Welcome to the 920th Edition of Loading...

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Daily Column

Loading... your first 'ding' of the day.

First, the Ten Ton Pulse, your finger on the beating heart of the MMOG industry.

If the Top 10 isn't enough, we also show the Top 20 and Top 50 lists as well, available to everyone on our homepage. (What is Pulse?)

1. Warhammer Online - 200 BPM
2. World of Warcraft - 125 BPM
3. Age of Conan - 35 BPM
4. Tabula Rasa - 12 BPM
5. Lord of the Rings Online - 9 BPM
6. EVE Online - 9 BPM
7. Everquest II - 8 BPM
8. Vanguard - 6 BPM
9. Stargate Worlds - 5 BPM
10. Guild Wars - 4 BPM

You knew that it would happen. Somebody would 'review' Warhammer Online mere days after its launch. That somebody is Gameplanet. Reviewing an MMOG that has been officially released for three days is wrong on so many levels. It's not that the reviewer doesn't hit on some excellent points, but rather that you can't put a numerical score on a MMOG if you haven't played through it to the meat of the game.

Mythic has held fast to the line that the endgame Realm versus Realm combat is what this title is all about. In fact, they have gone so far as to state that leveling is intentional fast to get you there. I have played WAR quite a bit, but there is no chance that I could review it. There is simply too much to experience.

I prefer articles that give a 'First Impressions' of a MMOG. If you read that review and consider it a first impression, then it is an especially good one. New players and veteran alike should find something in there that hits home.

Is it even possible to truly review a MMOG even after 100 hundred hours of play? It's a moving target. World of Warcraft today is almost a different game from what we experienced at launch.

Do you read MMOG reviews? Can MMOGs even be reviewed properly? Hit the Loading... forums and have your say.

--

Ten Ton Hammer Epic Thread of the Day [Compliments of Karen Hertzberg]


Sometimes they're funny; sometimes they're foolish; sometimes they're flaming;
sometimes they're cool. Whatever this one happens to be, it's
our Epic Thread of the Day.

====================
From our /OOC (Off Topic) Forum

New Lara Croft model is out!

Is
Angelina Jolie the only Lara Croft for you? Do you wish you could be
among her adopted children? Then you may be in for some disappointment
when the next Tomb Raider movie hits theaters, since our community
member, ThePunisher, has informed us that Jolie's replacement as the
new (and improved?) Lara is "Alison Carroll, a 23 year-old gymnast with
the looks, boobs, the
British accent and personality (did I forget to mention cleavage?) to
play the real-life action gal (and sex symbol) that will help market
the Tomb Raider franchise by Eidos Games."

Does the new Lara
Croft fill the bill? The gamer geek debate is in full swing in our /OOC
forum. And if you're not up for the debate, at least don't miss the
photos, including a truly epic and less-than-flattering pose.

Awesome Quote from the Epic Thread:

"Honey, I'll be back later this afternoon; I gotta get in a bikini wax before we go target shooting."
- Savanja
====================

Do you have a favorite Epic Thread? Let us know! 

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13 new MMOG hand-crafted articles today! 214 in September! 2418 in 2008!

New MMOG Articles At Ten Ton Hammer Today [Links and Real World News courtesy of Phil Comeau]

Interviews

• JACT's President, Jimmy Yang

Giveaways

• Runes of Magic: Closed Beta Giveaway

Community

• Vanguard: Dalmarus' Chronicles - A Time of Change
• WAR-Torn: Class is in Session

Guides

• Warhammer Online: Greenskin RvR Quests - Tier 1
• Warhammer Online: High Elf Public Quests - Chapter 2
• Warhammer Online: Zealot Abilities List
• Warhammer Online: Marauder Abilities List
• Warhammer Online: Magus Abilities List
• Warhammer Online: Chosen Abilities List
• Warhammer Online: Dark Elf Leveling Guide - Tier 1
• World of Warcraft: The Culling of Strathholme
• Age of Conan: PvP Gear List

Hot Content - Or, what I took a fancy to:

1. Age of Conan: New Game Director - A Look at Craig Morrison
2. Warhammer Online: It Don't Mean A Thing If You Ain't Got That Bling
3. Warhammer Online: It Don't Mean A Thing If You Ain't Got That Bling - Part Two
4. Warhammer Online: Collector's Edition Head Models
5. Warhammer Online: Jeff Hickman at Launch
6. Warhammer Online: Justin Webb and "Ask and Receive"
7. Warhammer Online: Justin Webb and Cinematic Posters
8. World of Warcraft: DarkFact's WotLK Beta Journal

Real World News

• Children who use cell phones are 5 times more likely to develop brain cancer
  In related news, fetuses that come preloaded with cell phone minutes are only 3 times more likely to get it
• Sweet smells may lead to sweet dreams
  This may finally show us why pulling the covers over our wive's heads at night may lead to less than pleasant dreams
• Glitch in cooling delays full operation of the Large Hadron Collider
  End of the world as we know it delayed until 2009
  
  
  

Thanks as always for visiting TenTonHammer.com.

- John "Boomjack" Hoskin and the Ten Ton Hammer Team