GUILD OF SUN - PvP Clan & MMORPG COMMUNITY
Warhammer Online
It nailed it!
Age of Conan didn't turn out well, so in September 2008 we started out playing Warhammer on the European Open RvR server Eltharion. And it didn't turn out too well either, unfortunately. Thinking about it a second time, it really should be said, that it was a shame, that Warhammer Online didn't have the future we all had wished the game and its players. The level of detail was simply amazing. Some features became industry standards afterwards, like the public quests or the guild level system. From a competitive PvPer's point of view it had two major flaws that brought it down. First of all the one pitfall that eats many player centric MMOs. The Endgame! Yes, it is almost a feared expression for munchkinlike hardcore gamers most of us claim that they have been such once upon in time.
Well, the system with conquering upstream zones to finally battle about the capitals, was a good idea. Being part in locking down the enemy capital was somewhat satisfying. Still, it really didn't thrilled us for super long. And that might have to do with the other design flaw. Spreading the leveling zones into such a range, that you get every four hours into a new one, sounds good on paper at first. But after over a dozen zones later, only half way through to max level you start wondering, where you are and what all of this is about. The immersive character of the game world gets lost. And therefore the reason to get in conflict over it.
In games like Ultima Online, you came back to the place where you started. You became connected. You had a tower with your guild somewhere. It started to matter. The same players pissed you off every day in your area. You rallied your guys and started chasing them. Warhammer Online could have had all of it - it was super rich - but spread out like butter on too much bread, to cite a hobbit that started to feel thin. In the end, the license contracted with Games Workshop ended. And the publisher pulled the plug. All coffin nails had been nailed!