Mark Davis is an Associate
Producer for Mythic Entertainment's Warhammer Online. A life long
fantasy novels reader, and avid MUD player in his University days, he
joined Mythic Entertainment just before the launch of Dark Age of
Camelot. He soon moved to the Warhammer Online team, and the rest is
history. This week, Mark Davis publishes his "wouldn't it be cool"
moments from Warhammer Online's development, and gifts fans with their
first hint at what's in store this All Hallow's Eve.

“You know
what would be cool…?” For some reason these seemingly
innocent words, when uttered from my mouth, cause hand-wringing or
glares from our schedulers here at Mythic. Despite that, I can’t help
myself!  I’m Mark Davis, and as one of the producers on the
Warhammer
project I get to use that phrase to your benefit!  I’d like to
share
with you a few of my favorite “Wouldn’t it be cool if” moments that
I’ve had a hand in creating.




style="font-weight: bold;">What’s in the box?



Witch
Hunters are a mysterious and imposing lot.  Their methods, while
effective, are often dark and secretive.  Take, for example, Witch
Hunter Drauwulf who hunts down heretics in the village of Bohsenfels
deep in the dark forests of Ostland.  After completing several
tasks
for him, he entrusts me to carry a “special box” to an associate of his
down the road.  But first, I must track down a unique beast in the
forest and place its paw into the box.  Next, and this he makes
very
clear, I am under NO circumstances to open the box once I’ve put the
paw in.  Now, why did he have to go and tell me that?  OF
COURSE I have
to open the box now!  Who wouldn’t be tempted to open the
box?  So,
playing this quest for the first time I thought "You know what would be
cool? If, when you attempt to open the box, something horrible
happens!” Oh yeah, this is Warhammer after all!  It’s a grim and
perilous world of adventure and by opening the box you’ll pay the
consequences.  Opening the box unleashes a horrible essence which
in 10
minutes will kill you.  You only have that long to deliver the box
to
its intended recipient to have a chance at surviving.  I hope you
have
your mount handy!

style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(130, 55, 255);">Who you calling a
Heretic?



It’s
not just the forces of order who must respect Witch Hunters, even the
forces of Destruction recognize the danger they pose.  Deep in the
forests of Reikland, the Witch Hunters led by Edvard Kohl have
established a temporary headquarters near the Reikguard castle. 
In
order to continue forward toward Altdorf and ultimate victory, the
forces of Destruction must crush them beneath their boots.  So,
playing
this for the first couple of times I thought, “You know what would be
cool?  If Edvard would do what any normal Witch Hunter might do
when
faced with a Heretic – put them to the stake and judge
them”!    So,
during the final stage of the Public Quest, Edvard Kohl will declare
one of the attacking players a Heretic and they will be placed upon the
stake and only the quick reflexes of a healer will save them from
paying the ultimate price.  Now that’s cool!

style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(130, 55, 255);">Witching Night



One
of the many things I do is working out a plan for our live events. Just
recently we all had time to look up from our computer screens to
realize that Halloween was right around the corner and we’d like to
provide some fun stuff to celebrate the occasion!  So, you know
what
would be cool?  How about a sneak peak at what we’re prepping for
the
Halloween season - known as “Witching Night” in the Warhammer universe
when the divisions between the living and the dead grow thin, and the
power of Shyish, the Purple Wind of Magic, waxes. Evil cults, witches,
and necromancers use this time to their advantage, easily raising the
dead and calling upon them to spread wickedness across the land.  



I
love those moments in Public Quests when, on the final stage, the
enormous boss monster stomps into the area and the final, epic
conclusion begins to draw near.  What will that boss do? 
Will he cast
a nasty DOT?  Perhaps he’ll throw us all back into the aggressive
monsters waiting along the fringes?  It’s a great adrenalin
rush!  Also
equally, if not more so, are those moments in RvR when you’re attacking
the keep doors while the enemy pours down boiling oil, siege weapons
are firing on both sides, and any moment you’ll storm into the Keep
where the final outcome will be decided!  You know what would be
cool?   What if we combine the two?  In the skirmish
areas around the
entire world during the Halloween holiday, there will be boss monsters
lurking for players to kill.  They’ll have cool loot on them, of
course, so players from both sides will want to take them down. 
I’m
sure Order and Destruction will play nicely with each other and share
equally with each other for the spoils of the fight – yeah right! 
What
else would you expect from a Warhammer holiday? 
Trick-or-treating? 
Nah!  Beating people over the head?  Oh yeah!