A simple overview and opinion of WAR

A Simple Overview:

I have waited for over 2 years for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning to finally show up because I was tired of playing World of Warcraft. I started my MMORPG gaming back in Everquest 1, next I moved to Lineage 2, World of Warcraft. and then briefly Warhammer Online. For those of you not familiar with MMORPG, it is an online game that is played on a computer and has a monthly fee.

I am not an MMORPG die-hard gamer. I am very casual but EXTREMELY PICKY player. I play an average of 2-3 hours a day, about 5 days out of the week. I am a hate it or love it guy in less than 30 minutes. I have rejected a ton of games ranging from Guild Wars to Pirates of the Burning Sea within less than half an hour of play. I don’t beat around the bushes by trying to finish a game and build an excuse of why I didn’t like it. For me, games are like movies. After 30 minutes, I will know if it’s for me or not. I don’t need to finish the product to know the bitter taste in my mouth.

From my research: The good:

World PVP. Since the days of Lineage 2 and World of Warcraft before “Battle Grounds” and “Arenas” there were lots of world pvp. Warhammer game is pretty much based on PVPing (people vs. people) or like how Warhammer like to call it Realm Vs Realm. Either way, its real people playing against real people. Good vs. Evil; Order Vs. Destruction.

Order faction consists of: Empire, Dwarfs, and High Elves.Destruction faction consists of: Greenskin, Chaos, and Dark Elves.

Character movements can be control by using your “WASD” keys. Interfaces and hotkeys can be custom into what you like.

Out of these races: there are your main characters of Tanker, DPS, Healer, Range attacks. As you level up your character, you gain new abilities to crush your opponents. Depending on the type of classes you play, you’ll have to play them accordingly. For example, a Tanker is someone who can take heavy damage and usually in the front lines. A range attack such as a range attacker, you are very fragile and so you’ll keep your distance and blast your opponent away from afar.

The purpose of this game is to topple your opponent. Every thing you do suppose to contribute to your side’s victory. By wining battles and sieges, you earned special items, reputation, and everything is recorded in a neat little journal. The purpose to PVP is to gain control of areas that will give you access to “special” in game features and items that would not be available to the losing team.

Depending on the “Server” or “Realm” you play on, there is restriction on how PVP is handled. In “Core” server, only certain places are open/flag for PVPing. “Open RVR”, you are pretty much fair game to anyone near year level. If someone is too high and enters a low level thinking to get their fills of fun, your character will turn into a “chicken” and be killed easily by the opposing player. Leveling your character can be accomplished through killing NPCs, questing, or PVPing.

The Disappointment:

The cap is level 40. Each race have their own starting point. Mythic and EA are the people behind Warhammer and their focus on this game as stated from above: PVP. No two cents about it. With the focus towards just fighting other players, they compromise one the PVE. Player vs. Environment. Anyone that has ever played MMORPG, its pretty much: Talk to an NPC and it tells you what you need to do; accomplished it and receives a reward. The quests are pretty basic and most reviews believe that it is not as well design as “Lords of the Ring Online” and “World of Warcraft”.

The crafting of items, jewelries, weapons, armors, etc from most reviews is also quite disappointing and not worth doing at this time.

Warhammer has a big world but it is not a seamless world, you will have minor loading zones as you move up to the higher zones.

I CANCEL MY ACCOUNT:

MMORPG is pretty much a copy-cat league. One company does something well and the next company takes that idea and put their own twist on it. Despite having similar interfaces, hotkeys, movements, similar drawings like World of Warcraft. It isn’t World of Warcraft. Something was missing. That addiction that drives 10 million people to pay a monthly fee to play World of Warcraft (also nicknamed Warcrack) wasn’t there when I played Warhammer. After 30 minutes of playing this game, I log into my account and cancel it despite having 28 days left on my account.

First thing I did when I logged into the game was chose a side and create my character. The options to make your very own special player is pretty disappointing. Very few options and everyone look like everyone else. Once inside the game, I am in the middle of a WAR.

So what killed it for me? It’s the game-play, game-feel of Warhammer. It doesn’t have that fun factor. The first thing that pulls me into a game and it becomes a WORLD and not just a video game is that “FUN FACTOR”. I can’t describe it. It’s just that “IT FACTOR”. If it’s just another video game feel, I won’t play it. The drawings, animation, fluidness, movements, the colors, graphics is EXTREMELY disappointing in my opinion. The character movements and animation of characters are stiff and clunky. There is no fluidness and grace in there movements at all. The animation of a sword swinging to a magic spell are disappointing as well. It is a make or break for me. The art is nicely drawn but the colors and the fullness of the characters, npc, and environment is isn’t there. It just looks FLAT. There just wasn’t a “WOW factor” when I am playing. Despite World of Warcraft’s cartoon looks, it has a certain fullness to it. It’s very detail and not flat. Warhammer just isn’t engaging enough for me, my brother and my friends. Out of the 7 of us, none of us are keeping our account after the 30 day game play that comes with the game. My brother and I already cancel our account.

My view is that entertainment is suppose to do its job….That job is to draw me in and keep me entertain. It shouldn’t be MY JOB to force myself to enjoy something. It is a NOW or NEVER philosophy. Most of the time, I am usually not wrong with MY OPINION when it comes to what I like. That feeling of being awed, heart thumping, jaw-dropping feeling just wasn’t there for Warhammer Online. It was there when I first played Warcraft 1 &2, Diablo 1&2, World of Warcraft. The moment these movies: “Lords of the Ring”, “Braveheart”, or “Last of the Mohican” started, I knew I would enjoy those movie. As soon as “The English Patient” or “Atonement” started playing and 30 minutes later, I knew I would die of boredom.

Entertainment are very subjective. Some love it, some hate it, whether it’s movies, games, music, art, food, etc. It is a personal taste. I won’t endorse the game but I won’t say that YOU shouldn’t play it either. It just wasn’t for me, my brother, or my friends. Despite our dislike of the game, it is rated quite high by many other people who have played this game.

For more information and reviews: www.mmorpg.com

UPDATE:

I spent half the day today on this game again if my feelings have change. The answer is still "NO".

It is the same thing that kills this game for me, whether I am at level one or level 5,000. It doesn't change the "FACTOR" that kills this game for me. The graphics, some of the effects, fluidness, textures, fullness, smoothness. These are MECHINICS that WILL NOT CHANGE no matter what level I am. These are are what makes or break for me. People keep saying I haven't play enough for ME TO KNOW IF I LIKE IT OR NOT.

I never ate dog poop before but I already know I won't like dog poop. So how many of you are going to try dog poop and get back to me if it taste good?