"War.
Huuh! What is it
good for? Absolutely nothing."



Edwin Starr’s “War” is a great song, but
limited in scope and vision. Why? Because href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/62438" target="_blank">Warhammer
Online: Age of Reckoning is an
absolute blast to play, that's
why. Obviously, the song is far older than the more recent WAR, but
hey, cut me a little slack. I've got the song stuck in my head and if I
have to suffer, so do you. That's just the way it goes.

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Can spell effects get much cooler?

I'm sure you already guessed, but I've been playing the ever-lovin'
crap out of WAR again. I had left the game a while back not out of any
dissatisfaction with it, but because I had too many other games on my
plate in terms of various articles I needed to research. This week,
I've returned to href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/war" target="_blank">the
unbridled champion of PvP combat,
and I'm loving it. That's
right, Spazimodo, I said, "unbridled champion." I'll admit there are
some interesting games coming down the pipe, but until I see some proof
they'll actually come to fruition style="font-style: italic;">[Editor’s
Note: *cough* style="font-style: italic;"
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/62067" target="_blank">Darkfall style="font-style: italic;"> *cough*],
WAR is
flying miles above the crowd. Argue with me all you like, but as it
stands right now, no one has a hope in hell of knocking that crown off
their head. Not only has it proven fun for PvPers around the world, but
it's been href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/47790" target="_blank">converting
carebears like me faster than a
priest at a revival. If that
doesn't scream "Winner!" then I have no idea what does.



But Mythic Entertainment hasn’t been sitting on their duffs
either. They’ve been hard at work not only tweaking aspects
of the game, but completing the classes that were originally scheduled
to be available at release. The last of those missing classes - the
Dwarf Slayer and the Orc Choppa - are quickly heading to the game with
the upcoming live expansion, “Call to Arms” ( href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/62290" target="_blank">read
the
exclusive interview!). They're
both melee DPS classes, but
like everything Mythic has put into WAR so far, there's a definite
balancing act being played out to find the right sweet spot. The more
rage they have, the more damage they do. Too much though, and they may
as well be out there in their skivvies as their defense takes a total
nosedive. It's this continual walk along the razor's edge that makes
the game so much fun for me. I can't wait to check them out in the
future.



With my return to WAR, the first thing I had to do was check out the
new Blackguard class for the Dark Elves. I'm a sucker for the Dark Elf
line anyway, but when I found out they were giving me the ability to
finally be a tank for that race, I couldn't wait to get back in the
game. After building my new rig this weekend (she's soooo pretty!), I
couldn't think of a better way to honor her than to start my WAR
account back up. And I'm glad I did. My body's sleeping patterns have
enjoyed it about as much as a kick to the crotch, but it's been worth
it. The game hasn't lost any of the fun I remember from release.

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Death and destruction incarnate

I'll admit I haven't found my loving need for balance with the
Blackguard yet, but I'm hopeful I will soon. Since I can't imagine
anyone would take the time to literally track me down and burn me at
the stake, I will risk saying one thing; unless the combat mechanics
for it change as I progress in levels, the class needs a bit of a nerf.
I know, I know. I can't believe I said it either, but it's true. Right
now, the whole concept behind the class's combat is, "Go! Go!
Go!” The more hate I build, the more abilities (including an
overpowered hate shield) I can use, with a short timer on an ability to
give me back those action points I've already burned. I'm not saying
it's not fun to play, but it's the intricate balance I had to find with
my sorceress that really put the PvP hooks into me.



I've said this before, but I'll say it again since it's important to
keep in mind; Mythic has spent more time perfecting PvP combat than
most teenagers have spent trying to go blind with their
father’s magazines. They know what they're doing and have it
down to a science, tweaking what needs to be tweaked in a timely
fashion. They might href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/62708" target="_blank">hit
a few bumps along the way, but
rest assured they'll get
there. And while a lot of time and effort gets spent on fine tuning (or
flat out fixing) issues that arise, the team doesn't seem content to
rest on their laurels and coast along.



One thing everyone enjoys with new content is the addition of new races
and/or classes. I'm certainly no exception to that and have reactivated
more accounts than I care to admit whenever something new and shiny
hits a game that I may or may not have enjoyed. With my recent
reintroduction to WAR and all the talk going on about the upcoming
classes, I began to wonder what other races and classes might be
introduced in the future.



Before href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/62681" target="_blank">the
loremasters of Warhammer set
fire to the contents of my
underpants, keep in mind that I am not an expert on all things
Warhammer. I had friends that played the table top game and painted the
miniatures, so I was familiar with the basic setting, but until
Warhammer Online was released, I had never played in that universe.
Thus, my ideas may or may not be possible in terms of WAR's lore, but I
think they'd be interesting nonetheless.

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You? Bite me? As if!

For href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/50398" target="_blank">the
namby-pamby whining side called
Order (you heard me!), I
think a nature-based race would be fitting. Perhaps a Fairy so the
minions of Chaos could pluck their wings or a Centaur so the Dark Elves
would have something fresh to feed their Greenskin allies. Actually, I
think either of those races could make for some interesting combat
situations. The Fairies could have incredible speed and evasion
capabilities, much like that of a hummingbird. The Centaurs have been
seen as warriors for as long as man has been telling stories and should
rightfully find themselves on the front lines. Being half horse, they
could have the added benefit of mounted speed, with a special ability
allowing them to whisk an injured comrade away, due to the nature of
their build and size. Druidic or shamanistic magic would be a staple
for either race and could be put to interesting use, from various DoTs
to dreaded rooting abilities.



The side of Destruction, href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/43283" target="_blank">in
all its
dark glory, is missing two races
normally associated with
evil, the Undead and Demons. World of Warcraft has done a respectable
job with the Undead, giving them a minor sense of distance from their
breathing brethren, but it could be taken so much further. My vision
for WAR’s Undead is far more in line with Dragonlance's death
knight, href="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/keith7.jpg"
target="_blank">Lord
Soth, and his skeletal warriors.
Let the dead rise up in an
event of ancient darkness to descend upon the world like a swarm of
locusts. Cool as I think the Undead are though, the real race that
would have me jumping up and down (with more fervor than a cheerleader
at a pep rally!) are the Demons. Loosed upon the realm, they would be
the epitome of Destruction. I'll admit I'm unsure of what class roles
the two races would best be suited for that aren't already
representative in the game. I just know I'd love to see either one
present.



But that’s all just speculation. I'm sure the crew at Mythic
is hard at work on whatever they have planned for us down the road. New
races, new classes, or maybe something we can't even imagine. At this
point, I wouldn't put anything past them. They may not have the
insanely high subscription numbers of WoW, but I think it's safe to say
that so far, WAR has been a resounding success. If they can get this
die-hard carebear to love the PvP in WAR this much, I have no doubt
they'll continue to amaze and delight all of us in the future.