The holidays for many are a time of reflection and contemplation over a years events. Throw in some football, turkey, and crowded Walmarts for the full effect and you are probably already thinking about buying presents. While it might still be a little early for the media rush on "end of year" articles we see annually, I thought I'd put mine in a little early for Warhammer Online. I don't necessarily want to look at what we've seen this year, but what the future may hold in 2009. What does Mythic have up their sleeve and where will the game be in 6 months? Here are a few of the likely scenarios.

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Some of the most exciting news we've had since launch was the addition of the Knights of the Burning Sun and Black Guard classes. Originally pulled off the table last March, they are making a highly anticipated comeback in just a few short weeks. The community however continues to speculate about additional classes and with very good reason. The Hammerer and Choppa are still in mothballs and with some tweaking could be ready for action in 2009. While there is a danger in destabilizing the end game by bringing in a new wave of characters, this would revitalize the lower levels and overall could increase content use. Is this something they could use on a regular basis? New classes aren't something they can pull of their hat at will and the templates they have now were already heavily in progress. This is not something we'll see as frequently down the road.

Warhammer Online's scenarios are a quick and easy answer to players wanting to participate in Realm vs Realm content but not having time to find a warband and assault a keep. Next year should see further optimizations to the queues and fewer imbalanced encounters equaling more fun. We can also expect some new scenarios to make their way into the rotation. While there is a nice selection available, certain places like Mourkain Temple, and Tor Anroc are eventually going to lose their appeal. Reikland Factory provided to be quite popular among players and a prime example that Mythic can put out some quality scenarios when they need to.

On a larger scale, while scenarios might be worth 15 minutes of fun, some new zones will certainly become available. This will be tricky to fit into the mirrored balance they've created between Order and Destruction but it is possible. By no means is Warhammer Online designed for long term PvE, but this content is necessary for replayability and player progression. Additions could also take the form of contested dungeons such as Gunbad which offered Public Quests and meaningful player rewards. At the very least we can expect to see additional quest lines appear in the areas we use now. Truth be told, many of us are personally hoping for a mission to assassinate Alan Cartright in every Order zone.

With new zones and quests come something very important to everyone. Rewards, the carrot on the stick, gear or whatever you may call it, there is always a gleam in your eye when a tasty piece of armor appears in the quest window and more will be made available. It isn't too hard to find a few complaints about itemization and honestly most of us work with what we pick up from Renown rewards and Public Quests. Currently it appears there is one Renown armor set for each tier which works out perfectly if you are fortunate enough to get a chest piece to drop in a keep siege. An additional set can be found by killing a certain type of player class 20 times and dispatching of a heroic mob requiring considerable back up. 2009 will bring more sets and additional avenues of procuring them which could include quests, dungeons, and unlocking certain achievements.

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The least expensive type of content to add to any MMOG is a Live Event which can mark anything from a holiday to upcoming content. This year has already seen the Witching Night and Heavy Metal events, both of which have been a success or failure depending on who you ask. Based on an interview we did with Mark Davis a few weeks ago, next year will provide more elaborate and entertaining events involving new scenarios and objectives. One of which as we mentioned above may introduce classes, or it could be random holidays such as Mystery Day, Lily Day, or Grail-Day.

Finally, next year will bring in what every game without exception does from time to time. The fluff. It can be anything that brings a player temporary excitement or utility. A simple example is the addition of more mounts. Mounts are available now but adding more would not only create a money sink but provide a bit of variety and customization to players. Also, expanding the idea of guildhalls could come in to play as Mythic has made it very clear that guilds and alliances are the cornerstone of the game. Allowing alliances to share a meeting place like Sigmar's Hammer that they could customize might bring new meaning to Altdorf or the Inevitable City. Some ideas are simple, some more complex but fluff goes with MMOG's like lamb and mint jelly.

It's been an interesting few months for Warhammer Online and 2009 will provide it's own series of challenges and rewards. Live Events, scenarios, dungeons, and so much more could await us but what are you most excited about?