http://www.pcgamer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=34786
Background: I have been beta testing Warhammer online for a long time. I have seen or have first hand experience with not only the beta build, but the convention build as well. I have beta tested numerous games and have written some freelance reviews for gaming sites.
Unbiased look at Warhammer online.
Graphics
All of the graphic features are currently turned off in beta, and the devs have repeatedly said not only do we not have all the final character model, animations and graphic settings but the global lighting system isn't even in the game. This is because they want to fix the game play first. They don't want to have to wonder if it's the graphic engine causing the problem or the programming. Once the game play is hammered out, they will add the graphic options, the lighting engine and the final animations. As a beta tester it's your job to test the game, not the graphics. The art team can work on the graphics the entire time and add them over the current animations and placeholder textures. Programmers can't continue to code buggy or unfunctional scripts. Below is a video from a convention in 2007. This is also the unfinished game.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=F33H9QPRH_U
Is it Age of Conan? No, but it looks damn good and needs to support gigantic RVR battles.
What not to expect
Don't expect the biggest most innovative MMORPG ever made. I wouldn't call Warhammer online a gigantic leap forward but it improves on many aspects and downfalls many mmorpgs have. It takes aspects of these type of games that are done well, improves upon them and adds a unique twist. It's going to be a few years before a true "next generation" mmorpg hits the market, mainly due to the current limitations game engines have and the hardware a mass majority of the public is using. Sometimes people can build their hopes up until a game can't possibly live up to them, no matter how good it is.
What you should expect
You should expect the best large scale PVP game available. This is how Mythic has promoted the game and it's something that should be possible and expected.
Questing
Questing in WAR is much like other MMORPGS except with a slight twist. Yes you do have quests where you are told to kill 10 shadowwarriors then report back to a specific person. However unlike most games it has new dynamics. Public quests are one of them. Public quests happen in three stages. An easy stage that you can complete alone with some effort or with others in the area. A medium difficulty stage where you will need some people working together to finish and the final stage, a boss fight. Doing these types of quests help you level in various ways.
For one, it gives you influence for that area, which is like rep except easily gained and offers you rewards and quests quickly that really help with leveling. It provides you with three stages of XP, so it's like completing three separate high end quests. The final part offers you loot. I won't go into how the Public Quest loot system works but it is very fair, and the loot the final boss or "hero" drops is numerous and it benefits your class if you win it. The Public Quests are also not easy any longer.
For most Public Quests you will need the help of various people in the area to get past stage two, let alone stage three. It's not the most exciting thing in the world, but it is very enjoyable your first time around and is a lot better in my opinion then obtaining quests for instances that force you to spend an hour looking for a group. People say the Public Quests get boring, but they are only suppose to be done a single time while leveling. That single time it is fun, and adds to your overall experience. Doing anything gets boring if you do it enough and I don't know how Mythic can fix something that is inherently built into human physiology.
Another way to level is by PVPing. Killing players gets you XP, you also receive PVP quests from the Warcamps in each tier. Some of these quests are repeatable such as killing 10 players. So, as you PVP you are gaining XP, renown rank, completing quests and not falling behind with your leveling. The PVP quests give more XP currently then PVE quests.
Don't expect a 3 month level grind. You can get to level 12 in under 24 hours played, way under, and experience just about everything. Since thats more then 1/4th the way until level cap, it's not going to be a big grind but you will feel satisfied when you finally reach rank 40.
My feelings on the leveling system is it looks promising. There is no more rushing through as many quests as possible like in WOW. A player benefits from taking his or her time, and doing PVE, PQ and PVP quests. They do need to tweak some of the XP given out for each, and there are a few bugs in the PQ's and pathing of mobs, but overall the system is well done. The bugs associated with it are easily fixed and I don't expect them to be in retail. A lot of reviews such as "testpig" said the questing system sucked, yet he plays and enjoys WOW". It takes the good aspects of Wow's questing system, then improves upon them dramatically and adds new dynamics unique to WAR.
The current quest tracking and map system is arguably the best I have ever experienced in any game. Currently in beta your quests are tracked via your map or Tome of Knowledge. Each quest will provide a scribbled red line on your map of where you need to go. On the right side of the map are all of the quests you have and the ability to track them on your screen or not. If you hover over the scribbled red cricles on your map, it tells you what quests are in that area. Since this system was added, I have never gotten lost or frustrated while questing. It is easily one of the strongest aspects of WAR and something every game from here on out needs to copy.
User interface
The user interface of WAR is not like most of the videos you see on youtube. It is much different now. You have two bars of icons on top of each other, a morale bar on top of all that, and a square map on the side. It's hard to really describe the exact look, but it no longer looks like it's from WOW. The map is your standard MMO map and the bars do their job. You will also be able to customize your UI, but the feature is not currently in beta. It's a good standard UI, much better then most MMORPG's have at launch. It is also being changed weekly, and still has some bugs. They have discussed allowing players to create mods but have not gone to far into it yet.
PVP
PVP is the main aspect of WAR as many of you know and they are currently balancing it. If you read a review from a player who recently got into beta, much like the two currently on the site, I suggest not taking any of it to heart. The current beta only allows you to level up to the tier 2 zone in the Dark Elf Vs High elf area, no other aspect of the game is even playable. In one of the reviews the player was under level 12 and was already judging PVP and his class. It's just not something you can do correctly.
Scenarios
Scenarios are extremely fun. They are much like instanced battlegrounds in wow, except they differ depending on the tier you are playing and are also somewhat smaller. Winning contributes to the War effort, which helps the entire faction in the long run.They are designed with Line of sight in mind and if you are not playing up to par, expect to lose quickly. Currently scenarios have balance issues. They need to be fine tweaked and the spawn points need to be placed in different areas. I also hope Mythic puts in a few more. You can que for them anywhere via your map. Once you are out, it places you in the exact same spot no matter where you were at the time. When I say they are like battlegrounds in WOW, i mean the way you que up and some of the game types. However they have many different styles, and you gain many beneficial things from completing them. They also change as you level so you won't become immediately bored or feel like you are in a grind. The geography also lends it self well to tactics. I have had the most fun in scenarios so far, and if Mythic really polishes them up they can be another strong point of Warhammer. They are a must while leveling also, but I can see them getting extremely boring similar to bg's in World of Warcraft at end game unless Mythic focuses on making them dynamic and not an exhausting grind.
RVR
Currently RVR in WAR is unbalanced. When I say unbalanced, I mean completely and utterly out of wack. However, Mythic has asked for feedback and has gotten TONS. I mean, huge, huge amounts. High end RVR is not as unbalanced as lowbie RVR which is almost unplayable. However, in terms of the layout and idea, it is fine. The only real issues right now are balancing and making it meaningful to participate in RVR instead of scenarios when you are not level 40. When die in RVR combat you spawn at a designated Warcamp. There is only one Warcamp per tier, so if the battle is taking place at another factions keep, then expect a long, boring run to get back in action. However, that is easily fixed and players have asked for multiple Warcamps to be added for each tier.
I think RVR in WAR is fun, but unbalanced. Balancing is an issue they can fix, and have been fixing all of beta. Nobody has really gotten to experience the full high end force of RVR yet. Siege weapons are not in and the Guild leveling system is also missing. If they polish up RVR and allow us to test it at a high level, with a fully leveled up Guild and Siege weapons, it can go along way to balancing it. They potential is there, now it's up to MYTHIC to fix it and balance the classes.
Combat/Ability
I know a lot of you have been wondering.
The ability system is rather simple in concept. As you level you unlock new abilities. Once you reach level 11 you pick a mastery path. You can then put points into that mastery path. As you progress new abilities unlock. However so do Tactics. each player gains tactics from leveling or PVP'ing via renown ranks. Tactics are passive abilities such as 10 percent more damage to Elves in PVP, or your Gloomburst has a 25 percent chance to give you back 50 action points. There are three types of tactics, and you have three tactic slots. You will gain dozens of different tactics but it's up to you to customize the ones you want for each scenario. You can only have one tactic set active at a time, but you can create five separate tactic sets. You can change them via a button on your UI. This allows you to build five different sets of tactics for various needs. Fighting Dwarfs? Change to your Dwarf tactics. Fighting a huge giant? Switch over to your PVE boss tactic set. It can also limit the repetitiveness of the game. If you feel like making a specific ability more worth while and boosting it's strength you can create a tactic set that can accomplish this and spec in a mastery accordingly. It adds another large dynamic to the game and if each ability can be correctly balanced offers a variety of play styles each person can create.
Every player has action points. No more running out of mana or rage. Action points work a lot like Rogues in WoW. They regen quickly and allow everyone to continue fighting. The down time comes when you die.
Combat in WAR does not work like most other games. If I had to compare it to one thing it would be GW. It's not a twitch based game, it isn't a game where gear is going to make you exponentially better then another person. It requires tactics, experience and a team of players who know how to play. You can't go into a battle, no matter how skilled you are, and dominate everyone single handedly. You can't crowed control people to death. You can't hit an IWIN button and expect to be the greatest. You also can't kill people in three hits like other MMORPGS.
If you are expecting combat like World of Warcraft, go somewhere else. I am really tired of people complaining about the combat in WAR and comparing it to World of Warcraft. I hate to break it to you guys, but World of Warcraft is one of the most unbalanced games in recent memory. The reason PVP in WOW fails so bad is because it is not based on skill, it's based on gear and I am glad Mythic stayed away from that trap.
Warhammer Online also doesn't have slow combat. It has numerous instant cast abilities as well as some with cast times. It isn't slow by any means, but it isn't twitch based combat like AOC. Like I said, if you want a feel for how combat is going to be, go play Guild Wars. It will give you the general feel. However, the melee is faster then what Guild Wars offers.
Classes have a specific role and that role must be played. Casters get dominated by Melee, but if a caster is allowed to stand back it can change the entire battle. Of course this all depends on the tanks who are supose to be protecting the casters with disorienting abilities, but the tanks will go down if the healers are not doing their job while they are fighting. What I am trying to say is what Mythic promised in terms of class balance they have delivered outside of some abilities being over-powered. Another aspect I enjoy is no two classes are the same yet they play the same role. People who said "every class plays alike, they just have different names" have obviously not played the beta for any decent length of time.
Each class also has a unique secondary pool or gauge for specific abilities or benefits. For example. A DOK needs to gain essence to heal. The only way he or she can do this is by participating in combat. Specific moves they posses will help them generate a certain amount of essence. They have a globe on their UI that holds 500 essence and is a visual representation with numbers of how much they currently have. Since they attack quickly, it replenishes fast. Now their healing abilities take Essence to use, so unless they are activly participating in combat and not standing back being a healbot, they will eventually run out of essence and be useless (happens fast). Other classes like sorcerers have a gauge.
A Dark Elf Sorcerers gauge represents dark power. The higher it goes using certain abilities the more your crit chance goes up. However, there is also a downside, as the crit goes up so does the chance the ability can back fire. At max rank, you have 60 percent chance to crit, but a 100 percent chance to hurt yourself. If you want to be suicidal and reign down domination on everything infront of you until you eventually kill yourself go for it. If you don't want to hurt yourself, you can use your other abilities that lower the gauge until you feel conformable. The sorcerer also has abilities that are extremely powerful but have a slight chance to backfire. So it's a gamble. It's not really that drastic and you won't just kill yourself for doing it, but the damage can add up over time. This also works as a balancing tactic so sorcerers are not extremely over-powered, but are not nerfed by lowering their damage.
Many people criticize the fact that some classes have similar gauges or pools. Like the DE Sorcerer and the Bright Wizzard. They might be "technically" similar, but they are still different. They also add a unique aspect to combat. I would rather have some of the classes using the same ones, then not having them at all.
Another common complaint is a disconnect from the combat. Another poster said he hits a button but doesn't feel anything is happening, unlike Wow. Well, the answer is simple. The Devs have said repeatedly on the Beta forums that the final graphics and animations are not in the game. So of course you will feel a disconnect when the final animation for the spell or ability you are using does not exist or is bugged. I also feel a disconnect from combat when I go to shoot with my Witch Hunt but the animation for only one of out five shots happens. The point is the animations are place holders or have bugs. Most of them have been reported and I doubt Mythic puts the game in without it working smoothly.
The main problem I have with the combat in WAR is the fact certain classes and abilities are not balanced. However this is something that can be fixed and multiple patches go in many times a week for this goal to be achieved. I am also hoping that Mythic gives tanks more abilities that can help protect players in PVP. They can right now, but could use a couple more abilities to really round off that area of the game. There is nothing wrong with combat in WAR, it's just different then World of Warcraft. You may not personally like this, but it doesn't make it bad.
Here is a video posted on these forums that shows the speed.
http://www.esnips.com/doc/efcccbef-0...ta_Witch_HuntR
It's faster when you are actually playing, and also note that some of it looks slower because the animations are not finished or even in place. Sometimes as a melee you can swing and no animation happens at all.
Some other points.
- Stealth is not a big part of this game and almost non existent. It helps add a small dynamic to a few classes but don't expect to have to be in stealth all the time.
- Massive Crowed controlling is also something that is left out due to huge balance issues.
- AOE has it's purpose. It's meaningful and can be used effectively, but don't expect to start AOE farming.
- The global cool down is not 2 seconds. It's 1.5 seconds. A bug on the UI is why it displays as two. Mythic has discussed lowering it to one second, which would make Warhammer one of the fastest playing games on the market.
World
Now this is my biggest disappointment with Warhammer. The world. I don't mean the way it looks or the how the terrain is molded. I am talking about the fact it does not feel like one big gigantic world.
As you know the game consists of tiers. Four tiers per race with two zones in each tier. These zones are much like World of Warcrafts, they flow together and are wide open.
My first major problem is the fact there is only a single way in or out of a zone (outside of RVR). You come in from the top or side, and exit out the bottom or other side. Even though the zone is large it still doesn't feel like a big world. You also can't walk to or ride around the entire world map. You can't just walk into the Greenskin Vs Dwarf area, you can't explore every part of the world without having to taxi somewhere. This brings me to my third annoyance. Instancing. I hate instancing, and I don't think it belongs in MMORPG's period. Every single tier is instanced. If you want to go from tier 1 to tier 2, you have to walk through an instance. I think it takes away from the feel of it being a World. If there is one thing I feel World of Warcraft got right it's the wide open world aspect
You can go to the Greenskin Vs Dwarf area as a level 1 to play with your friends, but it takes a while. You need to run to your first Warcamp, taxi to your capitol in the tier4 zone, then taxi to the Greenskin Vs Dwarf Warcamp and run to your friends.
This can all be fixed however. All Mythic would need to do is get rid of the instances and connect each factions zone or area with a simple route. Sadly, I doubt they will do it by launch.
Edit: Some people are confused by what I mean when I say instanced. Instanced is the technical term. Many people think an instance needs multiple copies of itself however it doesn't. To explain it better you essentially cross a zone line which is a portal and a load screen appears. After it's done loading you are in the next tier, which doesn't have a cap so everyone still plays together.
They do this for multiple reasons. One being large RVR battles. If a huge RVR battle was happening in say the tier 4 zone, and nothing was instanced or "separated" it could cause multiple tier to feel the effects. However because they exist in separate instances, other tiers would play normally. This happens in World of Warcraft for example. It used to be a weekly happening where only one continent would crash and the other would be up and people still playing the game. If they both existed together in the same instance, both would crash.
Random other things that are well done
- Quests you find while exploring. This can make a big difference in leveling and lead to cool rewards. It gives a little bonus to people who don't want to rush through the game.
- Influence. I think the influence system is done well. It's not a big grind, and gives you rewards that are actually useful. It also opens up new quests that help leveling.
- Atention to detail. They put a lot of attention to detail in this game. If you are fighting Ambushers, they are actually hiding behind trees ready to ambush people walking down the road. Some lions roam and sit together in shade, others eat the dead corpse of deers. If the NPCs are fighting, they are actually fighting or taking cover from siege weapons not aimlessly walking in circles.
- Almost every camp or area has a high level SPECIAL npc that walks around. This is to cut down on farmers and also to stop people from botting. It's hard to bot when you keep getting killed by an NPC you can't solo.
- Quests take some thinking. For some quests you need to find the proper way to approach them. Some people will find this annoying because you can't just run in agro 10 mobs and kill everything, but it makes the game more challenging.
Random other things I don't like
- Can't interact with, and are essentially blocked off from the opposing faction in the first two tiers of zones outside of the RVR area.
- NPC animations are way to basic. Much like wow, they stand there and turn to you.
- Every zone has a dark or overcast feel to it outside a few scenarios.
- Siege weapons can only be placed on specific platforms. Though they can turn in any direction, you can't place them anywhere. They only last 30 minutes.
- Captured cities have a re-set timer. I understand the dynamic behind this but they could have come up with a more creative way for the Order or Destruction to take back cities. Such as having an army of NPC spawn, with HERO's and siege weapons, with the NPCS eventually overwhelming the opposing force out of the city with an exciting battle.
- Fighting graphics. What I mean by this is the graphics your abilities make. I understand the final ones are not in the game yet, but I hope they are damn good.
- Distance effects. Right now in Warhammer when an object is far into the distance instead of disappearing some of the frames drop in the animation. This causes the player or npc to look like it's doing the robot. I think having them disappear or fade into the background makes the game look much more polished.
Concluson
I think Warhammer has promise. It will never be as big as World of Warcraft. It lacks the PVE content a mass majority of players crave. However I can see it getting a few million dedicated players. Not everyone is going to like the game, and there will be fanboys who trash it.
If Mythic hammers out the balance issues, and fixes the animations, graphics and bugs It will be a great game. So far everything Mythic has promised they delivered and is now being tested or ready to be tested (big update next week Beta testers). They even went back to the Greenskin and Dwarf area to overhaul it because they personally felt it was not good enough. The beta forums are extremely active and the Devs have community events in game at least once a week. It's all going to come down to Polish. If they can polish this game and make it smooth and "pretty" it will get people hooked. As they explore the well molded zones and level they will understand how deep and dynamic the combat can be.
Another factor is going to be the patches Mythic puts up. If they can patch this game once a month and fix issues as they come up and add content, it will keep people happy. Creating an MMORPG where the end game is RVR offers a lot of different things they can do to keep it fresh.
The next few conventions will really let people see what they have worked on. I am looking forward to seeing how the DEV build of the game has turned out in relation to the Beta build. If they can polish it up, I will be playing, thats for sure. So will my guild and many other people I know. If they fail to polish it up and EA pushes them to a release date they should not be making, the game will flop and we will all be waiting for something else.
The marketing for this game is what has hurt it the most. They have a lack of good footage available which makes people search Youtube and find videos from 2006. They also let a lot of first time beta testers into closed beta and they are quite clueless. It's hard for them to grasp the fact that games are not good in Beta and it's not your job to have fun and play a finished product before it launches but help finish the game using a bare bones build.
Mythic has the talent, they have the experience. They created a great MMORPG before that eventually failed due to not listening to feedback. They are now listening and as more builds of beta are released the testers will be able to give a more informed opinion. As it stands now I am impressed how far along the game is. Everything looks promising, but I have learned not to get my hopes up.
