their guild’s Standard.
While the Standards themselves provide a morale generation bonus for the party, additional area-wide bonuses can be applied to Standards through the use of guild Tactics. Guild Tactics can be purchased using guild Tactic points, which are earned as the guild reaches new guild ranks. A guild must also unlock Tactic slots on its Standards to be able to slot its Tactics onto them, with up to three Tactic slots eventually becoming available (per Standard). This provides each Guild with a variety of ways to customize the bonuses on their Standards to best suit the needs and play styles of their Guild members.

WAR Open Beta Details

Official details on the Open Beta have been posted on the Herald regarding the Open beta and what will happen to closed beta testers.

WAR Open Beta Begins September 7th, 2008

Now you can experience the
glory of battle and the thrill of WAR before the game goes live! Players can get
into the WAR open beta by pre-ordering Warhammer Online from select retail
partners. Participants of the closed beta will automatically be granted open
beta access.
Pre-Order Customers

1. Visit the new Mythic Account
Management website to create your Warhammer Online game account. When prompted,
enter your Open Beta code. If you have previously entered your Open Beta code in
the Beta Center, you will need to enter it again when you create your WAR game
account at the new account management site.
2. Download the open beta client
from Fileplanet.com. You will be required to create a free FilePlanet account
and input your open beta pre-order code to access the file.

Closed Beta
Participants

1. If you are currently in the WAR closed beta, you will
automatically be granted access to the open beta. Simply continue to patch your
client and you'll be ready to play.

The Open Beta will be level capped
and content restricted. You will be allowed to choose any of the game's 20
unique careers and advance through rank 20. You will also be free to explore and
battle across Tiers 1 and 2 of each army's homeland. Please note that any
characters created during the Open Beta will NOT carry over into the live game
as they will be wiped from the servers.

This information is valid only
for North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.

EA confirms Open Beta Date

Looks like Open beta will be on September 7th! EA has confirmed it in their investor news article.

Mythic Begins Preparations for September 7th Open Beta

FAIRFAX, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 18, 2008--Mythic Entertainment, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) studio, today announced that the open beta for their highly anticipated MMORPG, Warhammer(R) Online: Age of Reckoning(TM) (WAR), will begin on September 7th, 2008. This means that hundreds of thousands of fans will be able to enter the gritty fantasy world of WAR to experience the thrill of Realm vs. Realm(TM) (RvR) combat before the game goes live on September 18th, 2008.

"For three years we have been saying that 'WAR is coming' and the team has been working hard to deliver on this promise," said Mark Jacobs, co-founder and general manager of Mythic Entertainment. "In just a few weeks, we are going to throw open our doors and invite more players into the game than ever before. They will have a chance to delve into the open beta and see for themselves that WAR has arrived and it is glorious!"

Players can get into the North American open beta by pre-ordering Warhammer Online from select retail partners. Participants of the North American closed beta will automatically be granted open beta access. For more information about the WAR open beta, visit www.warhammeronline.com/openbeta.

Available for PC, Warhammer Online is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB. WAR will be the first MMORPG to launch servers simultaneously in North America, Europe, and Oceania when it goes live on September 18th, 2008. For more information, visit http://www.warhammeronline.com/.

About Warhammer(R) Online: Age of Reckoning(TM)

Experience the glory of Realm vs. Realm(TM)! Declare your allegiance and join hundreds of thousands of mighty heroes on the battlefields of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, the new MMORPG from Mythic Entertainment, creators of Dark Age of Camelot(TM). Enter a grim fantasy world of perpetual conflict to fight for the Realms of Order (Dwarfs, High Elves, and Empire) or Destruction (Greenskins, Dark Elves, and Chaos). Invade enemy lands, besiege imposing fortresses, and sack sprawling capital cities for the glory of your Realm. Wield devastating magic and deadly weapons, battle monstrous creatures, and join your brothers-in-arms in epic Public Quests(TM). Climb the Bastion Stair, carry your Guild Banner into battle, and unlock the infinite secrets of the Tome of Knowledge as you travel the world. Sharpen your blade and unleash your inner mutation; the Age of Reckoning has begun and WAR IS EVERY

WHERE!



So keep those jets on ice folks, the time is coming soon!

Guild Highlights: Standards

Over at the Herald, some new info regarding Guild Standards has been released.

Guild Standards are Guild advancement rewards that provide a game play bonus to nearby allies. The Standards become available as a Guild moves up ranks, with up to three Standards ultimately being unlocked. Once a Guild reaches the appropriate rank to unlock a Standard, the Standard becomes available for purchase at the Guild store located in your Realm’s capital city and from Renown merchants located within RvR keeps. The Standards display your Guild’s heraldry, and can be carried (or planted in the ground!) to provide an area of effect bonus, or planted inside a keep which allows the guild to claim the keep. Any Standards used by a party in RvR (Realm vs. Realm™), whether carried or planted in the world, can be captured by enemy players.

A bunch of fun info here, so all you guild leaders contain yourselves.

Important info for Target Preorder code entries

Some very important info has come hot across the Herald regarding issues entering Target Preorder codes.

Greetings!

Since bringing the Account Center live it has come to our attention that some Target Pre-Order customers are encountering errors when attempting to register their keys.

We have discovered that due to mis-printing the letter "Q" is displaying as an "O". Pre-Order keys will never contains "O" or "0". Be sure that in any scenario where there appears to be an O that you enter "Q" instead.

We apologize for this inconvenience. Thank you!

Mark responds on when to download for Open Beta

With all the anticipation building up and people clawing at the gates, Mark did a favor for folks and let them know Open Beta will be available for download on Monday via a much better method than the torrent setup.

Folks,

On Monday, you'll be able to download the client via a solution that is, quite frankly, better than what we are currently using. Given the concern/issues with the current Torrent setup, I can't imagine any reasonable person being disappointed with what we are going to do next week. However, in order to get that set up properly, we weren't able to offer it today. I'm sorry for the delay but I know that you'll like what we are doing on Monday better than what we would have been able to do today. And no, it won't cost anything as per my recent post on this subject.

Mark

This should ease the minds on many folks for the time being at least.

Warhammer Online Preorder FAQ

Warhammer Online and Mythic have put together an FAQ regarding the Age of Reckoning pre-order. After a flurry of rumors about the preorder, this should lay some of them to rest.

Hopefully that clears up some of the confusion. We'll keep you updated if the start date of Warhammer Online service starts, or if any other Warhammer Online service(Warhammer Gold etc.) comes up, so drop by for more!


Below are some frequently asked questions concerning pre-order offers, we will continue to update this page as with answers to your questions.

I live in Canada how can I pre-order?

You can pre-order your copy of WAR from FutureShop, EB Games Canada, the EA Store and other fine game retailers.

Where are my codes when I pre-order online?

Each retailer may do it differently, we have no control over the distribution of their codes to pre-order customers. However, you will generally receive a separate email specifically containing your codes (in some cases I've seen it take a few days). Please do not contact EA Mythic Customer Support concerning this - you must contact your retailer as we will be unable to assist you further.

What is the difference between Closed Beta and Open Beta?

The Closed Beta Test is an invite-only program protected by a Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) in which a select portion of the community is chosen to test the beta version of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and offer feedback directly to the development team via in-game tools and private message boards. During our Open Beta, we open testing up to a much larger audience. However, unlike many traditional "Open Betas," WAR will only be available to a limited number of players (including pre-order customers). Stay tuned for more details concerning the WAR Open Beta and ways in which you can get in.

Do I need my CE Product Key the day the game launches?

While we encourage you to get your WAR product key as soon as possible, we will provide a reasonable grace period for players to get a hold of their copies and have uninterrupted service following the Live Game Head Start.Warhammer Online

What if I already pre-ordered?

Prior to March 26, 2008 no pre-order programs have been supported by EA Mythic. Please check with your retailers for full details. Current pre-order offers are only valid with the Collectors Edition.

WAR or WotLK?

We do not know the official release date of either Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, nor of the second World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King. But all crystal balls and other scrying devices point towards a scenario in which both of them come out before Christmas 2008. And odds are that WAR will be released a month or two before Wrath of the Lich King. End of September for WAR and end of November for WotLK is one plausible scenario. And although this scenario could still change, it now appears extremely likely that at some point in the next 6 months you will have to decide which of them you want to play. You could try to play both, but that is likely to not work very well. Or you could play neither, in which case you'll be considered a minority in the MMORPG demographic. So for millions of people decision time it is. Most of these millions will go for Wrath of the Lich King. Not even the Mythic guys themselves believe that they'll outsell WotLK. But that's just statistics and finances, and it doesn't really make your personal choice much easier. How will YOU decide?

Knowing myself, I'm aware that I take decisions like that by gut feeling on a day-by-day basis. I can't even tell you what game I'll play next weekend, because I simply haven't decided yet. But I know I'm not playing a lot of World of Warcraft right now, because I'm burned out and bored. So I am looking forward more towards WAR, because it is more different from WoW than WotLK is. There is more new content to explore in a new game than in an expansion of an old game. WAR has 20 new classes, WotLK has 1. WAR has 6 new races, each with a line of zones and quests leading them from level 1 to the level cap, WotLK has no new races, and only new zones from level 70 to 80. So I'm absolutely certain that I will buy Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning the day it comes out, and will play it as soon as possible.


But as I said, it is likely that a month or two after the WAR release there will be the WotLK release. Mike Morhaime recently mentioned that an unspecified number of players left World of Warcraft for Age of Conan, but two months later 40% of them were back. And that was *without* Blizzard releasing much extra content for WoW. So the really hard decision will come on the day that Wrath of the Lich King releases.

My prediction for myself, although I'm not absolutely sure, is that by the time Wrath of the Lich King has come out, the new game smell of Warhammer Online will have worn off a bit. There will be still new content to explore in WAR, but there also will be new content in WotLK. And then the two games offer two distinctively different promises for the endgame: The RvR PvP endgame of WAR vs. the dungeon and raid PvE of WoW. And personally I still don't like PvP. And I love dungeons. So I think that I'll put WAR on hiatus, play WotLK for several months to level up one or two characters to 80, and do all the dungeons and raids my heart desires. And at some point I'll be as bored of WotLK as I was bored of The Burning Crusade, and I might go back to WAR.

WotLK for me will probably have priority, because I don't want to miss the window in time in which WoW players will do normal difficulty level Northrend dungeons. If you tried to find a normal difficulty level Outlands dungeon group lately, you'll know what I'm talking about: At some point months after release most people have gear better than what they can earn in a normal difficulty dungeon, and then nobody wants to go there any more. Everyone just wants heroics and raids, with only the fact that the "daily heroic" is different every day bringing some diversion into an otherwise very repetitive schedule. Looking back I don't regret I took a 7-month break from TBC, I just wished I had taken that break a bit later, and still played a bit more while people were still doing normal dungeons. With WAR I don't have the feeling that I'll have to play it at some specific point in time or lose out. You don't get kicked out of a PvP group for not having the same gear level as the other players. First of all it's not even clear that there will be huge differences in gear level in the WAR endgame (I still hope that not). And then PvP is either scenarios (battlegrounds), where you simply can't get kicked out, or it is open world RvR in which the more the merrier, and any added members can at least serve as cannon fodder, even if they don't contribute much otherwise.


In the long term I really can't say whether I'll prefer WoW to WAR or the other way round, or some completely different game. But for 2008 I'm pretty sure I'll still go for World of Warcraft, and only play Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning while waiting for Wrath of the Lich King to be released. Mythic still has a hard job ahead to convince me that I secretly like PvP, I just haven't seen it done right yet. For now I still think I prefer group PvE, and that means WoW. How about you?

WAAAGH - The Warhammer Online Podcast EP#1

Gary & Ryan from Massivley Online Gamer bring you their new project – WAAAGH!

We are still waiting for iTunes to accept our feed but EP#1 is available right now for download...RIGHT HERE! - Or you can listen on our home page HERE.
We will update you as soon as our iTunes feed is up so you can subscribe to the only Warhammer Podcast that matters :p

· Some friends were willing to break the NDA and pump the guys full of interesting tid-bits.

· The guys do some introductions and dip their toes into WAR.

· Massivley.com has the media embargo lifted – They're the only place for Warhammer skinny.

· Glen Danzig is defiantly waiting for this game!

· Visit the Road to WAR website – Start the Realm War now! Gary Gannon levels a challenge at the listeners.

· The guys cannot un-see what they have SEEN. Get their first reactions to Warhammer.

· Will Ryan roll Order just to play a Shadow Warrior? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e8a83GY2G8

· The NDA has their hands, be sure to tune in next week when the NDA is possibly lifted.

Warhammer Online Ships September 18th

According to an EA press release, Mythic Entertainment's long awaited MMO game Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is set to ship September 18th. No word on when early access or whether that is what the 18th will signify.

Mythic Entertainment Declares September 18, 2008 a "Day of Reckoning"

FAIRFAX, Va. - August 5, 2008 - Hot on the heels of spectacular showings
at E3 and Comic-Con, Mythic Entertainment, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:
ERTS) studio, today announced that fans will be able to enter the gritty fantasy
world of Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning™ (WAR) on September 18th, 2008 when
the highly-anticipated MMORPG goes live. After three years in development by
Virginia-based Mythic Entertainment, WAR will open its North American, European
and Oceanic servers and offer players a variety of flexible subscription
options. Gamers who pre-order WAR in North American will enjoy special benefits
including open beta admission, a live game head start, and bonus in-game items.

Based on Games Workshop's epic and longstanding tabletop fantasy war
game, WAR is a unique MMORPG that features revolutionary Realm vs. Realm™ (RvR)
gameplay that will immerse players in a world of perpetual conflict for years to
come. WAR has been recognized for its unique play style that appeals to novice
MMO players while offering incredible depth for more seasoned players.

Consumer demand for WAR is mounting with all units of the game's
Collector's Edition having been pre-sold in North America. In addition, the
title is receiving significant media attention, picking up numerous critic
awards at this year's E3, including "Best PC Game" from G4's XPlay, "Best MMO"
from IGN and Voodoo Extreme, and "Top 10 PC Game" from Gamespy, as well as being
nominated for the prestigious Game Critic's Awards "Best PC Game".

"The
countdown has officially begun. Mark your calendars! September 18th is the Day
of Reckoning," said Mark Jacobs, founder and general manager of Mythic
Entertainment. "For the last three years, the entire team at Mythic has poured
their hearts into making Warhammer Online the next great MMORPG. We are so
excited to open up this world and share it with the fans that will live in it,
quest in it, go to war in it and make it come alive."

Fans looking
forward to laying siege to their enemy's capital city will have several pricing
options available, beginning with a $14.99 monthly subscription. Additionally,
collectible 30- and 60-day prepaid Game Time™ Cards will be available at many
game retailers. WAR subscription options include:

Monthly Subscription: $14.99 US

3-Month Subscription: $41.97 ($13.99 per month)

6-Month Subscription: $77.94 ($12.99 per month)

Players can now
pre-order their copy of WAR to secure their spots on the frontlines with a
special pre-order package that includes:

Open beta admission: Pre-order customers can experience the glory of battle
and the thrill of WAR by participating in the open beta test.

Head Start program: Players can begin their adventures in the Age of
Reckoning before the game's official launch.

Bonus in-game items: Players can equip their characters with two bonus
in-game items by pre-ordering from select retail partners.

Universal Fighting System™ Battle Deck: The Emperor Karl Franz and
Tchar'zanek, dread Champion of Tzeentch, go head-to-head in this exclusive
collectible card game from Fantasy Flight Games. (Available in a limited supply
from select retailers.)

Participating pre-order partners include
Amazon.com, Best Buy, Circuit City, Direct2Drive, EAStore.com, EB Canada, EB
Games, Fry's, GameCrazy, GameStop, GoGamer.com, and Walmart.com. (Pre-order
offers will vary by retailer.) The European pre-order program is scheduled to
begin in late August. For more information about the North American pre-order
program, visit www.warhammeronline.com/preorder.

Available for the PC,
WAR is rated "T" for TEEN by the ESRB. WAR will be the first MMORPG to launch
servers simultaneously in North America, Europe, and Oceania when it goes live
on September 18th, 2008. For more information, visit
http://www.warhammeronline.com/.

About Warhammer® Online: Age of
Reckoning™
Experience the glory of Realm vs. Realm™! Declare your allegiance
and join hundreds of thousands of mighty heroes on the battlefields of Warhammer
Online: Age of Reckoning, the new MMORPG from Mythic Entertainment, the creators
of Dark Age of Camelot™. Enter a grim fantasy world of perpetual conflict to
fight for the Realms of Order (Dwarfs, High Elves, and Empire) or Destruction
(Greenskins, Dark Elves, and Chaos). Invade enemy lands, besiege imposing
fortresses, and sack sprawling capital cities for the glory of your Realm. Wield
devastating magic and deadly weapons, battle monstrous creatures, and join your
brothers-in-arms in epic Public Quests™. Climb the Bastion Stair, carry your
Guild Banner into battle, and unlock the infinite secrets of the Tome of
Knowledge as you travel the world. Sharpen your blade and unleash your inner
mutation; the Age of Reckoning has begun and WAR IS EVERYWHERE!

About
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City,
California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company.
Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive
software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets
and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names:
EA SPORTS™, EA™, EA SPORTS Freestyle™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP
net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million
copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about
EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at
http://info.ea.com.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle, POGO, Mythic
Entertainment, Dark Age of Camelot, Public Quests, Realm vs. Realm, and Game
Time are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S.
and/or other countries.

Games Workshop, Warhammer, Warhammer Online, Age
of Reckoning, and all associated marks, names, races, race insignia, characters,
vehicles, locations, units, illustrations and images from the Warhammer world
are either ®, ™ and/or © Games Workshop Ltd 2000-2008. Used under license by
Electronic Arts Inc. All Rights Reserved.

All other trademarks are the
property of their respective licensors.