Warhammer Online Newsletter #29 - March 2008

Another delay, with of course Mark Jacobs trying to put the prettiest face on it he can. But this goes along with the rescinded beta, the EA buyout, the other bits that signaled that all was not smooth sailing. Between the long development time, the hype, the expense and the stumbles along the way, I'm starting to think this will either be the much-watched-for WoWkiller, or the Daikatana of MMOs... click Read Full Article for the newsletter.

	On the day we signed the agreement to license Warhammer from Games Workshop, I promised them that we would create a great and glorious game, a truly next-generation MMORPG. Today, I have news to report; we are going to delay the release of WAR until Fall 2008. While we do not expect this announcement to be met with fanfare and cheering crowds; the additional time will be spent hammering WAR into an even better game that it is today. During the most recent phase of beta testing, two things have become clear. One was that our key innovations - Public Quests, Tome of Knowledge and Realm vs. Realm combat - were all coming along extremely well, as was the first stage of our innovative crafting system. The second, that the game would benefit from additional iteration time as well as adding a layer of polish or two. Fortunately, as part of Electronic Arts, we are able to do just that. While I have no doubt that the community will experience a wide range of emotions over this decision, I urge you to remember one thing (and to keep the tar cold and the feathers on the birds), that our goal has never been to release a game by a certain date but to release a great Warhammer MMORPG. We have not wavered from this goal and with the full support of Games Workshop, GOA and Electronic Arts we intend to release a glorious next-generation MMORPG. As always, I thank the community for its support, patronage and its patience. Mark Jacobs VP, GM EA Mythic EA Mythic is proud to present the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Collector’s Edition, a limited-run, premium version of the game for true Warhammer fans. It is the perfect addition to any Warhammer collection and can be proudly displayed alongside your army of miniatures. This special oversized box contains unique collectibles and exciting in-game content to help you get the most out of your journeys through the battlefields of the Age of Reckoning. Only 60,000 units of the Collector’s Edition will be available in North America. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Collector’s Edition Size: Approximately 13.5” x 10” x 3” Weight: Approximately 7lbs The Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Collector’s Edition includes: An EXCLUSIVE Games Workshop Miniature - GRUMLOK and GAZBAG From the Age of Reckoning to your tabletop battle! Based on original characters from the game, this official Games Workshop Warhammer miniature depicts the Greenskin warboss, GRUMLOK, and his shaman, GAZBAG, in rich detail. Grumlok and Gazbag Assembly and painting required. Armed with the great axe Gutrippa and imbued with extraordinary powers by the Witch King, Malekith, these inseparable companions possess abilities beyond any normal Greenskin. Through a combination of brute force and cunning intellect (for a Greenskin, at least), Grumlok and Gazbag are able to unite the tribes of the Worlds Edge Mountains in a mighty WAAAGH! and sack the Dwarf fortress of Karak Eight Peaks. Now they’ve set their sights on nothing short of the complete eradication of the Dwarfs. .......................................................................... An Original Graphic Novel – WARHAMMER ONLINE: PRELUDE TO WAR The forces of Order and Destruction collide under the red Chaos moon! Commissioned specifically for the Collector’s Edition, WARHAMMER ONLINE: PRELUDE TO WAR is a full-color, 128-page hardcover graphic novel that sets the stage for the start of the game. Written by acclaimed Games Workshop writer Graham McNeill, the oversized book is richly illustrated by Chad Hardin, Joe Abraham, Rahsan Ekedal, Tony Parker, and Kevin Hopgood. Each of the graphic novel’s six chapters tells a unique story, and together they detail the events leading up to the Age of Reckoning: Hill of the Dead – The Chaos warrior, Tchar’zanek, undertakes a harrowing quest to cement his place as the dread Champion of Tzeentch. Shadow of the Hunter – Famed Dark Elf hunter Kaloth Coldshadow journeys to the Old World to capture a Greenskin leader to aid the Witch King with his plans. WAAAGH! Grumlok – Grumlok and Gazbag unite the Greenskin tribes in a mighty WAAAGH! and lead the assault on the Dwarf fortress of Karak Eight Peaks. Thunder Mountain – The Dwarfs rally against the invading Greenskins under the shadow of the great volcano. Northern Fire – The Empire fights a desperate battle against the invading hordes of Chaos. The Shining Guard – Tyrion and Finubar, the Phoenix King, wrestle with the duties of protecting their homeland and aiding their allies against the forces of Destruction. .............................................................................. A BEAUTIFUL ART BOOK - THE ART OF WARHAMMER ONLINE A Stunning Collection of Art that Gave Birth to the Age of Reckoning THE ART OF WARHAMMER ONLINE is a 224-page hardcover collection of original art from the game. Each of the glossy, full-color pages showcases the talented work of our concept artists and offers a glimpse at a world in the making. ............................................................................... Bonus In-Game Item – THE LIBRAMS OF INSIGHT Wisdom is its own reward, and to those found worthy of such a gift the potential is limitless…” Readers of the LIBRAM OF INSIGHT are granted special insight into their own actions and earn experience at a higher rate for a limited time. (XP-gain modifier good for 60 minutes, 3 uses, 90 minute reuse timer.) ............................................................................... Bonus In-Game Content – Quests, Rewards, and Titles New Adventures and Just Rewards Await You on the Battlefields Purchasers of the Collector’s Edition will begin their adventures in the Age of Reckoning with twelve (12) additional quests awaiting them in the Tome of Knowledge. Each quest offers an exciting reward, as well as an exclusive character title, that will aid the player in their battles on the frontlines. Sample Quests, Rewards and Titles: Quest: The Only Way to Fight Type: Dwarf / PvE (Open to characters allied with the Realm of Order.) "Anyone can drink and anyone can fight, but only a Dwarf was born t' do both! Are you ready t' prove what kind of Dwarf ye are? Take a proper drink o' this Chuffinbrau, for it'll get ye nice and tight, then get t' killin’ greenskins before you sober up!" Reward: Furd’s Bottomless Mug. This ale stein is encrusted with a special rune to ensure it never goes empty. One swig of its brew and you’ll feel stronger and ready for a fight. Beware, this sense of power comes at a cost! Title: Brewmaster Quest: Spoils of War Type: Chaos / RvR (Open to characters allied with the Realm of Destruction.) "Go, and cleave the skulls of those who stand against the Raven Host. Take part in the battle at New Emskrank and cut down one of each type of your Empire foes." Reward: Griffonslayer’s Mantle. Equip this cloak made from a fallen Order of the Griffon banner and enjoy the “Emperor’s Protection.” Title: Griffonslayer For a full list of quests and rewards, click here. .............................................................................. Bonus In-Game Content – Character Heads “You’ve got that look I want to know better...” Now you can stand out in a crowd with a look unlike anyone else’s! The WAR Collector’s Edition includes twelve (12) bonus heads for additional character customization options. Each race gets a truly distinctive look (with male and female versions) that is sure to turn heads on the battlefields and be the envy of everyone in the army. ..................................................................... COLLECTOR’S EDITION PRE-ORDER PARTNERS The Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Collector’s Edition is available for pre-order from these fine retailers: Now you can prepare for the coming war by pre-ordering the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Collector’s Edition. You’ll have the chance to gear up with special items and experience the glory of Realm vs. Realm™ combat before the rest of the recruits even set foot in the game world. Only 60,000 units of the Collector’s Edition will be available for North America so don’t miss out. Pre-order your copy today! Special WAR Collector’s Edition Pre-Order Bonuses Include: OPEN BETA ACCESS Be one of the first players to experience the glory of battle and the thrill of WAR when the Open Beta phase begins. LIVE GAME HEAD START Begin your adventures in the Age of Reckoning before the raw recruits arrive! BONUS IN-GAME ITEMS Equip your characters for the journey to the frontlines with two helpful bonus items! All pre-order customers will receive: RITTENBACH'S PORTABLE CAMP Rest your weary soul and heal your wounds between battles. Plus, pre-order customers will receive one of the following items: Order from Best Buy or BestBuy.com and receive the: CHAMPION'S SAPPHIRE BAND Enhance your stats and cast “Touch of Frost,” increasing your chance of doing additional elemental damage with each hit. (Usable in PvE combat only.) Best Buy and BestBuy.com customers will receive a pre-order box containing their codes. Order from GameStop and EB Games (online or in-store) and receive the: SENTINEL'S AMBER BAND Enhance your stats and cast “Touch of Earth,” increasing your chance of doing additional corporeal damage with each hit. (Usable in PvE combat only.) In-store pre-orders will receive codes printed on a “rave card”. Online store pre-orders will receive codes via email. Order from Amazon.com, GoGamer.com, GameCrazy or EAStore.com and receive the: GUARDIAN'S IOLITE BAND Enhance your stats and cast “Touch of Spirit,” increasing your chance of doing additional spiritual damage with each hit. (Usable in PvE combat only.) GameCrazy pre-orders will receive codes printed on a “rave card”. Amazon.com, GoGamer.com, and EAStore.com pre-orders will receive codes via email. For more information about the Collector’s Edition pre-order program, visit www.warhammeronline.com/ce_preorder. Warhammer is 25 years old this year and those excitable guys at Games Workshop are partying throughout April to celebrate this major anniversary. As part of those celebrations, they’re inviting everyone who’s excited about WAR to come into their stores over the weekend of April 12-13th and experience the Warhammer world in all its tabletop glory. Over that weekend, Games Workshop stores around the world will be running exciting tabletop war games using scenarios from the Age of Reckoning. Anyone can join in so make plans to stop by! In addition, every store will also be running introductory painting lessons using miniatures from the six races featured in WAR. Let Games Workshop’s experienced staff teach you how to paint a miniature from your favorite race and you can take it home absolutely FREE! Stop by the nearest Games Workshop store to learn more about the WAR-themed battles and painting lesson with FREE miniature. You can find your closest Games Workshop using the Store Finder on the Games Workshop website: www.games-workshop.com. It’s been a busy month as we wrapped up both the Empire vs. Chaos and High Elf vs. Dark Elf focus tests! In the High Elf vs. Dark Elf segment testers got to explore the early chapters in the lands of Ulthuan. Here’s just a small sample of what they experienced: - High Elf and Dark Elf tiers one and two - Three, never before played, High Elf careers - Career masteries - Renown rank advancements - First look at the user interface changes - First look at crafting In both the High Elf vs. Dark Elf and Empire vs. Chaos tests players were able to experience Keeps for the first time coupled with Zone Control. Both are still in the initial testing stages but we now have a tremendous amount of feedback to create RvR combat that truly impacts the world in which you play! Here’s a sample of what players had to say about the latest High Elf vs. Dark Elf Focus Test: “As a long time MMO player these entry quests for this race are excellent. Very straight to the point indicators of needed mobs are great and locating was as easy as pie. Very very good…” - Level 2 Shadow Warrior “Very impressed with the High Elf theme and feel, the archmage class is fun to play and there are much better changes to UI this time.” - Level 6 Archmage “Small unannounced quests like these are really enjoyable to come accross. This quest had a explanation that fit very well with the High Elves lore. It’s one of the reasons I plan on exploring every inch of the world map while playing.” - Level 2 Archmage, “A Shocking Discovery” “I'm finding that the Shadow Warrior is a VERY fun and interesting career. It's not the usual caster ranged DPS and I'm finding myself enjoying my time as a High Elf...which is saying something because I've always absolutely hated High Elves.” - Level 6 Shadow Warrior “The animations have seen a HUGE improvement over last time. The UI Looks alot better. The HE classes appear to be well done from what I have seen so far.” - Level 5 Swordmaster “Thanks again for this chance to help create a game I know i will love.” - Level 2 Witch Elf Check out the latest News From the Front, featuring Empire vs. Chaos, and be sure to keep your eyes open for the High Elf vs. Dark Elf Edition, coming soon! Here’s an exciting chance for you to get into the Warhammer Online closed beta test! When BOOM! Studios' new comic, WARHAMMER: CONDEMNED BY FIRE, hits stands this April, readers will have a chance at gaining entry into the North American WAR closed beta test. Each copy of WARHAMMER: CONDEMNED BY FIRE #1 contains a special scratch-off which reveals a code giving readers a 1-in-5 chance to get into the Warhammer Online North American beta test.* Not only will you discover some great new Warhammer fiction, but there is also a chance you could be fighting your very own battles online. Pre-order your copy of issue #1 today and get ready for WAR! WARHAMMER: CONDEMNED BY FIRE #1 (of 5) Cover A Cover B Story by Dan Abnett and Ian Edginton Script by Ian Edginton Drawn by Rahsan Ekedal The Witch Hunters come to the fore in this five issue mini-series from the same team that brought you WARHAMMER: FORGE OF WAR. Tireless foes of Chaos in the Warhammer universe, Witch Hunters roam the Empire seeking to stop the spread of dark magic and witchery of all kinds. When Witch Hunter Magnus Gault hears that the nearby village of Loughville has fallen prey to the canker of Chaos, he is driven to investigate. Once there, he finds the buildings rancid and rotted and the villagers wretched and mutated - eager to prey upon any lost soul who should come their way. Can one man stand against this monstrous regiment? Warhammer 40,000 novelist Dan Abnett, multiple Eisner Award-nominee Ian Edginton, and fan-favorite artist Rahsan Ekedal return to bring you another tale from the epic, fantasy realm that is Warhammer! Issues #1 through #5 are available now for pre-order at the BOOM! Studios website: www.boom-studios.com. To find a comic shop near you visit: http://csls.diamondcomics.com/ If Chaos Built a City,What would it look like? By: Greg Grimsby, Art Director What would a city built by Chaos look like? That’s a pretty tough question, just to set the record straight. Building a city is tough enough as it is. It’s one of those game development back-breakers where there is so much work involved and expectations are so high that even creating a more traditional fantasy city causes much gnashing of teeth and lost sleep. Take Altdorf, for example. First off, it rocks! We have a gallows in the town square, a wizard’s tower that belches fire, and a tavern themed after a Mastiff’s buttock. It’s all great, Warhammer IP goodness hand-crafted with love and a lot of polygons. Read More About Building The Inevitable City >> Episode 3: Battle for Praag and Maw of Madness by Brian Wheeler, Lead RvR Design Welcome folks to another episode of Scenarios 101! This week we’ll be focusing on more Chaos vs. Empire scenarios: Maw of Madness and Battle for Praag. Read more from Scenarios 101 >> Witch Hunter Career Mastery The Empire is not just under overt assault from the forces of Chaos, but is also fighting a constant war against the creeping incursions of darkness and heresy within its own borders, and no one is more aware of this than the Witch Hunter. Tasked with digging out the taint of corruption from within the healthy flesh of the Empire, the Witch Hunter is a grim figure, looked upon with equal measures of awe and dread, for they have the authority of an investigator, a judge, and an executioner. By blade, pistol, and torch, they are determined to cleanse the Empire of evil. Mechanic The Witch Hunters are deadly fighters who seek out and destroy anything tainted by the touch of Chaos. They lay down Accusations at swordpoint until they're satisfied of their enemy's guilt, and then unleash an Execution with the booming voice of their pistol. Their combat abilities are bolstered by a variety of sacred artifacts, such as blessed bullets which add additional effects to their Executions, and potent Holy Relics which can briefly imbue them with great power. Masteries Path of Confession The Path of Confession is direct and uncompromising, and focused primarily on direct and immediate opposition to heresy. A specialist in Confession will eschew subtlety and lengthy investigations in favor of simply approaching their enemy and beating the truth out of them. While not necessarily the most powerful approach, it is effective in its straightforward brutality, and provides a small measure of increased protection when the Witch Hunter finds themselves under direct attack. Path of Inquisition The Path of Inquisition is focused on longer and detailed investigations, weakening and progressively working over an enemy until the victim’s guilt is all but assured. A player with heavy Inquisition Mastery may appear less powerful at first glance, but the devastating effects of their attacks are felt more and more as the fight progresses. Path of Judgment The Path of Judgment is taken by Witch Hunters who are assured that their targets are guilty and no questioning is needed. They tend to take their suspects by surprise, and are at their best when the enemy's attention is elsewhere. A Master of Judgment will seek to avoid face-to-face confrontations, and will be at their most powerful when they have allies nearby that can distract their enemies, allowing the Witch Hunter to lay down very potent attacks. Marauder Career Masteries The Marauder is Tzeentch's favored agent of destruction, and has been granted the simplest and purest gift that the Raven Lord can give: change. The Marauder changes his very blood, bone, and body to reshape himself into a perfect warrior, capable of wreaking havoc and mayhem upon any foes who dare to cross him. He is, by necessity, only lightly-armored, since any more solid protection would merely be rent asunder as his warped and corrupted flesh distorted within it, but he ensures victory by simply slaughtering his enemies before they can react. Marauder Mechanic There are three different mutations that the Marauder can reshape his body into, each of which serves a specific purpose and offers its own benefits. By changing his very body as needed, the Marauder is capable of dispatching most any enemy, but he must always be aware of the flow of battle and ready to mutate into a different form as necessary. A Marauder who chooses poorly will find his punishment to be swift and immediate, for he is helpless and vulnerable during the few moments that it takes his body to flow into a new form, and a perceptive enemy will leap at the chance to take advantage of this brief window of weakness. Marauder Masteries Path of Brutality The Path of Brutality is focused around the Marauder's ability to warp his arm into a sharpened spike of bone. This blade-like appendage can deal horrifying injuries to an enemy, and a player specialized deeply in Brutality will likely be dealing the most damage possible against a single enemy, especially if the foe is distracted by others. Path of Savagery The Path of Savagery leads to a Marauder changing their arm into a monstrous claw, capable of tearing at enemies to cripple and hinder them while they quickly bleed to death. While perhaps not dealing as much immediately obvious damage as his other mutations, a master of Savagery kills his enemies in a more insidious way, weakening the target steadily so that they never realize just how much danger they're in until it's already too late. Path of Monstrosity The Path of Monstrosity focuses on the Marauder mutating their arm into a hideous club-like bludgeon of flesh and gore. The master of Monstrosity can use the massive bulk of their warped arm to defend themselves somewhat, and can sweep their limb around in broad, arcing swings, capable of damaging several enemies with each single smash. MALEKITH THE WITCH KING Leader of the Dark Elf Army Son of Ulthuan's greatest hero, Malekith possesses none of his father Aenarion's nobler traits. The Witch King of Naggaroth is spiteful, savage and filled with rage at the denial of his birthright, the Phoenix Throne of Ulthuan. He is also a deadly adversary, trained in the Dark Arts by his Sorceress mother Morathi. Along with his formidable magical talents, he is also a manipulative and cunning plotter who will resort to any measure to eliminate his rivals and crush the High Elves, whom he hates above all things. It is the Witch King who is the architect of the Age of Reckoning, a great war that he instigates to weaken the High Elves in advance of a massive invasion of Ulthuan. Now at last, the Phoenix Throne may be within reach of the Lord of the Dark Elves. But while treachery and deceit are among Malekith's greatest weapons, they can also be used against him, and he is not the only Druchii who craves ultimate power. GRUMLOK AND GAZBAG Leader of the Greenskin Army At first glance, Grumlok and Gazbag might almost seem comical. Grumlok, a towering brute of a Black Orc, carries his powerful Shaman advisor Gazbag on his shoulder, where the cunning Goblin can whisper plans and advice in his Warlord's ear. It would be a fatal mistake to underestimate these two leaders of the Bloody Sun Boyz, a huge and powerful tribe that has rallied countless other tribes to its banner. Grumlok's immense strength and Gazbag's potent WAAAGH! magic are amplified by magical talismans forged by Malekith to ensure their victory against the Dwarfs With ruthless brutality and an unquenchable thirst for battle, Warlord Grumlok and the Shaman Gazbag lead their massive greenskins horde into the very heart of the Dwarfs' mountain kingdom. Nothing but total victory will sate their immense appetite for war. WARLORD TCHAR'ZANEK Leader of the Chaos Army His origins are shrouded in mystery, his name is whispered in nightmares and his coming was foretold in dark prophecies. He is Tchar'zanek, Champion of Tzeentch and leader of a vast, black army of Northmen and Daemonic creatures of Chaos. Like a flock of ravens descending to feast upon a festering corpse, Tchar'zanek's warhost charges southward from the icy wastes of Norsca to bring bloodshed and terror to the lands of the Empire. A warrior and Sorcerer, Tchar'zanek uses his keen insight into the minds of men to sew anarchy and spread fear as his dread legions advance. The Empire's defenses crumble before him, but it is not only conquest on the battlefield that he seeks. His true purpose is far more sinister and horrific, and if his master plan is successful, the lands of men will be forever changed into a blasphemous Realm of Chaos. In this month’s teaser for the cinematic we unveil the Bright Wizard, complete with tattoos, the trademark hair and a look of fiery determination. Stay tuned for more as we bring you another peek at the WAR cinematic next month. Enjoy! Situated in the southwestern reaches of Ulthuan, Caledor is a sparsely-populated land dominated by a range of tall and majestic mountain spires. Hidden among these towering peaks are secret valleys filled with lush greenery, and a vast and labyrinthine network of caverns wind beneath the stony earth throughout the province. The mountains of Caledor are an impressive sight, but the kingdom today is a pale reflection of its former glory. Long ago, the tall spires of Caledor were ablaze. Fiery volcanoes dominated the skyline, spewing great plumes of ash-grey smoke high into the air. The skies of ancient Caledor were filled with mighty dragons, and it is these magnificent and terrifying beasts that made Caledor the powerful kingdom that it once was. Read more about the Mountains of Caledor >> Public Quest Boss Prologue: Sildaen of Hoeth A few Menhir stones can be found throughout Ulthuan. Together these critical focal points anchor the great Vortex that prevents Chaos' spread throughout the world. Destruction players will be sent to conquer one such stone found in Chrace, the Stone Valetear. There they will meet resistance comprised of every High Elf regiment throughout the Blighted Isle and Chrace. In the end they will be confronted by one of the Archmages of the White Tower, Sildaen of Hoeth. Read more about Sildaen of Hoeth >> Warhammer Online Podcasts are now available on iTunes! Subscribe today! Click Image to Watch Podcast This month we sit down with Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer, to talk about cities. Jeff explains exactly what a "living city" means and how it provides all kinds of joy and excitement for players. Including looting, pillaging, burning, dungeons, special events and of course capturing the King! Each newsletter, the Video of the Month brings you a fresh, new look at WAR in action! These videos are not highly polished marketing trailers, but clips of raw game footage showcasing many of the cool features of WAR. Click Image to Watch Video This month we share with you NEW! closed beta footage courtesy of a home movie made by the Content Development team. Join Creative Director, Paul Barnett, and his trusty video phone for a truly unique look at the making of WAR. This month, Paul shares with us the new Witch Elf in all her glory, Warhammer fans from around the globe and what it's like to work at other EA offices. View the Video Blog >> Updated High Elf and Dark Elf content, along with open world keeps and siege, are being tested on beta now. Don’t waste any time, sign up now to take part in one of the largest beta tests ever for an MMORPG. More than a half a million players have registered so far, but we are always looking for new recruits. Sharpen your sword, unleash your inner mutation, and prepare to meet your destiny on the battlefields of Warhammer Online. Sign up for the WAR Beta at: betacenter.eamythic.com WAR is coming! Are you ready? There are a million stories in the Age of Reckoning just waiting to be told. What is your tale? This month 's beta journal, titled "The Conscious Subjugator", gives us insight into a level of corruption that even a Witch Hunter is astonished by. Will he be able to drive evil from the land? Read This Month's Beta Journal Entry >> WAR is coming! Are you properly dressed? JUST ADDED – WAR BELT BUCKLE Hold your pants up with style and show the world you are ready for WAR! Do you feel like you’ve been lacking accessories in your WARdrobe? Well not any more! Now available exclusively at the EA Mythic Store is the new WAR pewter belt buckle.* Supplies are extremely limited so order now! Visit the EA Mythic Store! * Offer valid for U.S. residents only EARN A SPOT IN THE CLOSED BETA! Feeling creative? We know we have some talented fans out there and now is the time for you to demonstrate your skills. Send us your WAR-inspired art and we’ll showcase the best submissions in upcoming newsletters. Plus, featured artists will be invited to join us in the closed beta test! Orc Shaman & Squiggly Beast by J. Westcott Troll by Teli EPIC WIN *Warrior Priest* by C.S. Lambright Goby Shamy by M. Mumbrue The Anger of the Dwarf by L. Hongkyu Bosh Dem Flyz by L. Burnell Squigtreiba by Fireal Fanatic by Danjlo Maccione Growing Rage by Flegias Chaoslord by Pedro Ramos Visit the Fan Art Gallery >> Submit your artwork >> EARN A SPOT IN THE CLOSED BETA! Have a knack for creative writing or a story you are dying to tell? We are looking to “publish” the best WAR-inspired fan fiction written by our readers. Plus, featured writers will be invited to join us in the closed beta test! Submissions must be no longer than 2000 words. This Month’s Featured Stories Order SilentString, Armin Shadows of Faragoth Village, M. Willis Destruction Kuulo's war, Y. Victor Charge of the Squig Brigade, Koroh Welcome to the WAR Grab Bag, where our friendly neighborhood community team answers the most pressing, the most popular, and the most interesting questions from fans. Keep those questions coming, as we’re eager to hear what you have to say! Check out this month’s Grab Bag >> In the future we will collect grab bag questions from a different fansite each month. If you have a question you would like to submit for next month's grab bag please submit your questions on Only-WAR dedicated forum page. "Depending on the game, being a guild leader can be anywhere from reasonably decent to an exercise in frustration. Guild officers put in a lot of hours organizing and managing to keep their guilds alive. This is a real labor of love, but it can account for a lot of a guild officer’s time. Guilds are the core social mechanism for a MMO and are crucial to a strong vibrant community. Therefore, it stands to reason that guild leaders should have a good suite of tools to do their job and make their lives easier." Developer Profile >> "I hope to bring everything that is the spirit of the tabletop game to life. Because I think it's all about the same things, the community aspect, and getting together, and fighting against other people, and dressing up your character the way you want, and making fart jokes" Developer Profile >> The next phase of the WAR Beta is underway and we are debuting all-new content and RvR mayhem! Each month we'll randomly select 20 names from the newsletter subscriber database for entry into the Beta Test.* If you are a current Warhammer newsletter subscriber, then you're automatically entered into the drawing every month. If you are not yet a newsletter subscriber, visit betacenter.eamythic.com to register for the Beta and subscribe to the monthly newsletter. March Winners: C. Roswell/North America G. Casado/Europe J. Scheidler/North America L. Cyphere/Europe F. Marcil/North America P. Siddons/Europe C. Steineke/North America T. Liesch/Europe C. Meyers/North America I. Areses/Europe D. Vetter/North America R. Hüwener/Europe J. Matano/North America O. Coulibaly/Europe F. Kohler/North America A. Weickel/Europe D. Tapp/New Zealand N. Browne/Australia M. Soudy/New Zealand L. Sasmita/Australia This month, decorate your desktop with more images of WAR. Regular Wide Screen February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 Each month we’ll be shining the spotlight on WAR fan sites that exemplify what we consider to be the best in WAR community spirit. Recently Warhammer Vault updated its video section to make it easier for you to find your favorite videos on all things war. They have quite an extensive library that’s now even easier to navigate. Check it out and get involved in the community while you’re at it! Is your fan site doing something cool, informative, or fun? Let us know by sending an email to war-community@mythic.ea.com and you could be featured in the next community spotlight. Download the WAR Fan Site kit. The views expressed in the linked sites are the views of the respective owners of each site, and do not necessarily express the views of Electronic Arts, its wholly-owned subsidiaries or Licensors. Electronic Arts does not endorse and is not responsible for content on third party sites, including fan sites. What is going on in this picture? Send us your best caption and we’ll send the winner into the Closed Beta! Please keep your captions clean if you want them to be printed! Enter your Caption: Enter your Email Address: Last Month’s Contest Winner Winner: "Harry told me that chicks love this new cologne, but this ain't exactly what I was expectin'! " Runners-Up: "Apparently, the goblins had run out of squigs. The dwarves were not impressed by their emergency solution. " "After centuries of being plucked and fried, the chickens finally made their stand." "Sooner or later that "Why did the chicken cross the road" joke was gonna piss someone off. " Get your hands on the latest build of WAR at one of the following events: New York Comic Con April 18-20, 2008 Baltimore Games Day June 14, 2008 Toronto Games Day June 21, 2008 San Diego Comic Con July 24-27, 2008 Chicago Games Day July 26, 2008 LA Games Day August 23, 2008 Penny Arcade Expo August 29-31, 2008 Stay tuned for more information about our upcoming 2008 show schedule! More news and exclusive information from the frontlines of WAR, including: New Career Mastery Updates Zone Overview – Eataine Exciting Announcements Plus, new screens, videos, podcasts, and so much more! * The BOOM! Beta promotional code must be activated by May 31, 2008 to be eligible for the Beta Test. Previous registrants can add the promo code to their existing accounts by visiting the Beta Center. One in five registrants using this promo code are potentially eligible to participate in the Beta test. However, this is dependent upon the registrant meeting specific computer system specifications and the time of entry is not guaranteed. The Beta Test is an ongoing process and registrants will be invited to participate at various intervals until the launch of the game. Offer valid for North American beta test only. Only one BOOM! Beta Code can be associated with a Beta Center Account. In order to participate in the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Beta you must agree to a Beta Test Agreement, in which you will represent and warrant that, among other things, you (a) are eighteen (18) years of age or older, (b) are not a principal, employee, agent, independent contractor, officer or director of a developer or publisher of video or computer games (other than EA), and (c) are not a principal, employee, supplier, independent contractor, officer or director or of any entity that participates either directly or indirectly in the sale of in-game items, including but not limited to, in-game currency, armor, weapons, etc., whether these sales are to the general public or to a third-party. Please know that at EA Mythic, we don't want to send you information you don't want to receive. If you no longer want us to contact you, please click here to be removed from our mailing list or to change your preferences. You can also write to: Privacy Policy Administrator, Electronic Arts, 209 Redwood Shores Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065. 'Warhammer' ©/™ and/or ® GW Ltd. Newsletter © 2008 Electronic Arts Inc. All Rights Reserved. EA and the EA logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners. Legal Notices Privacy Policy Terms of Service

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Zero Punctuation Reviews - Zack & Wiki

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Busy@Work

Work's kicking my butt so updates are gonna be scarce (as obviously they have been for the last week) for a while.

But on the plus side, I did get to meet Johnny Solinger, the lead singer of Skid Row, today.

Logo in the background blurred to better preserve my precious anonymity. Click for full size.

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Zero Punctuation Reviews - Turok

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Audio-surf - I've been dethroned

Here's an interesting little fact of which I was completely unaware until last night: If you get the highest score on a given song on Audio-surf, and then later somebody beats you, it e-mails you to let you know (and apparently there IS a way to view high scores online). In my case, for a brief couple weeks I held top position on the pro level difficulty of "Dragostea din Tei" by Ozone (which some of you might know as the "Numa Numa" song. And I came by it honestly, using Mono Pro and getting both the "didn't hit any greys" bonus and the "clear board at end of level" bonus... but as is too often the case in this game, some schmendrick playing as Double Vision Pro usurped my title. It is uniformly the case that the highest scores are usually claimed by someone playing double vision. That's because, if you ask me, the game is frankly easier and the score potential much higher when playing double vision, especially if you get a friend to help you to be "player 2" so to speak. It's cheap, and it should not be scored on the scale as the other, harder characters... perhaps score should be cut in half, since there are two "players" on the level. Grumble, grumble.

ozone: dragostea din tei

Pro
Name	Score	Character
kuessedauern	78315	DVP
GasBandit	55163	Mono Pro
RE91	53831	Mono Pro
Death64`	48517	Mono Pro
Cynic	46948	Mono Pro
Aekhiv	45776	Pusher
LungZ0r	37674	Mono Pro
Yeggstry	37612	Mono Pro
Starshot	34518	DVP
tl154	34448	Mono Pro
YraelAngainor	32936	Mono Pro

At any rate, I refuse to cheapen my high score by playing double vision pro just to reclaim the top spot, since doing so would erase my mono pro score... I'll maintain my dignity, and the list will show that I have the highest "real" high score... at least until nine other goombahs playing as DVP easymode their way above me.

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Pyroblazer Announced

Huh. I never got e-mailed a press release before, but now they've found me. Seems I'm going to encourage them by posting the entirety of what they sent me, along with all 10 screenshots. Click to see...

PYROBLAZER™ PRESS RELEASE

Wellingborough, UK: Candella Systems Ltd and Eipix Entertainment are pleased to announce Pyroblazer™, a futuristic combat racing game for the PC, Nintendo Wii® & Sony PSP®.

Set amidst the awe-inspiring locations of New Apeiron, players get the opportunity to race through a multitude of environments using a wide selection of anti-gravity craft known as Blazers. In their quest for glory, players can blast their way through the scorched valleys of Gnosis, the deserted cities of Haedra or the densely populated Underdome of Evelads.

As the players fight their way through the championship, improved Blazers with better speed, handling and superior firepower become available. Players also have the ability to pick up weapon and ammo upgrades during the race, further enhancing their ability to land the killer blow.

In addition to the single player modes such as Quick Race and Championship, Pyroblazer™ will also offer players the ability to compete against each other in 6-player local and internet-based combat racing. Powered by Eipix’s proprietary Ultra Engine and Ageia’s PhysX™ middleware, the game offers racing and sci-fi fans an experience unlike any other in the genre.

Pyroblazer™ on the PC will be available to buy in June 2008. For more information about the game, publishing or digital distribution enquiries, Email info@candellasoftware.com.

About Candella Systems Ltd

Based in the United Kingdom, Candella Systems Ltd is a developer and publisher of videogames for the PC, consoles and handhelds. Over the past four years, as an outsourcing partner, the company worked on several games for the PC and consoles including Juiced (PlayStation 2, PC), Stubbs the Zombie (PC, Xbox) and The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift (PlayStation 2, PSP). The company currently has several projects in development for the PC and consoles.

About Eipix Entertainment

Eipix is an independent developer based in Serbia. Previously, the company worked on projects such as Inhuman Games’ Trash, Oxygen Interactive’s King of Clubs, Chegger’s Pub Quiz and Alan Hansen’s Sports Challenge projects. The company currently has several projects in development for the PC and various consoles.

Pyroblazer™ is a trademark of Candella Systems Ltd. AGEIA™ and PhysX™ are trademarks of AGEIA Technologies, Inc. and are used under license. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

All Rights Reserved.

Click to enlarge screenshots -

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Review: Hard to Be a God

I had never heard of this work of Russian sci-fi/fantasy literature until this game, but it sounded intriguing to me. Kind of like a "first contact" star trek situation as seen from the other side, the low tech side. But I was also wary... an IP I'd never heard of, put together by a Dev house I'd never heard of, resulting in a game I had not heard of until its release? It could be trouble... or it could be a sleeper hit (after all, whoever heard of this "Cro-team" before the brilliance of Serious Sam?)

I took a couple weeks playing this one because (a) it's very long, and (b) my day job didn't leave me a lot of time lately.

Graphics -
The visual experience is passable for current gen equipment (and most likely playable on last gen), but they have some glaring (literally) flaws. First and foremost is the fixed camera angle and altitude. Don't be fooled by some of the promotional screenshots out there. While you can easily rotate the camera around your character, it very quickly becomes infuriating because the angle prevents you from seeing anything more than 30 feet away, rendering most ranged weapons absolutely useless. The character and creature models are diverse and detailed, and the textures skinning them are very good as well; the only gripe I have about the models is that despite it being almost standard in most games these days and despite there being lots of voiceover dialog, the human models do not have lips/jaws that move when they talk. It makes the game feel older tech than it is.

The landscapes are also lush and have plenty of polygons, but rather homogenized. I couldn't tell you from a screenshot which area of the game it was depicting, because they all look very artistically similar, bordering on identical. Sure, there are a few rocky areas and some town areas, but you spend most of your time stomping down dirt roads or tromping through forests and after a while it all gets visually tiresome. The water effects are very nice though, and there are little touches like the shadows of clouds drifting across the landscape to make it look immersive, but that same immersion is broken by two very big problems - namely, the "water on your eyes" flicker-wiggle so common to many a console game these days, and to a greater extent, the unabashed over-abuse of "bloom." Apparently the developers decided to use bloom not only for certain special effects but as their primary lighting source, as turning off bloom makes the entire game become cloaked in eternal overcast twilight, and the shading and reflectivity of the textures goes right out the window. Too many games overuse bloom (and depth of field for that matter) these days, and if you are like me and easily irritated by further bloom abuse, it's going to make you cranky here.

Now, one thing that can be applauded in this game is the motion capture of the human models. The characters move, run, walk, shuffle, and fight will remarkable realism that came as a pleasant surprise and helped mitigate many of my gripes about the game. The motions for the various moves of melee combat were particularly good. The various and myriad pieces of clothing and armor are also well executed.

Sound -
The sound effects themselves aren't noteworthy but that is often a good thing, as what most often would make SFX stand out would be low quality. The music however, can be a problem. While plainly somebody worked very hard on arranging the score, it isn't particularly stirring and it becomes repetitive rather quickly. It is nice that it shifts from pastoral normal music to a more agitated combat theme when something begins to attack you, because due to the restricted camera angle you might not always see it coming, particularly from behind or the sides. The voice actors also must be given some kudos, because they managed to smooth out some of the worst typos and translations I have seen in a game since Zero Wing. Although some of them were a little miscast, you really have to take into account what they were given to work with, and they do an admirable job.

Story -
The protagonist of the game (that being you) is a young imperial spy, fresh out of intelligence training... which makes it sound a lot more impressive than 2 years of hitting straw dummies with a dull sword and teaching you to play-dress up in various flavors of medieval garb. Your world is a feudal nightmare full of disease, death and violence, and you are sent on a mission to assassinate the leader of a rebellion in the city of Arkanar. This sends you through a number of "go here and do this" type quests to advance the main plot, while each step of the way also providing several optional side quests available for added experience. There are a dozen different factions all vying against each other and through clothing and armor you procure (mostly from the bodies of those you slay) you can disguise yourself as most of them, be it a rebel soldier, zealous monk, sneaky thief or noble don. In the course of carrying out your orders, you get caught up in a web of political intrigue and more, soon discovering that there are men in high places around Arkanar that are from another world entirely, called "Earth." The earthmen seem to be almost as Gods among the indigenous folk (who they often refer to as "aborigines") due to their technological superiority, and indeed some of the locals even consider them to be so. Your character is very soon in well over his head... who are these Earthmen? How did they get here? What do they want? Who is "the Prophet?" Are you descended from a visitor from earth?

An interesting premise, but... Really it would be a lot more impressive though if it weren't so haphazardly translated sometimes. There are plenty of "all your base" type lines (my favorite was a soldier besieging a city saying "I have no time to cope with your work! Do not drive me to distraction!" Whenever a line has a voiceover, the voice actor does an admirable job of interpreting what is really meant and delivering the line properly, even if at odds with the displayed text.

There's also a large amount of books placed throughout the game to give background and depth to the world if you are so inclined to read them... but honestly I couldn't get into it.

Gameplay -
The controls are very straightforward and it's a good thing, too, because the tutorial neglects to even tell you how to draw your weapon before expecting you to use it (it's the "tab" key, incidentally). Combat is smooth and largely simple, but a bit too console-ish for my taste. However, I must admit that even for a console-style 3rd person hack and slash, it has some nice moves. The direction the camera is facing determines the direction your character moves to face, and WASD moves him up/down/left/right with respect to the camera (not respect to himself). Left clicking performs standard attacks with your equipped weapon, clicking multiple times leads into a combination of up to 3 successive attacks. Space bar blocks/parries (arrows can only be blocked if a shield is equipped). Right-click performs a special move called a "perk," and middle-click performs a downard attack that is instant death for any enemy who has been knocked to the ground, though it takes longer than a normal attack and leaves you open while you do it.

The weapons are divided into four categories - Light, medium, heavy and ranged. Light weapons are quick and low damage and heavier weapons are slow but fearsome. There are different fighting moves (and perks) for every weapon type be it one handed, two handed, dual wielded, or with a shield (and a sword and shield together count as a heavy weapon, apparently, as far as skill goes). Your damage with each weapon, and the perks available to you with it, are determined by the number of skill points you spend on that weapon. Yes, it's an RPG, you level up and spend points to make your character grow stronger. Each level you gain gives you one point to spend on a melee weapon discipline, and two points to spend on tertiary stats such as max health, stamina, medical skill or diplomacy. It quickly becomes apparent that combat is all about the "perks," as the normal melee attacks are rather weak by comparison. Ranged weapons, as mentioned previously, are largely a joke, even the earthmen's railguns and laser pistols are of limited use (especially considering the low availability of ammunition for them on your backwards little mudball). However, combat does not advance your character much after you pass the first few levels. The only way to really get enough experience to advance your character is to get the exp rewards from finishing items in your quest log, and to seek out side quests. You get scant experience for fighting, but thousands of exp for completing a "go here and kill this" task.

One thing that is nice, though, is there is very little "dicerolling" in melee combat. The damage of your hits does have a slight variance from attack to attack even aside from armor considerations, but if your sword's polygons pass through the space occupied by some living thing, it registers a hit (unless they are blocking of course). That means that some of the moves which are wide, sweeping motions will hit several enemies at once, which is always nice. The down side of this comes from a fairly large oversight - your sword does not differentiate between friendly and hostile targets (unless said friendly is specifically following you due to plot concerns). This often got me into trouble when I was supposed to be helping, say, gate guards fend off an attack from the forces of the Prophet, and my sword nicked one of the guards so they all turned on me. I suppose this dynamic was left in place so that you could (for example) disguise yourself as a thief to infiltrate a bandit camp and then kill the leader before anyone realizes you are an enemy, but it caused me way more problems than opportunities to be duplicitous.

There definitely is a little bit of a learning curve, but most gamers will be up to speed quickly with a little practice I think. Just remember, the space bar is your friend. Most enemies you fight will have triple or more your HP, so blocking is imperative. Also, don't bother with horses until you are too rich to care about dropping 5 to 10 thousand gold on a whim, because the horse will only be useable on your current visit to the current area you are in... travel to another zone of the world and it's gone. Often this is a very large ripoff.

Disguises often are crucial to the plot. There will be many a time when you can't get through an area unless you are disguised as an FRA (Free Republic of Arkanar, the rebel faction) soldier, and most often nobles won't be very helpful at all unless they think you are a noble as well... however imperial solders will attack you on sight if you are dressed as FRA, and noble Dons are ripe targets for cutpurses and attacks from rival Dons.

Oh, and anyone familiar with Final Fantasy series games, or Baldur's Gate or Neverwinter Nights will feel right at home when it comes to loot, as you can just stroll into most houses, pack up everything of value in the boxes inside, and stroll right out again with nobody even looking at you sideways. I even looted a few chests in a merchant's shop then sold the contents right back to him.

The Final Word -
Hard to Be a God was an aggressive undertaking, and it breaks the mold in many ways but in many places it lacks polish and depth. The plot is long and interesting, but after two weeks it didn't interesting enough for me to put up with the endless amounts of plodding travelling and the aggravations outlined above. When all is said and done, I don't even want to look at this game again, but I regret that. It could have been somebody, Stella. It could have been a contender, instead of a bum, which is what it is.

Grade: C-

Here's a trailer for the game, but don't let the camera angles fool you.

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EA's bid for Take 2 becomes Hostile Takeover attempt

EA is determined to make even more of your games suck.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Electronic Arts Inc (NasdaqGS:ERTS - News) plans to make a tender offer to acquire all of rival video game publisher Take-Two Interactive Software Inc's (NasdaqGS:TTWO - News) outstanding shares for $26 each, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. A spokesman for Electronics Arts was not immediately available.

On February 24 EA made an unsolicited bid of $26 a share, or $1.9 billion, for Take-Two, publisher of the Grand Theft Auto game. Take-Two rejected the bid as inadequate.

Take-Two shares closed up on Wednesday at $24.91 on Nasdaq.

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Zero Punctuation Reviews - Burnout Paradise

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First look at Starcraft 2 Zerg

Blizzard sure knows what side of the bread their butter is on, continuing to fellate Korea by giving them all the Starcraft 2 news first... while us west hemispherians get by with shakycam captures.

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Off Topic Friday #23 - The Windows Sound Song

I used to dabble around with this software too... but I don't think anything I made was as nifty as this.


(click "Full Article" link to view, because there's no way I can find to keep it from starting automatically, and I don't want it to do that on the main page all the time!)

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An interesting article on Copyright Law

I found this to be very interesting reading. It describes how draconian enforcement of copyright law is unlikely to work, and that the laws must adapt to the moral structure of the society, not vice versa.

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Zero Punctuation Reviews - Devil May Cry 4

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Gary Gygax, Creator of Dungeons and Dragons, Dies

We RPG enthusiasts thank you, Mr. Gygax.
Article

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Gary Gygax, who co-created the fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons and helped start the role-playing phenomenon, died Tuesday morning at his home in Lake Geneva. He was 69.

He had been suffering from health problems for several years, including an abdominal aneurysm, said his wife, Gail Gygax.

Gygax and Dave Arneson developed Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 using medieval characters and mythical creatures. The game known for its oddly shaped dice became a hit, particularly among teenage boys, and eventually was turned into video games, books and movies.

Gygax always enjoyed hearing from the game's legion of devoted fans, many of whom would stop by the family's home in Lake Geneva, about 55 miles southwest of Milwaukee, his wife said. Despite his declining health, he hosted weekly games of Dungeons & Dragons as recently as January, she said.

"It really meant a lot to him to hear from people from over the years about how he helped them become a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, what he gave them," Gygax said. "He really enjoyed that."

Dungeons & Dragons players create fictional characters and carry out their adventures with the help of complicated rules. The quintessential geek pastime, it spawned a wealth of copycat games and later inspired a whole genre of computer games that's still growing in popularity.

Funeral arrangements are pending. Besides his wife, Gygax is survived by six children.

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Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War - Soulstorm Ships

Man... I am psyched. Two more races, air units, and a multiple-planet campaign. Schwing.

Press Release Here

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