Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Atrophy of Conan


Been playing AOC for a couple months now, and I think my time in it is about over. Apparently I'm not the only one deciding that. I've witnessed entire guilds disintegrate or vanish entirely as their members flee back to WoW or get into the Warhammer beta. Even my guild is bleeding level 80 members faster than we can level them, and in the last 2 weeks we've had 4 officers and the GM quit the game. Raids we previously had no problem filling the 24 person limit before are now struggling to come up with 12 and more than one healer. Some of our allied or rival guilds have vanished entirely. That's some serious attrition.

Funcom claimed they sold something like 800,000 units... then last week, they claimed they had 400,000 active subscribers (which I actually think is high, given that this would mean there's 6000 players per server, and I can tell you there isn't). But even if that estimate weren't high, that means half the people who bought the game didn't stick with it past the included 30 days. That's bad for funcom.

Why is all this happening? Probably because the game, as I quite frankly said in my review of it, was not ready for retail launch. I would say that is still the case. I'm still crashing from memory leaks, half the content is still bugged to hell (especially the endgame), and Funcom takes as many steps backwards in fixing things as they do forwards. For instance, in a patch today, to address a current imbalance in an unintended ability to stack the benefits of player crafted equipment to ridiculous proportions, their answer is to make a "temporary" change that absolutely destroys any point to making or using player-crafted equipment. Rather than simply place stat caps on the trouble areas, they reduced the benefit of all "gems" (which are the things that give player crafted weapons and armor their stat benefits) to less than 10% of their previous amount.

Think about that in terms of your current MMO... if your equipment started giving you 90% LESS of a boost to your resists, damage, etc.. would you still be able to tank that raid mob that is already hitting for nearly half your max HP *with* the "overpowered" resists? There is much consternation going around that this "fix" will not only destroy crafting, but put a halt to endgame raiding. So if you can't make your own gear, and you can't raid for purple gear, you're left sitting in your quest rewards and blue drops, dying quickly in PvP (oh, and Massive PvP keep sieges are still bugged and broken) and not having much else to do other than roll an alt or quit.

And a lot of people are quitting. It's too bad, too, because combat in this game is a blast, I love cutting off heads, and in group PvP I haven't seen balance this good since DAOC, abarring 1 or 2 issues... at least until this patch turned everyone's gear into garbage.

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Zero Punctuation Reviews - Braid

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Don't Buy Cyber Acoustics

My headset died the other night. I really liked it, it was a big HP headset with boom mic and bass boost vibration. Not only did stuff sound really good through it, the microphone was top notch. Anyway, a few too many yanks of the cord and now it's got a short in it, so I went to Office Depot to get a new headset.

Unfortunately my HP headset was discontinued (I got it on clearance), and looking at the choices I could get something that looked similar for $50, or I could get the cyber-acoustics standard model for 20 bucks. The miser in me did the math and I grabbed the 20 dollar headphones.

Ugh, these things are awful. They're uncomfortable, they feel flimsy, and they even make my voice sound tinny (and I'm annoyed by tinny voices on Ventrilo, so I am sure not going to become one).

I've gone through this song and dance twice before I think... you would think I would remember, but somehow it's never until I get the thing home and plug it in, and experience the RAGE that I remember, oh yeah, Cyber Acoustics is shit, why did I buy this?!

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Thursday, August 21, 2008

Warhammer Online Newsletter #35 (August 2008)




Click Image to View Video

Mythic kicks off this year's Games Convention (Leipzig, Germany) with a bang as we release the new cinematic trailer for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Created by Venice, CA- based Blur Studio, this new cinematic thrusts viewers into the heat of RvR as the forces of Order battle to stop the marauding hordes of Destruction from taking the capital city of Altdorf. ENJOY!

View the Final Movie >>

You will need Flash 8 to view the movie.


This week, we announced that the open beta for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning 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 RvR combat before the game goes live on September 18th, 2008.

Open Beta Begins – Sunday, September 7, 2008

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.

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.

For more information about the WAR open beta, visit www.warhammeronline.com/openbeta.

The Internet braces for an onslaught of Warhammer Online info as Mythic lifts the Closed Beta NDA!

Like a barrage of Orcapults fired upon the gates of a Dwarf fortress, yesterday we demolished the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (WAR) closed beta in North America. Beta testers for the epic MMOPRG are now free to actively share their experiences on the battlefield and discuss the best strategies for dominating the enemy in WAR’s signature Realm vs. Realm (RvR) combat.

With the gates of information now open, WAR truly is everywhere – and it will come to a head on September 18th, 2008, the “Day of Reckoning,” when gamers everywhere will have a chance to battle it out as soldiers in the armies of WAR!

Read More about the NDA Being Lifted >>

Now you can join hundreds of thousands of mighty heroes on the battlefields of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning for 30 or 60 days of relentless RvR combat without the use of a credit card.

60-day Game Time cards will be available at participating game retailers. Collect all eight cards in this limited-run set.

30-day Game Time cards will be available at Wal-Mart.



Click Image to View Video

This month we release the first of two new game trailers for WAR. In Part One, we join the Realm War following a Warrior Priest as he leads the forces of Order to assault the gates of an imposing Chaos fortress. Look for Part Two to be released at the end of the month!

View the Final Movie >>

You will need Flash 8 to view the movie.

A CALL TO ARMS!

Crusaders of California!
Warriors of Washington!
Battlers of British Columbia!
Soldiers of Sydney!
Armies of Auckland!
Warmongers of the World!

March the ROAD TO WAR!

For many months, you bloodthirsty hordes have been clamoring for combat and now we have heeded your call. For the weeks leading up to the launch of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, you may satisfy your bloodlust in a series of weekly battles to be played out on a global stage.

Road to WAR is an exclusive online game brought to you by Mythic Entertainment. It is currently in beta.


Click Image to declare your allegiance and
begin down the ROAD TO WAR!

For those salivating at the prospect of an all-out confrontation between the forces of Order and Destruction, you may now throw yourselves into the open embrace of Realm vs. Realm battle before WAR even goes live. In Road to WAR, each side will endeavor to obliterate their enemy, with the overall objective of achieving a preemptive victory at the onset of the Age of Reckoning. The Winning Realm will be amply rewarded with spoils of war that may be used in the live game. Special rewards will be reserved for top players. Declare your allegiance, choose your army, and march into battle on the Road to WAR.

Each week on the Road to WAR there will be featured Battles and Quests allowing players to earn points towards valuable in-game rewards and bragging rights. Here are the current challenges:

BATTLE #2: CAPITAL SIEGE
August 17-22 (Battle ends: 11:59 pm Pacific Time)

This week's battle will be all-out warfare as the Realms of Order and Destruction fight slaughterously for control over the states east of the tumultuous Mississippi River. Although these states are small, the capture of this region would gain your Realm a sizeable advantage as it is in these lands where the nation's capital is fortressed. Gold, guts, and guile will lead you to victory in this treacherous crusade. In the end, the majority shall rule.

Battle Objectives: Take Control of the majority of states to win the Capital.

States in Play: ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, DE, MD, VA, WV, PA, NC, SC, GA, FL

How to Win: Victory will go to the Realm that has won the majority of states in this region by the end of the week.

Victory Points: 1000 Victory Points to all battle participants in the winning Realm.

GOLD QUEST: DECLARE YOUR ALLEGIANCE

At this juncture it is not known which Realm has the most loyal followers, so the first quest is to meet at the gates of Beta and declare your allegiance. Failure to complete this Quest shall be the scourge of your Realm.

Quest Objective: Go to the Warhammer Online Beta Center and enter one of the supplied association codes from this newsletter. Declare for Order or side with Destruction. Each member of the most favored Realm will receive 100 Gold for their war chest in the Road to WAR.

Association Codes:
ORDER
DESTRUCTION

For more information, visit the Road to WAR. You’ll find game rules, exciting downloads, new Battles and Quests, and an exciting way to prepare for WAR!


EMPIRE IN CHAOS, the first book in a new series based upon the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is now available for Pre-Order.

In the Empire a ghastly plague breaks out. Is this illness a natural occurrence, or does it herald a far greater evil? As the apocalypse draws ever closer, can our heroes rally the defenders of the Empire to face the most terrible of all enemies – the hordes of Chaos? Read a sample chapter.



Now you can prepare for the coming war by pre-ordering Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning to receive some great added benefits. 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 raw recruits even set foot in the game world. Pick up the special pre-order box (or order online) and reserve your copy of WAR today!

Read the official press release.

Collector’s Edition pre-order update: All units of the Collector’s Edition have been pre-sold in North America. As expected, demand was strong and the Collector’s Edition moved quickly. However, you can still get into the game early and receive some great bonus items by pre-ordering the regular edition of WAR!

This pre-order information is valid for North America only. Pre-order offer may vary by retailer. See your local game retailer for details.

Visit www.warhammeronline.com/preorder for more information.

WAR Pre-Order Benefits include:

Open Beta Access
Be one of the first players to experience the glory of battle and the thrill of WAR! The Open Beta will immerse you in a world of perpetual conflict and give you a taste of the epic Realm vs. Realm battles yet to come.

Live Game Head Start
Begin your adventures in the Age of Reckoning before the raw recruits arrive! As a pre-order customer, you’ll get access to the live servers before the game officially launches to help lead your Realm to victory.

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 deck from Fantasy Flight Games. (Universal Fighting System Battle Decks are available in a limited supply from select retailers.)

Bonus In-Game Items
Equip your characters for their journey to the frontlines with these helpful bonus items:

Pre-order customers will receive:

Rittenbach’s Portable Camp
Rest your weary soul and heal your wounds between battles.

Plus, order from Best Buy and also receive:

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.)

Order from GameStop or EB Games and also receive:

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.)

Purchase the pre-release pack from Target* and also receive:

Vindicator’s Ruby Band
Enhance your stats and cast “Touch of Flame,” increasing your chance of doing additional elemental damage with each hit. (Usable in PvE combat only.)

$5 OFF COUPON

Save your hard earned gold with a $5 coupon good towards the purchase of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.

Order from Amazon.com**, Circuit City, Direct2Drive**, EAStore.com**, EB Canada, Fry’s, FutureShop, GameCrazy, GoGamer.com, and WalMart.com*** and also receive:

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.)

* Target pre-release boxes will be in stores in early August. Purchase of the pre-release box does not reserve a copy of the game at launch but does provide access to the pre-order bonuses. Offer does not include the UFS Battle Deck.

** Amazon.com, EAStore.com, Direct2Drive and GameStop.com pre-order customers will receive codes via email. Offer does not include the UFS Battle Deck.

*** Walmart.com pre-order customers will receive their in-game bonus items with the final product at launch. Pre-order offer does not include access to the Open Beta, Head Start, or the UFS Battle Deck.


Join your friends in discovering whether or not the peasants’ outlandish claims of monstrous rats scurrying about the Altdorf Sewers are true, fight alongside your Realm’s bravest in facing murder incarnate at the Bastion Stair, or aid in the effort to rescue the Everqueen in the Lost Vale. These are just a few of the several dungeons in Warhammer Online for mid-to-high level players to enjoy.

Dungeons come in three varieties: Realm-instanced, group-instanced and warband-instanced. Survive the challenges and epic boss fights found inside to earn the most coveted of weapons, armors and loot.

Introducing Lost Vale

Claim yourself a practiced Bright Wizard, believe yourself Tzeentch’s favored Chosen, pray that you are a balanced Archmage, the Lost Vale awaits you. Take arms alongside five of your strongest allies when venturing into this six player instance, for the challenges therein are like none other found in the Old World. Your prowess with the sword, bow and arcane will be pushed to its limits against creatures and daemons both rare and terrible. Only the most skilled and innovative of players working together will manage their way through the many threats and solve the many mysteries this majestic island holds. Those successful few will learn the Everqueen’s fate, and reap the greatest rewards.

Oh, my Queen, how I have failed you.

It seems odd, perhaps, that I set pen to page now, but ever have I been a scribe, and ever will I remain so. Even though I have carried shield and spear, bow and blade as one of Alarielle's Handmaidens, I cannot bring myself to forget my humblest beginnings. Every great tragedy begins with sorrow, and mine is no different. I have thinned my ink with tears which I have freely shed in the name of my people.

It is not of me that I set out to write, for I am merely a tiny player upon a grander stage. I write of my Queen, and of my sisters, for I have lost them here within the Gaen Vale. Call it the Lost Vale, if you prefer, for it has truly been lost to us. I fear that the Gaen Vale will soon become synonymous with all that is corrupt and vulgar in this pitiless world.

Even as we arrived, the signs were somehow wrong. The light was of an unusual cast, and the air was still and tainted with an odor that I can only describe as feral. The beasts of the wood, normally complacent and welcoming, were not to be seen. The songbirds regarded us from the treetops with obvious suspicion. It was as if we were strangers to our own island, forgotten by our former friends. Forgotten, or mistrusted.

While the Queen's retinue traveled onward to the Palace, I was sent to the Thornvale Wilds with Nunriel to collect silk from the Whitefire Spiders. The Spiders had long been friends, and long had we harvested their silk for our looms. When we found the spiders, they did not greet us. Their eyes flashed with anger, and their limbs waved with frantic, aggressive motions.

Nunriel was not concerned, and approached within a pace or two of the gleaming creature that hissed at her as if possessed. Before I could call a warning, the spider leapt upon her, its venom-slicked fangs descending upon her exposed throat. Fear overcame me, and I ran. I do not hide the shame of my fear, for I may have been able to save Nunriel had I taken up my blade against her attacker.

I fled blindly through the wilds with Nunriel's screams a companion to the sounds of my beating heart and labored breath. My mind was two paces behind my eyes as I entered a clearing filled with a number of cavorting Beastmen. At their center was an ancient waystone, drenched in fresh blood and filth, and beside it stood a massive Doombull with the pale fur of an albino.

It was then that I screamed, for I had never imagined such a sight would be found in this fair place. The Beastmen ceased their savage dance, their red eyes turning upon me with hate, fury, and dare I say lust. I stopped short of them, my hand upon the pommel of my sword. The white Doombull grunted in amusement, a sentiment that was echoed by his companions.

Their laughter died in their brutal throats as the spiders that had given me chase scrambled into the clearing in my wake. The two forces paused only briefly at seeing one another before they joined together in frenzied battle. The hissing of the spiders joined the braying of the Beastmen in a symphony born of madness. Using the fight as a distraction, I made my way towards what I hoped was Alarielle's Palace.

My sense of direction, hindered by my fear and self-loathing, did not serve me well. I wandered for many hours, alone and bereft of hope. How could this have happened? Beastmen upon the Gaen Vale? The Whitefire Spiders now our enemies? Alarielle would know what to do, if only I could find her and bring her the news. It was only when I caught sight of an ancient tree, one that I had seen many times before, that I knew I had come to the Blackwillow Forest.



The Blackwillow had long been a refuge for the rarest and most beautiful of our kingdom's wildlife. It was truly a refuge, for the trees watched over the grounds diligently. These spirits of the forest could be counted on to lend me their aid, were I able to find them. My footfalls had likely alerted them to my presence already, and I only had to wait a short while before one of their kith came to investigate.

I could hear my would-be ally coming before I saw its woody body and leafy limbs emerge from the underbrush ahead. It locked its gaze upon me, pausing briefly to appraise me before breaking into a sudden, inexplicable charge. The creaking of its boughs and its upraised claws gave me no doubt that it was unfriendly. Much like the spiders of the Thornvale Wilds, the forest spirits of the Blackwillow Forest had also come unhinged.

I regret my actions, for I have always sworn to uphold the natural order, to defend those spirits that reside within the wooded places of my Queen's realm. The warrior within me broke free of her fear and surprise, and I drew my blade in a swift, sure motion. The dryad was upon me in an instant, but my sword served me well. Sticky sap sprayed across the leaf-strewn ground, and the forest creature fell to its knees, thrashing.

"Why?" I asked, my voice choked with emotion.

The Dryad rolled upon its back. It did not reply, glaring at me with such loathing that I was forced to take a step away. Sap continued to pulse from the dryad's wound in a thick, ceaseless torrent. The creature's eyes lost their angry glare just as its wound ceased to bleed. I watched helplessly, my weapon shaking in my hand. I felt that I had somehow betrayed the land, but what else could I have done?

Leaving the Dryad behind, I approached the bole of the tree that had once looked so familiar from a distance. The bark was torn and gouged, the wounds recent. The brush around its roots was trampled, crushed into the mud by heavy feet. Peering closer, I realized that whatever had trodden here was no Treekin. Though my mind raced to find some alternative, I had seen such markings before: Ogres.



It was then that I knew what must be done. My bearings found, I would travel to Alarielle's Palace. I would discover the condition of those halls, and discern the whereabouts of my sisters. What else could I do? What other options were open to me?

So this is what I have come to, and how I have arrived here. The moon rises now, marking the day's passage. The sounds of the Blackwillow echo behind me and the lights of the Palace blaze beyond the fog that faces me. I hear screams in the night air, and each one makes me cringe. The pained voices are familiar, which makes them all the more horrifying. Should I be the last free Handmaiden here, then I am my sisters' final hope.

Now I go to face my fate within the Palace Gardens. I leave this sheaf of parchment as a testament to what I have seen, and as a warning to those who come after me. I fear to discover that which has befallen my sisters, and I shudder to think that my beloved Everqueen may be among them. May Isha protect me.

Raelle Mournfire, Handmaiden/Scribe to Alarielle, the Everqueen


Now that the guilds are settled in and the battles are raging over every inch of the lands, we’re ramping up even more this month as the fray heats up! Our beta testers have sunk their teeth into the meat of the game, with tier 4 testing including all pairings and careers. Level 31 Templates were provided to our testers as well, so no time was wasted in preparation of assaulting their enemies in Scenarios, PQs, dungeons, and more!

In a series of focused testing events, a selection of testers were even able to storm the gates of the Inevitable City and Altdorf and showdown with Tchar’Zanek and Karl Franz and see WAR in its full glory! Destruction rained down upon the Forces of Order as they held the gates of their fair city, but in the end, the forces of evil descended and were able to lay their wicked eyes (and blades) on Karl Franz himself. The tides were then turned upon Destruction as Order sought to cleanse the city’s blackened walls and fought to vanquish the darkness forever by conquering Tchar’Zanek, Champion of Tzeentch and enemy of the free world.

The Beta population swelled in the beginning of August as we welcomed the tens of thousands of members from our Collector’s Edition community plus a few thousand more Australians and their neighbors to test out our Oceanic servers. Feedback was great, and allowed us to see the game from the perspective of a completely different audience. We're proud to support such a vibrant and active community in Beta

With all this excitement, we figured why stop here? We’re preparing to invite even more into our warcamp, until our tents are full to bursting, during the upcoming preview weekend, and beyond that, Open Beta!

A few comments from our Beta testers:

"Love my exploding squig ability." - Level 8, Squig Herder

"I like it when the quest objectives take you into battle without making the objective to kill x number of mobs. These kinds of quests are great for story too." - Level 2, Shaman

"Firing the bolt throwers was amazing!" - Level 2, Disciple

"This quest is awesome because you can keep doing RvR and do this at the same time, I really enjoy it." - Level 10, Magus

"This was my first day playing through the beta. If the finished product even comes half this close this will be the best MMORPG I've ever played. I still can't believe I got to PvP and use a siege engine all before level 5!!!" - Level 6, Witch Elf

"I was very impressed by the shaking screen that alerted me to the arrival of a War Hydra, and the art for it. I turned around from my quest giver when the screen started shaking because I thought it might be a bug, but what do I see? An enormous, very intimidating monster! Very cool." - Level 2, Witch Elf

Check out the latest News from the Front: Into the Depths!


Episode 8: Thunder Valley and Logrin Forge
by Brian Wheeler, Lead RvR Design

In this episode of Scenarios 101 we finish the grand tour of Greenskin vs. Dwarf Scenarios with Thunder Valley and Logrin's Forge. Thunder Valley's large play area will require the skillful use of siege weaponry and mounts. While just the opposite is true for Logrin's Forge which offers relatively confined battlefields in both indoor and outdoor areas.

Read more from Scenarios 101 >>


Engineer

The Dwarfs first discovered the secrets of black powder, and no one can rival them when it comes to putting it to good use. Armed with guns, grenades, and gadgets, the Engineers often prepare traps and ambushes throughout the battlefield before the fight begins, and then quickly dispatch any surviving enemies from a safe distance.

Crossbows were good and fine, but nowadays, a gun is better - and if a gun is good, then an automated self-aiming gyro-mounted gun turret with a cyclic grenade feeder and napalm cannister is even better yet! An Engineer has gadgets and gizmos to suit any situation, and is virtually an entire battle line on his own.

Engineer Career Masteries

Path Of The Rifleman
This path focuses on long-range attacks, and taking your time with carefully aimed precision shots. A master of this path prefers to stand back away from the hectic front lines of battle, and dispatch his enemies quickly and cleanly from behind defensive cover.

Path Of The Grenadier
This mastery is primarily focused on grenades and bombs, powerful explosives which may be quickly tossed into the middle of a fray to wreak havoc on enemies. While their effective range may be shorter than a gun's - after all, Dwarf arms aren't exactly build to throw for distance - grenades make up for this through sheer stopping power and swift arming times.

Path Of The Tinkerer
A specialist in this path is concerned mainly with his deployable contructs, preferring to fight from near the safety of his turrets while he lays out his foes with swings of his heavy steel wrench. Master tinkerers have also been known to use additional deployable devices above and beyond turrets as well, and many are the Engineers who've been banned for life from a blacksmith's forge after trying to test and improve the heat thresholds of land mines.

Black Orc

Black Orcs love a good brawl, and are always the first ones to charge into the hectic chaos of combat. Over enough generations, this has ensured that the only surviving Black Orcs are the toughest of the tough and the meanest of the mean, resulting in a group known for their brutality and sturdiness even among other Greenskins.

Black Orcs are master tacticians, and brilliant combat fighters without intellectual peer among the Greenskins, for they can actually formulate and follow a detailed and complex battle plan. Some warriors of other races have been known to occasionally point out that a Black Orc's plans somehow seem to consist of nothing more than progressing from "Hit 'im!" to "Oi, 'e's still standing, hit 'im again!", and then back to "Him 'im!" again...but they're careful not to sound mocking or dismissive, for in the hands of a Black Orc, such a plan is crushingly effective.

Black Orc Career Masteries

Path Of Da Brawler
A master of this path believes that the best way to win a fight is through choppin' the other guy into little pieces quickly. He scoffs at the thought of using a shield, since that just makes it harder to swing a massive Big Choppa around, and he doesn't need anything getting between him and his choppin'!

Path Of Da Toughest
A specialist in this path sees the wisdom in using a massive shield and taking care to defend himself against attacks - after all, while choppin' is grand fun, living through the fight so that he can do some more choppin' later is an appealing prospect as well.

Path Of Da Boss
If there's one thing that an Orc Boss can do better than anyone, it's yelling at those who aren't as big as him. A specialist in this path has had long practice at yelling, shouting, and encouraging his group to fight onwards and be strong - although it's still a point of military debate whether the Orc's allies are actually inspired to press forward and fight, or whether they're simply trying to get the Orc to stop his deafening bellows and reeking breath.


Chaos NPC – Grimontongue
the Sateless
Dwarf NPC -
Long Drong
Slayer Pirate
Dwarf NPC –
Slayering Ungrim
High Elf NPC – Eltharion Ryman
Dark Elf NPC – Lord Uthorin
High Elf NPC – Saruthil the Sage

Chaos NPC – Nurgle
Deamon Prince



Inevitable City War Room

Altdorf War Room


Warhammer Online Podcasts are now available on iTunes! Subscribe today!


Click Image to Watch Podcast

The executives and developers here are so talented and they make the podcasts look effortless each month. At least that’s what you see... You have no idea how many takes and cuts we have to do to get the polished look that we share with you. In this month’s podcast we share with you just a few of the outtakes from the podcast production room floor. This is a great laugh – Enjoy!


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 a video developed by a few extremely talented German WAR fans. We thank them for allowing us to share their beta experiences with you!


There are a million stories in the Age of Reckoning just waiting to be told. What is your tale?

Witness the power that Chaos has over many lands and beings. Is the Empire prepared for the wrath that the Chaos winds will lay upon them soon?

Read This Month's Beta Journal Entry >>


WAR is coming! Are you properly dressed?

Declare your Allegiance T-shirts Now Available!

Do you feel like you’ve been lacking accessories in your WARdrobe? Well, not any more!**



Visit the EA Mythic Store!

** Offer valid for U.S. residents only



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.


The Witch Elf
by Al-Chalabi

Dwarven Lunch
by J. Camacho

Keepin' a Lookout
by C. Columbus

Mechanical Malfunction
by J. Coverdale

Chaotic Renegade
by D. Gonzales

Magus
by B. Mutschler

Following the Wind
by Friedman

Hordas Hispánicas
by Abaddomn

Charging Dwarf
by Praslea

Kriegsausbruch
by S. Paschkewitsch


Visit the Fan Art Gallery >>

Submit your artwork >>



"I’m a bit of a nerd, so my hopes and goals for the game are simply to lay down the foundation for a proper framework and support for my future ideal online game. (As a hint: it would involve cognitive science advancing quite a bit so cables are no longer the medium through which we connect ourselves and computers are no longer the nodes on such a network.) "

Developer Profile >>

"Clearly nothing is a bigger influence than the original IP that Games Worskhop created. But if you look a little deeper (ok maybe not so deep), most of the armies are based on real world counterparts. If you approach the material from the same, 'let’s twist up a real-world culture into something warhammery, you can glean material from all over just by knowing a little world history."

Developer Profile >>



This month, decorate your desktop with more images of WAR.










July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008

February 2008


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.

This month’s Community Spotlight shines on warhammered.com, for their unique Guild Database feature. It’s a great place for guilds to post detailed information and network with other guilds and players who plan on being a part of WAR. Check out their guild database and register yours today!

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.


You truly are in an "Age of Reckoning," with your Realm on the brink of annihilation, when you enter into the online world of Warhammer Online. It's a massive confrontation of Order vs. Destruction and it could take decades to decipher every keep and castle, trainer and traitor…if you didn't have a clever game guide--or two--to reveal the infinite Warhammer Online secrets!

That's right: Prima has two books to deliver everything you need for the much-anticipated Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning launch. First, the Game Guide spans more than 250 pages, filled with class guides for all 20 careers. From maximizing healing and damage with a High Elf Archmage to deploying the perfect pet as a Goblin Squig Herder, you can master the strategies of your chosen career in record time. Plus, we've jammed the Game Guide full of detailed maps for every zone, RvR tips for besting the most ruthless scenarios and battlefields, insight into the mysteries of Crafting, Guild rewards, and more!

The second book, the official Warhammer Online Atlas, expands upon the Game Guide with close to 200 pages of highly detailed maps, quest points, and tactics for hardcore gamers. Whether you want to find the hotspots in your current zone or need to zoom in on the terrain for an upcoming skirmish, the Atlas maps give you instant access to enough info to make the Emperor's royal cartographer proud. Don't leave for the dungeons without it!

Both the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Official Game Guide and Warhammer Online Atlas as well as all bundles and downloadable eGuides will be on sale the same date as the game. Check out Primagames.com for more info and check back soon for our upcoming “Which Warhammer Race are you?” quiz!

BONUS: Receive an exclusive in-game item when you purchase the Warhammer Online Strategy Guide from Prima!

For more information, please visit www.Primagames.com.


WAR Zboard:

WAR Fragmat:

Ideazon is pleased to announce the Warhammer Online Keyset for Zboard! Dive into WAR and experience this epic story with the most powerful weapon available for your PC!

The Warhammer Online
Keyset delivers:
  • An Intuitive layout for lightning fast reflexes in battle
  • 16 dedicated keys for commonly used chat, group and social commands
  • 12 popular single-press emote keys including Shout, Brandish, Mad and Laugh
  • Jaw dropping official game graphics

BONUS: Receive an exclusive in-game item with the purchase of the WAR Zboard!

Available at time of game launch. For more information visit www.ideazon.com/war



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Last Month’s Contest Winner:

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Get your hands on the latest
build of
WAR at one of
the following events:

Games Convention
Leipzig, Germany
21. - 24. August 2008

LA Games Day
August 23, 2008

Penny Arcade Expo
August 29-31, 2008

Don't Miss Jeff and Paul at PAX
on Saturday, August 30th
at 3:00 PM in the
Raven Theatre (2AB).


Stay tuned for more information
about our upcoming 2008 show schedule!



GAME LAUNCH!!!



*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.

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