My thoughts on Warhammer (Beta since April)

Celcius

PLEASE NOTE: I do not want to start a flame war on this thread, this is for anyone who wants to be informed and is my opinion of the game.

 

First let me start off by telling a little bit of my prior experience in MMORPGs to just briefly get at where I am coming from. Played UO,EQ,DAOC, and WOW for about 3 years each, the longest I played was probably UO. They all had there good and bad parts, but for the most part I was never fully satisfied on one side of the coin in any of the games.

 

UO had a great immersive world and an  interesting community filled with "Noto-Pks" and roleplayers, but it lacked the advancement of a typical MMORPG now a days and the graphics were just getting dated as well as the game well, it got changed alot in ways to make it more "carebear-ish" and just not as fun as it used to be.

EQ was an amazing PvE experience that was ultimately too time consuming, and it made me miss the really immersive and community building experiences from PvP in UO.

DAOC was probably my favorite in some ways --not so much others. DAOC had invented the RvR type of pvp where it felt really fun, meaningful, rewarding, and alot less penalizing then most games had tried up until that point. It was a shining star among PvP games to me and it really made me realize the importance of a player community in an MMORPG.  PvE in it was just terrible though.

WoW was up there, I experienced both types of end games there were. PvP and PvE, I experienced all facets of the game from casual to hardcore as well as both sides and played it for a good while. The raiding experiences in that game were incredibly well developed, only a few "epic" moments pre-tbc were to be had for me in that department though. PvP was interesting, it was a nice step up from EQ and a good direction to put it in but  it ultimately just didn't match up to what I want PvP to be like. (Meaningful and rewarding) The small 5 man dungeons were great and heroics were really good too, but ultimately the biggest thing that killed WoW for me is the community. The way the game is setup is not very community friendly, and it  became less so as arenas were introduced and allies were pit against one another. The other big change (although neccessary in some ways) that really killed the community for me was cross-server battlegrounds.

Now that you know where I am coming from, onto Warhammer.

Gameplay-

The gameplay is one of the most interesting things to come to MMORPGs but lets get real here; it is very simular to prior MMORPGs (WoW included). On the other hand, the indivisual mechanics for the classes are for the most part unique and interesting. It really makes every class feel different and much more enjoyable to play more then one character. I have never leveled an alt to max level and I feel like I can do it in this and really enjoy it. The class mechanics do match up in most cases, (Disciple - Warrior Priest, Archmage - Shaman,ect) but the abilities are different enough on a class to class basis that it really just eliminates the feeling that playing a Shaman is playing an Archmage. To clarify what I mean by the class mechanics;

When a Shaman casts a spell he fills up one of 2 different WAAAAGH! pools, these pools represent offensive or defensive abilities. If you cast a heal it starts to build the offensive one, if you cast a damage spell it starts to build the defensive one. This class mechanic is the exact same as the Archmage, just renamed a bit. This may seem a bit cheap, but you are still left with 8 unique mechanics in the game. (roughly, could be off a couple)

 

Graphics-

 

If you played beta 6 months ago and you looked at it now you would see it has VASTLY improved. Never the less, the graphics do leave a little to be desired at this point (no graphic settings in yet) BUT, they do look great regardless. The game really shines especially if you force AA with your graphics card. The only game you can really compare the graphics to is WoW and honestly the game has so much of a darker and more gritty feel then that..so it is still hard to compare it even then. Might look simular in videos and the like, but once you get in there you will see what I mean.

 

Sound-

Eh, never really cared that much for sound fx as I like to play with music on especially in PvP..but on the other hand, the sounds are what you would expect from an MMORPG. Nothing fancy, basic stuff, cool music though!

 

Story-

Warhammer has a deep story for anyone who is interested. It has some hilarious quest dialogue too as well as some interesting quest objectives sometimes. Even with all that though, you can easily ignore it if you want to just play and are not interested

 

Technical stuff-

Most of the problems they were having were ironed out, although in big zerg battles you might need to tone down your settings a bit regardless of your rig setup. Few UI tweaks are needed and incoming, but nothing too serious in that department. The biggest problem with the game I have right now is the CTDs, occasionally they happen once an hour or something..other times like once a day. They have improved upon it alot though and it is really looking good now.

 

Overall I think Warhammer is going to be a big hit with anyone who likes DAOC or WoW, and anyone who wants a big new pvp game. It really is just that good, sure, it has its downfalls but what MMORPG doesnt. The game is fun and doing quests, public quests, and rvr in the world and scenarios is a hell of a way to level. This is a game where you will really just sit back and think "I am not even at the end game yet and am enjoying it like it is the end game of any other MMORPG". Its a blast just to play it and you really would be missing out if you don't atleast check it out.

We will always be looking for the next big thing, the next big MMORPG to knock our socks off, but I think we hit the next big thing, atleast for now! That is Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning

 

Sober_Sean

Originally posted by Celcius





  The only game you can really compare the graphics to is WoW and honestly the game has so much of a darker and more gritty feel then that..so it is still hard to compare it even then. Might look simular in videos and the like, but once you get in there you will see what I mean.


 

 

The graphics we see now are more reminiscent of Lotro to me than WoW personally, which looks really...bad in comparison, especially the character models.

 

Good write-up.

nellson

Nicely done....Good thread..ty for the info

Celcius

Originally posted by Sober_Sean

Originally posted by Celcius





  The only game you can really compare the graphics to is WoW and honestly the game has so much of a darker and more gritty feel then that..so it is still hard to compare it even then. Might look simular in videos and the like, but once you get in there you will see what I mean.


 

 

The graphics we see now are more reminiscent of Lotro to me than WoW personally, which looks really...bad in comparison, especially the character models.

 

Good write-up.

 

That sounds about right, LOTRO has some sick graphics for sure.

Seaka

Meh, once the high resolution graphics became enabled, then we can compare, have you seen how horrible AoC looks on the lowest setting?

You're comparing low res WAR to maxed out LotR and WoW. =/

CrazyIvor

Interesting read, thanks for taking time to share your opinion.

Zodan

Graphics are horrible no matter what you do, hoping for high-res textures and better animations after or at launch, but it's not a game breaking if the graphics stay as it is.

Delondial

Originally posted by Celcius



 The only game you can really compare the graphics to is WoW and honestly the game has so much of a darker and more gritty feel then that..so it is still hard to compare it even then. Might look simular in videos and the like, but once you get in there you will see what I mean.
 

Irony...she's a cold bitch

PinkCat

Originally posted by Celcius


PLEASE NOTE: I do not want to start a flame war on this thread, this is for anyone who wants to be informed and is my opinion of the game.
- I will interject my own 5 Canadian cent's from time to time through out this post.
 First let me start off by telling a little bit of my prior experience in MMORPGs to just briefly get at where I am coming from. Played UO,EQ,DAOC, and WOW for about 3 years each, the longest I played was probably UO. They all had there good and bad parts, but for the most part I was never fully satisfied on one side of the coin in any of the games.
- I played UO for about 6 years, I then played DAoC for about 4 years. Great times had but I then moved on becuase I find games start getting stale at the 3 year mark. Played EQII, then WoW off and on for about 3 years. Accomplished everything in all those games mentioned, never held back. Lost some friends, family and gf's. My choice of course im a cold hearted sob. It's all about number one, moi!


 UO had a great immersive world and an  interesting community filled with "Noto-Pks" and roleplayers, but it lacked the advancement of a typical MMORPG now a days and the graphics were just getting dated as well as the game well, it got changed alot in ways to make it more "carebear-ish" and just not as fun as it used to be.
- I concur and so will any UO player, are we here to talk about UO or WAR? I think we all get the point that your trying to sound as if your the messiah of gaming but your not, there are millions of us. Your just another statistic.
EQ was an amazing PvE experience that was ultimately too time consuming, and it made me miss the really immersive and community building experiences from PvP in UO.
- We talking about WAR yet? Didn't think so, more blah! blah! blah!
DAOC was probably my favorite in some ways --not so much others. DAOC had invented the RvR type of pvp where it felt really fun, meaningful, rewarding, and alot less penalizing then most games had tried up until that point. It was a shining star among PvP games to me and it really made me realize the importance of a player community in an MMORPG.  PvE in it was just terrible though.
- I beg to differ but im here in the Warhammer thread not to talk about DAoC, I'll let loose when you start to talk about WAR.
WoW was up there, I experienced both types of end games there were. PvP and PvE, I experienced all facets of the game from casual to hardcore as well as both sides and played it for a good while. The raiding experiences in that game were incredibly well developed, only a few "epic" moments pre-tbc were to be had for me in that department though. PvP was interesting, it was a nice step up from EQ and a good direction to put it in but  it ultimately just didn't match up to what I want PvP to be like. (Meaningful and rewarding) The small 5 man dungeons were great and heroics were really good too, but ultimately the biggest thing that killed WoW for me is the community. The way the game is setup is not very community friendly, and it  became less so as arenas were introduced and allies were pit against one another. The other big change (although neccessary in some ways) that really killed the community for me was cross-server battlegrounds.
Now that you know where I am coming from, onto Warhammer.
- WoW, your WoW paragraph is so much bigger than your UO and DAoC writeups.  You really only played WoW right?
Gameplay-
The gameplay is one of the most interesting things to come to MMORPGs but lets get real here; it is very simular to prior MMORPGs (WoW included). More WoW comparison, why not just compare it to every mmo on the market? You are sooo well versed Mr. Messiah gamer. On the other hand, the indivisual mechanics for the classes are for the most part unique and interesting. It really makes every class feel different and much more enjoyable to play more then one character. I have never leveled an alt to max level and I feel like I can do it in this and really enjoy it. Wholey moley, never leveled an alt to max level, your so full of gaming experience it is bursting at the seems. The class mechanics do match up in most cases, (Disciple - Warrior Priest, Archmage - Shaman,ect) but the abilities are different enough on a class to class basis that it really just eliminates the feeling that playing a Shaman is playing an Archmage. To clarify what I mean by the class mechanics; - Ummmm... what gave you the impression that all the classes would feel the same? Does a Rogue feel the same as a Mage in your epic WoW? Im not going to touch this one and I will leave it at that.
When a Shaman casts a spell he fills up one of 2 different WAAAAGH! pools, these pools represent offensive or defensive abilities. If you cast a heal it starts to build the offensive one, if you cast a damage spell it starts to build the defensive one. This class mechanic is the exact same as the Archmage, just renamed a bit. This may seem a bit cheap, but you are still left with 8 unique mechanics in the game. (roughly, could be off a couple) -This is a new game mechanic over any other previous MMO's, feels unique and different.  Plus makes perfect PvP logic to use the feature this way.
Graphics-

 
If you played beta 6 months ago and you looked at it now you would see it has VASTLY improved. - Normal for any beta experience, textures are one of the last things to get polished. Never the less, the graphics do leave a little to be desired at this point (no graphic settings in yet) BUT, they do look great regardless. The game really shines especially if you force AA with your graphics card. The only game you can really compare the graphics to is WoW  and honestly the game has so much of a darker and more gritty feel then that..so it is still hard to compare it even then. Might look simular in videos and the like, but once you get in there you will see what I mean. -WAR's graphics are far superior to WoW's graphics, even the shadows are far superior.
Sound-
Eh, never really cared that much for sound fx as I like to play with music on especially in PvP..but on the other hand, the sounds are what you would expect from an MMORPG. Nothing fancy, basic stuff, cool music though! -Music is great in WAR, full orchastrated symphonies, great adaptation as you move about the world. Just stupendous.
Story-
Warhammer has a deep story for anyone who is interested. It has some hilarious quest dialogue too as well as some interesting quest objectives sometimes. Even with all that though, you can easily ignore it if you want to just play and are not interested - I do however 100% agree with your bit here.
Technical stuff-
Most of the problems they were having were ironed out, although in big zerg battles you might need to tone down your settings a bit regardless of your rig setup. - This is complete and utter garbage, I have never had any problems like most folks have been complaining about in beta.  I have been in huge battles and have not encountered any lag of any kind what-so-ever.  Was in a couple 40 vs 40 battles and I was zooming through the fire fight at mach speeds.  However I built my gaming rig and know it can squash anything the games can throw at it. Few UI tweaks are needed and incoming, but nothing too serious in that department.- please enlighten us, the UI is far superior to any MMO I have played to date and that is all of them. The UI is the most robust I have ever seen and can be manipulated in any way imaginable. The biggest problem with the game I have right now is the CTDs, occasionally they happen once an hour or something..other times like once a day. They have improved upon it alot though and it is really looking good now.
Overall I think Warhammer is going to be a big hit with anyone who likes DAOC or WoW, and anyone who wants a big new pvp game. It really is just that good, sure, it has its downfalls but what MMORPG doesnt. The game is fun and doing quests, public quests, and rvr in the world and scenarios is a hell of a way to level. This is a game where you will really just sit back and think "I am not even at the end game yet and am enjoying it like it is the end game of any other MMORPG". Its a blast just to play it and you really would be missing out if you don't atleast check it out.
We will always be looking for the next big thing, the next big MMORPG to knock our socks off, but I think we hit the next big thing, atleast for now! That is Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning -I agree WAR is "my"  WoW Killer.  I have been in Beta for over a year and still enjoy every minute of it. I can't wait to finally get on a real server that won't be wiped.  I have been through so many toons that I just want to settle down and own all the litle nooblets. See ya on the battlefield.
 

 

JeroKane

@Pinkcat: You made a complete fool out of yourself already by bashing someone's OPINION on the game.

But even more so by saying WAR's graphics are supperior to WoW!

In what way really? I have seen so many screenshots and the character detail is extremely low and blund.

Armor sets look great, but the horribly low quality textures and low polygons kill this.

Is there any PROOF or OFFICIAL statement that we get better graphics and thus more graphic settings options at launch? As I haven't seen one.

The surroundings and effects might seem a bit grittier and darker, but when it comes to texture and polygon quality, then WAR doesn't really look any better then WoW.

And that dissapoints me. As it's now 4 more years down the road then WoW and I hated WoW graphics already 4 years ago.

Cheers

devoux

he's in the beta dude, and he has played WoW. You have seen screenies, he has seen the real thing. Even watching crap youtube videos of WAR its easy to see the graphics are better.

pinkcat made a good point too, i thought this post would be a good read on the good and bads of WAR but half the post was about other games he has played.. And why wouldn't any company releasing a game do a last polish off of the games graphics, its the same in all beta's i've been in. The release has always been better than the beta. proof and official my anus!

 

peace, devoux

Meridion

@Pinkcat: Great job at bashing someones opinion on a game, mr. hey-Im-teh-pwnage-lolz.

First thing th OP said was

>>>PLEASE NOTE: I do not want to start a flame war on this thread, this is for anyone who wants to be informed and is my opinion of the game.<<<

so please go and never come back. Lose some more jobs and GF's and stuff, whatever. Thank you.

Meridion

JeroKane

Originally posted by devoux


he's in the beta dude, and he has played WoW. You have seen screenies, he has seen the real thing. Even watching crap youtube videos of WAR its easy to see the graphics are better.
pinkcat made a good point too, i thought this post would be a good read on the good and bads of WAR but half the post was about other games he has played.. And why wouldn't any company releasing a game do a last polish off of the games graphics, its the same in all beta's i've been in. The release has always been better than the beta. proof and official my anus!
 
peace, devoux

 

I have been in quite a few MMO Beta's and never seen graphics being capped or held back for launch. That's just a Myth and a lame excuse.

Especially now so many people have joined into CB and if with coming preview weekend the graphics are still this poor, then there you got your proof that it won't be any better at launch.

So Ill see the screenshots appear when people join in at the preview weekend and see if they are any better.

Cheers

dterry

Originally posted by Guillermo197


@Pinkcat: You made a complete fool out of yourself already by bashing someone's OPINION on the game.
But even more so by saying WAR's graphics are supperior to WoW!
In what way really? I have seen so many screenshots and the character detail is extremely low and blund.
Armor sets look great, but the horribly low quality textures and low polygons kill this.
Is there any PROOF or OFFICIAL statement that we get better graphics and thus more graphic settings options at launch? As I haven't seen one.
The surroundings and effects might seem a bit grittier and darker, but when it comes to texture and polygon quality, then WAR doesn't really look any better then WoW.
And that dissapoints me. As it's now 4 more years down the road then WoW and I hated WoW graphics already 4 years ago.
Cheers

 

Is it the look of the characters you don't like? I f so then go look at the Warhammer mini's on their Warhammer tabletop game's site and you will see that the look and feel of the game is appropriate to bring the Warhammer Universe (so-to-speak) into a PC game. And the same could be said of WoW. In these two cases it is more of a limitation of the IP they are bringing to the game, they have to work within the confines of years of paintings and mini's.

eq2js

Originally posted by Guillermo197


@Pinkcat: You made a complete fool out of yourself already by bashing someone's OPINION on the game.
But even more so by saying WAR's graphics are supperior to WoW!
In what way really? I have seen so many screenshots and the character detail is extremely low and blund.
Armor sets look great, but the horribly low quality textures and low polygons kill this.
Is there any PROOF or OFFICIAL statement that we get better graphics and thus more graphic settings options at launch? As I haven't seen one.
The surroundings and effects might seem a bit grittier and darker, but when it comes to texture and polygon quality, then WAR doesn't really look any better then WoW.
And that dissapoints me. As it's now 4 more years down the road then WoW and I hated WoW graphics already 4 years ago.
Cheers
WAR Graphics>WoW Graphics
In WoW, my orcs face has several sharp points....this reminds me of the N64 days....and everything looks like a cartoon...in WAR, the faces are smoother, and I don't think I'm sitting in front of a computer playing a game based on a show on CARTOON NETWORK! And there is a very good chance that there are graphics settings, the current beta client is designed to work on as many computers as possible SO if there are graphics settings you WILL have better graphics.

 

Lonesamurai1

Originally posted by Guillermo197


@Pinkcat: You made a complete fool out of yourself already by bashing someone's OPINION on the game.
But even more so by saying WAR's graphics are supperior to WoW!
In what way really? I have seen so many screenshots and the character detail is extremely low and blund.
Armor sets look great, but the horribly low quality textures and low polygons kill this.
Is there any PROOF or OFFICIAL statement that we get better graphics and thus more graphic settings options at launch? As I haven't seen one.
The surroundings and effects might seem a bit grittier and darker, but when it comes to texture and polygon quality, then WAR doesn't really look any better then WoW.
And that dissapoints me. As it's now 4 more years down the road then WoW and I hated WoW graphics already 4 years ago.
Cheers

 

yes, its a known beta fact that the beta client is on low resolution and graphic quality...

 

although the high end graphics and resolutions have been shown at gaming events, conventions and Games Workshops Games Day conventions too

JeroKane

Originally posted by Lonesamurai1

Originally posted by Guillermo197


@Pinkcat: You made a complete fool out of yourself already by bashing someone's OPINION on the game.
But even more so by saying WAR's graphics are supperior to WoW!
In what way really? I have seen so many screenshots and the character detail is extremely low and blund.
Armor sets look great, but the horribly low quality textures and low polygons kill this.
Is there any PROOF or OFFICIAL statement that we get better graphics and thus more graphic settings options at launch? As I haven't seen one.
The surroundings and effects might seem a bit grittier and darker, but when it comes to texture and polygon quality, then WAR doesn't really look any better then WoW.
And that dissapoints me. As it's now 4 more years down the road then WoW and I hated WoW graphics already 4 years ago.
Cheers

 

yes, its a known beta fact that the beta client is on low resolution and graphic quality...

 

although the high end graphics and resolutions have been shown at gaming events, conventions and Games Workshops Games Day conventions too

 

Well that still makes me concerned. How can they properly optimise the performance if they only test on locked down low graphic settings?

We all know there are a jitload of people out there with high end rigs who want their money worth (including me) and set settings to high.

And you can bet the sjit will hit the fan at launch when WAR will perform just as badly on high end rigs with settings to high as is the case with AoC.

Lonesamurai1

Originally posted by Guillermo197

Originally posted by Lonesamurai1

Originally posted by Guillermo197


@Pinkcat: You made a complete fool out of yourself already by bashing someone's OPINION on the game.
But even more so by saying WAR's graphics are supperior to WoW!
In what way really? I have seen so many screenshots and the character detail is extremely low and blund.
Armor sets look great, but the horribly low quality textures and low polygons kill this.
Is there any PROOF or OFFICIAL statement that we get better graphics and thus more graphic settings options at launch? As I haven't seen one.
The surroundings and effects might seem a bit grittier and darker, but when it comes to texture and polygon quality, then WAR doesn't really look any better then WoW.
And that dissapoints me. As it's now 4 more years down the road then WoW and I hated WoW graphics already 4 years ago.
Cheers

 

yes, its a known beta fact that the beta client is on low resolution and graphic quality...

 

although the high end graphics and resolutions have been shown at gaming events, conventions and Games Workshops Games Day conventions too

 

Well that still makes me concerned. How can they properly optimise the performance if they only test on locked down low graphic settings?

We all know there are a jitload of people out there with high end rigs who want their money worth (including me) and set settings to high.

And you can bet the sjit will hit the fan at launch when WAR will perform just as badly on high end rigs with settings to high as is the case with AoC.

 

so you didn't read my noteabout thehigh end being shown already? not to mention the Open Beta too

JeroKane

Originally posted by Lonesamurai1

Originally posted by Guillermo197

Originally posted by Lonesamurai1

Originally posted by Guillermo197


@Pinkcat: You made a complete fool out of yourself already by bashing someone's OPINION on the game.
But even more so by saying WAR's graphics are supperior to WoW!
In what way really? I have seen so many screenshots and the character detail is extremely low and blund.
Armor sets look great, but the horribly low quality textures and low polygons kill this.
Is there any PROOF or OFFICIAL statement that we get better graphics and thus more graphic settings options at launch? As I haven't seen one.
The surroundings and effects might seem a bit grittier and darker, but when it comes to texture and polygon quality, then WAR doesn't really look any better then WoW.
And that dissapoints me. As it's now 4 more years down the road then WoW and I hated WoW graphics already 4 years ago.
Cheers

 

yes, its a known beta fact that the beta client is on low resolution and graphic quality...

 

although the high end graphics and resolutions have been shown at gaming events, conventions and Games Workshops Games Day conventions too

 

Well that still makes me concerned. How can they properly optimise the performance if they only test on locked down low graphic settings?

We all know there are a jitload of people out there with high end rigs who want their money worth (including me) and set settings to high.

And you can bet the sjit will hit the fan at launch when WAR will perform just as badly on high end rigs with settings to high as is the case with AoC.

 

so you didn't read my noteabout thehigh end being shown already? not to mention the Open Beta too

 

It's not about being shown. Funcom showed DirectX10 for over 2 years at numerous conventions and presentations, yet they didn't deliver it at launch nor they prolly ever will be! It just turned out to be one big PR Hoax!

It's about high end graphics being INGAME and ACTIVE during Closed Beta, so it's actually tested and optimised!

But I said, we will see coming preview weekend and see if it get's actually enabled and then hopefully see the highres ingame screenshots being posted by players!

Cheers