PvP’s Expansion Limpness

There are sooooooo many other things I’d like to be posting about, but it seems the expectations and hope for Patch 1.4 are a resounding clunk. I was reluctant to even post my comments on Thanquol’s Incursion but as I take a gander around the WAR blogs … I am not alone with bad feelings. Many WAR bloggers have been accused of being too happy shiny about the game so they’ve been posting items that are taking a critical look at this MMO.

And the most recent post from Bootae has hit on something I’ve been thinking for quite a bit of time … the lack of actual new content. I feel that’s the biggest problem with a PvP game. How do you give new content to a playerbase that wants to fight other players?

The big dog WoW is easily expanded as we’ve just seen. Forget that they destroyed Azeroth via the Cataclysm, forget that they did a redo and “improved” the graphics … they went in and did this:

• Two new playable races (Goblins, Worgen).
• Each race was given their own starting zone to get players to Level 6.
• Expanded use of flying mounts.
• Seven — yes 7 — new dungeons.
• Three new raids.
• Two previous dungeons revamped.
• New battlegrounds and PvP zone.
• And more …

Easy, right? PvE is much easier to add to and those who love PvE are somewhat easier to cater towards. Call them carebears or whatever, serving up new quests and dungeons is what they want, what they need. You can build a quest chain with story, some loot, and lead them all over the map finding things, talking to NPCs, and killing mobs. And if you’re WoW that could entail taxiing mobs from one side of Gobbo Land to the other. Same with new dungeons … add a portal to some underworld cavern with elaborate architecture, increasingly difficult bosses, and epic gear to be won. That particular path really doesn’t seem possible for WAR since RvR and PvP are what keeps us here. So what can be done?

Patch 1.4’s zerg-busting, RvR-stalling intentions haven’t really come to fruition. Every server is different but on the whole, the zerg still rules and getting into your opponent’s city is still a frequent occurrence. Hey, Mythic tried and what looked good on paper didn’t pan out. Where do we go from here?

If us PvPers can’t be satiated in the same way as WoWophiles, what will fit the bill? We need more territory to fight over, more zones to explore, some more scenarios to clash within, and yes … more gear of all kinds to win. That’s the easy stuff that can be added in. The “hard” stuff referenced above therein? How about new classes, races, and pairings?

Forts … Forts … Forts
They aren’t expansionworthy since they currently reside in the game as pretty scenery and they definitely better not charge us for doing something with them. These need some sprucing up to put a little speed bump in our paths to city siegedom. This post isn’t about specifics so I won’t go into ideas for how to bring these back … all I know is they are needed. Get on it.

Change Your Mind … Add Missing Capitals
When asked directly at a Q&A session, Carrie conceded that completing the missing capitals was off the table. There are other things to focus on. Fair enough but those other things better be freaking good. Going along with my theory that we need more places to fight, four new capital cities with different mechanics, Warlords, and Kings would be cool. Throw in a special set of armor only available from each of the cities all with different appearances and stats. A rotating “city to siege” would be in order rather than capturing one pairing to enter. You’d still need to lock two pairings to get in with the second one locked opening up that pairing’s cities. You wouldn’t fight to lock Dwarf/Greenskin second for a chance at the Grudge set?

More Zones, Please
As others have made mention, it is a bit stale to be fighting it out in the same zones over and over and over again. New is good and despite the hardcore who play WAR, even we are getting tired of the same old Dragonwake and the same old Chaos Wastes. Yeah! Praag again! There are four Tier 4 zones just sitting there not being used. What a waste. And I’ll bet there are players who don’t even know they are in the game.

These are West Praag (Empire/Chaos), Isle of the Dead (High Elf/Dark Elf), Cinderfall, and Deathpeak (Dwarf/Greenskin). I posted a Q&A question on the forums that Andy Belford actually answered. I asked if they considered repurposing these existing PvE-only zones for RvR? He said it was a good idea and something they would consider. Okay … do it. It’s as low a hanging fruit as you’ll find with them just sitting there waiting. Give us a reason to fight there.

Refresh the Weekend Warfronts
We have yet to cycle through all of the retired scenarios that were to be repurposed for the Weekend Warfronts. Some of these gaps can be explained with resources working on other things. But I’m also guessing some of it is a lack of knowing just what to do to make some of them better. To make my point, here are the retired scenarios that have yet to make a reappearance:

• Gromril Crossing
• Grovod Caverns
• Maw of Madness
• Reikland Hills
• Thunder Valley

All but one of those are bottom-of-the-barrel in the fun department. Grovod’s is a Phoenix Gate clone only underground. Gromril and Thunder Valley are near clones of one another with multi-flag captures and ranked near the bottom of players’ fave scenario lists. Reikland Hills is similar with multi-cap BO’s for players to run between. The Maw of Madness really doesn’t need any rejiggering. It’s a death match that’s actually a lot of fun. Let’s bring these back some weekend, spruce up the rewards (a longstanding issue for all WWs), and perhaps surprise us with some new scenarios (War Quarters, Undercroft, Bright Wizard College, The Monolith).

Beyond the Warfronts the issue of pops also needs to be addressed. Many have thought that with scenarios removed from the campaign that cross-server matchups would soon follow. Let’s hope they do.

Easy Said …
Those are the easy things that could pump some new life into WAR. I say “easy” from my armchair but some of them are easier than creating a ton of new content from scratch. Much of what I’ve listed is there already either in game or hidden code currently hidden.

The hard stuff? Yeah, now that would take some effort but I feel that’s where the path must go despite the limited resources. You could probably hold back the dogs by simply adding in missing mirrors for the races. Mr. Meh actually listed some intriguing options. Wouldn’t it be cool if every race had a glass cannon? What about a melee-healer for all?

New races with a whole new pairing is definitely pie-in-the-sky but it’s what’s truly needed. The Skaven implementation of 1.4 has been lackluster at best. Thanquol’s Incursion is not widely embraced nor is it much fun. Talking with those who’ve actively played the new Skaven “classes” say other than the Gutter Runner and Warlock Engineer … they really are only so-so. I don’t see too many people using them.

Suck it up and finally — FINALLY — load that silver bullet into your gun and pull the trigger. I know the RvR Packs have sold pretty well by all the players I see running around with their trinkets. There’s a lot of new people playing (or some say). Take that momentum and capitalize on it. Bring Skaven to the game for real with actual classes and zones. Match them with the Lizardmen for double the win. That’s your silver bullet, trump card, sure thing. I wrote about a possible pairing before and Ekalime wrote an epic post on both of these races (and a ton more … shame on you if you don’t read his blog!). It’s right there! Go head down and do it!

Closing Thoughts
It’s a tough road ahead to say the least. Are we coming to the end of the line or is there something worthwhile on the horizon? A patch that on paper sounded fairly solid has landed on its face. Instead of slowing the campaign it’s been accelerated more than ever. The anticipated addition of Skaven has been a dud. We’re tardy on a Producer’s Letter by nearly a month. Guess there’s either nothing to say or is Carrie at a loss for words? I don’t buy that … she’s always got something useful to write. What’s going on?

I know a ton of work went into the RvR Packs and Patch 1.4. And there is some good stuff there just not as substantial to truly enthrall subscribers for longer term. Taking a step back to recover on Mythic’s part is warranted. However, with some of these glaring issues at a time of year when a good chunk of WAR’s playerbase is off from work and school, all ears are open awaiting some word on what is planned to resolve these problems and any hint of what the horizon holds.

The conspiracist in me sees the quickening of the game and the raining of gear on the playerbase as a precursor to no good. Have we been kidding ourselves the past year thinking that if we turn the corner all will be well? I don’t see WAR closing down but can it grow beyond the meager subscriber base it currently has? Where are we … 100,000 – 200,000? More? Less? Who really knows? Is it possible to take the EVE route and grow this thing slowly to where you can gain momentum or are we staring at the eventuality of a F2P model?

If you’re profitable as stated earlier this year … if you have all these “cool expansions” planned … we better see a roadmap or are you guys moonlighting on Star Wars The Old Republic. All I do know is we’re coming to a real crossroads with this game and the directions aren’t looking too rosy. I want Doomflayer and Warpforged gear but am staring at 10 tough renown ranks for each with nothing truly new in between to keep me happy or engaged. It’s just an extension of the grind that isn’t that appealing for me at this moment.

Two years in and we have no new zones … no new races … no new classes … and all the hard work and effort put in to fix the game is quickly forgotten with this recent patch. The work put into WAR to fix its innumerable wrongs does not go unnoticed but for how long can that be the excuse that holds us back? What do you think should be done?

My Xmas wish is for clarity.

Where Will You Be … ?

Just where, exactly, will you be this Thursday? I’ll be at work … but rest assured as soon as I get home I’ll be logging in to purchase both RvR Packs!

I’m looking forward to the renown boost as that should be just what I’ve been needing to finally get my sorry butt to RR80. And just in time to stare straight up the hill at RR100. I’m curbing my enthusiasm as getting through to buy the Verminous Horde might be backed up. I might have to wait, or one can hope. I think many longtime WAR faithful are hoping the packs will breathe a whole new life into the game we enjoy. I do expect many old-timers to return. I also hope to see a bunch of new folks who have been sitting back waiting to dive in. WAR will truly be a new experience and it’s a shame the game wasn’t what 1.4 will bring back when it first launched. Would’a, should’a, could’a.

As Bootae mentions, players should not be overly surprised if we find some glitches here and there that interrupt our fun. The last few patches have been fairly smooth but this one is crammed full of all sorts of goodness. And having just gone through a nightmarish upgrade to a software application I’m in charge of at work I can say there is usually nothing routine about such things.

That said, let’s hope for a smooth rollout and good times a plenty. I’m guessing there will be more than a little RvR going on.

The Verminous Horde (Pack Your Poison)

Alright … so … more info. Or you can skip straight to the Verminous Horde page.

I wanted to know what, exactly, we’ll be seeing in the packs and most importantly what they will cost. The Letter has shed some light on both of these questions.

There’s been much discussion concerning the EA Store and the pricing we see for the new Entitlements being offered to WAR players. Some of the prices seem fair while others are kind of steep for what you get. I like the proposed pricing for these RvR Packs.

Choosing to buy one of the Packs will cost $10 or $15 for both. Everyone’s financial situation is different so each player will need to determine if that is fair for what you get. For me, that’s easily lunch during the week … I can pack a sandwich one day and be good to go. But again, that’s my situation.

The Packs shake out like so …

Progression
– Access to Renown Ranks 81 – 100.
– Access to the Doomflayer and Warpforged RR81+ armor sets.
– Access to the RR81+ scenario weapons.
– Renown acceleration from RR1 – 80 for all characters on account.

Personality
– Barber Surgeon tokens (4) to change character appearance.
– Vanity Pets (4).
– Heavy Mount for RR60+ characters granting 70% speed boost.
– Expanded dye options.

Is that enough to earn your $10 or $15? I can’t answer that. I hope that opening up progression for the RR80’s will bring back a lot of players. The new campaign mechanic should improve the core of the game and again, bring back the fun.

I feel it’s what happens after these packs that will truly give us a glimpse of what to expect. I am all for this approach to add new things to the game in a quicker fashion. If they add worthwhile things to make the game better then it’s a good thing. However, adding ranks and armor will only go so far. We’ll need more substance … new classes, races, zones, dungeons … real expansion stuff.

So … about the Red Plague … no mention.

Resigned …

… to the fact that I probably won’t hit RR80 before the RvR Packs come. True, we don’t know exactly when these “expansions” will hit but December has been mentioned. Patch 1.4 testing has been under way for the past few weeks with players being able to see much of the new stuff coming. Dev posts are up gathering feedback on what works well and what does not. Is there really enough time between now and then to make adjustments? More importantly … will there be some form of official announcement about these packs? Somehow I don’t see December as the actual target.

Still some uncertainty on the Skaven RvR zone … still many tweaks coming for the RvR campaign changes … no actual word on a release date … yeah … I could be wrong but it sounds like a delay coming.

Meanwhile … in game there hasn’t been a whole lot of worthwhile action. Reading the plights of other Iron Rockers, it’s true. Some nights you get good times while others not so much. Of late there’s been far too much of the latter than the former.

I’ve been eager to run scenarios vs. RvR as there is a chance for more renown per time played, fun, plus I still need 300 – 400 of those stupid Royal Insignias for my Royal weapon. Damn treadmill.

Also, there’s been a decline in the number of regular guildies on night to night so even getting into a dungeon run is not a given. Where we once had anywhere from 10 – 25 guildies on each and every night … there are only a handful here and there. It’s for many of the same reasons others cite: being RR80 capped, rerolling ALTs on other servers, or trying other games. Another is playing the waiting game for the “expansion” to finally arrive.

All of these are valid reasons, but still they make for logging in to be more often than not a deflating experience. All that and no Producer’s Letter for October … unless I missed it.

Pseudo Playable Skaven

Bigtime thanks to the UK bloggers who went to Games Day UK and have posted a ton of worthwhile info (Bootae, Bruglir, Sarigs). Unlike the U.S. version of Games Day, this time around we have been treated with some concrete details. There’s a lot to process so for this post I will stick to Skaven.

Glowing Red Eyes
Soon enough, we’ll all be able to channel our inner rat. Skaven’s introduction to WAR has been a long time coming. It’s been confirmed that you won’t be able to roll a Skaven, players will be able to transform their existing toons into a rat when the time is right.

Class? Rats Have No Class
How players will transform is unknown, but we do know there will be multiple choices at our disposal. And it sounds like there will be a distinct need for each of these:

• The Rat Ogre will be the pounding on keep doors and steamrolling the enemy beast. If you don’t have a ram … these guys will be needed.
• The Packmaster will be close in tow as they are the only toon capable of healing Rat Ogres. Being squishie, they should stay close to their lumbering thrall for protection.
• Warlock Engineers are integral to keeping your siege weapons operational. They will be the only ones able to repair them.
• And lastly, Gutter Runners will be running all over the place right under our noses and straight up walls. Stealth at all times they will move at incredible speeds sabotaging enemy siege weapons.

What is not known is what “class” we’ll be able to transform into or will it be dependent upon your archetype. In my case, would I automatically transform into the Warlock Engineer (RDPS) or could I opt to bang on keep doors as a Rat Ogre (Tank)? Will players have access to play any or be restricted to one? (I have a theory discussed below.)

Other items left outstanding are the look, gear, and power level for your Skaven. Upon first creating your rat alter-ego will we be able to select fur color, teeth, eyes, scars, etc.? Will there be gear to acquire? And most importantly, will a RR40 toon who transforms into a rat be equal in power to someone who transforms their RR80?

Rats for You … Rats for Me
No one will be left out — Order and Destruction will both be able to transform into rats and help out with the campaign. In doing so, you are limited to aiding your side. Even though Andy says the Skaven are mercenary … that doesn’t mean we’ll be able to stab allies in the back. So any thoughts you had on killing that annoying guildie under the fists of a Rat Ogre probably aren’t going to be possible.

That leads me to this … it strikes me as odd that in a few months time, Order will be aided by Skaven. Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Destro will be helped out by them as well. It all just doesn’t seem right and seems very John Smith-like from Last Man Standing.

I appreciate that Andy referenced the lore and specifically called out the Skaven’s alignment with Destruction. They took that into account but presented evidence of their true nature. For a price, they will work for anyone. What exactly would so entice them?

Warpstone
Solidified dark magic, warpstone in its geologic form is much coveted by the Skaven. It is believed to be the source of mutation which brought their race into being. Skaven society uses this mineral for just about everything and they are constantly seeking its power.

After reading Bootae’s Q&A with Andy Belford, it sort of solidifies my thinking around how we’ll access Skaven. I have a feeling we’ll need to farm warpstone in the Skaven zone. If you want to be a Skaven to siege keeps and take BO’s … you’ll need to accumulate warpstone in whatever zone the Skaven call their own. And in similar fashion to LOTD vessel weapons and the souls that go in them … warpstone will eventually fade and you will need to farm more. Perhaps to access each of the archetypes, you’ll need to farm that specific kind of warpstone (tank warpstone for Rat Ogres, RDPS warpstone for Warlock Engineers, etc.).

Final Thoughts
Truly some exciting news out of the UK. There are a lot of changes on the horizon and the Skaven will play a key role. The new RvR siege mechanic make their use integral. Their mechanics sound interesting and should lend fresh new gameplay for those players looking for something a bit different.

I don’t see their addition placating the myriad fans who wanted to really “play” Skaven. Those folks wanted to start at Rank 1, customize their look, level up through the game, acquire gear, and all that other good stuff. This won’t give them that. We’ll have to wait and see the reactions.

That said, I am excited for these changes and feel it will definitely spice up RvR. More Skaven talk later.

RvRat Pack of POWER

The expansion direction of WAR should come as no surprise. Mythic mentioned long ago that they liked the “Live Expansion” and “DLC” methods of delivery — smaller chunks of new content released more frequently. And who wouldn’t want more, faster?

What we know as being concrete is the impending RvR Packs slated for later this year. Of which, we should expect some sort of overall theme name entailing the Red Plague. Have you so soon forgotten the little disease that started all this expansion madness? If things hold true, we’ll be able to enjoy the packs at some point in December … either soon after or coinciding with Patch 1.4 which will totally revamp the RvR campaign. (And if we’re lucky a Live Event to boot.)

What is Power? The first RvR Pack is named “Power” or at least that’s the name of its “theme” … and depending upon who you ask, their impression of what this name might entail will probably vary.

What ‘Power’ Should NOT Mean
Mythic has stated that none of these packs would enable players to buy their way to uberville. Let’s hope they mean it. I can’t imagine granting those who purchase it unlimited power or dramatically reduced cooldowns on their most lethal abilities. Although it would not surprise me if it did unlock a long path towards such goals. Meaning, no instant gratification but a grindy path towards empowering your toon. You’d still have to earn it rather than being handed it … step on the treadmill.

What I feel ‘Power’ Will Be
I feel this pack’s main goal will be granting buyers the ability to play as Skaven. The power of the limitless brood of rats is at your command. The power to derail the RvR campaign. The power to turn the tide of battle using a red-eyed chittering horde. Face it, players have been screaming for Skaven since before the game launched. Rodent fetishes aside, this should be an easy slam dunk on an 8-foot rim. Right? There are so many questions left unanswered and so many possible answers for each one. Would it have been easiest to just add the Skaven as a levelable race from Rank 1 — aligning them to the side of Destruction calling it a day?

Snippets of Fact
Andy and Carrie from Mythic have stated that Skaven:

• Will not be ‘Monster Play’.
• Will be available to players from both Order and Destruction.
• Will not be playable from Rank 1 like other races.
• Will not be available with the typical archetypes we’re accustomed.
• Their “zone” will be a part of the Tier 4 campaign only.

That second bullet is the one that helps keep third realmers alive. How so? Since either side of the current battle can don the matted fur of the rats, this leads me to believe Skaven will be fighting everyone. And just like a rat to do so … they simply can’t be trusted. Could this be the third realm folks have been clamoring for without actually adding a full-blown third realm?

Questions That Need Answering
Still, we basically know squat when it comes to the implementation of Skaven. I could run a series of posts on how I think they will be added but when you see this list of questions I have, you’ll understand the minefield of rabbit holes one could spend time going down.

• Will players start as a R40/RR40 Skaven?
• Will Skaven have any rank at all?
• Will players be able to level-up their rat?
• Will Skaven accrue renown?
• Will they have customizable appearances?
• When “starting” a Skaven, will players get to select a clan (Eshin, Moulder, Pestilens, Skryre)?
• Will there be gear they can achieve or get?
• Will they be an option that players can play all the time or only part of the time?
• Will they be able to lock zones?
• Will locking zones even be a goal for Skaven?
• Will they be limited to the RvR lakes?
• Will they be able to take part in city sieges?
• If not, would there be anything for Skaven to do while a city siege is taking place?
• Can they queue for scenarios?
• Can they be taken into instanced dungeons?
• Will Skaven have access to Land of the Dead?
• Will there be a reason to want to play as a Skaven all the time?

All I can say is this better be good. For the longest time I’ve thought that the Skaven were a silver bullet. They are the one trump card to be played that would bring back long lost players and draw in new ones. If put into WAR in the right way … Yatzee! If not, it could wind up being a huge facepalm moment.

In my mind, this has potential to be a hit. I’ve said it before, I don’t care if Skaven are playable … but many players do. For their sakes I hope Skaven’s addition to the game is a homerun.

Changing Direction

Up to this point I’ve written more than a few posts about ideas to expand WAR. Along the way, much of what I’ve droned on about focused on the typical, boxed expansion ideas that we’re accustomed to for MMO’s. With all the expansion envy we’ve had to endure the past year or so, it’s only natural to speculate on our own game.

Over the past month we’ve learned that WAR won’t be taking that traditional route. The idea of these ‘packs’ sounds good if it means more new content on a more frequent basis. The monolithic concept of the retail boxed expansion usually means a two-year gap between releases. For all the money raked in and resources at hand, even Blizzard doesn’t supply the WOW faithful with expansions quicker than that. Our first helping will be three RvR Packs to choose from (Power, Progression, Personality). Through various interviews and Q&As more info has been pieced together for what we can expect from these three offerings. What stands out is that players need not purchase all three to continue their journey.

I can’t stress enough how big a deal “choice” will be for us. Being able to select one, two, or all three packs gives us players options other gamers aren’t always presented with. Take Wrath of the Lich King for example. I won’t pretend to know all that came within its box but the two big draws were the addition of Death Knights and Northrend which added more content and raid material. What if you could give a shit about playing a Death Knight but wanted more raids? Who cares … you still have to pay full price to get the stuff you do want and accept the stuff you don’t. And maybe that was okay for WOW players. But a mere month later I recall reading how people had already tore through all the new content. Two years of waiting and all it took was a month to beat? This is an MMO we’re talking about, right? Maybe that was just how long it took hardcore players. (shrug)

I see Power being the pack that offers playable Skaven, Progression the one providing bonuses and buffs for quicker leveling, and Personality still sounds like the fluff. If Skaven don’t appeal to you, there are two other packs to choose from where you don’t have to pay “full price”. That’s a good deal. The plan for the future sounds like other content will be released this way. Allowing players to choose which packs we want to buy without totally shutting us out of the game is a dramatic change. We’ve already learned that players will be able to continue playing WAR without buying any of the packs. The only current drawback to that is a cap of RR80. For some, that may be enough.

Definitely some interesting news awaits us leaving ample time to speculate on what contents we’ll find in these packs.

August Producer’s Letter

When the last day of the month rolls around, we know we’ll be getting Carrie’s letter. This one might have been more highly anticipated than some in the past.

I’m finding the letters to be more a general summary of information we’re getting from various other sources around the web, game mag interviews, and dev Q&A’s. I agree with Bootae that a large percentage of WAR players don’t read the blogs or other online gaming resources. Their main source of news is the WAR site and especially the Herald. Maybe us bloggers need to do a bit more advertising!

For those of us keeping track, there really isn’t a lot there for us that’s new. Even so, here are some of my thoughts on what Carrie discusses.

Free-to-Play … NOT
Many people perceive the RvR Packs to be a precursor to F2P. Mythic has been pretty clear they aren’t interested in that model. I like having choices and I’m sure many players agree. If you just want to play and have fun, not caring about how your toon looks, then not having to buy the Personality Pack is a good thing. If the RvR Packs have the right amount of substance, are priced accordingly, and do add nice value to our gaming experience, I look forward to future packs. F2P can be implemented well … LOTRO … or it can be done not so well … Allods Online. I hope WAR doesn’t ever go this route.

Skaven … Again
I’ve written so much about rats since I started blogging I should just change my blog name to “Krosuss says rats”. Carrie stresses that the new Skaven RvR zone is not meant to detract from the overall Tier 4 campaign — it will be a part of it. When Land of the Dead went live, there was a noticeable dip in RvR action to where the campaign came to a halt. I have no inside knowledge, but I keep getting a feeling that this won’t be a zone like we’re accustomed. Could the “zone” really be under all existing Tier 4 zones? That would be impressive.

As far as the rats being playable, I’m still perplexed at how this will work. With no firm details other than what we’ve been given, they still sound like ‘Monster Play’. That both Order and Destruction players will have access makes them sound akin to a Third Realm of sorts. One assumes to help turn the tide during the overall campaign. I’m forced to hold judgment until we know more but I get the feeling those crying for Skaven will be left disappointed. I hope I’m wrong.

RR100!
All I can say is ugh. The renown rank bus slows to a crawl around RR 72 or so. I know because I’m working on RR76. I can barely imagine what it will be like trying to go from RR90 to RR100. Can you? All I can say is at the end of that rainbow it better be worth it. What should give players some hope is a lessening of the grind to reach RR80. It at least gives me some solace to know I can get ALTs up there without the same life drain. I agree in Carrie’s statement that to reach RR100 it should be a challenge. What good would it be if players could attain that rank in a month or two? I never played Dark Age of Camelot so I can’t comment on this RA system referenced but it sounds like it will add some flexibility, more options, and hopefully more incentives to rank up.

Closing
So overall a nice summary of things we already knew. It sounds like we’ll be getting more info the next few weeks and I’m looking forward to see what is leaked at Games Day UK. Nice to hear some of our European bloggers plan on attending.

RvR Pack Q&A Thread!

In case you missed it, as promised Andy has an RvR Pack Q&A thread up on the forums. His directions are pretty simple and the players are asking some good questions (which actually saves me from having to ask a bunch). And Andy is providing some pretty good answers. The thread is 5 pages deep and there’s a lot in there to sort through. Sure … there are some things he’s not willing to discuss but there are a lot of things being explained that should pique a player’s interest. Here are some things that stood out to me:

• Carrie’s Producer’s Letter is coming this week and should provide more details on how the Skaven will be implemented.
• Sounds like Keeps, BO’s, (and Forts?) will be dramatically changed with Patch 1.4 and these packs’ release — a total revamp of the RvR system. This revamp is inspired by the new city siege mechanic.
• The new Skaven zone will only be a part of the Tier 4 campaign.
• The upcoming RvR changes intend to help disperse the zerg and will be implemented across Tiers 2-4.
• These changes to the RvR Campaign will be accessible to players whether they buy the RvR Packs or not.
• Those who buy all three RvR Packs will do so at a discounted rate.
• Q: Will Patch 1.4 or the RvR Packs add any new scenarios? A: No comment! Me: LOL

Skaven In Tier 4 Only
We know the Skaven will not be like the Balaur in Aion (NPC Third Faction), Andy and Carrie have eluded that it won’t be ‘Monster Play’ like LOTRO, yet they will not be like a standard race starting at Level 1. Hearing that the new Skaven RvR zone will only be a part of the Tier 4 campaign leads me to believe they are only a Tier 4 race. I’m a real Sherlock Holmes, aren’t I? That solves the “not a standard race starting at Level 1” stuff. Does that make them an unlockable R40/RR40 toon when you purchase one (or more) of the RvR Packs? One can only assume these will only be playable in the Skaven zone or are they able to appear above ground? In scenarios? Will we “own” these toons and be able to grow, nurture, and gear them out like our current toons?

We’ve also been told that they will not have the typical archetypes we’re accustomed to playing. My brain hurts with all this swirling info about rats … but it has me wondering if the new renown system and whatever other DAOC-esque RA system we can expect will allow us to Build-A-Skaven to our heart’s desire (like Build-A-Bear with matted hair, lice, and stench). I’ve been off the mark with my superfluous brainstorming so perhaps it best for me to wait till “more details” are released. Should be soon …

RvR Campaign … Blow It Up!
The changes to the RvR campaign are the most intriguing and sound like we can expect a total revamp of the game. Will we see keep sieges with NPCs as part of the fun to help out? A swarm of rabid snotlings ravaging the Forces of Order as they try to take a Destro-held keep? Will there be multiple capture points in or around a keep needed to storm the lord?

Need help defending a BO? Do Dwarf Gyrocopters come to the aid of brave defenders while a Destro zerg bears down? Andy’s mention of the focus borrowing mechanics from the new city siege to enhance RvR leaves all sorts of ideas on the table. And how exactly does Mythic intend to bust the zerg? I hope the one mechanic from the new city siege they steer clear of is an instancing parts of the RvR campaign.

Last Thoughts
Even though a price has yet to be mentioned, hearing of a discount for those who buy all three RvR Packs sounds good. Economies of scale are a nice incentive. We don’t know the price-point nor how the “expansion” will be delivered — as a box or as a download. It wouldn’t surprise me if it was a code one applies to their account which unlocks the content like those Skaven Skin Cloaks or Endless Bowls of Custard. Hidden in the thread is the most compelling and promising tidbit: hypothetically, getting new “packs” every 6-8 months is not out of the question. Chew on that.

We can expect lots more news over the next few weeks so hang in there!

Games Day Recap (RvR Packs and Other Things)

My main reason for attending Games Day Baltimore was to get some scoop on the recently announced RvR Packs. I was also hoping to get the opportunity to ask some questions about other things. It was also a good time to see a tabletop game I used to be pretty passionate about. And lastly I was looking forward to meeting some fellow bloggers who I happen to play with in game from time to time. All around I had fun and came away with some new friendships and thoughts on the game I enjoy playing.

Mykiel live-streamed the WAR presentation (not sure if he will post any recordings of it or not), Artiee has a contest, and Gaar has our developer Q&A transcripted as only he can. In attendance from Mythic were:

James Casey, Associate Producer
Mike Wyatt, Design Lead
Nate Levy, Design Lead
Steven Engle, Designer
James Nichols, Community Lead

After a brief presentation of past, present, and future … the floor was opened to questions. Some things we know for definite:

• Next weekend (8/27) we will be getting the new scenario The Eternal Citadel. So for those that enjoyed the Ironclad and 6v6, here you go! It will be a deathmatch format where randomly a player will be highlighted and then … well … everyone tries to kill them.
• Then starting on Tuesday, 8/31, the Wild Hunt Live Event will make its return. This means the Hunter’s Vale dungeon will be made available to players of all tiers. So if you missed your chance to get the Fleet Stag Mantle get in there. The event will last for two weeks.
• The new Armor Art was always in the game … and is out there to be found. In discussing it with the devs, it sounds as though more could come out of this system down the line.
• Armor Variants like we’ve seen on the revamped Sovereign gear may one day be trickled down to lower sets of gear (Warlord, Invader, etc.). Nothing concrete but it is something they have been looking at doing.
• We will be getting an “expansion” in the form of three separate RvR Packs.
• The Renown Rank Cap will be raised to 100. It appears this will happen for all players whether you buy the RvR Packs or not.
• There will be incentives/buffs/etc. to assist players in ranking up their renown … how players get these has not been revealed.
• Skaven will be playable by both sides in some form or fashion.
• The three packs will offer things for players in all tiers.
• There will be two new armor sets that correspond with renown ranks similar to past sets.
• No immediate plans to further the Ward System upwards … so Supreme remains the top ward.
• The Renown Rewards system will be changing.
• Paid server transfers are coming — no date when this will be available. As always, Mythic will continue to put incentives on select servers to manage populations.
• Character name changes may also become a paid feature. Would be nice if they did something similar to Champions Online where people could have the same first name.
• The Vanity Pets referenced in White Dwarf magazine will be coming. How they will be “gettable” is left unknown although I imagine these may come in the “Personality” RvR Pack (just my theory).
• They haven’t forgotten about some of those missing scenarios for the Weekend Warfronts … they will eventually make an appearance but obviously, they are focused on 1.4 and the RvR Packs. So we should expect repeats from time to time.
• The one thing I was sad to hear is no new plans for a Guild Rank increase.

Patch 1.4
With the recent elevation of 1.3.6 we’ve seen the first of two major changes to RvR. The Against All Odds mechanism has proved interesting. And since it’s gone live there’s been an increase in RvR. Yesterday was an example of pure battle across every pairing nearly non-stop all day. I can’t speak for other servers but Iron Rock was rockin’. Having gotten some 400% renown it’s a nice incentive to get out there and take a chance.

The next patch will be 1.4 which will implement the second part of the RvR revamp. We now know that VPs will be going away and also going the way of the dodo are the Domination Timers. How are we supposed to lock zones … lock pairings … get to the city? Mythic wouldn’t spill the beans but they said the new mechanic would be simpler, more straight forward, and would have incentives that will make players want to get out and RvR. They said that a clear goal or objective would be pointed out that would have people fighting. If it’s easier to understand and promotes players mixing it up … then it’s a good thing.

If patch gaps hold true we should see 1.4 in November/December.

RvR Packs
This really is the big news coming out of last week — GamesCom thru Games Day. Three “expansions” in a sort. Asking whether these would come in-synch with Patch 1.4 was left fuzzy. I assume we’ll see 1.4 come first, followed soon thereafter by the packs. These packs will be Skaven themed and despite the devs not mentioning a date … Carrie had said we’d see these in December (but of course acts of God could alter the timeline). Each pack will focus on something different and according to the devs … they would have lots of “cool stuff”. That was a trend … everything will have “cool stuff”. Now if we just knew what the cool stuff was …

We saw some concept art — Skaven related — and it was confirmed that the Skaven will be playable by both sides of the game although not in the traditional sense. This lends to two different theories: 1) Players can unlock them by reaching a certain level by purchasing one of the RvR Packs; or 2) They will be a ‘Monster Class’ that players can assume to wreak havoc on other players. Odds appear to be leaning towards the latter which may leave some players lackluster in their implementation.

The Skaven zone itself was something I was trying to figure where, oh where, it would be found? One youngster at the presentation asked several questions about this and the devs didn’t give up exactly … they did say it was under the Warhammer world. Does this mean they will be accessible from multiple zones, all zones, or one? The thing we do know is their network of tunnels runs practically everywhere.

I’ve already put forth some theories on how I feel these packs will land. Power … is the one I am most fuzzy about. If this pack offers items and gear that grant your toon power, that would mean players must buy their way to OP-ness. That doesn’t sound like a good idea and the Devs eluded that they do not want to go that route. Progression is the one that is now making a lot more sense. Whether you buy the pack or not, you’ll be able to level up your RR to 100. I’m betting that within this pack will be buffs, items, or things that will help make the leveling process easier or smoother. For those that have capped at 80 they can attest at what a climb it can be. And lastly Personality still seems to me like the fluff pack. No clear bullets were given on what it will contain but thinking about this on my own I wouldn’t be surprised if it has things for your toon’s physical appearance, emotes, titles, and those vanity pets I referenced above (player housing, perhaps?).

This is how we will be getting expansions in the future. It’s a model that’s a bit more flexible and should give us new stuff on a more frequent basis. As the devs said, they will focus future packs on things that we want. So if the Power pack is well received by the community, then we can expect more packs in that vein. Personally, I’d rather receive more new stuff sooner than waiting two years in between. Pricing was never discussed but one assumes they will be priced to sell.

Proof In the Pudding?
Well, I know there were many left mad at the “announcements” we got last week. Some wanted to hear it all — details, details, details. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to hear more, too. I did. But soaking it all in I feel somewhat content knowing that the game is vibrant, profitable, and there is new content of significance on the way. And as a post on the forums by Andy attests (scroll down about halfway), we will be getting more details over the next few weeks and months. Working with marketing folks, guess what … they do call the shots when it comes time to release info about new product. End of story. This past week was a tease … in that it’s teased out information to the gaming community and to the playerbase. If they had spilled the beans I would’ve been surprised … that’s not how it’s done. I learned that “no comment” seems to mean “yes but we can’t say anything” or that it’s something they are thinking about for a later date.

The thing to remember here is that the devs do listen. They obviously have a plan in place but as with other items, they will be testing the waters. That’s rare in games … so use the opportunities wisely to voice your approval or not on what is planned. Playing both sides on the same server — player feedback nixed that. Friendly collision being turned off — again, we voiced our concerns and it was shelved. Granted, not every comment we make at a whim will be incorporated — that’s not feasible — but they are listening. The thing that’s sunk in for me is the type of game we are playing. Expansions in the PvP world are a bit trickier than PvE equivalents. It’s easy to expand WoW … every two years or so you add on 10 more levels, more gear, and throw in a new 24-man raid or two. Is that what you want for WAR?

So whether you feel you got enough information out of GamesCom and Games Day, the bottom line is we did learn much. It might not have had the depth of details we were hoping for but there’s plenty there to ponder and be excited for. And by now, we should know they are going to be tight lipped. As difficult as it is to be patient, it’s important to know that we’ll soon learn what’s coming … all in good time.

More will be announced at Games Day UK (9/26). So to my UK blogging friends … hope you can attend!