Filed under: Warhammer Online

No candy hearts in Warhammer Online

by Eliot Lefebvre Feb 9th 2010 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Lore, Warhammer Online, News items

There will be no Ewok Love Festival in Warhammer Online, and not simply due to the lack of Ewoks. If you're feeling a little fed up with everyone taking this time of year to put down whatever sharp implements they're holding in the spirit of giving out gift baskets and looking bashful? That's what the Night of Murder is all about.

From February 9th to the 16th, the Night of Murder event will be taking place, wrapping the world in a haze of bloodlust and death, with the will of the elven god Kaela Mensha Khaine spurring on the fierce rage and love of battle on both sides of the conflict. Order and Chaos alike will be rewarded with the chance to mount the heads of their enemies on pikes, and certain players on both sides will periodically be marked for death as a part of the "festivities."

Warhammer Online has never shied away from the darker aspects of its setting, and this event seems to still walk in that direction. Whatever your opinion on recent news and developments regarding the game, this version of the holiday is certainly a nice change from futzing about to get a heart-shaped wand.

Back to the drawing board for Warhammer Online's scenarios

by Eliot Lefebvre Feb 6th 2010 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, Warhammer Online

When Warhammer Online promised to greatly streamline its scenario structure and remove several of its less popular ones with the upcoming patch 1.3.4, the response wasn't altogether positive. There was a definite concern that the game was trying to mitigate its difficult times by removing one of the most fun aspects it had, which sounds like a bad idea all around. However, the developers have clearly been paying attention -- after collecting additional feedback from players and receiving plenty of input from the test server, Andy Belford announced that the team was going "back to the whiteboard" for their plans on streamlining and removing scenarios.

While Belford makes it clear that the ultimate goal is the same -- to remove the unused and disliked scenarios and move the lower-tier ones that are well-loved to greater accessibility -- he also says that the team was getting clear input that they'd gone too far in the wrong direction. No dates are set, but a revised scenario setup and mass stability test is planned to go live sometime next week, hopefully with a better lineup. Whether or not you're currently playing Warhammer Online, it's always good to see developers paying close attention to what the players want.

One Shots: Let me stand next to your fire

by Krystalle Voecks Feb 5th 2010 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Warhammer Online, One Shots

When it comes to the Bright Wizards in Warhammer Online, they must travel to the storied city of Altdorf if they intend to learn the crafting of fire. As you can imagine, this is a crazy place to go to school, as one never knows when the entire school might erupt into flames due to a student letting their spell get the better of them. Thankfully, we don't have to brave the danger since our occasional One Shots contributor, Yavvy, decided to send this great image of Warhammer Online's towering Bright Wizard's College along to us. All the fun, none of the singed eyebrows!

When you're running around in your MMO of choice, why not grab a screenshot and send it along to us? We love to see what you're all up to -- and it's easy to do. Just email your image to us at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a quick description. We'll share it with the world and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots

Warhammer Online brings 1.3.4 to test server

by Eliot Lefebvre Feb 2nd 2010 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, PvP, Warhammer Online

A test server patch isn't quite as good as live, but it means that the patch is only a couple of weeks away, barring unusual circumstances. We recently heard a bit about the upcoming 1.3.4 patch for Warhammer Online, and true to forecasting, the patch is scheduled to hit the test realm right about... well, now. That means that we're that much closer to live weapons obtainable via RvR, a welcome change for the people who came for PvP to begin with.

Of course, patches on the test server invariably mean a set of patch notes, which helps to give more detail on what's en route for the game. As promised for buying weapons, there are new currencies awarded -- Emblems, which go in ascending ranks from Recruit to Officer. These can be traded for a variety of items and are rewarded for Scenario participation, which goes hand-in-hand with the extensive scenario restructuring also present.

The emblems can also convert up and down, so characters taking part in low-level content can hold on to their rewards if they so desire. Mixed with extensive balance tweaks and bug fixes, this looks to be a good patch for Warhammer Online players, so head on over to Warpstone and get in on the testing.

One Shots: A moment to admire the view

by Krystalle Voecks Jan 25th 2010 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Warhammer Online, One Shots

While we're zipping through starter areas learning the controls of an MMO, many probably won't take a moment to step back and enjoy the view. Thankfully, we have some great One Shots contributors who capture just such moments and share them with us! Today's example comes from Warhammer Online and was sent in to us by regular Massively reader, Pedro. He writes: Most of the times we are all just too worried about leveling up to stop and just admire the art behind every MMO.

Would you like to show off your mad screenshot "photographic" eye? We'd love to see the areas you think are best. Just email your images in to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com. Be sure to add in your name, the name of the game, and a quick description. We'll post it out here for everyone to enjoy and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots

Warhammer Online reveals tidbits about 1.3.4

by Eliot Lefebvre Jan 25th 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, PvP, Warhammer Online

After the storm of updates, changes, and news over the holidays, Warhammer Online has been pretty quiet lately. Under the circumstances, that might be a little more unsettling for the game's players. But the silence has at long last been broken, as community manager Andy Belford recently shared some information with the community about what can be expected when patch 1.3.4 arrives. And at least one of the announced features is something that should make a large number of players quite thankful -- the promise of weapons available via RvR gameplay instead of PvE.

Belford stresses that the weapons will be purchased via a currency system that works with the game's scenarios, rather than any existing medallions or crests. As a connected point, he mentioned that scenarios were due for some more evaluation, with the promise of re-evaluating or removing several of the less popular options. There are also changes planned in the way that the game handles capturing cities, clearly designed to make defending captured areas more of a tactical decision for players. The patch is intended to go live on the test server by the second week of February at the absolute latest, which should be good news for all Warhammer Online fans.

One Shots: A quiet moment to reflect

by Krystalle Voecks Jan 5th 2010 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Warhammer Online, One Shots

In the tides of war, there are always those left behind. When it comes to MMOs, though, it's nice to know that things don't have to be that final. Warhammer Online is working hard to gather more players between making the first part of the game free for everyone to try out, adding in graphical improvements, and more game refinements. Today's reflective One Shots comes to us from Khreebis who sent this in a little while back. He explains what we're seeing here: [this is] a giant sitting next to the rubble of a dwarf statue in the middle of nowhere.

If you'd like to send in an image, it's very easy to do. Just email it to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a quick description. We'll post it out here for everyone to enjoy and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots

Looking behind the scenes at Warhammer Online

by Rubi Bayer Jan 2nd 2010 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Warhammer Online, News items

When you are playing your favorite MMO, how much do you think about what goes on behind the scenes? If your interest goes beyond general gameplay and lies within the actual nuts and bolts of how it all works, Gamasutra has a feature that will fascinate you.

"Restless Entities Never Sleep" is a feature that takes a close look behind the scenes of Warhammer Online, exploring the multiple complicated processes that keep the game up and running. The feature explores the basics of how the servers keep the game up and running and what exactly they do, and continues with excerpts from a previous interview with Online Technical Director Andrew Mann. They also cover the challenges of trying to maintain the servers and minimize downtime, as well as improvements planned (or hoped for) down the road.

As a few readers noted, it's an Intel-sponsored feature and it shows a bit, but that doesn't make it any less interesting to the tech-minded out there. The full feature can be found here.

One Shots: And he went wherever I did go

by Krystalle Voecks Dec 26th 2009 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Warhammer Online, One Shots

When it comes to holidays, Warhammer Online believes in celebrating with something very appropriate -- a huge amount of alcohol! While this isn't the most festive shot we've ever seen out of Mythic's PvP-centric MMO, it does remind us of stumbling home drunk through city alleyways after one drink too many. Today's One Shots contributor, Pedro D., writes in to tell us about this image: On the spirit of Keg's End (The news year event of Warhammer Online) I'm sending a picture of me and my personal dwarf assistant. He carries my beer around for me on these festive times. Happy New Year! Just be careful that you don't get too drunk. That assistant looks like he's just waiting for an opportunity to bash you upside the head with the keg and make off with your lunchbox.

If you're taking part in a holiday celebration, we'd love to see pictures of it! Just email those to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game its from, and a description. We'll post them out here in all their glory and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots

New producer's letter for Warhammer Online

by Eliot Lefebvre Dec 19th 2009 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Patches, PvP, Warhammer Online

As we approach the end of the year, which has been a pretty tumultuous one for Warhammer Online, it's not surprising to see a new letter from the producer. But this letter is also a letter from a new producer -- Bruce Maclean, who is apparently now taking on the duties as producer. There's no word on Jeff Skalski except that he is still "working hard" on the game. But we may as well focus on the positives, as the letter itself doesn't speak about the problems the game has had, instead focusing on the improvements that have come into Warhammer Online over the past year.

The patch 1.3.3 graphical improvements are cited as a notable improvement, as are the many updates the game has seen over the course of the year and the launch of the Macintosh client for the game. There's also a brief discussion of what might be expected in the near future, which include useful weapons earned via RvR gameplay and a new scenario structure. How far in the future isn't mentioned, but they're hinted to be close, which could be excellent news for a game that's seen its fair share of ups and downs. As the letter says, however, now is the time to drink and relax and enjoy the game so far. Good advice, that.

Warhammer Online explains the nuances of the Underdog System

by Eliot Lefebvre Dec 17th 2009 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, PvP, Warhammer Online

One of the biggest problems you face when designing any PvP-focused game is the trouble of slippery slope -- in brief, the problem that losing makes it easier for you to continue losing and even harder to start winning. A game like Warhammer Online that's sold on the strength of fighting other players needs to be especially vigilant, hence the Underdog System rolled out with the game's most recent patch. It promises to make it easier for the losing side to regain their footing -- but that leads to the obvious question of how it will implement the change. A new developer diary on the official site explains the system in slightly more detail, helping to shed light on the method and implementation.

Rather than being a straight buff to the players on one side or the other, the system revolves around making the overall objectives easier or harder based on win streaks. The underdog will have more time to capture objectives and fewer control points required to obtain victory, while the top dog will have less time to capture, more control points to capture, and a shorter duration of control. The diary also gives some example of the system in action, something that should be all but required reading for every Warhammer Online player. The system won't fix everything, but it certainly will make the game's PvP more lively and less prone to one side or the other having a consistent edge.

Massively's 2009 Winter Holiday Event Guide

by Rubi Bayer Dec 16th 2009 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Super-hero, Aion, City of Heroes, Dark Age of Camelot, Dungeons and Dragons Online, EVE Online, EverQuest II, Fallen Earth, Final Fantasy XI, Guild Wars, Lineage, Lineage 2, Lord of the Rings Online, MapleStory, Culture, Events, in-game, Warhammer Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Ultima Online, MetaPlace, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic, Dragonica Online, Cities XL

It's that time of year again -- whatever holiday you are celebrating, the denizens of your favorite MMO are sure to be celebrating it too. Whether it's Festivult in Dungeons and Dragons Online, Wintersday in Guild Wars, or the Starlight Celebration in Final Fantasy XI, the theme is the same. There are presents, some sort of sugary treats, and tons of fun. Follow along with us as we check out who's partying in your favorite MMO and what you need to do to get in on the fun.

One Shots: Grumpy dwarf

by Krystalle Voecks Dec 14th 2009 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Warhammer Online, One Shots

Some days it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. When you're Zontix the dwarf, denizen of Warhammer Online it does pay, so long as you can put a giant Destruction house to the torch and manage to come out without so much as a smudge of ash on your armor. Even so, Zontix doesn't look too pleased. Perhaps he knows there are more forces of Destruction lying in wait to attack the forces of Order in Warhammer Online. Perhaps he's just sick and tired of people making fun of him for looking too much like a very short Tom Selleck, albeit with some crazy extra hair. As Zontix didn't send in a note with his One Shots, we'll just have to guess -- while avoiding this grumpy little fellow (and his great big axe) in the meantime.

With the holidays coming up, that means some time off! Time off means gaming! Gaming means screenshots! You see where we're going with this. Just send those screenshots in to us here at oneshots [at] massively [dot] com along with your name, the name of the game, and a brief description. We'll post them out here and give you the credit.

Gallery: One Shots

Warhammer Online drops 1.3.3 patch to live servers

by Eliot Lefebvre Dec 9th 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, Warhammer Online, News items

Rumors of the death of Warhammer Online have been greatly exaggerated. The game is continuing to put out updates on a steady basis -- at an accelerated rate, even, despite the recent bout of layoffs. Patch 1.3.3 has just hit the live servers today, bringing with it new graphical enhancements and two much-touted features -- the Underdog system and the WAR Report. The former helps even the odds when one faction is outnumbered, while the latter helps pull players straight into the grinding maw of the game's PvP activities by allowing instant teleportation to "hot spots" nearby.

If that's not quite enough for the discerning Warhammer Online player, there's also a holiday slated between December 16th and January 4th. Keg End celebrates drinking, talking about how great you are, and explosives -- which sounds like the perfect antidote to yet another Christmas special on TV. Take a look at the patch notes for the full details, as well as the usual array of bugfixes and balance tweaks. We haven't heard as much about the patches after this one, but whatever the next year holds for the game, there's a clear commitment to making it the best it can be.

Celebrate the holidays with Mythic

by Eliot Lefebvre Dec 8th 2009 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, Contests, Events, real-world, Warhammer Online, News items, Ultima Online

There's good news for everyone who's a fan of one of the MMOs supervised by Mythic Entertainment -- Dark Age of Camelot, Ultima Online, and of course Warhammer Online. Admittedly the recent history has not been particularly kind to the game's fans (and has at times been downright unsettling), but the company is still rolling along with its "Twelve Days of Mythic" celebration of the holidays. By following the MythicNews twitter account, fans of the company have chances at prizes as well as special item codes.

Here's the breakdown of the process: each day, the MythicNews twitter will post a tweet with a link to a YouTube video. In order to be entered into the giveaway, all that players have to do is retweet the link before the end of the day. Winners will be randomly selected for prizes that "celebrate all the great games you enjoy." In addition, the team will be randomly offering up item codes for Warhammer Online on the twitter feed, with the codes free to anyone who nabs them in time. It promises to be an interesting way for fans of the company's stable to get involved and celebrate the holidays, so grab a Twitter account if you don't have one and enjoy the giveaway.