Sick of the usual MMORPG where you have to level different alts because you can only be one class on one character at a time?
Well, good news Dream of Mirror online allows you to play any class you want at anyone on one single character.
You may switch classes with a simple visit to the trainer and is even able to transfer skills over.
It’s a very unique system that’s unseen in other MMO’s! So how about spending a little time trying it?
Well, there's also PVP and interesting crafting similar to WoW.
The graphic is also very cute.
The community is extremely friendly and helpful.
You can FLY at level 15!
There are 4 races total, each with their unique looks!
Well, if you're bored of WAR, try something like this for a change.
http://domo.aeriagames.com/ <- Join me =D
Warhammer Alliance Q&A Session 2
I'll be covering these questions that was asked by a peculiar sounding little fellow.
Cheeko asks: Is there a global cool down?
2 seconds.
--Is there a guild lobby type thing such as EQ has?
You mean the guild lobby for guilds? If so, one could always use the keep one has claimed. So far, nothing has been revealed regarding the in-depth guild system.
--How many are allowed in the pvp scenarios?
Currently 13 on each side; 26 altogether on a single map.
--Are they a zergfest like AV to see who can kill captain first?
Scenarios: AB a lot of captures the flag but more fun. Open RvR: big Armies will zerg yours at some point in time.
--Does gear have +nuke and crit on it?
Maybe, if they do probably not a lot since WAR's general concept is skills > gears.
--Do people survive long ish in pvp or get steamrolled easily?
If you pull off a Leeroy in a group of 3-4 enemies you know what’s going to happen.
--Is there line of sight on Heals?
Yes, no blind healing.
--Does money auto-change or do you have to visit a banker?
An exchange of currency? If you’re talking about exchanging from brass to silver to gold; it does it for you.
--Are there bankers?
Yes.
--Are there dropped gears?
Yes, off both PvE mobs and PvP mobs.
--Are there gears that when you put it on it becomes no drop ie attunable?
Item binding? Yes.
--Are there manas?
Called Action Points (ie: AP)
--Does food/drink restores health/mana?
Potion does, don’t see any edible produces yet.
--Is there stat food?
Stat-effecting potions.
--Is pvp leveling effective?
When you are having too much fun, a little less exp or more will completely irrelevant to you.
--Is there Feign death the greatest ability ever?
No.
--Is it a wow clone?
Lolz. On a serious note, the keys and control is similar, some other stuffs are similar too but WoW isn’t exactly the first MMORPG ever so saying that WAR is WoW’s clone is ludicrous.
--What are the scenarios for pvp and how many different ones are there?
Basically the equivalence of WoW’s BGs. There are 3 in tier 1 so far in Closed Beta, each made specifically for each of the oppositions (ie: Human vs. Chaos).
--Is there a map that is fully opened or do you have to open it like wow?
You need to discover your map yes, it is not entirely charted out for you.
--Do you get exp for discovering new places?
Once for discovery and the another for unlocking something in the ToK.
--Is there annoying points where you can’t get up like a mountain that is an inch high because of stupid programming?
Somewhat, but generally, you cannot climb a smooth rock that has like nothing you can grip like in real life.
--Does chain jumping lower stamina?
No it does not, from what I've seen. You can bunny hop if you want and look silly.
--What level can you have a mount?
20 minimum, 30 faster, 40 fastest.
--Can anyone have a mount?
Well duh.
--Are there pve raids and is there a point to do them on a game focused of pvp?
There are instances, raid encounters we know of at the moment would be the city boss encounter. That in essence is a PvE fight, so yes I suppose there are PvE raids.
--How many items slots are there? Are there clicky items?
16 slots per bag, 2 bags at start, 1 bag every 10 levels. Eeeeerr… yes.
--How do buffs work can I buff someone and then ungroup or must I stay grouped?
Many types of buffs, there is one type where you can buff them and it would increase some kind of stats, the player then can chose to release it and would damage the enemies in some way. Disc and WP has this thing that resembles an aura for Pallies in WoW. There are more buffs too but you don’t often encounter them in T1.
-- What button opens inventory?
This is a silly question, no matter the button just goto your keybindings and change it accordingly. At least for me 'b' is my inventory button.
Cheeko asks: Is there a global cool down?
2 seconds.
--Is there a guild lobby type thing such as EQ has?
You mean the guild lobby for guilds? If so, one could always use the keep one has claimed. So far, nothing has been revealed regarding the in-depth guild system.
--How many are allowed in the pvp scenarios?
Currently 13 on each side; 26 altogether on a single map.
--Are they a zergfest like AV to see who can kill captain first?
Scenarios: AB a lot of captures the flag but more fun. Open RvR: big Armies will zerg yours at some point in time.
--Does gear have +nuke and crit on it?
Maybe, if they do probably not a lot since WAR's general concept is skills > gears.
--Do people survive long ish in pvp or get steamrolled easily?
If you pull off a Leeroy in a group of 3-4 enemies you know what’s going to happen.
--Is there line of sight on Heals?
Yes, no blind healing.
--Does money auto-change or do you have to visit a banker?
An exchange of currency? If you’re talking about exchanging from brass to silver to gold; it does it for you.
--Are there bankers?
Yes.
--Are there dropped gears?
Yes, off both PvE mobs and PvP mobs.
--Are there gears that when you put it on it becomes no drop ie attunable?
Item binding? Yes.
--Are there manas?
Called Action Points (ie: AP)
--Does food/drink restores health/mana?
Potion does, don’t see any edible produces yet.
--Is there stat food?
Stat-effecting potions.
--Is pvp leveling effective?
When you are having too much fun, a little less exp or more will completely irrelevant to you.
--Is there Feign death the greatest ability ever?
No.
--Is it a wow clone?
Lolz. On a serious note, the keys and control is similar, some other stuffs are similar too but WoW isn’t exactly the first MMORPG ever so saying that WAR is WoW’s clone is ludicrous.
--What are the scenarios for pvp and how many different ones are there?
Basically the equivalence of WoW’s BGs. There are 3 in tier 1 so far in Closed Beta, each made specifically for each of the oppositions (ie: Human vs. Chaos).
--Is there a map that is fully opened or do you have to open it like wow?
You need to discover your map yes, it is not entirely charted out for you.
--Do you get exp for discovering new places?
Once for discovery and the another for unlocking something in the ToK.
--Is there annoying points where you can’t get up like a mountain that is an inch high because of stupid programming?
Somewhat, but generally, you cannot climb a smooth rock that has like nothing you can grip like in real life.
--Does chain jumping lower stamina?
No it does not, from what I've seen. You can bunny hop if you want and look silly.
--What level can you have a mount?
20 minimum, 30 faster, 40 fastest.
--Can anyone have a mount?
Well duh.
--Are there pve raids and is there a point to do them on a game focused of pvp?
There are instances, raid encounters we know of at the moment would be the city boss encounter. That in essence is a PvE fight, so yes I suppose there are PvE raids.
--How many items slots are there? Are there clicky items?
16 slots per bag, 2 bags at start, 1 bag every 10 levels. Eeeeerr… yes.
--How do buffs work can I buff someone and then ungroup or must I stay grouped?
Many types of buffs, there is one type where you can buff them and it would increase some kind of stats, the player then can chose to release it and would damage the enemies in some way. Disc and WP has this thing that resembles an aura for Pallies in WoW. There are more buffs too but you don’t often encounter them in T1.
-- What button opens inventory?
This is a silly question, no matter the button just goto your keybindings and change it accordingly. At least for me 'b' is my inventory button.
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Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Warhammer Alliance Q&A
rgoff31 asks: World Traveling? Are there ways to move to other starting areas etc?
Yes, you can easily travel from 1 zone to the next for a small fee by going to the Flight Master located at your nearest RvR warcamp. Your Tier's Warcamp is not far from the starting area, and is easily identifiable by the text 'Flight Master' written above his or her head.
Gremmie asks: Does this Disk of Tzeentch make me look fat?
No, it makes you look very nice, fit, slim and even a little sexy.
kobashi asks: A comparison of gear in relation to wow...
Gear is no where near as impactful as it was in World of Warcraft, where equipment overrides skill in the majority. If your team works well together and utilizes strategies, you can overcome a zerg of overly geared buffoons.
Gutspilla asks: When I roll an Orc, how much Orc speak can I expect to be reading? Do the weapons have 'Orcy' names? Do the skills have 'Orcy' descriptions?
Definitely, it's all about da choppa. You will see more Orc speak then you can handle.
Pallas: Not Orcs, Orks. Not War, WAAAAAAGh!!!
Nitrius asks: How big, and how open is the world? Is it similar to aoc/eq2 instanced and small areas? Maybe open and big like vanguard/swg? Or something in between, like wow?
Having so far only touched Tier 1 and 2, I can safely say one Tier is roughly, in WoW terms, as big as Tanaris, Shimmering Flats, Thousand Needles and Barrens combined. But this is just based off of my initial observation and is most likely subject to argument.
Pallas: Hard to make a comparison between the two. WoW has BIG and OPEN terrains, which is often a hassle to travel through. WAR is more cramped and filled with contents, the warring setting is everywhere and tons of stuffs that will get you stuck on (due to environment collision). Exploring on WAR is plenty of fun due to some weird, unknown crannies you can get to.
Kbalz asks: Can you explain exactly how the Archmage mechanic works?
Sure, from what I've seen is that an archmage is given a small mechanic that, for every damaging spell you cast, it lowers the casting time of your healing spells by 20% per cast. This stacks up to 5 times to equal up to an instant heal after 5 damaging spell casts. As for healing, for every healing spell you cast, it increases the potency of your damage spells by 5% each cast; again stacking up to 5 times equaling a 25% spell damage increase on that damaging spell cast. This effect resets back to 0 after you cast the counter spell of the buildup. (Aka, if you casted 3 healing spells and then casted a damaging spell, your buildup goes back down to 0 and you begin again).
Mystok asks: What form of combat/leveling is your favorite and why?
RvR is definitely my favorite, I've been experimenting with creating a character, instantly queuing up for a scenario and then running down to the Open-RvR area while waiting for the queue to pop. The amount of experience and renown gained so quickly is just a blast. But also being able to mix in the experience from Public Quests and even a few easy 'Go talk to this guy' quests will get you leveled in a nice hurry as well as having a great time.
As for combat, I enjoy them all to be honest. I've experimented thus far with a Bright Wizard(RDPS), Zealot(Healer), Swordmaster(Tank) and Witch Hunter(MDPS) and each one is a ton of fun. I love standing back and blasting chaos with fireballs and lighting them up like a match stick, but I can say my personal favorite for them all would be a Sword Master. I am able to alternate between tanking and damaging on the turn of a dime and that ability to switch roles can be a huge help to your side winning.
Pallas: RvR, cuz it’s give me much more satisfaction when I hear my giant hammer crushing their bones; But try to mix it up every once in a while, Public Quests are super fun too.
hotsauce asks: How much grind (ie - just killing mobs, no questing) is there in the game?
The joy of this, is you can absolutely avoid grinding a single mob and level purely off of that. The only form of mob you'd encounter in RvR would be guards of objectives/keeps and the bosses (aka Keep Lords and the like).
Pallas: Think of the enemy’s players being on the same level as ‘grinding’ mobs, they’re just as good for literal ‘grinding’. *winks*
shawns21 asks: Is the game smooth, would it run on low end computers like--an x1400mobility, 1.8ghz 2gig ram on vista?
This honestly depends on where you are and what you're doing. Though for now we are still on the closed beta client which has debuggers and the like, the game runs generally smooth on my 1.5gig RAM single-core p4 3.2ghz Windows XP 7800 GS when doing everything but in massive RvR (80+ people). It most likely will run better come release or even open beta, but for now this is too hard to tell.
Pallas: The event we were at last night had like 70 people if not more, all beating the bloody crap out of each other simultaneously; wasn’t TOO laggy for me. I’m sure it should be fine for you unless you’re playing on a laptop (overheating hell)
Aechean asks: Do you feel the UI lacks any major features? Is it as customizable as they say?
Definitely, you can literally move, resize, and set the opacity to anything in your UI. My only problem so far is the chat system which seems a bit clunky, though I suppose if you get used to it is fine.
Pallas: Ugly; it has this rustic, Squigg’s feces color. I hate brown! *GRR*
--Do you think that each side is "balanced?" At least in the sense that each side is viable? Have you seen a population imbalance so far in beta?
From every server I've seen so far in Closed Beta, the Destruction greatly outnumbers Order. At certain times of the day it can be as badly as 3 Destruction for every 1 Order. As for viability, I have heard complaints that the Disciples seem to be currently overpowered in terms of they can dish out close to MDPS damage(when dual wielding) and still heal constantly while doing so. When their mirror class (Warrior Priest) has more of a burst damage feel, but must stop to heal generally.
Pallas: Everyone wants to be cool so most (as expected) will be playing Destruction.
--Do you find you are making use of most/all of your class abilities or are there a lot of "useless" ones?
This mostly depends on the class, but a majority of the time I find myself using most if not all of my skills that were given to me. Mythic has done a good job giving players useful skills/tactics/abilities and I applaud that.
Pallas: There are some skills that you really won’t need until that special occasions, but most of the time you’re going to find a good use for most of it.
Snarils asks: Does killing players in RvR yield exp and coin?
Yes, the experience you gain is very appropriate depending on the environment you killed the player. (Solo kill of a player yields great experience, while group kill yields still noticeable amount) The coin you get is auto looted, you do not need to run to the body of the victim to loot the money.Pallas: You gain exp and riches through the misery of others. That’s the whole premise of RvR.
--Is PVE horribly slow from mob to mob depending on class choice?
I've not experimented with every class, but no it does not seem so. The first one or two quests for the Archmage for example can be a very slow kill, but it definitely becomes faster when you acquire more skills.
Pallas: DPS kills faster and a bit slower for non-DPS; however, they always have to avoid’ Champion’ (elite) leveled mobs.
--Does grouping with two or three players in pve give better or worse exp.
I believe it is divided equally amongst the group, though I am not entirely positive if it is less or more. I know for Influence gain in Public Quests it is greatly lessened when you group, but the positive to this is that you get influence from every mob the people in your group kill, not just a nice chunk for each mob you yourself kill.
Pallas: Same as every other MMORPG.
--To form a guild.. do you have to first create a group of six.. then go to the guild registrar (DAoC) or can you go there first, get the guild name, pay the fee and then find people to sign the charter (WoW)
From what I am told, and what you've described, it is DAoC style.
--Do mobs drop armor/weapons and are they worth a toss
Mobs can drop items that need to be repaired at a vendor, but the repaired item can be a great upgrade to your current gear. This all depends on what you had done before you killed the mob, basically if you already have good gear from Influence or RvR, don't expect 'too' much. But average gear can definitely be upgraded from random mob drops.
Pallas: Good loots usually come to you as a pile of crap, you have to go fix it and the vendor will adjust it till it’s usable by you. Epics drop from RvR too, and it works the same way as WoW (ie: rolling for your loot by choosing need, greed or pass.)
--How much inventory space is given initially and is it upgradable
You begin with 2 bags, each bag is 16 slots. You get a third bag at level 10, so I am lead to believe they are infact upgradeable by simply leveling.
--What types of server rule sets will be available at retail
Open-RvR, Core, and RP(RP-Core is what currently will be available but may be changed to allowed Open-RvR RP as well).
--Are the quests clunky and hardly worth doing
Most if not all the quests are worth doing, most are very easy to get done, others can be a tad difficult. But what is a game if it doesn't challenge the player?
Pallas: Some quests are a chore but they always point out the area where the quest objective is at. The number of collections (which has a 100% dropping rate) and grind quests are generally not a lot.
--Do you need to quest in order to level (WoW) or can you grind out levels by killing mobs (DAoC)
You can do both of these but they would be the silliest way to level as you can level by pure RvR if you wanted. A mixture of both RvR and PvE is the best way to level I've come to realize.
--Are there camps of mobs or just mobs scattered everywhere
There are camps of mobs, yes.
--Do mobs become locked to you when attacked
By locked, you mean if you attack them, when they die you get the loot even with assistance or someone getting the killing blow? Then yes they do.
--Are there elite type mobs
There are Champion, Hero and a boss type mob from what I've seen. Champion is in essence an elite, Hero is a boss-elite. And the boss type is just plain painful.
Absinthe asks: On which lvl is the first Public Quest & Dungeon.
I have partaken in Public Quests at level 2-3 as my lowest. As for dungeons, they are currently blocked off I believe at the moment. At least I have not seen any yet. Though I believe there are indeed some.
--Which feature of WAR do you like the most? Compare to WOW.
That would possibly be the Keep system, WoW never had such a mechanism and the ability to construct siege weaponry around a keep and invade it after busting down the front door is just incredible.
Pallas: Siege-weapon mini games. You can wait, and when someone is attacking your target BLAST both of them to hell.
--Are there normal / epic mounts?
You can purchase your first mount at level 20, I believe you can then purchase a faster version at 30, and the fastest at 40.
Fatpig asks: Is the content focused on rewarding players for exploring was delivered and if so...in spades or...underwhelmingly or what.
Definitely, there are both positive and negative aspects to exploring, but the emphasis on encouraging the players to explore is indeed high. For example, I was exploring the swamps of Troll Country and saw a log next to a statue. I went over to the log and clicking on it, found it was a trap and two sprites popped out and killed me. There are more and more encounters I could list but I'd like for you to encounter them yourself.
Tancred asks: Is WAR really casual-friendly?
It really is, you do not need to dedicate even close to the amount of hours you had to in other MMOs to be able to stand up to the big guys. As long as you know your class and their abilities, you should be able to stand toe to toe with the hardcore crowd. But of course the hardcore types will still have at least some advantage, due to the fact that they play more than a casual gamer they know more strategies and what it takes to win.
Pallas: You can play it every once in a while and be able to enjoy it. It doesn’t consume all of your time for some trivial grinding gameplay.
--Do tanks serve good function in pvp with collision-detection?
From my experience so far, if your team doesn't run around like chickens with their head lopped off, you should do just fine with protecting yourself and your allies. Just make sure to have good communication with your team and utilize strategies other than the typical zerg and you'll be serving your class' role and having a damn fun time doing so.
Pallas: Lololol, so one night while I was running around the beach looking for stragglers, I spotted a Disciple running to the dock. I ran up to him and thwacked him with my mighty hamma. They fought for a while and it was obvious that ‘girl kicks ass’ so he ran inside the dock and sought protection from a Champion-leveled guard. When he ran out again, I continuously beat him and stopped him from going back into the fort by blocking him. Then another WP came and trapped him against a cart. He freaked out. It was the funnest thing I experienced while playing the closed beta. In short, yes, it works extremely well and gives you a sense of realism.
--Do you need to join a group for PQ or anything else in this game, or are there solo contents in WAR?
No you do not need to group to do a PQ, and the PvE content is entirely soloable as long as you stay way from the elite mobs in the higher tiers (though it may be possible to solo those with a certain career). Grouping is NOT required, but it is encouraged to help team organization and cooperation.
Pallas: WAR is about having fun with other people; but it’s certainly soloable.
Azhul asks: Does dying during a PQ reset your contribution to zero?
From what I have seen I believe it does not.
Pallas: Nope, but think about running all the way back wagging your tail in shame. You also miss out on the contribution your team is making. Don’t die in a PQ!
DarkDweller asks: I'd like to know if all the pairings feel equally polished. Is it worth choosing a career from one of the first two pairings, given that the elves have only been in the game for a short while? Or are they fully fleshed out and rockin'?
The pairings from what I've seen seem pretty balanced in their polish, in terms of content that is. To each their own taste in this matter, I find I actually enjoy the Empire's pairing a bit more than the High Elf's zone simply because of preference of the atmosphere. But they did well in balancing out the feel of each pairing in my personal opinion.
Pallas: Human vs. Chaos is more straight-forward and open. Elf vs. D Elf’s terrain is very rough and have tons of ruins and plant life and ravines.
Takar asks: How many people does it take to do a PQ?
This solely depends on the PQ itself, but the minimum I would say to successfully do a PQ would be around 4-5 depending. Some of the higher PQ's will definitely require a balanced group and good team work though.
Pallas: Solo = no. 3-4 with a healer = tough. 8+ = a good size.
--Does a PQ require the tank + healer + Dps combo we're all familiar with?
For the lower tiers, as long as you have either some form of healing or the ability to juggle aggro, a balanced group of the cliché setting you mentioned is not required. Though that will definitely make the PQ easier.
--Can you walk up to a PQ and progress yourself and eventually get loot, or is there a minimum number of people?
Definitely, in fact the other day I walked up to the last phase of a PQ where they were fighting the boss. I helped take the boss down from 90% to death and I received third place after rolling and me being the lowest to contribute. There is no minimum nor maximum, a group is not required, simply contribute and have good luck with the dice.
--What is it like forming a "PUG" compared to other games?
Very, very easier than other games. The open group system makes forming a PUG a breeze, the UI is set to show you all the Open Parties in your area, and even give you the estimated time to get to them by running, as well as what they are doing. (Aka, RvR, 2 minutes, )
Pallas: PUG and run!
Flying Dutchman asks: What kind of stat upgrades are there on weps/armor is it WoW where it's very stat based, or is it more like diablo with +resistances, +masteries, tactics ect.
There are usually different resistances on armor, as well as 1 or 2 +stat increases. So I would say it's a mixture of both, but the stat increases aren't nearly as impactful as WoW has theirs.
Pallas: Who cares about stats?! As long as it looks nice and posh.
Serejai asks: What aspects of this game have caused you major or minor disappointment?
To be entirely truthful, only the performance on my system. Every other aspect so far of the game I am VERY impressed with. Just the fact that my system is not up-to-date with the latest technology and the client is running with a debugger which causes it to get choppy with lots going on; I love every aspect of the game as I've seen.
The Runepriest and Zealot play very similar to one another, a true mirror class. Their role is still very focused on healing, but their buffs and damaging runes are still completely viable to a group synergy. An example of a buff I'm speaking of is this
This is the first blessing a Zealot is able to train at level 4, and as you can see it leads to a very fine buff. It grants the player the ability to activate the buff and damage the opponent for 52 corporeal damage at no cost.
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Monday, August 18, 2008
The NDA is dead, long live the WAR!
I've never been so pleased with an MMO as I am with Warhammer so far, so I'll start with a few screenshots I'm sure some of you fans would love to see. Mind you, this is Closed Beta and the graphics system is NOT up-to-date with the most recent client and visual customizations have not been altered.
The Swordmaster
This is Vaer, he will be my High Elf Swordmaster I plan to take into release. He plays as he was described. He has three 'balances' he goes through and can be stringed together in a tree form. From Normal Balance he moves to Improved Balance, and from there he moves on to Perfect Balance. You can not use an Improved Balance ability while in Normal or Perfect Balance, and you cannot use Perfect or Improved while in Normal Balance. But you can still always use your Normal Balance ability in any of the balances, but this will move your balance into Improved. After using a Perfect Balance ability you will be reset back to Normal and the string can be used again.
How does a Swordmaster fair in RvR?
At a low level, a Swordmaster is basically a weak DPS. After reaching 10 you acquire the Guard ability, which you can place on an ally and as long as you remain 30 yards or closer apart you split the damage they receive. There are two ways you can equip your Swordmaster, Sword and Shield and Greatsword. A block from the shield fully negates the damage that it received, and the armor it gives is a great help to mitigate damage. With a Greatsword you sacrifice the ability to block and will wish to focus either on more damage output or parry ability (depending on how you wish to play your Swordmaster).
On to the world, I was stunned with how much content is thrown into this game.
The Map
A High Elf begins their journey on the Blighted Isle, this is an example of the map mostly discovered. The red areas highlighted on the map itself are actually where you need to go to complete or accomplish quests. When you hold your cursor over one of these areas a tooltip shows up, giving you the quest objective for that area highlighted. The orange area towards the bottom is the RvR zone for Tier 1 High Elf vs. Dark Elf, there are I believe 3 (the servers are down so I may be wrong) objectives to capture in the RvR area. The red arrows pointing south on the map indicate the zone continues to another map.
Public Quests
Here shows the boss for the first Public Quest in the High Elf side of the Blighted Isle, a large Hydra. The objective of this quest is the first phase you must kill several Dark Elves, the second you must take on waves of Dark Elf reinforcements running down the bridge towards you, the bridge shown in this shot. The third is defeating this large Hydra, and depending on both your contribution and luck of the roll, you will be awarded accordingly if you place amongst the top 3 after rolling finishes. From what I've noticed, winning loot in a Pubic Quest is almost entirely random. But your contribution will save up with each time you perform the particular Public Quest so you 'will' get loot if you keep at it. Doing this particular quest with a solid group of 6-10 players would take around 4-6 minutes each. After completing the event and the rolling process, a small timer pops up in your UI indicating when it will reset and you can partake in it again if you wish.
Exploration
You will NOT be disappointed if you decide to explore the world around you. I will not give detail of where to find what I will show in these screenshots, but they are found in the High Elf verse. Dark Elf Tier 1 zone.
That's right, a level 40 hero I believe to be a troll in the fog of a cave named Gorthlak. Be careful where you step, you may step into something nasty.
You know those rats in games that are simply there to give a cave or dungeon a bit more of a dirty feel? Be sure to not ignore them, because with a simple swing or two of a blade you can find a rather nice surprise waiting for you on the corpse of one.
The Atmosphere
Have you ever seen Saving Private Ryan? You know the feeling of being on the sandy beach in the middle of gunfire from the invading and defending forces? You can expect this in the Tier 1 zone of the High Elf verse. Dark Elf if you look far enough.
Just a small example of what can be found if you run through the troops of Greenskin who march into battle and passed the explosions of cannon fire in the sand. Both Dark Elf and Greenskin are constantly waging war against your High Elf brethren as you try to hold them back from their constant invasion.
Scenarios
You can queue up for a scenario from the small WAR icon on the minimap shown here
After entering the queue, either solo or party queue, you wait and enter when your turn comes. The scenario I will talk about is on topic for the High Elf verse. Dark Elf Tier 1 scenario, Khaine's Embrace.
The objective of this is simple, there are two flag nodes to capture and the first team to capture both nodes must hold them for 10 seconds, after 10 seconds pass a loud horn-like sound is made and the ground trembles as both nodes explode in a rather.. well here's what happens
Everyone, even the ones who captured the nodes, who is caught in the fire of this HUGE explosion takes a large hit, instantly killing them. The team who captured both nodes and triggered doomsday is awarded around 100 points, adding up to the goal of 500. So expect to see this at least 3-4 times each Scenario unless the defense is strong. The Scenario timer is clocked at 15 minutes, so do not expect hour long Scenarios with little reward. The team with the most points at the end of the timer or whichever team achieves 500 points first is declared winner and receive a large sum of both Renown and Experience points.
That's it for now, expect Tier 2, Open-RvR, more Careers, more Scenarios, and more Public Quests next update.
The Swordmaster
This is Vaer, he will be my High Elf Swordmaster I plan to take into release. He plays as he was described. He has three 'balances' he goes through and can be stringed together in a tree form. From Normal Balance he moves to Improved Balance, and from there he moves on to Perfect Balance. You can not use an Improved Balance ability while in Normal or Perfect Balance, and you cannot use Perfect or Improved while in Normal Balance. But you can still always use your Normal Balance ability in any of the balances, but this will move your balance into Improved. After using a Perfect Balance ability you will be reset back to Normal and the string can be used again.
How does a Swordmaster fair in RvR?
At a low level, a Swordmaster is basically a weak DPS. After reaching 10 you acquire the Guard ability, which you can place on an ally and as long as you remain 30 yards or closer apart you split the damage they receive. There are two ways you can equip your Swordmaster, Sword and Shield and Greatsword. A block from the shield fully negates the damage that it received, and the armor it gives is a great help to mitigate damage. With a Greatsword you sacrifice the ability to block and will wish to focus either on more damage output or parry ability (depending on how you wish to play your Swordmaster).
On to the world, I was stunned with how much content is thrown into this game.
The Map
A High Elf begins their journey on the Blighted Isle, this is an example of the map mostly discovered. The red areas highlighted on the map itself are actually where you need to go to complete or accomplish quests. When you hold your cursor over one of these areas a tooltip shows up, giving you the quest objective for that area highlighted. The orange area towards the bottom is the RvR zone for Tier 1 High Elf vs. Dark Elf, there are I believe 3 (the servers are down so I may be wrong) objectives to capture in the RvR area. The red arrows pointing south on the map indicate the zone continues to another map.
Public Quests
Here shows the boss for the first Public Quest in the High Elf side of the Blighted Isle, a large Hydra. The objective of this quest is the first phase you must kill several Dark Elves, the second you must take on waves of Dark Elf reinforcements running down the bridge towards you, the bridge shown in this shot. The third is defeating this large Hydra, and depending on both your contribution and luck of the roll, you will be awarded accordingly if you place amongst the top 3 after rolling finishes. From what I've noticed, winning loot in a Pubic Quest is almost entirely random. But your contribution will save up with each time you perform the particular Public Quest so you 'will' get loot if you keep at it. Doing this particular quest with a solid group of 6-10 players would take around 4-6 minutes each. After completing the event and the rolling process, a small timer pops up in your UI indicating when it will reset and you can partake in it again if you wish.
Exploration
You will NOT be disappointed if you decide to explore the world around you. I will not give detail of where to find what I will show in these screenshots, but they are found in the High Elf verse. Dark Elf Tier 1 zone.
That's right, a level 40 hero I believe to be a troll in the fog of a cave named Gorthlak. Be careful where you step, you may step into something nasty.
You know those rats in games that are simply there to give a cave or dungeon a bit more of a dirty feel? Be sure to not ignore them, because with a simple swing or two of a blade you can find a rather nice surprise waiting for you on the corpse of one.
The Atmosphere
Have you ever seen Saving Private Ryan? You know the feeling of being on the sandy beach in the middle of gunfire from the invading and defending forces? You can expect this in the Tier 1 zone of the High Elf verse. Dark Elf if you look far enough.
Just a small example of what can be found if you run through the troops of Greenskin who march into battle and passed the explosions of cannon fire in the sand. Both Dark Elf and Greenskin are constantly waging war against your High Elf brethren as you try to hold them back from their constant invasion.
Scenarios
You can queue up for a scenario from the small WAR icon on the minimap shown here
After entering the queue, either solo or party queue, you wait and enter when your turn comes. The scenario I will talk about is on topic for the High Elf verse. Dark Elf Tier 1 scenario, Khaine's Embrace.
The objective of this is simple, there are two flag nodes to capture and the first team to capture both nodes must hold them for 10 seconds, after 10 seconds pass a loud horn-like sound is made and the ground trembles as both nodes explode in a rather.. well here's what happens
Everyone, even the ones who captured the nodes, who is caught in the fire of this HUGE explosion takes a large hit, instantly killing them. The team who captured both nodes and triggered doomsday is awarded around 100 points, adding up to the goal of 500. So expect to see this at least 3-4 times each Scenario unless the defense is strong. The Scenario timer is clocked at 15 minutes, so do not expect hour long Scenarios with little reward. The team with the most points at the end of the timer or whichever team achieves 500 points first is declared winner and receive a large sum of both Renown and Experience points.
That's it for now, expect Tier 2, Open-RvR, more Careers, more Scenarios, and more Public Quests next update.
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