How's Warhammer Online?

[Morgoth]

Since there's too much fanboyism and whiners over mmorpg.com to make a decent judgement, I thought maybe some Obzidians who played WAR would be kind enough to drop some honest opinions? I'm especially interested in the combat system and the PvP stuff.

[Hurlshort]

I'm really enjoying it. I've got a few friends playing and we've been kicking butt and taking down names.

 

The combat system - I'm playing a Tank Chosen, and I'm pretty powerful. The combat has some neat ideas, but I wouldn't say it's unique to other MMO's. It's just an expanded version of what we've seen. Some nice additions are traits that make you more ffective against human players of certain races. For example, I like to beat down elves, so I've specialized in it.

 

PvP - Very fun. I'm not a fan of PvP in MMO's, but this game has really made it good. There are lots of quests in RvR combat areas, and I had a party today ripping through the flag points and having a blast.

 

It's definitely a group-centric game. I don't think soloing would be much fun. You need a good group of buddies to get the full enjoyment.

 

Also, I don't know much about the Warhammer world, but Mythic has crafted a very cool place to play. As an Orc, a catapault launched me up onto a castle wall and I had to fight through the enemies. It was very fun.

 

If you like MMO's, I'd say it's a solid one.

[Morgoth]

Ah thanks, that's what I wanted to hear. And yeah, it's actually the RvR aspect that interests me in Warhammer. After all, I want to play a MMO longer than just a week before I get bored (a'la AoC).

Sooner or later I'm gonna pick it up, once those GOA imbeciles have the EU servers under control.

[Kaftan Barlast]

I tried a bit of the open beta, and I hated it. Its just like every other MMO out there. Im actually horrified that so many millions of people actually enjoy playing this sort of non-game.

 

 

 

..well, I didnt hate it, it was just completely inane.

Edited September 20, 2008 by Kaftan Barlast

[Hurlshort]

I tried a bit of the open beta, and I hated it. Its just like every other MMO out there. Im actually horrified that so many millions of people actually enjoy playing this sort of non-game.

 

 

 

..well, I didnt hate it, it was just completely inane.

 

Really? It horrifies you that people play MMO's? It's just a game genre.

 

I really can't stand playing RTS's, but I don't get horrified that it's a popular gaming genre. To each their own.

[Nick_i_am]

Are you accusing an obs member of being a bitter and judgemental jerk?

 

Really?

[Kaftan Barlast]

The major factor is that MMO's contain very little actual gameplay. If you take WO, the only thing(the key mechanic) you can do is combat, and that combat is reduced to 1) click on an enemy 2) gently press the keys 1-9 to use your various attacks while watching tv or writing erotic fanfiction. Its a combat system that makes watching paint dry seem exciting. The only incentive one has to keep playing the game is to level up and get new stuff, but that stuff doesnt actually alter the gameplay in any way, so its kind of a hamsterwheel thing.

 

 

Now, some people like to dress up as cartoon characters and eat fecal matter, but that doesnt worry me so much because its done in a small scale. The fact that millions of people choose to waste their time with MMO's, on the other hand, that makes me lose faith in humanity.

[Gorgon]

I dunno, it can be both fun and challenging to play through an encounter with other players, the main problem is that there are so many anti- socials populating MMOS.

[Hurlshort]

So clicking on an enemy and pressing different keys is bad game design?

 

Sure, I admit MMO combat is simplified and slower than most games. That's actually the appeal. My wife can play WoW with me. If she tried to play action games in todays market, she'd just get frustrated. Most MMO's are accessible by a wider audience.

[Kaftan Barlast]

So clicking on an enemy and pressing different keys is bad game design?

 

 

If the key gameplay mechanic isnt fun, then that is definently bad game design. Obviously, you could say that is a matter of personal taste, but its more fun not to.

[Morgoth]

The Kaft hates WAR, so chances are I'm gonna like it. And waht do you mean with "little gameplay"? There's a solid combat system with tons of traits, skills and spells to your disposal, plus some interesting RvR gamemodes (Public quests, Battle Zones, Scenarios, and the good ol' fashined PvE). Sounds like a lot of fun to me.

 

WAAAGH!

[Hurlshort]

I just got a skill called "Hold the Line". You basically create a shield wall that protects you (damage lessened 45%) and anyone within a certain radius (damage lessened 15%) for about 12 seconds. It also stacks up to 3 times, so if I get together with two other guys, I can make our group near untouchable for 12 seconds. That's simply fantastic.

 

So working together as a group is very important in this game. If you have friends that you actually like in these games, it's quite fun. If you rely on pickup groups, then you could be pretty pissy about the experience.

[I want teh kotor 3]

MMOs suck. Why should this one be any different?

[random n00b]

You have already made it clear that you don't like MMOs (despite strong indications that you have no clue what you're talking about). So, what then are you doing in a MMO thread? Other than trolling, that is.

 

Anyhow, I've been considering getting WO. I've read it's heavily geared towards PvP, but how's the PvE aspect? And how long do you assume it would take to "mine" all the present content? How populated are the servers?

[Hurlshort]

You have already made it clear that you don't like MMOs (despite strong indications that you have no clue what you're talking about). So, what then are you doing in a MMO thread? Other than trolling, that is.

 

Anyhow, I've been considering getting WO. I've read it's heavily geared towards PvP, but how's the PvE aspect? And how long do you assume it would take to "mine" all the present content? How populated are the servers?

 

There is a fair amount of PvE content, from what I've seen, but I'm not a great judge. I tend to take a pretty long time to get to the level cap in these games.

 

There are 3 different...continents, you might call them. Each continent has Order and Chaos PvE areas, and there seems to be enough content to get up to the level cap.

 

The Public Quests are a pretty great PvE concept. You work with other folks to trigger certain events in an area. You don't even need to be grouped up, although it helps when there aren't many people attempting it.

[I want teh kotor 3]

You have already made it clear that you don't like MMOs (despite strong indications that you have no clue what you're talking about). So, what then are you doing in a MMO thread? Other than trolling, that is.

 

Actually, no, I played the beta and it sucked, IMO.

 

edit: I played the beta at a friend's house; I didn't get it myself.

Edited September 22, 2008 by I want teh kotor 3

[random n00b]

There is a fair amount of PvE content, from what I've seen, but I'm not a great judge. I tend to take a pretty long time to get to the level cap in these games.

 

There are 3 different...continents, you might call them. Each continent has Order and Chaos PvE areas, and there seems to be enough content to get up to the level cap.

 

The Public Quests are a pretty great PvE concept. You work with other folks to trigger certain events in an area. You don't even need to be grouped up, although it helps when there aren't many people attempting it.

How about instanced play, is there any of that? And, this is something I'm very interested in, how heavy is the game with plain, forced timesinks?

 

 

Actually, no, I played the beta and it sucked, IMO.

Really? Care to explain why?

[I want teh kotor 3]

Actually, no, I played the beta and it sucked, IMO.

Really? Care to explain why?

 

MMOs aren't my type of game. I've said this before. I was refering to your allegations of me not knowing what I'm talking about.

[Kaftan Barlast]

And waht do you mean with "little gameplay"? There's a solid combat system with tons of traits, skills and spells to your disposal, plus some interesting RvR gamemodes (Public quests, Battle Zones, Scenarios, and the good ol' fashined PvE). Sounds like a lot of fun to me.

 

 

I think its alot like "we have over 300 dishes on our menu, but they're all combimnations of peas with spam". It doesnt change the fact that all the player ever does is press the keys 1-9, to use one of the powers while waiting for other powers to reload... or not, since you can have macros that does that for you automaticly, so you dont actually have to play the game.

 

 

Its just so excruciatingly monotonous and dull, that I just cant imagine a sane person enjoying it. So the fact that there are millions of people who do enjoy this rubbish, makes me feel a bit like Ive woken up in a strange alien world where everyone wears watermelons on their feet and spends their free time performing coloscopies on eachother.

[random n00b]

MMOs aren't my type of game. I've said this before. I was refering to your allegations of me not knowing what I'm talking about.

Allegations which you have done nothing to dispel. And you haven't answered my question, either. Did you have a specific reason for raining on this parade, or is it a bit of a tic of yours?

 

In contrast, Kaftan isn't big on MMOs either, but at least he has arguments and an informed opinion.

 

Stop disrupting the discussion, please.

Edited September 22, 2008 by random n00b

[random n00b]

I think its alot like "we have over 300 dishes on our menu, but they're all combimnations of peas with spam". It doesnt change the fact that all the player ever does is press the keys 1-9, to use one of the powers while waiting for other powers to reload... or not, since you can have macros that does that for you automaticly, so you dont actually have to play the game.

 

 

Its just so excruciatingly monotonous and dull, that I just cant imagine a sane person enjoying it. So the fact that there are millions of people who do enjoy this rubbish, makes me feel a bit like Ive woken up in a strange alien world where everyone wears watermelons on their feet and spends their free time performing coloscopies on eachother.

Don't you think you're generalising a bit? And oversimplifying, as well. RTSs are basically played exactly as you described (save for the macros). And I don't see you complaining about their lack of depth.

 

Also, I haven't played AoC, but supposedly the combat was pretty engaging.

[Hurlshort]

I don't see why anyone would use macros in any game. It's a game, I'm either in the mood to play it or I am not. Those people are just silly.

 

 

The only instances I've noticed are for scenarios (which are like battlegrounds in WoW). You have to join a queu and wait for it to free up. But I'm only level 10 and I haven't researched it. The world is seamless and the different zones are unnoticeable when you pass through them.

 

But there are also non-instanced battlegrounds where you capture the flags and such.

[Gorth]

@Random n00b: He's an artist. He has a compulsory urge to make outrageous statements and blanket generalisations...

 

I am sort of sitting on the fence on this one. On one side, I really love the Warhammer setting, on the other side (my problem with mmo's in general) I don't always have the time to make new connections and meet people to team up with. I suspect they are only half the fun without friends to play online with.

[random n00b]

I don't see why anyone would use macros in any game. It's a game, I'm either in the mood to play it or I am not. Those people are just silly.

The only macros I've known were in UO, where skills improved with use. So macros existed to improve the character, skipping the painstakingly slow and tedious "training" process. I didn't like that game at all. I don't know about macros in modern games, or if that's what Kaftan is referring to.

 

 

The only instances I've noticed are for scenarios (which are like battlegrounds in WoW). You have to join a queu and wait for it to free up. But I'm only level 10 and I haven't researched it. The world is seamless and the different zones are unnoticeable when you pass through them.

 

But there are also non-instanced battlegrounds where you capture the flags and such.

Wow, queuing? Maybe it works in the game and I'm wrong, but that's one of the possible timesinks I was asking about. I hate that sort of thing.

[I want teh kotor 3]

I don't like it (and MMOs in general) because I like RPGs in single-player, and I don't think that most of the essential components (plot, etc.) translate well into multiplayer.