8:13 AM, August 4, 2008
Fargo: Massively multiplayer betas are always a logistical challenge. In this case, every participant has to download 9+ gigs of files before they can start with the whompin'. I'm one of the lucky ones, and was installed and ready to go before the weekend.
I've opted to go with a Greenskin shaman, since that's what I played around with at E3. The core mechanic of the chaos healer class is awesome in its simplicity: by healing people, you build up Waaagh! This will juice up your magical attacks, allowing you to build up and then whallop people with a real nuke of a direct damage spell. Similarly, doing damage will build up Waaagh! that enhances your heals. The result? You rush into a melee, start healing as many people as possible, then smash enemies with a devastating attack. It encourages you to play a good healer. I love it.
My initial experiences in the first few levels, though, are ones of unmitigated slaughter. Nobody can touch me. I zap foes with my attack spells, then as they drop to the ground I hit myself with an overpowered heal. I don't have to slow down for nothing. My initial impression is that Age of Reckoning is fast and brutal, and I like it that way.
9:00 AM, August 4, 2008
Delsyn: Just prior to the recent E3 event in Los Angeles, one of the first phone calls I received was from the folks at Mythic who wanted to make sure I'd be stopping by the EA booth for "a special surprise." Of course they wouldn't tell me what it was, though I certainly had an inkling. Still, one can never be sure what you're going to get in relation to any project with Paul Barnett attached. I know that at least 50% of his "I'm a Chaotic lunatic" shtick is just that -- an act. The problem is I never quite know which 50% that is. Fortunately, the surprise turned out to be just what I had hoped for -- my very own entree into the world of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.
I've gone through the installation and patching process and have started the game up. No opening cinematic. Not surprising, of course, but I always look forward to those in MMOs to get me in the mood for slaughter. No, the first thing I see before me is the racial selection screen. This is no small choice for someone like me who really enjoys lore and atmosphere. No, I'm not a role-player (the geek gene isn't that strong), but I do like having a little bit on context for all the killing I'm about to do.
9:15 AM, August 4, 2008
Delsyn: There was never much doubt that we'd be playing Destruction here at GameSpy. First, our fearless leader Bryn Williams is from Manchester (that's in England!) and was a big fan of Warhammer Fantasy as a kid. His accent also bears a suspicious resemblence to the ones the Orks use except that it's slightly more difficult to understand. Second, Destruction in Warhammer Online is just a philosophy that appeals to us. Sure, they're sort-of-evil, but underneath that evil is a sense of genuine joy. There's no real angst in the Warhammer universe and no sense of guilt or self-torture. Everyone's got a lovely black-and-white sense of moral certainty that's kind of refreshing.
My personal choice is between the Orks who are just flat-out funny and the Chaos Magus because I love the idea of riding around on a disc because my feet are too holy to touch the ground. I'll end up doing both, of course, so i create a Black Ork and a Magus, but Ilyana my Magus ends up becoming my main. I'm afraid of what that reveals about me as a person.
