World of Warcraft player's guide to Warhammer Online

Whether or not you see many similarities between Blizzard's epically popular title and Mythic's Warhammer Online, the reality is that World of Warcraft players are going to feel very comfortable in the brand-new game. Much of the framework that has made the world of Azeroth so successful over the last four years is in full force within Warhammer.

Questing as a central component to leveling, an intuitive user interface, and combat very much like that found in Warcraft are all going to be great handrails to incoming players.There are plenty of MMO players (rightly) curious about what kind of game Mythic has created for them. For the curious Azerothian citizen, despite the familiar handholds, there are a number of big differences and additional features you're just not going to have experience with. Warhammer's a brand new world, with a lot of different sights, cultures, and expectations. To help you out as a brand new WAR player, we've compiled a guide to ease that transition, in the same tradition as our guides to Age of Conan and Guild Wars. WoW players, welcome to a brand new world ... one without gnomes!

Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

World SettingAs a WoW player, you're going to have to put aside a lot of your preconceptions about lore and setting when coming into Warhammer Online. Despite the obvious DNA the two worlds share, Stormwind is a very different place than the battle-scarred walls of Altdorf. Put off any expectations you have about what kind of fantasy game Warhammer is, and just read your quests as you go. The world of Warhammer is a great one ... it's what Azeroth is built on, at that. Here are some of the biggest differences a WoW veteran will probably notice:

WAR is low fantasy. Magic is obviously a powerful force in Warhammer, and several classes sling it around like hash at a buffet, but generally the world is much grittier and brutal than what we see in Warcraft.

One faction is evil. No, actually evil, not just 'misunderstood'. The Orcs want to eat babies, the Dark Elves are sadists, and the Chaos Marauders want everyone dead or corrupted. You are playing a very bad person if you fight for Destruction.

The humans are deeply religious. The worship of Sigmar is a driving force for their culture, and religiosity is present in the game in a way very much absent from Warcraft. Not that this doesn't make the humans virtuous - in truth, they're every bit as conniving as the residents of Stormwind.

War is now. In Warcraft, the war has been over for a bit. The world as a whole is in a state of relative peace, though there are obviously plenty of border skirmishes and political problems. In Warhammer what little peace and prosperity people can find is beset on all sides by violence. There are famines, plagues, and war is everywhere.

The Evolution of Gaming

From Warcraft to Final Fantasy to the upcoming Warhammer Online, games are slowly evolving from play/win mode to play/play mode, where the game never ends and the fun is in the social aspects and the process you use to better yourself. These Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, or MMORPGs, are prime examples of gaming and social life combining to create the most popular pseudo-universes in the world.

WoW
World of Warcraft is the old example. While there are goals and levels, the game technically never ends. People from countries all over the planet play the World of Warcraft regularly, playing the game on a daily basis and completing quests and socializing with others. But World of Warcraft was based on an older game, "Warcraft" that already had its own computer presence.

Warhammer Online
Today, even non-computer games are turning to MMORPG platforms. Warhammer Online, scheduled to be released in September of 2008, is based on an offline, computer-less game known as Warhammer, that takes place with dice, miniature sculptures/characters, and a tabletop. That game was incredibly popular throughout the world, featuring over 8 different editions, hundreds of characters and rules, and a complexity that made the table top become its own world. But table tops have limitations. You cannot create new rules or quests on the fly. You cannot choose where to go at your leisure and most of all you cannot socialize. The game was designed for people that enjoyed playing competitive games alone with strict guidelines. Warhammer Online allows them to change that. By taking Warhammer online, the company can turn the universe into something far more dynamic. They can come up with quests that require teams or goals that take weeks to accomplish. They can make the game as complex or simple as they want and negate all of the limitations of the table top.

Most importantly, Warhammer Online has the ability to be a new universe that every day people can enjoy regularly, without requiring another player is around to compete with and without requiring every "piece" be properly located on the table. Warhammer Online is the next in a series of games that plan on taking advantage of the MMORPG craze. Assuming Warhammer Online achieves the same success as World of Warcraft, assume that many other offline games are likely to go the same route in the future. Warhammer Online is taking the first step towards the future of all games. One can only wonder where it will lead in the future.

Warhammer Online Age of Reckoning Weapons

Warhammer online age of reckoning weaponry and equipment vary in editions of the warhammer online age of reckoning setups. Current editions of the warhammer games may not include any of the older forms of weaponry and equipment. Descriptions of the usage and histories of the weapons and equipment will be described on warhammer online age of reckoning websites.

Rule books that are in online versions or book versions will be a useful guide in descriptions and wielding capabilities. Some warhammer online age of reckoning fansites can give more information as well. Some weapons of choice for warhammer online age of reckoning play sites are brutally configured for deadly assaults on enemies.

C’tan Phase swords slice thru force fields and armor with ease. There are special sword rules for its use. It is mainly used by Callidus assassins for close combat situations. Like the modern day chainsaw, chain weapons slash and tear into opponents with their ripping chain teeth. In the warhammer online age of reckoning, chain weapons or chain swords can destroy thick plated armor and bulkheads to escape the situations. They are very sharp and unforgiving to foes. The chain axe is another chain weapon that is to be feared.

The Hunting Lance is a spearlike weapon that has an explosive tip that can wound or confuse enemies. Power weapons are all about energy field powers. The power weapons can be modified versions of any of the offered weapons. Warhammer online age of reckoning force weapons are psychic energy channeled weapons. These weapons can be bladed weapons such as swords. They are very powerful and take skill in wielding by the user.

Of course warhammer online age of reckoning arsenals would not be complete without ranged weapons. These include firearms like Bolt weapons. Bolt guns fire high powered rounds that cause devastating results. Warhammer online age of reckoning bolt weapons can be found in rifle, pistol, machine gun and gatling cannon forms. These firearms can be used with different grades of ammunitions. Some have force weapon powers with psychic energy.

Flame throwing weapons also are at gamers fingertips. These incinerator devices are used in jungle warfare, close quarter combat and in urban battles. They are short ranged weapons used to get out of tight situations. Other warhammer online compute game weapons include laser weapons that fire strong beams to keep foes back. They need to be recharged for use of extended periods of time. Other weapons exist that are similar to modern day weapons and firearms used today.

Only a few of the warhammer online age of reckoning weapons are from a futuristic imagination. All weapons used for the warhammer online age of reckoning can inflict gory demises for enemies. Due to the intense violence that is associated with this game, it should only be played by approved age groups. Warhammer online age of reckoning fan sites also invite fans to create and personalize their weapons. Contests and rules of submissions apply. However, any player can personalize their weapon of choice through game options. This feature will help in better identification during multi player battles. It can also enable a clear distinction in the warhammer guilds.

Warhammer Online

War is everywhere in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (WAR), the new MMORPG from the creators of Dark Age of Camelot®. Based on Games Workshop's popular Warhammer® fantasy war game, WAR features next generation Realm vs. Realm™ (RvR) game play that will immerse players in a world of perpetual conflict.

Upon entering WAR, players must determine their allegiance and join an Army. Those inclined towards the side of good may fight for the Armies of Order as an obstinate Dwarf, noble High Elf, or loyal human soldier of the Empire. Those inclined towards darker deeds may side with the sinister Armies of Destruction as a savage Greenskin (Orc or Goblin), corrupt Dark Elf, or marauding human worshipper of Chaos.

RvR combat takes place on three fronts where ancient foes wage an unending war – Dwarfs vs. Greenskins, High Elf vs. Dark Elf, and Empire vs. Chaos. Players begin the game fighting their ancestral enemy, but are free to journey to other fronts to help their allies in their ongoing struggles.

The ultimate goal in RvR combat is the sacking of an enemy's capital city. To do this, an army must invade and take control of the opposition's homeland. Deciding battles take place on objective-based battlefields and in instanced scenarios - point-balanced battles that make use of NPC mercenaries known as Dogs of War.

For the first time, WAR's RvR system integrates both Player vs. Player (PvP) combat and Player vs. Environment (PvE) quests on the same map. Every aspect of the game, including PvE missions, is geared towards the greater war in some important way. However, players are not required to participate in PvP combat, and may aid in the RvR war effort and enjoy the game in its entirety via PvE content.

Drawing from a quarter century of highly detailed source material, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning will bring Games Workshop's fantasy world to life in a way that will allow players to create characters destined for great deeds and glory on the field of battle.

Key Features

Based on Games Workshop's popular Warhammer fantasy world. Dominated by force of arms and

magic, this world provides a rich setting for hundreds of thousands of players to experience the epic

nature of war and the glory of battle.

Join one of six Armies and fight for the Armies of Order (Dwarf, High Elf and Empire) or

the Armies of Destruction (Greenskin, Dark Elf, or Chaos). Wage war across three unique battlefronts.

Next generation Realm vs. Realm game system integrating both PvP combat and PvE quests on the

same map in support of the greater war.

Engage in four levels of RvR combat:

- Skirmishes: Incidental PvP combat

- Battlefields: Objective-based battles in the game world

- Scenarios: Instanced, point-based battles balanced with NPC Dogs of War

- Campaigns: The invasion of enemy lands culminating in the assault on their capital city

Undertake a wide variety of PvE quest types related to an army's war efforts, including:

- Public quests that benefit from the participation of the entire army

- Conflict quests that pit players against an enemy with opposing goals

- Branching quests that let you choose the outcome of the quest and your reward

- Xmas quests that reward exploration with high value loot

A robust combat system introduces Player Tactics (earned powers you equip prior to battle) and

Morale Skills (combat options that increase in power when the momentum of battle is in your favor).

Player models that change to reflect the relative power of a character (i.e., Orcs grow in size and

Dwarfs' beards get longer). Customizable armor and a visual guild system allow a player to make their

character truly unique.

Embark on an epic quest to complete the Tome of Knowledge and unlock Warhammer lore, detailed

monster information, and major story plotlines.

Online play requires a subscription and Internet connection