Loading... Post-NDA Hickman Interivew (WAR)

Welcome to the 904th Edition of Loading...

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Daily Column

Loading... putting the 'Mo' in MMOG.

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?)

Warhammer Online - 200 BPM World of Warcraft - 90 BPM Age of Conan - 48 BPM Star Trek Online - 13 BPM EVE Online - 12 BPM Tabula Rasa - 9 BPM Lord of the Rings Online - 6 BPM Stargate Worlds - 5 BPM Dungeons and Dragons Online - 5 BPM Everquest II - 5 BPM

Our coverage of the GCDC held recently in Leipzig continues with our Exclusive WAR Post-NDA Video Q&A with Jeff Hickman. Tony Jones didn't mess around with his questions, asking about itemization, bounty hunters and auction houses.

Our Champions Online Video Q&A with Aaron Safronoff is also live. Here is how Jeff Woleslagle described the interview between Ten Ton Hammer's Garrett Fuller and Aaron Safronoff, Game Designer on Champions Online,

"In a skill-based game without classes, how do you begin to differentiate between the skills of individual group members in order to make sure you field a balanced group? That's the challenge Cryptic is addressing with the just-announced "roles" system. Basically, group members will assign themselves roles such as "melee" or "support." Players can switch roles as often as they like, but the incentive for choosing a role that matches one's playstyle is a buff to a needed stat for that role (and a slight de-buff to a less important stat for that role). For example, a brick that chooses a melee role would get more hit points at a slight cost to his endurance (needed for certain superhero abilities). It's an elegant solution to a complex problem, and we look forward to hearing more about it in the future.

The roles system is just one topic we discussed with Game Designer Aaron Safronoff. Learn where the game is at on the road to beta, what gives Champions Online its distinctive look, what prompted the recent addition of exclamation bubbles (i.e. Wham! Biff! a la 1960s Batman), and much more in this 10 minute interview from Leipzig GC!" -- Champions Online Video Q&A with Aaron Safronoff

If video isn't your thing, but Champions Online is then perhaps this new interview with Jack Hopler, Lead Content Designer or one of our previous interviews from either GenCON with Jack Emmert, Director of Creative Development or from Comic CON with John Layman, one of the comic geniuses on the team.

We didn't stop there, Phil Comeau sat down with Arend Stührmann, Associate Producer on EVE Online to discuss the Empyrean Age, the winter expansion "Midas" and more. I have tried EVE at least five times and each time I just wasn't patient enough to get to the meat of the game. I have to try it again. It looks great!

In other news, many sites are reporting that Warhammer Online has gone "Gold", which for a MMOG means nothing other than the final version to be put on a CD or DVD has been chosen. Expect a honking big patch when you login on launch day.

In even other news, Blizzard announced or rather one of their CMs posted in the forums that some of the fancy-pants Wrath of the Lich King content will be introduced before the expansion. Haircuts, new arenas, new spells and talents, the guild calendar and a new profession, Inscription will be introduced before the expansion launches.

I hinted that something HUGE was coming for Premium Members, but I couldn't tell you about it. It's still coming and I guarantee it is far larger and far cooler than you could be imagining. If you are Premium Member be prepared to pull out the Christmas card list and add Ten Ton Hammer. If you aren't a Premium Member, well this might be a good time to show your support .

The Loading Forums await you. Do you feel the need to contact me personally with naughty pictures or derogatory comments? Here's my E-mail.

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14 new MMOG hand-crafted articles today! 199 in August! 2182 in 2008!

New MMOG Articles At Ten Ton Hammer Today

Leipzig GCDC 2008

[New!] Exclusive WAR Post-NDA Video Q&A with Jeff Hickman [New!] Champions Online Video Q&A with Aaron Safronoff [New!] The Leipzig Photo Gallery [New!] CCP Games' Arend Stuhrmann on Empyrean Age 1.1 and Beyond [New!] Earthrise Online PvP Interview Exclusive Video Interview with WAR's Josh Drescher Video Q&A with Blizzard's Tom Chilton Runescape HD Video Wakfu Preview The Booth Babes of Leipzig 2008 The Next 20 yrs of Game Development Hands On with Chronicles of Spellborn A Meeting of the MMO Masterminds WAR Booth Show Video Runes of Magic: Character Class Screenshots Warhammer Online: Paul & Josh Go to Leipzig, Part 1 Warhammer Online: Paul & Josh Go to Leipzig Video, Part 2 Warhammer Online Cinematic Trailer Age of Conan: 'State of the Game' Video with Erling Ellingsen and Thorbjørn Olsen Age of Conan: Expansion Revealed Video - *Premium Content* Age of Conan: Closed Booth Presentation RuneScape HD Concept Artwork Stargate Worlds: Beta Update World of Warcraft: WotLK Screenshots MMORPG Don Daglow: 'What's Next in Gaming' Keynote EVE Online: Exclusive Economics Interview with Dr. E. Acclaim's Dave Perry: The Future of Games

Community

Champions Online: Dev Q&A

Guides

Warhammer Online: Empire Public Quests Warhammer Online: Dwarf Engineer Age of Conan: Herald of Xotli Combos, Lvl 60-80 Age of Conan: Tempest of Set Spell List, Lvl 61-80 Vanguard: Monster Project - Kresnak Vanguard: Monster Project - Kunyi Vanguard: Monster Project - Iksau Vanguard: Isle of Dawn

Hot Content - Or, what I took a fancy to

Leipzig GCDC 08 - Exclusive WAR Post-NDA Video Q&A with Jeff Hickman Leipzig GCDC 08 - Champions Online Video Q&A with Aaron Safronoff Leipzig GCDC 08 - The Leipzig Photo Gallery State of the MMOG Nation - A Frenzy of Negativity Leipzig GCDC 08 - Exclusive Video Interview with WAR's Josh Drescher Leipzig GCDC 08 - Video Q&A with Blizzard's Tom Chilton Leipzig GCDC 08 - The Booth Babes of Leipzig 2008 Leipzig GCDC 08 - Warhammer Online: Paul & Josh Go to Leipzig, Part 1 Leipzig GCDC 08 - Warhammer Online: Paul & Josh Go to Leipzig Video, Part 2

Real World News

Woman goes down baggage chute at Swedish airport

Was later refunded the $50 for being overweight Man sees the face of Jesus in a moth

Warns him not to fly into the light Study: Beer makes women more attractive

Sounds like someone got their PhD from a matchbook cover

Thanks as always for visiting TenTonHammer.com.

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