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Warhammer Online : Age of Reckoning: Talking Head on the State of the Game
Stradden
Managing EditorMember CommonPosts: 6,696
You've seen the talking heads on CNN, BBC or Fox News, commenting on a speech or a debate. Today, with the release of the first Warhammer Online State of the Game from Mythic Entertainment's Mark Jacobs, MMORPG.com Managing Editor Jon Wood gives his running commentary along with the letter.
After over three years of work and one of the smoothest launches in MMORPG history, WAR is moving quickly towards the end of its first month. This is a perfect time to take a look at where we were, where we are and where we are going. First, on behalf of everyone at Mythic, I would like to thank you for your interest in our game. While it is impossible for me to personally thank all 750K+ worldwide account holders, please know that we are grateful for your support to date and the support we hope you will show us in the future. It’s been a long road to get where we are today but it has been a worthwhile journey. While I might be tempted to say that the future’s so bright we have to wear shades, as you’ve seen from our podcasts, we’ll even wear those indoors.
Jon's Comments:
Mark says a couple of interesting things here as a lead-in to the first state of the game. What really grabbed my attention first and foremost was the 750K+ number. It’s important to note the language here as he says “750K+ worldwide account holders”. In the first month, this is really the only statistic that is really valid. There’s no real way to talk about current players until we see results past the included 30 days of free play. In any case, this is quite an accomplishment.
I was also impressed that the letter specifically thanked the players who have bought the game. While it seems like a no-brainer to thank the players, it’s more rare that one might first think.
;)
Read the commentary.
Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com
Comments
Mr Wood very nice objective and focused comments, was a pleasure to read you.
Indeed, fully agree with that.
Great comments, Jon. I agree!
Great state of the game from MJ.
The only thing I wasn't too pleased to read was where Mark stated:
"I also said that we would not charge any additional fees for this new content or put it in a separate expansion pack; that’s not how we operate. We’ve kept to that plan and with the introduction of these two classes, Mythic shows that once again we are happy to keep giving players more value for their subscription dollars than any other MMORPG developer."
Mythic has to be real careful saying that. The company that wins HANDS DOWN for added content free of charge is Turbine with LOTRO. This content they are adding was taken out before release because it wasn't ready and everyone knows that.
I love WAR and LOTRO, but honestly... when Mythic starts adding new content free of charge than Turbine has in the past 1-1/2 years, then they can make those kinds of statements. Otherwise, it comes across as arrogant.
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JonMichael
Currently: AION, an MMO Beta under NDA
Played: WAR, LOTRO, Hellgate: London, CoX, GW, SotNW, DAOC, EQ2, SWG, WoW, AO, Horizons, Second Life, There, TSO
Beta'd: There, Second Life, EQ2, DAOC:LotM, LOTRO, Tabula Rasa, Gods and Heroes, Hellgate: London, Requiem:Bloodymare, AoC, WAR, DDO, Fallen Earth
This game was a huge disappointment to me, after waiting 3 years to play it, i dont even have the desire to play past the first month..im a huge warhammer fan but i guess i was not in their demographic.
WOODies. Duh.
I disagree with most of Jon's views in the majority of his comment's. For him to think that adding two removed classes will sort out the imbalance issues is ignorant. I can tell you (from a professional gamers point of view, not a writer/journalists.) that by adding those two classes will do nothing about the imbalance problems. Simply put, WAR is a great game for casual's and offers nothing to the hardcores. Glad to see Jacob's vs. Kaplan, Mythic 0 - Blizz 1.
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...I'm in your panties
Yes. See: Your forums
The majority of posters here have no clue about development, or would even be open to the idea that "Shit happens"…… Nope, they will just flame all day long that "It was promised!!" That and start saying things like "They are incompetent!!SHIFT1!", or something about monkeys and type writers.
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
May I disagree?
Theses classes will add some balance but the real balancing will come from tweaking all the classes and scenarios.
Now WAR, as most MMO now, is for harcore at max level, and yes I know you have a 40 lvl Soc on Dark Craig.
I saw lot of negativity in your posts lately and personally I wish you'll find your home into FallenEarth as we can agree KotorOnline won't be your cup of tea as it won't be like SWG Pre-CU.
And I insist even, if you don't like the game, which is your right, you can't say Mr Wood wasn't right on track.
Professional gamer? What league? What team? Just curious.
Actuall,y I wasn't talking about any imbalance other than the lack of tanks on the Order side, which IS an issue and the addition of the KotBS will certainly add to the numbers. Many players are rolling Empire these days and a lot of them have been waiting on rolling their tank until Mythic launched a tank for the Empire.
I may be a writer and a journalist, but I'm also a gamer. I am many things, sir. Many of them unplesant, but ignorant is not one of them.
Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com
May I disagree?
Theses classes will add some balance but the real balancing will come from tweaking all the classes and scenarios.
Now WAR, as most MMO now, is for harcore at max level, and yes I know you have a 40 lvl Soc on Dark Craig.
I saw lot of negativity in your posts lately and personally I wish you'll find your home into FallenEarth as we can agree KotorOnline won't be your cup of tea as it won't be like SWG Pre-CU.
And I insist even, if you don't like the game, which is your right, you can't say Mr Wood wasn't right on track.
To each is thier own, KoTOR-O will not be my cup of tea becuase I already have all the info thanks to my friends in certain places. However, it doesn't mean Im not going to play a free month as I do in all the MMO's. I collect MMO's and will continue to do so as they are released, max out my toons and then move on. If it can keep me longer great...
I respect Jon Woods, im just baffled at some of his comment's almost as if Mythic gave him money to say some of the remarks he made. Just my 5 Canadian cent's.
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...I'm in your panties
This just proves my point, nuff said. Stick to writing articles Jon.
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...I'm in your panties
Think pink! Another Hello Kitty Online founder?
This just proves my point, nuff said. Stick to writing articles Jon.
Oh, so you're not a professional gamer then? I just naturally assumed that since you claimed to speak as a "professional gamer" that you actually were you know... a professional gamer.
Well shucks, I must just be being ignorant again.
Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com
Good, it is about time someone did something for casual gamers too. Hardcore gamers already have a game they can play. Blizzard likes to devote every patch and upgrade in WoW to hardcore gamers and completely ignore causal gamers. Now us casual gamers have a game we can play too.
Professional gamers.. hardcore.. times have changed I guess. (I seem to be one of the rare individuals that plays a game for fun and to relax after a hard day of work)
amen!
Thank you, I was begining to think I was alone in feeling this way.
Way to many have forgotten what the words "Game",and "Gamer" means.
Professional gamer? What league? What team? Just curious.
Actuall,y I wasn't talking about any imbalance other than the lack of tanks on the Order side, which IS an issue and the addition of the KotBS will certainly add to the numbers. Many players are rolling Empire these days and a lot of them have been waiting on rolling their tank until Mythic launched a tank for the Empire.
I may be a writer and a journalist, but I'm also a gamer. I am many things, sir. Many of them unplesant, but ignorant is not one of them.
I have been saying this for a long time, that Knight of the Blazing Sun will greatly help Order in increasing the number of tanks we so much need.
I play Sword Master myself and this class just feels unnatural as tank. And when you play with 2H sword the DPS of the Sword Master sucks.
So in reality you can basically say that Order at the moment has only one tank and that is the Iron Breaker and yet not many people play this character either. You really have to like playing a dwarf.
So you will definetly see a lot of players rerolling KotBS when it comes out, even some destro's that waited for it might rerolling order for this.
In the end it wouldn't solve the imbalance issue, as it's Mythic's art departement that needs to do that! By improving the art of the Order classes. Especially the poor looking White Lion.
Cheers
Looks great. I am looking forward to the Dark Elf Tank.
Actually pretty much everything is standard with what needs to be done.
What alot of people miss is that Swordmaster are the best tanks in the game.
That order classes are generally greater than destruction , and that over time people will start to roll order to get that one up.
As for the comments about hardcore/casual game play.... did you do nothing but solo in war or pug... if so then guess what your following the casual track. Me and 8 other people had a strong enough group to do the first dungeons When we were even leveled (try it it was hard, harder than any blizz dungeon save end-game, but if you just sat around pug you may not know this, you xhardcorex dude you). We Did open pvp where often like in yesterday of europe your flanks melt away becuase they are composed of peasents (or pugs in this case). It takes a strong middle to hold that stuff together (causal in time but not play style).
Basically, now the best players are the ones who are hardcore, not the ones without jobs. Hardcore MEANS something in WAR , much more than it ever did in WoW; because its a title given based on ability, not living in your grandparents basment. I know, I know your not as cool and tuff anymore, becuase look so many people are good players. Well goes with the territory. I can say this When i entered a new teir and was at the bottom of the level range i ususally still toped the healing charts. That my friend is hardcore.
"Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one ..." - Thomas Paine
I haven't played LOTRO, so it's very possible you are right. I can't keep myself from adding that CCP also has used this model with free expansion for EvE. It's really very nice, and I think also that it can be a good business decision. Why? Because then you can always keep playing without having to pay more then the montly fee. An expansion can stop some subscibers if they have to pay for it. Also it's easier for players to reactivate an old account without having to pay for all expansions that might have come since they quit.
Playing: Xbox360.
Played: NC, WoW, EvE, WAR, LOTRO.
Waiting: Dust 514, SW:TOR, Infinity:TQFE, et al.
Professional gamer? What league? What team? Just curious.
Actuall,y I wasn't talking about any imbalance other than the lack of tanks on the Order side, which IS an issue and the addition of the KotBS will certainly add to the numbers. Many players are rolling Empire these days and a lot of them have been waiting on rolling their tank until Mythic launched a tank for the Empire.
I may be a writer and a journalist, but I'm also a gamer. I am many things, sir. Many of them unplesant, but ignorant is not one of them.
I agree. Adding the knight will surely help Order a lot, it was on many Order players agenda, including my own.
I pretty much agree with your sentiments Jon. He touched on what I thought were the top issues with the game so far. I would like to hear more about his overworld RvR plan, but other then that there is not a lot of room to complain. Also I think the class balancing can't happen soon enough. At least his letter references problems, after reading Gaute's letters in AoC, I was wondering if we were playing the same game.
What class are you playing as your main out of curiosity? (I am assuming you are playing)
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Yep very good article, congrats to Mythic for such a successful game.
My only comment is I just wish Mythic would drop this rvr nomenclature. Pvp, is pvp no matter how you call it and their so called rvr is no different than pvp in many other games.