WAR Beta Invites @ Games Workshop Battle Bunkers!

That's right! October 13 & 14 you have a chance to get into the beta and see all of the rich history and fantastic models WAR is based on at a Games Workshop Battle Bunker near you. Enter the hourly WAR beta card raffles and while you wait, learn more about Warhammer, the miniatures game, by playing a demo and getting a free painting lesson!

Find a Battle Bunker near you!...

Battle At The Gates of Ekrund!

Last month the tables were turned as a setting unique to WAR was brought to life by Games Workshop. The Gates of Ekrund, one of our first RvR Scenarios, has been turned into a tabletop board, and we let loose two of WAR’s designers to do battle in front of this Dwarf stronghold!

Read an overview and a play-by-play report...

Warhammer's origins stem from a tabletop miniatures game in which two or more players battle each other by using one of over a dozen different armies available to them. The game is played on model terrain boards with the outcome of their troop’s actions being decided through a cunning use of strategy and the luck of the dice. Note however, that Warhammer is much more than just a game, it’s a hobby. Once a player chooses his army, he has a myriad of troop types to choose from to suit his tactics. Once the makeup of his forces is determined, a player can then begin to collect his miniatures and paint them in the color scheme of his choice. It doesn’t stop there though, as the player can build scenery and terrain on which to make his game playing experience that much richer.

In an effort to bridge the gap between tabletop miniatures games and the realm of online gaming, John Shaffer of Games Workshop, U.S. built a scale model of one of the WAR in-game environments; the lofty and ancient Gates of Ekrund. Using raw materials, like insulation foam, plastic sheeting and foam core, John recreated the imposing structure with help from some in-game screenshots. Two weeks after a meeting with EA Mythic staff, the gates were finished, and it was only right that a heated battle between the Dwarfs and their rivals, the Orcs and Goblins be waged amongst the shadows of Ekrund’s walls.

Two of the EA Mythic staff, Adam Gershowitz and John Rudy were up to the task since they are veterans of the miniature gaming hobby that WAR is faithfully based upon. They made the trip up from Fairfax, VA to Glen Burnie, MD to play at a Games Workshop Battle Bunker, a place full of terrain boards and models with which to play tabletop war games. To find a Games Workshop store near you in the US, visit http://us.games-workshop.com/shopping/gw-stores.asp

September Newsletter is Out!

Make sure you have checked your in-boxes for the september newsletter!

It is packed full of information with a first look at the Dark Elf Witch Elf, the Dark Elf Player Army - House of Uthorin, and a Zone Overview of the Blighted Isle.

As always the Newsletter is brimming with new concept art, Grab Bag questions, community highlights, and videos!

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WAR @ E for All

Live in the Los Angeles area or coming to E for All?

Now is your chance to check out Warhammer Online and take a shot at winning a beta promocode! We will be in the Electronic Arts booth with hands-on demonstrations running all day.

E for All is going on October 18-21, 2007 at the Los Angeles convention center. For more information please visit their website: www.eforallexpo.com

We look forward to seeing you there!

We have a brand new Warhammer Online podcast available for you that spotlights the unique, multifaceted quest system that will be available in the highly anticipated MMOG. We encourage you to post this content!

In the video, EA Mythic gives a firsthand look at the way the quest structure is broken down into charges, adventures and epics. Individual quest types like kill collectors, tome, exploration, RvR and public quests are each illuminated in a way that is only possible with the help of creative director, Paul Barnett.

It is the pleasure of http://www.stratics.com/content/portals/warhammer/" name="WAR Stratics"> to announce the winner of our

Metal_Ren won the contest with his entry of:

"Argh!! ...common... just one more drop of blood liquor please. I have barely even caught a buzz! I must remember to use a dwarf head cantine instead of an elven one next time I'm on the seas. This one is hardly adequate!"

Thanks to everyone for their support!

BETA IS OPEN!

SHOO!

And it's an interesting bit of creative design thinking. I mean if you don't want to use the flags what can you do to show that a duel is taking place?

Food is vital to health of all people, we just feel better when we eat regularly. Now, I’m not talking about having to eat 3 meals a day. I am talking about once per every 6 hours having to eat a particular type of food. This would help your character to maintain his overall health.

They have an interview with community coordinator Richard Duffek!

WarCry: Many MMOs now use a lot of instancing. Even DAOC started using it in later expansions; other than the instanced RvR, what other types of instancing should we look forward to in WAR?

Richard Duffek: Outside of Scenarios, we only instance when absolutely necessary in WAR, i.e. certain PvE boss battles.

Part One!

MMOG Nation: For folks who don’t necessarily have a good grasp of where you’re coming from, could you give us a sense of what led you to your position on the Warhammer project?

Paul Barnett: Complete flukes, and mistakes and bureaucratic errors, and the inability for someone to look at the work I’ve done and realize I’m a charlatan and a fraud. How does that sound?

MG: So … just to throw a left-field question at you. The Game Developer’s Conference (GDC) is a great place for high ideas, and one I’ve heard a couple of times in the last few years is that “the games industry doesn’t have good spokespeople.” There aren’t people out there in the front, talking to the cameras, and making gamers seem like … not creepy people who sit in their bedrooms and plan murder.

Paul: Well, the first problem is GDC. That’s the first problem right there. People shouldn’t go to places like that. What the hell are they doing? It’s like Dungeons and Dragons, right? There are two ways you can present Dungeons and Dragons. You can go on TV, go out to the TV and the mass media and get into Esquire Magazine or GQ magazine and you can talk it up. Or, you can go to Gen Con. And you can talk to lots of fatty sweaty D&D people. Right?

As I said in my last post, my secret purpose for setting up this interview was to ask Mr. Paul Barnett about things no one else would bother to ask him: specifically, his thoughts on advocacy for the games industry. I’ve found this to be an easy tactic for getting an ‘in’ with designers. Nobody wants to talk about the game they’re working on because of marketing stuff, but everyone is willing to jaw about their own opinions. Game designers are opinionated folks, and it’s wonderful, and I love it.

Elfs can lose track of time and the affairs of the world around them, foregoing rest and nourishment. Indeed an Elf may lose himself for weeks, staring intently at a beautiful sculpture or painting, uncaring of the flow of time or events evolving around him.

It's super easy to take part!

Go look at the screenshot! Then head over to this thread and enter what you think is the perfect caption! Please only one caption per post! At the end of two weeks, our staff will pick 10 entries and everyone will get to vote on the winner.

The prizes? An XL WAAAAAGH T-shirt, a Warhammer Calander (2007) and the Warhammer book "Giantslayer" by William King! (As soon as my digital camera un-dies there'll be pictures!)

If you're not a registered user for our forums, signing up is free! So why not enter today!

As always the people up top tell me I must link to the rules. The big one to remember is that we'll only accept one final entry per person!

Enter today, and good luck everyone!!

Please remember, not all info for mobs is released yet and this is a work in progress. We will have updates as they came out, and new options added later :)

Check it out!

Cool dudes, difficult to capture in our game. I mean how cool can you make that hat? Our news letter will be stuffed with details but I thought I would ramble on about them for a moment.

Be sure to to read it!

In this week's installment we look at balance.

The difficulties in balance lie in the ever-changing nature of an MMO. Everything from tactics to class development to erratic player choice can effect balance issues. WAR is no different!

The problems are:
Class Development Issues Changing Balances Throughout The Life Of The Game
Population Differences Especially After The Launch Period
Tactical Changes In Player Behavior
Crafting and Drops

You can find these new additions right here.

WAR Stratics: I'd be remiss if I didn't ask, even though I know you can't answer! Anything new regarding beta you can tell us? When it might move into the next phase, how many players total might be lucky enough to get in?

Richard: Look at it this way, every day that passes is a day I get asked this question eleventy billion times, and I never answer it, other than that every one of those days is one day closer to the start of beta. ;)

Head on over to our forums and chat about the interview, and give your feedback!

1. Go to MyBowlAd.com
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3. Spread the word! Tell your friends, family, co-workers and anyone else you know!

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You really NEED one of each class represented. You need your Tank, Close Dmg, Range Dmg, and Healer/Caster. Or you are screwed. So i'm man enough to admit we lost. Bad. I noticed several things, though: Teamwork is key.

• Review!
• Videos!
• Photos!
• Interview with Aesthetic!

WarCry: Typically, when people leave a long held job as a mutual decision, there is an overlap period where they train replacements and take care of affairs. Obviously, this was a lot more sudden. Why was that?

Sanya Thomas: You've been a reporter for almost as long as I've been a community weenie, except for that part where you were leading your own game. And for all that time you've asked the best questions that I can't answer.

I regret to announce that as a result of a mutually agreed parting of the ways, Sanya Weathers is leaving Electronic Arts. While this will result in a change to the best community team in the industry, there will be no disruptions to our games or our community. Richard will continue to spread Waaagh! amidst the growing Warhammer community. Jeremy is flying the banner for UO as they prepare for a Kingdom Reborn. Parizad has been a welcome addition to our team in the last few months working on The Sims Online and Dark Age of Camelot. Since Missy will be out on maternity leave for a while, to help cover we take this opportunity to welcome Joanne to the community team. Joanne has been playing MMO's since '97 and was an outstanding member of our "team lead" group for DAoC.